Sunday, June 30, 2024

@SexyNerdRevue #BookReview...The Bookshop Sisterhood...#TheBookshopSisterhood #NetGalley #Contemporary #Adult #Fiction #Girlfriends #Bookclubs

“This drama-packed page turner will warm your heart!” —Eliza Knight, USA Today bestselling author of The Mayfair Bookshop

When life rewrites the story, only friendship will see them through.

After years of hard work, four best friends—Celeste, Yasmeen, Toni and Leslie—are finally on the verge of opening the bookstore of their dreams. A place where their community can find solace with an intriguing new read, a comforting beverage and book-loving friends.

But before they can cut the ribbon, their worlds are upended.

Toni receives devastating news just months before her wedding, while Celeste’s struggling marriage threatens to collapse completely. Leslie learns a shocking secret about her family, and a lotto ticket changes Yasmeen’s life—but not for the better.

As the bookstore’s grand opening fast approaches, the four women must lean on each other now more than ever to navigate their grief and uncertainty. And together, they’ll learn that sometimes, even life’s most unexpected plot twists can lead to beautiful new beginnings.

The Sexy Nerd's Review. . .

I noticed this author has written quite a few books, but this is the first time I’m hearing of her and her work. What drew me to wanting to read this is because I’m an avid reader and love all things books and book clubs, so this seemed right up my alley.

Four women are united by their love of reading. (I can so relate!) As a result of their passion, they decided to open their very own bookshop to share their love with other avid readers. Each of them had to pony up quite a few bucks to get the ball rolling, which they were all eager to do.

Celeste was the voice of reason and the finance guru. Toni was their social media front runner. Yasmeen was the sister who knew about all the hottest books to select and read, and Leslie was the supporter of all her sisters combined.

Toni not only loves her besties and books, but she’s about to get married to Kent, the man of her dreams for real. She couldn’t have plucked him out of one any better than she had. But Toni has an issue that she’s not quite sure how her man is going to take it. Celeste, on the other hand, being married the longest of fourteen years, finally discovers that perhaps her marriage isn’t on as much solid ground as she would like to be believe. Yasmeen was so broke that if being broke was considered wealthy, she had more money than Jeff Bezos. Leslie and her husband, although still living under the same roof, weren’t as loving as they used to be and it isn’t until a horrific circumstance involving their daughter, Nadya, occurred that really tested their vows.

All the sisters had a lot going on and secrets and circumstances were buzzing around the quartet like a pesty insect. It wasn’t until Nadya was going through her issue when the girlfriends’ friendship began to get tested. Leslie learned of a horrible truth about her family. Toni was carrying around a horrible secret that threatened to destroy her friendship, lose her social media influencer status and her man. Yasmeen was going through it living from paycheck to paycheck and involved with a man that didn’t appear to want to help her but was a constant leech. Celeste’s husband gave her an ultimatum that blindsided her.

If you’re a fan of Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillian, then you will most undoubtedly enjoy The Bookshop Sisterhood. These four women each brought to the table something unique to their group and no matter how much was thrown their way, they always managed to make it through. Overall, this was a very delightful read, although it was way too long for my tastes. As my readers know, I do not like reading very long books, but I realize they are a necessary evil. Even though I found the story too long, it was fun to read and made me want to be a part of the girlfriends’ book club.

The Sexy Nerd gives The Bookshop Sisterhood four additional books for them to add to their already growing to-be-read list. These ladies had some real-life issues that truly tested their will and strength as a womanhood. This book would be great to take on vacation and get your read on. I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy. The Bookshop Sisterhood goes on sale Tues., July 30, 2024, at your favorite book retailers or wherever books are sold. Until next time, Nerds, you know how we do.

Open a Book and Get Mind Blown!


