Romance Readers Reading Challenges

2015 May Monthly Challenge - GoodReads link to join in the challenge! 

Challenge Duration: May 1st to May 31st, 2015     Completion Date: 05/19/15

1. 'M' is for May:  Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover    Completed- 5/1/15

“My heart made it's choice, and it chose you.”  

Colleen Hoover is one of my all time favorites.  She can't write a book that isn't enjoyable and this one is absolutely no different. Sydney and Ridge are amazing characters and she throws in unexpected spins that make the novel interesting and different. I LOVE DIFFERENT!! I cant pinpoint what single thing prevented me from feeling like this was a 5 star read but I just couldn't give it the 5 stars but would still highly recommend any book by Collen Hoover because I just LOVE her!!! 

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔

2. Member of the Month:  Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan   Completed - 5/8/15

“Maybe there was no right or wrong, no black or white, only a thousand shades of gray when it came to pain and what we each held ourselves responsible for.” 

This book has been on my TBR list for far too long so when I saw it on the member of the months read list with a 5 star rating I went ahead and downloaded it, THANK GOD!! This book was an awesome read. Interesting that I read it right after Maybe Someday because they have a similarity that I loved. Archer was absolutely perfect though and totally made me get the butterflies when reading about him. He had been through so much and been ignored for so long it was heartbreaking but the love story will mend that heartbreak you feel right up. If your wandering what to read next then you should read Archers Voice! I did not give it five crowns due to some of the writing that I did not like. It wasn't enough to make the book unbearable and it didn't take away from the amazing characters but it prevented me giving it the last crown.
Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔

3. Featured Author:  Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott    Completed - 5/6/15

“My mother taught me to believe in silver, to believe in things, but I think it's more important to believe in me.” 

This had to be the most predictable book I have ever read. I was so interested in the new aspect of the book with her mother teaching her and using her to rob homes of their silver collections but my 35% through or so I knew what was coming and there were very few variations to give me any interest in the conclusion. Every challenge has that one book that would be a DNF if it wasn't part of the challenge. Well this is that one!! It was very disappointing. Since the novel was good for a little while I did give it two crowns but if it hadn't been for those few good chapters it would have most certainly been a one crown rating and those are very rare for me. Save yourself some time and don't read this book.

Overall Rating: ♔♔

4. 3rd May - Paranormal Day: Accordance by Shelly Crane     Completed -5/5/15

“Everything we'll accomplish, we'll do it together or not at all.” 

This book is the second novel in the Significance series you learn more about the abilities of the characters and there is plenty of suspense to keep you on edge about what might be happening to each of the characters. There are some interesting developments in some of the relationships of the supporting characters  that also throws some spice in the mix. I have never in the past been a fan of the paranormal genre but Shelly Crane has done a phenomenal job with this series and the believability quality is there.  If you enjoyed Significance then you should definitely continue with the series. 

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔

5. 15th May - Chocolate Chip Day: Slim to None by Jenny Gardiner    Completed 5/10/15

Very funny light read with a Food Critic who has weight issues that are interfering with her ability to do her job. This book has plenty of humor to keep you laughing and plenty of real life topics to keep you thinking. Jenny Gardiner introduces marriage dilemmas, job dilemmas, and family dilemmas for the main character all at the same time and the main character struggles with her self worth through all of it until she has an eye opening moment. I think is a great read for any woman who has ever or is currently facing a lot of hurdles you feel you will never overcome.  Book did not get five crowns because many chapters ended with recipes that would be 2-3 pages long. I would have much preferred those to be in the back of the book. 

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔

6. 18th May - Museum Day: Twin Willows by Kay Cornelius    Completed 5/18/15

“Not loving you—that would hurt more.” 

This is my first historical romance novel, EVER. I know that is crazy but I did not in the past think I would enjoy them so I avoided them like the plague. This novel was nothing like i expected. I was so interested from the very beginning and it only got better as the novel progressed. Kay Cornelius was able to write with such detail I felt like I was in the same time as the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of the the twin sisters separated at birth and the struggles they had to endure to find each other.  

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔

7. 20th May - Be a Millionaire Day: Charade by Gilbert Morris    Completed 5/13/15

If you don't like reading a christian book then I would avoid this one but if you enjoy novels with a godly spin then this might be just the book for you. Ollie, an overweight computer genius, develops a very successful software and comes into a ton of money. With the money comes all the thing Ollie ever thought he wanted but he still isn't happy. Then Ollie falls in love and gets married but its all a big setup. His life from that point forward is completely devoted to revenge until he meets some new people who put a new perspective on life. He find the Lord and he changes his life... But can he reverse what he started? How many lives will be lost in the process? This novel was just OK to me. A lot of time passed and a lot happened but there wasn't any interesting developments for the entire middle part of the book and the ending was very abrupt. 

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔

8. 22nd May - Goth Day: Marrow by Tarryn Fisher   Completed 5/19/15

“The loss of innocence is the most severe of growing pains.” 

Holy Shit!!! I knew I loved Tarryn Fisher after reading The Opportunist and Mud Vein but this novel turned my love for her into an obsession. I am obsessed with anything she writes!! This novel is dark no doubt and it is not your happily ever after book but it is so much better than that! I dont want to give anything away so I am simply going to say STOP WHATEVER YOUR DOING AND GO BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔♔

9. 23rd May - Turtle Day: The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank  Completed 5/19/15

I had very high expectations of this novel based off my past experience with the author and the reviews I had read. I don't want to say I was disappointed but the book was very predictable and boring. The novel touches on some very important topics and the writer does a good job bringing attention to these topics from every aspect and scope of life but the book just fell short for me. Still a 4 star book simply because of the topics and Dorthea Benton Franks pure writing talent. 

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔

10. Reader's Choice: The Selection by Kiera Cass   Completed  5/16/15

While everyone else on my goodreads page was raving about this novel I avoided it because I have never been a fan of dystopian novels but this series has changed that belief. I loved the first novel in The Selection Series. I felt like I was reading a mix of Hunger Games and The Bachelor. Very entertaining characters with a love triangle to keep plenty of action in the mix. The rebel attacks add a level of suspense that balances out the novel perfectly. I would recommend this book to anyone on my reading list because it is such a well written novel. Kiera Cass has a new avid fan!! 

Overall Rating: ♔♔♔♔♔

Feel free to join in at the link above if you are a GoodReads member or just join in and comment on my blog!