Guest Post - My Husband's Balls by Sue Watson - Booklympics

I wanted to take part in Rachel’s Olympic celebration because I hate sport and I’m rubbish at it. I haven’t lifted a ball, a racquet or a bat for many years – come to think of it I haven’t lifted my bottom off the sofa for a while either. But I digress, I wanted to feel part of Rachel’s sporty celebration because I’ve never felt part of anything sporty – I was always the last one to be picked for netball at school. And when a team was ‘forced’ to have me as a member they always found me a position that involved being about 3 miles away from the action – they called it ‘fielding,’ but they didn’t fool me. So as I couldn’t offer any of my own sporting life to this Olympic Special, I would like to offer my husband’s various sized balls. 

We married 21 years ago and in a cruel twist of fate he’s as obsessed by sport as I’m repelled by it. He was sports captain at school, still plays cricket and football and when he’s not on a pitch he’s watching various balls flying through nets on the TV screen at home. 

It doesn’t matter what time it is, what season or what country it might be, but my husband can always find balls to watch on a screen. Often he listens to the radio, watches TV and follows Twitter all at the same time when his ‘ball schedule’ is packed. He calls this ‘a multi-media sporting activity,’ but I call it BORING on every platform! 

And my husband’s balls aren’t just limited to a screen, even our ‘romantic’ weekends away are dictated by the football fixtures (a last tango in Swindon anyone?) He found a football match on a beach in Greece, a cricket match in a car park at a recent wedding and all our holidays in the US are an odyssey of baseball stadiums with some bits of holiday squeezed in between.

So to celebrate this year’s Olympics, and in the spirit of good sportsmanship I give you husband’s balls!

Thank you so much Sue Watson for this fabulously entertaining post, I loved hearing all about your husband's balls (and I promise this is the only post of the Booklympics with a subject that could be grossly misinterpreted!)

About Sue Watson 

Sue Watson was a TV Producer with the BBC who combined motherhood and family life with a busy career. However, one day it dawned on Sue that Cosmo magazine may have been telling porkies about 'having it all,' and her life had become a slightly crazed juggling act. 

So after much soul searching (and comfort eating) Sue abandoned her TV career, bought a pink laptop and wrote 'Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes.' It was then Sue realised she couldn't stop writing and produced 'Younger, Thinner, Blonder' 'Love, Lies and Lemon Cake' and 'Snow Angels, Secrets and Christmas Cake,' 'Summer Flings and Dancing Dreams,' and 'Bella's Christmas Bake Off.' Her next book 'We'll Always have Paris,' came out in ebook in June 2016 and will be out in paperback in 2017.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where she bakes (and eats) lots of cake. She spends much of her time making big decisions about whether to have Caramel Chew Chew or Peanut Butter ice cream (or both?) while watching 'The Biggest Loser USA,' and procrastinating over her latest novel. 

For more info visit Sue's website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

Sue would love to meet you on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks


Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter

Sue Watson on Amazon

Book Review - The Love Triangle by Nic Tatano - Booklympics

Amazon UK

Title: The Love Triangle

Author: Nic Tatano

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Publication Date: 24th March 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Public relations expert Lexi Harlow is the queen of getting her clients out of sticky situations. But can she do it for herself?

After an incendiary breakup (setting fire to her cheating boyfriend’s pants), Lexi decides to play the field for the first time in her life. Two suitors are vying for her affections: New York’s most eligible bachelor and pro quarterback Jake Frost, and sports agent Kyle Caruso. But when the athlete hires the agent, and both enlist her services to take care of public relations, well…

There’s only one way Lexi can get out of this love triangle before everything blows up in her face: choose one.

But when the candle she’s burning at both ends meets in the middle, the choice is no longer hers.

I strongly believe that Nic Tatano is improving as an author with each book, and this is definitely the best yet, and an absolute delight to read. Although the book is called The Love Triangle and there is a certainly a triangle in the book, I am slightly surprised it wasn't called Spin Girl, given that is exactly what Lexi Harlow is. 

She is a strong willed, feisty red-head, who knows exactly what she wants and is a very creative PR person, running her own small company. After a spectacular breakup with an ex, she decides to play the field a bit, and soon has two men who have attracted her interest. 

