Review: Freedom’s Light

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble explores the mystery and the romance of the Revolutionary War.

A young lighthouse keeper must navigate the dangerous waters of revolution and one man’s obsession with her to find safe harbor with the sea captain she loves.

Hannah Thomas believes she’s escaped Galen Wright’s evil intentions by marrying an older lighthouse keeper. Seemingly safe in faraway Massachusetts, her world is upended when John is killed in one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War. Hannah is allowed to continue the difficult task of tending the twin lighthouses in John’s place, though she faces daily disapproval from John’s family. She thinks her loneliness will subside when her younger sister arrives, but she finds Lydia’s obsession with Galen only escalates the dangerous tides swirling around her.

A stormy night brings a shipwrecked sea captain to Hannah’s door, and though he is a Tory, her heart is as traitorous as the dark-eyed captain. Even though she discovers Birch Meredith isn’t the enemy he seemed at first, Hannah isn’t sure their love will ever see the light of freedom.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Freedom’s Light by Colleen Coble is an adventurous historical journey. Many risks are involved. Fighting from one danger, leads to another. Before Hannah realizes so is her heart. Physically and emotionally gripping, Freedom’s Light offers a peek into the revolutionary war and the life of women back then.

I was immediately drawn into the plot. A quickly escalating tale, with danger rising from every side. Safety seems to disappear once Hannah’s husband dies in the war. After that, she is busying trying to manage the lighthouses and her life. But with a creep after her, her sister’s crazy obsession, and her dead husband’s family giving her a hard time, it seems impossible. Then an unexpected stranger shows up, and whatever strength was holding up is coming undone. Despite the trouble and her own fears, Hannah still goes strong. It was difficult not to be impressed. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story.

Review: Everything She Didn’t Say

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

In 1911, Carrie Strahorn wrote a memoir entitled Fifteen Thousand Miles by Stage, which shared some of the most exciting events of 25 years of traveling and shaping the American West with her husband, Robert Strahorn, a railroad promoter, investor, and writer. That is all fact. Everything She Didn’t Say imagines Carrie nearly ten years later as she decides to write down what was really on her mind during those adventurous nomadic years.

Certain that her husband will not read it, and in fact that it will only be found after her death, Carrie is finally willing to explore the lessons she learned along the way, including the danger a woman faces of losing herself within a relationship with a strong-willed man and the courage it takes to accept her own God-given worth apart from him. Carrie discovers that wealth doesn’t insulate a soul from pain and disappointment, family is essential, pioneering is a challenge, and western landscapes are both demanding and nourishing. Most of all, she discovers that home can be found, even in a rootless life.

With a deft hand, New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick draws out the emotions of living–the laughter and pain, the love and loss–to give readers a window not only into the past, but into their own conflicted hearts. Based on a true story.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Everything She Didn’t Say by Jane Kirkpatrick is one of the most engaging historical novels I have read. It’s based on a true woman’s story. A journey out west. That back then, was both dangerous and risky. Yet, Carrie still went with her husband. A strong man trying to make a living for him and his wife. I really liked this couple. However, I felt sympathy towards Carrie constantly. Her husband, Robert, always failed to notice how he fails her. Lack of affection, deeper affection than what he gives is not there. Carrie swore to love him through bad, good, rich and poor. Her strength to move forward was admirable. Jane Kirkpatrick’s writing brought to life this memoir of a story and made it engaging to follow. I wanted to learn all there was to Carrie and her journey. It was a sad read. Overall, I would recommend this to readers everywhere.

Review: Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Who needs mistletoe? 

Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that — but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once…

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis is an interesting read. A young sexy man takes a drink to be polite even though he shouldn’t…ends up in bed with the woman of his dreams. He cannot remember anything from that night. She leads him to believe they had sex. But won’t indulge just how terrible he was…but when they share a kiss that melts them both, he knows for a fact they never had sex. He wouldn’t forget her, or this. The plot quickly got hotter and more entangled with risks. Each one had something to lose. I enjoyed watching as each character let their guards down, melted with desire, and fell in love with each other. Overall, it is a great story.

Review: Consumed by J.R. Ward

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series comes a brand-new novel about arson investigator, Anne Ashburn, who is consumed by her troubled past, her family’s scorched legacy, and her current case: chasing a deadly killer.

Anne Ashburn is a woman consumed…

By her bitter family legacy, by her scorched career as a firefighter, by her obsession with department bad-boy Danny McGuire, and by a new case that pits her against a fiery killer.

Strong-willed Anne was fearless and loved the thrill of fighting fires, pushing herself to be the best. But when one risky decision at a warehouse fire changes her life forever, Anne must reinvent not only her job, but her whole self.

Shattered and demoralized, Anne finds her new career as an arson investigator a pale substitute for the adrenaline-fueled life she left behind. She doesn’t believe she will ever feel that same all-consuming passion for her job again–until she encounters a string of suspicious fires setting her beloved city ablaze.

Danny McGuire is a premiere fireman, best in the county, but in the midst of a personal meltdown. Danny is taking risks like never before and seems to have a death wish until he teams up with Anne to find the fire starter. But Danny may be more than a distraction, and as Anne narrows in on her target, the arsonist begins to target her.

From the creator of the bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood, get ready for a new band of brothers. And a firestorm.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Consumed by J.R. Ward is draws me in like a moth to a flame. Irresistible to the flame, I couldn’t stop reading this book. Emotionally gripping, hot, and full of risks, this writer captures my full attention. The plot moved quickly. Attitude, loss, grief, and romance fill these pages. I enjoy watching the two siblings give each other shit. It was funny. They obviously care about each other but show it differently than most. Then, there’s the attraction between two firefighters who have a knack for danger. Just as they go on a scene they end up in a situation neither thought they would be in…the reality comes and shakes their world. Sending it breaking into pieces. Their confidence shatters. But with time and a team that still cares, they might just survive…unless someone they trust tries killing them and succeeds. Overall, this book consumes. It takes me in deep and does not let go.

 

Review: Final Roasting Place by Devon Delaney

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Sherry Frazzelle is back to being Sherry Oliveri, her divorce all but final and her new life in full swing. Her part-time job is helping her father with his hooked-rug business, and her full-time passion is competitive cooking. But murder is about to rock their little Connecticut town . . .

Erno Oliveri made sure to be on set for his daughter’s cook-off appearance on Sunny Side Up with Brett and Carmell. Or as it’s now known, Sunny Side Up with Carmell and Brett–since the ambitious young Carmell seems to have the producer and station owner eating out of her hand. But the important news is that Sherry has bested the competition with her Spicy Toasted Chickpea and Almond appetizer and clinched the spatula-shaped trophy. It’s her shining moment–until everything goes dark.

A quick-moving storm has knocked out power to the studio–and when the lights come back up, Carmell is at her desk with a sharp object lodged in her neck. The weapon is an unusual tool, used by craftsmen who make hooked rugs. Has someone taken corporate backstabbing to a new level, and framed Erno in the process? If Sherry’s going to protect her dad and their family name, she has to find out where he was when the lights went out . . .

Includes Recipes from Sherry’s Kitchen!

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Final Roasting Place by Devon Delaney delivers both mystery and humor. I love the way the characters bristle and fight between each other. Each one takes their opinion seriously. Then, there is the father daughter relationship on the pages. Sherry and her father seem to get along. I find it funny how he kept eating other foods except for his daughter’s own dishes. Despite that, Sherry and her dad were charming characters. Sherry is a smart, quick, and talented sleuth. Her fast thinking and observations help solve the murder case.

News worthy stories are just about to get deadly. It might even get worse for Sherry Frazzelle and her father. A cookout show, containing contestants and delicious meals, starts off okay but ends with a big bang. Jealousy, greed, and a fear of change bring out a murderer. The suspects list grows with each page, just as all evidence points to Sherry’s father, another clue proves someone else is the murderer. But who? A race to investigate and find the real killer keeps Sherry’s hands full.

Final Roasting Place offers a lot of entertainment. Action, intrigue, and a bunch of clues as to who may or may not have committed the crime. The cast is enjoyable to follow along. Reminds me of the Murder She Wrote TV show.

 

Review: All We Ever Wanted was Everything by Janelle Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

A smart, comic page-turner about a Silicon Valley family in free fall over the course of one eventful summer.

When Paul Miller’s pharmaceutical company goes public, making his family IPO millionaires, his wife, Janice, is sure this is the windfall she’s been waiting years for — until she learns, via messengered letter, that her husband is divorcing her (for her tennis partner!) and cutting her out of the new fortune.

Meanwhile, four hundred miles south in Los Angeles, the Millers’ older daughter, Margaret, has been dumped by her newly famous actor boyfriend and left in the lurch by an investor who promised to revive her fledgling post-feminist magazine, Snatch. Sliding toward bankruptcy and dogged by creditors, she flees for home where her younger sister Lizzie, 14, is struggling with problems of her own. Formerly chubby, Lizzie has been enjoying her newfound popularity until some bathroom graffiti alerts her to the fact that she’s become the school slut.

The three Miller women retreat behind the walls of their Georgian colonial to wage battle with divorce lawyers, debt collectors, drug-dealing pool boys, mean girls, country club ladies, evangelical neighbors, their own demons, and each other, and in the process they become achingly sympathetic characters we can’t help but root for, even as the world they live in epitomizes everything wrong with the American Dream. Exhilarating, addictive, and superbly accomplished, All We Ever Wanted Was Everything crackles with energy and intelligence and marks the debut of a knowing and very funny novelist, wise beyond her years.

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

All We Ever Wanted was Everything by Janelle Brown is a realistic story of how one event during the summer turned a family’s world upside down. Each member has their own struggle. One with divorce from her cheating husband, a daughter with boys, a sister with her career, and one sister who is broke. They all live together trying to make sense of their lives and find themselves. The news media is cruel and depicts the mother as a greedy woman wanting of all her husband’s money. While her husband and father of her children is spot lighted as a decent man full of power. I felt sad for the family of women. Yet despite their troubles they came out stronger and better. Messy, complicated, funny, and engaging, this novel was entertaining to read. I enjoyed meeting the Miller women. It sort of reminded me of The Little Women.

Review: The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

In the snowy Highlands of Scotland, Suzanne McBride is dreaming of the perfect cozy Christmas. Her three adopted daughters are coming home for the holidays and she can’t wait to see them. But tensions are running high…

Workaholic Hannah knows she can’t avoid spending the holidays with her family two years in a row. But it’s not the weight of their expectations that’s panicking her—it’s the life-changing secret she’s hiding. Stay-at-home mom Beth is having a personal crisis. All she wants for Christmas is time to decide if she’s ready to return to work—seeing everyone was supposed to help her stress levels, not increase them! Posy isn’t sure she’s living her best life, but with her parents depending on her, making a change seems risky. But not as risky as falling for gorgeous new neighbor Luke…

As Suzanne’s dreams of the perfect McBride Christmas unravel, she must rely on the magic of the season to bring her daughters together. But will this new togetherness teach the sisters that their close-knit bond is strong enough to withstand anything—including a family Christmas?

