Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Book Review: Cocoa For Two by: Claudia Shelton


Title: Cocoa For Two
Author: Claudia Shelton
Series: PCS Hometown: Awesome
Publisher: CCS Writings LLC
Format: e-book ARC ( 226 p.) NetGalley

Description:

***Welcome to a heartwarming holiday story that is also the first book in the upcoming series —PCS Hometown: Awesome— about returning veterans, their adopted hometown and love. And what could be more exciting than the small town of Awesome's annual 'Holidays on the Square' festival.***

Adam acts on gut instinct and common sense. Brie's a thinker and planner. All he has to do is convince her to make Awesome—and him—her final stop.

After her grandmother's death, travel vlogger Brie Dresser returns to the small town of Awesome to finalize her inheritance. She quickly learns the new hardware store owner and Grandma Rose had an unbreakable contract. He's supposed to remodel the house for Brie. But she isn't there to stay and has no intention of reopening Rose's Gift Shoppe. Unexpectedly, Christmas inventory begins arriving for the gift shop. Brie senses a touch of her grandma's matchmaking in the air.

Army veteran, First Sergeant Adam Barkley, wants to make sure soldiers he served with always have a place to call home. Counting on the friendliness of a small town to help veterans readjust stateside, he buys a hardware store in Awesome. He hadn't known the remodeling contract he made with Grandma Rose would end with her world-traveling granddaughter back in town. Suddenly, he feels alive again. The pain from shrapnel still left in his side, tells him he should be careful. 

My Thoughts: 

This book introduces Brie whose moved back home to decide what to do with her Grandmother's house after hear death what she didn't count on was the cute handyman working on the house when she pulled in.  Brie has spent most of her time traveling as part of her vlogger and being a influencer.    Having her grandmothers house and business makes Brie wonder what she wants in life?  To settle at home or keep traveling?

Adam Barley working on his job at the hardware store and helping veterans move back into normal living a life outside of the military.  He didn't count on the adorable Brie flying into his life.  Making him realize what he's been missing in life.

I loved this series how incorporated military and civilians and how they move on together to get along and be accepting.  This book is such fun to read and it's also special with the holiday season!

Monday, December 6, 2021

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Book Spotlight: Cut and Run by: Annabelle Lewis

Cut and Run
Annabelle Lewis
Publication date: August 14th 2021
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Their story continues . . .

The four Boston clairvoyants, blessed—or cursed—with special powers, must fight a ruthless enemy and stop injustice. In Dead Cat, Run, the Sisters of Fate drove them together, but at what cost? The God Apollo wasn’t playing around. He’s still dead set on vengeance.

Sinister forces will have a wicked agenda. An energy grab, a mineral rights war, and deadly mercenaries create a mortally serious game. But the psychics’ sibylline abilities aside, they’re only human. At least three of them are. (What’s up with that?)

Can they stop the killers? And who will survive?

An energetic contemporary thriller, Cut and Run will have you on the edge of your seat as the dance between good and evil resumes.

Goodreads / Amazon


Book Excerpt:


Duke Montague Marshall squinted into the harsh rays of the sun as they beamed with a strobe-like 

effect through his front windshield. Behind the wheel of his silver Toyota RAV4, he looked at the 

dashboard clock. Ten minutes to arrival.

    “Nice up here,” Fiddler said, looking around. “Lots of trees.”

    Duke felt no need to reply to his riding companion’s inane comment about the dense pines and 

spruce 

trees of the Superior National Forest. The forest, covering 3.9 million acres of land in Minnesota, also 

had about 2,000 lakes around the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters region between the 

United States and Canada. 


    He looked in the rearview mirror at the vehicle following them. Five minutes to arrival.


    “Run down the Monday-morning setup for me again,” Duke said.


    “Assembly takes place in a green, industrial-type shed to the right past another shed-like main office 

with an awning and signage. They’ll be having their bullshit, Monday-morning meeting. Every fucking 

Monday the heads and general labor have a bull session. Donuts. Coffee. That kind of thing.”

Focusing on the task, Duke said, “We’re sure everyone will be there? No one in the quarry yet?”


    Fiddler shook his head, his longish hair pulled back today. “Nah. Just the two places. Main office with 

the awning and the big green shed next to it.”

    Not really worried about how things would go down, Duke told him to cut the noise once Fiddler 

started 

chattering about his planned trip to Turks and Caicos. 

    They’d arrived. Granger’s Quarry, a trillion-dollar shithole.


Author Bio:

Annabelle Lewis—a pseudonym for the author—lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Regrettably? Perhaps. She still believes she’s a Texan even though the math no longer supports that. Nor her birthplace. Nor her residence. No offense, Minnesota. You’ve got your good points too, but only about six months of the year.

In her youth, Annabelle was a complete failure. Ask anyone who knew her. Any of her teachers and family would tell you this. High school graduation was a sad day for all when Annabelle walked proudly off the high school stage, her thoughts consumed with boys, beer, and after-parties, and later into the arms of her parents. Her father’s laughter and singular remark? “I didn’t think you’d make it. Get a job at the post office, they have a good retirement plan.”

A high bar and words to live by, but Annabelle wanted more. She needed to flunk out of college too. But damn, she sure did have a good time. Trivial arrest records not-withstanding, it was a growth period for our girl. And if you look closely, you’ll see a bit of what was to come when she majored in criminal justice. Her lifelong aspiration was to become a judge. Hmm.

