Read & Watch Picks for March with Agent Sara Megibow

Can you believe it's March already? Welcome back for the March edition of the Read & Watch Challenge! How'd your February challenge go? (I'll update with how mine went at the end of the post.)

This month's theme is DIFFERENT. If you're new here, pop on over to this post to see how the challenge works and which themes we'll be using.

This month, I have a special treat for you. My dear agent, Sara Megibow of KT Literary, is here to give us picks for March.

One of Sara's jobs as a literary agent is to sell books to publishers, so she gets to sift through all the query letters and chapters from aspiring writers and then picks the best of the bunch to represent. So, in other words, when she gives a book recommendation, you should probably listen. She clearly has excellent taste--after all, she IS responsible for plucking Crash Into You out of the pile when I was trying to get published. ;)

Here's a little more about Sara:

Sara Megibow is a literary agent with nine years of experience in publishing. Sara specializes in working with authors in middle grade, young adult, romance, erotica, science fiction and fantasy and represents New York Times bestselling authors Roni Loren and Jason Hough and international bestselling authors Stefan Bachmann and Tiffany Reisz. Sara is LGBTQ-friendly and presents regularly at SCBWI and RWA events around the country.

So let's welcome Sara and she what she's chosen for DIFFERENT:

Sara's Book Pick 

FORGED IN DESIRE by Brenda Jackson

Sara’s Thoughts: I chose FORGED IN DESIRE by Brenda Jackson to be my #Different book because I read a lot of sexy contemporary romance and small town contemporary romance but not a lot of romantic suspense. I’ll let you in on a little secret – I frequently struggle with suspension of disbelief in this sub-genre. The bad guys are coming! Danger is everywhere! And…they stop to have sex. That’s the point at which most romantic suspense books lose me. When I saw FORGED IN DESIRE at my B&N I was hopeful this book would avoid that hiccup. And it did!

“Strong Enough To Protect Her. Bold Enough To Love Her.” = that’s the tagline for FORGED IN DESIRE. And wowza – that’s the perfect description for this amazing, amazing book! I loved it! The balance between chemistry and plot was superb and I was simultaneously cheering for Margo and Lamar to beat the bad guys and to...you know…get together. Bravo!

I’ve decided that a solid dose of heart-pounding suspense goes very well with a solid dose of heart-pounding chemistry. So glad I gave romantic suspense another try and I heartily recommend FORGED IN DESIRE!

Back cover:

Strong enough to protect her. Bold enough to love her. 

When good girl Margo Connelly becomes Lamar "Striker" Jennings's latest assignment, she knows she's in trouble. And not just because he's been hired to protect her from an underworld criminal. The reformed bad boy's appeal is breaching all her defenses, and as the threats against her increase, Margo isn't sure which is more dangerous: the gangster targeting her, or the far too alluring protector tempting her to let loose. 

Though Striker's now living on the right side of the law, he's convinced his troubled past keeps Margo out of his league. But physical chemistry explodes into full-blown passion when they go on the run together. Surrendering to desire could be a deadly distraction—or finally prove that he's the only man qualified to keep her safe, and win her love.

Sara also has two bonus picks from her client list to look out for!

Juno Rushdan has a trilogy of romantic thrillers coming from Sourcebooks in 2018. I pitched A LONG WAY TO FALL (Book #1 in the series) as a sexy Jason Bourne and it’s even more high-action and high-suspense than what we find in romantic suspense. Follow Juno at: www.junorushdan.com

And, for Different, follow Don Allmon whose debut M/M elf + orc romance, GLAMOUR THIEVES, comes out this summer. Elf + Orc? Now THAT’S #Different! www.donallmon.com

Sara's Movie Pick

Mamma Mia

I recently saw Mamma Mia at The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire with my dad – it was amazing! The singing and dancing and colors and general happiness was utter joy. Good news = it comes in movie-format too (starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Amanda Seyfried). I’m calling this my #Different because it’s a play and a movie and there’s bellbottoms and zoot suits. Want love? Want to sing along to Abba? Mamma Mia it is!

