The Geekery Book Review

Recklessly Royal by Nichole Chase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is such a fun, quirky, cute read. From the start, with lines about Queen Elizabeth parading around in her panties while singing the national anthem, you just know that it's going to be lighthearted and fun.

At first I was a little worried because I hadn't read Suddenly Royal yet, but while it would have been nice to have the backstory, it worked out just fine as a stand alone. BUT, I did go buy Suddenly Royal about a quarter of the way through this story. It's not something I wanted to miss.

Cathy- or Princess Catherine- is used to the royal life and the side effects that come with it. From boys treating her like trophies to be shown off to the rigid calendar of social and princess duties, she never thought she would find someone to connect with like her older brother, Alex, and her best friend, Sam, did with each other.

David is your not so average, good looking American guy. He comes to help with the running of FBT (Future Bird Trust) while Sam is on her honeymoon, and after a hilarious run in (like SERIOUSLY hilarious!!) with a drunk Cathy, he endears himself to her with his sincerity and down to earth personality.

Two people could not be more opposite that David and Cathy. She's used to high society and he grew up on a South Georgia farm. It's totally perfect and works so well for the story. He brings out her relaxed, live-life-in-the-moment side, while she brings out a side of him that is protective and less introverted. After a rough start in the romance department, a few ups and downs with the media, and one sincerely annoying and easy to hate from the start fill-in assistant, they find their groove. If one paragraph can sum the whole book up, it's...

"You know, I always thought I wanted a knight in shining armor." I broke away from his kiss and looked up at him with a smile. "But I like my dashing rogue much better."..

Recklessly Royal is such a cute, easy to read story. I think I finished it in like 3 hours, but it never felt rushed or too short. It's written perfectly, and would make the perfect beach read for spring break or this summer. This is such an adorable, adult take on the likes of the Princess Diaries. I'm seriously excited for Max's story in Reluctantly Royal. In fact, I've already pre-ordered that one!!



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Four Years Later by Monica Murphy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If anything sums up my feelings about Owen, it's this quote from Monica Murphy in the acknowledgments of Four Years Later:

"I never planned in Owen having his own book. He was just Fable's brother, a secondary character Fable needed to ground her and give her something to love before she met Drew. He was a total pain in her ass that she had to deal with, but she loved him so fiercely. So did I. Then he grew into this...thing. He became this man-boy who punched Drew in the face, who loved his sister just as fiercely as she loved him and had all this guilt to deal with because of his mom. He DEMANDED a story. So here it is. And dare I say I love Owen just as much as I love Drew? Yes. I do. I hope you do to."

Well, Ms. Monica Murphy, you hit the nail on the head. I LOVE Owen more so now than I ever did before. In fact, I think I love him just a teeny-tiny bit more than I do Drew!!

Poor little Owen. At the beginning of the book his attitude made my heart hurt for him. After looking up to Drew for so long, he tries becoming his carbon copy, with somewhat disastrous results. He's always had Drew or Fable to pick him up when life gets difficult, and with them living out of town and his mother butting into his life again, he's smoking too much pot and partying way too hard as a form of escaping from reality. He has to learn how to pick HIMSELF up and deal with his problems head on. Fable's not going to swoop in a make it alright, or let him run from it. It's time for him to grow up. Like it or not.

I adore Chelsea!! She feels like she's always been a nobody. A straight A, straight laced, virginal, predictable nobody. All she wants is to be "someone's somebody" and to know what it "feels like to be cherished". (Those two parts just made all the feels pour out of my heart!!) The example her mother has set for her with men, including her own father, had Chelsea, at one time, deciding she was a lesbian. Her mother pretty much choses her philandering, corrupt father over her, resulting in her becoming a mature adult long before she should have.

I think what I love the most about Owen and Chelsea's relationship is that they don't swoop in and solve each others problems, and that they are not perfect, but are a perfect fit for each other. Their both a little insecure, in different ways, but it makes the story so, SO sweet! And how scenes can be written that are equal parts heat and sweet innocence, I'll never know. It's totally brilliant. Usually you can tell when a series has a book added that wasn't in the initial concept, but with Four Year Later, it's just the cherry on top of an amazing series. Four Years Later just cements this series as a guaranteed classic that generations to come will be reading.

A few things I really loved:

MORE POEMS!!!! HOT poems!!

I loved the little inspirational quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They round out everything perfectly.

We get to see more into Drew, Fable, and baby Autumn's lives. (Because God knows, we will NEVER get enough of that!!)