Sunday, June 23, 2024

#Sexy #Nerd #BookReview...#LadyKiller #Netgalley #Suspense #Thriller #MustRead


When an heiress goes missing, her best friend races to unravel the secrets behind her disappearance using clues left behind in an explosive manuscript…

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were girls, forever bonded by the tragedy that unfolded in Greece when they were eighteen. In the aftermath, bookish Abby threw herself into her studies while heiress Gia chronicled the events of that fateful summer in a salacious memoir.

Twelve years later, Gia is back in Greece for the summer with her shiny new husband and a motley crew of glamorous guests, preparing to sell the family estate in the wake of her father’s death. When Abby receives an invitation from Gia to celebrate her birthday in September beneath the Northern Lights, she’s thrilled to be granted the time off from her high-pressure job. But the day of her flight, she receives a mysterious, threatening email in her inbox, and when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive at the Swedish resort, Gia isn’t there. After days of cryptic messages and unanswered calls, Abby and Benny are worried enough to fly to Greece to check on her.

Only, when they arrive, they find Gia’s beachfront estate eerily deserted, the sole clue to her whereabouts a manuscript she wrote detailing the events leading up to her disappearance. The pages reveal the dark truth about Gia’s provocative new marriage and the dirty secrets of the guests they entertained with fizzy champagne under the hot Mediterranean sun. As tensions rise, Gia feels less and less safe in her own home. But the pages end abruptly, leaving Abby and Benny with more questions than answers.

The Sexy Nerd's Review. . .


This is the first time I’ve read this author. I found the premise of this story intriguing which was my reason for wanting to read it.

Gia, Benny, and Abby three peas in a pod. Abby’s mother worked for Gia and Benny’s father which is how she came to be in their midst. As you might guess, Abby didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth, but Gia and Benny did.

Abby wondered how she could be so lucky as to become the best friend of such a wealthy young girl. Gia wasn’t wealthy, but her parents were hella loaded. Gia’s father loved Abby as one of his own so much so that he paid for her college education back in the U.S. Gia and Benny were originally from Greece. They used to spend summer vacation together and do all sorts of things young teens do.

Twelve years later, Gia is working as an attorney and repaying her debt to Gia’s father by living out her dreams of becoming a lawyer. Gia’s father had recently passed, and it was the first time in many years that Abby got to be with her old bestie and her brother Benny, albeit under unfortunate circumstances.

The next time Abby hears from Gia is when she called to advise her that she was getting married to the man of her dreams. Abby tried to be happy for her bestie, but she was struggling to do so because Gia had a terrible habit of loving hard, strong and entirely too fast. She hadn’t known her man but for a few short months and they were getting married. Abby begged Gia not to do it and to give it more time so she could get to know her beau, but Gia was always headstrong and determined to live her best life and do whatever her heart desired because her father gave her a life that she’d grown accustomed to and a girl wants what she wants.

As a result of this conversation, Abby was outraged that Gia would be so stupid as to marry this man she hadn’t known but for a minute. Several months go by and all of a sudden while Abby was in the middle of a case, Gia sends an invitation to her and her brother, Benny, to help her celebrate her thirtieth birthday in Sweden and to watch the awesome northern lights. Abby wasn’t sure she’d be able to just pick up in the middle of a case and go flying halfway around the world for a friend that was angry with her for stating the obvious. But this was Gia and Abby loved her like a sister and this was the olive branch she needed.

As luck would have it, Abby’s boss let her go and she was well on her way. By the time Abby and Benny’s planes landed, Gia was noticeably absent. Where on earth could she be? Why would she ask them to fly there to celebrate her birthday and she be a no show. Abby received a strange text message from Gia stating she was sick and was so sorry she wouldn’t be able to make the trip and advised that she and Benny should continue to stay and enjoy the suite and the northern lights on her.

Abby and Benny weren’t buying that excuse at all. They had no idea what was really going on, that is, until they decided to leave Sweden and head to Greece to find Gia. Once they returned to her home to find Gia missing, they stumbled across her manuscript of her memoir and began reading. What they found on those pages was enough to raise eyebrows and cause some scratching of one’s head. To find out what Gia wrote, you’ll have to read the rest of the novel.