There is star quarterback Jake of the New York Jets, who earns a fortune and treats Lexi to all manner of dates that the average person would not be able to compete with - including helicopters and yachts. The other is sports agent Kyle Caruso, who Lexi first meets playing basketball, and utterly beats him at the game. He challenges her to two dates, one that each of them organises with the idea to be as creative as possible within a $100 limit. 

I loved Kyle's initial dates with Lexi as they both show great amounts of innovation to come up some fabulous dates and lets just say if Lexi wasn't dating him, I would have been. 

Of course dating two guys was never going to be easy, especially since they are all in related fields, so concealing the details was never going to work long term, and things start to unravel when they are all working together on projects. 

You may be surprised that I am loving a book that clearly features a woman who is arguably stringing along two men, but she isn't sleeping with either, and its all rather tame for the majority of the book. However I loved getting to know the characters involved, and for a book featuring a sports star, and sports agent, there was a scene that really got my adrenalin pumping, which didn't involve any sport at all. 

Although I had a strong inkling for most of the book as to who Lexi would chose, and it does become quite apparent, I had to agree with her choice, and the scene where she lets the other man down is priceless. 

Thoroughly entertaining story, that I couldn't get enough of. Fast paced, full of humour and creativity, and of course the trademark feisty redhead that the author is becoming known for. 

Thank you to Harper Impulse and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Funday Friday - Truth or Lie? Nancy Holland - Month 4 Week 1

Welcome to the latest edition of Truth of Lie. My name is Rachel and I will be your host, for this exciting new game show. Each Friday, I will have one contestant, and they will be answering 13 questions. There is of course one small twist...

For three of the answers, they have to lie. It is your task as the viewer to guess which three answers are lies. You are allowed 3 guesses and I want them posted into the comments field. 

Every 4 weeks, I will close the guessing, count up how many correct answers each of you has, and create a leaderboard. Anyone who is top of the leaderboard, will go into a draw for a paperback of the winners choice (open internationally). 

Please do include a way for me to contact you (email or twitter or similar), so that I can let you know if you have won. 

The weekend after a 4 week period closes, not only will I produce a leaderboard, and announce a winner, I will also let you know into the true answers, and which were the lies.  

Closing date for the fourth month is 11pm on 1st September 2016. 

So without further ado, let's meet today's contestant. 

Good morning contestant, please can you tell me your name and a little bit about yourself?

Hi! I'm Nancy Holland and I write short contemporary romance with a kick for Harper Impulse UK. I have two books out now -- Owed: One Wedding Night and the one just out in ebook this week, Found: One Secret Baby. 

Pleased to meet you Nancy, I hope you enjoy taking part in Truth or Lie? 

Now onto the show, and remember everyone, Nancy hasn't been entirely truthful with three of these answers, so it is up to you to guess which ones they are (only 3 guesses per person though). 

1) Who is your favourite author?

That's a tough one, as I have so many writer friends whose books I love. Outside of my personal circle, I'd have to say Jayne Ann Krentz/Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick because she's a great writer and has a kind of book to match every mood.

2) What book do you wish you had written?

The Lord of the Rings

3) Tell me about any really memorable dream or nightmare you have had

They usually don't stick with me for long, but recently I had a nightmare that was clearly the plot for a very dark urban fantasy -- definitely not my genre!

4) What was your most memorable holiday ever?

[I'm assuming you mean holiday in the British sense] I'd have to say the first time I went to Paris. I've been a few times since, but there is nothing like the first time you see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and all the other wonders of my favorite city. 

5) If you could be an animal what would you be and why?

It depends a bit on my mood, but right now I'd say wild cat, probably a black jaguar.

6) What superpower would you love to have?

Flight

7) Can you describe for me what your perfect day would involve?

Sleeping in (of course), coffee in bed, a swim in a nicely warm pool overlooking the ocean, fresh fruit and croissants for breakfast with maybe a mimosa, time with my husband and dear friends, a gourmet lunch, a massage, then a book, another swim, maybe a nap by the pool, a gourmet dinner with champagne, and time alone with my husband. 

8) Besides reading, which I am guessing is a given, what other hobbies do you have?

I'm a rock climber.

9) Who is your ideal Disney character?

Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" -- all those books!

9) What is your best childhood memory?

Time at the family cabin in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains.

10) What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to music? 

Opera, especially Wagner

11) If you could only look at one view for the rest of eternity, what or where would you like to be to see this view?

