Book Review: Train Like a Fighter: Get Mma Fit Without Taking a Hit by Cat Zingano

Title: Train Like a Fighter: Get Mma Fit Without Taking a Hit

Author: Cat Zingano

Stars: 5 stars

Review:
I will be honest I am not much for watching MMA fighting but I am about finding a new workout. This is a lot of strength training and focuses mainly on the upper body and full body movements. I didn't find the program intimidating.  
I think anyone who has never thought of this type of workout would find beneficial or can be added to change up anyone normal fitness routine. The pictures in the book are of real MMA fights which helps to give women real body positive images.
Your body will hurt but the more you do it the less pain you feel. The diet tips might not be forever but they are helpful for those wanting to build more muscles.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alpha Books for the advance copy

Synopsis:
You love watching your favorite MMA fighters compete, and you'd love to get ripped like them, but without having to actually fight anyone. Well, the good news is you don't have to become a fighter to look like one! In Train Like a Fighter, mother and top mixed martial artist Cat Zingano offers step-by-step instructions for exercises she uses to get in fighting shape--exercises focused on strengthening your upper body, core, and lower body as well as full-body training movements.

Cat also gives you three 4-week training programs filled with intense routines built from these exercises--all geared toward helping you reach your fitness and physique goals. At no point in following these programs will you have to take a punch, but once you've completed them you'll definitely look like you can throw one!

Book Features: 
* The physical, mental, and emotional benefits to training like an MMA fighter
* Proper techniques, starting stances, and common moves, such as jabs, uppercuts, and kicks
* The right kinds of gear and equipment to use for training
* Exercises for warming up and cooling down for exercises, routines, and programs
* Cat Zingano's personal training diet as well as other diet tips

Paperback

Expected publication: February 27th 2018 by Alpha Books

About The Author:

Cat Zingano is a American mixed martial artist who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). On April 13, 2013, she became the first woman to win a UFC fight by technical knockout.

Zingano is currently the #5-ranked pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world by MMARising.com^[3] and the #3-ranked 135-pound female fighter according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings.^[4] As of 7 August 2017, she is the #7 contender in official UFC women's bantamweight rankings

Book Review: Close to the Edge (Unbroken Heroes #5) by Dawn Ryder

Title: Close to the Edge (Unbroken Heroes #5)

Author: Dawn Ryder

Stars: 3 stars

Review:
I started this book right away feeling very lost as if I started the book in the middle of a chapter. I stopped picked up the first 4 books and quickly reviewed them thinking I missed something from the last book.
No I didn't miss anything.
This is the first book in the Unbroken Heroess series you will need to start with the previous books to even come close to understand what is going on. After being lost the story quickly recover with sexual tension that is steamy but is taken care of pretty fast. The story fills in the gaps as well as adds to the mystery of the series which started with book one.

I would have given it a 5 but the author wrote the story as if you already know who the woman is and why the bugged her house. Dare is from the other books but I didn't remember him until I reviewed the others in the series. This book is a mess of epic proportions from the throw away characters and the story that started in book 1. Nothing flows and many times the sex takes over the story leaving readers wondering what they are reading. Romance? Suspense? Or Erotic?

The characters are lost in a mess keeping this reader from connecting to the story. I enjoyed most books in this series but this one left me wondering what I missed?
Thank you to Netgelley and St. Martin's Paperbacks for the advance copy

Synopsis:
The Unbroken Heroes are back! Agent Dare Servant is aghast at this fellow Ops members settling down. He knows without doubt that the domestic life will never be for him - the thrill of the chase and the high of danger to strong to ever give up. But when a quirky and charming caterer ends up smack dab in the middle of a criminal mastermind's plot, Dare will uphold his honor and protect her. Even though she pushes all his buttons. Even though her beauty drives him to distraction. Even though he's in danger of losing his heart to her and hanging up his Shadow Ops life for good


About The Author:

Dawn Ryder has not been abducted by gypsies. She stepped through a time tunnel and has been busy writing about Scots in kilts and English Knights for Kensington’s Brava line. but she will return, very soon to her special operations guys and the other characters that are demanding their turn to tell their story. please check back for updates and click on over to MaryWine.com to discover what she’s got releasing.

