Book Review: Don't Look Back (Unbroken Heroes #6) by Dawn Ryder

Title:  Don't Look Back (Unbroken Heroes #6) 

Author: Dawn Ryder

Stars: 3 1/2  stars

Review:
Don't Look Back isn't a stand alone novel.  Even readers of the series might need to go back for a refresher of the different characters the endless bad guys and who is whom.
The story is very basic and very predictable which is why the story get 3 1\2 stars. Thais I expected to be more bad and instead she came off weak.  Dawan Ryder wrote her to be very strong at times the character felt untrue to the woman at the beginning of the series.
Dunn Bateson background is full exposed though out the story but something seem off about this characters that pulls this reader out of the story.
Most of the characters from previous stories return as the story comes to a head with Shadow Ops team and Presidential Running Mates. 
The story jumps all over the place between characters, whom is talking and what Thais is suppose to be doing?  Most of the time she is having sex with Dunn which might turn off readers.

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher  St. Martin's Paperbacks and the author for the advance copy of Dawn Ryder Don't Look Back.

Synopsis:
Shadow Ops Agent Thais Sinclair has sworn off falling in love for good. It’s what’s kept her calculated, steady, and on-task in a world dominated by men. She needs nothing and no one but her own wits and strength to guide her. But when she’s slated to shadow the one man who could reveal their entire operation, all bets are off.

Dunn Bateson, illegitimate son of a Southern debutante, has always had to fight harder than the rest to get what he wants. Now, the last thing he needs is Thais following his every move. She is so strong, sly, seductive. . . No woman has ever captivated him so completely. Thais may only have room for her mission in her heart, but is Dunn up to the challenge of showing her that she’s worth every risk he is willing to take?

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: August 28th 2018 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

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 forupdates and click on over to MaryWine.com to discover what she’s got releasing.

http://www.dawnryder.com/

http://www.marywine.com/

Book Review: Maybe for You (Whiskey and Weddings #3) by Nicole McLaughlin

Title: Maybe for You (Whiskey and Weddings #3)

Author: Nicole McLaughlin

Stars: 5 out of 5

Review:
If you enjoy a heart tugging and feel good modern love story this is a book you will not want to miss. A heart broken young lady, whose intended is killed in a crash, returns home after a year spent in Italy on assignment with the Army. After a two week business trip, with one of her brother's business partners, who has become her very best friend by way of messenger, she finds she is pregnant. More than that I will not say. I highly recommend this book for the emotional value alone.

I have rated this book 5 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thank you Frank for your Review!

Synopsis:

She’s never had a no-strings fling. He’s never had anything else. But maybe this time will be an exception?

After a year of mourning her fiancé, Alexis Parker has worked hard to rediscover what she wants out of life. Fresh out of the military and back stateside, her brother offers her a marketing job at the Stag Distillery. Ready for a new challenge, Alexis agrees to accompany her new co-worker Jake Cooperon a Stag cross-country promotional tour. He may have an infamous playboy reputation, but Alexis is surprised to find out that there is more to him than meets the eye. And she likes what she sees. . .

Jake promised Alexis’s brother that he’d be an absolute gentleman. Of course, that was before he and Alexis hit the road, and they both agree that what Alexis’s big brother doesn’t know won’t hurt him. The plan: to keep their fling confined to the RV, and everything will go back to normal once they head home. Things progress in ways neither of them could have imagined, and Jake realizes that he and Alexis make a perfect mix. Can he convince her that he’s ready to shake things up and give true love a shot?

Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: August 28th 2018 by St. Martin's Press

About The Author:

Nicole wrote her first full length book (6 pages) about the birth of her baby sister, when she was eight years old. She only finished it because her mother bribed her with a Rick Astley cassette tape. Sad, but true. Now her characters are what keep her writing and her subject matter has gotten a little bit deeper and  a lot more romantic. She resides in a small town outside of Kansas City with her husband and three sons. When she isn’t writing, she’s a wedding and portrait photographer, loves to cook, and watch historical dramas or documentaries.