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Roni's Book Picks

The theme DIFFERENT could be interpreted in many different ways, but I decided to choose book recommendations that if I were suggesting the books to you in person, I would offer a disclaimer of "It's a little odd/different/out there but trust me, it's awesome!" :)

The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith

Okay, so this is a LONG ASS book and there is an ALIEN LIZARD HERO and those two things along would normally make me want to run. I don't read sci-fi stuff. I don't typically like non-human heroes. I would've never picked this book up if not for a recommendation. But it ended up being one of my favorite reads of that year. I did an extensive review on it here. But this is one that I almost don't want you to read the back cover because you're going to want to run and you shouldn't, lol. It's a romance. It's horror. It's sci-fi. It's super dark. It's compelling. I read it in five days and it's long, people. LONG. So anyway, you can't get more different than this one.

Back cover:

It was her last chance:

Amber Bierce had nothing left except her sister and two tickets on Earth’s first colony-ship. She entered her Sleeper with a five-year contract and the promise of a better life, but awakened in wreckage on an unknown world. For the survivors, there is no rescue, no way home and no hope until they are found by Meoraq—a holy warrior more deadly than any hungering beast on this hostile new world…but whose eyes show a different sort of hunger when he looks at her.

It was his last year of freedom:

Uyane Meoraq is a Sword of Sheul, God’s own instrument of judgment, victor of hundreds of trials, with a conqueror’s rights over all men. Or at least he was until his father’s death. Now, without divine intervention, he will be forced to assume stewardship over House Uyane and lose the life he has always known. At the legendary temple of Xi’Matezh, Meoraq hopes to find the deliverance he seeks, but the humans he encounters on his pilgrimage may prove too great a test even for him…especially the one called Amber, behind whose monstrous appearance burns a woman’s heart unlike any he has ever known.

From R. Lee Smith, author of Heat and Cottonwood, comes an epic new story of desire, darkness and the dawn that comes after The Last Hour of Gann.

WARNING: This book contains graphic violence, strong sexual content and explicit language. It is intended for mature readers only.

One Cut Deeper by Joely Sue Burkhart

I read this one a while back, but it has a serial killer hero. Yes, the hero is a serial killer. And it works. (I've been heard it compared to Dexter, but I haven't seen that show so I can't say for sure.) Here's the review I did back when I read it.

Back cover:

Her needs are dark. His are dangerous.

Charlie MacNiall has been bringing his beautiful king shepherd to the vet clinic where Ranay Killian works for the better part of a year. She doesn't realize he's been slowly wooing her. She certainly has no idea that he picked her deliberately--that she is to become his. A broken heart and a desperate desire to be dominated make her the perfect victim.

His perfect victim.

Charlie fixes Ranay, testing her emotional limits while pushing her sexual boundaries past anything she'd imagined possible. Pain is their shared pleasure...until Charlie disappears and Ranay is all but destroyed.

The FBI says the man she loves is a serial killer. Ranay can't deny there's a darkness in Charlie, a monstrous hunger that drives him to the brink. She even believes he could kill. But Charlie's hunger is what bonds them--it's the foundation of their love. Would he actually kill her?

I could say, "And now for something completely different." But really, we're already out there, aren't we? ;) So next isn't a romance, it's a horror book. But for anyone who has ever been in an IKEA, you'll be able to relate and laugh. I thought this was such a clever idea for a story. And the paperback looks like an IKEA catalog with the drawings of furniture (and eventually torture devices) within the pages. :) Here's my full review.

Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix

Back cover:

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör comes packaged in the form of a glossy mail order catalog, complete with product illustrations, a home delivery order form, and a map of Orsk’s labyrinthine showroom. It’s “a treat for fans of The Evil Dead or Zombieland, complete with affordable solutions for better living.”—Kirkus Reviews. 

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

Charlotte Stein romances 

If you're looking for straight up romance pick, anything by Charlotte Stein will serve you well. Charlotte writes really quirky erotic romances that often have a forbidden element in them and have BETA HEROES (now that's different, right?). Her author voice is also very unique. These are sexy and funny almost always have awesomely awkward characters. If you're not sure where to start, I recommend Sheltered (awkward virgin heroine) or Forbidden (priest hero).

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Roni's Watch Picks

If you want a creepy ass show to watch, this one fits the bill. Weird and spooky and strange, Channel Zero: Candle Cove from the SyFy channel kept me entertained. If you don't like scary, skip this one.