The ending. The end of one of my favorite series. As bittersweet as it was, it ended perfectly. I need tissues, but they were for happy tears!!

The best part of the book?? I want to quote it, but that might be considered a spoiler, so about 97% through the book there's a paragraph about Owen and Fable's luck that should be read slowly. Savored. Remember where you were when you read it. It would have been a crime if this series had ended without it. It definitely is the chapter my mind goes to when I think if Four Years Later.

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Scrapbook Tips & Techniques by Crafts Media LLC
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A few of the things I look for in a good craft book are:

Can you use the content long term or is it more trendy?
In general, when it comes to books, I'll take electronic or paperback; I'm not picky. But, when it comes to books about arts and crafts I want the actual book, in my hands, where I can keep going back to it. I've owned this book for a couple years now, and I am always pulling it off my shelf to look something up. All you have to do is update the paper and the notions and the finished page looks current, but still classic.


The cost to content ratio:
The fact that this comes from Creating Keepsakes makes purchasing it somewhat of no brainer (for me at least). Generally speaking, if I like a company's monthly magazines, I'm going to love their "idea books", and that holds true for this one. Getting 288 pages, full of USEFUL content, for around $17, you really couldn't ask for more. It covers the basics of many techniques, making it easy to experiment, so for the basic, not so tech-y scrap booker, this is perfect for you.


The book's focus:
This one covers just about everything. There are tips and tricks on paper quilting, printing on ribbon, and making interactive titles. While I should be using the chapter "From Chaos to Order" the most (I am ridiculously unorganized!!), the chapter I found most useful was "25 ways to include more photos". I'm constantly finding myself adapting my layouts to fit in these little hidden albums.


With over 700 tricks and techniques in it, this is the book version of a "jack of all trades". There's a little bit of something for everyone.

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Cakes to Dream On: A Master Class in Decorating by Colette Peters
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I normally write reviews for fiction, so this one is a little different and new to me.

It needs to be said that I am in no way near being a master at cake decorating. In all honesty, I bought Cakes to Dream on: A Master Class because it was beautiful. The cover, the cakes inside, all of it, it's just amazing! My mom was a cake decorator for years, so for this review I asked her opinion on the book.

The instructions: Very easy to follow. The diagrams and drawings are thorough, as they not only tell you what you need to do, they also show you. I learn from seeing much faster than I do from words alone, so the sketches, patterns, and diagrams are a HUGE plus.

Practicality for the average person: For just the average, everyday person?? Not the most practical. These aren't cakes that you would be making for a kids birthday party. Part of what makes this book so amazing IS the fact that you won't see these cakes anywhere else. They are equal parts unique and amazing!! Being hardbound, if you bought the book at a regular store, it would be a bit pricey at $40. Luckily, I got through Amazon for around $25, and I consider that a steal!

The recipes: These are the same recipes used in bakeries with some bonus variations.

The best feature: While the photography is stunning, the cakes brilliantly unique, what sells me the most are the diagrams, sketches, and patterns. They are definitely the biggest selling point.

Even if I had never planned to do any of the cakes out of here, I would still keep the book on my shelf just to show it off!!

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Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The men of Hard Ink are back with a vengeance, and better than ever!! The story starts off with a bang, set just a few days after the ending of Hard As It Gets. The men are now becoming a "family born of choice rather than blood", and have now worked through any issues they had with each other in Hard as it Gets. The comrade alone has me wanting to be part of the Hard Ink family.

Crystal is more comfortable in jeans and flip-flops rather than the high heels and slutty clothes she is forced to wear as waitress in a strip club. She is strong, but trapped in a bad situation she had no control over, and she does what she has to do in order to protect her little sister. She has the scars to prove it. She won't sit around expecting to be rescued by anyone- she's determined to get herself out, and while she PLAYS ignorant really well, don't underestimate her or her ability to put her pride aside and ask for help when it really matters.

Shane is a man with a kind heart who trusts his gut and sees past the situation Crystal is forced into, to see the good, loyal person she is. Shane's compassion comes from a terrible moment that changed his life when he was barley a teenager, and almost as a penance, he is dead set on helping the others protect their siblings. Maybe that will earn him a little redemption. I love his compassion, his willingness to be open with Crystal, and that he is willing to put his life in the line of fire to help someone he barely knows, but wants to know better.