On the central California coast -- ocean, mountains -- perfection

12) If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

I'd buy a Tesla and a big house in Florida

13) What are you most scared of?

Failure or ridicule. If you mean material things, falling. (I was dropped and injured as a small child.)

Thank you Nancy for that enjoyable interview, I also love Belle, especially since she gets the Beast, but I will admit when you said Wagner, I thought of the novelty contestant on UK X-Factor a few years back, who is nothing resembling an opera singer! 

I hope you have enjoyed this edition of Truth or Lie? I will be back next week with another episode, and in the mean time...

Don't forget to guess the lies, to be in with a chance of a prize! 

About Nancy Holland
Born in California (and always a California girl at heart), I'm now a teacher in the Upper Midwest. My husband and I are lucky enough to have two smart, wonderful children who live on opposite coasts of the US.

Twitter: @nancyholland5
Website: nancyhollandwriter.com

Uncovering her secret…

LA lawyer Rosalie Walker will do whatever it takes to protect her adopted son. She promised his mother before she died that she’d look after him and keep him safe from his paternal family. So when delectable Morgan Danby walks into her office in search of his nephew, she must keep the baby in her care a secret—even if one look from Morgan makes her want to share everything with him…

As a favour to his step-mother— the woman who actually raised him, unlike his real mother who abandoned him as a child—successful businessman, Morgan is searching for the son of his incarcerated step-brother. He can tell Rosalie is hiding something and the temptation to seduce her for her secret is strong, but will he be able to handle the consequences once all is revealed…?

Buy links for Found: One Secret Baby
B&N http://tinyurl.com/j63ycn3
Amazon  http://tinyurl.com/ht7jxhq

Guest Post & Giveaway - Olympic Love by Aven Ellis - Booklympics

I’ve always been a HUGE fan of the Olympics. No matter what the sport is, I’ll watch it if it is part of the Olympic Games.  To me there is something so on-the-edge-of-your-seat about the Olympics. 
These athletes train for years, some practically their whole lives, just to have this one moment. I’ve held my breath while watching a gymnast bobble on the balance beam. The excitement of who will touch the wall first on the last lap of a swimming final.  I love when the underdog wins, a superstar is born out of nowhere, and the intense drama when things are in the balance. 

And now viewing is better than ever because nearly everything is televised. Yay! (Yes, I’m already preparing for some low word count days when the Olympics are on, LOL.) If you go to  https://www.olympic.org/ you can pre-prep your Olympic viewing experience. (YES I AM SERIOUS ABOUT MY GAMES PEOPLE.) On my “must see” list for Rio? Equestrian, Cycling, Gymnastics, Track & Field, Swimming and Diving. Oh, and football (which as an American I call soccer) because I will freely admit it, there are some super cute guys playing that sport. 

So my advice for getting the most out of it? Make your must watch list. DVR, DVR, DVR! Grab yourself a home country T-shirt (come on, an excuse to shop is never wrong, right? HA!) Try to watch a few new sports to truly have an Olympic experience. Make some Brazilian food on the night of the Opening Ceremonies.  And definitely keep a scorecard on your favorite outfits during the Opening Ceremonies. We’ll compare them later.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get ready for Rio!

Thank you so much Aven for explaining just what it is I also love about the Olympics in far better words than I was ever going to manage. I intend to be watching all those sports mentioned, except Soccer as Team GB don't have a team, as well as rowing, canoeing, some sailing, or anything that is being shown live, while waiting for the next session of those sports! And I also can't wait for the opening ceremony later today!

About Aven Ellis

Coffee with cream? Check. Soundtrack for work in progress pulled up on Spotify? Done. Ready to write another romantic comedy with a swoonworthy good guy hero, a heroine you cheer for, and a guaranteed happily ever after? You bet.

Hello, I'm Aven Ellis. I write hockey (and non-hockey) romantic comedies.  I love crafting characters, their words, their heartbreak and triumph, with laughs along the way. There is no bigger compliment to me than having someone tell me they laughed when reading one of my books. I want my books to be easy reading, a beach read, and an escape when you need one. 


In addition to writing, I'm passionate about reality cooking shows, the Duchess of Cambridge, the latest scent from Jo Malone (whatever it is, doesn't matter, I want it) and hockey. Or is that hockey players? Because they're hot.  I live in Dallas with my husband, daughter, and cat. And if it’s hockey season? GO STARS. 