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What I'll be Reading and Watching This Month:

Reading:

This one is a little different for me because I don't read a lot of what's labeled "women's fiction", which always struck me as kind of an odd genre delineation. What does that even mean? But, I've heard this recommended in a few different places and the premise intrigues me.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Back cover:

Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and pregnant with her first child. So imagine Alice’s surprise when she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! She HATES the gym) and is whisked off to the hospital where she discovers the honeymoon is truly over—she’s getting divorced, she has three kids, and she’s actually 39 years old. Alice must reconstruct the events of a lost decade, and find out whether it’s possible to reconstruct her life at the same time. She has to figure out why her sister hardly talks to her, and how is it that she’s become one of those super skinny moms with really expensive clothes. Ultimately, Alice must discover whether forgetting is a blessing or a curse, and whether it’s possible to start over…

Watching:

One Day at a Time on Netflix

I've only watched the first episode, but I thought it was really cute. I remember the original show from the 70s that it's based on, but this is a different take (see how I worked in the theme word? ;) ). Here's the summary from Wikipedia:

This Netflix-original comedy-drama is inspired by Norman Lear's 1975 series of the same name. This time around, the series follows the life of Penelope, a newly single Army veteran, and her Cuban-American family, as they navigate the ups and downs of life. Now a nurse, Penelope is raising two strong-willed children. When faced with challenges, Penelope turns to her "old-school" mother, and her building manager, who has become an invaluable confidant. The series offers a contemporary take on what life looks like in both good and bad times, and how loved ones can help make it all worthwhile.

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Update from February:

I was such a fail at the challenge in Feb. However, I have a good excuse. :) This month was RITA judging, which is when romance writers get a stack of 5-7 books that we have to read in about 6 weeks and judge for the RITA contest. I can't publicly post about those books, so it doesn't show that I've read them, but I've been busy reading those and didn't get a chance to read my challenge books.

I also only got to watch an episode or two of Gilmore Girls. It's been a crazy busy month. Hopefully, y'all were more successful at the challenge this month than I was, lol.

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All right, that's what I've got for you for this month's challenge. I'd love to hear what you plan to read and watch for the theme DIFFERENT! :) 

A Screw-With-Your-Head Read: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

I was supposed to do a lot of things yesterday. House cleaning. Laundry. Run errands. Instead, I spent most of the day immersed in this book and only managed to go grocery shopping so we wouldn't starve this week. 

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood was one of my Book of the Month Club choices. It was actually a pick from last month (but you can choose old picks). I didn't get it the first time around because I wasn't sure I wanted to read the subject matter. But then I saw a number of people (whose reading tastes generally align with mine) recommending it, so this month I grabbed it.

I'm glad I did. This was one compelling read.

First, a warning. This is not an easy book to read. It doesn't hold back and is very dark. However, at its heart, there's also love. Love that will leave you with uncomfortable mixed feelings most likely. But isn't that the best part of a well-written book? It leaves you thinking. It leaves you questioning your own feelings about the story and the characters.

I won't go too deep into the plot, but I know most of you who are reading this are romance readers, so if you want to know if this is a happy ending or not, scroll to the bottom of the post to see under the spoiler heading. If you don't want to be spoiled. Avoid that. :)

I'm still processing my own feelings about this book, but I think my biggest takeaway is that we can't ever know what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. We make judgments. We know what's right unequivocally. Or we think we do. But is it always so cut and dried? I don't know. Hence the uncomfortable feelings.

It made me think about my days as a social worker. I did therapy with middle school aged children from very difficult backgrounds. Some had seen and been through so much, I could barely wrap my head around it. So reading about Wavy, I couldn't help but think, I met girls like her. Thirteen year olds who'd walk in my office with the eyes of a hardened adult. Ones who would often get involved with boys much older than them. They'd grown up too fast because they'd had no other choice. It was do that or not survive. Did they make bad choices? Often. Could I blame them? No. Would I have reported Wavy and Kellen to the police if she'd walked in my office? Absolutely. I did that very thing a number of times in that job. And I'd still do it every single time without pause if I were still doing that job.

So if I were in this book, I'd be one of the antagonists (like her aunt.) But the story made me root for Wavy and Kellen. So...yeah. It's a book that effs with your head. That's one reason I read dark books. I don't mind a book messing with my lines. Fiction gives a space for that. But I also know that's not for everyone. So, you've been warned. : )

But if you decide to pick it up, you're going to get one hell of a read. 

Here's the blurb:

A beautiful and provocative love story between two unlikely people and the hard-won relationship that elevates them above the Midwestern meth lab backdrop of their lives.

