Review: Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura

Author: Jo SeguraPublisher: BerkleyReleased: December 5, 2023Received: Berkley Besties Find it on Goodreads | More Romance Book Summary: Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejia has worked her whole life to get to this moment. She’s finally tracking down the remains of her ancestor, Chimalli. It should be a dream come true. It is a dream come true! Mostly. Where Corrie should be leading this team for such…

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Bestie, Henry Lee from UC Berkley just dropped a photo with his long hair and I need your thoughts about it

Also, I hope the links helped you 🫶🏻

- 🔮

STOP BC

Henry Lee for UC Berkeley.......... the menace from Bay Area.

The man that def would be from San Jose.... a reformed Kevin Nguyen but oh..... he can go back to those days if he wanted ...

this man....... this man will ruin ur life (lovingly)

type to text back after 2 days and say "my b didn't see ur message." he did. he's busy. he got girls drooling for him but "i dont have time for all of that. i'll worry about girls after grad school"

sir pls just one chance omfg

Book Review: Next-Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin

Next-Door Nemesis is a great book to curl up with this autumn! If the childhood best friends to neighborhood nemesis to lovers trope isn't enough to entice you, then the battle for Home Owner's Association president should be because it's a barrel full of well-manicured laughs, gossip, and vitriol. It transforms one sleepy suburban town into a place of action and sizzle--with Collins and Nate firing up the grill.

After a video of her vandalizing her boyfriend's car goes viral in LA and she's ousted from her job, Collins Carter is forced to move back home. To Ohio. To live with her parents. While she's trying to figure out her next move, which includes an unrealized dream of becoming a successful screenwriter, she runs into Nate Adams, her former high school bestie turned arch nemesis, who now lives in her parent's neighborhood and is on the board of the HOA.

With bad blood running between them, the two get into a heated argument, whereby Collins drenches him with a hose. (Which is hilarious in all its spiteful immaturity.) In retaliation for this incident, Nate writes her parents up for a petty landscaping violation, prompting her to enact the sweetest revenge: running against him for HOA president.

So what starts out as a mutual smear campaign combined with sabotage, soon devolves into heightened sexual tension and attraction that neither one of them can ignore, forcing them to acknowledge the more tender feelings underneath that may have always been there. It's entertaining as can be!

This novel was so much fun, with wit and humor to spare. Not only were Nate and Collins a competitive head-butting delight, but there was also something so inviting, so cozy, about the town and its inhabitants. It made you feel like it would be lovely to live there, especially if it meant grabbing drinks with Ruby and Ashleigh in C-bus. So cute!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

4/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

https://washingtonpress.com/2022/12/05/trash-clash-neo-nazi-infighting-in-yes-nasty-circle/

TRASH CLASH: Neo-Nazi infighting in Ye's nasty circle

But controversy is nothing new for the far-right agitator.

In February 2017, the former Breitbart editor was fired from the right-wing media outlet after comments he made about pedophilia, saying, “We get hung up on this child abuse stuff,” – going on to call the idea of consent “arbitrary and oppressive.”

“Younger boys and older men, the sort of coming of age relationship in which those older men have helped these young boys to discover who they are, and give them security and safety and provide them with love,” Yiannopoulos said at the time.

The live stream was exposed by the conservative media outlet Reagan Battalion.

A canceled appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference and scrapped book deal with Simon & Schuster would immediately follow.

“First, Monday afternoon the American Conservative Union rescinded its invitation to the right-wing provocateur — noted for his political posts on the Internet — to speak at its annual Conservative Political Action Conference this upcoming weekend. Then, a few hours later, Simon & Schuster announced that it was canceling the publication of Yiannopoulos’ upcoming book, Dangerous,” NPR’s The Two Waywrote.

The same month that Yiannopoulos made his unceremonious Breitbart exit, an upcoming appearance at the University of California at Berkley was canceled amid protests from those opposed to his rhetoric.

