Book Review: Quicksand (The Champions #3) by Janet Dailey

 

Title: Quicksand (The Champions #3) 

Author: Janet Dailey

Star: 4

Review:

I didn't read the first 2 in the Champions series and the author does her best to update readers what happened in the other two bools while keeping the story moving forward.

Tess Champion is the female lead who is guarded and protective of her family.  Brock Tolman just wants to belong and help the Champion family once again as long as he can get closer to Tess.

Janet Dailey knows how to write a story that readers will hold on to years later after putting the book down.  Readers will fall in love with the Champion family as they come to life on the pages.

Quicksand is the perfect title for the story as reader will be pulled into the story unable to stop moving quickly though the story in hopes of finding the HEA.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy of Janent Dailey Quicksand.

Synposis:

Tess Champion knows better than to trust Brock Tolman, the rancher who once swindled her late father in a land deal. But with the Alamo Canyon Ranch in foreclosure, Tess is forced to accept Brock’s offer of a partnership. Brock claims he only wants to breed the Champion bloodline into his own herd. In exchange, he offers Tess one of his own young bulls. Soon enough, Quicksand is the rising star of the rodeo circuit, which only proves Tess is better at picking bulls than she is men. Because she’s way too tempted to surrender to her attraction to Brock, despite her certainty he’s only out to steal her family ranch.

It’s not until the tycoon’s private plane crashes in the wilderness, stranding him with Tess, that the truth of their relationship will come out. The Champion family’s future is on the line, but it’s Tess’s heart that will take the hit if she’s fallen for the wrong man.

About The Author:

Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.

Book Review: The Lies I Told by Mary Burton

 

Title: The Lies I Told 

Author: Mary Burton

Star: 3

Review:

The Lies I Told has so much going on that at times I wasn't sure what the purpose of the story.  Too many times to count the story slowed down and at times the author created an unnecessary scene.

The story was dragged out to the point I didn't really care who the killer was. As the story unfolds the killer is pretty easy to figure out and the reason why is pretty thin as to why it happened.  

The characters were dull at best as well as the reasons for the lies they all told.

This was a disappointing Mary Burton book this is my suggestion do not wait the time on The Lies I told.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Mary Burton The Lies I Told. 

Synposis: 

Twin sisters Marisa and Clare Stockton were sixteen when Clare’s body was found in Virginia’s James River. No arrests were made. Fourteen years later, Marisa’s friends and dedicated career as a photographer help her to cope with the open wound of the past. But Marisa still feels the hurt—and the unsolved murder isn’t the only thing haunting her.

A recent car crash has erased ten days of Marisa’s memories—a black hole leading up to the accident that’s left her disoriented. Every text and phone call from that crucial missing time has vanished, along with her phone. A photograph she took of the river has disappeared. A new neighbor Marisa believes she knows introduces himself as if he were a stranger. And there’s the growing fear that her near-fatal accident was no accident at all. As dreams of Clare and nightmares of the crash begin to converge, so do two disturbing puzzles fourteen years apart.

Putting the pieces together could be fatal. As she struggles to remember everything, Marisa closes in on a killer—without realizing that he’s already closed in on her

About The Author:

Mary Burton, whose latest novel is NEAR YOU, loves writing suspense, getting to know her characters, keeping up with law enforcement and forensic procedure, morning walks, baking, and tiny dachshunds. She also enjoys hunting down serial killers, which she does in her New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels. Library Journal has compared her work to that of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Gardner, and Fresh Fiction likened her writing to that of James Patterson.

Mary is routinely featured among the top ten writers in Amazon’s Author Rankings for romantic suspense, thriller and mystery. Upon publication, her novels, including 2020’s NEVER LOOK BACK and BURN YOU TWICE, consistently rank high on the Kindle eBooks Store Bestseller List. Her novels CUT AND RUN and YOU'RE NOT SAFE were nominated for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award for Romantic Suspense.

A Richmond native, Mary is the author of forty-five published novels and five novellas as Mary Burton and as Mary Ellen Taylor.