Twitter | Facebook | AvenEllis.com | Aven Ellis on Amazon UK

Giveaway - Win an e-copy of The Aubrey Rules (Open Internationally)

Aven Ellis has generously offered an e-copy of The Aubrey Rules to one lucky winner. 

Giveaway open Internationally, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 21/8/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win an e-copy of The Aubrey Rules (Open Internationally)

Welcome to my Booklympics & Giveaway

Well you may remember my Paris Weekend, my Cornish Week or my Greek week (amongst others), but this time I have an event that is bigger and better and hopefully that everyone will enjoy. 

Presenting my Booklympics! 

I am a huge fan of the Olympics which starts properly tomorrow evening, although the opening matches of the football have already started in a rather low key way. I love watching the opening and closing ceremonies, and will for the next 16 days attempting to watch as much of the Olympics as I can...while still functioning and going to work etc.. 

Due to my love of all things sport I have put together and extravaganza for you all, I have many authors coming over to the blog talking about their experiences with sports, loads of giveaways and a whole bunch of reviews. 

The books I have chosen to review all have a link somewhere to sport, not necessarily Olympic sports, and not necessarily a big link may just be a mention of something sporty in the blurb, although some are a bit more obvious than others. 

I will of course be supporting Team GB, and really hope we do well. I was going to use this post to explain my love of the Olympics, but Aven Ellis' post tomorrow does just that, so I will leave it to her to share her love of the Olympics which mirrors my thoughts precisely. 

For a full list of what is going on over the next couple of weeks, please check out my Booklympics page from the top navigation links, as it will have an updated schedule of events on it, and I'll make the links live each day, when I get a chance. 

So without further ado...welcome to my Booklympics, I really hope you enjoy and please do enter my giveaway below! 

Giveaway - Win a random book (open to Europe Only)

To celebrate the start of the Olympics, and being a Team GB eternal optimist, I am going to give away 1 book per 5 medals (of any colour) that Team GB win! With a predicted medal count of between 49 and 79 medals that could potentially be 10-16 books up for grabs from my shelf of giveaway prizes! 

The final number of prizes will be locked in, after the closing ceremony, when the final medal table is known. I will round to the nearest 5. Books will be sent out at random, and they are a a real mixed bag as to what is potentially available. 

Giveaway open to Europe Only, all options are voluntary, but please do what they ask, as I will be verifying the winner. Giveaway closes 23:59 23/8/2016. Winner will be announced on twitter and emailed, and they will need to reply within 7 days, or forfeit the prize, and I will re-draw for a new winner.  Good luck everyone.

Win a random book (open to Europe Only)

Book Review - What Happens at the Beach... by T.A. Williams

Amazon UK

Title: What Happens at the Beach...

Author: T.A.Williams

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Carina

Publication Date: 11th July 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

For the perfect summer romance…

It’s finally time for Natalie Dryden to decide what she really wants! After ditching her sparkling engagement ring, and her ghastly fiancé, she jets off for the sun-kissed shores of Southern France – the only place that has ever truly felt like home. For the first time ever, Natalie is determined to forget all about men and follow her dreams!

…head to the French coast!

Only, avoiding the male population isn’t quite so easy, especially when she meets smooth-talking Philippe and gorgeous fisherman, Remy! But then Natalie, quite literally, bumps into brooding millionaire Mark whilst swimming in the glittering azure-blue bay – and her life is turned upside-down.

Love might be off the cards for Natalie, yet suddenly she finds herself in her dream job and working with her dream man! But is it all too good to be true…?

First I must just praise how bright and summery the cover is, really gets you in the mood for summer. What Happens at the Beach is a pleasing romance with three dashing French men who could all have been the romantic interest in the book, as well as an ex-fiancee who I'm so glad we didn't have much more than a chapter of contact with, a sunny location in Southern France, a wonderful grandma and of course Barney. 

T.A. Williams has a habit of having a dog somewhere in this books, so I am going to just praise what a wonderful labrador Barney is now, he is easily one of the most well trained and best behaved dogs I have encountered for a while and is incredibly good at sitting under a table and not begging for food, knowing he will be rewarded after his master has eaten. 

Natalie has escaped to France after breaking up with the ex-fiancee, and has sworn herself off men for the summer. She is staying with Colette her gran. She has just completed her studies in Medieval History and while she is in France attempts to get a job with her new qualification. 

