Forever HEAs For ALL Sweepstakes
Forever Romance has an amazing giveaway going on until July 9!
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Monday, June 26, 2023
Monday, June 19, 2023
Review: Quarter to Midnight (Romantic Suspense #26, New Orleans #1) by Karen Rose
I always premise a Karen Rose read with trigger warnings because in her romantic suspense books, the focus of the crimes/criminals includes adult content and violent and disturbing material that may make some readers uncomfortable. This story is for readers 18 and older.
About the Book
After completing her tours with the Marines in Iraq, Molly Sutton knew she could take down any bad guy she met. But when her law enforcement agency in North Carolina turned against her, she joined up with her former CO Burke Broussard, who left New Orleans PD to set up a private investigative service for people who couldn’t find justice elsewhere.
Gabe Hebert saw the toll that working for the NOPD took on his dad and decided instead to make a name for himself as one of the best young chefs in the French Quarter. But when his father’s death is ruled a suicide after a deliberately botched investigation by his former captain, Gabe knows his dad stumbled onto a truth that someone wants silenced.
Gabe goes to his father’s best friend, Burke, for help. Burke assigns the toughest member of his team, Molly, to the case. Molly can’t believe she’s being asked to work with the smoking hot chef whose chocolate cake is not the only thing that makes her mouth water. Sparks fly as they follow the leads Gabe’s dad left them, unraveling a web of crimes, corruption, and murder that runs all the way to the top.
My Thoughts
A romantic suspense masterpiece!
Quarter to Midnight is absolutely amazing! I spent two days glued to my Kindle devouring all 600+ pages! I was immediately swept away into this dangerous story full of intrigue, mystery and thrilling suspense! I literally could not put the book down until I had all my questions answered! When I thought I had one mystery figured out, another question would arise and I’d be sucked right back into the story! Karen Rose had me in her thrall all the way to the very end!
I love the main characters Molly and Gabe. The pair have great chemistry. It was a refreshing element to balance out the story with Molly and Gabe’s constant hand holding, intense gazes and stolen secret moments amid the plot’s fast-paced ferocity.
And can we talk about the supporting cast? Mrs. Rose has brilliantly crafted a vibrant and inexhaustible ensemble of secondary characters that helps support, entertain and confound the reader! I absolutely love them and will have no trouble begging Mrs. Rose for each and every single one of their own stories and HEAs!!!! Please and Thank You!
And OMG the villain(s) of the story are almost supernatural in their intensity and depravity. I was equally entertained and appalled at their cunning, deplorability and duplicity. I don’t know how Mrs. Rose does it, but she is masterful in her machinations!
Quarter to Midnight is edgy, fast-paced and unputdownable! It’s so rich in thought-provoking content that’ll satisfy every reader!
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Sunday, June 18, 2023
Book News from Larissa Ione!
This past week, Larissa Ione announced some book news that's made this fan super happy! I love her Demonica/Four Horseman books and to know we'll be getting more?!?!?! Can't wait!!!!
From Ms. Ione's Newsletter:
The Legacy Continues...
It’s a gritty new world.
Nearly three decades after the events of REAPER, the world is a different place. The secret is out. The existence of demons, vampires, shapeshifters, and angels has been revealed, and humans are struggling to adapt.
Out of the chaos, The Aegis has risen to global power on the promise of containing or exterminating all underworlders, even if that means ushering in the End of Days.
Standing in their way is the next generation of warriors, children of demons and angels and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
See how they become legends in their own right.
* * *
Eva Tennant, like everyone at The Aegis, hates demons. But she loves her job as Deputy Spokesperson for the global demon-slaying organization, and she’s excited to be in the running for Chief Spokesperson. All she has to do is not screw up the two-week exchange program with The Aegis’s rival agency, the Demon Activity Response Team. But things go horribly wrong when a murder turns her into a fugitive from justice and puts a demonic target on her back.