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan is a lot different than her previous novels. This one is deeper than the others. It has stories from three sisters each with their own issues. Their issues stem from their parents’ death and from various other things in their lives. They each struggle with what they want to do, what they should do, and what they actually end up doing. I felt sympathy immediately for these women. They are full grown and still coming to terms with their loss. Love, family, and hope were common themes that I found on these pages. It was a bit inspiring to watch them each battle their demons and come to terms with their grief. Heartbreaking but hopeful, Sarah Morgan created a realistic novel. I found myself sounded by her characters and enjoying as they grew emotionally and mentally. Unconditional love was on every page. The sacrifices that the adoptive mom made blew me away. There was so much attached to this story. It wasn’t like most novels. This one gripped a hold of me and didn’t let go…

Review: Last Night with the Earl by Kelly Bowen

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Earl. War hero. Notorious rake. After the Battle of Waterloo, Eli Dawes was presumed dead-and would have happily stayed that way. He’s no longer the reckless young man he once was, and only half as pretty. All he wants is to hide away in his country home, where no one can see his scars. But when he tries to sneak into his old bedroom in the middle of the night, he’s shocked to find someone already there.

Rose Hayward remembers Eli as the arrogant lord who helped her late fiance betray her. Finding him stealing into her art studio doesn’t correct her impression. Her only thought is to get him to leave immediately. Yet the tension between them is electric, and she can’t help but be drawn to him. He might be back from the dead, but it’s Rose who is suddenly feeling very, very much alive.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Last Night with the Earl by Kelly Bowen is historical romance that captures the heart and soul. Here, I got to explore the depths of humanity. How far are we willing to help others? An earl, suffering from war, gets a young boy soldier up on a horse when his fellow friend/soldier points a gun at him. Daring the earl to give up the horse so that his uninjured friend could run away. Yet the earl refuses and saves the boy instead. That day earned him more scars and possible death…Years later, just when everyone assumed him dead, the earl finds his father has died and is now taking up to hiding away from the public. Scarred, damaged, and licking his wounds, the earl is content to leave London’s society. Yet his plans are dashed when he comes back home. The one woman who caught his heart lives and teaches at his home residence. There they banter back and forth until both get their anger, loss, and grief straightened out…friendship builds up and so does the attraction and lust. However, both are too injured to let loose and love. The young female artist and the earl need to forgive, heal, and overcomes their fears.

I loved this novel. Kelly Bowen creates characters that are impossible to ignore. Her scenes are vivid, entertaining, and full of emotion. My heart broke for both protagonists. Their troubles made them three-dimensional. I easily was swept away by their actions, romance, and personalities. Plenty of heat, intrigue, and humor are displayed on the pages. These make it hard to stop reading the book. Overall, I highly recommend Last Night with the Earl to all readers. A discovery of art, passion, and inspiration await in this read.

 

Review: The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

The story of an intense female friendship fueled by affection, envy and pride–and each woman’s fear that she would be nothing without the other.

Skinny, nine-year-old orphaned Dores is working in the kitchen of a sugar plantation in 1930s Brazil when in walks a girl who changes everything. Graça, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy sugar baron, is clever, well fed, pretty, and thrillingly ill behaved. Born to wildly different worlds, Dores and Graça quickly bond over shared mischief, and then, on a deeper level, over music.

One has a voice like a songbird; the other feels melodies in her soul and composes lyrics to match. Music will become their shared passion, the source of their partnership and their rivalry, and for each, the only way out of the life to which each was born. But only one of the two is destined to be a star. Their intimate, volatile bond will determine each of their fortunes–and haunt their memories.

Traveling from Brazil’s inland sugar plantations to the rowdy streets of Lapa in Rio de Janeiro, from Los Angeles during the Golden Age of Hollywood back to the irresistible drumbeat of home, The Air You Breathe unfurls a moving portrait of a lifelong friendship–its unparalleled rewards and lasting losses–and considers what we owe to the relationships that shape our lives.

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles delivers a Brazilian historical tale that is rich in culture. It also features two women going against the present life to find something better for themselves. They go away from their community’s expectations and soar higher than they can dream. Music, slavery, and unwavering friendship make this an interesting read. Frances de Pontes Peebles captures the time periods perfectly. Readers, like myself, will travel back in time to World War II era. The writing style is unique and gives a clear voice to these Brazilian women. It is both sad and fun to explore.

Inside this book, I got to watch as two women went on to begin their own future. They quickly became best of friends with a talent in the music industry. This road leads to a roller-coaster of jealousy, love, and loss. Both need the other one for support. To them, it was like they couldn’t operate well, unless they were together. However, despite their need for each other, they also have this push and pull relationship. Each gave their support to the other one yet at times they were competitive and cruel. The Air You Breathe is an emotionally engaging story. It is easy to get swept into the characters’ lives. Overall, I recommend this women’s fiction novel to others.

 

Review: Slowly We Die by Emelie Schepp

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

An accidental slip of a blade…Then murderous revenge…A patient’s accidental maiming leads a young surgeon to abandon his profession…Now, ten years later, a series of gruesomely senseless murders are rocking the medical community. The weapon? A surgical scalpel.Who is preying on these victims? What does the grisly pattern reveal? And who will be next? Special prosecutor Jana Berzelius is in charge of the investigation. What she can’t know until finally closing in on the murderer is how her own mother’s recent death is intimately connected.

For fans of Tess Gerritsen and Patricia Cornwell, an intricate medical thriller that keeps everyone guessing. 2017 SWEDISH CRIME WRITER OF THE YEAR’Schepp may be the smoothest storyteller among the new crop of Nordic noir aces…the ingenious plot reveals and hidden connections keep you glued to the action.’ – Kirkus Reviews

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Slowly We Die by Emelie Schepp is a frightening thriller. Imagine being locked in with an unconscious prisoner only to find him awake…the nurse dropped the needle. Her partner bent down to pick it up only to find her dead and the prisoner alive.

Death hung in the air on every page. The intensity of the increasing violence and the volume of people being murdered by a scalpel made my hair stick up. Then, I found out the main character, a prosecutor, may have a personal attachment to the case at hand. Freaky, deadly, and chilling…Emelie Schepp got the fear factor in full force.

The novel really went into depth on the strictness or lack of strictness in the punishments for prisoners. It also showed how some higher individuals also got lower to no punishment for their crimes. Unjust and quickly spiraling out of control, the justice system is sinking. People are scared. These issues are still a big problem to be dealt with…yet nothing got fixed.

How many people have to die before the justice system is fixed? And who is behind all the killings? Is a less strict policy best for deals with criminals…like our prosecutor thought? Or was she wrong? Overall, I enjoyed reading Slowly We Die by Emelie Schepp. It definitely left me thinking hard on these subjects.

 

Review: Feared by Lisa Scottoline

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Machiavelli, a corrupt lawyer, aggressively strikes close to the DiNunzio household, attacking Mary’s father and one of their beloved family friends by filing a lawsuit that accuses them of embezzling from the treasury of a local South Philly social club to which they belong. The lawsuit is frivolous, but Machiavelli ups the ante by spreading rumors that support its allegations, muddying the reputation of Mary’s father.

The claims shake the DiNunzio clan to its foundations, threatening her father’s weakening heart, and Mary steps in to fight back. But Machiavelli is a more than worthy adversary. Then the unthinkable happens, and Mary goes to her own dark side, finding a part of herself that makes her more fearsome than ever before. Is it still a battle between good and evil, when good turns evil? And will Mary be able to find herself, before she loses her soul completely?

Feared, the sixth entry in the acclaimed Rosato & DiNunzio series, expertly explores what happens when we are tempted to give in to our own inner darkness.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Feared by Lisa Scottoline is a heart-racing plot. The intensity of the scenes kept my heart pounding. I was not sure of what would be the outcome. The main character went through a lot of changes recently. From motherhood to catching bad guys, this strong independent woman made me speechless. Her bravery was crazy. Lies, deception, and danger hung in the air. Lisa Scottoline poured suspense and action onto every page. Not one single boring moment. Also, I loved the small community of support that was created for the main character. It softened the hard yet dark edges of this story.

Romance, crime, and mystery are displayed here. I could not get enough of the characters. Mary is the central character. She is pregnant and solved a case that others couldn’t solve. Her instincts are so clear, that it was frightening. Her guesses were right but sometimes the wrong suspect is chosen. But none of that stopped Mary from working the case. Her strong willed personality helped define her as a woman not to be toyed with…as one of the male characters has figured out later in the plot. The connection between Mary and her husband, as well as the connection with another man kept the me guessing. Feared is a novel about facing fears and getting justice. Overall, I would recommend it to readers seeking a rush of adrenaline.

Review: The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

On the longest night of the year, Jenny Majesky loses everything in a devastating house fire. But among the ashes she finds an unusual treasure hidden amid her grandfather’s belongings, one that starts her on a search for the truth, and on a path toward a life that she never imagined. The Winter Lodge, a remote cabin owned by her half sister on the shores of Willow Lake, becomes a safe refuge for Jenny, where she and local police chief Rourke McKnight try to sort out the mysteries revealed by the fire. But when a blizzard traps them together, Jenny, accustomed to the safe predictability of running the family bakery, suddenly doesn’t feel so secure. For even as Rourke shelters her from the storm outside, she knows her heart is at risk. Now, following her dreams might mean walking away from her one chance at love.

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs was a heart felt tale about loss, grief, danger, and love. Moving forward and hope for the future were the other themes. The book was realistic. I could see everything that happened-happening in real life. It was emotional. I felt the characters’ pain and fear. Family is a huge thing. Having no parents and losing the grandparents that were like parents to the female protagonist was sad.

Imagine having loved someone yet someone else got between…that middle person died and all that’s left is an open sore. One that doesn’t diminish…but maybe, with a little hope there could be some healing. The pacing was steady. I never got bored while following the characters. The plot intensified as the bond between the protagonists grew. Their love never died…overall, I loved this story. It was sweet, heart breaking, and utter chaos. But it was so good.

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Review: Security by Gina Wohlsdorf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

“Original and imaginative . . . Ripping suspense, sheer terror, and a wrenching love story.” —Sandra Brown, New York Timesbestselling author of Friction 

The terrible truth about Manderley is that someone is always watching. Manderley Resort is a gleaming, new twenty-story hotel on the California coast. It’s about to open its doors, and the world–at least those with the means to afford it–will be welcomed into a palace of opulence and unparalleled security. But someone is determined that Manderley will never open. The staff has no idea that their every move is being watched, and over the next twelve hours they will be killed off, one by one.

Writing in the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, and with a deep bow to Daphne du Maurier, author Gina Wohlsdorf pairs narrative ingenuity and razor-wire prose with quick twists, sharp turns, and gasp-inducing terror. Security is grand guignol storytelling at its very best.

A shocking thriller, a brilliant narrative puzzle, and a multifaceted love story unlike any other, Security marks the debut of a fearless and gifted writer.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Security by Gina Wohlsdorf is an entertaining yet deadly mystery. It kept me guessing. The scenes where it was so obvious that someone did something that couldn’t be brushed off was overlooked. I wondered what would have happened, if the blood scenes were checked and inspected. How many times the hints of something darker were present yet ignored. The intrigue built with every page. Made me curious as a cat. Every moment a murder has been committed it’s been shrugged off by the sheer visibility due to a reasonable excuse of what it could have been. My questions were, wouldn’t a sane person look further into the blood scenes, who was injured, and how did it happen unnoticed? Yet the characters who noticed something did not take it further which added to the intensity of the severe situation. A murderer was loose and able to kill everyone without a single disturbance. Gina Wohlsdorf’s writing caught my eye and kept me reading. I love a good mystery and the frightening story of being watched by someone unknown was creepy as hell. Overall, I recommend this novel to all.