When Mark hires her as a research assistant, as she conveniently is a specialist in the period that Mark is hoping to set a work of fiction in, it means they have to spend a large amount of time together, travelling around various regions in France which have relevance to the Cathars. 

Unforunately I am not a history buff, and felt the amount of detail that went into on some of the road trips and discussions between Mark and Natalie made me feel like I was reading historical fiction at one point, and at another I did have doubts as to how much more history, especially religious history I was going to be able to put up with. 

I was though very impressed and amused with the level of detail expressed, implying that T.A. Williams must have had his own research assistant to help research that role and the subject matter! 

The locations gave a good sense of France and I loved so much about the book, however it just didn't quite please me the way previous books by the author have, mainly due to the amount of history. That being said it clearly has all of the author's normal trademarks and I loved discovering just who Natalie would end up with, as I did have my doubts as to whether she would choose who I thought she would. 

I was fortunate to be able to read this on a hot summery day in my garden and it definitely does make you long for hot summery days as you delve into this enjoyable tale. 

Thank you to Carina and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.

Book Review - Killer Diamonds by Rebecca Chance - #20BooksofSummer

Amazon UK

Title:  Killer Diamonds

Author: Rebecca Chance

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: EDPR

Publisher: Pan

Publication Date: 28th July 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

After decades in the spotlight as an Oscar-winning film star and famous beauty, Vivienne Winter is one of the most recognizable women on the planet. When she decides to auction her multimillion dollar jewellery collection for charity, there's no shortage of people eager to buy a piece of her incredible history.

Young, ambitious Christine Smith is a jewellery expert working for a centuries-old auction house. But in a world of aristocratic snobs, her working-class origins are holding her back. She's desperate to secure the sale of Vivienne Winter's gem collection: it's set to be the biggest auction since Elizabeth Taylor's. However, meeting the Hollywood star is just the first hurdle Christine has to jump.

Vivienne's handsome, spoilt and sexy playboy grandson Angel is the heir to her fortune. The anger and resentment he feels towards his grandmother for selling what he'd counted on as one day being his inheritance sets in motion a series of events with deadly consequences. Angel is totally unscrupulous, and no one will emerge from his plotting unscathed. For it seems that family secrets cut sharper than diamonds . . .

I am delighted to announce that the queen of the bonkbuster is back. This is easily Rebecca Chance back to her best, and a real pleasure to have been able to read this book. I was hooked from the prologue and especially once the story started to get revved up. 

The pace picked up from chapter to chapter, although it did level off during the middle section, while all the finer and key plot points were set up for the adrenalin pumping conclusion. 

The story centres around acclaimed actress Vivienne Winter who is heading into her twilight years and has decided to auction off her extensive jewellery collection for charity. However her grandson Angel isn't too happy about it and is going to plot to stop her. 

Then there is Christine who is a hard working expect for the auction house hoping to secure the rights to the collection, and goes out of her way to meet Vivienne. She is probably the nicest most innocent character in the whole book, and there are times I really felt for what she was going through, and the way the Winter family were treating her. 

There is a chapter quite early in the book where I spent most of it trying to work out whether I needed to be very disturbed by what was doing on, turned on or just plain confused, as we are introduced for the first time to a couple of key players in this tale, and learn just what sort of childhood one of them really had. Even for someone who generally isn't easily shocked at the sexual exploits in these sorts of books, this did make me raise an eyebrow in shock! 

Hearing about Vivienne's career through her gems was very interesting and she has had a colourful life herself, however her career is the single most important thing in her life. We learn about how she "looked" after her child and grand child and it was fascinating to see her solutions to problems.

There is a great deal of sex in the book, some of it more explicit than the rest, but all very enjoyable and well written. Generally the level of detail all over the story is brilliant and I found the whole book to be a gripping pleasure to read. 

Thank you to Sophie at EDPR for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - How To Hook A Husband by Sarah Harvey

Amazon UK

Title: How To Hook A Husband

Author: Sarah Harvey

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Manilla

Publication Date: 28th July 2016

Rating: 3 Stars

He's caught the bait, now it's time to reel him in...

When Belle returns home from backpacking for her best friend's wedding and catches the groom-to-be with another girl, the wedding is called off and Nicky is eternally grateful. 