Book Review: Hard Pursuit (Delta Force Brotherhood #3) by Sheryl Nantus

Title: Hard Pursuit (Delta Force Brotherhood #3)

Author: Sheryl Nantus

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
This is my first book by Sheryl Nantus. I was surprised how well developed the characters were and how the story pulls the reader in right away with a story of a wayward brother and a revenge. 
Trey and Ally were well developed and everything they did felt real and flowed though out the story. The reactions and actions of the different characters made since as the story moved closer and closer to the concussion.  Their is romance and sex in the story but flows well this the story. 
Hard Pursuit has a great flow from chapter to chapter that will keep readers wanting more as they end the story.
 Since this was the first in the series I read the author was able to bring readers up to speed fast and this is a stand alone novel.
Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)  Publishing for the advance copy.

Synopsis:
Trey Pierce has spent years helping the Brotherhood, using his computer skills to dig out secrets and help deliver justice. But there's one mission he's yet to finish–– finding out who killed his best friend. A chance meeting with Ally Sheldon gives him a new lead, one that comes with some baggage. 

Executive Ally Sheldon has to find her wayward brother if she wants to save her company. Pretending like nothing is wrong is getting to her. But when the sexy Trey is assigned to her to help her case, focusing on what's most important is difficult. 
Never in his life has Trey been more attracted to a woman, but she’s hiding something. And that something may just destroy them.

ebook, 355 pages

Expected publication: February 26th 2018 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)

About The Author:

Sheryl Nantus is an award-winning romance writer published by Entangled, St. Martin's, and Harlequin's Carina Press.

When she's not writing about hunky heroes, she is sipping tea, playing board games and writing haiku.

A total fangirl at heart, she met her husband through an online fanfiction community and currently lives in Pennsylvania.

Book Review: Fade To Gray (Triad #1) by Dee Davis

Title:  Fade To Gray (Triad #1)

Author: Dee Davis

Stars: 5 stars 

Review:
This is the second book I have read Dee Davis. Dee Davis has the ability to create sexual tension and keep the suspense and mystery the man focus.  Readers of mystery will keep the killer coming but with this story its the adventure and less about who the killer is but how they figure it out.
Faded To Gray kept me up all night with a desire to how everything would end which I wasn't surprised but I did find I enjoyed the ride.
The blend of romance and suspense is perfectly blended to create a story that readers will fall in love with.
Thank you to Netgalley and Pocito Press for the copy of Dee Davis Faded to Gray


Synopsis:
When Emily Masterson wakes up in a strange bed with a dead man, she does the only thing she can think to do. She calls the one man who can help her. A man who betrayed her years ago—the only man she’s ever loved.

Gideon Sloan might be in the business of helping people, he just never thought one of them would be Emily. After using all his resources to help her, he swears never to see her again, but a second attempt on her life leaves him racing against a clock to keep her alive.

Even as the killer circles closer, passion reignites, but secrets from the past threaten to destroy their fragile truce. Only together can they find answers and—if they survive—a second chance at love. 

Kindle Edition, 414 pages

Published July 17th 2017 by Pocito Press

About Author:

Award winning author Dee Davis worked in association management before turning her had to writing. Her highly acclaimed first novel, Everything In Its Time, was published in July 2000. Since then, among others, she’s won the Booksellers Best, Golden Leaf, Texas Gold and Prism awards, and been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award, the Holt and two RT Reviewers Choice Awards. To date, she is the author of over thirty novels and novellas, including her current A-Tac series and Cottage in the Mist. When not sitting at the computer, Dee spends time exploring Connecticut with her husband, daughter, and Cardigan Welsh Corgis.

Book Review: The Broken by Casey Kelleher

Title:  The Broken

Author:  Casey Kelleher

Stars: 5 stars

Review:
I never read anyone else reviews before writing and posting my own but this time I had to see what others were saying.
This is one heck of a ride that will keep readers hooked and needing more when the story ends.
Case Kelleher takes the story of the Godfather and turns in upside down and backwards in the most unique and captivating way.
I had know idea this was the second in the series but the author catches readers up fast in a way that readers will have no idea there was a book before this one.