Review: Wanted: A Perfect Partner by Debbie Macomber

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Sweet, fun romance stories by #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber are to be enjoyed again and again!

Single mom Meg Remington isn’t looking for another chance at love, but her teenage daughter, Lindsay, has other plans, so she places a personal ad on her mother’s behalf. When it’s answered by Steve Conlan, he actually seems…perfect! But there’s more at work, as the reluctant couple soon discovers. Meg and Steve want to teach their matchmakers a lesson–if only they weren’t really falling for each other!

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Wanted: Perfect Partner by Debbie Macomber held some very exciting and unexpected twists. I was not sure what to expect with this read. But what I found was a fun, emotionally engaging, and romantic journey. A single divorced mother with a teenage daughter trying to get her married. A daughter who places an ad for dating in a newspaper for her mom.  Single bachelor and brother to a young woman, plots to get her brother married off…only things go a little wacky, intense, and hot.

I loved reading it. Moments like Steve returning Meg’s purse only to have the cops called trying t arrest him…and Meg’s daughter saying he’s a convicted felon…was hilarious. Steve and Meg thought they could have the upper hand on their date arrangers only for it to back fire completely. Humor was found everywhere. Steve pretended to be a convicted felon while Meg presented herself as a cheap hookup girl.

At first Steve and Meg, were emebarrassed. Then, they went from embarrassment to taking control or so they thought. But what they did not plan on was the attraction they started to feel…

Debbie Macomber once again, has written a story that tugged at my heart. I fell completely in love with her characters. All of them were amazing. They were perfect at their roles. In fact, some were so perfect, that I didn’t see the ending twist. Overall, I would recommend this realistic heartfelt yet romantic comedy to all readers.

 

Review: X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

 

HE LEFT TO KEEP HER SAFE
Believing he’s too dangerous to be among people, feline hybrid Tanner Howland retreats deep into the forests of Washington State—with no choice but to leave behind the woman who’s captured his heart. What he doesn’t know is that she followed him…

SHE WOULDN’T STAY BEHIND
Heartbroken and determined, Dr. Zarina Sokolov tracks Tanner into the wild. Her presence unleashes Tanner’s protective instinct—big time. Locals have been disappearing and he is desperate for Zarina to leave. As the kidnappings escalate, Tanner must embrace the dangerous instincts he fears so much. But with Zarina at his side, he’ll have to learn to control his animal impulses, or lose himself—and the woman he loves—to the beast within.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler is an exciting paranormal romantic suspense read. I was thoroughly engaged, hooked, and in love with this book. It was full of danger, excitement, risks, and hot steamy scenes too.

I couldn’t get enough of Tanner Howland. He is the kind of man every woman wants in her life and every man wants as his best friend and backup. Tanner is a tough soldier who went through a lifetime of hellish situations. But somehow he’s managed to keep living and moving forward. Sure, he still struggles with real-life issues that all men could relate to him, but he is still the perfect hero. Tough yet kind as hell, Tanner is irresistible.

Dr. Zarina Sokolvo is Russian. I can see and hear her speak as the plot ran by me. I was fascinated with this scientist. She was kidnapped to work on a biological scheme for evil men. They took men off the streets to inject them with hybrid syrum to transform them from humans to animals. Many died from this experiment. Dr. Zarina wanted no part but teed like hell to stop them. She risked her life to save Tanner. Tanner has never forgotten her help nor who that bright woman was…

Life is messy. Complications arise as Dr. Zarina and Tanner are brought together again. Trouble comes  crashing down around them sending them apart once more. But Dr. Zarina does not give up that easily nor does Tanner. Overall, X-Ops Exposed by Paige Tyler was sexy as hell and full of action. I could not stop reading this novel. I would highly recommend it to all readers.

Review: The House of Binding Thorns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

The multi-award-winning author of The House of Shattered Wings continues her Dominion of the Fallen saga as Paris endures the aftermath of a devastating arcane war….

As the city rebuilds from the onslaught of sorcery that nearly destroyed it, the great Houses of Paris, ruled by Fallen angels, still contest one another for control over the capital.

House Silverspires was once the most powerful, but just as it sought to rise again, an ancient evil brought it low. Phillippe, an immortal who escaped the carnage, has a singular goal—to resurrect someone he lost. But the cost of such magic might be more than he can bear.

In House Hawthorn, Madeleine the alchemist has had her addiction to angel essence savagely broken. Struggling to live on, she is forced on a perilous diplomatic mission to the underwater dragon kingdom—and finds herself in the midst of intrigues that have already caused one previous emissary to mysteriously disappear….

As the Houses seek a peace more devastating than war, those caught between new fears and old hatreds must find strength—or fall prey to a magic that seeks to bind all to its will.

Rating: 3-stars

Review:

The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette De Bodard is a fallen angel story. Fallen angels among others are fighting to own Paris. But after a war, they are struggling to make the city strong again. Still fighting over ownership, two houses are trying to combine power of ownership. Yet destruction still hangs in the air…ready to strike once more. Power, fear, and loyalties are tested within these pages. The plot felt slow to me. I felt like I was dragged through the book, in the slowest way possible. I did not feel connected to the characters. It was like they did whatever they felt like doing for their own goals. This book held potential to be more than what it presented. However, it fell short of those expectations.

 

Review: Billion Dollar Cowboy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

A Billionaire Can Buy Anything…

Colton Nelson was twenty-eight years old when he won the Texas Lottery and went from ranch hand to ranch owner overnight. Now he’s desperate to keep the gold diggers away. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a pretty girl and hire her to pretend to be his one-and-only.

Or Can He?

Laura Baker’s got mixed feelings about this–she’s on the ranch to work, not to be arm candy. On the other hand, being stuck for a while in the boondocks with a gorgeous cowboy isn’t half-bad.

What neither Colton nor Laura expects are the intensely hard lessons they have to learn about the real cost of love…

Rating:  4.5-stars

Review:

Billion Dollar Cowboy by Carolyn Brown is a heartfelt tale. Hot, charming, and hilarious…The teenage girl featured in this story made me laugh out loud a lot. She helped bring together the new couple. One is her older brother and the other is her brother’s employee. Both suffered loss and grief. They are stubborn as hell and sparkle any room. Their personalities made me fall in love with them. Their flaws made them feel real. I loved how Carolyn Brown captured the true cowboy ways and family life in this novel.Sibling rivalry, addiction, facing fears, and finding love were some of the major themes featured inside this book. It was funny, sweet, and engaging from the start. Overall, I recommend this story to those looking for a romance featuring cowboys and happily ever after.

 

 

Review: Coldwater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Having forfeited his youth to the state prison system, Michael moved back to the only home he’d ever known. An empty shell of a man who now lived–if it could be called living–in the still vacant house of his parents in a town with one stoplight. A town that hated him. Had always hated him. And was ready to pick up where the prison system had let off.

Now he’s on the run from men who’ve tried to kill him once; but Michael is more than an ex-con. A powerful, sinister force creeps inside him, threatening and destructive. Who–and what–it will destroy next is the only real question. From the bold voice that brought readers down Purgatory Road comes a new pulse-pounding, spine-rattling tale of vengeance and justice that will have them up all night.

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Coldwater by Samuel Parker is a haunting, deep, yet nightmarish tale. The main protagonist is more troubled than what I was led to believe. A demon taking hold of him and controlling his life, Michael has if rough. A dark paranormal take over happens immediately. Hatred, sins, and death hung within the air with every page. Destruction felt unescapable. Hiding from those who want him dead and battling what is inside gave me chills. It was like a darker more sinister story than any of the Chucky movies that I have seen. Those movies give me nightmares. This was the first novel I’ve read by this publisher that was beyond frightening. Edgy, traumatic, and suspenseful…I never would have imagined this high of a level to be found. Coldwater is intriguing and entertaining but do not read it at night. This, is not for everyone to read. Overall, it was well-done.

Review: A Hand of Magic

Synopsis:

Even in a world of magic… you must trust in love… to heal the healer.

As Madison is running from venomous weresnakes who forced her to be their healer, she heals a werewolf pup attacked by a troll. A deed that turns her world upside down when she’s unexpectedly drawn to the pup’s werewolf pack. Even more so she’s drawn to their leader, the alluring Alpha—Alex. Though Madison gave up on love long ago, the more she’s with the werewolf pack, the harder it is for her to push Alex away.

Alex Spiros has close-cropped light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a wolfish grin, but the caution and danger in his movements mark him as a protector… and the killer for his pack. Madison brings out the male part of his wolf, but he’s also worried about her and wants her to feel safe after the horror of the weresnakes. Alex throws himself into a war to protect her and his pack.

Is time running out for the pack or can Alex bring the war with the weresnakes to a victorious end? Moreover, is Madison ready to not only bond with the pack, but also surrender to an even rarer bond with Alex…or will she keep running?

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

A Hand of Magic by Diane Moat is one of the best paranormal romance novels I’ve read in a long time. Her protagonist, Madison, stands out from the norm. She’s easy to like and makes me wonder what and where she’ll be next. I never know what to expect with a character that is running away from her greatest fear.

Madison can’t get too close to anyone. Otherwise, they end of dead by the very group who held her hostage. Her friends have died and now, that Hand is coming after her. They won’t stop until she’s dead…

Madison runs into a pack of wolves that are needing her help. She ends up sealing her fate with them, when she heals a pup belonging to them. The leader, Alex, will not stop chasing her to stay. Then, there’s this irresistible bond she feels with him. Alex too, feels their connection. Unlike her, Alex wants it…them together. But it’s up to Madison to decide where she will be when the times comes.

A Hand of Magic is dark, intriguing, mysterious and romantic. I loved it. Diane Moat has everything I wanted and expected in this read. Plus, some. Besides, who could resist a magic, danger, and love? This made for a heady combination that sealed me in from the start. Diane Moat proved she is indeed a talented writer. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next and hopes she creates a book two for this one. Overall, I highly recommend this novel to all.

Review: Jobs for Robots

Synopsis: 

Robots are everywhere right now, but what will they mean for us? Automation, robotics, and future technology present tremendous opportunities — but also significant threats.The way forward is fraught with challenges, and we must bridge critical gaps between the present and the future to fully reap the benefits of tomorrow. Jobs for Robots puts this debate in a historical context and presents readers with actionable steps to robot-proof their professional lives. The book also includes a compelling discussion about the future of work, roboadvising, FinTech, and universal basic income.

