Showing posts with label Suspense Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suspense Romance. Show all posts

Sunday, May 20, 2018

BOOK REVIEW - TILL DEATH by JENNIFER L ARMENTROUT - WILLIAM MORROW - SUSPENSE ROMANCE

By: Jennifer L Armentrout
Published By: William Morrow
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback from the library, 384 Pages

RATING: 4 COLE STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

In New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout’s gripping new novel, a young woman comes home to reclaim her life—even as a murderer plots to end it. . . 

It’s been ten years since Sasha Keaton left her West Virginia hometown . . . since she escaped the twisted serial killer known as the Groom. Returning to help run her family inn means being whole again, except for one missing piece. The piece that falls into place when Sasha’s threatened—and FBI agent Cole Landis vows to protect her the way he couldn’t a decade ago.

First one woman disappears; then another, and all the while, disturbing calling cards are left for the sole survivor of the Groom’s reign of terror. Cole’s never forgiven himself for not being there when Sasha was taken, but he intends to make up for it now . . . because under the quirky sexiness Cole first fell for is a steely strength that only makes him love Sasha more.

But someone is watching. Waiting. And Sasha’s first mistake could be her last.




BOOK REVIEW:

Till Death is a suspense read combined with a second chance romance.

Jennifer knows how to give us the delicious ex-boyfriend from ten years prior and weave the second chance romance from the rubble of the horrible, near death experience Sasha had when she was I think nineteen. The Groom abducted her and did all sorts of awful things to her.

The Groom, a serial killer, was collecting brides (girls) and eventually killing them. Without spoiling, Sasha, the only survivor of The Groom, comes back to West Virginia to help her mother run the Inn ten years later and bodies start piling up again.

There’s a new killer in town. Da…da…da…daaaaaa!

It has taken me a while to write this review because I did admittedly guess very quickly who the killer was, which is a pet peeve for me. Being quite obvious I thought the editors or beta readers may have hollered at Jennifer at the time. I am not the first to find the killer to be too obvious, but eh, there will be others who won’t. A suspense read for me has to be suspenseful.

This book definitely has creepy parts.

I did enjoy the story, but I think the essential element of whodunnit was spoiled for me, but that is okay.

I will always pick up a JLA book and read it.


Tuesday, March 27, 2018

FREEBIE - FIRST TIME EVER - WRENCHED ( HELL'S BASTARD # 1) - DARK SUSPENSE ROMANCE



THIS IS THE FIRST TIME EVER
 WRENCHED HAS BEEN FREE!

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MEET EDGE & WHISPER

AMAZING SERIES!

18+ Readership





WRENCHED



Amazon AUS : http://amzn.to/2uk9zQW

Amazon CAD : http://amzn.to/1R287Gg






CURRENTLY IN #KINDLEUNLIMITED FIRST 4 BOOKS

5TH AND FINAL BOOK RELEASING IN A FEW WEEKS


BLURB

A debt to be paid. A mind blowing story starts to unwind.
Strap yourself in for one hell of a ride.

Stolen—I was a whisper.
Freedom—it came with a price.
This is not your average love story

WHISPER
Life has been a bitch to me.
I don’t even know my full name.
I was a secret.
Miss Catherine and Boxer changed my life.
I now trusted in mankind.
Until Edge walked into my life.
Now I’m screwed.
I’ve escaped one Hell’s bastard to be wrenched towards another.


PRAISE FOR WRENCHED 

Followed by an extract from the book.

It's a Dark and ballsy read like no other book I have read in a long long time. ~ She’s A Lip Biter


Wrenched was my first Emma James book and I have to say, I really enjoyed this dark read. A bit of a captive story mixed in with a MC theme. With various POV shifts as we get to know all the players, I was fully enthralled as the story progressed. 
~ Michelle New – Goodreads


I truly loved this story, and I recommend it to anyone that loves their stories dark and a little wicked. It's bound to get the heart racing, in more ways than one. ^_^ 
~ Stacey – Sassy Book Lovers


This is a very emotional and awesome experience for all its reader. Quite disturbing and even scary for the characters. 
~ Maree Repa – Goodreads


Then everything gets twisted together, fates collide, and things get even more intense than I even thought possible. It's hard to tell who is good. Who is bad. Who is redeemable. Who even deserves a chance at redemption.

I NEED to know what happens! I require more! Don't mind me...I'll just be over here in the edge of my seat, biting my nails and binge eating comfort foods, waiting for book two. 
~ George - One Click Addict Support Group 


Being from Louisiana this book was easy to relate to. She has Miss C’s character on the money all the way to the way she speaks. We do speak like that here. The writing was smooth and easy to read.
~ Kayla – Goodreads 


EXTRACT FROM WRENCHED

EDGE POV

I’ve just walked into the bar and I’m in need of a piss, so I follow the restroom sign and notice along the way how empty the bar is, while the jukebox has some romantic country song wailing out of it. I could have relieved myself on my father’s land, but even my piss was too good to be spilled on something he had owned.