The story ends with a cliffhanger and questions that still need answering and this readers needs those answers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.

Synopsis:
They took her dad, but she won’t let them take her. 

Nancy Byrne was the apple of her daddy’s eye. He might have been one of the most-feared gangsters in London, yet Jimmy Byrne idolised his little Nancy. But now Jimmy is dead, gunned down in cold blood - and Nancy vows to avenge his death. 

She’s only twenty years old, but as the new head of the ruthless Byrne gang, running a lucrative world of drugs, sex and violence, she’s in over her head. Keeping her family together all while Joanie, her beloved grandma, falls apart, and her brother Daniel goes off the rails forces Nancy to grow up - fast. 

But while Nancy takes the men on at their own game, there’s a greater danger hiding on the dark streets. Jimmy’s killer is on her trail - and will stop at nothing to shut her up. 

Blood might be thicker than water, but soon, Nancy realises she can't trust anyone. Not even her own family. 

Especially her own family. 

Kindle Edition, 336 pages

Expected publication: February 22nd 2018 by Bookouture

About The Author: 

Born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, Casey Kelleher grew up as an avid reader and a huge fan of author Martina Cole. 

Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up her three children together with her husband, Casey penned her debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that she could give up her day job and concentrate on writing full time. 

She has since published Rise and Fall, Heartless, Bad Blood, The Taken, The Promise and her next release The Betrayed is due for publication on the 21st June 2017. 

Keep in touch! 

Twitter: @caseykelleher

Website: www.caseykelleher.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/officialcaseykelleher

Book Review: Kansas City Cop (The Precinct #33) by Julie Miller

Title: Kansas City Cop (The Precinct #33)

Author: Julie Miller

Star: 4 stars

Review:
Julie Miller Kansas City Cop is a well written Harlequin series. The characters are well developed. They author it able to create excellent chemistry between Gina and Mike that fits into the story and progresses well.
This is the first I have read by Julie Miller and I enjoyed her style of writing.

Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review  


Synopsis:
After a gunshot rips streetwise police officer Gina Galvan from the line of duty, all she wants is to return to the front line and stop a shooter. But good guy physical therapist Mike Cutler won’t back down from a challenge, or his blazing attraction to Gina. Without a badge or a gun, Mike is ready to face anyone—including a killer—to prove he’s every inch a hero.


About The Author:
USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Miller writes breathtaking romantic suspense. She has earned a National Readers Choice Award and two Daphne du Maurier Awards among many other prizes for both her series and single title books. She was also honored to receive the RT BookReviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Suspense, and has twice been a finalist for RWA’s prestigious RITA Award. With millions of copies in print worldwide, many of her books have appeared on the USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, Amazon and BookScan Top 100 Romances bestseller lists. www.juliemiller.org

Book Review: Pretty Little Killers (The Keepers #1) By Rita Herron

Title:  Pretty Little Killers

Author: Rita Herron

Stars: 4 stars out of 5

Review:
Rita Herron takes a dark topic sexual abuse of adults and children and create a riveting story that will have readers wanting more. 
Each and every character in the story has a purpose that propels the story forward moving leaving in it wake a desire to help those who have been forgotten by the system.
The two main leads McGee and Davenport are both troubled by their past of violence that keeps them fighting for the truth even when it isn't close to what they hope for. 
The author creates a thought that will linger with the reader long after they put down the story. What would you do if it was someone you loved? Would you find them and kill them or allow the courts determine there fate?
The story talks about rape, child molesters and serial killers who do not seem themselves as a killer but an angel of mercy.
The romance between the two lead characters is why the story isn't 5 stars. It felt forced, didn't flow with the story and at points would stop the story in its tracks.  While I understood the reason for the romance I felt it could have done without the sex scenes. A quick they woke up would have been better with this story line.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Montlake Romance for the advance copy

 

Synopsis:
Still haunted by his wife’s murder—and stained by the blood of avenging it—FBI special agent Hatcher McGee can’t believe he’s being teamed up with rookie agent Korine Davenport. She is his most guilty secret—the one-night stand who almost cost him everything.