For better or worse, Annabelle didn’t graduate from college but did find gainful employment and a fulfilling career. This path ended when she became a mom. Married to her wonderful George, who to this day can hardly remember an actual proposal, Annabelle finally became a mother. She didn’t have a clue how hard she would need to work to keep those self-imposed requirements of Downey-fresh, iron-pressed sheets, home-baked meals, and mom-of-the-year awards arriving. She composed a small self-affirmation song and made her children sing it to her for money. She was a very good mom.

After clearing the largest hurdles of motherhood and regrettably, begrudgingly, and not-without-tears, launching her children onto the world, she looked around and realized she had a lot to say. Picking up a laptop, she got to work.

Annabelle spends her days continuing to tackle the challenges of motherhood, for both her humans and canines. She also writes. And reads. And cleans. And cooks. And bakes. And cleans again. She also supports her husband, George, in an administrative capacity for their small business. She’s in charge of payroll and cuts George’s checks. This leads to no marital acrimony.

In the beginning, with the blank page staring at her and possibly in a hostile mood after being literally mauled by a dog and by the world in general, she had an idea. What if she could wield a force of good upon unsuspecting evil-doers? What if she had the resources to get the job done without dealing with committee and anyone else’s whiney-ass opinions?

It was gold. It took off. Annabelle sat down and began to write and couldn’t stop. To date, having written over a million words in the Carrows Family Chronicles and her second series on the Boston Clairvoyants, several items have become quite clear. Annabelle had a lot to say. Annabelle really enjoys writing. And although she hates all things technology, she begrudgingly pounds her head on her desk daily as obstacles are thrown in her path. Almost a hero.

Since entering her world of make-believe, she has rebelled against all intrusion of real-world responsibilities. Her house is a mess, but she tries. Her family is fed, but more often than not, on takeout. She vows to shower every day, but no, it’s a vow she’ll never keep. Her friends are neglected, but not in her heart.

Read her mordacious blog! Read her books! Follow her on social platforms! Sign up for her newsletter! These are all good things. What are you waiting for? Jump into bed with Annabelle. She’s having a swell time. You should join her.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter


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Friday, November 12, 2021

Review: The Coast-to-Coast Murders by: James Patterson & J.D. Baker


Title: The Coast-to-Coast Murder
Author: James Patterson & J.D. Baker
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Format: Hardcover (560 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

A detective and an FBI agent join forces on what seems like an open-and-shut case—but a new rash of killings sends them on a pulse-pounding race against time in this intense thriller.
Michael and Megan Fitzgerald are siblings who share a terrifying past. Both adopted, and now grown—Michael is a long-haul truck driver, Megan a college student majoring in psychology—they trust each other before anyone else. They've had to. Their parents are public intellectuals, an Ivy League clinical psychologist and a renowned psychiatrist, and they brought up their adopted children in a rarefied, experimental environment. It sheltered them from the world's harsh realities, but it also forced secrets upon them, secrets they keep at all costs.

In Los Angeles, Detective Garrett Dobbs and FBI Agent Jessica Gimble have joined forces to work a murder that seems like a dead cinch. Their chief suspect is quickly identified and apprehended—but then there's another killing just like the one they've been investigating. And another. And not just in Los Angeles—the spree spreads across the country. The Fitzgerald family comes to the investigators' attention, but Dobbs and Gimble are at a loss—if one of the four is involved, which Fitzgerald might it be?

From coastal California to upstate New York, Dobbs and Gimble race against time and across state lines to stop an ingenious and deeply deranged killer—one whose dark and twisted appetites put them outside the range of logic or experience. 

My Thoughts: 

The chase is on when Michael Fitzgerald is on the run when he ends up with a dead girl in his bathroom.  Megan is struggling just as much to get to Michael to find out what he did.  All the answers don't lie in the current some of them lie in the past that the two have tried to bury multiple times.  As the bodies accumulate you have to wonder if Michael is really guilty and if he isn't who is?

I love Coast to Coast and found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see who the bad guy was and why?  This book took you all over the United States to find the answers and solve the puzzle of who was bad and who wasn't.  

If you love James Patterson you will definitely love this great adventure he takes you on! 

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Review: Twice Bitten by: Chloe Neill


Title: Twice Bitten
Author: Chloe Neill 
Publisher: Penguin Group NAL Trade
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #3
Format: Paperback ( 355 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene—and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Merit must accept the assignment, even though she knows that she’ll probably regret it. And she’s not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals—not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire.

My Thoughts: 

Merit is learning it's not easy to play well with others.  Ethan her master has decided she will protect Alpha Gabriel Keene which is easier said then done.  The werewolves haven't exactly had the easiest time deciding to come out or not.  Merit finds herself in deep trouble and has to act fast to save the Alpha Gabriel.

I love this series it's so much fun to follow along with Merit, Ethan, Gabriel and others to see how they will fair in the windy city.  It's such a different type of paranormal series, which makes it great and this group of Chicagoland's will make it such a kick butt type rag tag team!

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Review: Autumn Magic by: T.M. Cromer


Title: Autumn Magic
Author: T. M Cromer
Publisher: TM Cromer Books
Series: Thorne Witches #2
Format: e-book ( 236 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Autumn Thorne believed she discovered the perfect love. Yet the moment she revealed she was a witch, her relationship went to hell in a handbasket. Nearly a decade later, in an ironic twist of fate, the man who shunned her shows up on her doorstep and asks for her help to develop his own latent powers.