Represented by Sarah E. Younger at the Nancy Yost Literary Agency.

http://nicolemclaughlinbooks.com/

Book Review: Don't Close Your Eyes (Texas Justice #1) by Christie Craig

Title: Don't Close Your Eyes (Texas Justice #1)

Author: Christie Craig

Stars: 4 stars

Review:
From first to last page Christie Craig will have readers up late into the night trying to understand what happened to Annie Lakes as a child and what secret her family will kill to keep hidden.
Don't Close Your Eyes starts off with Mark Sutton lusting after Annie Lakes which quickly turns the story into sexy time. Don't give up and just bypass all the romance because the mystery in the romance will have readers hooked and needing to finish before they go to bed.
Annie is a likable character while the relationship starts off as sex so yes this mystery has sex, guns, interesting family members and a dream that will not let go.

While the story seems to be mainly forced on the romance mystery readers will enjoy it as well. Not to mention the kind moments the characters are able to do that might just have readers wanting to try in their lives. 
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Forever advance copy of Christie Craig Don't Close your Eyes.


Synopsis:
Annie Lakes has had the same recurring nightmare for years. Her heart pounding in her chest. A panicked voice, begging her to run faster. Her own bloodcurdling scream. But now Annie is starting to realize it's more than just a bad dream. She's starting to remember things about the night her cousin Jenny disappeared all those years ago. Things that make her believe her family was involved--and what they're hiding is much worse than she ever imagined. But she can't unravel this alone. She needs someone she can trust, someone like sexy Detective Mark Sutton ....


Mark has seen enough--too much--to assume that Annie's story is a dead end. It turns out that her family is hiding some killer secrets. A long time ago, Annie was just an innocent little girl who saw something she shouldn't. Now she's a target, and Mark's running out of time to protect the woman he's starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?

Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages

Expected publication: August 28th 2018 by Forever

About The Author: 

Pseudonym for C. C. Hunter.

http://www.christie-craig.com/

Photojournalist,  Author and Speaker

Christie Craig, an Alabama native, is an award-winning, multi-published writer, multi-published photo journalist, motivational speaker, and writing teacher.. Her non-fiction articles and photography have appeared in almost three thousand national magazines. A Golden Heart finalist, and a finalist in more than fifty RWA-sponsored contests, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone. Published by Silhouette in the 90s, she recently broke back into fiction in a big way, making four book sales in one day. Her 7th humorous single title romance novel, published by Dorchester, will hit the stands in June 2010. Her non-fiction book, co-authored by Faye Hughes, released September 08, is The Everything Guide To Writing A Romance Novel and their second non-fiction book, a humorous self-help relationship book, Wild, Wicked and Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You Are in a Romance Novel is scheduled to be released December 2010. Craig’s latest writing adventure is the sale of a young adult paranormal romance series, Shadow Falls Camp, that will be published by St. Martins Press in the near future.

Book Review: The Case of the Zodiac Killer: The Complete Transcript With Additional Commentary, Photographs And Documents by Michael Morford, Michael Ferguson

Title:  The Case of the Zodiac Killer: The Complete Transcript With Additional Commentary, Photographs And Documents 

Author(s) Michael Morford,  Michael Ferguson 

Stars: 5

Review:
I am not going to lie I am one of those people who want to understand why someone becomes a killer and this case has always been one I have find fascinating.  I couldn't help but want to request and read this book.
This is a book for readers of true crime because it has everything you can imagine in this book. As the title states this is Michael(s) Commentary with photographs and documents that will keep your mind wanting answers to the crime's as well as answers for the families who lost those who they loved.
From first to last page True Crime readers will not be able to get enough and they will be making their own notes wanting to solve a crime that has haunted everyone in Law Enforcement. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of  Michael Mordord and Michael  Ferguson The Case of the Zodiac Killer.

Synopsis:
In the late 1960’s, and early 1970’s, an enigmatic serial killer terrorized the San Francisco Bay area of Northern California, and teased the police tasked with stopping him. Through bold letters and cryptic ciphers mailed to local newspapers as well as taunting calls to police, the Zodiac left his mark on the state of California. Without warning he was gone, but not before achieving infamy in the annals of true crime history. Just who was the Zodiac Killer? 

Criminology podcast takes the deepest dives into the most mysterious true crime cases using actual case files, documents, and police reports to help tell the full and accurate story of the crimes they cover. 

Now for the first time, Criminology Podcast and WildBlue Press brings the series to readers in book form with added commentary, photographs, and documents.

