Pacific Vortex

I listened to and enjoyed the Fargo Adventures by Clive Cussler - but maybe I went too far back in time for this one. Pacific Vortex is the first of the Dirk Pitt series. I've seen the movie Sahara, but that is all I know about Dirk and his exploits. The first novel was ok - but the old narration was not great and the story was not that thrilling. Very meh for me. I might continue with the series (only if the narrator changes though!). 

Wildfire

Summer smut that is sweet and ... wholesome? Aurora and Russ, two college kids who "accidentally" had a one night stand - find themselves thrown together as camp counselors at an exclusive summer camp for kids. Surprise! Aurora's home away from home is this camp - as a kid it's the safest she ever felt. She loved being a camper and she loves being a counselor even more. For Russ it's all a new experience, he needs the cash and to get away from his messed up family for the summer. Besides their hook up at college, Russ and Rory, find that they have lots in common (daddy issues!) and have to admit that their attraction goes deeper than just boning. Light, fluffy, and funny - this steamy romance is good for college kids (I felt so old reading this). 

Icebreaker

Smutty hockey romance. It was nice to see a healthy relationship portrayed - but I officially feel too old now to be reading college smut. I felt aged reading this even though it was pretty enjoyable. There was a lot of drama, a lot of sex, and a lot of over the top scenarios but it was a fun read. I suppose I will read the second in the series :)

Yours from the Tower

I absolutely adored this book! So much fun and I know younger me would have also loved it. Told through a series of letters between Sophia, Tirzah, and Polly in late nineteenth century England - Yours from the Tower is a celebration of female friendship. The letters are funny, heartfelt, sometimes sad, and all around wonderful. The girls couldn't be more different in temperament and in circumstance. They all met at a girl's finishing school - but now they are back at "home" they miss each other dearly. One girl is in the middle of her first (and only) season and she is hoping to catch a wealthy man to care for her and her younger sisters, another is stuck at home with her grandmother as a companion, and the third works at an orphanage. So much fun - I loved this novel from the very first page!

Target Acquired

This Christian thriller is the second in a series - but reads easily as a standalone. I had no issues following along and don't even know which characters were the focus of the first book. Target Acquired follows tenacious, Kenzie King as she tries to figure out if her SWAT team is being targeted or if it's just her that has a target on her back. She's proud to have been chosen as the SWAT medic even if she's the only girl on the team. Most of the guys don't seem to trust her, except for Cole that is. He is her brother's best friend and unless she's mistaken there might be something blossoming between the two of them. There's not much time for romance though because they need to figure out who is attacking them and why they seem to want Kenzie dead. Is it one of the guys on the team who has an axe to grind?! To make matters even more complicated her father (a disgraced former police chief) confesses that he thinks her mother's death a decade ago may have actually been murder. There is a LOT going on in this book with lots of loose threads. But like all inspirational reads everything does eventually get resolved. I wanted to like this more than I did - but there were aspects of the plot that were so wildly unbelievable and over the top that it seemed to distract from the story. I wish they had done more with the alternate storyline with Betsy as well.

45 Ways to Live Like an Italian

This was a fun little bathroom book to read through. As someone with Italian heritage it was fun to learn a little bit more about Italian lifestyles and tradition. Each section has a little illustration, info about a food, activity, way of life, saying, etc. and ends with some tips or ways you can incorporate it into your own life. It was fun and enjoyable. Not life changing, but had some good advice and interesting takes on happiness. Like I said, good bathroom reading. 

The House in the Pines

Ugh - I hate rating this book so low. It was well written but the main character was supremely unlikable and when you get to the end and discover the twist?! Man I just wanted to throw the book against the wall. Glad I just checked this one out from the library and didn't buy it. I like thrillers and I like thrillers with weird premises - but this one.... not good.