Realising her friend has a talent for spotting men with a roving eye, Nicky puts her friend to work helping others and soon Belle is hanging out in bars and hiding in bushes, hoping to catch unsuspecting Casanovas. Then she is hired to follow the elusive Eddie Farrar and everything changes as Belle finds herself falling under his spell. Will she be able to resist his charms or is there more to him than it seems?

When I was younger, I read just about all of Sarah Harvey's books, I know I have them in my bedroom somewhere, so when I spotted How To Hook A Husband on Netgalley I was excited to see a new book by a much loved author.  

Now I liked this book, it was fun, had good sense of humor and was even if the storyline could be called predictable, I was still enjoying it, but felt it lacked the greatness of what I recall with rose-tinted glasses of previous efforts by the author. 

Still I stuck with the book, I was finding the characters to be a good mix, and as it was set in 2000, it was clearly about the practice now known as Honey-trapping. Belle is surprisingly good at spotting dodgy cheating men, until one specific target changes things. 

There was also one hilarious bedroom scene, which is probably the main scene I will take with me from this book, and I was almost laughing out loud along with the characters involved.  Another small moment that I liked was the mention of shopping in Kookai which is a brand I haven't even thought of for years, but I did love, in the late 90s. 

However imagine my absolute dismay when finishing the book, I discover it says that it was previously published as Fly-Fishing, in 2000 and that I had in fact read it probably 15 years ago. If you have read this author previously, then this is a reprint and rename, so please be warned. 

I suspect myself 15 years ago would have given this probably 4 or 5 stars, but I had of course at the time read a lot less books, and now on its own merits, I can say I did like the book, the author is certainly worth a look, but it just didn't work for me as it did back then. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for this review copy. This was my honest opinion. 

Book Review - Tenacity by J.S. Law - Rachel Reads Randomly Book #32 - #20BooksofSummer

Amazon UK

Title: Tenacity

Author: J.S. Law

Format reviewed: Paperback 

Source: Purchased

Publisher: Headline

Publication Date: 21st April 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Two hundred metres below the surface, 
she will have nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

A sailor hangs himself on board a naval submarine. Although ruled a suicide Lieutenant Danielle Lewis, the Navy's finest Special Branch investigator, knows the sailor's wife was found brutally murdered only days before.

Now Dan must enter the cramped confines of HMS Tenacity to interrogate the tight-knit, male crew and determine if there's a link.

Standing alone in the face of extreme hostility and with a possible killer on board, Dan soon realises that she may have to choose between the truth and her own survival.

The pressure is rising and Dan's time is running out...

Despite getting off to a slightly slow start, plus an incredibly engaging prologue, Tenacity soon ramps up the compulsiveness of reading, with its claustrophobic setting and no clue how on earth it would turn out.  

It's the location of this book that is the stand out and what attracted me to the book in the beginning. It is not often you get a book set on a submarine, written by an ex-Navy person. It is even rarer to be able to read a chilling murder and having just a singular Lieutenant carrying out all the interviews while the submarine is submerged, but that is exactly what is to occur on the HMS Tenacity. 

What makes things tougher is that Dan is female, and women are not generally submariners, and its a very close knit male community on board, as it has to be with the the ships company able to close ranks and make life very uncomfortable should they choose to. 

Now factor in that some crimes have been committed and the death count is at two, and Dan is alone beneath the ocean with a  potential murderer, and no escape, and you get just a small feeling of what it is like to read Tenacity. 

Right near the start I predicted what I thought would happen, and for a while, until the book got going fully, I was convinced that I would be right,, and then Dan boards the submarines and all my thoughts of predictions go out of the window, and I was completely wrong anyway. 

Dan Lewis is a determined investigator who works mainly on gut feeling. She is gutsy and highly intelligent, but has issues trusting people, and her last big case was one huge nightmare. Seeing her attempt to deal with life on a submarine, when her treatment isn't the best, and the sense of isolation, was made so clear with the writing, I really felt for her. 

Tenacity is an immersive experience, its compulsive with its need to make you turn pages, and to keep going. I am so impressed by this debut novel and am eager to see where the Dan Lewis series goes next. 

Thank you to everyone that voted for Tenacity. It had been very tight, and I had to recount a few times to make sure I had counted it all correctly.  I would also like to thank Headline for the Crime Rooftop Book Club where I met J.S. Law and it was listening to him, that made me want to buy Tenacity, so I'm just grateful all around my gut feeling that this was book worth reading, was in fact correct. 