Korine has her own demons. As a child, she witnessed her father’s murder, and she’s spent her life waiting for the killer’s return. She and Hatcher are both looking for closure, but the disturbing case that draws them together could be their last.

When the mutilated body of a corrupt Savannah judge surfaces, Hatcher and Korine find themselves on the trail of a vigilante who is showing no mercy. Not for the predators who’ve gone free. And not for anyone who gets in the way.

As the body count rises, and as Hatcher’s and Korine’s own pasts unfold, they must risk their lives tracking a killer they’ve come to understand all too well. After all, the ends justify the means.

Expected publication: February 20th 2018 by Montlake Romance

About The Author:

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. Although she wanted to be a writer then and actually scrawled her first novel at age twelve, she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a kindergarten teacher instead. Ten years ago, she traded her classroom storytelling and puppets for a computer and now writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
Having sold over fifty books to date, she enjoys spinning spine-tingling romantic suspense tales filled with murder, mayhem, and spicy romance as well as sexy romantic comedies. Rita Herron currently writes romantic suspense for Harlequin Intrigue and she’s writing dark, gritty romantic suspense thrillers for Amazon Montlake.

If you want to know more about Rita or have a question for her about her books, or writing in general, email Rita and she’ll be happy to answer

Book Review: Calculated Collision (Crossing Forces #3) by C.A. Szarek

Title: Calculated Collision  (Crossing Forces #3)

Author: C.A. Szarek

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
Calculated Collision carries the same story line from the first in the series though this book as well as bringing in characters from the other books. C.A. Szarek is able to catch readers up quickly and efficiently without slowing down the current story.  
This is more romance my suspense with Nate and Lee trying to keep each other hands off each other. Set up story, suspense, thinking about sex, sex, story, sex,  thinking about sex, guilty for thinking about sex and story.
While it follows the same pattern as the other 2 in the series this one I was hoping for more fun banter, action and less thinking, talking or having sex. A lot of readers of this series will enjoy the romance but I found took away from a story that would have been more exciting than Nate and Lee wanting each other.
Thank you to Netgelley and the publisher for the Copy of this book.


Synopsis:
Dallas County Assistant District Attorney, Nate Crane, visits New York and witnesses the brutal murder of a friend. When Lee is assigned to the investigation, her personal and professional life collides. She can’t avoid the man she ditched six months ago. 

She’s the one Nate can’t stop thinking about. The one he let get away. He’s determined to get her back, no matter what she thinks she wants. Being a witness in her case puts them close—and Nate intends to keep it that way.

After Nate’s attacked at a safe house, Lee knows there’s a leak – a dirty FBI agent working with the human trafficker her unit has been hunting for years.

Can Lee protect her witness and resist the heat between them or will she succumb to her desires and throw them both into danger?

ebook, 270 pages

Published June 6th 2014 by Totally Bound (first published June 5th 2014)

About The Author:
USA Today Bestselling, award winning author of romantic suspense and epic fantasy romance, C.A. loves to dabble in different genres. If it's a good story, she'll write it, no matter where it seems to fit!

She's a hopeless romantic and always will be. Risking it all for Happily Ever After is what she lives by!

C.A. is originally from Ohio, but got to Texas as soon as she could. She's happily married and has a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice.

She works with kids when she's not writing.

Book Review: Next to Die by T.J. Brearton

Title: Next to Die

Author: T.J. Brearton

Stars: 4 stars out of 5

Review:
Next To Die is a well written thriller that starts off with every woman's nightmare getting into her car and someone is in the back seat.
Next To die has endless characters that bogged down the flow of the story and will have readers checking back to when they were first introduced. The cast of characters each play a roll in the story that will have readers wondering who is the killer.
This is the first I have read by T. J. Brearton  and I am not sure if this book was part of a series because I was lost on the relationship between Bobbie and her relationships. With that being said the story is a stand alone novel that reader can pick up but trust me will never put down. 
This reader will be checking the back of her car for several months to come.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Bookouture
#TJBrearton. #NextToDie #NetGalley 

Synopsis:
When a social worker is brutally murdered, Detectives Mike Nelson and Lena Overton are straight on the scene. But with a long list of potential suspects, can they work out who’s next before the killer strikes again? 