For the better part of nine years, Keaton Carlyle has tried to forget the one woman whose very touch made him burn with uncontrollable desire. Now, left with no choice, he must seek her out to master the magic building within. But the more time Keaton spends with Autumn, the more he realizes his old feelings for her have never truly been extinguished and the flames blaze hotter than ever.

When Autumn sets off on a mission to uncover an ancient artifact crucial to saving her mother, Keaton is hot on her heels, determined to make up for the wrongs of the past and rescue Autumn from the clutches of the madman holding her hostage. Faced with life or death, they must learn to work together. But can Autumn ever again trust the man who so cruelly betrayed her?

My Thoughts: 

In this book we follow Autumn Thorne who had her heart broken young by her boyfriend Keaton who seems to despise all things magic when the two are paired off together Autumn tries to fight the whole situation, but is drawn to Keaton because of his daughter Chloe.  

Keaton is determined to be done with Autumn and her crazy family.  He has his daughter and his life is nice when he keeps getting drawn back to Autumn he learns things he never knew.  He also finds he is still in love with her.  

This book had so much going on with Autumn determined to move on without Keaton in her life, but finds that task impossible as they keep getting thrown together and the fire heats up between them.  I love also how it incorporated his daughter into the mix and we see the lengths they go to to save Autumn.  So much fun and excitement!

Monday, November 8, 2021

Review: Summer Magic by: T. M. Cromer

                                                         Title:Summer Magic
Author: T.M. Cromer
Publisher: Fae Press
Series: Thorne Witches #1
Format: e-book ( 296 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Life in a small town can be tough. It can be even tougher when you’re a witch whose magic regularly backfires. But Summer Thorne only wants one thing: to create the perfect sanctuary for unwanted animals. Nothing and no one is going to stop her. Not even the sexy sheriff who is determined to shut down her rescue center. And certainly not the laboratory where she illegally obtained her mischievous chimpanzee, Morty.

Sheriff Cooper Carlyle has one goal: to keep his town safe. That includes his stubborn neighbor, Summer, whether she wants him to or not. When the animals of Summer’s menagerie get loose and create havoc, he decides enough is enough. But things aren’t always as they appear, and Coop stumbles upon the secret the Thorne sisters have been hiding.

Coop and Summer discover Morty holds the key to unlock a twenty-year-old mystery surrounding the death of Summer’s mother. Now Coop is faced with breaking the law he is sworn to uphold in order to protect Summer and her beloved pet from a threat more dangerous than any of them imagined.

My Thoughts:

This book follows Summer whose having a hard time keeping her animals in her backyard they seemed determined to wind up at the Carlyle house which is the last place Summer wants them.  Cooper has been the biggest pain in Summer's behind.  She has had a thing for him for years and he's done everything he can do to dissuade her.

When someone seems determined to steal Mortary the ape from Summer it's Cooper who comes to her rescue to help when the chips are down but will it be enough?

I love this series I stumbled upon it on Facebook of all places and am glad I did this series is so much liike parts of Charmed and parts of Practical Magic so good to read!  If you haven't read them you are totally missing out I especially loved the mafia squirrels  the best!

Friday, October 22, 2021

Review: Lilac Girls by: Marha Hall Kelly


Title: Lilac Girls
Author: Martha Hall Kelly
Publisher: Ballentine Books
Format: Hardcover ( 487 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:


Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption, and secrets that were hidden for decades.
 
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.
 
An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.
 
For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.
 
The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

My Thoughts:

First off I read Lost Roses before I even heard of Lilac Girls but let me say oh my god you are missing out on a great World War II book this one is told from 3 perspectives one is Caroline Ferriday, the other by Kasia Kuzmerick and the third a German Doctor Herta Oberheuser.

Caroline is doing all she can do to help orphan French children during WWII.  Sending care packages and everything in between when she gets on a mission about rabbits.

Kasia is a young girl who ends up in a bad situation in Poland during the war and winds up at Ravensbruk concentration camp for women.  There nasty experiments are being run on the women depending on how they are.  

Dr. Herta Oberheusaer is treating women at the camp and testing out things on prisoners who the German's claim are guilty and sentenced to death.  

This book was so good along with any book Ms. Kelly writes she really takes the time to offer up a wonderful success to people every time she writes a book.  It's definitely worth the adventure to be able to travel with these amazing women and to hear their story.  I love it so much! 

If you are a WWII buff you will love this story and be pulled into the action and mayhem it offers.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Review: Dad by: Steven Manchester


Title: Dad
Author: Steven Manchester
Publisher:  Story Plant
Format: e-book ( 336 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Three generations of dads, playing traditional roles in each other's lives, arrive simultaneously at significant crossroads. The decisions they make and the actions they take will directly - and eternally - affect each other. After a life of hard work and raising children, Robert is enjoying his well-deserved retirement when he discovers that he has an illness he might not be able to beat. At 19, Jonah is sprinting across the threshold of adulthood when he learns, stunningly, that he's going to become a father. And Oliver - Robert's son and Jonah's dad - has entered middle age and is paying its demanding price. While reconciling the time and effort it has taken him to reach an unfulfilling career and an even less satisfying marriage, he realizes that it's imperative that he keep it all together for the two men who mean everything to him. When different perspectives lead to misunderstandings that remain unspoken - sometimes for years - it takes great strength and even more love to travel beyond the resentment. Dad: A Novel chronicles the sacred legacy of fatherhood. 