I am fascinated that Laura Kaye can come up with this amazing series that is wonderfully woven with intrigue, action, and of course, the perfect amount of steaminess, while still being able to be read as stand alones. She brings in small details from Hard as it Gets, and then makes them relevant without being redundant. It's brilliant! I literally read the last 20 mins. of the story sitting on the edge of my couch, snapping at anyone who dared to bug me. (Sorry about that, family!)The story is what you have come to expect from Laura Kaye, just a step higher.

Here are a few random thoughts and things I love from the story:

Jeremy is back with his always awesome and highly dirty T-shirts.

I learned a new phrase: Sass and Swalls (sweaty ass and sweaty balls). I don't know if I will ever use it, but I am REALLY hoping a situation comes up where I can.

Out of the rest of the Hard Ink men, I am so looking forward to Marz's story the most. Think Laura will let me babysit, chauffeur, even cook, clean, and wash windows to get the next Hard Ink man here a little faster??




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Interview with a Master by Jason Luke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


First of all, every man needs to come with a copy of "Jonah Noble's Big Book of Rules". In fact , it should come with every male baby when it's sent home from the hospital . With rules like "If a man understands the way a woman thinks, then both people in the relationship will be satisfied.", "Women don't want to be forced to their knees. They want to be made to feel weak at the knees", and "...women need to feel loved in order to want sex. And men need sex in order to feel loved.", it's pretty much a guarantee to make any woman all mushy and head over heels in love.

I love that the story is written by a man, from a man's POV. The series, so far, wouldn't necessarily fall under the category of erotic romance. While it's definitely erotic, and it's leading up to a romance, sometimes it seems more autobiographical than anything else. It's definitely a unique approach, one I haven't read before, but it's entirely enjoyable. The BDSM content is more of a vanilla variety- one that would be attractive to the average, everyday man or woman; it focuses more on the emotional side of BDSM, not the pain and all the BDSM trappings.

While I love the concept of the book, sometimes the narrative becomes a tad awkward. There are times that the writing flows so well that you have devoured chapters without realizing it, but then there are a few times that it becomes a little choppy and rushed. And while some of the sexual experiences come across as typical guy fantasy clichés, overall it's a very enjoyable read with some truly hot, unique scenes that I haven't come across before. I think I finished the whole book in a couple hours, so it's not a difficult, mind-bending type of story.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series, as it is unique, intriguing, and has SO much potential. I could totally see this as being a movie or TV show, and the way the book ends introduces enough mystery and excited to definitely leave you wanting more!!

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The Minaldi Legacy by Courtney Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven't been this excited about a book in a long time. Don't get me wrong, I have read plenty of books that I LOVED, and a few that have given me serious book hangovers, but it's been a while since one just full body, heart and soul, grabbed me and wouldn't let go!!

The Minaldi Legacy is dark and gritty, and real and heart-wrenching. I was not only kept guessing throughout the entire book, I kept looking back and could find little details that show how intricately woven the story was. In the first half, there was more than once that with the information given, I couldn't figure out how it could end happily. People I was convinced were to be blamed, weren't, but then they were, but not on their own or really at all. People that I never even thought about blaming, were as guilty as sin. My highlights and notes are kinda funny to look at because I was all over the board on this one. My brain never could have come up with a story this complex and kinda awesomely twisted. One thing I did come away with though, ALWAYS OWN A DOG!!

I will admit that once I was through the first half, I couldn't see how you could have a whole other half to read. I thought the story ended good there, and would just be long and drug out if it continued. I even had to make myself start the second half because I quite liked it how it was. I should have never doubted the author. What started out as a really good book turned into an amazing, complex thriller romance!!

If you are looking for a dark, brooding, VERY hot man, a level headed, strong willed, anti-wilting woman, look no further!! The only thing that could make The Minaldi Legacy any better would be if the author included a cloned version of Luca with every purchase.

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My Sweetest Escape by Chelsea M. Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're a fan of My Favorite Mistake, go grab My Sweetest Escape now!!

Jos used to be uptight, predictable, and consistent, but after a tragedy in her life, she does a 180 and starts to lose control. Dusty, on the other hand, was wild, loose, and carefree until he was forced to see what he thought were the consequences of those actions, and change for the better. After being made to live with her sister as a result of her new found attitude, Jos runs into Dusty and the fireworks start.

Living in Yellowfield House (I love the British-ness of a house being named!)with her sister and her friends, Jos isn't too interested in making new friends or finding love. Her attitude is nowhere near "better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all" , but as much as she tries pushing Dusty away, he's having none of it. They both have baggage and it's a battle of wills between the two of them to love and be loved.