In an open letter to the campus community, the Chancellor of UC Berkley, Nicholas Dirks, said of the struggling influencer,

Mr. Yiannopoulos is a troll and provocateur who uses odious behavior in part to ‘entertain,’ but also to deflect any serious engagement with ideas,” Dirks wrote. “He has been widely and rightly condemned for engaging in hate speech directed at a wide range of groups and individuals, as well as for disparaging and ridiculing individual audience members, particularly members of the LGBTQ community.”

A little over a week after the disastrous meeting between Ye, Fuentes, and Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Yiannopoulous claimed the credit in an interview with NBC News, bragging to the mainstream media outlet that it was he who arranged for the equally antisemitic Fuentes to join his newfound bestie to “make Trump’s life miserable.”

I wanted to send a message to Trump that he has systematically repeatedly neglected, ignored, abused the people who put him in office, Milo said. “And that kind of behavior comes back to bite you in the end.”

Something the former editor knows all too well, having bitten the hand that feeds him by overestimating his importance in “Ye’s World,” – and getting the boot.

Unfortunately, Yiannopoulos’ ouster has less to do with his pedophilic comments, than infighting among bigots.

Ye’s choice to dump the pedo, but keep the Nazi further confirms he’s a lost cause,

Original reporting by Zachary Petrizzo at The Daily Beast. 

Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick

Ali Alexander

American Conservative Union

antisemitism

Breitbart

CPAC

donald trump

holocaust denier

kanye west

Mar-a-Lago

Nicholas Dirks

Nick Fuentes

Reagan Battalion

UC Berkley

Ye

Ye24

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✦ OLIVIA COOKE, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER ✦ EDITH TELLER the TWENTY-SEVEN year old has been in Hidehill for HER WHOLE LIFE and was a STRANGER to Ronnie Nilsson, the most recent shadow of Hidehill. Whispers on the streets are that the STRIPPER AT THE PLAYPEN who lives in HADLEY PARK are said to be FOCUSED and BOSSY but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves. { DELL, 32, CST, SHE/HER. }

tw for cancer, parental death

TL;DR farm girl who thought her brain was gonna get her out of hide hill, and it did for a minute, but her dad got sick and she came home and has found herself stuck here ever since -- strips to save for eventual law school and help her mom make ends meet

THE RUNDOWN

-Edith Ellen Teller was born the middle child and only daughter to Goldie and Harvey Teller -- she has an older brother named Xavier and a younger brother named Landon

-grew up in Hagfield on the family farm that has been there for five generations; the Teller’s are known for their stand at the local farmers market which includes a slew of homemade breads and jams crafted by her mother and edie still does often help out with the stand on staurday mornings

- always a spitfire, edie had her fair share of trouble in school discipline wise – often sassing at teachers and getting into scuffles in the hallway – but no one could ever say she was a bad student. she often tested at the top of her class amd maintained a 4.0 average. as a result, she recieved a full academic scholarship to UC Berkley with plans to study pre-law.

- towards the end of her senior year of college, edith’s father was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. upon graduation, edie put off her plans to apply to law school in favor of staying in hide hill to help care for her ailing father. even after several surgeries and dependent on an oxygen tank, her father fought stubbornly for five years and tended to the farm religiously until his passing three months ago.

- edie has worked as a stripper at the playpen for the last three years; her forward flirting and feisty attitude make her very popular with regulars and passers-through alike. she’s very serious about her occupation and using her money wisely and making as much as she possibly can while she attempts to help pay off her father’s funeral expenses while also trying to save for law school

-she is currently taking online classes in law, hoping to catch up on some credits and go back to school full time eventually

FUN FACTS

-drives a 1971 dark green Ford Bronco

-drink of choice is a tequlia sunrise, followed by whiskey gingers

-if she has a day to herself she likes to go to the courthouse and sit in on cases to watch real lawyers in action. doesn’t even matter if it’s just traffic court, she’ll sit and take notes

-karaoke song of choice is ‘breathe’ by faith hill

-hasn’t gone to church in roughly ten years (her mother still goes weekly and sings in the choir)

-her trailer in hadley park is covered in christmas lights no matter the season

-occasionally smokes in situations of high stress

PERSONALITY

- smart cookie, sassy, good at faking interest to someones face, always has an escape plan, very brash if she has Had It, will call people out on bullshit, difficult to trick, does let her feelings complicate her life

CONNECTIONS

- work bestie and trailer neighbor @maevewest​

- long time fwb and deeply complicated past @noahvon​

WANTED CONNECTIONS

- friendships! people she has known since childhood, cradle to grave besties,  high school friends, and friends from work!