Jobs for Robots was excerpted by Bloomberg News in a Bloomberg View article here: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-03-06/how-to-survive-the-robocalypse

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Jobs for Robots by Jason Schenker presents the current discussion on robots taking over our jobs. Many argue that robots will take over jobs that humans deem unfitting for themselves. However, robots can continue working longer hours without breaks like us, humans. Thus, employers will look deeper into hiring robots versus humans. But then, there are still areas in which even the most advance technology cannot replace a human. Examples are editing software. They can catch what they have been programmed to catch, but still editing should be done by a human editor. The writer argues both sides of this robot debate. Yet, he still hasn’t made me feel any more confident about the future job loss ahead. Jason Schenker presents interesting facts but doesn’t fully go into further detail. Yes, we know technology can be both good and bad. In this book, I haven’t read something, that I didn’t already know about this current issue. The writer’s idea of where our future will head proved to be very bleak. 

Review: The Christmas Room

Synopsis:
The beloved author of the Mystic Creek series gifts readers with a novel of homespun holiday cheer, as two families discover the joy of hope and redemption….

 

Widow Maddie McLendon has uprooted her life to move to Rustlers Gulch with her son and grandson. But as a brutal Montana winter looms on the horizon, contractors have yet to break ground on their new house, leaving them to live in a makeshift camp of trailers, tents, and sheds….

Since his wife died six years earlier, millionaire rancher Sam Conacher has been content to wallow in his grief alone, while keeping a tight rein on his twenty-six-year-old daughter. But now the girl has gone and fallen in love with his foolish new neighbor’s no-good son….
Maddie and Sam will never see eye to eye on anything, until a near-tragedy gives them a true glimpse into each other’s souls. And as the first snowflakes begin to fall, they’ll discover that an open heart is the biggest gift of all….

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson is a sweet heartfelt tale. One full of surprises. The beginning was sad, intense, and emotional. I laughed, cried, and fell in love. Loss, grief, fear, and hope are just some of the major themes explored on the pages. The plot was steady paced. There was some heat. Overall, it had a clean romance environment. The families involved felt real. The scenes carried me to the last page. I felt like jumping up and down with excitement and hugging the characters. Catherine Anderson created another cozy family holiday tale that was believable. I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend The Christmas Room to all. 

Review: Against A Crimson Sky

Synopsis:

The continuation of the sweeping story of young Countess Anna Maria, introduced in the epic PUSH NOT THE RIVER, as Poland picks up the pieces and joins forces with Napoleon in an attempt to bring down Russia.

 

AGAINST A CRIMSON SKY tells the interrelated stories of four characters in the aftermath of the violent dissolution of Poland in 1794 and culminates in the doomed 1812 winter march into Russia. Countess Anna Maria Berezowska has finally married her true love, Jan Stelnicki, but life is anything but ideal. Not long into their union, Jan takes to the battlefield in the hopes of ensuring a sovereign Poland for his children. Meanwhile, his best friend on the front lines continues to pine for Anna’s cousin, Zofia, but she has her sights set a little higher…on the emperor Napoleon. 

AGAINST A CRIMSON SKY interweaves these tales of intrigue, love and betrayal as one proud nation and one strong family struggle for unity.

Rating: 5-stars 

Review:

Against A Crimson Sky by James Conroyd Martin is a stunning historical read. I loved it. I got to experience the Polish culture and the people of Poland. My grandmother is Polish so, reading this was even more exciting for me. War times are difficult and can bring much sadness. Hope, courage, love, and family life are strong themes inside this novel. A noble woman loses her son and husband to war. Pregnant again, she’s hoping for a girl. Fate has a funny way of bringing a family together and tearing them apart. Intense, well-told, and engaging. I felt like I was inside the protagonist’s shoes. Her life became my own the instant I opened the book. Adventure of a lifetime was waiting for me on the pages. Pages that moved me quickly through the conflict, emotions, and actions from the scenes. James Conroyd Martin brilliantly captured a people and their lives in his writing. Words that became three-dimensional once they were read. Uncertainty, lies ahead but the ending was beautiful. I was happy it ended the way it did. Felt right. Overall, I highly recommend Against A Crimson Sky to readers worldwide. 

Review: Take to the Limit

Synopsis:

They are part of an elite unit. On task. Off grid. These are the men of the Shadow Ops task force. Be seduced and thrilled by Take to the Limit, the next Unbroken Heroes novel by Dawn Ryder. 

Holding out for a hero…
A hardened military machine, Bram Magnus is a tough, combat-ready, all-American hero who never surrenders. But the one thing he can’t fight? His smoldering, intense attraction to his girlfriend’s younger sister. He’s always kept his feelings locked deeply down. But when his girlfriend betrays him the night before he ships off to Afghanistan, Bram has one chance to show the woman he’s resisted for years that he wants her as fiercely as the first day he saw her.
Ever since her older sister first brought home the soldier with steely hard muscles and piercing eyes, Jaelyn has wanted Bram, and when her sister casts him aside the night before he leaves, Jaelyn can’t resist one steamy hot kiss with him. But danger is not far behind, and even as a deadly enemy hunts them, their relationship only grows more explosive. It’s all Bram can do to keep Jaelyn safe, but with a threat this powerful, will they pay the ultimate price for their passion?

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Take to the Limit by Dawn Ryder is a sexy tale featuring alpha males. Males who think only about their work and nothing else. Or so they thought…Enter a beautiful woman and a Bram can’t let go. He’s leaving on a mission. Told to leave her alone. But his heart can’t. So, he does what he can. Writes letters to her. Not one, not two, but dozens of letters. Letting her know she’s all he’s thinking about while away. Hot sex. Instant chemistry. And fear. Jaelyn loves Bram. He is a sexy tall man who has her toes curling in the hot sand. Her dreams are filled with nothin glut him. She kissed him hard before he left. Her heart aches for him. Thinking she won’t ever see him again, she hardens her heart against him. When he arrives back to her, all hell breaks loose. His letters he wrote were never given to her….someone stole them. Jealousy. Jaelyn pushes Bram away. But he’s not giving up without a hell of a fight. Hell, she’s worth everything to him. Then, danger comes and knocks their world into a crazy space. No one knows where it will lead. But Bram is going to fight until he has Jaelyn safe again in his arms…and in his bed. 

Dawn Ryder knows how to heat up the pages. I blushed every time. The heat was scorching. The sex soon turned to love making. The characters each had their own fears and struggles. But somehow they keep moving forward and work through them. Friends who tease but also have their backs. Family that will always support them no matter what. I loved the granddaughter and grandfather relationships in this book. It was sweet, charming, and hilarious. Overall, I enjoyed reading Take to the Limit. It’s a perfect title for the scenes inside…a super solider and his strong yet bold woman. 

Review: The Girls in the Water

Synopsis:

‘The first one had been an accident. He had never intended to kill her. But as he looked down at her body, he knew there would be a next one…’ 

When the body of Lola Evans is found in a local park on a cold winter’s morning, Detective Alex King and her new recruit Chloe Lane are called in to lead the hunt for the killer. 
Days later, a second girl goes missing. It seems the two shared a troubled history, and were members of the same support group. Who is the monster preying on these vulnerable girls? 
As the detectives start to piece together the clues, Chloe realises that she too is in danger – as she uncovers secrets about her own brother’s death which someone will kill to keep hidden. 
Alex and Chloe are determined to find the killer before more lives are lost… 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

The Girls in the Water by Victoria Jenkins is a dark thriller. A game of catch me, if you can. A killer is loose. It’s up to two detectives to find him before another body is found. Danger hangs around the corner. Excitement on every page. I felt the chills run down my arms. The prickling sensation of fear. Two women chasing after a killer is an intriguing tale. Usually, there’s at least one male partner in stories like this. However, Victoria Jenkins shook it up in this book. Different, engaging, and intense. The killer is a cold hearted. The backstory into his making felt realistic. It was like reading a true event from a newspaper but with the enticing edge of a fictional piece. Yes, this is fiction but the reality of the characters both dead and alive were so believable. I enjoyed following the duo as they went about solving the case. Overall, I highly recommend The Girls in the Water to readers worldwide. 

Review: The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories

Synopsis:

Jacey met the man of her dreams a year ago—and hasn’t seen him since. Finally relocating him as the pastor at her best friend’s wedding was the very last thing she expected.

A year ago, Jacey was trapped on a rooftop during a flood with perfect strangers, including a family and a man named Colin. After two days there together, she had no doubt that Colin was the man of her dreams. When they were finally rescued he tucked his phone number into her pocket. But an accident with the rescue boat left her hospitalized with amnesia and PTSD . . . and his number nowhere to be found.

Now, Jacey has still only recovered bits and pieces of her memory from that time. She clearly remembers Colin—but not his last name or any other details that would help her locate him. She’s trying to immerse herself in the joy of her best friend’s wedding . . . when she looks up at the end of the aisle only to discover Colin there in the minister’s role. Shock is an understatement.

On one hand, she’s elated to see him again. And then reality sets in. She never intended to get married or have kids. And being a minister’s wife was definitely never on her list. Was Colin not the man she thought he was? Or has the amnesia changed her more than she realized?

With the typical wit and honesty Celeste Fletcher McHale is becoming known for, it’s time for Jacey to take a fresh look at her life. Could this string of unexpected events have been setting her up for something far better than what she had planned for herself?

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories by Celeste Fletcher McHale is an enchanting tale. Love is a powerful thing, if we leapt it into our lives. Jacey isn’t sure about love. Yet life has offered her the opportunity to take it. First, she must find courage in herself. Or else lose what could have been…

Celeste Fletcher McHale has combined fear, love, faith, and hope into a masterpiece. The outcome is phenomenal. I felt sadness, fear, and hope. The main character struggles each day and little by little she transforms into a braver woman. The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories is indeed a perfect read for all. Especially, women. Memories and feelings come out and it’s up to Jacey to decide what will come. Overall, I recommend this beautifully written novel to readers worldwide. 

Review: Grizzly Season

Synopsis:

The highly anticipated follow-up to SW Lauden’s Bad Citizen Corporation, former Los Angeles police officer Greg Salem and his sidekick Marco escape to a remote cabin in the backend of the Angeles National Forest, only to have their peaceful retreat upturned after stumbling across the marijuana farm operation called Grizzly Flats. When the drug lord Magnus Ursus’ latest marijuana crop leaves Greg’s hometown and closest friends in disarray—setting off a series of explosive scenes including high-speed motorcycle chases, violent porn shoots, high-altitude gun fights, Mexican drug smuggling and murder—Greg is forced out of retirement to avenge his home and save the lives of those closest him.

Rating: 4.5-stars

Review:

Grizzly Season by S W Lauden is an exciting adventure. This book has trouble all over it. Inside, I found a retired police officer forced out of retirement because of a lot of mayhem happening within his hometown. A drug lord operating a marijuana farm leaves around a lot of violence. From shootings to car chases, the main charcater, Greg Salem, will have his hands full. Murder investigation and criminal activity makes this a heart racing read. Panic, fear, and deadly situations on every page. I’ve found Grizzly Season to entertaining. Suspenseful and well-developed. Overall, I recommend this hard-billed thriller by S W Lauden to all. 

Review: Under a Desert Sky

Synopsis:

There comes a time in life when we find ourselves in the desert place of burning questions. Why? Why me? But even as we shake our fist heavenward, the heart whispers another question. Who? Who are you, God? It is a question of relationship, a question we all murmur in the hardest places. 

