Great reads

Since nationals I've read several great books that I wanted to share.

1) English as a Second Language by Megan Crane
Reading this book came at a funny time for me because I've been looking into master's programs in the U.K. a bit, tossing the idea around of jumping across the pond. Then I read this, where the heroine does exactly that. It made me want to go even more! I really enjoyed the characters, especially Cristina. She was a hoot and gave it straight. Megan put her characters in really funny situations and the drunken dialogue was hilarious!

The story seems realistic to me - what I imagine life would be like if I were to move to England and study literature. And the characters are believable. I love Alex's relationships in the story, I like the non-personal snarky conversations with the guys, and the uber-personal conversations with the girls. The ending was satisfying too. I'm looking forward to reading Megan's second book.

Off to find a master's program in Edinburgh so I can have fun like that too... ;-)

2) Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer
As a curvy girl, this book totally hit home for me. Some of the "fat habits" in the book that the heroine does, I do too so it was very realistic. The motivations for everything Maggie did were believable and the evolution of the relationship between Maggie and her best friend Olivia, who got gastric bypass, was fascinating. I also loved the humor.

There is one image that I will laugh over until the day I die. Maggie is talking about a "tightener", i.e. girdle, and it's effects. She likens wearing a tightener to a slug in a straw. Holy shit I swear I was seconds from pissing in my panties. That is the best image I've gotten from a novel, ever. Come on, how funny is that?

I know it wasn't a romance, so I can't complain. But I would have enjoyed a bit more at the end with Dominic and Maggie. But hey, they got together and that's the important part. A very satisfying ending, emotionally all wrapped up.

3) A Hunger Like no Other by Kresley Cole
Two words: Hot Damn! Even though there's no actual "intercourse" until near the end of the book, the sexual tension is not left wanting. Kresley did a superb job in the hot and steamy department, from the very beginning. And she made the sexual progression very believable.

I loved the world building too, ass-kicking faeries - what more could a reader ask for? The character arcs in the hero and heroine worked well and very believable. Paranormal lovers gotta pick this up. You won't regret it. Also, if you've never read much in the way of paranormal but like the hot and steamy, you should grab it too. It's a good segway into paranormal. s

Right now I'm reading The Devil in the Junior League by Linda Francis Lee. So far, so good.