Logan, son of the Horseman of the Apocalypse known as Death, has dedicated his life to battling demons alongside his colleagues at DART. He loves fighting, females, and his pet hellhound, Cujo. What he doesn’t love is The Aegis, whose leadership attempted to slaughter him at birth. Understandably, he balks when he’s ordered to protect an Aegis Guardian responsible for the deaths of his friends. Really, he’d rather feed her to Cujo.
But when an old enemy rises from the ashes, Eva and Logan find themselves giving into temptation even as they sacrifice the things…and people…they love the most.
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Preorder Links
More links to come!
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Review: Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #1) by Larissa Ione + Book Sale Alert!
Hey all! Did you know that Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione is on sale in eBook for $1.99 for a limited time!
Grab your copy today!
Purchase links HERE!
My Thoughts
Eternal Rider is the first book in the Lords of Deliverance series by the very awesome Larissa Ione! This series is a spinoff of her Demonica series and features the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Something really bad went down in the Demonica series and it broke the seal of the First Horseman, releasing Pestilence (alter ego of the Horseman Reseph).
Now disease and death are running rampant in the world as well as the underworld and it’s up to the three remaining Horsemen to make sure no more seals break, turning them into their deadly monikers: War, Famine and Death.
Holy Crazy Town, Batman! Eternal Rider is full to bursting with excitement, suspense, danger, malevolence, heartache and so much action! I couldn’t put the book down! I absolutely loved it!
My heart ached for Ares, Limos and Thanatos (the other three Horsemen) as they have to battle against one of their own. It’s heart wrenching to see Reseph turned into this unrecognizable and perverted version of their once beloved and carefree brother. They are so conflicted, yet so utterly dedicated to their jobs to stop Pestilence and keep their own seals from breaking.
Don’t worry, the story’s not all doomsday and devastation. There’s some smokin’ hot chemistry and a love connection happening… well maybe. Ares, the Horseman of War, is almost seven feet of hot and sexy immortality. He’s got a beachfront property, impenetrable armor, a horse named Battle and is pretty popular with the ladies, but that doesn't impress Cara much. She’s a veterinarian who’s fallen on hard times, had some weird things happen to her and the last thing Cara needs is some hunky Adonis showing up in her life, trying to mansplain to her. Ha! I loved watching their romance unfold and felt it gave a good balance to the Armageddon-type storyline.
I highly recommend Eternal Rider and whole-heartedly encourage you to read the rest of the series. Definitely check out the Demonica books but be prepared, they are very spicy!
About the Book
They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.
Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't-or won't-understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Blog Tour & Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Happy Release Week Ali Hazelwood!
Love, Theoretically is Ali's third full-length novel in her STEMinist* world!
She has also penned THREE STEMinist novellas!
If you haven't read any of these amazing books, I highly recommend them! They are engaging, entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny and so heartfelt!
Today I'm sharing my review of Love, Theoretically! Enjoy!
My Thoughts
I absolutely love all of Ms. Hazelwood’s STEMinist romance books and I was so excited to read Love, Theoretically. The author did say in the Author’s Note section (yes I always read those!) that this book is her most academic/academic politics book she’s written so far and it absolutely is. That being said, it doesn’t take away from the love story or the brilliance of the characters, it fully enhances them and the reader experience.
Love, Theoretically is not just a hot love story with a super hunk who looks amazing shirtless, it’s a story of truth and self-discovery. Elsie adjusts her personality to people-please everyone she meets (definitely has some emotional baggage). But the one person she can’t fool is her nemesis Jack Smith. Not only is he the brother of her fake boyfriend (long story) he’s also on the committee in charge of deciding her professional fate and who gets the job of her dreams. Awkward to say the least! As the two spend more time together through the interviewing process, Elsie discovers that she doesn’t hate Jack, “not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all.” (10 Things I Hate About You reference 😉)
OMG this book has all the feels! I really enjoyed reading it and I couldn’t put it down! I love a smart heroine and Elsie is amazing. She is smart, funny and easily relatable. Elsie changes faces to give everyone what they want–so they won’t get mad and leave her. The process to learn how to stand up for herself and be truthful with others about who the “real” Elsie is, that took a lot of courage, especially taking the chance of that person deciding to leave or not “like” her. I feel like such a proud mom when she actually started believing in herself in that way.