- club regulars!  people who come into the playpen nightly or weekly who edie has gotten to know and looks forward to talking to

-family! i would love for her to have aunts, uncles, and cousins in town!

-romantic! she doesn’t often hook up but i can see her having former relationships from her time in college of california and she has been engaged once since movie back to town (all of her relationships have come to an end because of her cheating)

really i’m open to just about anything currently so if you have ideas i would love to chat about them on discord!

Hiss Me Deadly (Cat in the Stacks Mystery) by Miranda James #Review @BerkleyMystery

Hiss Me Deadly (Cat in the Stacks Mystery) Cozy Mystery 15th in Series Setting - Mississippi Berkley (June 27, 2023) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593199499 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593199497 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09891QPZQ

Charlie Harris remembers Wilfred “Wil” Threadgill as one of the outsiders during high school in Athena. Although Wil was a couple of years ahead of him and his friend Melba Gilley, Melba had a big crush on Wil, who dropped out after his junior year. An aspiring musician, Wil hit the road for California and never looked back. Wil eventually became a star, fronting a band and writing award-winning songs. Coming back to Athena to work for two weeks with students in the college music department, Wil is now the big man on campus. Not everyone is happy to have him back, however. His entourage has been the target of several acts of petty harassment. At first, they are easy for Wil to shrug off, but the incidents escalate and become more troubling. When one of the band members is killed Charlie worries that Melba, now deeply involved with the man at the center of the attacks, could be in deadly danger. It is up to Charlie and Diesel to find out who hates Wil Threadgill enough to silence his song . . . forever! Dollycas's Thoughts After a bit of a hiatus, we are back in Athena, Mississippi visiting Charlie Harris and his family and my personal favorite fictional feline, Diesel. In this story, a man Charlie and his bestie Melba went to school with returns after making it big musically in California. He is being given an honorary degree at the college and will spend two weeks mentoring students in the music department. Melba had/has a huge crush on the man and is acting like a schoolgirl whenever he is around. But not everyone is thrilled to have the man back in town. It seems that his departure all those years ago had a real impact on the ones he left behind and someone is making it known. At a reception to welcome Wilfred “Wil” Threadgill home the threats and harassment hit a whole new level when one of Wil's former bandmates is killed. Charlie is worried that anyone connected to the man could be in danger including Melba. Charlie has no choice but to try to find who was hurt by Wil's departure bad enough to kill. With Diesel by his side, he hopes he can make the killer sing out a confession and fast before anyone else is singing their swansong. It was great to catch up Charlie. He is always busy with some cataloging or smoothing something out for his family or friends or in the middle of another mystery. I can never get enough of his fabulous cat Diesel and his chirps and mrrrrs. His son Sean and his wife are going through some adjustments with a new baby and a home renovation and Charlie is always there with an open ear to listen and maybe impart some words of wisdom. Helen Louise and Charlie are getting closer and fans like me will love to see that relationship evolve in a meaningful way. Truthfully all the core characters continue to develop nicely but with everything Charlie had on his plate, he didn't seem to be the Charlie I had expected to see. I can't totally put my finger on it but heck people in real life go through ebbs and flows so there is no reason a fictional character can't too. Charlie is blessed though to have the best cat who can lift anyone's spirits and make them feel better with a couple of chirps, trills, and touches. The mystery blended nicely with the subplots. I found myself focused on a couple of suspects pretty quickly but I had an inking about someone else too. So when all was revealed in dramatic fashion with some key characters in mortal danger I was pretty impressed with my own amateur sleuthing.  I did enjoy the twists and clever attempts of misdirection. The ending was a little abrupt though. I didn't get the final closure I needed regarding Wil Threadgill, his career, and Melba but maybe we will in the next book. I do wish Charlie had been more actively involved in the investigation but he was there when it counted. The author always does an excellent job setting the scene so readers can easily visualize everything. Charlie's home, his office, the library, Helen Louise's bistro, Sean's new home, and everywhere in between including where the showdown took place. It is always a joy to travel around with Charlie. There were a couple of editing issues that I hope were ironed out before the final copy was printed like Charlie living through the same afternoon twice including two lunch breaks. They gave me pause and messed with flow but I was able to get back on track. Hiss Me Deadly gets us back to Athena and the characters we love and that is a very good thing. I was delighted to see that the next book in the series has been turned in to the publisher as of yesterday and should be released next summer. I have already added it to my calendar.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent   About the Author Miranda James is the New York Times bestselling author of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries, including The Pawful Truth, Six Cats a Slayin', and Claws for Concern, as well as the Southern Ladies Mysteries, including Fixing to Die, Digging Up the Dirt, and Dead with the Wind. James lives in Mississippi. Find out more about Miranda James and her books on her webpage here.