About the Author(s)
My name is Michael Cole. I'm a Computer / Electrical Engineer living in California. For more than a decade, I've been fascinated by the case of the Zodiac. In pursuit of this interest, I've done significant research into numerous aspects of the case, along the way accumulating a substantial collection of opinions about the criminal and his crimes. Some of these opinions are commonly held and in line with conventional wisdom, others not so much. This website is an attempt to satisfy my desire to share these thoughts and opinions and to create a forum in which I can provide ongoing commentary on developments related to the case.

http://zodiacrevisited.com/author/morf13/

Book Review: Jealousy by Nancy Bush

Title: Jealousy

Author: Nancy Bush 

Stars: 5

Review:
Jealousy is the prefect title for this book because that is what it is everyone is Jealous of their siblings success, failures, life and this leads to killing.

Nancy Bush brings together a host of characters that if readers are not paying attention to could possibly get lost. The characters are flawed in a human way as reader walk in their foot steps and fight for which character they trust or believe in.

Nancy Bush is able to start a slow simmer until readers are hook unable to put the story down worried for what might happen to their characters they find to be human and flawed.

The mystery creates tension, nail biting moments and the very unexpected surprises. 

This is a top rate mystery that can't be missed and needs to be on the top of the to be read pile.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Zebra for the advance copy of Nancy Bush Jealousy

Synopsis:
HATRED LEADS TO OBSESSION . . .
It's taken time for the plan to unfold, years spent waiting, watching, hating. . . . And after the first victim, the killing gets easier and easier . . .

OBSESSION LEADS TO JEALOUSY . . .
The Crissmans, owners of Crissman & Wolfe department store, were once one of Portland's most powerful families. There's still enough fortune left to sow mistrust between Lucy, her bohemian sister Layla, their brother Lyle, and his grasping wife Kate. When a charity event at the Crissman Lodge ends in a fatal poisoning, Lucy becomes a prime suspect. But the truth is even more twisted, and Lucy can't be sure which of her family is being targeted . . . or who to fear.

AND JEALOUSY LEADS TO MURDER . . .
Renowned defense attorney Dallas Denton has been hired to clear Lucy's name, unaware of the secret that ties them together or of the deep cracks in the Crissman legacy. Someone is ready to eliminate every obstacle to get what they most covet, and prove that envy runs deeper 
than blood .

Paperback, 384 pages

Expected publication: August 28th 2018 by Zebra

About The Author:



Nancy began her career in the romance genre, writing both contemporary and historical novels, but being a mystery buff, she kept trying to add suspense into the plot, as much as her editors would allow. In 2002 she was chosen by ABC Television to be part of a writing group “think tank” which was tasked with developing story for ABC's daytime dramas. She was one of two people selected from that group to actually become a break down writer for, at the time, one of ABC's top-rated daytime shows: ALL MY CHILDREN. Nancy made the move to New York to join the AMC team while she was writing for the soap. That was an experience, she admits. Ask her, and she'll swear that the pressure cooker of delivering story every day – lots and lots of story -- helped focus her writing.

When Nancy returned to her home state of Oregon she channeled that newfound energy into writing the kind of books she's always loved: mysteries. She wrote three Jane Kelly Mystery novels in the space of three years, and has another one currently in proposal form. The last several years she's turned her attention to romantic suspense novels, writing both with her sister and on her own. Like Lisa, sh e's now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, both in her co-writing ventures and on her own merits as well.

Nancy's latest project? Summer 2012 is the kick off for her newest suspense series with NOWHERE TO RUN debuting in August and NOWHERE TO HIDE in September. A third ‘Nowhere' book is scheduled for next year.

Nancy has recently received the rights back to many of her earlier novels and the Danner Quartet, one of her most beloved series, is available again in e-book form. LADY SUNDOWN, MIRACLE JONES, JESSE'S RENEGADE and SCANDAL'S DARLING follow the ups and downs of the irrepressible Danner family in turn of the century Oregon. Nancy also has a number of contemporary romances that have been updated and reformatted and now have new life as e-books. Look for THE PRINCESS AND THE PAUPER, DEAR DIARY, and the Summer Lovin' Duets: SUMMERTIME BLUES and IMAGINARY LOVER along with many more in the coming months. 

