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Kelly Cain, author

~ Witty, bold, and sexy romance

Kelly Cain, author

Category Archives: Reader’s Corner

Recommendations, reviews, etc

Goodreads Review: Rise of the Phoenix by Jamie McLachlan

24 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Fantasy, Review

Rise of the Phoenix by Jamie McLachlan
Rise of the Phoenix (The Memory Collector, #3)
by Jamie McLachlan (Goodreads Author)

4 stars

 

This is the 3rd and final installment of the Memory Collector series. Our familiar characters are back, sort of. The detective is his usual stoic self, but Moira isn’t quite Moira. She is, but she has some internal stuff going on (trying not to be spoilery). Even with this, she makes familiar decisions that we’ve come to be both admirable of and infuriated at. Sometimes I really just want to shake her shoulders… really really hard.

The writing immerses the reader in the time period and era the author has built. She does a great job of being authentic – although this is a fantasy world, it is rooted in turn-of-the-century North America. I can imagine the clothes, the motor vehicles, and the demeanor.

The author is especially good at getting the reader to care about secondary characters where we even worry for them when they’re missing. Even the phoenix is multidimensional and when certain things happen, you have mixed feelings about it (again, trying not to spoil).

I would have liked to have more time with Keenan and Moira together, but I understand why that wasn’t really possible given the plot. I still missed their give-and-take though.

Overall, this was a great ending to the series where all questions were answered and the future set out for us. I would highly recommend this entire series for all lovers of fantasy or just a great story.

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Goodreads Review – Code Name Verity

26 Tuesday Sep 2017

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

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Tags

Historical Fiction, Novel, Review

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Code Name Verity (Code Name Verity, #1)
by Elizabeth Wein (Goodreads Author)

4 stars

 


I suppose I was thirsty for historical fiction and didn’t realize it. I’m a sucker for WWII novels, German or Russian literature/history, and women thriving in non-traditional roles. This novel combined all those so needless to say, I enjoyed it immensely. It does begin a little slow and seemingly with triviality, but it soon catches the reader unaware and sucks them (that would be me) in.

The novel is told in two parts by two different narrators. The first narrator is wildly unreliable; hence the perceived vapidity in the beginning. One might conclude certain negativity about her character (okay, me again) and one would be completely wrong. Although even in her banality, there are many reasons to like her anyway, and to root for her. The second storyteller drives that home, and you’re soon heartbroken you (*raises hand*) ever doubted or underestimated her.

If I haven’t mentioned, this is a spy novel (mostly) and you should read it!

So, my thirst has been quenched. Or perhaps maybe whetted for more.

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Evergreen book recommendations

29 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by Kelly Cain in Book recommendations

≈ Leave a comment

Fantasy

One of my favorite genres.

Time travel

  • Kindred by Octavia Butler
  • Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (this could fall in many genres)
  • River of Time series by Lisa Tawn Bergren (also fits under YA)
  • Out of Time series by Monique Martin

General fantasy

  • The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Claire (also author of The Mortal Instruments but you probably know all about that already) (also YA)
  • The Godsland series by Brian Rathbone
  • The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney
  • Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas
  • Landline by Rainbow Rowell
  • Innkeeper Chronicles series by Llona Andrews
  • Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
  • The Trinity Saga by Ronnell D. Porter

Young Adult

  • Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
  • Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
  • Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
  • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
  • I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
  • The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Historical Fiction

  • Cane River by Lalita Tademy
  • An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
  • Victorian San Francisco Mystery series by Louisa M. Locke
  • Pluto’s Snitch series by Carolyn Haines
  • The Alienist by Caleb Carr
  • Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
  • Whiplash by Yvie Towers

Mystery, Thrillers, & Intrigue

  • Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben
  • Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett
  • Agents Irish & Whiskey series by Layla Reyne
  • Millennium by Stieg Larsson
  • The Burden by Mary Westmacott
  • Ape House by Sara Gruen
  • The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
  • The Alienist by Caleb Carr
  • Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries by Carolyn Haines
  • Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow
  • Rai Rahotep series by Nick Drake
  • Liv Bergen Mysteries by Sandra Brannan
  • The Dead Saint by Marilyn Brown Oden
  • An Arsonist’s Guide To Writers’ Homes in New England by Brock Clarke

