Mr. Jones & Me (Jones, #2)

Three years have passed since Finley O’Connell found love and heartbreak in the form of alluring, yet secretive psychology professor, Cabel Jones. Now a twenty-two-year-old graduate student, Finley hardly has time to fulfill her role as Cabel’s young new wife.

But when a voluptuous blonde bombshell from Cabel’s past arrives to fill a teaching position on campus, Finley feels immediately threatened. Jane Adams wants Cabel Jones back and will stop at nothing to rekindle romance with her former flame. Jealous and betrayed, Finley falls into a perilous trap that may cost Cabel his life.

*Contains Spoilers*

Well this sequel definitely had some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Mr. Jones & Me is the sequel to Me & Mr. Jones, that I reviewed a while back, by Lindsay Marie Miller. This novel takes place after Finley has graduated from college and married Mr. Jones, her undergrad professor. In the first novel, Finley and Cabel's lives were threatened when Cabel's Uncle wanted to run for office and needed Cabel and his twin brother, Seth, to stay quiet ... in a permanent way. Now, three years later, they thought they were safe, but sadly, they were wrong. 

Readers already have relationships with Finley and Cabel from the first book and this sequel builds upon those connections a little bit more. Finley is attending graduate school and working full time which has put a strain on her new marriage. Readers can relate to this because complications always arise in relationships. This makes Finley seem more down to earth. However, Cabel's relationship with readers becomes a little rocky when a woman from his past shows up... a woman he was engaged to. 

Meet Jane: beautiful, intelligent, and completely psychotic. She believes that she and Cabel still have a chance and will stop at nothing to win him back. She even teams up with her father to kill Cabel and Finley for more political reasons. But instead of killing Cabel (here's where the spoilers begin) she kills her father and physically attacks Finley, forcing her to miscarry. Now this woman is totally insane, but she does force certain truths into light. Truths that Cabel had been hiding from Finley since the moment they met. This doesn't work in Cabel's favor when it comes to garnering trust from the readers. Especially since, big spoiler here, Cabel is dead. The man that Finley is married to is Seth, Cabel's twin. Now this really complicates everything the readers thought they knew. Suddenly, there's a huge trust issue with Cabel and I don't know if the rest of the book rebuilds it. Though it was a brilliant twist by the author, I don't know if I could forgive my husband for lying to me since the day we met so I'm not sure how Finley could forgive Cabel. 

However, the biggest emotional connection with readers in this book comes from the blossoming hope of a baby. Finley's pregnancy is a complete surprise to the couple and it creates a larger problem in terms of danger and Jane. When Jane causes Finley to miscarry it is a severe blow to the emotional level of this novel. It goes from happy and full of hope to complete despair. It becomes another battle that Finely and Cabel have to overcome. It's hard and it's hard to read about, but Miller does a good job in bringing the novel out of darkness. 

Mr. Jones & Me does certainly focus on Cabel a little more than Finley, as the title suggests and I think readers who enjoyed the first book would enjoy this one. However, it tackles some bigger issues than the first book and doesn't have the same 'feel.' 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Read the Review of Me & Mr. Jones:

Binds That Tie

Love ties. Murder binds.

Maggie never felt as though she belonged until Chris Stevens showed her what true happiness meant. Ten years into their marriage, miscarriages and infidelities have scarred them both. Despite their perfect-couple image, Maggie can’t look at Chris with anything but resentment. When a charismatic stranger offers the opportunity for a little harmless flirtation, she jumps into the game.

But charm soon turns to malice, and a deadly split-second decision forces Maggie and Chris onto a dangerous path fraught with secrets, lies, and guilt. With no one else to turn to—no one she dares trust—Maggie will ultimately learn just how binding marital ties can be.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Kate Moretti shares a thrilling story of marriage and murder in her novel, Binds That Tie. Maggie and Chris have been having problems within their matrimony for years. They've struggled through multiple miscarriages and adultery. All Maggie wants is to feel beautiful, adored, loved. She finds the chance in a seemingly harmless flirtation with an attractive stranger, Logan. Though Maggie doesn't know that Logan's past includes attempted rape, assault, and a restraining order. 

Growing tired of the flirtation, Maggie insists that she and Logan no longer keep in contact. Logan strongly disagrees which leads to the murder of Mr. Logan May. When Chris learns of what happened, he is terrified that he'll be the one in handcuffs looking at a long prison stay. Instead of calling the police, Chris opts for burying the body and pretending nothing happened. The next day, the police are knocking on the door asking questions that Chris is not prepared to answer. 