I’ve taken care of business, ready for a beer, when I hear barely audible feminine grunts followed by smacking noises coming from up the stairs.

Call me curious.

I quietly climb the stairs, noting the Private: Staff Only sign nailed to the beam above my head, ignoring it as I walk toward the sounds, when I see her in a back room, punching a heavy bag in painted on, ass-hugging, little black workout shorts. I’m amused at first. My thoughts of revenge falling to second place as I cross my arms over my chest, propping myself up against the doorjamb while I watch her smack the bag with her toned arms as she makes those soft little grunts.

She has no idea I’m standing here observing her. I should walk away, but the more I stand here watching her, the more I can’t take my eyes off her. She sure is a looker.

This female is so determined to break her thumbs that I have to step in and save them. She is lean, but she still has nice curves, like a slow-winding country road travelling up her body. Her tight, rounded globes have my dick’s attention as she swings around the bag, concentrating so hard that she doesn’t notice me, sweat dripping off her pretty face, determination written all over it.

I decide then and there I want to get to know her tonight. I have seen that look. That’s the look of somebody who’s working off stress…or working off somebody.

She is quick on her feet, but she is holding her hands wrong. She doesn’t even have them strapped. She looks like she walked in and just needed to start hitting something. Her tits are a good handful, and her tight black workout top holds them secure. Her long brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail, perfect for grabbing onto, and she has these big, chocolate brown eyes a man could drown in while he fucks her senseless.

She is light on her feet as she rotates around again, jabbing at the bag with her back to me. In my current status of good-guy-civilian, I have to help her out.

I walk up to her and lay my hands on either side of her shoulders to calm her movements. She stops with a gasp, her body stiffening. I watch her reaction time. It’s slow as her mind works on what to do next. She needs to get a little quicker with that.

Then it comes.

I’m ready.

She swings around, ready to shove her palm straight up into my nose, hoping to buy herself some time as she flees for help.

Somebody has been taking self-defense lessons. I actually find myself liking the fact that she has some knowledge about how to protect herself.

I dodge her predictable defensive response to my invasion of her space. Her palm goes flying through the air, hitting nothing. I twist her back around, keeping her arms locked down tight, and her back to my chest. “We can do this all night if you like, but I’m not here to hurt you. I came in for a beer and to take a piss. I’ve been on the road the last few days. If you’ll calm down, I’ll release you.”

She thinks about my words and my actions and does as she’s told. She’s naïve, but I won’t tell her that. Before I fully release her, I move my hands over hers and reposition her thumbs for her. “Like this.” I soften my deep, rough, gravelly voice because I can be very intimidating when I want to be. “Little lady, I was just gonna tell you you’re gonna break those thumbs the way you are hitting that bag.” From her body language, I can see intimidation will get me nowhere. I need to behave like a civil gentleman, and not who I really am.

“You’re not thinking about the care of your hands before you beat the heavy bag senseless because your mind is elsewhere.” She’s all kinds of frazzled about something, and this is an impulsive thing to do. She might have started out with good intentions, putting her workout gear on, but then it escalated to, ‘Fuck my hands. I need to hit something, pronto’.

I fully release her and she immediately takes a step away from me, twisting around to take in who was touching her, who has invaded her private workout. Her eyes widen in surprise as she looks me up and down quickly. They don’t linger too long. She just needed to assess me for any danger.

Smart girl.

All she sees standing before her is a clean-cut American guy. She would have given me a different look had she seen me in my cut, but for some reason, I don’t think it would have necessarily impressed her. There are the chicks who would fear us, and then there are the chicks who can’t wait to get in our pants. I’m not a hundred percent sure which category she was in at the moment.

I look her in the eyes. “I can tell this isn’t your first time at the bag. You’ve let yourself get distracted, little lady.”

“Thank you,” she whispers to me. “You are right. I am distracted. I wasn’t thinking clearly.” Her eyes are now downcast and darting back and forth. “I’m good now, thank you. You can leave me to it.”

I sense a challenge. I saw her look of appreciation before she looked away. I never have to work hard. I get fucked with ease.

“You shouldn’t be up here. This is the private part of the bar and it’s now closed. How did you get in here?” Her voice is soft-spoken.

“The door was unlocked and the jukebox was wailing. Also, it’s only just eight o’clock. I needed a beer. What bar shuts at eight o’clock?”

“This bar,” she mumbles. She slowly looks up when I don’t respond to her two words, and then her eyes roam all over my body...again.

I’m neatly dressed and my hair is freshly cut. I’m wearing designer jeans, a checkered button up, and a leather jacket. I stopped off in New Orleans to get myself some civvies to wear on the way over. My cut is rolled up in my saddle bag on my bike.

I usually look dangerous and intimidating, but tonight, I need to be somebody else less threatening. I also need to be anonymous in this town, just a guy wanting a beer, passing on through.