Book Review: Calculated Deception (The Calculated Series #1) by K.T. Lee

Title: Calculated Deception (The Calculated Series #1) 

Author: K.T. Lee 

Stars: 4 out of 5

Review:
As a readers I was worried when the synopsis as well as the title of the book started with Math or Science terms.  I have found two types of author the ones that dive deep into the world to the point readers might get lost with the technical terms and lose force on the mystery or those who skim the technical terms  and focus on the wider audience and the mystery. K.T. Lee takes the wider audience side and for that I am grateful.
The author is able is able to bring her characters to life as they walk off the pages of the story and into the readers hearts.
The chapters are short, easy to read making it perfect for the parents watching a their 4 year old play a sport (AKA) Stand in the field looking at the birds)
Calculated Deception is a fun quick read that mystery fans will enjoy.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Vertical Line Publishing, LLC for a copy of KT Lee's Calculated Deception.

Synopsis:
Dr. Ree Ryland is an engineering professor who loves her job and plays by the rules. Her life is reassuringly predictable – until an enemy hiding in plain sight decides her squeaky-clean reputation is the perfect cover to commit a crime. 

When Agent Parker Landon and his FBI team discover that someone at the university has been procuring military-grade hardware by disguising it as test equipment, all evidence points to Ree. After the FBI intercepts a shipment that puts Ree in the clear, Parker is forced to tell her that she’s being used as a pawn by an unseen enemy. And now she’s in that enemy’s crosshairs. Ree turns down the protective detail offered by the FBI and insists on using her inside knowledge to help with the investigation. Parker is leery of bringing a civilian on to the team, but he’s surprised at how much fun he has working with Ree, even as he tries to keep her out of harm’s way. 

Parker, Ree and the FBI team find increasingly worrying evidence that someone is quietly acquiring everything they need to cause destruction on a massive scale. Now, they must uncover the motive and identity of the killer hiding among Ree’s friends and colleagues before it’s too late.

Kindle Edition, 217 pages

Published October 7th 2017 by Vertical Line Publishing, LLC

About The Author:

K.T. Lee is a writer, mom and engineer who grew up on a steady diet of books from a WIDE variety of genres. When K.T. began to write the kind of books she wanted to read, she mixed clever women and the sciences with elements from thrillers (and a dash of romance) to create The Calculated Series.


Twitter: https://twitter.com/KTLeeWrites
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ktleeauthor

Book Review: A Politically Incorrect Feminist: Creating a Movement with Bitches, Lunatics, Dykes, Prodigies, Warriors, and Wonder Women by Phyllis Chesler

Title: A Politically Incorrect Feminist: 

Author: Phyllis Chesler 

Stars: 3 stars

Review: (Not so much a review as a Opinion Piece mixed with a Review)
I have very strong review about Feminism.  I believe Feminism started to give women a choice but today it seems to have taken on a different voice. Where the women who choose say to stay home and raise a family is looked down upon by those who choose a the work force Vice versa.  I have found the word Feminist or Feminism to be almost a curse word depending on the circle of friends I belong to while others cheer and hold strong to that name. 
I decided to review this book because I wanted to full understand what a person who was around for the beginning of feminism and what she has seen and witness.
What I enjoyed was the Authors ability to see men as part of Feminism as they helped women worked side by side women.  She deadicated this book to men and women.
The author makes it very clear this book isn't about the Rise or Second Rise of Feminism it is about a daughter of working poor immigrants and she hopes it will help and guide others.
Phyllis Chesler covers everything from her childhood to being help captive in Kabul in the 1960's and what she witnessed during her time. 

 "Sisterhood is Powerful."  That is a strong statement when all sisters are willing to listen to one another view and accept that they might not always agree but will still be sisters. However I have learned that is not always the case and very experienced it many times myself.
A Politically Incorrect Feminist is an interesting history from he view point of Phyllis Chesler. While I don't agree with everything she has to say I can't doubt the experiences she has lived and the women she has fought for.

The reason for 3 stars is she focuses on the voices of women fought loudly, with violence and doesn't focuses on the woman who fought quickly and within their homes and with their little girls like my mother did.