Jack. What is not to love about this guy? Yeah he’s a big jerk but he’s got some scars of his own and as Jack and Elsie gravitate towards each other, it becomes important for them to share each other's hopes, fears, hurts and hearts. So beautiful! I love how patient Jack is and how he “saw” the real Elsie and wouldn’t stop fighting for her to be revealed. *Swoon*
Love, Theoretically may be an academic love story about physics but there is crazy chemistry between Jack and Elsie, so much so that I may have blushed a time or three! It was an absolute joy to read and I am desperately looking forward to Ms. Hazelwood’s next book. What science discipline will she tackle next?
About the Book
Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.
The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.
Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?
Purchase Links
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Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Release Day Spotlight: Dragon Arisen by Donna Grant
Happy Release Day Donna Grant!
Dragon Arisen is Book 6 in her Dragon Kings series and is now available to order!
Get your copy today!
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About the Book
In the latest story in the scintillating Dragon King series, Donna Grant, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, unites a sexy, determined Dragon King and an enigmatic woman who holds him enthralled.
You have to burn before you can rise.
Handsome. Commanding. Powerful. Alasdair isn’t a Dragon King to sit and wait. His carefully laid plans dissolve when he comes upon an enchanting woman. Lotti’s beauty beguiles him, her spirit intrigues him. The longer he’s with her, the more mysteries he uncovers. And the more his passion grows. He never expects she will lead him into the heart of Stonemore —while ensnaring his at the same time. With their enemies closing in, Alasdair will do anything to protect the woman he’s destined to love.
If there’s one thing Lotti knows, it’s that she’s a danger to others. She keeps her distance. Always. But all that changes when she lands in a difficult situation…with a gorgeous, seductive man. Every choice somehow leads her straight back to Alasdair. She can’t ignore his sexual magnetism or the undeniable desire between them. Their journey unravels everything she knew about herself to reveal a carefully constructed fallacy. Yet, she discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had. But is her yearning for Alasdair worth the risk for them both?
Purchase Links
✦SIGNED PRINT→ https://dgrant.co/3mdflS5
✦SIGNED HARDCOVER→ https://dgrant.co/3ovNcX6
✦Amazon→ https://amzn.to/3SCnTvY
✦BN→ https://dgrant.co/43mzHZg
✦Kindle→ https://amzn.to/3SCnTvY
✦Nook→ https://dgrant.co/3zduS7u
✦Apple→ https://dgrant.co/3Dyf5Ti
✦Kobo→ https://dgrant.co/3zejbxs
✦Google→ https://dgrant.co/3nMe3hO
✦Audible→ https://dgrant.co/3OjLjHU
✦Tantor→ https://dgrant.co/41KUHbP
✦Audiobooks→ https://dgrant.co/3ZoU31Z
✦Nook Audio→ https://dgrant.co/41Nm70z
✦Apple Audio → https://dgrant.co/42c3KS4
✦Kobo Audio → https://dgrant.co/3JxLNGy
✦Google Audio → https://dgrant.co/3JxLNGy
✦Chirp→ https://dgrant.co/42jG91V
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Review: Tessa's Trust (The Anna Albertini Files #5 ) by Rebecca Zanetti
I kinda went out of order posting the Anna Albertini reviews by Rebecca Zanetti. As I was perusing Goodreads, I realized I read Book 4 and the two novellas in between but I never wrote a review! Ugh! I'll get on that! But don't worry, Tessa's Trust can easily be read as a standalone!
About the Book
When the shoe drops, it always hits her on the head.