The Rest of the Series

Also by Miranda James Read the full article

ARC Review of Happy Place by Emily Henry

Rating 4/5 Stars

Let me start off by saying that even though I love romance in many forms, this is not the type of book that I normally like. The fact that it was so unexpectedly enjoyable and engaging speaks to the author's ability to write excellent characters and surprise you with their depth and interweaving histories. I usually get bored with forced proximity/fake dating tropes unless it's like a reality TV thing, but Emily Henry has made me re-evaluate that position for sure!

The cover of Happy Place is gorgeous and was one of the things that drew me to it when I requested it on NetGalley, but it didn't prepare me for how serious some parts of the book were. I thought it was going to be a fun, but fluffy romance read- I was so very wrong. There was a lot of fun, but even more depth than I expected as the author excavated what female friendships, aging, choosing what feels right to you instead of what you should do per societal standards, and truly evaluating the efficacy and importance of romantic relationships look like in 2023. All of the characters are young, but the aging aspect specifically peered into how friendships change as one grows out of college age into adulthood where lives often go in very different directions. (Think mid-twenties to early 30s when people are settling on careers and deciding if they want kids.)

Our two main characters, Harriet (Harry) and Wyn have broken up months prior to the friend's trip they are both invited to attend with their old university besties. The problem is that they have not told anyone about the breakup, and Harriet does not have the heart to tell her friends since she is still very much grieving the loss of the relationship. As the story progresses, the two MCs are forced to explore their relationship in depth as the complexities of adult friendship also rise to the surface. Harriet is in medical school but finds that she desires a life with fewer time constraints and with more availability to do what she loves- create art. Her fear of her family's judgment, grief over her failed romantic relationship, and the stress of putting on a "good show" for her friends force Harriet to come face to face with the question that plagues many people in young adulthood: Should I do what is stable and expected of me, or should I take the risk of acting on what brings me joy?

The characters are very compelling, and even though there is plenty of fun banter among all the characters, Emily Henry does not shy away from prying back the layers of social programming and exploring how authenticity emerges when we have the bravery to face who we really are. All in all, it was not what I expected from a book with a bright (gorgeous) pink cover with a bunch of people lounging and playing on the water! Not that pink indicates a lack of depth, but on romance books, it is something I usually correlate to something like a rom-com. There was humor injected throughout the book, but I was pleasantly surprised by the author's willingness to look at life "as it is" as well. I loved everything about Happy Place and truly enjoyed the development afforded to the side characters. The ending is fully satisfying, and I can officially call myself an Emily Henry fan!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Emily Henry, and Penguin Random House- Berkley for sending me an e-ARC of Happy Place! Given how much everyone enjoyed Book Lovers last year, I think that this is going to be the next contemporary romance "it" book!

Slater + Jessie + Being Supportive Besties In Season 2

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: A clever and steamy queer romantic comedy about taking chances and accepting love—with all its complications—by debut author Ashley Herring Blake. Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her. When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all. Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to...