(My sisters Have Masters Degree in Education, Phd in Education, Lawyer, and a Dietitian. While I might not have a degree my voice is no less quite and my knowledge no less equal to their when it comes to the experiances of life.

As someone who was raised by a stay at home mother who told her 4 daughters they could be anything they wanted to be. She showed me how to be strong fight for what I know to be right while still being a woman and respecting those around me whether Males or Female.  I was raised to respect women who choose different from the decision I choose. I had a job at the age of 12 and had a many different jobs until my first child turned a year old.  At that point I had to make a decision. I wasn't a great employee and I wasn't being a great mom either. I knew I had to choose and it wasn't easy for me.  I finally decided to stay at home.  I have 4 children and I am raise my boys to respect women and their authority and I am raising my girls that they can do and be whoever they want to be.

Feminism gave women a choice.  When we make that choice we become part of a sisterhood but in that sisterhood we need to respect those who decided differently from us.  I am raising a my children to be respectful men and women. My boys will open door for everyone and my girls will open doors for everyone and they will all do it with respect of those around them.  Men and Women are not equal but we have the ability to use our difference to become equals in the world.  A man isn't above a woman and a Woman isn't above a Man.  When we do that we fail as a society.  


Synopsis:
Phyllis Chesler was a pioneer of Second Wave Feminism. Chesler and the women who came out swinging between 1967-1972 integrated the want ads, brought class action lawsuits on behalf of economic discrimination, opened rape crisis lines and shelters for battered women, held marches and sit-ins for abortion and equal rights, famously took over offices and buildings, and pioneered high profile Speak-outs. They began the first-ever national and international public conversations about birth control and abortion, sexual harassment, violence against women, female orgasm, and a woman’s right to kill in self-defense.

Now, Chesler has juicy stories to tell. The feminist movement has changed over the years, but Chesler knew some of its first pioneers, including Gloria Steinem, Kate Millett, and Andrea Dworkin. These women were fierce forces of nature, smoldering figures of sin and soul, rock stars and action heroes in real life. Some had been viewed as whores, witches, and madwomen, but were changing the world and becoming major players in history. In Memoir of a Politically Incorrect Feminist, Chesler gets chatty while introducing the reader to some of feminism's major players and world-changers.

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: August 28th 2018 by St. Martin's Press

About The Author:

 is an American writer, psychotherapist, and professor emerita of psychology and women's studies at the College of Staten Island (CUNY). She is known as a feminist psychologist, and is the author of 16 books, including the best-seller Women and Madness (1972). Chesler has written on topics such as gender, mental illness, divorce and child custody, surrogacy, second-wave feminism, pornography, prostitution, incest, and violence against women.

Book Review: Dagger's Edge (Brute Force #2) by Lora Leigh

Title: Dagger's Edge (Brute Force #2) 

Author: Lora Leigh

Stars: 3 1/2 Stars

Review:
This book is part of a series. Do readers need to read the first book No. But I would recommend it. I was lost at first and I had even read the first book.  The characters are interesting enough to keep readers engaged but honestly there is so much sex it feels as if the author didn't know what to do with them when Ivan was protecting her they had sex. While others were trying to track down the bad guys. They had sex. When she looked at him they had sex. If they were not having sex they were thinking about sex. 
The story is interesting enough so I flipped though the sex scenes to get to the guts of the story but  I found I had finished the story in an afternoon.
I am interested enough in the series to keep reading but if the next one is once again 85% sex I think that will be the end of the series for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advance Copy of Lora Leigh Dagger's Edge

Synopsis:
Ivan Resnova wants nothing more than to escape his hard, brutal past. Starting over is not so easy once you've been a powerful crime boss but now, instead of being punished for his alleged crimes, Ivan fears that the one woman he can't forget is in danger of paying the price.

Crimsyn "Syn" Delaney thought the danger she'd faced was over, and that she could resume her life. She never imagined it would return with a vengeance and throw her back into Ivan's world. But when an attempt is made on her life, she needs Ivan more than ever to keep her safe--even if she is in danger of falling deeply and dangerously in love.

