Books I’ve Loved – Part 4 #LizGauffrau @jameswadewriter @RZanettiAuthor @KaraONealAuthor

Still catching up from my summer reading and sharing reviews. Hope you see something you like today!

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MY REVIEW:

In this beautiful book of stunning photography and matching Haikus, you’ll find yourself swept away into the truly simple pleasures in life. The author does a fabulous job of portraying incredible moments in time and space with exquisite poetry. This is the kind of book you want to savor and re-read. If you are a fan of wonderful poetry spoken directly from the heart of the author and her experiences, you will no doubt love this collection as much as I did. I highly recommend it!

MY REVIEW:

This is the second book I’ve read from Mr. Wade and it won’t be my last. He has the innate ability to reach deep into the dregs of society and pull out the most depraved and flawed characters. There were times in this story, I was confused and not sure how certain scenes played into the story, but by the end, they were all masterfully woven together.
The similarities between some adult characters and a child are believable and heart wrenching. The level of abuse some children suffer (and yes, it’s a real thing) is beyond horrific and shapes them into oftentimes, really messed up adults.
But the author’s way of using descriptive phrases such as this one leave me astounded! “To the east, the dawn was hard at work pushing a sanguine sky overtop the vestiges of the falling black, and when at last the glowing corona of the sun did emerge, it looked as if the earth were sacrificing its very heart to some ancient luminary.”
And that’s just one example. The writing is exemplary, the characters well fleshed out and the story line riveting. I highly recommend this book for anyone who doesn’t mind getting down in the trenches with the lowest of the low.

MY REVIEW:

This is the third book in the Scorpius Syndrome books and I loved seeing many of the same characters from the previous book. As the world struggles to survive following a deadly bacteria that has wiped out life on earth as we know it, Jax Mercury and the Vanguard group is dedicated to protecting the people within its walls, while fighting the unseen enemy of the bacteria that changes people and mostly for the worse.
Tace Justice was an army medic, a good ol’ boy from Texas who after being infected by the brain altering disease, turned dark. But as can happen in real life, falling in love with Samantha Steel gives him the strength to fight the darkness while battling for his life as the bacteria sends him in a downward spiral.

Samantha has her own secrets and fights hard to keep them hidden. But the truth has a way of surfacing at the most inopportune moment.
In this segment of the story, the Vanguard group forges new alliances, makes earth-shattering discoveries and suffers great losses.
The romance is hot, heavy and sometimes brutal, along with the story. If you are a fan of strong female characters, male characters viciously determined to protect them, and heart-pounding action, this book will tick all of those boxes for you.

MY REVIEW:

This is a classic romance story where you know from page one that the man and woman are going to get together. But what makes the story a fun read is their journey to get there.
Wyatt Davis has a reputation as a love ’em and leave ’em kind of guy and at thirty, he’s ready for a change.
Jesse Townsend has had her heart broken when on the night before her wedding, her fiance cheated on her with another woman. She’s spent the last two years protecting herself from ever having to feel that kind of hurt again. She’s lost herself in her work, running an antique store and participating in the local heritage society dedicated to preserving the past.
So, when Wyatt asks her out, she immediately turns him down, then turns him down four more times. He has to get inventive to find ways to be around Jesse because he knows she’s something special.
One of the things I enjoyed, as a lover of Texas music and the artists who make it, is all the references throughout the book to different artists who I also follow and admire, such as Curtis Grimes, The Turnpike Troubadours, Cody Jinks, Zane Williams and many more. This is truly a fun read, especially if you’re from Texas. And, of course, it has a happy ever after ending. If you are a lover of classic romance with a few twists, you will enjoy this book.

That’s it for now. I’m slowly catching up. I hope you see something you can’t live without!

“I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” – Emma Thompson