Book Review: Overkill by Sandra Brown

 

Title:  Overkill

Author:  Sandra Brown

Stars: 5

Review:

I haven't really read any books by Sandra Brown I always thought of her as older generation romantic suspense.  I couldn't have been more wrong Sandra Brown creates an entire world that reader will be sucked into and unable to walk away until the very last page.  The characters are likeable and very normal almost as if you could meet them walking down the street.  The author classic mystery style writing with romance that has the readers falling in love with Zach Bridger and his past that he wish could be kept hidden. The balance of Romance and suspense is 100% perfect.

The stand-alone novel is a perfect pool read (For this momma) or the beach either way you will not be able to put the book down.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy. 

Synposis:

Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca's parents have the final say.
 
Four years later, Rebecca's attacker, Eban—the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder.
 
It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom. 

About The Author:

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Book Review: Stalk the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #19) by Alexandra Ivy

 

Title:  Stalk the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #19)

Author: Alexandra Ivy

Star: 4

Review:

I will be honest I am a fan of Alexandra Ivy romantic suspense series and have read a few of her Guardians of Eternity.  The author created a supernatural world that is just about believable as if you could see yourself in the world she created for her readers. 

I haven't kept up with the series and only bounced from different books in this series.  It took a little time for me to figure out who was who but after a few chapters it was easy enough with the authors ability to pull in a few other backstories from the other books.  Different characters from past stories are brought into Stalk the Darkness.  The story moves quickly and with an imaginations readers will love the different supernatural creatures from didn't lore's. 

The ending was very abrupt and tied up in a nice little bow for readers.  That being said I could have been drawn out a little more giving reader a more complete ending.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of Stalk the Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

Synposis:

Becoming a vampire nearly killed Satin. After decades in hiding to reach fighting strength, she swore never to be weak again. Instead, she flings herself into the joys of life. Like “combat practice” with Marco, the owner of the wildest club outside of Chicago. Getting a workout with the sizzling Were is the ultimate no-strings-attached pleasure. Until a chaos-strewing demon leaves Satin with an impossible, infuriating diagnosis: Vampires don’t get pregnant.

Marco prides himself on being the perfect Were—strong, savage, and barely housetrained. But with Satin gone on her mysterious quest, he’s compelled to follow. This raven-haired warrior might be his mate for all eternity. But a dark presence hovers around her. If Marco and Satin can’t solve its riddle in time, there won’t be any future to worry about .

About The Author:

I'm not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother's knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on.

Years later (no, I'm not admitting how many) I'm still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold!

I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

Book Review: Hunted by Allyson Charles

 

Title: Hunted

Author: Allyson Charles

Stars: 3

Review:

Hunted started off quickly pulling readers in wondering where the story would go.  To this readers disappointment the story soon falls on the sword of typical romantic suspense where the romance takes and the two lead characters end up in a push pull relationship that is unbelievable.  

The author uses a lot of inner monologues to tell the story from different point of views that doesn't move the story along.  The middle of the story slow to a snail's pace leaving readers to choose to keep reading or leave the story behind.

Pushing though the story it ends like it expected leaving this read very unsatisfied. 

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Allyson Charles Hunted. 

Synopsis:

A tough special forces operator who’s never run from a fight. A woman about to give him the biggest battle of his life.

Marine Raider Jake Skinner has a nose for trouble. He never expected to find it in a beautiful woman adrift at sea. But once he has her in his arms, he knows he’s never letting her go.

Caroline only had one rule when it came to dating – no military men. When the sexy Marine pulls her from the ocean, her resolution goes to war against his resolve to break through her walls – and goes against her own secret longings. 

As a drug cartel sets its sights on Caroline, Jake is determined to move heaven and earth to keep her safe. But if Caroline can’t learn to trust her heart, it could spell the end for them both.

Meet the men of Alpha Squad. Protective, strong-willed, and tough, they go hard after what they want. And when they set their sights on a woman, they’ll use every weapon in their arsenal to make her theirs.

About The Author:

Allyson Charles writes small-town, contemporary romances with heat and humor. A former attorney, she happily ditched those suits and now works in her pajamas writing about men’s briefs instead of legal briefs. When she’s not writing, she’s probably engaged in one of her favorite hobbies: napping, eating, or martial arts (That last one almost makes up for the first two, right?). She also writes steamy historicals as Alyson Chase.