Against the backdrop of the Sonoran Desert, Lynne Hartke asks her own hard questions as cancer arrives like a thief with one goal: to take it all. Hair. The contents of a stomach. A marriage. A life. As her days become a blur of doctors’ appointments, treatments, and surgeries, she wrestles with a tumble of tangled emotions, a shaken faith, and self-doubt. Cancer is now not only threatening her own life, but, in a surprising twist, the lives of both her parents as well. 

Through her raw, lyrical words, Hartke invites fellow sojourners to discover that in life’s hardest places, they are not alone in their fear, they are not foolish to hope, and they are never forgotten by a loving, pursuing God. Never. 

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Under a Desert Sky by Lynne Hartke is an inspiring memoir of one woman’s journey with cancer. Cancer is the toughest path one finds in life. It takes hold of us, crushing us under its pressure. Sometimes, we feel like we’ve lost the battle and want to give up. However, this book, redefines hope, beauty, and faith in the hardest places. Lynne Hartke’s words grabbed my attention immediately. Her words made me cry and feel that hope never dies. Pain only makes one stronger. Beautifully written by a survivor, who went through it all. Pain, grief, and hope. Overall, I deeply recommend this memoir to all. 

Review: Brothers-In-Arms

Synopsis:

Can a Jew and a Nazi survive Hitler’s Germany?
Franz Kappel and Japhet Buchanan never expected their friendship to be tested by the Third Reich. Friends from early childhood, the boys form an inseparable, brotherly bond. Growing up in a little German village, they escape most of the struggles of war until the day Japhet is banished from school for being a Jew, and later has a rib broken when other village boys beat him up. Franz learns he is putting himself in danger for spending so much time with Japhet but continues to stand up for his Jewish friend even at the risk to himself. Then one day their lives are shattered when they see first-hand that the price of being a Jew is dangerously high. 
With the war now on their doorsteps, Franz and Japhet come up with a desperate plan to save their families and get them out of Germany alive. Leaving behind the lives they’ve always known, they move into Berlin with nothing to protect them but forged papers and each other. Convinced their friendship can keep them going, the boys try and make a new life for themselves while trying to keep their true identities and Japhet’s heritage a secret. Taking his best friend’s safety upon himself, Franz joins the Nazis in an attempt to get valuable information. At the same time, Japhet joins the Jewish Resistance, neither friend telling the other of their new occupations.
With everyone in their world telling them a Nazi and a Jew can’t be friends, it is only a matter of time before they believe all the lies themselves, until neither is certain if they are fighting against a race of people or fighting for their homeland. Somehow they have to survive the horrors of World War II, even when all of Germany seems to be against them.

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

Brothers-In-Arms by Jack Lewis Baillot is a tale that takes readers immediately back into the dark and haunting time for Jews. Even their German friends were in danger. Imagine trying to help a Jewish member escape from the cruelty of the Hitler’s Nazis…if caught one’s death could be just as bad or much worse than what the Jews received. Sad and troubling times. A moment in history all will never forget. Jack Lewis Baillot has created a fictional world full of suspense, deadly consequences, and an unforgettable friendship unlike any other. A German Nazis best friends with a Jew. 

Inside this novel, readers meet two boys who grew up being friends. Times have changed and with it their lives are at stake. Japhet Buchanan is a Jew. For that reason alone he is tormented by all. As war breaks out, he and his family will be in grave danger. His friend Fran’s Kappel, a German, works with his friend to get out of Germany with their family. Safety. But getting out will prove most difficult. Brothers-In-Arms had me rooting for both characters and crying too. Both went through so many demons to get to the ending moment. The writing brought back the fears, tears, and memories of WWII. I highly recommend it to all. Plus, the writer has gone even further by breaking more boundaries within this masterpiece. Absolutely, stunning. 

Review: Bealtaine;Tales of the Fae

 

Synopsis:

Shea Brogan the Earl of Glenn Haven has finally found a countess to share his life with. Though Maura, his widowed sister-in-law is of common blood, she and her young son Torin, his nephew has stolen his heart and his devotion. As their wedding rapidly approaches on the heels of the Sumer Solstice so does trouble. Glenn Haven comes alive in late spring with the thinning of the veil and now fairy folk and all matter of woodland creatures are causing both mischief and delight. Meanwhile, little Torin is harboring a secret. He’s discovered the gift of magic that ran through his father’s veins and yet rages through his Uncle Shea. These new abilities and sights come with the need of caution that the lad fights to tackle on his own; while his lovely mother still struggles to see the beauty of the unseen world. Maura has always wrestled with belief but her blind eye could drive a wedge between her and her beloved Earl before the upcoming nuptials. Especially when one particular being took a very special liking, to her. Is their love strong enough to overcome the challenge?

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Nicole Strycharz has once again swept readers, like myself, into her latest novel.  This writer definitely knows how to bait, hook, and lure her readers. Instantly was intrigued following the main characters that I love from a previous book as their journey progressed. I was deeply satisfied with the plot. Especially, with the ending. Nicole Strycharz currently has me hooked onto her brilliant writing style. There’s plenty of sass, sweetness, and a seduction that sends readers into a frenzy. Once, readers open this book, they better prepare with the wanting of more reads by Nicole Strycharz in the future. I have been lucky as this writer has kept publishing more dazzling reads to keep me lured. Entertaining Bealtaine; Tales of the Fae brings a world of fantasy and one of love together. It will leave readers questioning whether magic is truly real or just a figment of our imagination. Excellent characterization as expected. After reading this book, I would love to have met each character in real life. Their troubles are so similar to our own it’s hard to believe they’re just fictional pieces created by a mastermind. The novel also brought the theme of family, hope, forgiveness, and a future full of promises. But danger and challenges are ahead for the characters…can love, conquer all? Overall, I highly recommend this Christmas and romance tale to all.

Review: Resolve, Courage, & Hope

Synopsis:

On December 13, 2007, in the small town of Lake Wales, Florida, Leon Davis Jr. walked into an insurance agency with a gun, duct tape, and gasoline. He demanded money, wrapped two women in tape, doused them with fuel, and flicked a lighter.

In what is considered part of the worst killing rampage in Polk County history, Resolve, Courage, Hope tells the true story of how Scott Headley picked up the pieces after a longtime client deliberately and viciously killed two of his employees, the aftershock of Davis’s murderous rampage, court trials, night terrors, and regaining his sense of self.
Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Resolve, Courage, and Hope by Scott Headly and Alison Nissen was an intriguing memoir. It’s unlike most I have read thus far. It’s about one man’s journey into the darkness. How he crumbles and falls into a black hole. Letting it swallow him up whole. His journey happens so quickly and is quite frightening. I was shocked, scared, and interested. My heart broke into many pieces not just for the man mentioned but for his family and the families of the women who died. Death, destruction, and hope. Nightmares that come and stay forever. Those are images one can never forget. Sad, well-written, and highly engaging. I had to read it all. Needed to know how the memoir ended. Resolve, Courage, and Hope is a new read that I recommend to all. It shows the darkness that haunts our world and plagues those who still survive. Overall, a great read. 

Review: Her Darkest Nightmare

 

Synopsis:

THE HUNT FOR A SERIAL KILLER
Evelyn Talbot knows that a psychopath can look perfectly normal. She was only sixteen when her own boyfriend Jasper imprisoned and tortured her―and left her for dead. Now an eminent psychiatrist who specializes in the criminal mind, Evelyn is the force behind Hanover House, a maximum-security facility located in a small Alaskan town. Her job puts her at odds with Sergeant Amarok, who is convinced that Hanover is a threat to his community…even as his attraction to beautiful Evelyn threatens to tear his world apart.

BEGINS WITH AN ESCAPE FROM HER PAST
Then, just as the bitter Alaskan winter cuts both town and prison off from the outside world, the mutilated body of a local woman turns up. For Amarok, this is the final proof he needs: Hanover has to go. Evelyn, though, has reason to fear that the crime is a personal message to her―the first sign that the killer who haunts her dreams has found her again. . .and that the life she has so carefully rebuilt will never be the same…

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Her Darkest Nightmare by Brenda Novak is brilliantly well-written. With this talented writer, I have yet to see a poorly written and undeveloped book. Each of her novels, is better than the one before it. It is amazing what Brenda Novak conjures in each tale. This latest novel is a romantic suspense read that will have readers hooked from beginning to end. The fear is overwhelming. I could feel the raw tensions caused by both they work that the main character does and the romance that stirs between her and the police officer. The attraction is mutual. However, the issue lies with the female doctor who can’t forget the past and embrace her life. Or embraced what her life could be like if she would just let go of her nightmare.

Brenda Novak introduced us readers to a prison where a bunch of doctors wanted to analyze the psychopaths that kill and torture others. They hoped that this facility will give them the research they need to see what causes the killers to do what they do. Their goal was to find out what makes them kill and why in a false hope that they can save people. Monsters housed in one building that has top security. Yet one lady never made it to the facility to work on time…then there’s the sexy police officer who found a woman’s head all bashed in a way that no one could recognize her. He immediately laid the blame on the Hangover House aka prison full of psychopathic killers. But could the killer really be a loose prisoner or someone else that the doctor might know? The suspense as always left me hanging. I was eager to know who died and who the killer is, plus, I wanted to see what lied in the future for the two main characters. Then there’s the doctor who was tormented by her boyfriend. Raped and left for dead…yet somehow she made it through and worked her way to becoming a specialist that works in analyzing men aka killers like her boyfriend. Even though she spent years in therapy, she still can’t let go of the danger that’s bound her in like the prisoners around her. Intriguing, sexy, and phenomenal. Brenda Novak’s new novel, Her Darkest Nightmare, will have left her readers sweating in fear. Overall, I highly recommend this compelling read to all.

Review: Immortal Writers

 

Synopsis:

Young up-and-coming author Liz McKinnen has no idea that her life is about to change forever when she comes home from her first book tour. When she’s kidnapped and told by her captors that she has to kill her fantasy book’s antagonist, she thinks that she’s fallen into the hands of crazy, dangerous fans… until her antagonist sends a real, fire-breathing dragon after her.

Liz is quickly initiated into the Immortal Writers, a group of authors from throughout time whose words have given them eternal life, and whose prose is so powerful that it’s brought stories over from the Imagination Field into the Reality Field. As Liz meets authors such as William Shakespeare, JRR Tolkien, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jane Austen, she has to learn how to control magic, fight dragons, and face her own troubled past before her power-hungry villain takes over the world. Will she survive the ultimate battle against the dragon lord whom she created?

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Immortal Writers by Jill Bowers is a sensational read. Adventure, creatures, intrigue, and suspense all wrapped into one amazing book. Imagine the characters that are created in a book suddenly come to life…and the only way to stop the bad characters is for the writer to fight the bad guys off….which is quite scary, funny, and richly entertaining. Liz McKinnen wrote such a book. After finishing her book tour she had been kidnapped by none other the hot sexy male protagonist from her book! Then meeting other famous writers and characters that one would deem are rich crazy people who need help. But are they really real of just all nuts? Jill Bowers has the raw power of drawing readers into her plot. I could not stop reading it. The story hooked me from beginning to end. The action, danger, and challenges ahead were exciting. Immortal Writers is about a bad character who makes it his mission to take over the real world. The one us human beings call home. It’s up to Liz McKinnen to save the world from her protagonist…and dragons. Overall, I highly recommend this brilliant read to all.

