Mind n Motion
Welcome to The Open Book's Blog
What will you find on my blog?
I write as I think it, and it may be something worth reading, or not. Either way, it was worth me writing it. I will also share my personal experiences and insights. Book reviews. And links to my own books! Don't forget those!
Who am I?
I am a writer. In my head I am probably far better than I actually am. But I am enjoying writing and putting my stories out there.
I love animals, the outdoors when it's not frigid or windy, reading, writing, crafting, houseplanting, and spending time with my kids and grandkids.
Yep, I am a grandma. But I am pretty hip. Not Mrs. Doubtfire hip, but I can make a wicked cup of cocoa.
Why did I start this blog?
I started this blog to put me out there. To get it out of my head and dare others to come into it. Dare to come in.
Discover The Open Book's World - Books Written by Me!
Never Again
Good Bad Girl
Good Bad Girl
Cassie Corin admits she's fallen out of love with her husband, but when her last ditch effort to save her marriage backfires, evidence staring her in the face,
she claims never again.
Callum James closed his heart several years ago, on his wedding day,
and said never again.
Then they meet.
Life has a way of placing obstacles.
But isn't lif
Cassie Corin admits she's fallen out of love with her husband, but when her last ditch effort to save her marriage backfires, evidence staring her in the face,
she claims never again.
Callum James closed his heart several years ago, on his wedding day,
and said never again.
Then they meet.
Life has a way of placing obstacles.
But isn't life also about navigating those obstacles in order to live again?
Even if those obstacles are self-imposed,
or maybe not.
Good Bad Girl
Good Bad Girl
Good Bad Girl
Sometimes good girls are just that. Good. And sometimes they have secrets.
Sometimes good boys do too.
Saleenah, Austin, Navy, and Blade are all from the same small town,
and they all have their secrets, and their fantasies.
When two very different clubs in the city attract the attention and patronage of them all,
their lives twine toget
Sometimes good girls are just that. Good. And sometimes they have secrets.
Sometimes good boys do too.
Saleenah, Austin, Navy, and Blade are all from the same small town,
and they all have their secrets, and their fantasies.
When two very different clubs in the city attract the attention and patronage of them all,
their lives twine together in one romantic and erotic event after another.
Lights and leather, cocktails and cuffs.
Secret crushes, not-so-secret grudges.
Keys and locks, serpents and Doms.
May all your masked dreams come true.
Next Summer
Good Bad Girl
Next Summer
Dex Strong – star high school football player is an extrovert on the field,
but a tongue-tied mess off it...
with girls.
Someone needs to break Dex out of his shell.
Enter the girl next door.
Amber Thorsen is friendly and pretty, but only in town for the summers. And even a scoop of ice cream is a challenge for Dex.
A faulty alternator,
Dex Strong – star high school football player is an extrovert on the field,
but a tongue-tied mess off it...
with girls.
Someone needs to break Dex out of his shell.
Enter the girl next door.
Amber Thorsen is friendly and pretty, but only in town for the summers. And even a scoop of ice cream is a challenge for Dex.
A faulty alternator, an epic bike ride, and two small boys hunting potatoes start the growth.
Each next summer the friend zone remains, despite the mutual attraction,
and despite when they bond over
books with benefits.
Finally the time arrives. They both are where they want to be, and they tear down the zone and let things grow and flourish.
Then...
life throws choking weeds into their idyllic garden.
Book Reviews - It's How I See Them
'In The Shadows' and 'Back In The Shadows' by J.A. Owenby
'In The Shadows' and 'Back In The Shadows' by J.A. Owenby
Oh my and holy wowsers. These twisted my brain.
Now granted, I listened on Audible instead of reading, but I honestly think that adds to these. Usually I am a big time reader as I want my own imagined voices for the characters.
But the narrators the author picked were almost spot on.*
The voices of the men... whooooo boy.
As for the plot - PSYCHOLOGICAL thriller is perfect for these.
She has a nice guy she likes and likes her, and she has a not-so-nice stalker .... she likes, and likes her. She's torn between both of them, not wanting one to know about the other. The stalker knows, the nice guy doesn't. The stalker doesn't like the nice guy being with his girl.
The angst, the trauma, the turmoil, the second guessing... She sticks her nose in where it doesn't belong, and then it escalates from there.
The first book goes to the second, and the second... will there be more? There is definitely foreshadowing for it.
Lots of triggers in these, so if you are not ok with explicit, violent consensual sex, or people being violently un-alived, then don't read.
I recommend the listen, though.
The voices...
FPPOV
Emotions - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Smut - 4/5
Recommendation - 5/5
*The female narrator pronounced horror as 'horrah' and figure as 'figger' - made me eye roll.
'Sold on a Monday' by Kristina McMorris
'In The Shadows' and 'Back In The Shadows' by J.A. Owenby
This story takes place back during prohibition and follows two journalists through a slow burn attraction and mystery.
The MMC takes a by-chance photo of a desperate plea for selling two children. One never knows for sure the reason the request is made, and can only deduce it's because of money. When the photo gets ruined, the man has to back track and try to recreate it, which he does... with two other children not related to the first. A sick widow agrees to let her kids pose to get the shot the journalist needs, only to get money to provide for those kids, not to sell them.
But the publicity causes ripples, and the MMC and the FMC join forces to find the children that were wrongly taken from the sick mother and sold.
The FMC has a host of issues on her own as an unwed mother to a precocious boy, whom the MMC wraps around his finger soon after finding out about him. But the FMC is also dating someone else.
Getting them together, finding the missing children, reuniting the children with their now well mother... and hearts bloom.
Emotions - 4/5
Plot - 4-5/5
Smut - 1 (only because of the kisses and the unwed mother)
Recommendation - 4/5
"Dark Delights" by Mila Kane
"Dark Delights" by Mila Kane
MF - It's part of a series, the only one in it I have read so far. Debating on whether I'll read another.
I will say, the emotions in this DPV are pretty deep. They are teens, pretty fresh in their college ages for the most part, though it does dip into the high school years.
Hockey players, and a wannabe cheerleader shot down by the mean girl.
He's an ass, and her brother's best friend. They really dislike each other, and are both rude and mean.
She is from the poor side, he's rich - in money. His home life pretty well sucks with a twisted stepmom and a present but distant dad.
She is well loved by her mother and brother, and has seen him at his lowest a time or two, which he hates. He's a bully, and protective.
She's naive in many ways, thanks to her over-protective brother, who leaves them both to a bigger dream, but leaves his best friend to watch over the girl he hates.
The maturity level of their thoughts belies the ages, and the experience.
Part of his past catches up with him, then a dorm room mix up, and a forced proximity opens their emotions and their physical attraction.
The angst between these two is seen in their thoughts, and some of those thoughts are pretty dark.
Together they survive.
Emotions - 4/5
Plot - 4-5/5
Smut - 3-4/5
Recommendation - 4/5
The Open Book's Eye