It’s Lake Haven’s first murder in eighteen years, and the community is terrified – especially Bobbi, who was not only supposed to be on duty that night, but also has the same long dark hair as Harriet and drives the same blue car. Now Bobbi lives in constant fear that the murderer will be back for her… 

When Mike and Lena make a link to a missing-persons case and uncover a wide-spread grudge against social services, they know they’re close to uncovering the killer – but can they connect the last few dots and stop him before he takes another victim?

Expected publication: February 16th 2018 by Bookouture

About The Author:

Brearton lives in the Adirondacks with his wife and three children where he writes full time, takes out the trash, and competes with his kids for his wife’s attention. If you’d like to see what he’s up to, visit tjbrearton.net

Book Review: The Husband Mission by Regina Scott

Title: The Husband Mission 

Author:  Regina Scott

Stars:  4 out of 5 stars

Review:

A warm, feel good, historical romance. A determined young lady sets out with military precision to capture, or ensnare depending on which side you support, an unaware bride groom for her step sister. However the tides turn when he unexpectedly falls for her and she falls for him. A good tale told by an excellent story teller. As an added bonus there are no sex episodes in the story only a very pleasant read.

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format.

Thank you Frank

Synopsis:

Katherine Collins is on a mission. With no means and few prospects, the spirited spinster is financially beholden to her stepsister Constance, who stands to inherit a large fortune--if she marries in the next six weeks. What better than to present Constance with the perfect husband, Alexander Wescott, Lord Borin? After all, Katherine has been spying on the handsome, wealthy viscount, just to make sure he’s the man she hopes.


Alex cannot understand why he’s under surveillance, but it seems to have something to do with the intriguing Katherine. Rejected for service by England’s spymaster and encouraged to set up his nursery instead, he ought to be searching for a wife. But what wife can compare to the excitement of international espionage? Unless, of course, she’s up for a little espionage herself.

About The Author:

Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn't actually sell her first novel until she had learned a bit more about writing such as vocabulary, sentence structure, and plot. After numerous short stories and articles in magazines and trade journals, she got serious about her novel writing. The Unflappable Miss Fairchild was her first novel to be published (March 1998).

Besides her novels, Regina Scott has had published three Regency novellas ("The June Bride Conspiracy" in His Blushing Bride, "Sweeter Than Candy" in A Match for Mother, and "A Place by the Fire" in Mistletoe Kittens). Two of her novels, A Dangerous Dalliance and The Twelve Days of Christmas, have been translated into German. A Dangerous Dalliance and The Incomparable Miss Compton have been translated into Italian. Starstruck and Perfection have been translated into Dutch.

Regina Scott and her husband are the parents of two sons. They reside in the Tri-Cities of southeast Washington State and are members of the Church of the Nazarene. Born in 1959 and raised in the Seattle area, Regina Scott is a graduate of the University of Washington. She comes by her writing talent naturally--both her parents are excellent writers in their vocations as teacher and electrical technician. Her mother envisioned the plot for "Sweeter Than Candy," the novella which was written as a tribute to her. 

Regina Scott is a devout Christian and a decent fencer; owns a historical, fantasy, and science fiction costume collection that currently takes up over a third of her large closet; and has been known to impersonate an independent consultant specializing in risk communication.

Book Review: The Quiet Village by T.J. Walter

Title: The Quiet Village

Author:  T.J. Walter

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
I picked this book up as the description and locale peaked my interest. I enjoy a well written mystery novel but this contains just a tad more. Is it a murder mystery (it contains several murders), is it a modern romance story (a mutual attraction is discovered and acted upon, or is it a story about life in a small village in England? I was pleased to find that it was a very good compilation of all three and made for a very pleasant read, and is my favorite, there is a twist at the end which leaves it to the reader to decide if justice has prevailed. I think so but perhaps my viewpoint is jaded so every reader will have to make that decision for themselves.

I have rated this book 4 stars.

I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format.

Thank you Frank for your review

Synopsis:
John Brookes retires after a busy career as a London detective. He discovers a quiet village deep in the countryside and settles there. He makes new friends and finds a new love, but there are undercurrents; events that threaten his newfound peace. Then a murder occurs and he finds himself drawn into the investigation, unsure of who among his new friends he can trust. How will he overcome this without losing all he has gained? 