Tessa Albertini has spent much of her life guest-starring in other people’s stories. Her older sister is a type-A personality who creates opportunities like other people build hopes, and her younger sister finds trouble like it’s an integral strand of her DNA. Finally Tessa’s hard work and sacrifice allow her to open that restaurant she’s been dreaming about since she was a young teenager working her butt off, regardless of the obstacles now slamming into her.
There’s an advancing enemy who doesn’t want Tessa to succeed in business, while Nonna Albertini is determined she’ll succeed in love, no matter how much meddling it takes. Finally, Nick Basanelli, the most arrogant and sexy man she has ever met, zeroes his formidable focus into actually courting her—and that’s before he discovers she’s in danger and morphs into overprotective alpha male mode.
While a family’s middle child is supposedly a peacemaker, the world is about to discover that when pushed far enough, Tessa is willing to go to war.
My Thoughts
I absolutely love the Anna Albertini Files series. These books are full of quirky and loveable characters, tight-knit families and crazy antics! You will not believe all the weird and funny stuff that happens to this family! So much so that it has all the available men in town giving the Albertini sisters a wide berth!
Tessa’s Trust has everything you want or need in a good story, including a hunky lawyer that looks amazing shirtless, meddling matchmaking grandmas and the most bizarre sales contract with blind date stipulations.
I fell in love with all the characters from the very beginning of the series and I am so happy to see Anna share the spotlight with her older sister Tessa. I loved her story and the only complaint I have is that it wasn’t long enough.
I can’t wait for the next one!
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Monday, June 12, 2023
Review: Adverse Possession (The Anna Albertini Files #3) by Rebecca Zanetti
About the Book
The plural form of Nemesis is Nemeses.
Anna Albertini never thought she’d have to look up the plural form of nemesis. In fact, she never thought she’d have one, much less three. But as she and her new partner try to make a go of their fledgling law firm, enemies come from every direction.
First, there’s a newspaper reporter trying to make a name for herself by dogging Anna’s every move. Second, there’s a lawyer on the opposite side of every case who just doesn’t like Anna. And third, there’s Aiden Devlin’s ex-girlfriend, who decides to descend upon the sleeping Idaho town like a bird of prey. It’s too bad she’s discovered dead…after finding herself on the wrong end of a potato gun, putting Anna top of the suspect list.
Anna deals with every day as it arrives while juggling her developing relationship with Aiden, trying to pay her rent by finding at least one client who pays, and finally by partnering with her Nonna Albertini in the world’s most chaotic plan to match-make her sister with the Elk County’s prosecuting attorney, Nick Basanelli. It’s a good thing Anna has learned to thrive in chaos.
My Thoughts
I absolutely love Anna Albertini, her crazy loyal sisters and family and her super sexy love interest and resident bad boy Aiden. The books are as laugh out loud funny as they are suspenseful!
Anna gets herself into some pretty crazy situations, but none of them is her fault... well mostly....NOT! Okay, okay... so maybe like 50% of the time it's her fault😂 I swear I hear Benny Hill music every time something goes sideways!
Anna is such a likeable character and so easy to relate to. I love her crazy Irish and Italian sides of her family and I love that she has a matchmaking grandma that's equally loveable. All the characters are lovingly and brilliantly crafted.
Anna and Aidan have super steamy chemistry and I love them together.
Adverse Possession is smart, funny, exciting and heartfelt. I'd absolutely recommend it as well as the rest of the series.
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Review: Bailed Out (The Anna Albertini Files #2) by Rebecca Zanetti
About the Book
The Past Never Stays Buried
Anna Albertini is settling into a routine while ignoring the fact that the blue-eyed Irishman she’d allowed into her bed has up and disappeared on her. Two weeks without a phone call is no big deal, but still. With her hottie Italian boss goofing up the prosecuting attorney’s office, she at least has something to fix. Until she appears in court, across from her sister Tessa’s dirtbag ex. Then she has a mission.