My Sweetest Escape has just enough details from My Favorite Mistake to make you want to reread it, and even a memorable moment between Hunter and Taylor that will have you weak in the knees, but not so much that it can't be read as a stand alone. The story is well written with the right amount of humorous one-liners that you have come to expect from the author, and I found myself devouring the book just to find out what happened in Ros' and Dusty's past. With the Harry Potter and British literature references, the M&M and Skittle combo (I've actually tried it and it's not too bad!), the sock sliding, and a house full of hot guys and never ending supply of Nutella, I'd definitely recommend this to everyone! If there's one thing I could get from the author, even if it meant the blood of my first born, it's a book based on Jos' friend Hannah. We need more books, by good authors, with a heroine who is not physically perfect!!

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Before you start reading All the Pretty Poses, run to the store and buy some Kleenex, because it's going to tear you up!! If All the Pretty Lies was a chocolate sundae with a cherry on top, All the Pretty Poses is a double chocolate sundae with a cherry on top, coated in 14K gold!!

The opening scene was one of the most descriptive, intriguing, and completely addictive scenes that I have ever read. I felt like I was front and center watching Kennedy dance with my own two eyes, and it didn't stop there. From the club, to each place they sailed, it was almost like I was right there in the book with them!

Reese is the typical rich kid with daddy issues, and he as much as he fights being like his father, right up until the end, he acts a LOT like him. In fact, I started out really liking him, but towards the end I thought I was going to finish the book not really like him at all. Thankfully the author is a master at manipulating your feelings, and with lines like " I've loved you from the moment I met you. For fourteen years I've loved you, and I'll love you for a million more." she thoroughly redeems Reese in the end!

If one paragraph out of the whole book could describe Kennedy, It would be "I turn away from my reflection and walk towards the door. There's no place to go but forward. I learned a long time ago that I can never go back.". She's equal parts strong, stubborn, honest, and sweet. I love that she doesn't lie to herself about her feelings for Reese. "...I knew then just like I know now that Reese nearly destroyed me once, and that he might do so again, but I'm helpless to stop it. I'll love him until there's nothing left. And then long after. It's inevitable. He's inevitable." With her life philosophy of "Life either crushes us or polishes us" she has stepped up to fill the shoes of my favorite heroine to date. While she's strong, she also vulnerable, and just wants to find someone she can trust, even if that means risking a broken heart.

Right when I got comfortable with the story, when it was the typical guy and girl meet again, sparks fly, they're happy, then something comes between then, they overcome that, then they live happy ever after, the author totally switches things up. There's not one twist, or even two, but three times my mind was blown because I didn't see it coming. It would almost be easier to count what I DIDN'T highlight, rather than what I did, because with lines like "I woke up with a raging hard-on. The same one I went to bed with. The one I got from seeing Kennedy up on that stage. The one that the hot waitress who could suck a golf ball through a garden hose couldn't get rid of last night. That hard-on." , I pretty much highlighted the whole book!!

Only having 5 stars just isn't fair; when you have a week long book hangover, you know this isn't just a book you want, it's a book that you absolutely need!! Your eReader and bookshelves will thank you...I promise!!         

Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I started Three Broken Promises I was a little worried about liking it as much as the previous books in the series. I really loved Drew and Fable...especially Fable, I adored her, and I was worried that I wouldn't like Jenn quite as much, or that I would constantly be comparing them. But you can't do that. It's a different couple, with a totally different dynamic!

Right off I will say that as much as I love Colin...love his take charge, manhandling ways in the bedroom, and by the pool, and in the office...for about 80% of the book I wanted to smack him upside his head!! Dear Lord!! It should be illegal for him to be in his head so much, but I totally get it. He feels like he let Jenn's brother down in more ways than one, and he has to deal with that guilt. It actually made me love him all the more.

Jenn really wants to be self-sufficient, independent, and strong, but life seems determined to disrupt those plans. After she runs away from home, she makes some bad decisions, but seriously, can you blame her? After Colin rescues her, takes her home, and gives her a job, her past comes back to haunt her. She doesn't know what to think about her relationship with Colin, she's feeling trapped, so she decides to leave and strike it own on her own.

Through all their ups and downs, and through me going through the tissues, it takes a while, but they finally hear what they need to from each other. It took going through some scary moments for them to FINALLY say the words they both needed to say, but it totally works. Although, I was saying over and over while reading, the same five words.

Just. Ask. Her. To. Stay

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