My Thoughts:

This book follows Jonah, Oliver and Robert.  They are each at a crossroads in life. In Jonah's case he's trying to figure out life and where that leads when his girlfriend winds up pregnant and how to hand;e all life it throwing his way.  Oliver is having a hard time with his relationship.  He hasn't figured out if he wants to continue the marriage with his wife or leave.  He's also meeting with a psychiatrist to analyze his life.  Robert is at the part where he is retired and trying to figure out what to do with his life.  He does different charity events to help those less unfortunate but when Robert is hit with a health scare that puts him on a very different life path one he hadn't counted on.  Will these men figure out their life journeys or are they doomed to fail?

 Oh my word, Mr. Manchester has figured it out.  He writes with such depth of character you feel like you know these men and their family/.  You find yourself unable to put the book down without seeing how it ends and what lessons they learn from one another.  If you haven't read his books yet you are totally missing out and  you must check them out to see how it goes!

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Review: Surviving Adam Meade by: Shannon Klare & LiveandLove10


Title: Surviving Adam Meade
Author: Shannon Klare & Liveandlove10
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Series: Surviving Adam Meade #1
Format:  e-book ( 244 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Seventeen-year-old Claire Collins has a plan: get into college and leave North Carolina behind. What she doesn’t have is an idea for how to get rid of the local football star and womanizer extraordinaire — Adam Meade, who she can’t even avoid (despite many efforts), because Claire’s dad is the high school football coach.

Seventeen-year-old Adam Meade never fails. He always gets what he wants… until he meets Claire, the new girl who leaves him unnerved, pissed off, and confused. But there’s something about her that he just can’t resist…

With the bite of lemon meringue pie and the sugar of sweet tea, Surviving Adam Meade is a sexy and compelling young adult novel about two strong-willed people who think they know what they want but have no idea what they need.

My Thoughts: 

Claire Collins is mad at her parents for moving to a new town so her dad can coach another football team she is still upset over her recent break up with her boyfriend Seth and is adamant she won't be liking this new town.  Her dad has made her a manager of the football team which pleases her worse and she is just trying to get through her senior year when she meets Adam Meade and feels drawn to him.

Adam Meade doesn't want a real relationship he's just trying to finish up school and graduate.  When he meets Claire who seems immune to his charm which rattles him.  He finds himself curious about the girl who won't drool over him.  

This book was fun and not your typical relationship neither one is falling all over the other one they are more starting as friends which leads to something more.  I love watching Claire and Adam find their way and learn about each other.  Especially when she has to deal with her ex Seth who seems to have realized finally what he was missing when he kicked her to the curb.

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Review; Robert B. Parker's Lullaby by: Ace Atkins


Title: Robert B. Parker's Lullaby 
Author: Ace Atkins
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Series: Spenser #40
Format: Paperback ( 310 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

When fourteen-year-old Mattie Sullivan asks Spenser to look into her mother’s murder, he’s not completely convinced by her claim that the police investigation four years ago was botched.

Mattie is gruff, street-smart, and wise beyond her years. She's been left to care for her younger siblings and an alcoholic grandmother in a dilapidated apartment in South Boston. But her need for closure and her determination to make things right hit Spenser where he lives - they’re the very characteristics he abides by.

Mattie believes the man convicted of the crime is innocent and points Spenser to the Southie toughs who she saw carrying her mother away hours before her murder. Neither the Boston PD nor the neighborhood thugs are keen on his dredging up the past, but as Spenser becomes more involved in the case, he starts to realize that Mattie may be onto something. Spenser will need Hawk’s help to find peace for Mattie – a job that’s more dangerous than he ever thought.

My Thoughts:

This book follows Spenser whose been hired by teenage angry Mattie to find out what happened to her mom and why someone else is in jail for it.  Spenser pulls in Susan and Hawk to help get to the bottom of what happened to Mattie's mom when she died.  This book leads to some interesting characters being introduced.

I love Spenser books he makes you laugh and has you hoping Spenser and Hawk will figure it out and get justice for Mattie and her sisters and find out the truth of what happened so long ago.  This one led to some nasty thugs and bad FBI agent doing really bad things!

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Review: More Than the Game By: Jenni Bara


Title: More Than the Game
Author: Jenni Bara
Publisher: Point Publishing
Format: e-book ARC (263 p.) Xpresso Tours

Description:

Trending on social media is her nightmare.

Beth Evans, former Olympic golden girl, known for a national scandal and daughter of a rising political star, is more than happy to stay out of the spotlight, living life as a normal single mom in a small Jersey town. The last thing Beth needs is Twitter’s favorite bad boy–Marc Demoda–walking into her life to stir things up.

Marc lives for the three b’s; baseball, bars, and ball bunnies, until the unthinkable happened. An accident destroys his shoulder and his career, leaving him desperate to get back in the game. Too bad no one hires notorious bad boys to coach. With his reputation on life support, Marc finds his saving grace might be the feisty blonde he can’t get out of his head.

When pictures of Beth and Marc’s chance encounter blow up on Twitter, they strike a deal to avoid further scandals and fix their image. But even in the harsh public spotlight, their fake relationship begins to feel real. Beth's growing feelings for Marc have her questioning if she can permanently handle the limelight, just as Marc wonders if Beth might mean more than the game.

My Thoughts: 

This book follows former Olympic gold medalist all around good girl Beth Evans whose now a widowed mom taking care of raising kids.  She leads a normal life and doesn't do well with unwanted attention.  But deep down she wants a guy to be there to talk to and she misses what she had with her husband.  Will she ever find love again?