The Classics

  • The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (actually a novella, completely love)
  • The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (my all-time favorite)
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  • The Trial by Franz Kafka
  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
  • Dracula by Bram Stoker
  • War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Contemporary Lit & Romance

  • One Day by David Nicholls
  • Crossfire series by Sylvia Day
  • He Say, She Say by Yolanda Joe
  • Your Voice in My Head by Emma Forrest
  • Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper
  • Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel by Gary Shteyngart
  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • Cosmopolis: A Novel by DeLillo

New Adult

  • On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
  • Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
  • Point of Retreat (#2 of the Slammed Series) by Colleen Hoover
  • Song of the Fireflies by J A Redmerski

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Reader’s Corner

28 Monday Aug 2017

Posted by Kelly Cain in Reader's Corner

≈ Leave a comment

Book Recipes

Book Recommendations

Goodreads’ Reviews

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Goodreads Review – Start Your Engines

01 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Novel, Romance, sports, sports romance, Sweet romance, sweet sports romance

Start Your Engines

Start Your Engines

by Jim Cangany (Goodreads Author)
4 stars

 

 

 

I’ve read this author before and he writes great sports romances. More than that, he actually makes obscure sports interesting and a wonderful backdrop to the romance happening between the main characters. Not to say that open-wheel racing (yup I learned a new term) is obscure. I know it isn’t however it is obscure to me having never watched a race in my entire life… and I’m a mega sports fan. After reading this story though, I actually watched racing that happened to be on when I flipped the television on Saturday. That’s the thing with this author – he doesn’t hit you over the head with the sport, but he does effortlessly weaves the action into the story where by the end, you’ve learned enough to be dangerous.

Cangany writes sweet romance so I’ll lodge my long-standing complaint there wasn’t enough heat for my liking, but there was passion between the main characters, and love. Their backstory was unique enough to pique my interest and although this was certainly guaranteed to be a HEA, I was a little concerned with our lovers’ fate.

Highly recommend for anyone who likes any romance, sweet, sports, or otherwise.

Oh, a warning. Do NOT finish this book the night before you have a 3-hour road trip. You may or may not break some speeding laws.

Full disclosure – I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Goodreads Review – An Extraordinary Union

20 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

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Tags

HistFic, Historical Fiction, multicultural, Review, Romance

An Extraordinary Union (The Loyal League #1)An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

5-stars

I’m such a history fan. I loved reading one with POCs being brave and covert and important, and based on real characters. I recommend this highly to fans of histfic AND romance. Yes, there’s a hot romance too!

Please hurry and give us the next installment in this series!

View all my reviews

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Review > Time Out (Book 3 of the Irving University series) by Jim Cangany

28 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

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Tags

IRromance, multicultural, Review, Romance, sports romance, Sweet romance, sweet sports romance, WeNeedDiverseBooks

 Time Out by Jim Cangany
Time Out
by Jim Cangany (Goodreads Author)

4-stars

Read from June 01 to 06, 2016 — I own a copy


Time Out is the third book in the Irving University series and although I have read the previous two (see my reviews here and here), I believe this could be read as a standalone. There are characters from the other books, but the author does a great job giving enough background to catch you up to speed quickly.

The main character, Karen, is a middle-grade teacher and basketball coach, not unlike her older brother, Greg, who coaches women’s basketball at fictional Irving University. She was once a promising player until her ulcerative colitis got in her way. She isn’t bitter about it, but chooses to use her gifts however she can. She is laid off from her teaching job at the end of the term, so Greg is able to get her a temporary job at Irving running the girls basketball camp over the summer. He also secures her temporary housing. Enter her landlord and neighbor, Terry, and his energetic daughter, Hanna. Hanna, a middle-grade student who wants to play basketball, makes instant friends with Karen who becomes a big help for Terry, a single father who’s struggling to make ends meet.