Wow! There was so much going on and a great many things I left out because it would give too many spoilers. I enjoyed the flow of the story. Again, it was a lot, but it was the useful information you needed. I felt the author gave lots of detail, but not overly done. In fact, the details she provided the reader will be needed because it gives a lot of insight into what is to follow. However, having said that, this story was way too long. I know that’s a huge pet-peeve of mine, but this story really began to grate on my nerves because of the carrot dangling that drove me insane. But even though it did that, I was still able to figure out much of what was happening, and then when I got to the ending, I wasn’t quite sure how I was supposed to feel.

Again, I can’t go into detail because it will spoil the story, but I felt a little let down after having read all those pages that it ended in the way in which it did. I found myself having more questions and not the correct answers. I didn’t hate the ending, but I didn’t love it either. At the end of the day, this was really a good story, and I did enjoy the journey.

The Sexy Nerd gives Ladykiller four additional endings to an otherwise great story! This story builds up well once you get to the crux of what it is about. When you do, the story soars. It is well worth the read even if it was longer than what I typically like to read. Ladykiller goes on sale Tues., July 9, 2024, at your favorite book retailers or wherever books are sold. I think you’d enjoy taking this novel to the beach and relax with your favorite drink and enjoy the scenery and the tale that is spun. Until next time, Nerds, you know how we do.

Open a Book and Get Mind Blown!



Wednesday, June 19, 2024

#NewBlogPost #BookBlitz...The Moral Conundrum...@RABTBookTours #RABTBookTours #TheMoralConundrum #CSRunn #Thriller @SexyNerdRevue

Thriller, Military, Suspense

 

Reed Stanton is a navy fighter pilot and dedicated family man. As a combat veteran who was assigned to work with navy SEALs overseas, he is proficient in hand-to-hand combat and with small firearms. His experience on the battlefield has caused him to struggle with the morality of killing combatants in war. He doesn’t want to do it. You can’t unsee dead bodies.

Out of nowhere, his life at home begins to crumble. Betrayal is everywhere. Facing struggles in his marriage, friends that turn on him, and no longer trusting of his military chain of command; he is framed for murder. Who is doing this and why? His only way forward is to continue to trust people. But who? Reed must unravel this mystery to restore his world. But can he?

All roads lead to a terrorist plotting an attack on a San Diego air traffic control facility. On a collision course with a madman, Reed faces seemingly insurmountable odds as he races to stop the attack, neutralize a terrorist, confront his own moral demons, and reclaim his life.

 About the Author. . .

Using a Pseudonym

After careful consideration, I made a conscious decison to represent myself throughout the site with a pseudonym. I'm sure it defies conventional publishing wisdom but it enables the preservation of some privacy. I am not hiding. To the contrary, I am very accessible. I just want the ability to step back.

My Writing Process

While there is keen interest in the book; there was equal curiosity my writing and publishing process. That led to the inclusion of a section "On Writing" with information on topics such as my writing process, locations in the book, and copyright. This section will grow and there will be more later on publishing and marketing.

Background

I was born and raised in south Florida and attended the University of Florida graduating with bachelor of science degree. Following college, I joined the navy and attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida. After being designated a Naval Flight Officer, I reported to VF-124 in San Diego, California and became an F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer. During a twenty-year carrier, I accumulated over 2,200 flight hours and 336 carrier arrested landings.

Subsequent to my navy career, I went to work for the Federal Aviation Administration as an operations research analysis. This work included unmanned aircraft systems research that answered questions about integration of UAS with manned aircraft into the National Airspace System.

I now live in San Diego, California making frequent trips around the country to explore our nations great national parks as I once did with my older brother. I also enjoy spending time "yachting" on JBO - Jerry's Boat - a terrific, easy to handle, fourteen foot boat with a 40 hp motor.

