Heart Sick ~ Chelsea Cain

You can find Chelsea here and her books everywhere.

Det. Archie Sheridan led the Beauty Killer Task Force for ten years, before the Beauty Killer (Gretchen Lowell) caught him, tortured him for ten days and then mysteriously let him go and turned herself in.  Now it’s two years later and Archie, addicted to pain pills and still obsessed with Gretchen, is called off medical leave to hunt a second serial killer.  Pink-haired girl journalist Susan Ward is assigned to profile Archie.  She knows he’s hiding something.  But what?  (It’s bigger than a breadbox.)

What a sick and twisted story! Gretchen is a psycho woman to be sure, but she really draws you in and you want to listen to her, need to listen to her... The entire cast of characters in this novel are interesting and intriguing. From Archie Sheridan, the cop Gretchen held hostage and tortured to his partner Henry. From the young and exciting reporter, Susan Ward, to her wayward mother, Bliss. Every last one of them will keep you turning the pages at mach speed! You'll not be able to put this book down!

I also have to add in here that I won this book in audio format in an online contest.  I’m not sure if this was the proper book to introduce me to the wide world of audiobooks because, well, it’s just downright creepy (aren’t all serial killer novels supposed to be?)… and I’d be driving down the freeway, making faces at my steering wheel. LOL 

The Second Date ~ Mary Lydon Simonsen

You can find Mary here and you can grab The Second Date here.

Sonia Amundsen looks like a Nordic goddess on the outside, but her heart, soul, and stomach are all Italian. She is also a successful professional who is about to celebrate her 30th birthday. Although friends have been setting her up on blind dates for two years, she never goes out on a second date with any of them because she is still looking for that perfect guy. The problem is that she has very specific criteria as to who Mr. Right is. Sonia is beginning to think that such a man is not out there until.... Set in the late 1980s, Sonia is surrounded by an extended Italian family, a caring, but over-bearing mother, warring aunts who use family funerals to stage full-blow tragedies, and a close friend, whose main goals in life are to get pregnant and to help Sonia find true love. The Second Date explores friendship and love in the heart of the Italian-American community where food is second importance only to love.

A wonderful story about how two seemingly opposite families come together and grow throughout the years. The story focuses on young Sonia who, at almost 30, is still not married, much to her mother's horror. The Second Date details her courtship with the charming Nick Santangelo and shows just how true love can conquer the worst of mistakes, as well as obnoxious family members.
Whether you're Italian or not, you're sure to love this novel. It's full of sweet stories, family togetherness and a lot of laughs. Ms. Simonsen's style of writing puts you in mind of a documentary, but you experience none of the disassociation you experience while reading one. And while that may not make any sense to anyone other than myself, I do believe her unique writing style is the biggest charm hidden within this novel.