Tonight, I’m nothing more than your average Joe Blow.

“Are you in charge of the bar?” I can’t sense anybody else around.

“Not normally, but for now, yes.”

She’s deciding if she will allow me a drink. I know I look tired, and now I’m all kinds of sexually frustrated, since I’ve laid eyes on this female.

“If you want a beer, I can get you one.” She’s too trusting, but I won’t knock her back. I really could do with a beer.

This new hair cut is hanging in my face, and it works to my advantage, making me look younger. I scoop it up and over my head and give her a little smile. “You look like you need a break. Can I buy you a drink?” I’m all for smooth talking her to get what I want.

I can see her weighing up whether to let me buy her a drink.Interesting, she’s making me work for it. I’m all for a challenge. She just made herself that little bit more of a game to me, so I offer up more information. “I’m just in town to visit family and decided to stop on by for a couple drinks before I head on over.” A little white lie, but I can see I have to pull some half-truths here to get this one to take the bait.

“And they can’t give you a beer?”

Shit. “They no longer drink.” Well, that part is true. “Wouldn’t be polite of me to show up with alcohol, when they’re on the wagon.”

I give her my warmest look, which I normally reserve for the people I’m hunting, because I need to pull on my resources for this female standing before me.

My brothers know if I get this look on my face I’m far more dangerous than when I look like I want to kill you. If I look like I want to kill you, then where’s the element of surprise? But if I look at you like you are my friend and you can trust me, then you won’t see me coming,motherfucker.

I need to take the edge off and get laid, and she just became my prey for the night. I’ll be fucking her before the night is through.

I hold my hand out to her to shake. “I’m Edge, and you are?”

She puts her small hand in mine and gives my hand a little squeeze. “I’m Sara.” I can see immediately she’s lying to me. She has no clue how to lie. My name’s Edge because I always have the upper hand.

She looks at me like she wants to say something more, her mouth opens a little, and then she says in a very small voice, “Ok. I’ll be over in a few minutes. Let me just clean up a bit.”

“I’ll just go wait out at the bar for you.” I have to strain my ears to hear her. “Take your time, little lady. I’ll be waiting.”

I can sniff a good girl out, and she’s definitely a good girl, but can I get her to be a bad girl tonight?

I head down to the bar and take it upon myself to flip the closed sign on and click the locks. She’s not used to closing up the bar because somebody else normally does this, and tonight, for whatever reason, she’s been left alone to do it, and look what happens.

I happen.

I take a slow look around the bar. It’s fitted out in wood and leather. A real old school kind of small town bar, with an old school kind of jukebox in the corner. The music has stopped, so I walk over to it, feeling around my pockets for a handful of coins, and I punch in several songs. The jukebox comes to life, clicking and whirring, and “One Of These Nights” by The Eagles starts playing.

I could have ducked behind the bar and gotten a couple of beers, but I don’t want to appear more than who I want her to see. I want in her pants, and being Edge, the Soulless Bastard, isn’t gonna cut it with this gal.

I take out my phone and text Hazard. I let him know I’ve arrived and I’ll be tidying everything up soon. Whisper will be meeting an untimely end. We discuss some club stuff back and forth, and then end our conversation. I delete the messages, so my phone is clean.

I’ve positioned myself so I can see when she comes back into the bar. The jukebox clicks away as it chooses the next song, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet starts playing.

She walks in, looking around the empty bar until she locates where I’m seated. She makes a stop behind the bar and holds up two beers. I nod my head, and she brings them over. I don’t care about the brand; I just need a drink. I can see she’s showered and has put on a clean white tank top, a knitted black zip-up, little denim shorts, and flip-flops. I’m amused at the flip-flops.

“Slide on in, little lady.” I figure she’ll sit next to me, but instead, she sits across from me. “Do you talk?”

“Of course.” Her voice is so damn quiet against the jukebox playing in the background.

“Darlin’, you’re gonna have to speak up because I can’t hear you.” She slides the beer over to me and I hold it up to her. “Thank you,” I tell her, then take a deep swig.

She takes a long drink from her bottle and makes a little face while she looks about nervously. I need to go in for another swoop of getting her to trust me. This chick needs to chill. “Look, Sara, if you don’t want to talk and have a beer, that’s fine by me. I just thought you looked interesting and we might get along tonight.”

“No. You are great. It’s me. I’ve got a lot of things on my mind.” Her eyes turn to me, but can’t stay on me for too long. “I received some unwanted news today.”

“Is that what the pounding on the heavy bag was all about?”

She nods her head. “My trainer would be disappointed all his hard work went down the peach pit the minute he left me alone.”

Peach pit? I like this woman. “Is he your boyfriend?” Of course she would have somebody. I take a long swig out of my bottle, draining the contents. I’m about to cock-block my own dick and get out of here.