As the daughter of a drug dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. It's safer to keep her mouth shut and stay out of sight. Struggling to raise her little brother, Donal, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible adult around. Obsessed with the constellations, she finds peace in the starry night sky above the fields behind her house, until one night her star gazing causes an accident. After witnessing his motorcycle wreck, she forms an unusual friendship with one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold.

By the time Wavy is a teenager, her relationship with Kellen is the only tender thing in a brutal world of addicts and debauchery. When tragedy rips Wavy's family apart, a well-meaning aunt steps in, and what is beautiful to Wavy looks ugly under the scrutiny of the outside world. A powerful novel you won’t soon forget, Bryn Greenwood's All the Ugly and Wonderful Things challenges all we know and believe about love.

Grab a copy or you can still get it through Book of the Month Club (sign up with my link and code REFER 50 and get 50% off a three month membership.) I have to say the hardback version is lovely. Gorgeous cover and that nice soft feel to the jacket. (Yes, I pet my books. Don't you? ;) )

Has anyone else read this? What books have you read that screwed with your head or made you question your feelings?

SPOILER! SPOILER! 

This book has a positive ending. You have to go through hell to get to it though. :)

What to Read: Dark Romance - My Recommendations

I'm starting a new series of blogs today called What To Read. I did something similar a few years ago, but I figured it was time to tackle a few other subgenres and to update some recs on older ones. Today, I'm focusing on dark romance--one of my favorites.

Now, the definition of "dark" can vary widely from person to person. A really gritty romantic suspense could be considered dark if you focus on the fact that there is violence or murders or serial killers. But that's not what I'm talking about today. For my purposes, a dark romance is one that has an anti-hero, a villain type as the lead guy, and/or completely mindf*cks you. The usual lines of morality are blurred. These are the guys who you really wouldn't want to mess with in real life, but who are so interesting to read about.

When I read these, I have that thought--wow, I really shouldn't be rooting for these people or liking this hero or wanting this person to get the girl. But I do. And I can't help it, lol. Hence, the mindf*ck. I love when an author can pull that off.

And the key for me that separates this from just reading about really bad people is that even when the main guy is an anti-hero, he always has some seed that keeps you with him. It could be his version of his own moral code, some line he won't cross. Or something happens and he's redeemed on some level(as much as one of these guys can be redeemed.) Or the backstory is so well-crafted that you get it. You understand why he is the way he is. Usually, very bad things have happened to him. So you see the humanity underneath the dangerous, broken parts.

Now, a trigger warning. Some of these books go to really dark places. Uncomfortable places. In many ways, that's the beauty of fiction. You can step in and out of the world and still be safe. However, if you have triggers around rape, violence, or anything in that zone, you may want to steer clear of these.

Okay, so recommendations. And note, none of these authors have asked me to feature their books or given me copies in exchange for promotion. These are my own personal recs of books I've read. 

Recommendations

*Click book covers for more info

One of the ones that has stuck with me as of late is Prisoner by Skye Warren and Annika Martin. Skye is one of the first authors I saw doing truly dark romance. Her books pull no punches. They go there. The heroes are often very bad men, but you want to read about them and the heroines. She has a number of books out there, but her collaboration with Annika is probably my favorite. Prisoner is about...a prisoner (surprise!) who kidnaps the heroine when he escapes.  I also enjoyed Love the Way You Lie.

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This next duet is one that will mind*ck you. You really, really don't want to feel any sympathy for the guy. He's so very villain-y...until you find out why. Captive in the Dark and Seduced in the Dark by CJ Roberts. All the trigger warnings for this one, y'all.

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The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith is a little (a lot) left of center from the others. It's Sci-Fi and LOOOOONG. And, uh, the hero is an alien/lizard man. I know, I know. Believe me, if I hadn't seen a lot of people whose opinion I trust recommending it all over when it came out, I never would've picked it up. But it ended up being one of my favorite reads of whichever year I read it. The hero lives by different rules (you know, he's on an alien on a different planet and all) and the heroine is human. But the journey he goes on is truly worth reading. 

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Like Dexter? Try One Cut Deeper by Joely Sue Burkhart. She does a good job of making the hero sympathetic even though he's about as dangerous a man as one can be. This one has blood play, knife play, and edgy BDSM scenes. You've been warned.

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Okay, so what if you're curious about dark romance but you don't want to jump into the deep end quite yet? Here are some suggestions for books that are dark in theme but still have heroes with strong moral codes who you can feel good about.