Marc Demoda is an ex-proball player whose injury ended his career.  Now he spends his time chasing girls and drinking.  He's media life is anything but positive and after answering a call to fix a clients dishwasher he comes face to face with Beth Evans and finds himself pulled toward her.  Will Beth be the one thing Marc can't claim?

I was such a fun story to read about Mars and Beth finding their voices and deciding what was really important to them in life.  It was such a fun ride and one I'd love to take again.



Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Review: Deadly Ever After by: Eva Gates


Title: Deadly Ever After
Author: Eva Gates
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Series: A Lighthouse Library Mystery #8
Format: e-book ARC (
Source: Publisher

Description:

Librarian Lucy's wedding is at stake when a murder interrupts her engagement celebrations. To make it down the aisle, she'll have to find the killer to save the date in the 8th book in the Lighthouse Library mysteries.

They're getting married! Lucy Richardson and Connor McNeil have announced their engagement. Their friends throw a party for the couple at Coquina Beach, close to Lucy's beloved Bodie Island Lighthouse Library.

As they're packing up the presents and the (few) leftovers from Josie's Cozy Bakery, who should arrive, but Richard Eric Lewiston III, Lucy's former almost-fiancé and his overbearing mother Evangeline. Push comes to love when Evangeline makes no secret of why she's here: to get Lucy and Ricky back together.

Lucy isn't temped in the least, and Ricky is nothing but embarrassed at his mother's desperate ploy. Before returning to Boston Evangeline throws a dinner party at Jake's Seafood Bar for a reluctant Lucy and her family. Lucy hopes to get the dinner over with and see Evangeline and Ricky returning to Boson. But when a body is found at the restaurant's kitchen door, Lucy is again forced to unwillingly put on her detective's hat and do what she can to save her family and her engagement. Meanwhile, the classic novel reading club is reading The Hound of the Baskervilles, and open war breaks out in the Lighthouse Library when Lucy agrees to temporarily take care of a dog named Fluffy, but Charles the library cat has other ideas.

My Thoughts:

Lucy and Connor are having their engagement party with their friends and family when an unexpected arrival comes to cause chaos to the party.  Lucy's ex Richard and his mother Evangeline who is determined to break up Lucy and Connor much to dismay of Lucy's family.  When Richard's father winds up dead it's up to Lucy to figure out what is going on.

This book was fun to see how Lucy will deal with the latest murder.  So much was going on from the first page to the last.  I enjoy reading this book and seeing where the people in town are up to and how it's going to end this time!

Review: The Ghost and The Haunted Portrait by: Cleo Coyle


Title: The Ghost and The Haunted Portrait
Author: Cleo Coyle
Publisher: Berkley 
Series: Haunted Bookshop Mystery #7
Format: Paperback ( 336 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Bookshop owner Penelope Thornton-McClure and her gumshoe ghost team up to solve the stunning mystery at the heart of a madwoman's self-portrait in this all new installment from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

While gathering a collection of vintage book cover paintings for a special event in her quaint Rhode Island bookshop, Penelope discovers a spooky portrait of a beautiful woman, one who supposedly went mad, according to town gossip. Seymour, the local mailman, falls in love with the haunting image and buys the picture, refusing to part with it, even as fatal accidents befall those around it. Is the canvas cursed? Or is something more sinister at work?

For answers, Pen turns to an otherworldly source: Jack Shepard, PI. Back in the 1940s, Jack cracked a case of a killer cover artist, and (to Pen's relief) his spirit is willing to help her solve this mystery, even if he and his license did expire decades ago.

My Thoughts: 

This book follows Penelope Thornton-McClure and her friends who are traveling to someone selling alot of classic noir stuff.  Before you know it though the seller winds up dead, the pressure is on in Pen's case to figure out who killed the seller and why?  Seymour also finds himself in ownership of a classic painting of a past McClure.  Who killed and why?

This book has so much going on between traveling back and time with Jack to figure out more about the painting and why it's so mysterious.  Then there is the murder going on around town and whose to blame with it.  

It's a good read and keeps the reader well informed of the ins and outs of the mystery while adding history with Jack to the mix such a fantastic story!

Monday, September 13, 2021

Review: The Rest of the Story by: Sarah Dessen


Title: The Rest of The Story
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: Paperback ( 448 p) Personal Purchase

Description:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a big-hearted, sweeping novel about a girl who reconnects with a part of her family she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl—and falls in love, all over the course of a magical summer.

Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.

Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family that she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.

When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is also divided into two people. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.

Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.

For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her—Emma or Saylor—will win out? 

My Thoughts: 

Emma Saylor has very few memories of her mom who died when she was young.  Her dad is now remarried and finds herself with her grandmother on her moms side while his dad is on his honeymoon.  She learns alot about her mom's life during this adventure.  North Lake is nothing like Emma is prepared for and she spends her time switching her name back and forth Saylor vs Emma.

This was a great summer read.  You walk next to Emma and see how she deals with all this family she knew nothing about.  Family she seems very capable of adapting too.  But buried deep are the secrets between Emma's mom and another local boy and what happened that one summer.

Definitely a great summer read for teens as they prepare for college.  You find yourself pulled into Emma's world and can't wait to see how it ends!