Review:

A photographer with a complicated family history and a bookstore owner with an equally complicated love life. Delilah Green swore never to go back to Bright Falls, not after her lonely childhood with her cold and distant step family. She has moved to New York and is determined to finally get her photography career the steam it needs and plus its a city filled with gorgeous women that she can casually hook up with. Too bad for her, Delilah caves and agrees to photograph her estranged step-sister’s upcoming wedding, plus it doesn’t hurt that it comes with a five figure check. Upon coming back into town she runs into Claire Sutherland, one of her stepsister Astrid’s best friends who she considered to be stuck up during their childhood years and makes a bet with Astrid that she could hook up with Claire by Astrid’s wedding. Claire on the other-hand is a single mom and bookstore owner. She’s got a complicated relationship with her ex and the father of her daughter who has a tendency to skip town and show up only when he feels interested. With an 11 year old daughter and running a bookstore by herself Claire hasn’t really opened herself up to dating, especially with an unreliable ex. However, when she runs into Delilah again both of them discover that despite knowing of each other for years, they don’t really know one another. Soon both Delilah and Claire begin to feel something more. On top of that both Claire and Delilah agree that Astrid’s fiancee is a horrible dude.. and that they might have to join forces to stop this wedding from going through. Filled with cute and sweet moments and a few mischievous ones too, this was a wonderful read, I loved getting to know Claire and Delilah and getting to see them fall for each other. Delilah is insecure from seeing her childhood as one in which no one wanted her... but is it really true? Claire is dealing with trust issues from her past relationships and has to decide is this finally the right person to let into her and her daughter’s life? Definitely check out this adorable story and get to fall in love with Claire and Delilah’s Love Story!

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

So if Berkley could marry anyone from 0T8 would it be her bestie Kins? Noah and Berkley give me very much Mama Jung and Hobi marriage vibes. Very chill.

Yes it would be! And I never really noticed but how that you point that out, they are pretty similar to mama jung and Hobi 😭they’re very laidback 😂

Review: Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden

Author: Rachel LindenPublisher: BerkleyReleased: January 9, 2024Received: Berkley Besties Find it on Goodreads | More Romance Book Summary: Georgia May Jackson may be an American, but she is determined to achieve her goal – running (and owning) a restaurant in Paris. That may be an impossible dream to some, but Georgia believes that hard work can get her there. That is, until she wakes up one…

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Happy Monday! Back to work today 😜 I can’t wait to read Well Met by Jen DeLuca , Thanks to my bestie @beautybookcorner for the gift 💝 • • • • • #wellmet #jendeluca #berkley #yaromance #romance #swoony #romcom #romanticcomedy #contemporaryromance #berkleybooks #berkleyromance https://www.instagram.com/p/B5kfHYWguuA/?igshid=1o85eafvoyn8k

924 Gilman ✔️ Ripping thru a set with your besties ✔️ Having the time of your life: Priceless. #gilmanstreet #thevenomouspinks #tour #diy #berkley #oakland #upthepinks #bookyourownfuckinglife #gabykaos #dreadoll #cassiejallie (at 924 Gilman) https://www.instagram.com/p/B16yFKXjV3u/?igshid=wxan7dd6exao

My booth this weekend at the Berkley Art bash. I had a wonderful day. @berkleyartbash #Berkleyartbash #ArtShow #OutdoorArtShows #SummerArtShows #JewelryDesign #MichiganMade #EarthJewelry #EtsySeller #YogaPendants #YogaJewelry #PicOfTheDay #Besties http://ift.tt/2rbBtun

Review: Next-Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin

Author: Alexa MartinPublisher: BerkleyReleased: November 14, 2023Received: Berkley Besties Find it on Goodreads | More Reviews Book Summary: Some people are fortunate enough to never have a bad neighbor. Collins Carter is now one of those people. She recently moved back into her family home, only to find her old high school nemesis living next door. Worse, he’s the president of the HOA.…

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Review: The Takedown by Carlie Walker

Author: Carlie WalkerPublisher: BerkleyReleased: October 3, 2023Received: Berkley Besties/NetGalley Find it on Goodreads Book Summary: Sydney Swift is an undercover CIA agent. As such, she has to make certain sacrifices in her life. Not getting to see her sister all that much, for example. Or not getting to make it home for the holidays. Or perhaps getting sent home to spy on her sister’s new…

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