Book Review: The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson

 

Title:  The Last Chance Library

Author: Freya Sampson

Stars: 4

Review:

An endearing novel about the assistant librarian in an English village. Her life has been on hold since the loss of her mother from cancer numerous years prior. Her world consists of working as the assistant librarian (the job her mother previously held) and sitting in her mother's house and reading and rereading books. Her mother, or so it appears, was everything she is not. She is in a prolonged state of depression untill the library is under threat of closure. This fear and reality gradually begins to overcome the depression and makes her step out of her protective bubble. Will it be sufficient to change her life and save the library. This is a feel good story that was a  pleasure to read.

I have rated this book 4 stars and recommend it to everyone who enjoys a feel good story without violence or sex. Thank you Frank for your review.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Synopsis:

Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.

Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer's feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won't believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way.

To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she's determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.

Expected publication: August 31st 2021 by Berkley Books

About The Author:

Freya Sampson works in TV and was the executive producer of Channel 4’s Four in a Bed and Gogglesprogs. She studied History at Cambridge University and is a graduate of the Faber Academy. She lives in London with her husband, two young children and an antisocial cat. The Last Library is her debut novel.

Book Review: Her Deadly Touch (Detective Josie Quinn #12) by Lisa Regan

 

Title: Her Deadly Touch (Detective Josie Quinn #12) 

Author: Lisa Regan

Stars: 5

Review:

I decided to pick up up book 12 in the Josie Quinn series even though I only read book 10 in the series.  I might have found an author I need to go back and start the series from the beginning. 

Lisa Regan weaves a tale of sorrow, murder, suspense that mystery loves will not be able to put down.  The story moves at a slow pace at first but soon picks up quickly engaging the readers until every last detail is read. 

Thank you to  Netgalley for a advance copy of Lisa Regan Her Deadly Touch. 

Synopsis: 

The woman is kneeling at a gravestone, her hair blowing in the breeze, a bunch of wilting yellow daffodils on the grass beside her. Her eyes are fixed on the ground and her mouth is parted in a silent prayer. But the wax dripping from her cold blue lips means it’s already too late to save her…

On her first day back with the Denton PD after a major trauma, Detective Josie Quinn is on the hunt for a missing woman, Krystal Duncan, the mother of one of five children killed in a devastating school bus crash. Hours later, Josie finds Krystal’s body beside her daughter’s grave, her lips sealed together forever with wax.

Forensics match the wax to one of the candles lit in memory of the sweet little souls who died, giving Josie her first lead to a support group made up of the parents who lost children in the crash. Painstakingly dissecting the lives of these grieving couples, it’s clear to Josie that each of them is hiding something about the day of the accident—but whose secret is worth killing for?

Expected publication: August 12th 2021 by Bookouture

About The Author:

Lisa Regan is the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series as well as several other crime fiction titles. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Education Degree from Bloomsburg University. She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Crime Writers’ Association, and International Thriller Writers. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, daughter and Boston Terrier named Mr. Phillip

Book Review: Saving Danger (Red Stone Security #17) by Katie Reus

 

Title: Saving Danger (Red Stone Security #17)

Author: Katie Reus

Stars: 5

Review:

Katie Reus series have been pretty much the same story told by different characters. Lets face it after awhile that can get a little boring.  I am not sure what changed if anything but Saving Danger is hands down one of the best beach readers in the Red Stone Security series. 

Ivy is feisty, sharp, smart and able to handle herself. Nash is the friend of the big brother who adores Ivy.  The traditional brother friends and little sister romance but instead of avoiding each other they have been friends for years.  The strong roles and characters are entertaining, action packed and full of laughs.  Perfect summer beach read for those needing sugar, spice and everything in-between.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Katie Reus Saving Danger.

Synopsis:

Having spent her whole life trying to prove she’s just as capable as her three older brothers, art retrieval expert Ivy Danger has landed the biggest gig of her career, one that will pay off the mortgage of the animal shelter she owns. That is, if she doesn’t die before finishing the job. Even if she locates the stolen art, the violent gang of thieves won’t give up their million-dollar payday without a fight. She has one person she can turn to for help—Nash Harris. Security expert, her brother’s best friend…and the gorgeous man of her fantasies who treats her like a kid sister. Not that she’d do anything about her attraction anyway—not when it would screw up her family dynamic if things went sideways between them.