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Review: Secrets in Death by: J. D. Robb


Title: Secrets in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Series: In Death #45
Format: Hardcover (370 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

The chic Manhattan nightspot Du Vin is not the kind of place Eve Dallas would usually patronize, and it’s not the kind of bar where a lot of blood gets spilled. But that’s exactly what happens one cold February evening.

The mortally wounded woman is Larinda Mars, a self-described “social information reporter,” or as most people would call it, a professional gossip. As it turns out, she was keeping the most shocking stories quiet, for profitable use in her side business as a blackmailer. Setting her sights on rich, prominent marks, she’d find out what they most wanted to keep hidden and then bleed them dry. Now someone’s done the same to her, literally—with a knife to the brachial artery.

Eve didn’t like Larinda Mars. But she likes murder even less. To find justice for this victim, she’ll have to plunge into the dirty little secrets of all the people Larinda Mars victimized herself. But along the way, she may be exposed to some information she really didn’t want to know… 

My Thoughts: 

Det. Eve Dallas finds herself at Du Vin meeting with someone else when she finds Larinda Mars dying in front of her.  Eve doesn't really know Larinda but apparently Larinda had her mitts into everyone else's business Eve and Roarke being in her sights, but unable to touch them.  Larinda's job was a gossip reporter but she seemed to have a very sneaky side job.

As Eve and Roarke and others investigate into Larinda they find more disturbing information on her Larinda is not what she seems.  She had been digging deep for secrets people try to keep quiet then exploit the secrets.  Is this what killed her?  Did she upset the wrong person or was it someone related to her past?

I love this series it's so great and fun to see what Eve is up to.  Also to catch up with Eve, Peabody, Roarke, and all the other people we see in this series, and to see how far her friends will go to protect her.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Review: Night Pleasures by: Sherrilyn Kenyon


Title: Night Pleasures
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Series: Dark Hunters #`
Format: e-book ( 309 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

See how it all began…

Have you ever wanted to know what it’s like to be immortal? To journey through the night stalking the evil that preys on humans? To have unlimited wealth, unlimited power?

That is my existence, and it is dark and dangerous. I play hero to thousands, but am known to none. And I love every minute of it.

Or so I thought until one night when I woke up handcuffed to my worst nightmare: an accountant. She’s smart, sexy, witty, and wants nothing to do with the paranormal.

My attraction to Amanda Devereaux goes against everything I stand for. Not to mention the last time I fell in love it cost me not only my human life, but also my very soul. Now I find myself wanting to believe that love and loyalty do exist.

Even more disturbing, I find myself wondering if there’s any way a woman can love a man whose battle scars run deep, and whose heart was damaged by a betrayal so savage that he’s not sure it will ever beat again.

Kyrian of Thrace

My Thoughts: 

If you have read the chronicles of Nick then you somewhat know of Kyrian of Thrace.  You know this as the guy who hired Nick to work for him.  Well in this book you learn about Dark Hunters how they came to be and you learn about Kyrian what horrors he had been through about his bad love affair and how it all fell apart and how he finally found love.

Amanda was a pure girl who is also a sorceress and has yet to tap into her powers.  After recently breaking up with her boyfriend who was dull as dirt.  She found herself handcuffed to a Dark Hunter who stirred something in her she didn't know was there.

Dark Hunters aren't allowed to love.  but the connection between Amanda and Kyrian is so much when danger approaches Amanda has a choose to do something she didn't think possible to save Kyrian will she choose to help him or not?

I love Dark Hunters and I also loved this book also featured sarcastic Nick and all his young glory.  I loved watching the relationship bloom between Kyrian and Amanda and see where it led to such a fabulous story and lots of action as well!

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Review: Being Jamie Baker by: Kelly Oram


Title: Being Jamie Baker
Author: Kelly Oram
Publisher: Bluefields
Series: Jamie Baker #1
Format: e-book ( 353 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities. To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. 

Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special. Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat? More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him? 

My Thoughts: 

Jamie Baker is just trying to get through high school without dating or really having friends after a recent tragedy what she didn't count on was the yumminess of Ryan Miller and she goes so far as to kiss him when he makes a bet with another jock.   What she didn't count on was the fireworks that came with that kiss literal sparks between them.

Jamie does everything she can to dismay Ryan she's called the Ice Queen for a reason for her own protection as much as everyone else's.  Will Ryan be able to break her down find out what her story is?  Or will he treat her like everyone else does?  

The problem is someone else is watching Ryan and Jamie and who knows what there agenda really is.  Will this find Jamie in a predicament she can't escape?  She knows she's falling for Ryan but can she get out before she's in too deep?

I love this series it's like Smallville in a weird way we have the superhuman girl we have teen drama and the big issue will she or won't she.  We see many sides of Jamie as she tries to get through high school with as little drama as possible.  Of course real life also gets in the way it's was so much fun to watch Jamie figure out where to go from here.  It was tons of fun.

Monday, August 30, 2021

Review: Small Town Monsters by: Diana Rodriguez Wallach


Title: Small Town Monsters
Author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Publisher: Underlined
Format: e-book ARC ( 314 p.) NetGalley

Description:

The Conjuring meets The Vow! This terrifying paperback original tells the unputdownable story of a girl, a dark angel, and the cult hellbent on taking over her small, coastal town.

Vera Martinez wants nothing more than to escape Roaring Creek and her parents' reputation as demonologists. Not to mention she's the family outcast, lacking her parents' innate abilities, and is terrified of the occult things lurking in their basement.