 

Review: Friend

Synopsis:

FRIEND is a story about a set of girlfriends who start out inseparable but are slowly torn apart by jealousy, betrayals, and lies from the inside out. The story is told from the perspective of Bonnie, whose friendships are the center of her life for the moment. Her friends are Cora (the good girl), Leena (the giver of good advice but never the user), Jenelle and Jayna a.k.a. “the Twinzies” (and double trouble), and Hazel (the dime piece whose beauty is, unfortunately, often overshadowed by her selfish ways). After meeting as young girls, in different but equally dramatic ways, they become close, growing up together and learning the ups and downs of female friendship and adolescence.

Then, Donna enters the group. She was seeking a crowd she could consider her click after moving into the city, but she chose the wrong crowd. After meeting Bonnie and Hazel in high school and being brought into the group, she thought she found her click. But when Donna starts dating Pay, her alleged friend, the once uninterested Hazel decides all of a sudden she wants to claim something that once again wasn’t hers. When a secret love square forms, the group is forced to turn a blind eye to the unforgivable actions of one of their own at the expense of another. Throughout it all, Bonnie has been caught between her loyalty and her conscience, and Hazel’s other side becomes more and more evident and starts to create a wedge between the crew.

Bonnie and her new boyfriend Drew then become the target of Hazel’s selfishness; Bonnie decides that her friendship with Hazel isn’t worth the drama or her relationship with Drew and begins distancing herself from it all. Quickly things with this once tight group of girls begin to unravel and they are faced with the reality that their friendship isn’t what it once was. Their former rebellious pastime of boys, drinking, and partying with fake ID’s has turned into a dangerous game of lies, secrets, and manipulation. With all the girls forced to choose sides amid the unfolding drama, the line between friends and enemies has blurred. And these former “best friends” have now become “Frenemies”. You know what they say, there’s an “end” in “friend” for a reason.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Friend by Khadija Styles is an intensifying read. The drama is so thick that readers will be holding their breath with every page. The suspense of when all breaks loose is crazy in a good way. Teens taking life as it comes and dishing out what they want when they want it. Readers will find this novel having pieces of Pretty Little Liars and Mean Girls twists to it. Absolutely a dark tale that somehow finds a way of pulling readers into the fast-paced plot. One moment there’s a group o typical high school girls and then suddenly their world of friendships comes to a screeching holt. Fear, anger, and jealousy all on the line. Surviving rounds of hatred, lies, and betrayal will be the ultimate test for this particular group of girls.

Friend is an edgy YA read with adult content on every page. The end in friend might just be a sign for these high school girls. Khadija Styles writes a novel that shows the dark side to teenagers and what harm they are capable of doing if the right pressure and situation occur. But sometimes, things can blow apart even without the extra spice, to set things off. The story read from a first person point of view. I didn’t know what to feel towards the main character showing me what happens in the book. Feelings are complicated but the book is a definite must-read for all.

 

Review: My Darling Dorothy

 

Synopsis:

Based on authentic letters from the era, My Darling Dorothy is a timeless love story that transcends both hard times and the brutal impact of war. The tumult of the Great Depression and World War II provides the background for a novel about three young people; Tommie, Jack and Dorothy and their challenges, struggles, defeats, and triumphs.

Tommie struggles to survive the Bataan Death March in the fall of 1941, clinging to his dream of a gratifying future with Dorothy as his bride. On the front-lines, of the European Theatre, Jack experiences the horrors of endless battle. Dorothy, caught between the two, works to maintain her dream of a life beyond small-town Nebraska. The hopes and hardships they share are reflected in the letters that they exchange. Are they remnants of lost dreams, or the foundation for a joyful future?

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

My Darling Dorothy by Jo Virden is a fascinating fictional journey. One that takes readers back and forth during WWII and  to the present moment. A young woman finds letters within odd things her parents have collected over the years. Something in her gut says there has to be something special hidden in the junk stuff…and her instincts paid off. She finds old letters. A man named Tommie wrote to her mother…why? And what happened to him? The historical novel explores the past lives of Tommie who fell in love with Dorothy. Then there’s another man who has captured Dorothy’s attention. The handsome devilish guy named Jack. Dorothy writes back and forth to both men. The tale takes us through the hardships each young person struggled and lived through during their lives. Intriguing, highly entertaining, and well-written. There is an emotional toll that kept on tugging on my heart as the scenes flew by me. A fast-paced story that somehow wraps itself around me, causing me to fall deeper into the characters’ lives. Beautifully told. My Darling Dorothy is about love, adventure, loss, and war. This was my first novel that I have read by Jo Virden.  She has created a masterfully woven tale that I won’t ever forget. Memorable. Satisfying. Overall, I highly recommend it to readers everywhere.

 

Review: The Vatican Protocol

 

Synopsis:

A struggling writer and nearly bankrupt Sean O’Shea is searching for the blockbuster story from which he can create a best seller. The goal is to regain his financial independence and self-esteem. When he learns of a horrific 1936 UFO crash in Germany’s Black Forest, he chases the story to its origin. The discovery of insidious Nazi involvement peaks his interest and when he unearths secret assassinations of previous investigators, he is hooked. As his probe continues, witnesses are murdered and he becomes the target of deadly agents sent by the most powerful man in the Vatican-The Black Pope. The cover-up is greater than he ever imagined. When he discovers that UFO’s, Nazis, Wewelsburg Castle and the Vatican are connected, he has the killer story he envisioned, though it just may kill him to get it published.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Vatican Protocol by Brian Gallagher is one highly entertaining novel. It’s one of the few novels that exactly holds every theory on aliens, government, and religion as well as the advance technology. As a Catholic, I enjoyed this thriller like rush, of a plot and the determination of the main character. Readers can easily lose themselves in this complex tale. The danger creates an edge of your seat thrill that readers can’t deny. I was so deep in the story that I read it all within a day.

Vatican Protocol shows a writer looking for an interesting story to write. Low and behold, Sean O’Shea finds just that…but what he didn’t expect was for his story to be more than just an interesting bestseller…it was real. Agents, UFO crash, the Black Forest and Nazis involvement is sure to gain readers’ attention. What started off as a research for a tale turn out to be a whole lot more complicated and deadly. As the writer continues with his research people are being murdered and he becomes the next target. A cover-up that involves the world’s greatest conspiracy stories is found all masterfully woven inside this remarkable read. The question on whether Sean O’Shea lives to tell it is one that readers must dive into themselves to solve. Overall, I loved reading this brilliant thriller, and I highly recommend it to readers everywhere.

Review: A Hero of France

 

Synopsis:

From the bestselling master espionage writer, hailed by Vince Flynn as “the best in the business,” comes a riveting novel about the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied Paris.

1941. The City of Light is dark and silent at night. But in Paris and in the farmhouses, barns, and churches of the French countryside, small groups of ordinary men and women are determined to take down the occupying forces of Adolf Hitler. Mathieu, a leader of the French Resistance, leads one such cell, helping downed British airmen escape back to England.

Alan Furst’s suspenseful, fast-paced thriller captures this dangerous time as no one ever has before. He brings Paris and occupied France, to life, along with courageous citizens who outmaneuver collaborators, informers, blackmailers, and spies, risking everything to fulfill perilous clandestine missions. Aiding, Mathieu as part of his covert network are Lisette, a seventeen-year-old student, and courier; Max de Lyon, an arms dealer turned nightclub owner; Chantal, a woman of class and confidence; Daniel, a Jewish teacher fueled by revenge; Joëlle, who falls in love with Mathieu; and Annemarie, a willful aristocrat with deep roots in France, and a desire to act.

As the German military police heighten surveillance, Mathieu and his team face a new threat, dispatched by the Reich to destroy them all.

Shot through with the author’s trademark fine writing, breathtaking suspense, and intense scenes of seduction and passion, Alan Furst’s A Hero of France is at once one of the finest novels written about the French Resistance and the most gripping novel yet by the living master of the spy thriller.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Wow…immediately this powerful novel intrigues readers’ senses with fear, courage, and revenge. Alan Furst knows exactly what his readers expect and what they will want to read. His talent is found on every page of this fast-paced thriller. I loved how Alan Furst created a masterpiece surrounding the events of World War II. History fans will definitely enjoy reading this spy novel. As with all wars…the stakes are much higher in this war than any other. One of the world’s most evil dictators is behind all the murders, chaos, and fear that spreads like wildfire through France and the rest of Europe. A Hero of France brings to life one of the most popular historical moments of all time…World War II. Hitler is rising…and many brave souls are determined to bring down the Nazi leader. But it will be more than just going for justice…it’s revenge.  The sacrifices that will tear at readers’ hearts.

A Hero of France is about a man who leads a group of people in a resistance against the Nazis and to bring down Adolf Hitler. Going after this goal will prove difficult since they are all under surveillance. Members are separated and taken and it will take everything they have to come out of it all alive. The suspense builds as readers turn the pages. Every moment could be the destruction of them all. Amazing how one man was capable of changing his appearance so much that no one could recognize him at all. It made the Nazis search for him rather hard. Then there’s the romance…or true love between Joelle and Mathieu, the leader of the rebel group. He promises to come back to her and their home…but he must continue on his journey of getting out alive.  Danger…the threat of death is strong enough to keep readers guessing what will happen to or what happened to the some of the members. Some disappeared so well…that there are only rumors of what may have happened to them. The ending was brilliant…I enjoyed reading this historical thriller, and I highly recommend it to readers worldwide.

 

 

 

 

Review: At the Edge of Summer

 

Synopsis:

The acclaimed author of Letters from Skye returns with an extraordinary story of a friendship born of proximity but boundless in the face of separation and war.
 
Luc Crépet is accustomed to his mother’s bringing wounded creatures to their idyllic château in the French countryside, where healing comes naturally amid the lush wildflowers and crumbling stone walls. Yet his maman’s newest project is the most surprising: a fifteen-year-old Scottish girl grieving over her parents’ fate. A curious child with an artistic soul, Clare Ross finds solace in her connection to Luc, and she in turn inspires him in ways he never thought possible. Then, just as suddenly as Clare arrives, she is gone, whisked away by her grandfather to the farthest reaches of the globe. Devastated by her departure, Luc begins to write letters to Clare—and, even as she moves from Portugal to Africa and beyond, the memory of the summer they shared keeps her grounded.

Years later, in the wake of World War I, Clare, now an artist, returns to France to help create facial prostheses for wounded soldiers. One of the war veterans who comes to the studio seems familiar, and as his mask takes shape beneath her fingers, she recognizes Luc. But is this soldier, made bitter by battle and betrayal, the same boy who once wrote her wistful letters from Paris? After the war and so many years apart, can Clare and Luc recapture how they felt at the edge of that long-ago summer?

Bringing to life two unforgettable characters and the rich historical period they inhabit, Jessica Brockmole shows how love and forgiveness can redeem us.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

At the Summer Edge by Jessica Brockmole is a historical getaway where I was deeply enchanted by the beauty and emotional journey of this stunning tale. Imagine a gorgeous place where you can go to relax and heal. No worries at all. The fields surrounding you with a calm peacefulness. This is where two individuals will find both happiness and love only to be separated from one another. However, fate has plans for these individuals to meet once more. War, family, and distance have separated both man and woman and under chance, they met again. Hearts grow fonder through time or will tragedy and war take away what was meant to be?