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: August 28th 2018 by St. Martin's Press

About The Author:

Lora Leigh lives in the rolling hills of Kentucky, often found absorbing the ambience of this peaceful setting. She dreams in bright, vivid images of the characters intent on taking over her writing life, and fights a constant battle to put them on the hard drive of her computer before they can disappear as fast as they appeared. Lora’s family, and her writing life co-exist, if not in harmony, in relative peace with each other. Surrounded by a menagerie of pets, friends, and a teenage son who keeps her quick wit engaged, Lora’s life is filled with joys, aided by her fans whose hearts remind her daily why she writes.

http://www.loraleigh.com/

Book Review: Through the Fire (Rocky Mountain K9 Unit #4) by Katie Ruggle

Title: Through the Fire (Rocky Mountain K9 Unit #4) 

Author: Katie Ruggle 

Star: 4 Stars

Review:
Having read all the book in the Rocky Mountain Series this was a fun way to see the town of Monroe though an outsiders eyes.  Katie Ruggle creates wonderful characters and a town that will come to life even when story blows up an entire town. While this is a stand alone novel each and every story ties into each other this one you will need to read only after reading book 1-3.  
The Author is able to tie all 4 stories together using romance, action and mystery that readers will love.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher Casablanca for the advance copy of Katie Ruggle's Through The Fire.
This is a must read series for romantic suspense readers.

Synopsis:
Kit Jernigan despairs of ever fitting in with her new tight-knit K9 unit. They've been through too much to open their arms to a stranger―and as mysterious fires begin raging across Monroe, she can't convince them to trust her long enough to catch the woman she knows is responsible.
Wesley March, local fire spotter, knows Kit is right, and he's willing to help her prove it. But the more time they spend together, the closer they get...and the more danger they're in. A member of the K9 unit's inner circle is determined to get revenge―no matter who gets burned in the process. 
This time, it's personal.

 352 pages  Expected publication: August 28th 2018 by Sourcebooks Casablanca 

About The Author:

A fan of the old adage “write what you know”, Katie Ruggle lived in an off-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains until her family lured her back to Minnesota. When she’s not writing, Katie rides horses, trains her three dogs, cross-country skis (badly) and travels to warm places where she can scuba dive. A graduate of The Police Academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado mountains really are that cold. A fan of anything that makes her feel like a bad-ass, she has trained in Krav Maga, boxing and gymnastics. 

http://katieruggle.com/

Book Review: Ride with the SEAL (Norse Security #1) by Leslie North

Title: Ride with the SEAL (Norse Security #1)

Author: Leslie North 

Stars: 3 1/2 Stars

Review:
3 1/2 Stars

I will start off most of the time I am Yelling at the female lead in a story this time I was yelling at the male lead ALOT!
The plot was very similar to others of Leslie North and this readers was hoping for sometimes new.  I guess I got it with Camden Thursday who wanted to prove himself is more than a nerd. Honestly he was lacking everything and became very uninteresting within the first 5 chapters. Where all they did was drive and run and drive and hide and drive and hide some more with sexual tension. 
The story wasn't over graphic but than again I am not sure where that line is most of the time with Romance\Suspense\ Mystery novels anymore. 
The plot moves along and at times became interesting enough for to finish the story.
Its not the best for the first in a series but there are no spelling or grammar error that stood out.
Just scenes that were not really needed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Relay Publishing for the advance copy of Leslie North Ride with the Seal.


Synopsis:
When ex-SEAL Camden Thursday enters the garage at two in the morning, he’s intent on grand theft auto. Instead he’s confronted with more than a hot car — there’s a sexy mechanic too. His high school crush, wrench in hand, projects a “Dangerous Curves Ahead” warning far more tempting than any joy ride, but Camden isn’t here to try the road less traveled. He’s here to jack a car and prove he can do more than manipulate computer code for the black ops service he works for: Norse Security. So while Camden is looking to get physical on this job, he was hoping for someone to punch, not someone to plunder…

Everly Knight is the baddest bad girl in town. As the daughter of a mobster and a name in the auto industry for hot cars, she could rest on her laurels and let her reputation proceed her. However, Everly has a deep dark secret: she wants nothing more than a shiny, new, legal garage all of her own. She’s just a few thousand away from cashing in and figures that one last illegal car theft could finance her legal dreams. That is until the geek from her past shows up as a hunky hero; letting Everly see that it’s possible to become more than just a tough girl.

