BOOK REVIEW: CARROTS by COLLEEN HELME - SHELBY NICHOLS ADVENTURE # 1 - CONTEMPORARY MYSTERY

By: Colleen Helme

Published By: Colleen Helme

Released: Available Now

Details: Kindle Purchase, 286 Pages

RATING: 3.75 STARS

Blurb: Goodreads

Shelby Nichols is an average woman who is married to the only guy she ever fell for. Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and two children. All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber's mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer. The next thing she knows, she's lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn't suspect any lasting effects until later when she suddenly 'hears' what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she's bossy and too old to understand them, but that's nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the redhead at work that he doesn't want her to know? As if that isn't enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he's out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone's thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed.


BOOK REVIEW:

I bought Carrots in September 2014 and have only just read it and now the Shelby Nichols Adventure is a full-blown series. All the covers are so pretty. I do love them.

Who knew buying carrots could lead to a bullet graze to the head resulting in the ability to read people’s minds?

Shelby is a stay-at-home mum with two teenage children, well, one is twelve. Her husband, Chris, is a lawyer. Shelby pretty quickly gets mixed up in a whole pile of shenanigans which lead her to a confrontation with Ramos, Uncle Joey’s hit-man and standing in front of the mob boss and making a deal with him.

Let all the crazy begin.

The one thing I did enjoy very much was Colleen bringing to life the real-life complications of being married and being able to read your husband’s thoughts. I don’t know how many relationships could withstand that one-sided knowledge and come out the other end, not altogether unscathed, but still in love. That is opening up a whole world of hurt for the person who can read those thoughts, not to mention the invasion of privacy Chris had to deal with. I felt his pain, I really did. But at the same time, he was a bit of a PITA with his ignorance of Kate, the redheaded vixen in the office. I mean...really? Dude you’re supposed to be intelligent. He did redeem himself with me and his love for his wife conquering the hurdles placed in their path. Also, he gets a pass for the invasion of privacy his wife had to learn to deal with and try to control.

Uncle Joey... fear him or love him, he plays his part well. Kate is an excellent biatch. You will loathe her, which equals author's-job-done.

This installment is very silly, possibly a little eye-rolling and a tad predictable, but I will be coming back for more.

Ramos seems a bit of a knock-off of Ranger from Stephanie Plum, but I can live with Ramos if he can show me he’s worth adoring like I adore Ranger. #teamranger

As per the Stephanie Plum series, you will be sure to be getting a car explosion.

I couldn’t rate this first installment any higher because I’m not altogether believing in Shelby’s character as much as I should be from this first installment. She did annoy me a fair bit with her choices and after reading so many Steph Plums, Ramos seemed a little transparent and I do fear a Chris/Joe-Shelby-Ramos/Ranger situation possibly coming over the horizon. 

But I won’t know until I read more.

Assuming. Much.