I recommend Tiffany Reisz's Original Sinners series all over the place. Full disclosure: We share an agent and know each other. But honestly, that has nothing to do with my love for her books. The series is well-written, sexy, and intense. Expect lots of BDSM, a sadist priest who you'll love, and a long list of characters who will stay with you for a long time.

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Asking For It by Lilah Pace is one that has a dark theme but likable characters. This and the follow-up book, Begging For It, tackle the issue of rape fantasy. It's a tough topic, but the author handles it with a deft hand. 

So I hope that gives you a place to start if you're looking to try out this genre or if you're looking for more reads within it.

For those of you who read Dark Romance, what books would you recommend? I'm always looking for another great read.

Friday Reads: Love the Way You Lie by Skye Warren

 

It's Friday Reads time! This week I have a dark romance for you. And bonus, it's on sale for 99 cents! 

If you haven't read Skye Warren before, be prepared for dark romances with anti-heroes--know that going in. There are happy endings but it's not your traditional romance. That's what I like about her books, that pushing the envelope edge. But it's not for everyone, so this is an easy way to try her out. And this one isn't as dark as some of her others I've read. But I love her use of language and the storylines she tackles. She's becoming an auto buy for me.

Amazon | B&N

About the book:

A dark romance about the lies that lead us down...

I'll do anything to get safe, even if that means working at the scariest club in town.

I'll do anything to stay hidden, even if it means taking off my clothes for strangers.

I'll do anything to be free. Except give him up. When he looks at me, I forget why I can't have him. He's beautiful and scarred. His body fits mine, filling the places where I'm hollow, rough where I am soft.

He's the one man who wants to help, but he has his own agenda. He has questions I can't answer. What are you afraid of?

You.

What are you reading this week?

Weekly Book PSA: Pike's book CALL ON ME is now out and this is what Publisher's Weekly had to say about it: "...sets the pages on fire. The romance is as sweet as the action is hot, and there's something deeply satisfying about the way this couple comes together."

Have you gotten your hands on Pike yet? ;)

Nook |Kindle | Kindle UK | Kindle Canada

Kobo |Apple/iTunes | Google Play

**Disclaimer: Any books recommended here are from my own TBR pile that I buy with my own money unless otherwise noted. I have not been asked to review this book by the author or publisher. I do not take review requests or feature sponsored content. However, Amazon links are affiliate links.**

Friday Reads: ONE CUT DEEPER by Joely Sue Burkhart

 

I've been in the mood for dark romance reading lately. Not sure why. Maybe it's all this rain that WON'T GO AWAY. Ugh. But anyway, I found a great one this week. ONE CUT DEEPER by Joely Sue Burkhart. Ok, first, fair warning. This one is very dark. The BDSM stuff is pretty extreme--knife play, blood play, etc. So know that going in. But despite some of it making me cringe (because of my own comfort zone being pushed), it made sense for the characters. This is for those of you who sometimes find those villains sexy. I love when a writer goes off the reservation with a hero but still keeps him sympathetic and likable, and that's what we have here. I also love when I read something and go--hey, I haven't read this type of story/plot/hero/whatever before. There is also a thriller/suspense type plot that dominates this story in a good way. Let me know if you give it a shot. 

Blurb:

Her needs are dark. His are dangerous.

Charlie MacNiall has been bringing his beautiful king shepherd to the vet clinic where Ranay Killian works for the better part of a year. She doesn't realize he's been slowly wooing her. She certainly has no idea that he picked her deliberately--that she is to become his. A broken heart and a desperate desire to be dominated make her the perfect victim.

His perfect victim.

Charlie fixes Ranay, testing her emotional limits while pushing her sexual boundaries past anything she'd imagined possible. Pain is their shared pleasure...until Charlie disappears and Ranay is all but destroyed.

The FBI says the man she loves is a serial killer. Ranay can't deny there's a darkness in Charlie, a monstrous hunger that drives him to the brink. She even believes he could kill. But Charlie's hunger is what bonds them--it's the foundation of their love. Would he actually kill her?

Buy it: Kindle | Nook

What have you read this week?

**Disclaimer: Any books recommended here are from my own TBR pile that I buy with my own money unless otherwise noted. I have not been asked to review this book by the author or publisher. I do not take review requests or feature sponsored content.