Unfortunately, Anna isn’t the only person who wants the ex put behind bars…or in the ground. Which is not a problem until she and a local cop find the ex-boyfriend deader than dead…with both her sister and Aiden standing over the body.
As a prosecuting attorney, it’s Anna’s job to build a case against Tessa and Aiden. As a sister, it’s SO her job to get Tess out of this mess. As Aiden’s…what? Lover—girlfriend—friend from the past—it’s Anna’s job to figure out who the heck he really is. She has to dig out the truth, regardless of her ambitious boss or the cranky cop trying to thwart her every move. Sometimes a woman has to take matters into her own hands, regardless of the consequences.
My Thoughts
Bailed out is the second book in The Anna Albertini Files series. The story picks up a couple weeks after the ending of the first book and barrels head first into a fast-paced storyline with loads of action, suspense, mishaps and laughter! Not to mention a super sexy and mysterious bad boy that has Anna's toes curling in her designer pumps!
The sh*t hits the fan for Tessa (Anna's older sister) and Aiden (sexy bad boy) when they're both charged with the murder of Tessa's ex-boyfriend. And it that's just the beginning of this twisted tale of intrigue, subterfuge, danger and just plain bad luck!
The story is intense, funny and chock-full of surprises! I couldn't put it down. Anna and Aiden have crazy chemistry. The secondary characters are brilliant and essential to the story. The storyline is powerful, mysterious and insanely funny! Bailed Out is part of a series but can easily be read as a standalone. I absolutely loved it and recommend this and any book by Ms. Zanetti.
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Review: Witcha Gonna Do (Witchington #1) by Avery Flynn
About the Book
An unlucky witch and her know-it-all nemesis must team up in the first of a new, spicy romantic comedy series from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.
Could it possibly get any worse than having absolutely no magical abilities when you’re a member of the most powerful family of witches ever? It used to be that I’d say no, but then I keep getting set up on dates with Gil Connolly whose hotness is only matched by his ego. Seriously. I can’t stand him. Even if I also can’t stop thinking about him (specifically kissing him) but we’re going to pretend I never told you that part.
So yeah, my life isn’t the greatest right now, but then it goes straight to the absolute worst hell when I accidentally make my sister’s spell glitch and curse my whole family. And the only person who can help non-magical me break the spell? You guessed it. Gil the super hot jerk.
Now we have to work together to save my family and outmaneuver some evil-minded nefarious forces bent on world domination. Oh yeah, and we have to do all that while fighting against the attraction building between us because I may not be magical, but what’s happening between Gil and I sure feels like it.
My Thoughts
The title is cute and how can you not love this cover? It’s absolutely gorgeous!
This is my first read from Avery Flynn and I have some mixed feelings about it. I love the synopsis of the book and I love the enemies-to-lovers theme between Tilda and Gil. I love Tilda’s character. She’s funny, charismatic and an absolute joy to read about. But she struggles being seen and being important in a family of magical overachievers. Tilda is trying to find her place in this world, but is always getting into some kind of embarrassing kerfuffle in front of an audience who is live streaming her mishaps online for the world to see. Tilda is a beautiful character, easily relatable and I just wanted to hug her.
The characters are what won the book for me. They are many with uniquely diverse backgrounds and vital to the book. I absolutely loved them and all their whimsical idiosyncrasies!
The chemistry between Tilda and Gil was potent. I felt they gelled well together, but the balance between them seemed off somehow. I think that has to do with the storyline.
What bugged me about the book was the world building. It felt incomplete to me. This is the first book in a new series but I felt lost some of the time while reading and I wished there was more background on this world and the characters and how this book world operates.
I mean, I could get the gist of what was happening but throughout the book, I felt like there should have been more explanations about the magic and the witches part of the storyline. This felt like it was the second book in the series where the majority of the descriptive information about the witch hierarchy, how the magic works and character development were explained previously. I kept feeling like things were missing, like I wasn’t “in the know.”
Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, the characters and dialogue were fun, funny and kept me engaged in the story, but all the holes in the storyline and plot kept me from being invested in the characters and this world. There is so much wonderful material here and this series shows a lot of promise. I am not sure if I’ll check out the next book, but I would definitely read this author again.
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Review: Disorderly Conduct (The Anna Albertini Files #1) by Rebecca Zanetti
About the Book
Bullets and Kisses Can Burn
The last person Anna Albertini expects to see in an orange jumpsuit in District Court—a place she SO doesn’t belong as a new prosecuting attorney—is Aiden Devlin, the man who’d saved her life when they were kids. For years, she has dreamed about him. Now here he is—his eyes blue, his chest wide, and his hands in cuffs.
Sure, Aiden says he doesn’t want her help, and his ties to a deadly motorcycle club should give her warning. Yes, her new boss is a sexy Italian bad boy who might be using the case to climb to the top. Plus, the detective assigned to the case, with his green eyes and broad shoulders, wants her to stay out of his way.
With so much testosterone surrounding her all of a sudden, most women would find it hard to concentrate. This might be why the case leads Anna to yelp during a spa appointment, fall out of a tree, and chase a naked old man around the courtroom. It’s a good thing Anna learned a long time ago to be her own hero, no matter how fast the bullets fly or the kisses consume.
My Thoughts
Disorderly Conduct is the first book in a new suspense series and the first self-published novel by Rebecca Zanetti!
The story is a cross between Law & Order and Benny Hill with a sprinkling of romance!
I was blown away by the solid storyline, amazing characters and hilarious, laugh-out-loud dialogue! From the first page, I was immediately drawn in and held captive until the very end! I absolutely LOVED it!
Anna Albertini is our main character. She’s a professional woman trying to find her way in the world. When changes at work bring her face-to-face with a blast from the past, Anna’s life is turned upside down and is plagued with one hilarious calamity after another.
Anna is so relatable, I admired her so much. She has a core of steel and her loyalty and dedication to her family and her craft is beyond reproach. But she’s also sensitive and personable and I absolutely adore her!
The characters and the dialogue are the meat and potatoes of the story. The supporting characters are brilliantly and lovingly crafted. The dialogue is purposeful and hilarious. I could not put the book down!
Disorderly Conduct is funny, heartfelt, mysterious, sexy and absolutely entertaining! I highly recommend it to everyone! I cannot wait for the next book!
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Review: You Can Hide (Laurel Snow #2) by Rebecca Zanetti
About the Book
What do you do when a sociopath loves you? Rising star FBI profiler Laurel Snow is about to find out …
Calling Laurel Snow’s relationship with her newly discovered half-sister challenging is an understatement. Not only does Laurel suspect Abigail is behind the mysterious disappearance of their father, but her erratic behavior also makes life in Laurel’s small hometown interesting, to say the least. Still, when Abigail claims someone is now out to kill her, Laurel’s instinct to protect her sister goes into overdrive. Then things get even more dicey as dead bodies start turning up in the icy waters of the Sauk River and there’s only one connection among them: Abigail . . .
Having Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers bringing in those bodies with his dive team only complicates matters. Huck is as impulsive and fiery as Laurel is coolly analytical, which makes their alliance risky at best. But standing up to such a demonically brilliant killer is going to take all the help Laurel can get. Because Laurel’s attempt to save her troubled sister’s life might cost her own . . .
My Thoughts
Wow! What an amazing sequel to the series!
I was glued to my Kindle until the very end! You won’t believe what happens! Read the book today!