Kindle Edition, 447 pages

Published August 2nd 2017

About The Author:

The response that The Quiet Village has received has been overwhelming. I can only thank all those people who read the book and especially those who then took the time and trouble to review or rate the work. Your feedback is invaluable as well as stimulating; my most sincere thanks to you all. It is only right and proper that I respond to your comments.

Let me say how I came to write the story in the first place. After a long career in policing, I found myself in a seaside apartment overlooking Table Mountain in South Africa. Retirement suited me as I am inherently lazy. Nevertheless, I needed something to occupy my mind.

I started to write. By then I was in my sixties and had already led an interesting life. An autobiography was my first effort. Sadly, the literary world was not yet ready for such an exposure and I couldn’t find a publisher. But I had gotten the bug; the urge to write was firmly established in my mind. The problem then was; what should I write about?

Book Review: A Lady's Vanishing Choices by Wareeze Woodson

Title:  A Lady's Vanishing Choices 

Author:  Wareeze Woodson

Stars: 4.5 stars

Review:
A lovely historical romance that will keep the reader's interest until the final chapter. Who is the brains behind the dastardly plot to steal the list of double agents working in France? A poor, and apparently not so bright, girl is drawn into the mix when she discovers a body being buried. She soon attracts the attention of the local Lord Lt of the county and while trying to keep his younger brother away from her falls head over heels in love with her. This is a rousing novel that will keep ever reader's attention.

I have rated this book 4.5 stars.

Thank you Frank for your review

I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format.

Synopsis: 
After running away, Bethany Littleton, alone in a forest, witnesses a man burying a roll large enough to hold a corpse. She thinks she has escaped undetected, but danger follows her. 

Lord Rivton is in search of a spy and must investigate Bethany’s family, his closest neighbor. 

Both at cross purposes, the sparks fly, and when he rescues her, he places her in a compromising position. They marry as expected, but their road is not smooth. She is still in mortal danger. He must find and capture the killer/spy while trying to save his wife. A tattered string weaves together this tale of murder, abduction, and espionage. 

About The Author:

I write and read historical romance along with other romance genre. I married my high-school sweetheart and raised 4 children. We have 8 grand grandchildren.

I admit all this tech stuff is a little over my head and leaves me frustrated enough to scream.

Singing with a group called the Silver Belles is one of my favorite past times. My husband and I enjoy fishing but other than that, I prefer the great indoors where the air-conditioning roams free.

Book Review:An Ace and A Pair: A Dead Cold Mystery (Dead Cold Mysteries Book 1) by Blake Banner

Title: An Ace and A Pair: A Dead Cold Mystery (Dead Cold Mysteries Book 1) 

Author: Blake Banner

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
The pairing of a unique duo of New York city detectives into a cold case investigation team. Their methods are a bit old fashioned but effective. They have but one objective and that is to find the murder or murders by which ever methodology works. Whether or not "true" justice prevails is left for you the reader to decide. But always remember, contrary to conventional wisdom, justice is not always blind.

I have rated this book 4 stars and look forward to other offerings in this series.

I obtained this book from Amazon in Kindle format.

Synopsis: 
Detective John Stone of the NYPD has the best arrest record in the 43rd precinct. But he’s a dinosaur who belongs to another age. Detective Carmen Dehan has such a bad attitude that nobody at the precinct can stomach her. Captain Jennifer Cuevas wants them both out of the way and thinks they make a perfect pair. So she gives them the Cold Cases file – the cases nobody gives a damn about.

She has no idea just how hot a cold case can get.

Ten years back Nelson Hernandez and his four cousins were playing poker in a dive at Hunts Point. Somebody came in, blew them away and beheaded and castrated Nelson, leaving his head and his balls on the table. There was no shortage of suspects, the Jersey Mob, the Triads from Manhattan, or the 43rds own bent cop, Mick Harragan. But nobody was ever charged, and the night of the murder Mick Harragan went missing with Nelson’s wife, Maria.

