BOOKS...

I have been thinking about the amount of reading I do. I decided not to set a goal for myself this year and just see where it takes me. I also thought about listing some of the books I've read and maybe a mini-review...I guess we will see how that goes throughout the year, but for now - here we go.

Over the weekend I read The Worth Series by Mara Jacobs, so far there are three books in the series with another scheduled to come out in the spring. It was my first time to read her work, but I'm glad I did...I've become a fan.

Book 1 - Worth the Weight (The nice one) - Lizzie, ultra successful in her professional life, but not in her personal life decided three years ago to get her life in order. For twelve years she's used food to block having to feel any real emotions. Obviously, she became obese. Then has an epiphany and spends the next three years working hard to lose the weight. The problem is, she's pretty emotionally scarred, but still refuses to acknowlege those scars. She sets up a plan to go back to the "Yoop" or the U.P.(the upper penninsula in Michigan, and with a little help from her two best friends from childhood, she's going to "Find, Fuck, and Forget Finn Robbins." Her old flame.

Finn Robbins never really got over Elizabeth Hampton, but life goes on. So when she shows up nearly 18 years later, he can't believe he might have a chance to finally be with Liz. He's not looking for longterm, but maybe he can finally mark "Screw Liz Hampton" off his bucket list. Lucky for him she suggests the no strings, summer fling.

Unfortunately, the plan is flawed. For one, Finn has two kids, one who is a wheel chair and in need of a very expensive operation. Liz steps in and does what she does best to organize a fundraiser. The problem is they are spending far too much time together...surrounded by others and NOT in the horizontal postition they both want to be in. Can Finn and Liz stay emotionally detached from each other, or will sex cause their feelings to blossom...and if it does - then what? He's a Yooper and she owns her own PR company in Detroit.

This was a really good book, if it wasn't, I wouldn't have moved on to book 2 -

Worth the Drive (The pretty one) - This story moves to Liz's best friend Katie. After 17 years with her husband - he packs up and moves out to be with a 20 year old ex-student, who is pregnant with his child. Not only does she lose the love of her life...but he's finally having a baby, just not with her, because she can't have one. Even though the doctors never could find anything physically wrong...after 10 years of trying to conceive, and still no baby - well, it's pretty obvious - she is lacking a woman. She heads to Texas with Lizzie. Liz is going for business - to try to sign on a pro golfer for her PR firm, Katie is going because she needs to get away from the Yoop since Ron (her ex) published the birth announcement of his baby girl two months ago.

She meets Dario Luna, a three time Majors winner, who's career she's followed for nearly 20 years. On her first night she has a little too much to drink and ends up telling Dario about her marriage and her inability to have a baby of her own. On the second (and last night in Texas), as she's getting ready for dinner with Dario, Liz drops a bomb on her. Still reeling from the direction her life for the last 7 months - she decides to seduce Dario.

2 months later...yup, miracle of miracles - Katie is pregnant. She tells Dario and they make a plan to get to know each other...Dario has his own issues from being raised without a father, and there is no way he wont be part of his child's life...now they just have to see if they can connect other than in the bedroom.

This was my least favorite book in the series - mostly because their was too much angst - I spent too much time being irritated with both Katie and Dario - It was still good, I just spent a lot of time wanting to bash their heads together and scream "COMMUNICATE"! Even though it was my least favorite, there was no way I was going to miss Alison's story!

Book 3 - Worth the Fall (The Smart One) - Waking up with a throbbing head - and body - and some delicious scenes floating in and out of her mind, Alison realizes she's in bed- with Petey Ryan....AGAIN! For someone so smart...she sure is dumb.

This book takes you back and forth from present day to 18 years ago, when the real story of Pete and Alison began. Pete is Lizzie's best friend, and her first client when she started her own business. He's been playing in the NHL for 15 years, and it's time to call and end to his hockey career. Unfortunately, a slip on the ice while visiting his parents, pushes the end date up several months.

Alison is struggling - she took the semester off from teaching Psychology at State in order to help more with her elderly parents and deal with her patients. Her dad is suffering from severe Alzheimer's and her mom is just diagnosed with dementia. Between her patients and her parents, she doesn't really have time to focus on her. Somehow (well really, because they caught her when she was too exhausted to argue), Liz decided Pete will stay with Alison, until his knee heals enough to manage the stairs.

There are 18 years of memories to contend with and some extreme sexual attraction...Will they work out the issues stemmed from so long ago. Can they mend the broken hearts and make a go of it?

Really good book! Loved this one...probably my favorite because of the witty remarks of Alison. I really liked her personality from the first book, so reading her story was a no brainer for me.

Another really great book is The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen...really- really great book...there is a sequel coming....hopefully VERY soon. This is a young adult book and deals with really heavy issues for both characters, especially at such young ages. You heart just kind of breaks for these to kids, who are both escaping some terrible situations at home to start a new life in college. They both come together to overcome their own personal tragedies, but when they go home for the holiday break - another tragedy, may just tear them apart forever...Honestly, I can't tell you if it does or not - because that's literally how the book ends - CLIFFHANGER much? I assume things will work out since there is a second book coming - but I can't imagine the challenges that they will face! Ohmigosh - so good, getting excited just writing this.

Also by Jessica Sorensen, The Secret of Ella and Micha. Again, young adult, with really heavy issues, but still very good. Best friends all their lives - one night sends Ella running. After 8 months of no contact, she comes back home and has to face the music...and Micha. Micha is scared to push too hard, too soon in fear that Ella will run off again, so he has to be careful. Ella has spent the last eight months becoming a different person, but every moment she spends with Micha uncovers just a little of her former self inch by inch. She has to be careful or she just might lose that control she's worked so hard to contain!

One More, and I'm done for the day - Someone to Love by Addison Moore. Another young adult book - but a little older than the other two, and not nearly as dark. The premise of this book - 20 year old virgin Kendall Jordan looks to and older (24 or 25 year old) Cruise Elton to teach her the ways of sex. She doesn't believe in love - her mother's 5 divorces have taken care of that. And Cruise is nothing more than a campus manwhore...well, he recently became one when he got his heart crushed. If neither of them believe in love anymore - having a purely sexual relationship shouldn't be a problem, right?