Maxwell Oliver is supposed to be enjoying the summer before his senior year, spending his days thinking about parties and friends. Instead he's taking care of his little sister while his mom slowly becomes someone he doesn't recognize. Soon he suspects that what he thought was grief over his father's death might be something more...sinister.

When Maxwell and Vera join forces, they come face to face with deeply disturbing true stories of cults, death worship, and the very nature that drives people to evil.

Underlined is a line of totally addictive romance, thriller, and horror paperback original titles coming to you fast and furious each month. Enjoy everything you want to read the way you want to read it. 

My Thoughts: 

This book follows Vera Martinez whose trying to survive in a town where everyone treats her like a dead freak because of her parents work which is similar to the Warren's work in the Conjuring movies.  In this book though Maxwell Oliver needs Vera's help with her parents in Barcelona helping someone else the pressure is on Vera to help Max whose Mom has gone crazy.

Vera notices that the people in town are all crazy about a self help group.  But is the group helping or are they taking over?  Vera whose adamant she has no powers feels compelled to help her class mate.  With the help of Vera's aunt and a local priest the hunt is on to help one helpless woman so over taken by grief she can barely get through the day.

This book was incredible especially for anyone who loves The Nun and The Conjuring movies it pulls you in and you can't put it down til you know the kids will be alright!  I feel in love with Vera and felt for her when you read about her issues and Max's issues you want to take them somewhere safe! 

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Book Blitz by: Anna Katmora

Seventeen Butterflies
Anna Katmore
Publication date: August 23rd 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

The embarrassment of being the only unkissed girl in high school is something Sandy Cardington refuses to accept. The first kiss project is her foolproof plan to finally get rid of the status at her 17th birthday party, while her parents are out of town.

With several kissable boys on her guest list, this should be a walk in the park. But she didn’t count on her older brother returning from college and throwing a wrench into her plans. To make matters even more complicated, he has a friend in tow, and the cute hockey player stirs unexpected butterflies in her stomach every time their paths cross.

While Sandy moves heaven and earth to make her party and project come true, it looks as if Thane Griffyn has his own plans to teach her the real meaning of a first kiss…

A compelling, sweet high school romance, perfect for fans of Kelly Oram, L A Cotton, Cassie Mae, and Erin Watt.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Who. Are. You?”

The words fly out of my mouth even before the front door falls shut behind me. There’s a stranger in my house—built like a demi-god, demonic dark hair, and with eyes like an angel. He comes out of the bathroom as if he’d just taken a break after parking himself in my home for a cozy film marathon. Hello?

The intruder with the white t-shirt wipes his still damp hands on the back of his washed-out jeans, not even half as confused as I am, obviously. “My name’s Thane,” he says. Then he smiles, and the sun is rising a second time today at half past six in the evening. What the hell?

He cocks his head. “And yours?”

My backpack slides from my right shoulder, pulling one side of my unzipped dark blue hoodie with it, and hits the tiled hallway floor with a thud so loud the neighbors could hear. That’s from the five new books I just borrowed from the library. All hardcovers. “Huh?”

Dimples and an amused look make the young man’s eyes scrunch a little tighter. “Your name?”

Jeez, burglars don’t usually smirk and engage you in conversations, do they? Then again, we’ve never been robbed before, so what do I know?

With a jerk of my shoulder, I push my hoodie back in place and then grab my brother’s old hockey stick from behind the chest in the foyer. We’ve been keeping it there since the day I watched my first murder mystery as a kid, and today I swing it for the first time.

“I’m Sandra Michelle Cardington. Cardington as in the name written on the mailbox outside this house. My house.” Need I say, “I live here!” My fingers clenching around the wood, I move one step closer to the housebreaker. “You don’t.”

“Whoa.” His chuckle runs wild into nice boyish laughter, and he lifts his hands in surrender.

Not gonna help, cutie. I’ll knock your lights out.

As I scowl like a wild dog, he keeps his body rigid, but his star-blue eyes move to the right as he shouts over his shoulder, “You didn’t say you’re living with Harley Quinn, Cam.”

The next instant, he moves forward so swiftly I totally miss the moment. With just one hand, he brings my arms down then casts a friendly look straight into my eyes. “Let me show you how this works. This isn’t a baseball bat, you know. You use it a little closer to the ground.”

Author Bio:

"I'm writing stories because I can't breathe without."

Anna Katmore lives in an enchanting world of her own, which allows only those to enter who are ready to hand in logic and rationalism. But beware, if you dare to step through this door, you'll never want to leave again...

Disney is her attitude towards life, and if she could, she'd save the world from itself. Her patronus is a wolf, her wand the broken twig of an apple tree, 13 inches long with a unicorn hair core. Glitter on her shoes is a must, though she doesn't care for Cinderella's glass slippers. Too risky that something might break...

For more information, please visit www.annakatmore.com

Website / Goodreads / Facebook


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Thursday, August 12, 2021

Review: Saint Anything by: Sarah Dessen


Title: Saint Anything
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Viking
Format Hardcover ( 417 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

A New York Times bestseller

A TIME Magazine Top 10 Children's Book of 2015

"Saint Anything is a poignant, honest story about how we might suffer the misfortune of someone else's bad choices, how people who love us can become family when we desperately need it, and how starting over might - miraculously - mean taking a solid leap forward." —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling novelist of Leaving Time and My Sister’s Keeper

Sydney has always felt invisible. She's grown accustomed to her brother, Peyton, being the focus of the family’s attention and, lately, concern. Peyton is handsome and charismatic, but seems bent on self-destruction. Now, after a drunk-driving accident that crippled a boy, Peyton’s serving some serious jail time, and Sydney is on her own, questioning her place in the family and the world.