 

Contact Link

Website

 Purchase Link

Amazon


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Tuesday, June 11, 2024

#NewBlogPost #BookBlitz...Morgue -- A Bones #MC #Romance @RabtBookTours @SexyNerdRevue

A Bones MC Romance

Iron Tzars MC, Book 11

 Motorcycle Club Romance

Date Published: June 14, 2024

Publisher: Changeling Press

Dorothy: Spring Break turned into my worst nightmare. Drugged and held against my will, the brutality I witness seems too horrible to be real. Unable to escape, unable to do anything other than await my fate, I nearly gave up hope. Then he burst through the door like an avenging angel. My very own angel of death.

Morgue: I’m a straight-up killer. It’s what I’ve trained for my entire adult life. I got my road name because I’ve put more men in the morgue than all my brothers combined. So when we rescue a group of women being held by human traffickers, I did what I do best. I killed. But not for all the women we rescued. For her. Dorothy. My very own angel of mercy. Now that I have her, I’ll do anything to keep her. I just hope she can accept what I am and not condemn my soul to hell.

WARNING: Morgue includes scenes of graphic violence and adult situations including those that may be triggers for some readers. There’s also a protective hero, a determined heroine, and an eventual happy ending. No cheating, as always.

 

Excerpt
Dorothy

Moans of the other women in the shitty little shack filled the air. I knew the feeling. My head throbbed and every muscle in my body ached. The rooms were paper thin so we all could hear the screams of the others around us. The cruel laughter of men. The frightened whimpers of the women. And girls. I had absolutely no idea where I was or how long I’d been there, but I knew it wasn’t Kansas.

“Levántate, perra. Afuera.”

“I don’t understand.” It wasn’t a new thing. And I’d paid for not knowing Spanish more than once since I’d been taken.

“¡Ahora!” The guy knew I didn’t understand. It felt like he took pleasure in the fact I didn’t understand so he could single me out. I shrank back, trying to make myself smaller in the face of the brutality I knew was about to happen. He lunged forward and backhanded me before grabbing my arm and shoving me out of the tiny room I shared with five other girls.

I hit the floor, my knees slamming onto the hard dirt. Pain shot from my knees up my thighs, and I cried out. When I tried to get up, the guy kicked me in the side. My head spun with all the sudden movements. I thought it was also some kind of lingering effect of the drugs they kept shooting me full of. They did it to everyone who fought. Unless they wanted us to fight. I got dosed often.

“Perra estúpida,” he muttered. I got the “stupid” part, and I could only assume the other was “bitch,” but it could have been anything. The kick knocked the breath out of me and sent pain exploding through my ribs. I groaned but knew better than to make too much of a fuss. Noise drew attention I didn’t want. Attention meant someone was about to hurt me worse than I already was.

“¡Escuchen!” The big brute swept his hand through the air, obviously wanting everyone’s attention. He spoke in a string of rapid-fire Spanish I didn’t understand. I was pretty sure something horrible was about to happen and I sincerely hoped it didn’t have anything to do with me. I’d been here maybe a week. Seemed like longer. I was surprised this guy or the men and women with him hadn’t done more than terrorize me or the other women. Though I was sure the qualifier “yet” needed to be added. There was no way they’d brought us here for tantalizing conversation. Though I’d been smacked around a lot and was covered in bruises, they hadn’t seriously harmed me. Again, there was that fucking qualifier hanging over my head.

I crawled very slowly to the wall where the other women were, trying not to make sudden moves so he didn’t bring his focus back to me. The one thing I knew for sure -- in spite of the language barrier -- was that I absolutely did not want any of these men to focus on me for too long.