I’ve mentioned before (probably in my other Irving reviews) that I’m not big on sweet romance. However when reading this series, I never feel like I’m missing out on something. The author does a great job of giving us the satisfying romance. He also shows us a different slice of life we may not be familiar with. Terry’s mom is Native American and we learn some new things in that area. He’s in building construction and a single dad – again we can feel what that likes from his perspective. Karen has a condition I’d not heard much about before, and now I know so much more. The author does not shy aware from racial issues and prejudice, however I do believe he lets Marie off the hook a little easily (you’ll have to read to know what I’m referring to).

Overall, another very solid offering from Jim Cangany which I enjoyed very much. It was a little lighter on the sports this time, but of course it was still running in the background. I would recommend to anyone who likes romance, especially on the sweet side.

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Kelly Cain’s Reviews > Take Two

01 Sunday May 2016

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Review, Romance, sports, sports romance, Sweet romance, sweet sports romance

 Take Two by Jim Cangany
Take Two (Irving University, #2)
by Jim Cangany (Goodreads Author)

4-stars

Read from April 07 to 24, 2016


I read the first book in this series, and mistakenly thought the second book would be about the male main character’s sister (that’s book three which I’m looking forward to). When I found out it was about the female main character’s best friend, I internally groaned. I barely tolerated Ciara, and mostly disliked her because she was always listening to her mean best friend. I couldn’t imagine sitting through a whole book about this woman.

Whelp, I think I may like this one more than the first. There’s a little backstory, of course, which has shaped Marie into the woman she is and how she presents herself to the world. I think what makes her more likeable is how Cangany brilliantly gives us a nemesis we really dislike. Helen is reprehensible and sadly, believable, because I’ve personally experienced people like her.

The love interest is quite likable, attentive, hot, and everything a love interest should be. He has an interesting job and reason for being on campus which was fun to follow. Sports is truly my life, but I don’t usually follow triathlons (nor triathletes), but that angle was never boring.

And to really knock it out of the park for me… not one, but TWO Jason Mraz song references. Enough said.

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Kelly Cain’s Reviews > Drawn to Her

18 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Review, Romance

Drawn to Her by Jenna Harte
Drawn to Her (Southern Heat Book 1)
by Jenna Harte (Goodreads Author)

4 stars
Read from March 13 to 16, 2016


I really liked this book. I don’t often read straight romance, but I really liked it.

The heroine was petite and spunky, a nurse – not someone I can identify with at all (being super tall and introverted). However, I liked her and wanted her to have her guy even though she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted him.

As for the guy, when I read the synopsis, I wasn’t sure he’d be my type since I’m more of a beta hero type of girl. He has everything in world except the love of family, and that definitely made me want to root for him.

When they come together, it’s truly an opposites attract situation, but the attraction felt very natural. I really love them together and I hope they’re the main characters in the remaining books of this Southern Heat series. I want to read more of their story.

This was an easy read, and with summer coming soon, definitely pick this up for a beach read or to enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

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Review – Deadly Valentine by Jenna Harte

09 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by Kelly Cain in Goodreads Reviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Review, Romance

Deadly Valentine by Jenna Harte

Deadly Valentine
by Jenna Harte (Goodreads Author)

4-stars
Read from November 29 to December 03, 2015 — I own a copy


I must confess that I didn’t know what a cozy was before I picked up this title. Now I realize that I’ve read many cozies and really do like the genre. This book fits perfectly and I’m looking forward to reading the remainder of the series.

There’s a story to Tess. She leaves her affluent parents and fiance behind to move to a small town and set up a fledgling law practice. We have hints as to why and certainly the reason for leaving the boyfriend behind eventually becomes clear, but there’s still some mystery to who Tess is.

There’s even more mystery to who Jack is although he doesn’t even realize it. He’s heartbroken by the news and reacts as anyone in his situation would – although that puts Tess out a bit.

Although this is the first book in a series, it’s definitely a standalone. Thank goodness. I’m not a huge fan of cliffhangers and am happy to continue traveling along on Jack and Tess’s adventures. I’d recommend this to anyone who likes cozies, romance, or mysteries.

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