Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

#BookReview- A Bit of This, and Some of That #Reading @SuzBrockmann @SusanJeanRicci @MissDahlELama


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For this week’s book review post, I have a bit of this, and some of that. A military romance, a memoir, and to lighten things up, a YA romance.

So, let’s get started.

Suzanne Brockmann is hands-down my favorite all time military romance author. She writes heroes who are smart, strong, sexy and compassionate. The stories are multidimensional, often with more than one storyline, and impossible to put down.

That said, some of her books fall a bit flat for me, and this was one of them.

King’s Ransom

This has all the elements of a great romantic suspense; a damsel in distress, terrorism, a strong Navy SEAL, and a friends-to-lovers trope guaranteed to tug on the heartstrings, but…

I had a hard time connecting with Tasha, the admiral’s wilful niece, who is on the way to marrying a prince until things go terribly wrong and her childhood crush, SEAL Team 10’s Thomas King, has to step in to save the day.

There’s a lot of unnecessary rambling that drew me out of the story, and the switch from friends to lovers was a little too convenient considering the circumstances.

Other than that, the story is well thought out and interesting. Overall, a good read.

Next, we have a memoir I was invited to read as part of a book group. This story is based on true events and highlights the issues in the pitfalls of state-run institutions for special needs children. It also shows how family abuse can carry throughout life, affecting everyone involved.

But what stood out for me, was the love and devotion Denise showered on her brother, even when it wasn’t the ‘cool’ thing to do. She fought for his care most of her life and often protected him from an abusive father, and later, careless homecare staff.

This is the story of family ties and strength in the face of adversity.

A must-read!

And finally, we have a coming of age YA novel of a young woman who thinks she knows who she wants, but can’t quite forget the one who got away.

This is a Netgalley pick, and I want to thank the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book.

Lara is popular, has a great group of friends, and finally catches the eye of her crush, football star Chase Harding. Life is good.

That is until a blast-from-the-recent-past strolls through the high school’s front door- Jasmine.

I enjoyed this journey of self-discovery. The characters are complex and well-written. The story is relevant and hits all the right notes.

A fun read!

What are you reading?

28 Replies to “#BookReview- A Bit of This, and Some of That #Reading @SuzBrockmann @SusanJeanRicci @MissDahlELama”

  5. Thanks for sharing your thought on these books, Jacquie. I just finished reading “Friends Who Move Couches” by C.J. Zahner. It is categorized as humor and I felt like I could use a bit of humor these days. However, I found very little to laugh about in the book as a woman with epilepsy and an obsession to surround herself with tons of friends spirals downward. I gave it three stars.

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    1. That’s too bad. I’m always disappointed when a book doesn’t live up to its blurb. The title is good though, I can see all kinds of pitfalls that may have happened 🙂

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  11. Jacquie, three excellent reviews! Running on all Fours stands out for me and one I want to look at closer. At the moment I’m reading three books in one go – not something I usually do but they are for different times in the day and depending on my mood. “Liars & Thieves” by D Wallace Peace, factual book by Mary Smith set in Afganistan and The Glass House. Also reading pre-release another book for a fellow-writer which is very exciting! Happy Reading!

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  12. A great selection of books and excellent reviews, Jacquie! You’re off a wonderful start with reading and reviews. I took a long holiday break and now came back to to attend my WIP, also must get back to my blog, and reading also.

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  13. Great reviews, Jacquie. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as military romance, but of course. Silly me. I was particularly intrigued by Running on All Fours, though it sounds like it deals with some tough issues. The love and devotion you describe is a wonderful balance. Thanks for the recommendations. 🙂

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