“Oh, no!” She laughs and I like the sound of it. “He’s more a father figure to me. He’s away for a few days, and I was just feeling a little tense. He will help me sort it all out when he gets back.”

I give my dick a mental double-thumbs-up, deciding maybe she’s worth the challenge tonight after all. It’s very rare a female doesn’t push herself on me, or rub her tits in my face when I invite her for a drink. Actually, it’s rare more than one woman isn’t vying for my attention at the same time. This is something new to me. She’s put a small chink in my ego.

When I’m hunting, I need to know when to back off and when to go in for the kill. This girl needs more effort, or else I will blow it before I can get to the finish line.





Wednesday, February 28, 2018

BOOK REVIEW: DON'T TELL by KAREN ROSE - CHICAGO # 1 - SUSPENSE ROMANCE - HEADLINE

By: Karen Rose
Published By: Headline
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback from library, 404 Pages

RATING: 4.75 MAX & DAVID STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

It was a desperate plan. But Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive cop husband was to stage their own death. Now all that remains of their former life is at the bottom of a lake. Armed with a new identity in a new town, she and her son have found refuge hundreds of miles away. As Caroline Stewart, she has almost forgotten the nightmare she left behind nine years ago. She is even taking a chance on love with Max Hunter, a man with wounds of his own. But her past is about to collide with the present when her husband uncovers her trail and threatens her hard-won peace. Step by step, he's closing in on her—and everything and everyone she loves.



BOOK REVIEW:

This was my first Karen Rose book, and it won’t be my last. I was pleasantly surprised by the detail of the plot.

Max and Caroline come from very different backgrounds. Caroline aka Mary Grace had been in a very abusive marriage and she finally took matters into her own hands and bravo to her.

Unfortunately for Caroline, her abusive husband is a very smart detective who will stop at nothing to get the information he requires. The man is all kinds of crazy. He gets a lead into the disappearance of his wife and their seven-year-old son and the crazy sonofabitch is on the hunt.

There are two car chases (I shall call them) going on: Winters hunting down his wife and son and Special Agent Steven Thatcher is on the trail of Detective Rob Winters.

I really liked the effort Karen put into weaving all the action that was happening at once. The plot keeps the pages turning.

I will say Max, the professor’s character, kinda annoyed me sometimes with the way he was written. He’s kinda self-centered and then he’s not and then he is. Rinse and repeat. It is insta-love and I can handle those, but I wasn’t totally feeling the guy.

Tom, Caroline’s son I really liked. He was written very well. A lot of emotion is dredged up. 

Dana is an amazing woman. Bravo!

David! OMG! Max’s brother is amazing. He kinda stole the limelight from Max as far as I am concerned right up until nearly the last page.

David, rocks!

Steven, rocks!

The next book in the series is about Steven Thatcher and I already have it on my shelf to read from library.

Only thing I can pick about Steven is, in this book he was ‘the man’ on a mission and then Karen wrote him making a very unprofessional move. I do understand it was supposed to be because of the situation, but… damn! I could have done without that happening because I think it didn’t need to happen.

I do recommend for all the dark suspense romance readers. A lot of tough topics are hit up and in detail.

Anywho… big thumbs up to Karen and the first installment in the Chicago series.




Thursday, December 28, 2017

BOOK REVIEW : MIDNIGHT SECRETS by ELLA GRACE - WILDEFIRE # 1 - SUSPENSE ROMANCE - HEADLINE

By: Ella Grace aka Christy Reece
Published By: Headline
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback from library, 418 Pages

RATING: 4.25 ZACH STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

On a hot southern night, with a storm on the horizon, a family is shattered. Three beautiful daughters—Savannah, Samantha, and Sabrina Wilde—go on with their lives, each significantly changed, as they bear the memory of the murder-suicide that killed their parents. For years, they have stayed away from Midnight, Alabama. Until Midnight calls them home.

Savannah is the first one back, when a grueling case in Nashville leads the young prosecutor to seek shelter in the quiet of the once grand Wilde mansion. But when she finds letters casting doubt on her family’s dark, shameful past, she realizes that peace in Midnight is a shallow façade and sinister secrets lurk beneath the surface. Zach Tanner, once the town’s bad boy, is now the new police chief and still has a wild hold over her. Zach can feel it, too, but he hurt Savannah once. As teenagers, they broke every rule together. Now it’s his job to keep her safe, even though he isn’t sure who her enemies are—or which ones might be his own.


BOOK REVIEW:

This first instalment in the series starts off referencing ten-year-old triplets, Savannah, Samantha and Sabrina Wilde and a horrible tragedy that befell them.

Fast forward eight years and we meet Savannah on her prom night—enter Zach Tanner.

Then we fast forward ten more years, equalling Savannah aged twenty-eight and Zach aged thirty.