Rachel Reads Randomly - Vote #33

 

Thank you everyone for your input last time. The results of the last vote were:

1 Vote - Forgotten by Heleyne Hemmersley 

4 Votes - Valentine's Day at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn 

5 Votes -  My Husband's Wife by Amanda Prowse 

5 Votes -   Willow Walk by SJI Holliday

6 Votes - Tenacity by J. S. Law 

This was an incredibly close vote and it took me a few attempts to tally it correctly. Tenacity was certainly a worthy winner, even if it did cause me issues sleeping the day after I finished it. I still really want to read the others that were up last time, so hopefully I will get to some of them eventually, especially the two review books!

Due to the review from this week being posted on 8th August which is once my Booklympics event has started, I thought I would theme the vote this week and let you pick from some of the remained of my Booklympics short list. 

These are all books with a vaguely sporty theme, and instead of gut reactions, I'll let you know why I have them on this short list, just incase its not immediately obvious.

In another twist this week I am intending to read the TWO most voted for titles, the winner will go up next Monday as normal and second place will be the last review of my Booklympics on 21st August, as I can't decide which book to close the event with! 

Below is my initial theory for this feature, and then a bit further, what you are all waiting for... This weeks's vote! Enjoy!

I am also awful at deciding what book to read next, as I often have about 10 titles or authors jumping into my brain at any time, shouting at me to read them, and I tend to worry I have made the wrong decision while reading a perfectly good book. I am hoping this will save me having to make at least 1 choice a week, while possibly providing a review to the site of a book you all either love or are curious about yourselves. 

So what I am proposing, is my lovely loyal readers of Rachel's Random Reads, select one book for me to read a week, and I will post the review the following week. 

This weeks random numbers are...

And the books these numbers correspond to are...

So the 5 choices with my reasons for them being on my Booklympics Shortlist are:

1 - We Could Be Heroes by Alison Bond - This was a contender due to the blurb referencing footballers, and buying and selling sporting heroes. It was also re-titled and re-issued for the Brazil 2014 World Cup, so definitely has sporting connections

4 - Swimming With Dolphins by Deborah Wright - Given Swimming is an Olympic sport, I thought I would use that connection to potentially read this book. I've read books previously by the author and thoroughly enjoyed them, so was excited when I spotted this on Kindle a few years ago. 

10 - An American Caddie in St. Andrews: Growing Up, Girls and Looping on the Old Course by Oliver Horowitz - This is a book all about a golfing caddie at one of the worlds oldest golf courses. Golf is of course an Olympic sport this year, so just hope its more interesting to read about it then to watch it! 

11 - Out of Practice by Penny Parkes - The connection here is of course all sports men and women need to practice! I don't think the book itself features sport, but countryside doctors. Yes this is as dodgy as some of my connections in the event could be! 

14 - Surf Mama: One Woman's Search for Love, Happiness and the Perfect Wave by Wilma Johnson - Surfing is a sport, although not an Olympic one, and this book just sounds interesting as part sports, part possibly travel with possibly some romance too! 

I hope you enjoy this vaguely connected and fairly eclectic selection of books this week. As I was saying I will read the top 2, so would just appreciate your input even if its just picking the prettiest cover!

Pick your favourite or the one you most want me to review, or just the one you are curious about, and leave me a comment below, before midnight on Wednesday. 

I look forward to seeing what I will be reading over the weekend, courtesy of you all.

The explanation if you haven't seen the feature before. 

How is this going to work?

Every Monday, I am going to have a post like this, which is going to have some choices on it. I am planning on using random.org to select 7 random numbers, to coincide with my spreadsheet of unread books.  

I will from that produce a list of hopefully 5 books, I reserve the right to veto any books, and will give reasons for them, if it occurs.

I will take screenshots and post them, of the chosen books, and also give you my instinctive reactions to the choices (without checking blurbs or any other info about them, which could be interesting as there are probably many forgotten about books on my spreadsheet!). 

Your task is to post a comment on this post, with the book you would like me to read this week. At midnight on Wednesday I will take a tally of the votes and the book with the most, I will read and review for the following Monday, where you will also get a new choice post. 

In the event of a tie, I will chose which one appeals most, for the Monday review, and possibly try and read and review the other to appear when I can. 

I am hoping this will provide some variety to the books appearing, and will let me potentially read or discover some great authors that I have wanted to read but not got around to yet.