Camden may be all muscle, but it’s Everly who can stall the entire operation. She holds him hostage and offers an ultimatum: Take her on the ride or find himself a sitting duck for the mob. It’s not a hard choice when the bombshell revs his engine. But with warring goals and secret missions, they’ll find themselves fighting for their futures and racing toward a love they never saw coming.


About The Author:

Leslie North is the pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres. 

The truth of the matter is she loves her fictional persona, Leslie North, more than her normal, day-to-day persona! Her bestselling books focus on strong characters and particularly women who aren't afraid to challenge an alpha male. Inspired after years of travel, her stories are set all over the world, from the tough streets of Russia to the beautiful beaches of the middle east. 

Leslie fell in love with romance when she first picked up a scrappy, dog-eared romance book from her local library. She began writing soon after and the rest, as they say, was history. She now lives in a cozy cottage on the British coast and enjoys taking long walks with her two Dalmatians, George and Fergie. 

Book Review: I Will Always Find You by Willow Sanders

Title:  I Will Always Find You 

Author: Willow Sanders 

Stars: 4 

Review:
Willow Sanders warns readers from the beginning this is a romance.  I will always find you is mostly a romance with just enough mystery to keep readers from getting bored.

There is a lot of inner dialogue and sometimes it felt as if I was reading the same lines more than once.  The story moves very slowly at first but soon picks up quickly to the point readers will not want it to end. It ends with a cliffhanger that will have readers needing more.

I found myself skipping pages once the romance started to heat up because it became sex scenes and the story stopped moving.

The characters are likable, easy to connect with and realist. The author is able to paint a picture readers will feel as if the are living in Cammie's front room. The author was able use texting messages and incorporate them into the story line.

  The mystery is pretty easy to figure out when you read between the lines but the author has this reader excited for the next book in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for a chance to review Willow Sander I will Always Find You.


Synopsis:
I Will Cammie Saint isn’t a victim. Sure, she’s had a string of bad luck, the apartment break in then the attack in the parking lot. Sometimes life hands you lemons. Why is everyone so interested in her case? Even the new neighbor is sniffing around for clues. There are things she wants from the neighborhood Officer Hottie, but an interrogation wasn’t what she was thinking of.

Always That’s Special Agent Vaughn, DEA. Of all the places he thought he’d be, Kansas City wasn’t one of them. Chasing Jefe for the last seven years had expelled the last bit of tolerance he had for chasing down bad guys. To say he was ready to put this case to bed would be like calling World War 2 a minor disagreement amongst countries. Jefe had taken too much from him. Time, and other things he didn’t want to get into. He just needed to keep his eyes on the ball and definitely NOT on his new neighbor with an ass for days and a sad story.

Find You Why is the Jefe cartel in Kansas City? A Colombian drug ring in Anywhere, USA? While Agent Vaughn searches for answers, Cammie finds herself thrown into a world she never expected. How will secrets from her past, compromise her future? What happens when someone who never wanted to be found, is discovered?

I Will Always Find You is part one of a two-part series. Fair warning, it ends on a cliffhanger.

Kindle Edition, 262 pages

Published March 13th 2018

About The Author:

Most of these are always written in third person, as if the author isn't the one actually writing them. So, I'm going to be a rule-breaker and write it in first person instead. I'm a native Chicagoan, vegetarian, and lover of big words. I randomly burst out into song, and have been known to carry on entire conversations (with those worthy of the challenge) in song lyrics. The same can also be said for movie quotes. I'm quirky, sarcastic, I've been told at times I can be a bit esoteric, but overall I'd rather be dancing in the rain than waiting for the storm to pass.

http://www.willowwriting.com/

And I LOVE connecting with people- so go on, hit the "friend" button. :)

Book Review: Abandoned (Max Revere #5) by Allison Brennan

Title: Abandoned (Max Revere #5) 

Author: Allison Brennan 

Stars: 4 

Review:
When I started to read Abandoned I had know idea it was part of a series.  This book is a stand alone novel even though it is part of a series.
Allison Brennan is able to bring readers into a world of wealth, mystery and death with just a flick of her pen. From the second Max steps food in the small town she realizes there is more to her mother than just a teen looking for a way out. 
Abandoned has lots and I mean lots of characters that will be hard to keep up with sometimes. I wish I had a characters list to keep track of everyone. The author uses the terms "I like to have fun." Almost to the point of eye roll. The only disappointment was the end of the story.  It just ended even though the build up last several pages the end just ended.
That being said Abandoned is full of twist and turns readers will not be able to get enough of.  As the darker the story turns the more the readers will need to find out the truth too.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Allison Brennan Abandoned. 