Jessica Brockmole’s writing is marvelous. I felt like I was sucked into her world of fiction and planted into the main characters body…everything she saw, felt, or did became my own thoughts or actions. The love, tenderness, and emotions swept me off my feet. There’s something deep between both of the main characters, Luc, and Clare. Clare is helping the soldiers and Luc happens to be one of the ones she’s helping…the only question is wonders is if he’s still the Luc she got to know and knew. The intriguing plotline hooked me as I followed each character’s journey through life as they meet, then separated and finally brought together. With all wars there are scars that run deep both outside and inside of us…sometimes it takes a familiar face to help us through our struggles and to let go of the past. I was mesmerized by the inner struggles of both Luc and Clare. Their wounds go deep but their love is deeper yet. Overall, I loved reading this novel. I highly recommend At the Edge of Summer to all.

Review: Carousel

 

Synopsis:

After living in the countryside for years, Princio returns to his homeland, the tiny yet the prosperous Kingdom of Lucca, upon the orders of his dying grandfather. Living alone in the annexed building next to the palace, Princio is discovered by the kingdom’s chief doll maker, Feletti, who purposely withholds his knowledge of Princio’s past in order to gain his trust and friendship. Princio believes Feletti to be a true friend until he meets Marian, a girl with a penchant for cooking and a natural curiosity, and their chance meeting in the kingdom’s carousel sets off a series of events with the potential to change everything. As Princio, Marian, and Feletti’s dark secrets begin to unfurl, their lives slowly come to light – as love hangs delicately in the balance…

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Carousel by Jennifer Renson held me captive from the beginning to end. The pages were filled with an intriguing plotline that kept me hooked. The enchanting story sucked me into its depth. Once upon a story, there was a kingdom, called Lucca. A kingdom whose who people liked the King and Queen. Well, soon, one day…they received a carousel after their son was born. On that very carousel lurks something so hidden and so dark…that it’s creepy knowing it’s there yet no one pays any attention to it…

Soon, a plague comes forcing the King and Queen as well as their son and all to flee. Afraid that the plaque will come for them…that’s where the story begins…a young prince raised as a commoner by his grandfather. He’s not aware that the stories his grandfather tells are true stories of their Kingdom Lucca. Once the grandfather dies…he tells the prince to go back to the Kingdom but to keep his face hidden. The prince with no knowledge of their real truth sets out on a journey as promised. There he meets Feletti. The evil thing that resided on the carousel…is now live and causes trouble for the prince and his new friend Marien.

Carousel is full of darkness, danger, and suspense. I wasn’t sure what would happen next until it did. The mystery of Feletti and Marien’s sense of fear of him come out in the open and that’s where I held my breath…waiting. What came next surprised me and had me rooting for both the prince and Marien…but until the dilemma was gone all would be chaotic. Jennifer Renson is indeed a talented writer. Her words lured me into her world of fiction instantly. I fell in love with the characters and was on the edge of my seat waiting out the outcome of the story. Overall, it was well-written and well-developed. I was enchanted with this enticing fantasy. Readers will get lost from their worlds and buried deeply into this one. I highly recommend the Carousel to readers everywhere.

Review: The Letter Writer

 

Synopsis:

The first thing Woodrow Cain sees when he steps off the train in New York City on February 9, 1942, is smoke from an ocean liner in flames in the harbor. It’s the Normandie, and word on the street is that it was burned by German saboteurs. “Ten lousy minutes in New York and already his new life felt as full of loss and betrayal as the one he’d left behind.”

What he left behind in a small North Carolina town was a wife who’d left him, a daughter in the care of his sister, and a career as a police officer marred by questions surrounding his partner’s murder. When he gets a job with the NYPD, he wants to believe it’s the beginning of a new life, though he suspects that the past is as tenacious as “a parasite in the bloodstream.”

It’s on the job that Cain comes in contact with a man who calls himself Danziger. He has the appearance of a “crackpot,” but he speaks five languages, has the manners of a man of means and education—and he appears to be the one person who can help Cain identify a body just found floating in the Hudson River. But who exactly is Danziger? He’s a writer of letters for illiterate immigrants on Manhattan’s Lower East Side—“a steadfast practitioner of concealing and forgetting” for his clients, and perhaps for himself: he hints at a much more worldly past. What and whoever he really is or has been, he has a seemingly boundless knowledge of the city and its denizens. And he knows much more than the mere identity of the floating corpse. For one thing, he knows how the dead man was involved in New York City’s “Little Deutschland,” where swastikas were proudly displayed just months before. And he also seems to know how the investigation will put Cain—and perhaps his daughter and the woman he’s fallen for—in harm’s way. But even Danziger can’t know that the more he and Cain investigate, the nearer they come to the center of a citywide web of possibly traitorous corruption from which neither of them may get out alive.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Letter Writer by Dan Fesperman is a political thriller that will automatically entice its readers to it plot’s depth. Danger, intrigue, politics, and spies all masterfully woven for readers entertainment. I loved the sense of excitement and fear on every page. Readers don’t know what to expect until it happens.  Dan Fesperman’s writing has a way of sucking its readers into its tale. The way the novel is told, it creates a sense of actually being there and experiencing it all with one’s own eyes and ears. The scenes have a way of popping, to life, and sends readers on a race for truth.

Dan Fesperman takes readers on a journey that involves a city full of corruption, danger, and murder. The Letter Writer is fantastic…tons of action, suspense, and keeps readers guessing. One man witnesses an ocean liner go up in flames, his past life is a mess and now he’s an NYPD officer in New York and his partner is murdered. This alone will leave readers on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what’s to come. The title of this novel comes into play when this police office, Cain, meets a man who is a writer. Together these two unlikely characters pair up to investigate the city’s crimes that involve a group using swastikas. When one wearing a swastika pops up dead the danger heats up…and as with all investigators, Cain’s life isn’t the only life that may be placed into danger…his daughter and a woman whom he’s falling for might just be pulled into this intricate and highly intense investigation. Stakes are high but so are the possibilities of surviving it all. This was the first time that I have read any work by Dan Fesperman and I loved it. A novel worthy of every readers’ attention…addictive, fast-paced, and thrilling. Overall, I highly recommend this stunning novel, The Letter Writer, to readers everywhere.

Review: Niveus

 

Synopsis:

Niveus is…perfectly peculiar.

The silver-haired beauty with eyes the color of a dying rose is the only daughter of Ravan and Nicolette. She wanders the Wintergrave Realm like no other, unseen and unheard, sharing an extraordinary gift. The Wintergrave Dynasty’s strange daughter, she beloved by all and understood by none.

Ravan’s realm seems the perfect place to shield Niveus from the outside world and all the dangers that lurk there, until…a wicked soul from the North appears. Malik is smitten with such a profound hatred and jealousy of Ravan that he comes with one intent—to destroy his daughter.

But Malik’s scheme takes a twisted turn when he finally lays eyes on the extraordinary creature, and his wicked plan drags Niveus and those who love her, on an epic trek like no other. And with Niveus’ power at his disposal, it seems no one can stop Malik—not Risen, not Nicolette…not even Ravan.

What will it take to tilt the world even again? Perhaps the undying love of another is the only thing that can conquer true evil, but what will be the sacrifice needed to bring Malik’s bloody realm to the ground?

All your favorite characters return in this final chapter of the Wintergrave Chronicles. Venture with them into 14th century Prussia to discover if Malik will be undone or if Niveus or someone she loves…is lost forever.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Niveus by Sharon Cramer is beautifully stunning. I have never read such a powerful novel like this one. Love, courage and hope are just a few themes that make this a must read for all. A kingdom battling against an evil that is intent on taking down everything and keeping it for himself. Niveus is a young woman who is a beauty unlike any other woman and is thus feared a bit those around her. She instantly goes to those who are suffering. Niveus can travel realms and has her own powers just like mom has. Niveus is a leading female character that believes whatever fate has dished out then that’s what was meant to be. Niveus goes through a lot of suffering as well…as the evil comes, onto her, taking her for himself and soon his fate will be decided. Niveus has many who would battle their lives to keep her safe, like her brother and the man whom she truly loves. Readers will soon find that Niveus is carrying a secret and the fate of everyone is one that readers must figure out on their own…Sharon Cramer’s talent is obvious as readers turn every page to read the fast-paced yet well-written plot. A story that will capture readers and send them into a whole new world. I loved reading this fantasy piece about sacrifice and  unconditional love. Overall,  highly recommend this brilliant title to all.

 

Review: The Reader of Acheron

 

Synopsis:

Book One of the Slaves of Erafor series: Reading is forbidden, and the penalty for non-compliance is a life of slavery enabled by the forcible administration of a mind rotting drug. Yet, there are those possessed of the will to seek illumination. Kikkan, a former slave on the run, and Quillion, a mercenary and self-taught scholar. Together they seek out a small band of rebels living in hiding who offer the promise of a better world. Their leader is a mysterious figure known only as The Reader of Acheron.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Reader of Acheron by Walter Rhein is by far the most intriguing novel of its kind. Here, readers are introduced to a world where reading is forbidden. Many of us would die of shock hearing these world from our own government if one day this were to happen. Just reading the first sentence brings readers minds into a swirl of possibiites oh why, how, and who would make reading forbidden…I was definitely intrigued with that statement.

Inside this novel, readers will meet military men and men who have been turned into zombies. Those who read are taken as slaves and put on a drug that melts their brains and when they become so weak, they are let loose into the wild. It is then that they turn into these frightening zombies. Zombies that need the drug called Bliss to keep going…but instead go after other humans…if one of their own has been slaughtered…they eat him alive. Hence zombies is a correct term to describe the horrors, dangers, and suspense of this novel. The Readers of Acheron takes readers on an intense journey that will leave them on the edge of their seats, their palms sweating and their hearts pounding with fear. The anticipation of what is to happen next will keep readers turning this mind blowing read. Overall, I enjoyed reading this fantasy and look forward to the next book. Walter Rhein’s writing is suspenseful and vivid. His talent is amazing. I highly recommend The Readers of Acheron to readers worldwide. Beware once you open it, you will be plunged into one of the most dangerous worlds of fiction…

 

Review: Can You Keep A Secret?

 

Synopsis:

R.L. Stine has built his legacy on scaring children and teenagers. Now he’s back with another spine-tingling tale of horror in this new Fear Street book about temptation, betrayal, and fear.

Eddie and Emma are high school sweethearts from the wrong side of the tracks. Looking for an escape their dreary lives, they embark on an overnight camping trip in the Fear Street Woods with four friends. As Eddie is carving a heart into a tree, he and Emma discover a bag hidden in the trunk. A bag filled with hundred-dollar bills. Thousands of them. Should they take it? Should they leave the money there? The six teens agree to leave the bag where it is until it’s safe to use it. But when tragedy strikes Emma’s family, the temptation to skim some money off of the top becomes impossible to fight. There’s only one problem. When Emma returns to the woods, the bag of money is gone, and with it, the trust of six friends with a big secret.