The cover to this book made me think I was picking up a military type read. Possibly the title made me think this too, but I was wrong in my assumption. Sure the young Zach was bound for the military, but that is such a very small part of this book. Think underdog makes good and becomes the Chief of Police in the town of Midnight and picks up again with the love of his life, (he left behind) which he could so easily have sorted in the first place with verbal communication. But where is the angst in that? I was thinking it must be something extremely huge for Zach to have promised her what he did and then wasted ten years.

Somebody wants Savannah dead and Zach isn’t gonna let that happen and he’s also not going to waste anymore time.

Bravo!

All sisters have gone onto have careers in: law, law enforcement and private investigator. To this I wondered why the author used two of the sisters at such a late date… considering.

I enjoyed Savannah and Zach’s story, but I did feel the basis for Savannah coming back to the town of Midnight was great, but the rather rushed conclusion to the suspense that was woven throughout, was not great. The plot in this area felt a little deflated, for me personally.

I still really enjoyed this book and liked meeting Zach’s hot-security-company friends.

I will continue with this series. I like the sound of Sabrina’s character and would like to read her book.

I have to say as a side note: When triplets all have names like these three do, it can get hard on the reader separating them. Especially Savannah and Samantha. 

Oh look! I found this cover for Kindle and I feel it better represents this story. 


Tuesday, November 14, 2017

BOOK REVIEW - SHATTERED by CYNTHIA EDEN - LOST # 3 - AVON BOOKS - SUSPENSE ROMANCE


By: Cynthia Eden

Published By: Avon Books

Released: Available Now

Details: Paperback from library, 361 Pages 


RATING: 5 JAX STARS!! 

Blurb: Goodreads

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent is forced to face her past as she uncovers secrets about the man who may be the key to her future.


Criminal psychologist Dr. Sarah Jacobs is all too familiar with the kind of bad boys who belong behind bars. But the dark, dangerous man she meets in the New Orleans underworld is a new kind of ruthless, and all too irresistible.

Jax Fontaine doesn't claim to be a good guy, but he's loyal to his own code and brutally honest about what he wants. He and Sarah may be worlds apart, but when they're skin to skin, nothing matters but the heat between them.

And when a deranged killer targets Sarah, Jax will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.



BOOK REVIEW:

Giddy up! I totally dug this instalment.

Jax Fontaine.

Man, he gives me a lady boner. He is such a great character. He has depth and intrigue. He’s a little wild and scary. He is ultimately good, but he does cross the line when he needs to.

Jax is the best male lead in this series for me to date and Sarah is the best female lead. We see below the layers of both these characters. Sarah is no damsel-in-distress, she is a leading lady who is intelligent and has a past.

We are told Jax is the leader of a motorcycle gang, but I see no references to that within this series so far, other than being told. If we weren’t told that, I would simply think he is a guy who lives on the dark side, owns many properties in New Orleans and has scraped himself off the bottom of the bucket. He has clawed his way through life and become somebody who fights the system his way. In Twisted you see a seedier side to Jax. He has attitude. He still does in Shattered, but he plays a part, because the police only seem to want to know that side of him—to only believe in that side of him.

Now let’s talk villains. Cynthia got it right, for me anyway, in this book. She hides it well, doesn’t over enthusiastically try to push us towards other characters. This is the way I like it. Let me theorize without trying to force me to think who the killer or mastermind is.

Love the twist at the end.

Da…da...da…daaaaaa!

I’m hoping Wade’s book up next will have some Jax in it and will be just as good. Wade is always popping up in this series, but I don’t really know him other than he does jump on assumptions a little, but he's always ready to dig in and help the team.

Worth reading this series in order, or else you will miss out on Jax’s entrance in Twisted and not get the Emma connection with Jax.

I have Torn in my hands ready to go.


BOOK REVIEW - TWISTED by CYNTHIA EDEN - LOST # 2 - AVON BOOKS - SUSPENSE ROMANCE

By: Cynthia Eden
Published By: Avon Books
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback from library, 361 Pages

RATING: 4.25 DEAN STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

In the second seductive LOST novel from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden, an obsessed Last Option Search Team agent goes looking for trouble—and finds her in the Big Easy.
Dean Bannon comes to New Orleans for one reason only: to track down a missing sixteen-year-old girl. That's before he meets the drop-dead gorgeous con artist who makes him want to lose his legendary control.

With her past, Emma Castille doesn't claim to be psychic. She just notices things other people don't. Like the fear in a runaway's eyes—or the pain in an ex-FBI agent's heart. Her chemistry with Dean is blistering, but Emma follows her passion . . . not someone else's orders.

Then a madman breaks into Emma's home and leaves a twisted message: You're next. Now Dean refuses to let her out of his sight until he pries every last secret from her full, sexy lips. And suddenly Emma's aching to give him everything he wants.




BOOK REVIEW:

Another instalment in the LOST series ( Last Option Search Team ) and I really enjoyed it. Even though the books are well over 300 pages long, they are the small books that are almost pocket books. This makes them a lot quicker reads than you would think looking at the page numbers.