Synopsis:
Investigative reporter Max Revere has cracked many cases, but the one investigation she's never attempted is the mystery from her own past. Her mother abandoned her when she was nine, sending her periodic postcards, but never returning to reclaim her daughter. Seven years after the postcards stop coming, Martha Revere is declared legally dead, with no sign of what may have happened to her. Until now.

With a single clue―that her mother’s car disappeared sixteen years ago in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay―Max drops everything to finally seek the truth. As Max investigates, and her mother's story unfolds, she realizes that Martha teamed up with a con man. They traveled the world living off Martha’s trust and money they conned from others.

Though no one claims to know anything about Martha or her disappearance, Max suspects more than one person is lying. When she learns the FBI has an active investigation into the con man, Max knows she’s on the right path. But as Max digs into the dark secrets of this idyllic community, the only thing she might find is the same violent end as her mother.

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: August 14th 2018 by Minotaur Books

About The Author:


http://www.allisonbrennan.com/

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes that life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year.

Allison has penned more than two dozen thrillers and many short stories. RT Book Reviews calls Allison “a master of suspense” and her books “haunting,” “mesmerizing,” “pulse-pounding” and “emotionally complex.” RT also said that "The Lucy Kincaid/Sean Rogan books are getting better and better!" 

COLD SNAP, was a finalist for Best Thriller in the Thriller Awards (ITW) and FEAR NO EVIL (2007) and COMPULSION (2015) won the Daphne du Maurier award. Allison has been nominated multiple times for RWA's Best Romantic Suspense award, and the Kiss of Death's Daphne award.

Allison lives in Northern California with her husband, five children, and assorted pets. Her current release is THE LOST GIRLS, a romantic thriller. MAKE THEM PAY will be out in March, 2017.

Book Review: Face Off (The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #3) by Brenda Novak

Title:  Face Off (The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #3)

Author: Brenda Novak

Star: 5 Stars

Review:
This isn't a stand alone novel!

Face Off keeps readers on their toes as they walk in Evelyn Talbots shoes while she researches psychopathy.  Readers will struggle Evelyn who can't commit to anything in her life but work until the man who tried to kill her as a teen is caught.
She pushes family and her boyfriend away why she dives head first into her research.
Readers will not put down this dark and gritty novel that brings readers face to face with killers who kill for fun.
The question is will they catch Jasper this time or will he get away once again?
This book isn't one you want to home alone.  The story will keep readers wanting more.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Headlines for the advance copy of Brenda Novak Face Off

Synopsis:
Tortured and left for dead at sixteen, Evelyn Talbot turned her personal nightmare into her life’s work—studying the disturbing psychopathy of some of the world’s most vicious serial killers. Now a leading psychiatrist at Hanover House in a small Alaskan town, she tries to believe the past will never come back to haunt her—until a woman goes missing from a cabin nearby, and every clue points to the man who once brutalized her…

As her boyfriend, who is the area’s only police, begins to investigate—and finds not one but two bodies—Evelyn can’t forget that her would-be killer, Jasper Moore, was never caught. But there are no new faces in tiny Hilltop, no one who seems suspicious or potentially violent. In this twisted game of cat and mouse, Evelyn is certain of only one thing—Jasper must be hiding in plain sight. And if she can’t find him before he comes for her, she won’t be lucky enough to survive twice.

Paperback, 416 pages

Expected publication: November 29th 2018 by Headline (first published August 28th 2018)

About The Author: 

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.

“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”

However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business. 

Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer. 

“When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….”

Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Many of her novels have won or placed in contests such as the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Write Touch, the Award of Excellence and the Beacon Award for Published Authors. 

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. She juggles her writing career with her children’s softball and soccer games, field trips, carpool runs and homework sessions.

When she’s not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually working on her annual fundraiser for diabetes research—an on-line auction held at her website May 1st – May 31st. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking--she rides an amazing 20 miles every day! 

http://www.brendanovak.com/