Laurel Snow is an FBI profiler assigned to her hometown in the Pacific Northwest because the FBI is thinking of putting an office there. But Laurel’s “special set of skills” is requested all over the country helping solve crimes and bringing killers to justice. How you say? Laurel is a child prodigy, graduated high school and college very young. Laurel also has a PhD and can get into the minds of psychopaths, narcissists, crazies and all kinds of weirdos. She’s very successful but sometimes wonders and worries if she isn’t also a psychopath herself because of her abilities and her lack of “appropriate” people skills.
What Laurel really is, is a woman dedicated to her job and getting justice for the victims and their families. She often cares too much but uses logic and reasoning to ground and center herself. Laurel is a complex, multifaceted character and I love watching the dynamics change as she interacts with each and every individual. There’s no subterfuge with Laurel, she says exactly what she means and she means exactly what she says. How refreshing is that?
In You Can Hide, Laurel is barely back in town after consulting on an out-of-state case when there’s a body discovered. She’s working the case again with hunky Fish and Wildlife captain, Huck Rivers. They had a little friends-with-benefits action in the first book and have kept things professional ever since. Huck told Laurel he doesn’t want anything serious and neither does she. He is surprised that Laurel actually meant what she said so their working relationship isn’t awkward. Which is a good thing because it is going to take everything they have to solve the case.
You Can Hide is a full-throttle ride of subterfuge, intrigue and a blow-your-mind mystery that will keep you up late at night! The suspense is palpable. The villain(s) is/are deliciously duplicitous. And the chemistry between Laurel and Huck is a slow-burning flame that will thoroughly consume you. Oh Captain, My Captain indeed!
I highly recommend the series!
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Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Review: Both Feet in the Grave (Night Huntress #9) by Jeaniene Frost
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About the Book
If you thought you learned more about the dangerous and sexy alpha vampire, Bones, in the USA Today bestselling scorcher, THE OTHER HALF OF THE GRAVE, you haven’t seen anything yet.
Bones is back to tell you his side of what happened when he spent four long years looking for Cat, the half vampire now known as the “Red Reaper.” But now that he’s found her, has time hardened Bones too much to risk love again? Or will his passion for Cat burn through every obstacle-alive, undead, or otherwise-between them?
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress series comes a fresh, new perspective on the origin saga of Cat and Bones, in Bones’s own words…
My Thoughts
Beautiful. Steamy. Passionate. Loving.
Jeaniene Frost is rewriting her Night Huntress series from Bones’ point of view! Both Feet in the Grave is the retelling of the second book, One Foot in the Grave and it is an incredible gift from the author! And I cannot think of a more brilliant idea than this!
Bones has been alive more than 220 years and a vampire just as long. He’s got so many relationships and connections going on that it’s just awesome to see and to learn what makes the sexy vampire who he is.
We get behind-the-scenes footage of many of our favorite and/or perplexing scenes of Book 2 from Bones’ point of view! Can you imagine? What was Bones thinking when he met Randy for the first time? Or what about the infamous Chapter 32 scene? Oh yeah, it’s in there!
Seeing Bones' love and devotion for Cat is so beautiful and so moving. But seeing his despair and desolation at not being able to find her for so many years just tears your heart out of your chest. I am completely wrung out from so many feels! If you are not already head over heels in love with Bones, you will be after Both Feet in the Grave!
There are also answers to questions that I never realized I had until I read the book! There are so many good and wonderful and bewildering gifts in the pages and so much more are in store for readers! Read the book! Please!
Both Feet in the Grave is everything you hope it will be and so much more! I highly recommend this and EVERY book in Ms. Frost’s Night Huntress World!