Now Stone and Dehan plan to find him – whatever the consequences…


About The Author:

http://blakebanner.com/

Book Review Cinderella and the Geek by Christina Phillips

Title: Cinderella and the Geek

Author: Christina Phillips

Stars: 3 1 / 2 stars

Review:
Cinderella and the Geek is a book that will make the inner geek scream in pain or fall in love with the awkwardness these two characters bring to the pages. The story is filled with cringe worthy moments that will have readers wondering if this is even possibly happen in the real world. Christina Phillips is able to make some award winning banter though out the story between the two lead characters that will keep readers laughing out loud and cringe many times wondering did they just say that?
However it over took the main story several times leaving this read to flip though the pages quickly feeling as if I had already read that scene before. 
Readers will enjoy reading as the two characters have to learn to communicate with each other and the world around them. 
However it over took the main story several times leaving this read to flip though the pages quickly feeling as if I had already read that scene before. Maybe another swing though the editors hands could fix those few too many returns?

Something I saw a lot "I came. I talked and I made it awkward. Can I leave now?"

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Entangled for the advance copy

Synopsis:
From Christina Phillips a sexy, new romance with a hero you won’t forget…

I'm not looking for love or a Happily-Ever-After because I know how that ends. I just need to concentrate on my degree and look after myself. But there's something about my boss, Harry, I can't resist. It's crazy since he's so hot and smart it should be illegal. 
And then, just like Cinderella, I have my night at 
the ball and a midnight kiss, and for a week all my sexy daydreams come true. That fake date changes my life in a way I could never imagine. It turns out, Harry wants me too. 

But I’m off to pursue my dreams, and he’s taking his business to the next level. There’s no way this fairytale has a happy ending, but that doesn’t keep me from wishing for it.

Expected publication: February 19th 2018 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Embrace)

About The Author:

Christina Phillips is an ex-pat Brit who now lives in sunny Western Australia with her high school sweetheart and their family. She enjoys writing paranormal, historical and contemporary romance but whether the hero is a fallen angel, tough warrior or sexy mortal, the romance will be sizzling and the heroine will bring her hero to his knees.

Christina is addicted to good coffee, expensive chocolate and bad boy heroes. She is also owned by three gorgeous cats who are convinced the universe revolves around their needs. They are not wrong.

Book Review: The Quantum Realm: Philly the Photon by Mark A. Montgomery

Title: The Quantum Realm: Philly the Photon

Author: Mark A. Montgomery

Stars: 4 1/2 stars

Review:
The Quantum Realm was sent me by the publisher. Even though it is a Novella it isn't a fast read with all the space and science terms and descriptions. My 11 year old son was first to read the book and he really enjoyed the story and all the science facts but he said at times it would get bogged down with too much explaining that wasn't needed. He suggested that page 58 might need a little more editing because it gets really wordy.
I have to agree with him there are certain area of the book that get really wordy that could use more direct language and less descriptive wording.
We both enjoyed the book but my 11 year old thought it was awesome.
He gives it 5 stars and I give it 4 stars
today we give The Quantum Realm 41/2 stars

Synopsis:
The Quantum Realm: Philly the Photon, is an adventure story of a young man confronting his trauma brought on by Nature—a freak electrical storm, by endeavoring on a quest of knowledge through the Quantum Realm. Sebastian must find the courage to face his fears and venture through the space-time continuum in order to reach Grunk the Great Graviton. Sebastian must learn how to use the tools of the Quantum Realm if he is ever to return home...or be lost forever in the Sea of the Abyss. 

The Quantum Realm: Philly the Photon, is an inspirational novella that addresses some of the key elements of Science and Quantum Physics and how it relates to the human experience. Understanding these elements in the context of human psychological growth and development will have a tremendous positive impact. 

It will provide fundamental truths about how our personal life can be enhanced by the understanding of scientific analysis and the primary patterns of the Universe that govern our physical and spiritual existence.

About The Author:

Mark Montgomery joined the US Navy at the age of 17 years old and graduated top in his class as a Hospital Corpsman. Years later he returned to school and attained a BS in Economics, Finance, and International Business. Mark is an Entrepreneur and has owned several businesses that range from car repair, a gourmet coffee and chocolate shop, and several real estate companies. He has lived in ten states and he thrives on obtaining life perspectives from various cultures.