All the women around me were whimpering and trembling, looking as terrified as I felt. A few looked like they might have checked out and I didn’t blame them. If I knew how, I probably would too. Fighting back didn’t seem like the smart thing to do if I wanted to live. While I knew there were fates worse than death, I wasn’t ready to contemplate them just yet. I was sure, at some point, I’d have to face that decision, and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

More rapid-fire Spanish followed as one of the other men dragged a young woman down the hall and tossed her to the ground so she skidded several feet before rolling to her knees with a whimper. She’d been beaten, one side of her face swollen. I hadn’t seen her before, but, given the track marks on her arms and how badly she’d been beaten, I was certain she’d attempted to escape. They’d likely dosed her as much as they’d dosed the rest of us when we got out of line. Only, this time, I got the impression this guy was done taking shit.

“Esto es lo que les pasa a las perras que no me obedecen. Si no me obedeces, esto te pasará.”

I didn’t understand. But I didn’t have to. The next thing I knew, he’d drawn out a machete. The girl screamed and tried to scramble back only to be held in place by two more men. A third helped them wrestle her to the ground onto her back. Once they had her down, the third guy held her legs at the ankles. There was a whoosh as the blade cut through the air and came down on her right thigh.

Blood arced when he raised the machete and brought it down again on the same leg. It took three more tries before he hacked her leg off and started on the other one. Everyone screamed, myself included. When anyone turned away, there were men to force them to turn back. And watch.

Before he got her second leg hacked off, the woman was unconscious. There was blood splatter everywhere, but once a limb was completely severed, the bleeding slowed dramatically. Still, the men tied tourniquets above the stumps.

I’m sure I was one of the women screaming. If I was, though, I had no memory of it. All I could process was a young woman getting her legs chopped off.

“Esto es lo que sucede cuando intentas escapar.” He spat on her. “Una puta sin piernas es más fácil de follar. ¿Sí?”

I stared at the unconscious woman. Though he hadn’t killed her outright, I was sure she wouldn’t last long. One of the men grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room, leaving a trail of blood as he went.

As I watched, one of the men approached me with an evil smirk on his face. “In case you’re wondering,” he said in thickly accented Spanish, “He said this is what happens when you try to escape, Americana.” He grinned. “And a whore without legs is easier to fuck.” He snorted a laugh. “I happen to agree. So, I’m really hoping you try to escape too.”

I barely held back a sob of despair. I knew he was trying to elicit a response from me, likely to give him a reason to hit me. There were some of us who tried to fight back when they came for us, but we were always overpowered. So far, all they’d done was beat me, but most of the others had been brutally raped and I knew that’s what they were building up to. This was a whorehouse of sorts. Only, the women didn’t get paid. The men who “owned” us did. A place where we were all used and trafficked.

The guy backhanded me when I didn’t respond to him. I fell back with a cry, covering my head with my arms and whimpering.

“Don’t worry, bitch. You won’t suffer long. I doubt you make it a month once we start breaking you in.” He gave a bark of laughter before kicking me.

My head swam from both the blow to my face and the remaining drugs in my system. More men crowded us in the tiny corridor only to shove us into various rooms. There were five more women in the room I landed in. Three filthy mattresses lay on the floor and a bucket sat in one corner for us to relieve ourselves. That’s the way it had been since I’d been here.

The next thing was the men coming to shoot us full of whatever drug they were using. I suspected it was heroin. A couple of the girls screamed while the other three complied easily. Probably because they were addicted or figured it was better to endure whatever happened next while blissfully numb than stone-cold sober. I understood. While I couldn’t put up much of a fight this time, I wanted to. Desperately. I hadn’t given up hope of getting out of here alive. Not really. Not yet. But I wasn’t too ashamed to admit I was fucking close.

A man held my arm while another jabbed a needle into my arm at the bend of my elbow and pressed the plunger. The pain of the dull needle sinking into my arm was soon replaced by a sickening euphoria. My eyes glazed over and my body went limp. I was still conscious, but… detached.

