The Domino Effect by Davis Bunn

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Esther Larsen, a leading risk analyst at one of the country's largest banking institutions, is becoming more and more convinced that she has uncovered a ticking bomb with the potential to overshadow 2008's market crash. And as her own employer pursues "investment" strategies with ever-increasing levels of risk, she becomes convinced she must do something. Yet what can one person really do? 

The markets are edging closer to a tipping point—like the teetering first domino in a standing row that circles the globe. And when Esther does sound the alarm, she wonders if anyone will take her seriously. But as public support grows for her ideas, so does the desperation of those whose conspiracy of greed she seeks to expose. With global markets on the brink, and her own life in danger, Esther is locked in a race with the clock to avert a worldwide financial meltdown. 

This fast-paced suspense novel will make you wonder where the fiction ends and reality begins...

Waiting on Wednesday: Gilt Hollow & When Love Arrives

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Goodreads | Amazon

Title: Gilt Hollow

Author: Lorie Langdon

Publisher: Blink

Expected Publication Date: 27 September 2016

Willow Lamott’s best friend is a murderer, and no one in the small town of Gilt Hollow will let her forget it. For four long years, she’s tried to fade into the background—but none of that matters when Ashton Keller comes striding into school, fresh out of juvie and fueled by revenge. The moment their eyes meet, Willow no longer feels invisible. Drawn to the vulnerability behind Ashton’s mask of rage, she sinks deeper into his sinister world and begins to question whether he’s a villain, a savior, or both.

Ashton thought he wanted vengeance, until Willow reminded him what he’d been missing. Now he longs to clear his name and become the person she sees in him. But the closer they get to uncovering the truth, the darker the secrets become, and Ashton fears his return to Gilt Hollow will destroy everyone he loves, especially the girl he left behind.

Goodreads | Amazon

Title: When Love Arrives

Author: Johnnie Alexander

Publisher: Revell

Expected Publication Date: 20 September 2016

An unlikely couple struggles to reconcile the burdens of their past.

Dani Prescott came to the children's hospital to spy on Brett Somers--so how did she end up on a date with him? Weeks earlier she'd seen an interview in which he blamed her mother for the plane crash that had killed his parents. But the crash had killed her mother as well, so Dani can't believe the story Brett's trying to sell to the media.

Vowing to find a way to discredit the privileged--and maddeningly handsome--Brett, Dani has been following him and taking photos, hoping to find something she can use against him. But when she catches his eye instead, she quickly finds herself offering up a fake name and agreeing to a date. Brett knows this mystery girl is hiding something--but he's got his own secrets to keep. What will happen when he discovers who she really is? Will Dani and Brett look beyond their own heartaches to discover a love that could heal their deepest pain? 

Fresh, flirty, and fast-paced, When Love Arrives is an engaging story that will have readers falling in love with the characters as they navigate the tricky waters between romance and revenge.

Top Ten Tuesday: TV Shows I've Briefly Stopped Reading in Order to Watch Recently

Hosted weekly by The Broke and the Bookish.



I no longer watch TV as often and obsessively as I did a couple years ago and instead spend most of my free time reading. But there are still a handful of shows that will make me put my book down.

American Horror Story
After binge-watching the first season of American Horror Story a couple years ago, the creepy trailers for the upcoming sixth season have a roommate and me renewing our interest in the show's other seasons. It's weird and entertaining and so, so addictive.

The Big Bang Theory
This show is just too funny not to watch, and though I haven't yet watched the most recent couple seasons, I'm currently working on remedying that. The Big Bang Theory will always be one of my favorite shows.

Doctor Who

Well, Doctor Who is on the list more wishfully than factually. I haven't really watched since Peter Capaldi became the Doctor, but I fully intend to catch up in the very near future. I'm too much of a nerd not to be up-to-date with this show for very long.

The Family

This year, The Family is one of the few shows I watched each week as it aired. With pizza in hand, my roommates and I guessed at what would happen next for the messed-up and secret-keeping Warren family. It was so intriguing I'm disappointed there won't be a second season.

Fuller House
Oh, the nostalgia. I'm pretty sure, like so many other fans of Full House, my roommates and I binge-watched the full season of Fuller House the weekend it hit Netflix. So very cheesy, but still so very wonderful. I can't wait for the next season.

Girl Meets World

Riding on the 90s nostalgia of Fuller House, a roommate and I discovered the cheesy Disney goodness of Girl Meets World. Sure, it doesn't quite compare to Boy Meets World, but each time Netflix adds a new season, we watch it. It genuinely makes me laugh, and I just love it.

Psych

A witty crime drama with a healthy dose of ridiculous, Psych is hard to resist binge-watching on Netflix now and then. Like The Big Bang Theory, it will always be one of my favorites.

Scandal
Though her judgment in romantic relationships is often questionable, Olivia Pope rocks. All of the political manipulation boggles my mind and kept my roommates and me watching Scandal weekly earlier this year. (By now it's clear I mostly watch TV with my roommates...) I'm eager for it to come back next year.

Stranger Things 

The inclusion of Stranger Things should come as no surprise, since it seems like everyone's talking about it right now - but for good reason, because this show is really, really good - strange and funny and good. My roommate and I definitely binge-watched all eight episodes in under 24 hours.

Vikings

"Vikings" should be enough said for this one. That's pretty much why a roommate and I started watching the show, and that's why we keep watching it week after week. I cannot wait for new episodes to start airing again.


Now, let me know: what TV shows can make you put down the book?

The Friday 56: Just a Kiss

Hosted weekly by Freda's Voice.

Happy Friday!

This week, I finally had time to read a book I've been waiting to read for a while now - Just a Kiss, the third book in Denise Hunter's Summer Harbor series - and it made me so happy.


"He was tired of being cooped up. The thought of facing people didn't thrill him, but he had to get out of here, find something to do."

A photo posted by @h.szott on Sep 2, 2016 at 6:09am PDT

Goodreads Synopsis:

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.

Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

So, what are you reading this week?

Just a Kiss by Denise Hunter

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.

Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

The conclusion to Denise Hunter’s Summer Harbor series packs quite the emotional punch for the third eligible Callahan brother, as he finally get his chance for romance. Since meeting Riley Callahan and his best friend Paige Warren in Falling Like Snowflakes, I’ve been anxious (and hoping) to see what course their love story would take - and I’m glad to say Just a Kiss does not disappoint.

Riley returns from his time in the military a broken man, one leg short. Though he’s been in love with Paige for years, he no longer feels worthy of winning her heart and determines to simply maintain their platonic friendship status. Yet, weeks of recovery complicate Riley’s plans, forcing him into inconveniently close quarters with Paige. Of course, this time together pushes both of them to face their feelings for one another, as well as deal with their persistent and hindering insecurities, and sets them on a perfectly paced trajectory for sweet (albeit frustrating, at times) romance and hopeful healing.

Just a Kiss will please any reader of contemporary romance looking for a heartwarming read full of authentic, lovable characters, swoon-worthy moments, and encouraging spiritual themes. I really could not read this book fast enough - it’s an excellent romance for Riley and Paige (and, finally, Aunt Trudy and Sheriff Colton, too). I loved all of it and easily recommend it, right along with the previous two Summer Harbor novels.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Just a Kiss and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)