Again with this series, I did find it a little too easy to work out who the villain was, mainly because if you pay attention, the author likes to make you think a certain way, that immediately has me going in the other direction. I am happy to say, book 3, Shattered, was not a predictable villain. It was virtually impossible to pick and I feel the author has learned how to now trick the reader. This is a good thing, because this is suspense romance genre, so we want to find it hard to pick the baddies.

Dean and Emma are great characters—but Jax Fontaine stole the show for me. When he was in the limelight…man, I loved reading him.

Cynthia has a wonderful talent for painting such visual scenes with her words and she doesn’t hold back on the stabby stabby.

Very pleased to see this series gets better and better.


Wednesday, November 1, 2017

BOOK REVIEW - BROKEN by CYNTHIA EDEN - LOST # 1 - AVON BOOKS - SUSPENSE ROMANCE

By: Cynthia Eden
Published By: Avon Books
Released : Available Now
Details: Paperback from library , 348 Pages

RATING: 4.25 GABE STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

The first novel in New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's sizzling LOST series introduces the Last Option Search Team, an elite unit that must protect the only surviving victim of a serial killer.

Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he's rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.

When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.

As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it's clear he hasn't forgotten her.




BOOK REVIEW:
This is my first Cynthia Eden read and I really enjoyed this suspense romance.

The characters are likable and we are introduced to intelligent men and women who work for Gabe under the title Last Option Search Team aka LOST.

I like this whole concept with Gabe putting a team together who work to find the people who have been lost to the system.

Eve walks into Gabe’s office and he takes her case and he also takes a lot more than that. *waggles eyebrows*

Enter Wade, Sarah, Victoria and Dean and you have a great line-up of characters.

The who-dunnit was kinda easy to spot fairly early into the plot. You have a fairly large suspicion, but that is okay. The villain was very creepy. I really liked all the descriptive. Visually I could see the picture painted very clearly in my mind while reading and the plot is very gritty. 

I am über ready for Twisted # 2.


Friday, September 15, 2017

BOOK REVIEW - POWER PLAY by TIFFANY SNOW - RISKY BUSINESS # 1 - PIATKUS - CONTEMPORARY CRIME ROMANCE

By: Tiffany Snow
Published By: Piatkus
Released: Available Now
Details: Paperback from library, 336 Pages

RATING: 4.25 PARKER AND RYKER STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

THIS KIND OF BUSINESS CAN ONLY BE PERSONAL

Sage Reese lives for her job. More precisely, she lives for her debonair boss, Parker Andersen. Sage handles everything for Parker, even as she fantasizes about the one thing that isn't in her job description: him. But when a high-stakes account crosses the line from shady to deadly, a tough cop starts giving Sage the attention she wishes Parker would . . .

Detective Dean Ryker couldn't be more different from Parker. While Parker wears expensive suits like a second skin and drives a BMW, Ryker's uniform is leather jackets and jeans . . . and his ride of choice is a Harley. While Parker's sexiness is a reserved, slow burn, Ryker is completely upfront about what-and who-he's after. And Sage tops his list.

Now, as Ryker digs deeper into the dark side of Parker's business, Sage finds herself caught between two men: the one she's always wanted-and the one who makes her feel wanted like never before . . .




BOOK REVIEW:

This first installment in Risky Business series had me whiplashed with how similar the recipe is for Kathleen Turner series.

Very similar, but I jumped feet first into the pages and devoured the book (while in hospital and couldn’t sleep) and I read it into the wee hours, while my roomie was softly snoring and making weird noises.

Okay, so now we have ex Marines: Parker and Ryker.

God damn these triangles are amazing.

I REALLY DON’T LIKE LOVE TRIANGLES.

But I like these ones.

This first installment had it all. Parker is simply amazing. In walks cocky Ryker and he is different and amazing.

We get some backstory.

Sage I really liked in this installment. She has her heart all crushing and hurting for Parker and he is the powerful investment guy who is mixing it up with the Russians. She is a hard worker and a team player in the office.

Sage isn’t as good a female lead as Kathleen, but I still liked her and the little bits with Megan, the chick from another part of the company.

There was so much sexual tension in this book between Parker and Sage that the pages were sizzling. He really is written very well.

Ryker has a massive chip on his shoulder with Parker and he wants to show Parker up as the bad guy.

Russian villains and action take over the story with Sage’s life on the line and I totally dug this book.

I launched myself into Playing Dirty straight away.


BOOK REVIEW - TURN TO ME by TIFFANY SNOW - KATHLEEN TURNER # 2 - MONTLAKE ROMANCE - CONTEMPORARY CRIME ROMANCE

By: Tiffany Snow
Published By: Montlake Romance
Released: Available Now
Details: Kindle purchase, 444 Pages

RATING: 4.5 KADE & BLANE STARS!