That was when one of the men shoved me onto a mattress and pulled at my clothes. He was breathing heavily and talking in Spanish, but I got the gist of what he was saying. He was going to fuck me. I caught the word “Americana” and figured he was taking bragging rights by fucking the American woman. They all looked at my blonde hair and blue eyes, going so far as to pry my eyes open and touch my eyeball, like a child testing if something was real. Maybe they thought I had contacts or something. Many of them felt my hair, fisting it and mimicked wrapping it around their cocks. I imagined far worse was going to happen shortly.

I whimpered but couldn’t even form words to tell the guy to stop. Not that it would have done any good. I batted at him weakly, but he didn’t seem to notice much less even acknowledge I was trying to fight him off.

Once he had me naked from the waist down, the guy crawled on top of me, pressing me into the filthy mattress. He reached between us and freed his cock. I could feel the head of it touching me. I shuddered, gagging as I pushed at him weakly.

“No!” I tried to shout the word at him, but it was a whisper at best. Just as he was about to penetrate me, there was a huge bang and the door splintered, throwing pieces of wood all around the room. I was sure some were embedded in my skin, but I still couldn’t do more than try to roll away from the man on top of me.

He shouted, pushing himself to his feet. Once his weight was off me, I crawled as best I could to the corner of the room and tucked myself into a ball. It was all I was capable of. I couldn’t even cry. Oh, tears poured freely from my eyes, but I didn’t have the strength to sob out my fear and frustration.

I thought there were screams all around me, not only in this room but in others nearby, but it was hard to tell. The more I tried to move, the more the room spun. Somewhere in the background of all that, and the ringing in my ears, I knew a fight raged. Was it more men coming to chop off the legs of someone else? Oh, God!

Then someone grabbed at my arms. I was helpless to stop them. I thought I was even more groggy than I had been when I was about to be raped. Whatever drug they’d given me had started to take hold. It was only the adrenaline coursing through my veins that kept me conscious.

“Hold on, honey. We’re gettin’ you outta here.”

About the Author. . .

Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.

Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts (which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.

 

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

 Author on Facebook


Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress


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Monday, June 10, 2024

#NewBlogPost #BookBlitz...Prayerful Warrior Mom...#ChristianLiving #NonFiction #Memoir #Inspiration @RabtBookTours @SexyNerdRevue

Christian Living, Non-fiction Christian, Memoir, Non-fiction Inspirational

 


⭐️ 2024 Eric Hoffer Grand Prize Award Finalist

Unlock the secrets to living a balanced, joyful life through faith and forgiveness with Prayerful Warrior Mom by Tracy A. Ripley.

In this inspiring story of faith and resilience, Tracy Ripley takes you through her son's battle with congenital heart disease and her journey of faith, hope, and resilience. Tracy compellingly narrates the evolution from mourning the life envisioned to embracing the life bestowed and chronicles the lessons learned along the way.

What’s included in the book:

-Strategies for setting healthy boundaries and overcoming adversity

-Inspirational life lessons to help you find balance and fulfillment

-Practical tips for releasing guilt and embracing forgiveness

-Faith-based guidance on how to turn burdens over to God and trust in Him

-Empowering techniques for focusing on what you can control and asking for help

In Prayerful Warrior Mom, Tracy Ripley shares her intimate prayers to God, demonstrating how faith serves as an anchor through life’s toughest trials. This heartfelt story isn’t just about survival — it’s a testament to resilience and finding purpose amidst pain.

Tracy’s journey, particularly resonant for career moms, offers insight into balancing professional responsibilities with caring for a sick child. Supported by her family, friends, and church community, Tracy discovers the strength to endure. Her story illustrates faith’s transformative power, offering solace and guidance to mothers walking a similar path.

Get a copy now to discover the power of faith and resilience in overcoming life’s challenges.

 

About the Author...

Tracy Ripley is a wife, mother, and stepmother to four children. Her youngest was diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) in 2013. Tracy is a child of God and attributes her strong faith to the trials she and her family have endured throughout her youngest son’s battle with CHD. Her testimony of faith has helped shed light on the world of CHD, spreading awareness and providing hope to other families faced with a different path for their infant child than they may have ever dreamed.