Then she meets the Chatham family. Drawn into their warm, chaotic circle, Sydney experiences unquestioning acceptance for the first time. There’s effervescent Layla, who constantly falls for the wrong guy, Rosie, who’s had her own fall from grace, and Mrs. Chatham, who even though ailing is the heart of the family. But it’s with older brother Mac—quiet, watchful, and protective—that Sydney finally feels seen, really seen, at last.

Saint Anything is Sarah Dessen’s deepest and most psychologically probing novel yet, telling an engrossing story of a girl discovering friendship, love, and herself.

My Thoughts:

In this book Sydney is dealing with the repercussions of her brother what he's done which has landed him in jail.  So Sydney tries to move on and finds it might be easier in a new school so she enters Jackson High School and leaves her posh high school behind.  It takes a bit for Sydney to make some friends due to being shy and wanting desperately to go unnoticed.  Not long she meets Layla and they become quick friends.

Of course Peyton Sydney's brother keeps becoming a front issue in Sydney's home life.  Sydney hasn't figured out where in this family she fits.  

Sydney really has to work on fixing her relationship with her mom, and her mom has to learn to work on her relationship with her son and so on.  This book was a great read and you find yourself right there with Sydney wishing you could give her the strength to fix the relationships in this book!  Definitely worth checking out!

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Review: The Moon and More by: Sarah Dessen


Title: The Moon and More
Author: Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Speak
Format: Paperback ( 435 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

My Thoughts: 

Emaline is heading to college and spending her last summer at home making some money for school what she doesn't count on is relationship issues with her boyfriend, a new love interest, a crazy film maker and life getting in her way.  

We see so much happen with Emaline as she manuvers life and relationships and gets ready for college.  Situations arise that really push Emaline to see what she can do and how far she can be pushed.  I loved this book we get to go back to Colby and see what's going on and meet Emmaline's family and friends.  It was a great adventure and my favorite part has to be Benji Emmaline's half brother he's cute and spunky and great!

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Review: Tweet Cute by: Emma Lord


Title: Tweet Cute
Author: Emma Lord
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Format: e-book ( 368 p.) Personal Purchase


Description:

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming ― mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese ― that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life ― on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate ― people on the internet are shipping them?? ― their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

A fresh, irresistible rom-com from debut author Emma Lord about the chances we take, the paths life can lead us on, and how love can be found in the opposite place you expected.


My Thoughts: 

This book is a cute rom-com about Jack and Pepper who both are connected to a restaurant service of some kind.  When their business life crosses to personal life all sorts of things happen.

Pepper has been with her mom and still talking to her sister Paige and her dad.  Her life is in New York even if she is just trying to get through school without much fuss.

Jack is sick of living in his brothers shadow.  Even if only he is seeing it that way.  He's not sure what he wants to do in the future but he's sure it's not working in his parents cafe. 

As the two juggle life they end up in a very heated twitter war with the companies.  But through most of it they don't realize who they are sparring with?  This book was definitely full of so much drama and chaos.

I love this book it was so much fun watching Pepper and Jack try to figure out life and twitter and businesses.  It was such a trip and a half to see how the book went and was great to see how it played out to Jack and Pepper!

Monday, July 26, 2021

Review: The French Paradox by: Ellen Crosby



Title: The French Paradox
Author: Ellen Crosby
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Format: Hardcover ( 256 p.) Personal Purchase

Description:

Lucie Montgomery's discovery of her grandfather's Parisian romance unlocks a series of shocking secrets in the gripping new Wine Country mystery.

In 1949, during her junior year abroad in Paris, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis bought several inexpensive paintings of Marie-Antoinette by a little-known 18th century female artist. She also had a romantic relationship with Virginia vineyard owner Lucie Montgomery's French grandfather - until recently, a well-kept secret.

Seventy years later, Cricket Delacroix, Lucie's neighbor and Jackie's schoolfriend, is donating the now priceless paintings to a Washington, DC museum. And Lucie's grandfather is flying to Virginia for Cricket's 90th birthday party, hosted by her daughter Harriet. A washed-up journalist, Harriet is rewriting a manuscript Jackie left behind about Marie-Antoinette and her portraitist. She's also adding tell-all details about Jackie, sure to make the book a bestseller.

Then on the eve of the party a world-famous landscape designer who also knew Jackie is found dead in Lucie's vineyard. Did someone make good on the death threats he'd received because of his controversial book on climate change? Or was his murder tied to Jackie, the paintings, and Lucie's beloved grandfather?

My Thoughts:

Lucy Montgomery is eagerly awaiting her grandfather Luc coming home to visit.  Lucie's sister is also back working on a big painting for Cricket's upcoming birthday. Harry Cricket's daughter is working on a showing of Jackie's paintings and a journal Jackie left behind when she visited before she died. Lucie is worried about her grandfather being hurt as he spent time with Jackie while she was in Paris.  

When a local writer Parker Lord is having issues with some of his articles he's written and winds up dead in Lucie's vineyard and her sister Mia becomes the prime suspect.  Lucie has her hands full trying to figure out who killed Parker and is Luc's secret going on come out or will Cricket change her mind!

This was great story with so much history of Luc and Jackie.  We also learn about Cricket and Harry and their relationship!  It's definitely worth reading but I would still read it in order to get a sense of various characters!