Blurb: Goodreads

When Kathleen Turner, office runner for the prestigious Indianapolis law firm of Kirk & Trent, started dating the boss she knew the risks. Senior Partner Blane Kirk is known for being a notorious player - the Baskin Robbins of dating with a different flavor every month. Kathleen is the happiest she’s been in a long time, especially as Christmas approaches, but she’s always known there was a termination date on her relationship with Blane.

She just didn’t expect that termination to be her funeral.

A festive afternoon of Christmas tree shopping turns life-threatening when Kathleen and Blane become targets for an unknown gunman. They make it home alive, but Kathleen realizes her boyfriend has been keeping secrets. The deadly kind.

Blane’s current case is drawing heated debate and stirring the pot of public fury. Kathleen is horrified by the threats – and worse – being directed at him. A former Navy SEAL stands accused of the wrongful death of an American citizen during a military operation overseas. The case has far-reaching political and military implications. Someone with a lot of money, and even more clout, wants Blane to lose.

As dead bodies of people connected to the defense start piling up, it becomes painfully obvious that disappearing witnesses and altered testimony are no longer enough for whoever is intent on guaranteeing the SEAL gets convicted. Kathleen and Kade, Blane’s brother and ex-FBI-agent-turned-assassin-for-hire, are on the trail of the killer.

Unfortunately for Kathleen, he’s already moved for the end-game – by painting a target on her...and pulling the trigger.



BOOK REVIEW:

I went into this installment almost #teamKade from the start. I really did.

Blane and Kathleen are making me want to be #teamBlane, but Tiffany keeps shoving Kade in the way and he just seems to be more on her level.

Blane says a few things that got up my team nose and I am wondering how deliberate they were by Tiffany.

Kade…oh mYy!



Kade got up and walked toward me, stopping when he was a few feet away. He reminded me of a cat, the way his body moved—fluid and silent. In contrast my body felt like a violin string pulled too tight.



“Don’t try to rescue me, Kathleen,” he said flatly, a bitter smile curving his lips. “I’m beyond saving.” His face and voice were both as cold and remote as the arctic.



I know I am swinging on the #teamKade line at the moment. I simply can’t see past them being so much more compatible.

But then…Blane.

SMH

I think it is starting to distress me. LOL

I do really like Kathleen’s character, she is bumbling and she can show a lot of intelligence—sometimes—and these two men simply make this series.

The action and villains can be a little predictable, but I am a fan of Stephanie Plum and that series is much, much, more silly and without a lot of growth, but the lads, Ranger and Joe keep me coming back for more.

There is growth in this series and also lots of emotion with Kade and Blane. I like that a lot.

I did take a break from reading #2.5, Kade’s Turn, only because I was getting a bit exhausted with my emotions with these two lads.

I do love them both.

I feel like Tiffany is setting the reader up for THE MAN in Kathleen’s life, already, with certain things she is throwing at us, but I will wait and see, even though I think I got the spoiler when I hit book two in Risky Business. (dang it!)

So I stopped reading after this book and went onto Power Play (Risky Business # 1) and then Playing Dirty (Risky Business # 2).

I am swinging back around to Kade’s Turn (Kathleen Turner #2.5) now.

I am preparing myself for all the Kade pov.

Squeee!


BOOK REVIEW - BLANE'S TURN by TIFFANY SNOW - KATHLEEN TURNER # 1.5 - MONTLAKE ROMANCE - CONTEMPORARY CRIME ROMANCE

By: Tiffany Snow
Published By: Montlake Romance
Released: Available Now
Details: Kindle purchase, 321 Pages

RATING: 4.5 KADE AND BLANE STARS!

Goodreads: Blurb

Blane Kirk is a Navy SEAL-turned-attorney with old money and an even older pedigree. High powered and aggressive, he plays the field, changing women as often as he changes his ties—but he’s had no complaints so far. He has only two rules: don’t date employees, and don’t get emotionally involved. These are rules he can easily live by…until his runner, an employee in his law firm named Kathleen Turner, does an unexpected face-plant into his lap.

Kathleen’s too young and innocent for Blane, and much too vulnerable. After her friend is murdered, Blane knows she could be next—and he knows that keeping her alive means keeping her close to him. Kathleen’s like no woman he’s ever met, and protecting her could be the one thing to change his life forever. He may be able to keep her safe from the killer…but can he keep her safe from himself?

Blane’s Turn is a companion novel to No Turning Back, Book One in The Kathleen Turner Series.



BOOK REVIEW:

So you might think you are gonna read the same story but flipped from Blane’s pov, but you do get so much more.

I adored reading the bits with Kade in the flashbacks from Blane and I liked how Tiffany gave the reader more than just a flipped version of No Turning Back.

I personally thought this was a must read and not to be skipped in the series.

I really enjoyed knowing more about Blane and Kade.

#team?? 

They are both so yummy.

