Blogging Archives | Midwestern At Heart

Book Review: Blue Bayou by Jiffy Kate

I had a hard time with this book. It was an easy read but the writing was a little lackluster after reading everything else I have this year. I wasn’t impressed with the writing. Then I realized that this was two writers. I could see a difference. I hate to say that it was easy, but it kind of was. The writing just didn’t seem to flow as easily. I will give this story props too, it gave both characters side of the book. I really like that.

Blue Bayou by Jiffy Kate

The road to self-discovery leads Maverick Kensington deep into the heart of New Orleans. The colorful characters, beautiful scenery and the hot mess of a woman he finds along the way offer him the perfect place to reinvent himself. (more…)

Book Review: I Dare You – Ilsa Madden-Mills

Once I realized I read these in the wrong order, I had to continue :). This was an interesting book to me. All the main characters of the Ilsa Madden-Mills books have been interesting. I’m glad this turned out the way it did. While you can kind of bet it will… you never know. Sometimes stories surprise you.

I liked the character of Maverick. I really did. And while Samantha Christy bounces back and forth or stays on one character for multiple chapters, Ilsa Madden-Mills makes the chapters as they’re needed in each voice. It’s quite an interesting way to read. I like it. I really do.

I Dare You – Ilsa Madden-Mills

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills returns with an all-new swoon-fest of a novel about what happens when you look beyond labels and take a chance on love.

Badass Athlete: I dare you to…
Delaney Shaw: Who is this?

The late-night text is random, but “Badass Athlete” sure seems to know who she is… (more…)

Book Review: I Bet You – Ilsa Madden-Mills

While these are stand-alone books, I really wish I’d have read them in the correct order. I didn’t so oh well. It was interesting to see the ending of the third book in the series and then see what kind of lead up to the beginning of the book. haha.

I Bet You – Ilsa Madden-Mills

New Standalone Sports Romance

Sexy Athlete: I bet you . . .
Penelope Graham: Burn in hell, quarterback.

The text is random but Penelope figures out exactly who “Sexy Athlete” is. And why she shouldn’t take his wager. (more…)

Book Review: I Hate You – Ilsa Madden-Mills

I was ready to read about the last firefighter in The Man on Fire Series by Samantha Christy, but the 3rd book isn’t out yet. So that meant I had to venture off and read something different. I had never heard of Ilsa Madden-Mills, but I hadn’t heard of Samantha Christy either. Something caused me to go ahead and take a chance. I’m really glad I did. However, I did find this was a stand-alone that was the third of another series. Stand-alone as in you can read and not miss anything, but I read this series out of order and wished I hadn’t. So news flash, this is the 3rd book. Start with I Dare You and then I Bet You before you read I Hate You.

Now that we have that cleared up… (more…)

Book Review: Sparking Sara – Samantha Christy

After reading Igniting Ivy I was leery to read this next book. While reading Igniting Ivy I kept wondering who was going to be the next firefighter to have a book. I had it narrowed down to 3 candidates and this one was one of my 3 choices. I love that it was Denver in fact. Especially because you saw part of his story in Stealing Sawyer. We got more of the story and we were able to watch it all unfold. I was cool with that! (more…)

Book Review: Igniting Ivy – Samantha Christy

This book ticked me off. In all the female characters and even some of the male characters that Samantha Christy writes, they overthink, over-analyze, and sometimes are just a total pain in the butt. I wanted to scream at Ivy. She really upset me. She was being stupid. I’m glad that she was a book character and not a real-life person. She might need a bitch slap (pardon my language). I’m just glad that there is a man on the cover of this book! And by the way, one thing I love about Samantha Christy’s writing… you see both main character perspectives. (more…)

Book Review: Stealing Sawyer – Samantha Christy

This was an interesting book to me. After reading Catching Caden and Benching Brady, I really wondered what the story was about Sawyer. Now… the name Sawyer always had me believing it was a black guy. No racism there, just that’s how I saw him in my head. Looking at the cover of this book, I’m wrong. I really could have used a description reminder of him more than once while reading this book… haha. (more…)

Book Review: Benching Brady – Samantha Christy

I’m truly ready to see these books made into movies. Janet Evanovich in her first Stephanie Plum book made a car blow up because she said that was “Hollywood.” Well… I saw “Hollywood” in Purple Orchids. I got to thinking earlier today that I wonder if the title of the book will make it or break it for Hollywood? Now granted they can change the name of the book when it gets made into a film, but still… I wonder…

This is definitely one of them I want to see made into a movie. But I say that and then I think back to some of the other books and well… I want them made into movies too.

**Picks up phone

Me: Hello Hollywood, I would like to request these books be made into movies. Thanks!

If only it were that easy. (more…)

Book Review: Catching Caden – Samantha Christy

Y’all, I know this is a fictional book, but I am now a fan of baseball. haha! I always have liked baseball. I can’t watch it on tv very easily… I prefer to be in the stands. The vibe you get from the stadium helps! But wow…

So Caden is the sister of the main female character of Stone Vows. See, they are all tying in together. The characters are still all appearing. We are starting to get a ways out from the Mitchell Sisters… but still they are appearing a little. Especially because the Mitchell Sisters husbands all own the gym that Caden uses and Murphy eventually starts working at. Hopefully, I didn’t give away too much.

Catching Caden – Samantha Christy

If all they see are her scars – they aren’t looking hard enough.

It was my home run ball that shattered her face.
Right along with her modeling career. (more…)

Book Review: Stone Vows – Samantha Christy

Hmmm… So this book helped make a comeback from Stone Promises. I still couldn’t give it 5 stars. Toward the middle to end it got one of those weird way too many thoughts, trying to make word count vibes. I still really liked the book, don’t get me wrong. I liked the characters. Chad/Thad and Malory made a visit from the previous book as well as characters from the other Stone brothers book and the Mitchell Sisters Book. I still think Chad/Thad (he’s one and the same) is a very hard character for me to remember. I keep having to really think about who he is and how he falls into this…

I really want to play “Never Have I Ever” after reading this book. Unfortunately, I don’t really have people to play it with. Oh well. And everyone else would probably be drunk, but not me ha! Or full if we just played it with food. It’s all good.