Maggie and Chris are the main characters, the novel switching focus back and forth between them. Sadly, neither of them are very likeable characters, reminding me of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Maggie lacks the warmth that a relationship requires. When she is sweet or caring, I'm wondering what her motive is. She's struggled through a lot and that needs to be taken into account when assessing her character, but the consistent blaming of her husband paired with her own adulterous actions reduces the sympathy I feel for her. Chris is a man who takes things into his own hands without thinking through all of the consequences. He cheated on his wife, but still loves her. He's protective, willing to hide his wife's murder victim, but is also unbalanced and selfish -- after all, he fully believed the police would blame him instantly, no matter what the story was. 

Though the characters weren't easy to relate to... or easy to like, the plot is absolutely thrilling. Stakes are incredibly high and both main characters are all in. Moretti brings flaws to the forefront and marriage becomes a battle. Binds That Tie is a novel propelled by plot, not by character connection, and will leave readers with goosebumps, wondering how people could treat the ones they love so badly. 

Rating: 2.5/5Cups

From My Heart to Yours

Sofia, a young woman from a sheltered upbringing, is in for an unexpected ride when she marries Earl. As their stable union twists unnervingly through health issues, betrayal and shattered hearts, Sofia sheds layers of naivete, deepening her perspective of life. Beautiful life lessons learned from preschool children may heal her scars; but can they help her to endure the greatest tragedy of all? This story offers a powerful and inspiring journey into the soul.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Michelle Zarrin delivers a heart-wrenching tale of struggle and strength with her novel, From My Heart to Yours. This book, based on a true story, follows Sofia through the toughest times in her life. It begins with her falling in love with Earl, through their marriage, their divorce, and the death of the man who's always been there for her: her father. The whole experience threatens to destroy Sofia, but through faith and focus she survives, stronger than ever. 

Sofia is the central character in this novel, though her husband and her family both play large roles. Readers see a very definitive character arc as the story progresses. At the beginning, Sofia is in love with Earl and they get married, starting life's biggest adventure together. During this point, she's full of wonder and enjoyment. When Earl has a skiing accident and ultimately becomes addicted to painkillers, Sofia's character changes. A new dedicated and hopeful Sofia emerges. As she helps her husband overcome his addiction, she begins asking the appropriate questions and readers come to understand her plight. Will her marriage survive this? Can her husband become the man she used to know? And how will this affect their plans of starting a family? Readers will connect with Sofia as they witness the incredible struggle she endures. 

The plot of From My Heart to Yours comes full circle, as Sofia tries to understand the obstacles that life presented her and fights to overcome each of them. Through the difficult marriage Sofia must learn to rely on herself and become self-sufficient enough to move on after the last line has been crossed, emotionally and physically. Through meditation, yoga, and healthy habits, Sofia comes to believe and know that she is much stronger than anyone has ever given her credit for. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Morning Light

Emily, a twenty-four-year-old dancer and choreographer, confronts her husband's fixation with right-wing Catholic dogma that condemns her use of birth control. His faith is so powerful that he refuses to have sex with her, even though he desperately wants to. As awful as this broken faith feels, she is troubled more by her best friend's losing fight with cancer, and seeks to help her friend's grief-stricken, precocious, son-the seventeen-year-old David.

But the boy's willful ways turn the tables on her. Denied intimacy by her husband, the boy's passion asserts itself, and everyone's life is explosively altered. Twenty years later, the successful David, a theater director, gets his hands on Emily's secret journals and uncovers her covert emotional life, revealing family secrets unknown to him, and discovering prickly truths about himself.

Part literary memoir, part poignant psychological drama, this haunting love story explores the secrets of attraction and the mysteries of obsession-a boy's coming-of-age, and one woman's search for love and success in a year of intense achievement and painful loss.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Morning Light by Holland Kane is an unexpected religious romance full of discovery, doubt, and deep secrets. David tells the story as an outsider, twenty years after it happened, though he plays a large part in the plot. When Emily, the main character, gives David her journals from the past, he shares them with the reader, adding insight and details from his point of view. 

Emily is a hopeful dancer who lets infatuation and love carry her through life. She's completely in love with her husband, but when he removes sexuality from their marriage it condemns Emily to searching for physical love with David, a seventeen year old. Though Emily isn't open in life - she's in fact very secretive - she's open with readers. As David shares her journal entries, readers become members of Emily's inner mind. Readers will connect with her through empathy and understanding. As a young woman, she yearns for life lasting love. 

The novel is set up as a memoir, though it's easy to forget while reading that the narrator is looking back while telling the story. Readers follow Emily through a year that held her defining moments. She becomes pregnant, her dance/choreography career takes off, all while trying to hold her marriage together. Though religion plays a huge role in the story line, it isn't overwhelming. It's a common thread throughout that holds the pieces and players together. When the weight of the characters become to much, the thread snaps and the story crumbles into chaos. 