In 2010, after struggling with Mental Health issues for fifteen years, he experienced a life transforming Psychotherapy process called EMDR. The near instantaneous transformation inspired him to understand what had happened. Mark began an expedition into his own mind: Biology, to Psychology, to Neuroscience, to Chemistry and, to Quantum Physics. The journey produced an insatiable desire to understand the mysteries of the Quantum Realm. It was a healing process, which turned into a passion to share quantum patterns with his son. 

He recently published The Quantum Realm: Philly the Photon, an inspirational SciFi novella that addresses some of the key elements of Science and Quantum Physics and how it relates to the human experience. He hopes to one day have Philly the Photon guide students through the Quantum Realm and beyond in an interactive Virtual Environment.

As of 2015, Mark lives in the culturally and idea rich San Francisco Bay area. He works for one of the leading Medical Research and Teaching Institutions—The San Francisco Veterans Hospital. He has a passion for promoting Science and Technology in education and he is seeking opportunities to enter the 3D Virtual Realty Educational Software development sector. 

Mark hopes that his writings will take you on a journey of a lifetime… that will last a lifetime. 

Book Review: Dark Echoes of the Past by Ramón Díaz Eterovic

Title: Dark Echoes of the Pas

Author: Ramón Díaz Eterovic

Stars: 3 1\2 stars

Review:
This is the first book I have read by Ramón Díaz Eterovic.
It is always tricky to read a book that has been translated into English from another language because some words and means will not always be the same.

This book is one that feels as if it was lost in translation though out the book. 
The history was fascinating and I can't wait to learn more about this time in Chile. The story has moments that will grab readers and other times they will feel lost in the story.
Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of Dark Echoes of the Past

#RamónDíazEterovic. #NetGalley 

Synopsis:
Private investigator Heredia spends his days reading detective novels; commiserating with his cat, Simenon; and peering out over the Mapocho River from his Santiago apartment. The city he loves may be changing, but Heredia can’t stop chasing the ghosts of the past. This time, they’ve come to him…

Virginia Reyes’s brother, an ex–political prisoner of dictator Augusto Pinochet, was killed in an apparent robbery. Yet nothing of value was taken. The police have declared the case closed, but Virginia suspects that things aren’t quite as they appear and turns to Heredia for help. Heredia couldn’t agree more—but he can’t shake the feeling that there’s something Virginia’s not telling him.

Heredia knows this is not a simple crime. His investigation proves it. Drawn back into a world where murderers nest, secrets are to kill and die for, and Pinochet’s legacy still casts a long, dark, and very threatening shadow, it’s all Heredia can do to crawl out of it alive.


About The Author:

Ramón Díaz Eterovic is one of the best-known writers of crime stories in Chile, where the adventures of his private investigator Heredia are enormously popular. They’ve been adapted into the graphic-novel series Heredia Detective and a TV series, Heredia y Asociados. In 2009, Díaz Eterovic became the subject of the documentary El rostro oculto en las palabras (The Face Hidden in the Words).

Díaz Eterovic is also the author of The Fires of the Past and The Music of Solitude and has published forty novels, short-story and poetry collections, graphic novels, and children’s books. He has received Gijón’s Salón Iberoamericano del libro Las Dos Orillas prize, the Chilean National Cultural Board Prize, the Santiago Municipal Book Prize, the Francisco Coloane National Narrative Prize, and the Altazor Arts Prize. His work has also been published in numerous countries, including Chile, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Croatia, Argentina, Mexico, France, Holland, Germany, and the United States. 

Díaz Eterovic lives in Santiago, Chile, with his wife, Sonia, and their three children.


A translator and scholar, Patrick Blaine (1976) was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Western Pennsylvania. He spent one year in San Sebastián, Spain and three in Santiago, Chile before beginning PhD studies in comparative literature at the University of Washington, specializing in the Southern Cone. He has written and translated literary and film criticism (LOM, Duke, LAP), and is a member of ALTA (American Literary Translators Association). He makes his home in Eugene, Oregon, where he lives with his wife Mónica and son Sebastián. Patrick Blaine currently works as the Dean of Languages, Literature, and Communication at Lane Community College.