the Best of June

Whew, I really needed that break!  I read 9 books in June. Some awesome, some not so. Why waste my time on the duds, instead i'm going to do a shout out to my June favorites.  

Adult Fiction:

I was going to go with the Goodreads summary, but I think it gives away too much info.  So here is my not so great attempt of a book description.

Catherine finds the perfect man, Lee, who is everything she and most women want in a man.  He's hot, fun and just freaking all around awesome.  Slowly Catherine begins to see a different side of Lee.  One that is frightening and controlling.  

Cue to four years later, Catherine is now suffering from OCD and numerous other things because of the traumatic experience she suffered from Lee, and Lee is in prison.  But Lee is about to be released.  Also, there is a cute nice new neighbor.  

A Quick Little Something:

Into the Darkest Corner reminded me of the movie Sleeping with the Enemy starring Julia Roberts.  This book had me wrapped around it's fingers.  I seriously was not going to put this down until I finished it.  

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YA Fiction:

From Goodreads:

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother's stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he's haunted by nightmares of his best friend's death.  It's not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he's had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up.  And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again.  Travis's dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

A Quick Little Something:

A really great contemporary YA with a male point of view.  The writing is very straight forward, but what grabbed me the most was Travis.  Such a solid written character that is going through so much.

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Adult Fiction:

Goodreads:

Thea is a slave girl from Judea, passionate, musical, and guarded.  Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator.  His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats.  Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome.  But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting both soul and sanity.  Many have tried to destroy the Emperor;  a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin.  But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman:  Emperor's mistress.

Quick Little Something:

First you have gladiator's, Emperor's, slaves, and a really spiteful bitch.  Then you have love, betrayal, vengeance, jealousy and so much more.  Mistress of Rome is a crazy freaking ride of a book.

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All of these I wholeheartedly recommend.  I'm pretty sure no one will be disappointed.