Morning Light is a hindsight novel where the worst outcome is always on the horizon. A ploy of Murphy's law that will leave readers feeling inept. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

The Unwanted Wife

All Alessandro de Lucci wants from his wife is a son but after a year and a half of unhappiness and disillusionment, all Theresa de Lucci wants from her ice cold husband is a divorce. Unfortunate timing, since Theresa is about to discover that she’s finally pregnant and Alessandro is about to discover that he isn’t willing to lose Theresa.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Natasha Anders sets up a scheme-filled marriage in her novel, The Unwanted Wife. When Sandro married Theresa, he thought she was in cahoots with her father, holding the livelihood of Sandro's family as if it were the blade to a guillotine. In order to remove the threat, Sandro must give the De Lucci family a male heir.

The novel focuses around Theresa, who met Sandro and fell completely in love with him. She has a gentle nature but reaches her breaking point after nearly two years of unrequited feelings, standing up to Sandro and asking for a divorce. Readers will connect with Theresa, firstly, through empathy. Feeling unloved is an easily relatable emotion and Theresa can't remember a time when she felt love. (Certainly not from her calculated and focused father.) The strength that Theresa discovers within her heart will pull readers to her side of understanding, strengthening the initial bond Anders creates. 

The plot of the novel is solely based on the relationship between Sandro and Theresa. Becoming pregnant scares Theresa, she sees the child as an innocent victim to her father's schemes and a tie to Sandro that she doesn't want any longer. But, things become increasingly difficult when Sandro learns that Theresa never knew of her father's plan and actually loved him. The stakes raise again when Theresa learns that she hasn't been the only woman in Sandro's life.  The evolution of both characters throughout the story will bring readers to tears, evoking every emotion emitted in a relationship. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

The Unwanted Wife

Teaser Tuesday (71)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Unwanted Wife (Kindle Loc. 525-28)
   - Natasha Anders


"My wife..." he placed a lot of sarcastic emphasis on the last word. "...sleeps with me. You will come back to our bedroom if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming."

Sleeping Roses

Sophie married into a lie.

Sick of her dangerous marriage, Sophie leaves her husband, determined to start a new life.

But her husband isn't going to let her go that easily. If he can't have her, no one can.

It's hunter versus hunted.

*May Contain Spoilers*

RaShelle Workman creates a fast paced thriller where the reader is forced to question everything, including reality, in her novel Sleeping Roses. 

Determined to escape her husband's wrath, Sophie leaves David. But if he can't have her, no one can, and Sophie soon learns just how twisted her husband is. His actions throughout the novel are so realistic that David actually becomes a true-to-life villain. He will give readers goose-bumps, chills, and a reason to jump at that strange noise outside. Workman writes David as horrifying and sinister, truly making this novel a thriller from start to finish. 

Sophie, the main character of the novel, is a little naive. And even she can admit it. At times, I was annoyed with just how innocent and nonchalant she could be about David's actions. (I mean, when it's time to call the police, just call them already.) Though the major twist at the end - 'major' being an understatement - explains her naivety, I would have loved a deeper connection with Sophie. The character development was there but the reader-character bond wasn't strong enough. 

The plot that Workman writes is hauntingly believable, and understandable. Readers will be second guessing every character, just as Sophie does. As the paranoia grows within her, it will simultaneously grow within the reader. And the hints that Workman drops throughout the story line are spot on incredible. I just about had everything figured out when when - BAM - everything changes. 

Mostly, I loved how Workman leaves readers wondering if this actually happened to her or a close friend. It's just too believable and surprising to not be based on truth. 

Rating: 3/5 cups

Sleeping Roses (Dead Roses #1)

Duke For Hire

It begins with a woman looking for a husband.

Not love.

It also begins with the same woman mistaking a duke for a common business solicitor.

When he's hired by her to find her a husband, preferably, a duke, and preferably, on her list of acceptable dukes. He agrees. Because really, with those eyes, how could he say no to her?

Except he, being a duke, isn't on the list. And he just also happens to be the one who has fallen in love with her.

Poor Elinor, being set up to fall in love with James Tremont when all she wanted was an acceptable marriage.

**

It's obvious to see that what Elinor really wants is just that, love. Only she believes (after her first husband was overly cruel) that it won't ever exist for her. After being hurt, we're all cautious to jump back in the world of relationships, and that is exactly where the reader connects with Elinor. Making this love story, Mad About the Duke by Elizabeth Boyle, laugh out loud funny and hopelessly endearing.

Mad About the Duke on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups