SCORING WITH SANTA #1

SCORING WITH SANTA                                  THERESA ROEMER & RENEE ROSE

Houston's most eligible bachelor. A career-driven mom. 
The irresistible attraction could destroy both their careers.

Rick Morehouse doesn't date single moms. As the former quarterback for the Houston Texans, he's Houston's most eligible bachelor. But after the heartache of abandonment by his own mother's string of boyfriends, he never wants to hurt anyone's kids that way. When he meets Brandy Love, the drop-dead gorgeous owner of Phenomenal Physiques, he's totally taken by the confident career woman. It's too bad she has kids.

Brandy Love doesn't have room in her life for a relationship. Opening a chain of gyms and parenting her kids already takes more time than she has. But when Coach Charming drops in on her gym, she's sorely tempted.

When vengeful columnist roasts Rick to bring down his team at the playoffs, Brandy must decide if he's worth fighting for. But even if she can save him, will he accept her and her kids in his life?

Devour this sexy and sweet holiday page-turner today!

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Brandy Love is a single mother raising two children and is the owner of a successful gym. She notices one of the sexiest bachelors in her establishment, and though she thinks he is very attractive she does not want to think about trying to go out with him. Just the thought is okay with her for now. Rick Morehouse a high school coach and ex-pro quarterback met Brandy once when she asked for him to play Santa for the charity she was hosting in a few months, but now seeing her in her workout clothes and after yoga, he is wanting to be with her. When a few weeks go by Brandy is locking up for the night and she hears water in the men’s locker room, she goes in to turn it off because she pays the bills. Thinking that everyone is gone only to find Rick standing there under the water and her eyes not being able to meet his. After her needs are met and he tells her she owes him they leave and the next Saturday she reciprocates. This starts just an every Saturday night hook up. That is until he finds out that she has children and that freaks him out. Getting past that his feelings of wanting to be with her is new for him but he goes about it the wrong way. She does cut him some slack and just when it looks like it is going to work out another issue comes up with the press and he does not handle that very good, even though she is working to help. See if he will still be Santa or just get coal from Brandy. A good book. I got this book from netgalley.com.  I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

SITTING BULL, CRAZY HORSE, GOLD AND GUNS

SITTING BULL, CRAZY HORSE, GOLD AND GUNS           FRENCH L. MACLEAN

This is the story of 150 of the most adventurous scouts, gold prospectors, gunslingers, buffalo hunters, and Civil War veterans of both sides they may have been the deadliest collection of shooters to ever hit the trail. This is the most detailed work ever produced on the obscure legend of the 1874 Yellowstone Wagon Road Prospecting Expedition in the Montana Territory the product of multi-year research across the country, and detailed visits to the three battlefields and expedition route of over 500 miles; an event that impacted the Little Bighorn in 1876. Numerous legends of the West rode on the expedition, later playing roles in the Great Sioux War of 1876. Their adversaries now were the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne some of the greatest light cavalry to ever gallop over the North American continent. And watching their every move were Sitting Bull, Gall, Hump, Crazy Horse, and a renegade chief named Inkpaduta, ready to strike."

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This book is about an expedition of 150 men into Lakota territory in 1874. This expedition would have an effect on the battle two years later of Little Big Horn. The author takes you through the back history of the territory of the Lakota’s and the reason they believed and still do to this day of the importance of the land for their people. He also goes into the history of the people, the chiefs, and the leaders of the expedition. Also, some of the men of the expedition because most were hunters, or had fought during the civil war. The expedition also had a howitzer, and he goes into the use of it. The author does go into detail of all types of weapons that were used during this expedition and shows you photos of some of them that are in museums, along with the howitzer. Of course, the expedition was breaking a treaty that was signed by the government, but since gold was discovered most whites believed that the treaty did not apply. The author then takes a short look at what could have been some of the mistakes made by Custer, of course, there have been many books written, but after reading about this expedition you understand a few things better. First, the expedition dug in every night and was ready for a fight. They also made use of the Howitzer, and these men were all hunters or had been in battles before. They were good shots. Secondly the Indians were not protecting their villages or families like they were when the army came through two years later, and third, it is thought that Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse actually learned from these tactics after this expedition and put them to use against the Army, and those all make sense. This is a very through book with plenty of information, maps, photos, and other details. I find it sad that we a Nation in 2016-1017 are still abusing the Lakota people by wanting to build a pipeline across the very land that has been there’s for thousands of years and some of their people who have died during the time of this book would be dug up because of a pipeline. The book is very good and full of good information. I got this book from netgalley.com.  I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com 

ON THE LINE (Hometown Players #5)

ON THE LINE                                                   VICTORIA DENAULT

He had total control of his game--until she changed all the rules . . .
As one of the best players in the NHL and the "golden boy" of the league, Avery Westwood knows he has to keep his cool--on and off the ice. His whole life is a carefully constructed image of perfection for the media and his brand sponsors. Of course, that means he can never let his true feelings show. But when it comes to the sexy sister of his former teammate, Avery might be willing to make an exception . . . even if it means breaking all his own rules.

As far as Stephanie Deveau is concerned, having a thing for Avery is the equivalent of psychological napalm. Très bad idea. Then he moves in next door, all sexy smiles and a deliciously hot body that she can't resist. Something's happening between them--it's intense, a little (a lot) out of control, and real. Only Avery doesn't know everything about Stephanie's past. And the one exception to his rule might just be the one girl who could destroy his career.
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is the 5th book in the series and though you don’t need to read the books in order, you will get a better understanding of the two main characters if you had read book #4. Either way the book opens with Avery the captain of the hockey out on the lake with Stephanie, she is the sister of one of his teammates and he has grown attracted to her since she told him off in front of the team because he was more worried about his appearance, and publicity than helping out a friend. Which she tells him he never was. Now months later he is trying to figure out how to ask her out on a date when the canoe tips over and the next thing he knows she is gone from the party and from Seattle. Months later he finds out she is living and working in San Diego. He ends up signing a deal with the team and then moves in next door to her. The story goes along until he is blind-sided by her past as a teen and she tells him once again he is more worried about his appearance in the press than her as a person. Now his game is in the tank and he feels like s—t, you think it can’t get worse? You forgot her brother plays defenseman and though he is a forward- center so when the puck drops Avery wins the face off Sebastian is nowhere near him but in seconds Avery is down on the ice with Sebastian looking at with a red face like he has been skating all night but Avery knows it’s rage and doesn’t fight back, (now that’s good old fashion hockey girl). The story goes along from there with a few good twists as to who leaked the information to the press, and I was not surprised. I did not like the guy in the first book and don’t like the character. Overall a good story, not as much hockey as some of the other ones, a little more sex, who doesn’t hockey, and fighting? A good book to go along with her other books. I got this book from netgalley.com. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us atwww.1rad-readerreviews.com 

THE ESSENTIAL W.P. KINSELLA

THE ESSENTIAL W.P. KINSELLA          KINSELLA & RICK WILBER


This career retrospective celebrates the 80th birthday of baseball’s greatest scribe, W. P. Kinsella (Shoeless Joe), as well as the 25th anniversary of Field of Dreams, the film that he inspired.

In addition to his classic baseball tales, W. P. Kinsella is also a critically-acclaimed short fiction writer. His satiric wit has been celebrated with numerous honors, including the Order of British Columbia.

Here are his notorious First Nation narratives of indigenous Canadians, and a literary homage to J. D. Salinger. Alongside the “real” story of the 1951 Giants and the afterlife of Roberto Clemente, are the legends of a pirated radio station and a hockey game rigged by tribal magic.

Eclectic, dark, and comedic by turns, The Essential W. P. Kinsella is a living tribute to an extraordinary raconteur.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is a book with about 36 short stories from W.P. Kinsella. Some of them are familiar some not, but all are very good and it gives you a look into his work and how his story was made into the movie Field of Dreams. He also wrote a book about the Black scandal, and he was someone you could tell enjoyed watching Shoeless Joe Jackson. He helped bring baseball to many people through words and here are short stories where you can see his early beginnings, but also his love of the game. A good book. I got this book from netgalley.com.  I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

GHETTOSIDE: A True Story of Murder in America

GHETTOSIDE                                                     JILL LEOVY

On a warm spring evening in South Los Angeles, a young man was shot and killed on a sidewalk minutes away from his home, one of hundreds of young men slain in LA every year. His assailant ran down the street, jumped into an SUV, and vanished, hoping to join the vast majority of killers in American cities who are never arrested for their crimes. But as soon as the case was assigned to Detective John Skaggs, the odds shifted. Here is the kaleidoscopic story of the quintessential American murder--one young black man slaying another--and a determined crew of detectives whose creed was to pursue justice at all costs for its forgotten victims. Ghettoside is a fast-paced narrative of a devastating crime, an intimate portrait of detectives and a community bonded in tragedy, and a surprising new lens into the great subject of murder in America--why it happens and how the plague of killings might yet be stopped.


HUBBY'S REVIEW'S

This is a book where the author is really looking into the reason for the deaths in South L.A. You see it from all sides, and there are no good and bad just young people dying, and the police some like the Detective in the book working to solve the crime. This shooting did not involve a gang member but a young man walking along the sidewalk killed because he wore the young color baseball cap. His father also worked for the L.A.P.D. but he and his wife decided that they didn’t want to move out of the neighborhood like many others, but work to make it like it once was where everyone could walk the sidewalk and not worry about drug dealers or gangs. Now he and his wife are planning their son’s funeral. Though this book was written a few years ago it is still a strong story today. The reason is because as there are still murders in Southcentral they don’t all make the news, and for that matter, the killings have spread further out to the Inland Empire. I digress, this story is excellent in the look into the investigation, and into the family and can there really be any kind of change. A very thought provoking book, while sad at the time. I got this book from netgalley.com.  I gave it 5 stars.
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ROSE GOLD (Easy Rawlins #13)

ROSE GOLD                                                      WALTER MOSLEY

Rose Gold is two colors, one woman, and a big headache.

In this new mystery set in the Patty Hearst era of radical black nationalism and political abductions, a black ex-boxer self-named Uhuru Nolica, the leader of a revolutionary cell called Scorched Earth, has kidnapped Rosemary Goldsmith, the daughter of a weapons manufacturer, from her dorm at UC Santa Barbara. If they don't receive the money, weapons, and apology they demand, "Rose Gold" will die horribly and publicly. So the FBI, the State Department, and the LAPD turn to Easy Rawlins, the one man who can cross the necessary borders to resolve this dangerous standoff. With twelve previous adventures since 1990, Easy Rawlins is one of the small handful of private eyes in contemporary crime fiction who can be called immortal. Rose Gold continues his ongoing and unique achievement in combining the mystery/PI genre form with a rich social history of postwar Los Angeles-and not just the black parts of that sprawling city.
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This really is another good book with Easy Rawlins, why change. Now set in the time of Patty Hearst Easy can cross the line and hopefully get the information he needs to help the investigation. If you have read the other books it follows along those same lines. Mr. Mosley now has Easy going through Ventura and Ventura County, and though it has changed since the 70’s he makes you feel like you are back in time. That is what I like about his writing and about this character. I have nothing bad to say only that it is a good story with fantastic characters which I think he must have known some people like some of the characters he comes up with because they are so real and down to earth, or just hardcore when he needs them to be. Another great book about Easy Rawlins. I got this book from netgalley.com.  I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

RYDER (Ayesha Ryder #1)

RYDER                                                           NICK PENGELLEY

Ayesha Ryder bears the scars of strife in the Middle East. Now her past is catching up to her as she races to unravel a mystery that spans centuries—and threatens to change the course of history.

As Israeli and Palestinian leaders prepare to make a joint announcement at the Tower of London, an influential scholar is tortured and murdered in his well-appointed home in St. John’s Wood. Academic researcher Ayesha Ryder believes the killing is no coincidence. Sir Evelyn Montagu had unearthed shocking revelations about T. E. Lawrence—the famed Lawrence of Arabia. Could Montagu have been targeted because of his discoveries?

Ryder’s search for answers takes her back to her old life in the Middle East and into a lion’s den of killers and traitors. As she draws the attention of agents from both sides of the conflict, including detectives from Scotland Yard and MI5, Ryder stumbles deeper into Lawrence’s secrets, an astounding case of royal blackmail, even the search for the Bible’s lost Ark of the Covenant.

Every step of the way, the endgame grows more terrifying. But when an attack rocks London, the real players show their hand—and Ayesha Ryder is left holding the final piece of the puzzle.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is a fast paced book full of action and thought to provoke intrigue of espionage throughout London and the Middle East. You follow with a strong female lead character in dissecting clues and trying to find where the next attack is going to happen and follow her as she works to stop it. Ryder is like Laura Croft, and she is working at finding the clues then what their meaning are. You as the reader are taken on her journey and along with her get to figure out what each clue is and where she must go next. A very good book with a great lead female character, and a great story. I got this book from netgalley.com.  I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

BIRDMEN: THE WRIGHT BROTHERS, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies

BIRDMEN: THE WRIGHT BROTHERS           LAWRENCE GOLDSTONE

The feud between this nation’s great air pioneers, the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss, was a collision of unyielding and profoundly American personalities. On one side, a pair of tenacious siblings who together had solved the centuries-old riddle of powered, heavier-than-air flight. On the other, an audacious motorcycle racer whose innovative aircraft became synonymous in the public mind with death-defying stunts. For more than a decade, they battled each other in court, at air shows, and in the newspapers. The outcome of this contest of wills would shape the course of aviation history—and take a fearsome toll on the men involved.
 
Birdmen sets the engrossing story of the Wrights’ war with Curtiss against the thrilling backdrop of the early years of manned flight, and is rich with period detail and larger-than-life personalities: Thomas Scott Baldwin, or “Cap’t Tom” as he styled himself, who invented the parachute and almost convinced the world that balloons were the future of aviation; John Moisant, the dapper daredevil who took to the skies after three failed attempts to overthrow the government of El Salvador, then quickly emerged as a celebrity flyer; and Harriet Quimby, the statuesque silent-film beauty who became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. And then there is Lincoln Beachey, perhaps the greatest aviator who ever lived, who dazzled crowds with an array of trademark twists and dives—and best embodied the romance with death that fueled so many of aviation’s earliest heroes.
 
A dramatic story of unimaginable bravery in the air and brutal competition on the ground, Birdmen is at once a thrill ride through flight’s wild early years and a surprising look at the personal clash that fueled America’s race to the skies.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This was a book about everyone who wanted to control the patent, or at least that is what I got out from it. A lot of fighting from people on this side of the Atlantic and from Europe. You really get a different view of the Wright Brothers, but in a way, I understand that feeling of being attacked and people trying to steal your invention. That is at least from their point. Other people saw the money that could be made from the very beginning and I don’t think the Brothers were looking that far into the future. I also did not know that Curtis was early on in the fight as well. Overall a good book. I got this book from netgalley.com.  I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

MARRIED IN MONTANA (At The Altar #1)

MARRIED IN MONTANA                                KIRSTEN OSBOURNE

Savannah is tired of the dating scene, even though she wants to get married and have a family. She knows her mother will never move on with her own life as long as Savannah is single. Savannah goes to see a matchmaker, specializing in setting up couples who meet at the altar. At first, she thinks Scott is a dream come true, but his blundering soon makes her crazy. 
Scott, a Montana bison rancher, doesn't have time to find a wife. His work is all-encompassing. Besides, he tends to have a hard time getting women to go out with him more than once. When he runs into a matchmaker he's known all his life, he tells her about the problems he's had to see if she can help him. When he meets Savannah at the altar, his heart stops for a moment. She's exactly what he's looking for. Will their diverse backgrounds keep them apart? Or will they be able to work through their differences to make their marriage a loving relationship? 


HUBBY'S REVIEW:
First off let me say that this is a Christin book which I did not remember anything about in the summary when I requested it from Netgalley, no worries. That being said it is a good story that starts off with you scratching your head like his best friend and her mother. Scott is a bison rancher in Montana and does not have time to date, so he hires a local friend who is a matchmaker to help find him a wife. Savannah wants to be a wife and someday a mother, but also wants to get from under her mother. So the two are matched and the first time they meet are at the alter the day of the wedding. I know what you’re thinking YIKES either one could run for the hills, but know they go through with the wedding and the marriage begins. Now if this was a story where they got all physical right away I don’t know if it would work, she needs some time with the move and the new home and all. Plus he does not have a clue about women, not the men do, but he is really behind the eight ball and when he gives her a gift of a kitchen aide mixer that was still wrapped in 5 yr. old Christmas paper he asks his foreman for advice. He begins to set him straight about a lot of things. That is when the story turns and he begins to understand about working as a couple, and from there the story takes off. Overall not a bad book, a liked his miss steps along the way, but you could see they were loving each other as a couple. I got this book from netgalley.com. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

FIGHTING FOR CONTROL (Against the Cage #3)

FIGHTING FOR CONTROL                          MELYNDA PRICE

For Nikko “the Bull” Del Toro, an ex-marine turned MMA fighter, only two things quiet the demons raging inside him—facing an opponent in the cage…and the memory of his hottest one-night stand. But when his PTSD resurfaces, causing him to lose control at a CFA press party, it’s his career that may be KO’d.

Dr. Violet Summers is stunned to discover her newest patient is the man who rocked her world—and put her heart in a clinch after her nasty divorce. She’s determined to delve deep into the darkness that haunts him and to keep all further encounters strictly professional.

Nikko doesn’t want a shrink. What he needs is Violet. With the memory of their passion blazing between them, it’s only a matter of time before they give in to desire. Can Violet help save this surely fighter from his own personal nightmare? Or will he forfeit his career and his last chance at love?
HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is a very good book. It begins with Nikko Del Toro who is an ex-Marine now an MMA fighter. He is overall a good guy, but because of his PTSD he loses it one night in practice and ends up blacking out while injuring someone he did not want to. Now in order to save his career, and himself he must go to counseling. When he gets to the office it turns out it is Dr. Violet Summers, and they had one night together that rocked her world. Her first since her divorce and move away from her ex. She does not know if she can handle him sitting across from her, but the real problem is that he thinks he does not have any problems at all. When they get past the physical and move on to him it is difficult for him to open up. Especially about his last mission which she now realizes is the cause of his PTSD. This begins a series of events that change him, and her, and their relationship. He begins to see her different and begins to want to be with her and knows he must fix himself. Not just for fighting but for some other reasons that you find out in the story. This is an excellent book, with wonderful characters. Full of sex, drama, and some fighting in the ring. There are also some surprises you find out about Nikko along the way that makes a good read. I got this book from netgalley.com. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

CRUCIBLE OF COMMAND: Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee--The War They Fought, The Peace They Forged

CRUCIBLE OF COMMAND                          WILLIAM C. DAVIS

A dual biography of two iconic leaders: how they fought a bloody, brutal war, and then forged a lasting peace that fundamentally changed our nation.

They met in person only four times, yet these two men determined the outcome of the Civil War and cast competing styles for the reunited nation. Each the subject of innumerable biographies, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee have never before been paired as they are here.

Exploring their personalities, their character, and their ethical, moral, political, and military worlds, William C. Davis finds surprising similarities between the two men as well as new perspectives on how their lives prepared them for the war they fought and influenced how they fought it. 

Davis reveals Lee's sense of failure before the war, Grant's optimism during the disaster, and the sophisticated social and political instincts that each had when waging a war between democracies.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

I think this would be a good book for anyone whether you are a civil war buff or just someone who wants to get an overview of the commanders. This book goes back into the early life of both men, and all the way to their deaths. What I liked about this book is you get to see how during the war each man had to deal with critiques. Robert E. Lee were men from the Carolinas because they thought he came to fight for the South to late. He was also looked down upon by some because of being from Virginia. Grant always had to deal with people bringing up his drinking which really, for the most part, was not true. You get a good sense of how they both worked well with certain Generals, and for Grant, he also worked well with the navy especially Admiral Porter who helped with the Vicksburg campaign. The author also shows you how they picked their staff these are some things that other books I read don’t even touch on. He does go into some of the problems each had with men not carrying out orders when given, especially during battle. Lee very seldom did anything about it, where Grant would get that person transferred somewhere else. You also get a look at how Lee really looked for Stonewall Jackson for the leadership of the troops, and how his death many believed along with Johnston at the battle of Shiloh really changed the course of the entire war that is another book. You get a look at Lee’s surrender which I have read many different accounts on, and this one is a little different. In the book, the author speaks of Lee’s home of Arlington and having to leave it. A side, notes the Arlington cemetery the land was once the property of General lee’s and his family, it was confiscated by the government during the war and not returned, just a little tid bit of info. Overall a very good book. I got this book from netgalley.com. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

STARE HIM DOWN (Stare Down #3)

STARE HIM DOWN                                         RILEY MURPHY

When he agreed to walk away from the lifestyle for her, he never expected she’d subversively push him back into it. Until she did… 

After tragedy stole the only man James Barrington looked up to, his perfect and orderly life hit a brick wall. One minute he was the right-hand man to the owner of the company, and in the next he was the boss fighting to stop a hostile takeover the only way he knew how. He needed to marry his late mentor’s over-protected daughter, Michaela Donavan, and stay married to her until the threat to the company was averted.

While they were together, James had no intention of disrespecting his in-name-only wife by remaining entrenched in the lifestyle. For the time being, he was prepared to walk away from his Dom-like pursuits. He had to. Michaela was the opposite of everything he embodied. She was soft, where he was hard. Gentle, when he favored rough. She was refined and elegant. The epitome of a virtuous woman and he wasn’t going to do anything to change that. Circumstances may have forced them to enter into a marriage of convenience in order to keep her father’s legacy alive, but the moment that legacy was secured they’d both be free to go their separate ways.

Michaela knew this may be her only opportunity to finally get the one man she has always fantasized about. She’s spent years studying him. Idolizing him. Wanting him in a way she wanted no other. And now? Well, her father always told her to seize whatever good came out of the bad, and Michaela was ready to do just that. Heartbroken over what happened, and faced with the task of saving the company, she sees James’ sensible offer as the perfect solution. A way to achieve two things she desired most at one time. James may consider this a marriage of necessity for the short term, but she’s determined to covertly change his mind on the matter.

Suddenly, his modern-day marriage of convenience is anything but convenient when this powerful Dom discovers his supposedly vanilla wife isn’t vanilla at all.
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This was a strange book for me. Parts of it was really good and you get sucked into the story about, James and Michaela. James must take over the company he runs with her father after her father tragedy. Finding things out about the company that makes him fear in losing the company outright or through a takeover she comes up with an idea of marriage in order to combine their stocks to hold off a takeover. What James does not know is that Michaela has been in love with him for a very long time. He does not feel worthy of her and for some reason does not fully trust her either about the business. The one thing he did give up was being a Dom, he does not want Michaela anywhere near that part of him. He is surprised when he finds out that is what she wants and when he agrees he goes a little over the top for me at times for someone he is supposed to care about. I don’t care about the lifestyle what he does to her a few times is degrading and disrespectful to the person you are supposed to be in love with. The rest of the story you find out about their company and some twist and turns show up at the end with a surprise. There are plenty of sex scenes. Overall not a bad book. I got this book from netgalley.com. I gave it 3 stars. Follow us atwww.1rad-readerreviews.com 

PAINT THE REVOLUTION: Mexican Modernism, 1910–1950

PAINT THE REVOLUTION                    AFFRON, CASTRO, GONZALEZ, MELLO, PORCHINI

A comprehensive look at four transformative decades that put Mexico’s modern art on the map

In the wake of the 1910–20 Revolution, Mexico emerged as a center of modern art, closely watched around the world. Highlighted are the achievements of the tres grandes (three greats)—JosĂ© Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros—and other renowned figures such as Rufino Tamayo and Frida Kahlo, but the book goes beyond these well-known names to present a fuller picture of the period from 1910 to 1950.

Fourteen essays by authors from both the United States and Mexico offer a thorough reassessment of Mexican modernism from multiple perspectives. Some of the texts delve into thematic topics—developments in mural painting, the role of the government in the arts, intersections between modern art and cinema, and the impact of Mexican art in the United States—while others explore specific modernist genres—such as printmaking, photography, and architecture. This beautifully illustrated book offers a comprehensive look at the period that brought Mexico onto the world stage during a period of political upheaval and dramatic social change.
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This is a fantastic book. First most of the artists I have heard about and my wife and I had some of their prints. What sets this book apart from others is that it goes into the background of these paintings and other works. What I mean is whether the artist was coming from the revolution time, or maybe the time when they were celebrating their Indian heritage. Also, goes into some artists that came from Canada that were Indian and were able to not only paint but get their works of their Indian culture from Canada published. You also get a look at essays, and poems and other written works. But really just having this book with the pictures of some of the best artists from Mexico is really what sets this book apart for me. I actually came across the works of Rivera many years ago and because of that led me to Orozco, and Siqueiros, before Frida. Their works are full of life, color and tell a story which is what for me attracted me to their work. Like I said this is an excellent book. I got this book from netgalley.com. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

PLAY CALLING (Play Makers #6)

PLAY CALLING                                                KATE DONOVAN

Fans of football romance will love this new book in the Play Makers series by Kate Donovan! 

Daniel Riga, the controversial head coach of the Portland Lancers, has the same rule for press conferences as for anything else during football season: football only. The man doesn’t even date except in the off-season. So why are these reporters asking about some sociologist who inexplicably called him a zombie in her latest newspaper column? On the Lifestyles page, no less! 

Noelle Sharpe is mortified that her words have been taken out of context since her tongue-in-cheek point was that zombies focus on a single obsession—eating brains—but a brilliant, vibrant man like Daniel Riga should broaden his horizons past football-only. Her attempt at apologizing in print only leads to another round of jokes at the handsome coach’s expense, so she tracks him down for an in-person apology. 

As frustrated as he is with this zombie nonsense, Daniel goes wild for Noelle and they end up in bed. Unfortunately, it’s football season, so he asks her to wait for him until the off-season. By now, she’s so crazy about him and so worried she’ll cost the Lancers their season by distracting him, she readily agrees. 

Zombies consume brains. That’s all they do. And Daniel Riga consumes football. That’s all he does. Or at least until Noelle Sharpe writes her way into his life and gives football some serious competition. 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This book turned out to be a much better story than I first thought. Daniel Riga is the head football coach for the local pro team. During a question and answers after a game is asked to comment on an article that was featured in a local newspaper column. Which compared him to zombies. Noelle Sharpe who is a huge fan of the teams is horrified, and mortified that her article is being brought up on this press stage when they should be asking, why didn’t you blitz on the last play? She also cannot believe that the point that she was trying to make about the coach, who said he does not date during the season. His focus is on football, coaching, and the team. Of course, she could have used a better reference than zombies to get her point across of it not being good to be focused on just one thing. Turns out that she works for the same paper as the person that asked the question, and during the week he brings up the topic again and again. In order to stop the damage, she agrees to a deal with the devil, the owner's nephew who is the reporter who is always asking the question and knows nothing about football or the team. This leads her to the press room one day and not only is the coach taken by the new reporters’ questions, but also by her beauty. She, of course, does not see herself as attractive, but the coach is taken by her looks and her smarts. Once he starts becoming more and more wanting a relationship she is scared because if the team does not do well she feels he will dump her. When he comes to the rescue of her dog that got out and some neighborhood kids took, she now wants to call everything off. She does not want to get hurt any more than she already is. Now the coach has to decide for his plans and the way he was raised is coming into question. Can he save himself while the season is still going on, and is this the women he is willing to fight for? There are a few twists that make this a very good read. Also, find out what happens to the nephew when the uncle finds out what he was doing to his favorite reporter. Many different story lines going on. a very good book. I got this book from netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com 

Author Interview: Here Friday 7 pm PST. Interviews Scheduled: 3 Newly Added Authors

Author:
Here Friday 7 pm PST.

Feb. 24:  Ed Duncan
Pigeon Blood Red
1 Rad-Reader Reviews

Interviews Scheduled
Guest Authors:
March 3: Kristin Vayden
The One
March 10:  Abby Niles
Knocked Out by Love
March 17: Skye Taylor
Healing the Hero
March 24: JM Stewart
Bidding on the Billionaire
Tammy L. Gray
My Hope Next Door
Mary Manners
Buried Treasures
Newly Added Authors:
April 14: Jackie Ashden
Wrong For Me
April 28: Elise Faber
Blocked
Kate Willoughby
Across the Line

Every Friday 7 pm PST.

ACROSS THE LINE (In the Zone #2)

ACROSS THE LINE                                       KATE WILLOUGHBY

Book two of In the Zone

Calder Griffin needs to get back in shape. Sidelined last season by a knee injury, he's determined to return to the San Diego Barracudas and play the best hockey of his career. This might even be the year he gets out of his talented older brother's shadow.

For months, Becca Chen has poured her energy into Cups, the restaurant she owns, desperate to prove to her parents that she can succeed in the career of her choice, not theirs. But after she spends a five-hour plane ride flirting with charming, magic-on-the-ice Calder, she tells herself she needs a fling.

Becca and Calder can't keep their hands off each other, but they know the relationship can't last. They live on opposite coasts, and they're both too devoted to their careers. All they have to do is prevent their feelings from crossing the line from lust to love…

See how Calder's teammate Tim found love in On the Surface.

MY REVIEW:
     I really enjoyed this book.  Kate has a way of writing that keeps the reader engaged through her humor.  As well as her well throughout observation of human nature.
     This story is about two old elementary school classmates meeting up as seatmates in first class flying back to their hometown.  Becca Chen still lives in Ithaca, New York, where she is the proud owner and chef of, Cups.
     Calder Griffin, the other hand is a pro hockey player for the San Diego Barracudas.  On his way home to visit his parents.  He has been on the injured list after knee surgery for the past several months.  Now it’s the beginning of summer and he is chomping at the bit to get to spring training.
     This story is mainly told from Calder’s point of view.  Becca and Calder were not the best of friends back in fifth grade.  In fact, you could call him a bully to her.  Calling her “Braceface” to her face was his M.O.  Then, writing it all over everything she owned.  When she gets bumped to first class and is seated next to him she is not happy at first.
     After 5 hours of talking through the past and joking around, she is surprised that they come away actually liking each other.  He follows up with a call…  One thing I like about this book there is a clear-cut message in the end about bullying toward the end of the book that the whole team gets behind but it at first catches Calder off guard.