*face plant*


BOOK REVIEW: NO TURNING BACK by TIFFANY SNOW - KATHLEEN TURNER # 1 - MONTLAKE ROMANCE - CONTEMPORARY CRIME ROMANCE

By: Tiffany Snow
Published By: Montlake Romance
Released: Available Now
Details: Kindle purchase, 440 Pages

RATING: 4.5 BLANE & KADE STARS!! GIDDY UP!

Blurb: Goodreads

Being a bartender by night and law firm runner by day helps make ends meet for Kathleen Turner. Mostly. Being 23 and single in Indianapolis wasn’t exactly a thrilling adventure, but then again, that’s not what Kathleen wanted. At least, not until she met Blane Kirk.

Navy SEAL turned high-profile attorney, Blane is everything a woman could want. The only problem? He’s her boss.

Blane is known for playing the field and the last thing Kathleen needs or wants is to get involved with him. But when her friend is murdered and it seems Kathleen will be next, she may not have a choice.

Now Blane is the only thing standing between her and people who want her dead, including assassin-for-hire Kade Dennon. Beautiful but deadly, he’ll kill anyone who gets in his way, even the woman who makes him question everything he’s become.

The deeper she sinks into the web of lies and murder, the more Kathleen realizes she can trust no one if she’s going to survive. No one is innocent. Not even Blane.


BOOK REVIEW:

I’m a little late to the whole Kathleen—and her men, Blane and Kade—triangle, but damn once I started I have not come up for air… literally for 5 books!!

Now granted I read the first three books in the Kathleen Turner series and then rather excitedly jumped to the Risky Business series with Sage and her men—Parker and Ryker. ( I don't recommend doing this as I got a spoiler crossover. Poo me!) 

Is it just me or is there a very, very, very similar theme in both series and also the names!!! Ryker and Parker. Blane and Kade. The dudes are almost, rhyming.

Anyhoo, I must stay focused on No Turning Back. Well… if I am not addicted! And do my teams keep flipping sides!

OMG one minute I am #teamBlane… the next #teamKade.

@()#*)@(*)@(#*)@(*@)(#*)_)(!!!

We got Blane, the hot-shot lawyer who is partner in Gage, Kirk & Trent, sitting up in his office and Kathleen has come on as the office runner. Literally she runs about town dropping files off and such. And she also works at The Drop, which is a cool sounding bar. She's got bills to pay, dudes! 

Anyhoo, shizzle my giggles, there is this attraction ( that word is meant to come out sounding like a purrrrr) and then Kathleen starts getting herself—mostly accidentally—involved in stuff she shouldn’t and more attraction (on a purrrr) and THEN KADE shows up.

*face plant*

This is where my teams get fuzzy. I got no clue still after 3 books, one being the #1.5 ( I had to hear it from Blane’s head), which simply stuffed my teams up even more.

Truly!

In a nutshell: two ridiculously yummy men, one girl, and the villains and a lot of team swapping on my behalf.

*throws hands in air ready for book #1.5 aptly titled Blane’s Turn*

There is the sexual tension that ripples across the pages…or if you are reading on a device, your device will quiver.

Both lads are written very well.

I simply couldn’t come up for a breath.

There were some awesome quotes, but again, I couldn’t stop to mark them.

Bugger me! I was addicted!!!

There are some twists you won’t see coming and some that are pretty laid out and predictable, but eh, I was in it for the lads.

Truly!

Hot damn!

I won’t go into much more other than to say, normally I am really not a fan of triangles. 

I REALLY AM NOT.

But damn if I wasn’t sucked into this series like a straw in a Coke. (did that make sense?)


Tuesday, August 29, 2017

***NEW RELEASE*** ENTWINED by EMMA JAMES - HELL'S BASTARD # 4 - DARK SUSPENSE



ENTWINED 
Author: Emma James
Cover Designer: Soxational Cover Art

New Release





EDGE

 Not once in all the thoughts going through my mind did I guess what Doc’s secret was. 
Not f*cking once. 


WHISPER

 I need to cocoon myself from my reality. Whisper is broken. 
My name is Sara. 


SARA 

Edge hurt me. 
He helped me. 
He saved me.
 I’m very confused.


 FILIP 

They think they are free to walk away. 
Their own naïveté will be their downfall.






BUY LINKS - ENTWINED











WRENCHED - 99C SALE



Wrenched review extract from Lustful Literature by Josie

Ms. James pieces together a very complexed, dark and gritty story where nothing was left out. I was completely consumed from the very first page to the very ending. Her writing left me at the edge of my seat, cringing, crying and fist-pumping at every page. The character development was amazing and on point. Each character had a major role in this story and I enjoyed getting to know every twisted moment. This is a dark story but one that is well worth every ounce of emotion I experienced. The details and the timing of events in this story fit perfectly and left no question as to why and where things came into play. I really can’t wait for the next part of this series to come out because this book was just so good.



WRENCHED
Buy Links 



Amazon AUS : http://amzn.to/2uk9zQW

Amazon CAD : http://amzn.to/1R287Gg