Packed with tension and sure to elicit shivers in its readers, this new Fear Street book is another terrifying tale from a master of horror.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

It has been a long time since I have read R.L. Stine’s novels. So, when I saw an opportunity to read this one I grabbed it. I wasn’t disappointed that I did. R.L. Stine has always been known for writing the most fearful edge of your seat novels. I loved his books for kids and I surely fell in love with this one for adults. Can You Keep A Secret? is just as dark, scary, and intense as all of the previous novels by this talented writer. Readers will be lost in the words with the characters and taken on a suspenseful nightmare as the plot unfolds.

Can You Keep A Secret? by R.L. Stine keeps readers wondering which of the friends took the bag of money that only two found. As an unforeseen conflict arises, Emma finds herself wanting to take the money to help her family. However, the money is gone…and with it is readers guess as to who and why. This novel is full of secrets, horror, and twists and turns. Especially at the ending, readers will find several surprises waiting in store for them. R.L. Stine brilliantly wraps the conclusion of the entire story and then leaves readers with a sense as to what happened next? Temptation, fear, and betrayal are deep roots of this stunning read. Death, danger, and the truth will keep readers turning the pages in a race to figure it all out…but sometimes, we don’t see it until it’s told to us or seen with our very own eyes…just like with Emma, Eddie, and her other friends.

Review: Unshatter Me

 

Synopsis:

Nineteen-year-old Alena Pavlis moved to Surrey, on the outskirts of London, to escape her past. Now, heading off to college, she hopes that she can finally move on and begin a brand new chapter. During her first day at Carpendale University, she meets Phillip Gregson, the cute streetwise guy, who introduces her to a whole new world. At first, Phillip seems to be the answer to all of her problems. Yet quickly she finds that her childhood trauma is creeping in, and so are outside influences which begin to drive a wedge between the couple. As the relationship reaches its breaking point, Alena starts to pursue her own dreams and aspirations. Just as she is finding her feet again and preparing to audition for Carpendale’s choir – the Coolette Singers, a perilous series of events turns her life upside down. Left with no other choice, Alena must confront the demons of her past head-on, even though it means risking everything.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Unshatter Me by Michelle Diana Lowe is brilliantly stunning…readers will be swept off their feet and wowed by everything that’s inside of this exciting novel. A multiracial romantic suspense for adults that is captivating. Here readers will be taken on a journey of facing one’s own fears and dilemmas. That’s exactly what the main character inside of Unshatter Me finally decides to do…

Life is never easy…readers can easily place themselves in the heroine’s shoes. Everything looks to be okay…then suddenly like a tornado, everything comes crashing down around Alena. Her past life is catching up with her and is forcing her hand…can she remain strong and face her own demons or will she let it all, un-shatter her? Michelle Diana Lowe has a talent that will bring readers to her world of fiction every time. Beautifully told and the plot is juicy and fast-paced. A story that will take readers’ hearts and souls. Overall, Unshatter Me is definitely a must read for all.

Review: The Painting & the Piano

 

Synopsis:

The Painting and The Piano is an improbable story of survival and love. Growing up more than a thousand miles apart and worlds away from each other, Johnny and Adrianne seemed to have all that children could ask for. However, the demons of their respective mothers would tear their fragile young lives apart.

Eventually, destiny would bring Johnny and Adrianne together, but first they had to endure the painful toll that alcohol, drugs, and a negligent court system would take on them. With parts of Adrianne’s story ripped from national news headlines, their story takes them from the depths of despair and near death to their first serendipitous introduction and the moment each knew they were finally safe.

Filled with hope, inspiration and humor, The Painting and The Piano, is an unforgettable story of pain, loss and the undying human quest for happiness.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

The Painting and the Piano by both John Lipscomb and Adrianne Lugo is a beautifully woven memoir that will inspire readers worldwide. This read portrays what it’s like to live with a drug addict, an alcoholic, and an abuser.

The story opens up with a character about to lose a father only then to find out he’s going to make it. But once he’s home…the man he once was is gone. The strong father was now a frail man with his morphine tank…Then there’s Adrianne who was born addicted to heroin. She soon gets to meet her real birth parents. Next, there is Johnny whose mom drinks all the time.

Both have biological parents who choose to live a life that will send them falling apart faster and faster…until no trace of who they were originally was left to be seen.  Both Adrianne and Johnny had to go through life in a rough way that no child should have to…yet somehow they both might just make it.

The Painting and the Piano is indeed a must-read memoir for all. This is a story of how two individuals struggled with surviving in what life tossed their way and took away from them. Readers will be lead on an inspirational journey that will cause fear, at first, then tears, and then happiness. I loved this survival and love story. It something that readers all over the world can relate to and find inspiration to move forward no matter how hard life may become. Overall, I highly recommend this to all.

 

Review: Dinosaur Chronicles

 

Synopsis: 

A scientist creates a time machine and precipitates the Ultimate Disaster.
Two boys enter a county fair and encounter the world’s greatest juggler, who has a secret that’s both wonderful and double-edged.
A man kills and forgets–utterly–that his victims ever existed; a nurse tries to help and uncovers a shocking secret.
Of what use is a planet with a 20,000-year lifespan? And why would it be a locus for murder?
A couple is stranded in their Colorado cottage by an antagonized creature that they can’t see, and it’s getting bolder and smarter as the hours go by.

The Dinosaur Chronicles contains 14 long and short tales of science fiction and fantasy in the classic style; they run the gamut from the thoughtful to the witty to the poignant. Tales of adventure and tales of discovery teem with characters that are everyday, one-in-a-million and from beyond the edge of reality. Let the stories from this collection take you to places strange, wonderful and–sometimes–downright scary.

My Rating: 5 stars

My Review:

Dinosaur Chronicles by Joseph M. Erhardt is indeed full of unique places that we could never imagine. Like the possibility of time machines working and humans meeting with aliens.  This is a collection of the most exciting reads I have seen. Each story differs but still lures readers deep into its own plot. The characters in each story are so different from one another, that readers will be amazed at Joseph M. Erhardt’s talent as a writer.  Fear, suspense, and well-written stories await on every page of this incredible collection. Dinosaur Chronicles is definitely a must read for all. The first page will drag you deep and deeper into the stunning pieces. Be prepared to taste adventure first hand by Joseph M. Erhardt. Overall, I highly recommend to read to readers world wide.

 

Numb3rs

Chapter One

Nothing but numbers everywhere. Dead bodies could be found every place you looked. Those that survived were either barley hanging on or buried under many who were dead. Bombs, machine guns, and terrorists were to blame. It’s no longer just fear foreigners, but fear your neighbors and now family members. People were so easily turned to the other side. No one wanted to die. Yet so many were killed. Torture and rape were only used on those that were liked by the terrorists. And even then they killed you.

One way to survive the attacks was to go into hiding or hide behind those that were already dead. So that the evil men and their weapons wouldn’t find you. But, it was getting harder and harder to hide. No place nor stone left unturned. Terrorists could be anyone. Someone who you knew your entire life could suddenly be one of them. In order to live they would turn on others they loved or ever cared about. Like my brother. He disappeared when the terrorists first came then he suddenly popped up looking real bad. He was tortured. We took him in without hesitation and helped him heal…only to have been traded in… his life for ours. Apparently, he thought sacrificing our lives was the best choice. Unfortunately, he didn’t think the terrorists would kill him after they killed us. Mom, Dad, and CeCe were killed in a shoot out. I wasn’t there because I went to help a friend. I came back home to find my family’s car outside on the street. Their bodies were shot in multiple spots. My brother’s body wasn’t there. I went into the house. On the living room wall was the word traitor written in what looked like blood. Then, stepping further in, I saw my brother’s body. He was shot too, but still fighting death.

Leaning over him. I told him it’s going to be okay. But he kept trying to talk. I leaned closer. I killed them. I killed…them…sorry…then he stilled. No more fighting. Just dead. My whole family was dead.

I felt like crying. But the terrorists were not done. They wanted to finish my family off, and so far, I was still alive, walking and breathing. I was very much alive and that ruined their happy side, if such a side ever existed. Nothing but evil existed in their black souls. I only had seconds to get out before a bomb exploded. I barely made it out. Guns were going… I laid as flat as possible. Thankfully, the sky was getting dark and, just like the night, I would flee as far as my legs would carry me. Home was no longer safe. Nothing to keep me fighting at home. If my home was targeted so were neighbors. There had to be way to stop the terrorists. There has to a plan and there was only one way to defeat the bad guys…Numbers.

Numbers as in an army that would stand united against all evil.

But, for now, I had to run deep and as far away as possible. Only time will tell when those numbers will be found and put together. Life or death hung in the air. I chose life. If that meant hiding until the right time, then so be it. I will be ready to fight them. To take from them like they took from me.

The Unknown-poem

the unknown is like a darkness,

surrounding me every where i go.

it gnaws at me, with every step i take

and every breath i breathe.

the unknown is a shawdow following my every move.

it rises a fear and uncertainty within me.

never knowing, never stopping, just keep on mgoing, i tell myself.

time, is everything. every decision lurking in my mind. tyring to break free.

consequences, beating all around me.

creating a fog before me. my mind traveling in a haze,

i stumble , not knowing where im going,

falling depper into the darkness, into the whispering shadows.

as to what happens next no one ever know.

that is why it is the  great unknown..

Alone- written by me

alone am i 
my life nearly done 
i know i should lighten up my tone 

instead i run 
away from my great homestead 

filling with fear 
my eyes rumming with tears 
because of all these lonnely years

Leaving You- written by me

i am leaving you 
so here i am on a train 
living with you was a great strain 
all i ever felt was pain 
as i lean back, i quietly listen to the rain 
my heart now has a stain
from your evil ways 
which should have never been, 
grief and fear taking up my days 
but no more for now, i’m gone just like our missing hen 
slowly counting to ten 
i fall into a deep sleep 
but not too soon did i realize you were trying to keep 
up with me 
because you don’t want to be 
free like the ray of light 
so you grab me harder holding too tight 
and that’s when i notice your fright 
looking puzzled 
you take that moment to be, me nuzzled 
deep within your arms 
while i silently wait your harms 
silently gazing 
you stun me with your apology which is amazing 
coming from a hard man 
not believing , you ask me what’s my plan 
feeling strongly 
i tell you what you have done wrongly 
after hearing what I’ve said you feel sad 
and i not feeling that i should be glad 
fear you being mad 
again but you only shake 
and i stand silently not knowing whats at stake 
laughing you say 
i knew this was the day 
but fear not my way 
because i am only a foolish man 
and you are still my only woman. 
he knew i knew this 
so what? surely he’s not expecting my kiss 
of forgiveness yet 
he still has to win my hearts bet.

Caring for You – Poem written by me

caring for you,

is the what my

heart wants to do,

both my body

and soul,

i love you with.

if i could

wrap you

tightly in my embrace

i would be the happiest woman  a live,

my love for you comes from deep within the depths of my heart,

i would love to much,

for any one or anything to stop

what i feel so deep,

nothing could destroy

my feelings  for you.

not today or tomorrow, nor any day or month or years from now.

you will forever be in my heart always and forever