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Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Review: You Can Run (Laurel Snow #1) by Rebecca Zanetti
About the Book
Suspense, danger, romance, and family drama converge as a rising star profiler strives to stay one step ahead of the criminal mind—and discovers that her own demons may be the hardest to outrun…
Laurel Snow wouldn’t call hunting a serial killer a vacation, but with a pile of dead bodies unearthed near her Genesis Valley, WA, hometown, she’ll take what she can get. Yet something about this case stirs her in unexpected ways. Like the startling connection she feels to Dr. Abigail Caine, a fiercely intelligent witness with a disturbing knack for making Laurel feel like she has something on her. Then there’s Laurel’s attraction to Huck Rivers, the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene—and into the wilderness…
A former soldier and a trained sniper, Huck’s thirst for blood is rivaled only by his fierce pursuit of Laurel. He’s been burned by love, wounded by the government, and betrayed before, and to say he has trust issues is the ultimate understatement. Plus, he might be closer to this killer than anybody knows…
Once in the heart of darkness with Huck, Laurel must negotiate her distracting desire for him, her complex rapport with Abigail—and her mission to find a serial killer among a growing list of suspects and a danger that’s far too close to home. So close in fact, Laurel fears she will never find her way back to the woman she once was…
My Thoughts
You Can Run is thrilling, entertaining and captivating! The characters are brilliantly crafted and amazingly complex with so many layers. The suspense was everything you hoped for and so much more. I love the “whodunit” aspect of the story and as soon as I think I had it all figured out, I am completely flabbergasted with a jaw-dropping revelation or two, or three! I couldn’t put the book down, and I didn’t want to!
Ms. Zanetti gives us a fresh new series with danger, subterfuge, lots of intrigue and a burning desire for the truth… in every form it takes. You’re definitely gonna want to put this on your TBR list. I cannot wait for the next book!
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Review: Cold-Blooded Liar (Romantic Suspense #27) by Karen Rose
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About the Book
Brace yourself for a scorching new series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose, where San Diego means sun, surf, sand…and serial killers.
Sam Reeves is a kindhearted psychologist who treats court-ordered clients. After one of his patients—a pathological liar—starts revealing plausible new details from a long-unsolved serial murder case, he’s compelled to report anonymously to the SDPD tip line, though his attempts to respect patient confidentiality land him facedown and cuffed by the aggressive (and cute) Detective McKittrick.
San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittrick loves the water. She lives on a boat, and when she’s not solving crimes with the SDPD, she’s assisting her foster sister with her charter fishing business or playing with her poodle. But there’s nothing that intrigues Kit more than a cold case, so when an anonymous caller leads her on the path of a wanted killer, she’s determined to end the decade-long manhunt.
Sam is soon released but goes home with both a newfound distaste for the SDPD and a resolve—not unlike Kit’s—to uncover the truth. Kit and Sam repeatedly butt heads in their separate investigations but are forced to work together to find one of the deadliest serial killers the city has faced in years.
My Thoughts
Cold-Blooded Liar is the first book in Ms. Rose’s San Diego branch of her Romantic Suspense series. The story has a lot of the elements I look for in a romantic suspense story but there were a few things that stuck in my craw and kept me from fully enjoying the book.
The characters
Ms. Rose creates dynamic characters that are fully fleshed out and entertaining. But I felt Sam and Kit weren’t balanced as main characters. Kit had a rough childhood growing up as a foster kid and experiencing loss at a young age which shaped her as she becomes a tough-as-nails cop that doesn’t show much emotion. Sam grew up with both parents, had a few devastating things happen to him as well, but he’s so kind and loving and is not afraid of being vulnerable or showing emotion. With this large differential between the two, it’s hard to generate chemistry and I definitely felt it, or the lack thereof.
The plot
The storyline was well thought out and meticulous as is in any Karen Rose book. It’s just not my favorite location. I didn’t feel as excited about it as I have been with other locations in the series.
The suspense
I felt like the suspense built a lot slower in the book making it a bit hard for me to keep engaged in the story, regardless of the great characters and storyline. Ms. Rose always does an amazing job with the “whodunit” part of the story and Cold-Blooded Liar is no exception. There was a solid sleight-of-hand moment in the book. What I mean is, I always try to figure out who the bad guy/girl(s) is/are and usually I get fooled.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. There were a few things that bugged me as previously stated but I’m definitely looking forward to the next book.
FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
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