After dedicating 27 years to a career in accounting and finance, Tracy made the courageous decision to pursue a childhood dream of becoming a published author. She and Rob, her loving husband of 24 years, live in Northeast Ohio. Tracy finds fulfillment in actively engaging with her community, contributing to the Christian Ed group at her church, and cheering at her children’s sporting events.

Tracy finds solace and tranquility in Taekwondo. She earned a black belt in 2019. If she could put the books down and take a break from her writing, she would love to return to Taekwondo to continue her journey of learning and advancing her skills.

Contact Links

Author website

FB Page

IG

Purchase Link

Amazon link

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Sunday, June 9, 2024

#SexyNerd #BookReview...Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder...#Netgalley #Funny #ComingOfAge #Mustread #Novel @SexyNerdRevue #KerrynMayne @kerrynmayneauthor

Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in the back of her mind started whispering, you did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail—and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny’s careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life—but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne’s stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable.

The Sexy Nerd's Review. . .

This is one of those stories that fell into my pet peeve bucket, but having said that, I actually enjoyed it.

To start off, this story was too long for my tastes. Yes, unfortunately, this is one of those novels that fell into my pet peeve bag, but the more I learned about Lenny Marks the more I began to love the story. Does that sound crazy to you? Well, no worries, I’m about to show you some understanding.

Lenny Marks and I have a great deal in common. She’s a loner. You can time her by her schedule. She’s very meticulous about how her things have to be done. Her sense of humor is often mistaken for being rude. Her brutal honesty often takes people back and they find her super weird. She makes up stories about having friends and an exciting life, when in actuality, she’s a bit lonely, attractive; although she doesn’t think so, and she enjoys her job as a teacher. For me, what’s not to love about Lenny Marks. I identified with her totally and would love it if she were real because she and I would have some laughs because I'm a lot like her. That being said, where our similarities end is I’ve never had to think about murdering someone—to the point of actually carrying it out. Umm, no ma’am I’ve never had to deal with that. I have had bad thoughts, of course, but not actually the life Lenny has had to live.

She received a letter from a place she never expected to hear from again. In fact, she took said letter and stuffed it deep down in her purse so she wouldn’t have to ever think about it again. But for whatever reason, the letter kept coming to the surface. There’s something profoundly serious Lenny Marks must do, but she’s not sure she has the energy to deal with it. Her stepfather is finally being released from prison and Lenny isn’t exactly thrilled to learn of this news. Why would he be getting out of prison? I mean, all he did was kill her mother and brother. Certainly, a matter as sinister as that wouldn’t warrant anyone being released from prison, right? Hmm, yes, that’s what Lenny thought too.

As Lenny is trying to understand her feelings, she strikes up a rare friendship with the owner of a grocery store and discovers they have a great deal in common. The only problem is he’s dating her coworker. Bummer, right. She soon finds out that she’s not as alone as she once thought and her moods and idiosyncrasies aren’t as far out there as she may have once believed. Lenny Marks may not live an exciting life, but she’s living!

I absolutely loved Lenny Marks. Like I said, I wish she were real because she and I would have so much to talk about. I totally got her. She was so misunderstood by her peers, although her parents understood her enough. Her feelings and direct approach threw off so many people she encountered but that was only due to the fact they didn’t get her intellect. She was super smart and that scares people when you have that type of intelligence. Once again, I totally got Lenny.

Could this story have ended sooner than it had, of course, but I really didn’t care because I took my time reading this story and really enjoyed it. It’s not the type of story you come across every day. It was actually refreshing to read about a character that wasn’t popular and how she dealt with the everyday situations we all face in this thing called life.

The Sexy Nerd gives Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder four extra circumstances for her to get over. This was truly a delightful story, although it was quite long, but some journeys are worth the time to get through and this is one such story. Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder goes on sale Tues., July 9, 2024, at your favorite book retailers or wherever books are sold. Until next time, Nerds, you know how we do!

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