     I really enjoyed this book even with Calder’s pouting all the time.  Come on now. J  I give this: 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at:  www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

Coming Friday 7 pm PST. Author: Ed Duncan He Wrote: Pigeon Blood Red Tomorrow See Excerpt

Coming Friday
7 pm PST.
Author of:

Ed Duncan
For underworld enforcer Richard "Rico" Sanders, it seemed like an ordinary job. Retrieve his gangster boss's priceless pigeon-blood red ruby necklace and teach the double-dealing cheat who stole it a lesson. A job like a hundred before it. But the chase quickly goes sideways and takes Rico from the mean streets of Chicago to sunny Honolulu, where the hardened hit man finds himself in uncharted territory when a couple of innocent bystanders are accidentally embroiled in the crime.

As Rico pursues his new targets, the hunter and his prey develop an unlikely respect for one another and Rico is faced with a momentous decision: follow his orders to kill the couple whose courage and character have won his admiration, or refuse and endanger the life of the woman he loves?
Ed is a graduate of Oberlin College and Northwestern University Law School. He was a partner at a national law firm in Cleveland, Ohio for many years. He is the original author of a highly regarded legal treatise entitled “Ohio Insurance Coverage,” for which he provided annual editions from 2008 through 2012. Ed, originally from Gary, Indiana, lives outside Cleveland. He is at work on the second installment in the trilogy that began with “Pigeon-Blood Red.”

WHEN I FALL (Montgomery Manor #2)

WHEN I FALL                                                   TAMARA MORGAN

Socialite Rebecca Clare gets through life one vodka tonic at a time. Emotionally shattered after her best friend's death, she's cast as the latest pseudo-celebrity screw up and hounded by paparazzi 24/7. So naturally, the cameras are rolling when she gets into a scrap at a club (he started it). But then an unexpected white knight steps in.

Playing caretaker isn't Jake Montgomery's usual role, but Becca is his stepmother's little sister. As they bond over their bad reputations, they find they have a lot more in common than the spotlight. When a photo of the nightclub incident goes viral, it raises protective instincts that Jake never knew he had. What better way to save Becca—and the family—from scandal than by claiming he's her fiancĂ©?

Becca agrees to play along, never expecting a fake engagement to feel so right. But she's vowed never to depend on a man for happiness; how can Jake convince her that falling in love is worth the risk?

MY REVIEW:
     Once again Tamara Morgan used her wicked humor to showcase characters’ faults of the people she writes about.  They are real in depth true to life characters you can see in your head.  You wouldn’t think that at first since they’re overly pampered rich kids, adults truthfully.
     Yes, you can, though.  Rebecca Clare is a party girl through and through.  She goes clubbing and drinking all night then works out like a crazy person in the mornings. With Mean Max, a very expensive trainer.  Everyone looks at her as an airhead and an ex on the verge or relapsing druggie.  Really, she is just a young scared woman of 24, trying to survive.
     When one-night clubbing having a good night, table dancing with a friend she runs into her step-nephew, who by the way is older than her, Jake Montgomery, 31.  Her sister married his father.  Yeah, weird doesn’t begin to cover it.  Anyway, he tries to save her from herself because he notices that she is dancing up there with no panties.  Now, he has seen her goods the day of his dad’s wedding when they did the deed. But right now, he is being the good nephew.  Something would ever call him is good.  Still.
     He stays the night with her because she is scared of the dark all the light switches have duct tape so they stay on.  The next day he goes to tea with her and when her mom and friend verbally attack her Jake tries to rescue her by saying they are engaged.  It does keep her mother from sending her from the rehab center for another stay since she bothers the number one rule going out into public without panties but she also struck two people.
     This is not normal Jake behavior.  Jake once stopped a wedding by winking at the bride while on the alter.  When they return to her apartment she says now we have to remain engaged for at least a week he counters for 3 months till after the first of the year.  She says until so he will have a place to live you mean.  He is shocked that she caught on.  From here on out it is a fast-moving snowball effect with these two.  They lose control of what they thought something they could handle.
     This fake engagement means dealing with some ghost and some real emotions which both have stuffed down for so long they have been tripping over them for, way too long.

     Loved this book.  Sexually charged yet not graphic at all but boy do you feel the energy.  Not saying there are not scenes that get dicey.  So, good, though.  I give this: 5 stars.  Provided by netgalley.com.  Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com.

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