Despite having known Ivy forever, “brotherly” is the last thing Nash feels for the sexy troublemaker. She’s it for him. The One. He’s known it for a while…but convincing Ivy is another matter. When they have to fake a relationship for her current job, things shift between them. They’ve worked together before, but she’s in over her head with this latest job. But before anything can come of it, he’ll have to keep her alive when she’s targeted by a dangerous group known for violent retaliation. Nash will do whatever it takes to keep her safe, to prove she can trust him—on the job, with her life, and with her heart.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: August 24th 2021 by KR Press, LLC

About The Author:

Katie Reus is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Redemption Harbor series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom's stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it. However, she didn't always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense

Book Review: Dangerous Ground (Fiona Carver #1) by Rachel Grant

 

Title: Dangerous Ground (Fiona Carver #1) 

Author: Rachel Grant 

Stars: 4

Review:

One brother search to find his missing brother in a small island off the coast of Alaska bring readers into the latest series by Rachel Grant.

Romance, action, suspense and history all the key elements that make Rachel Grant stand out from all the other romantic suspense stories on the market.

Rachel Grant is able teacher reader about history weaved between romance, action and mystery. The author bring readers into her world of characters that are flawed and complicated.

The male lead is charming and searching for the truth while pretending to be someone else.  In hopes of finding his missing brother he fears might be dead.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Rachel Grant Dangerous Ground.

Synopsis:

Archaeologist Fiona Carver has unfinished business in the Aleutian Islands. After an emergency evacuation cut her first expedition short, she’s finally back. But time is not on her side as she races to finish documenting the remnants of a prehistoric village, recover missing artifacts, and track down missing volcanologist Dylan Slater.

Having bluffed his way onto Fiona’s team with fake credentials, wildlife photographer Dean Slater is willing to risk more than federal prison to find his missing brother, but he needs Fiona’s help. She knows the inhospitable terrain better than anyone.

When the two set out together on a perilous journey, it becomes more than a recovery mission. In their fight for survival, nature isn’t the only threat. They aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Mile by dangerous mile, someone is hunting them.

Kindle Edition, 379 pages

Expected publication: August 17th 2021 by Montlake

About The Author:

USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant worked for over a decade as a professional archaeologist and mines her experiences for storylines and settings, which are as diverse as excavating a cemetery underneath an historic art museum in San Francisco, survey and excavation of many prehistoric Native American sites in the Pacific Northwest, researching an historic concrete house in Virginia, and mapping a seventeenth century Spanish and Dutch fort on the island of Sint Maarten in the Netherlands Antilles.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children and can be found on the web at www.Rachel-Grant.net. 

Book Review: The Night We Burned by S.F. Kosa

 

Title: The Night We Burned 

Author: S.F. Kosa

Stars: 5

Review:

Hands down one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time. S.F. Kosa is able to wrap up a thriller like no one I have read before.  Readers will have no choice but to stay up late into the night reading this amazing psychological thriller.

This is a have to read author! 

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of S.F. Kosa The Night We Burned.

Synopsis: 

A new psychological thriller from suspense powerhouse S.F. Kosa featuring a decades-old secret, a mysterious cult fire, and a woman looking to outrun the ashes of her past...until they come roaring back once more.

Dora is always aware of the line between fact and fiction. As a fact checker at an online magazine, her job depends on it. And as a woman outrunning her secrets, so does her life. But when a murder crops up in her old town, one linked to a deadly fire at a cult compound twenty years prior, suddenly all of Dora's carefully spun deceptions are at risk.

Because she's seen a murder like this before. She knows what the police missed.
And if she doesn't stop the story, she may be next.

As Dora follows the journalist, altering facts to hide her identity along the way, she's thrown back into a world she tried desperately to leave behind. One of ritual and belonging, of danger and darkness. A world where two girls promised to help each other through...until it all went up in flames.

And Dora knows, she won't be lucky enough to escape twice.

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Expected publication: August 10th 2021 by Sourcebooks Landmark

About The Author: 

https://www.amazon.com/S-F-Kosa/e/B08CBML1TF/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Book Review: The Dating Dare (A Sweet Mess #2) by Jayci Lee

 

Title: The Dating Dare (A Sweet Mess #2)

Author: Jayci Lee

Stars: 4

Review:

A feel good modern day romance story. Two young adults decide to date for a very short period  before he moves to Paris for a new job. She had a previous history which has left her with a fear of commitment. As they proceed on the. agreed number of dates love and lust begin to enter the picture. Both have different career dreams but are doing jobs that are not what they desire. After being rejected he moves on to Paris. Can love overcome these challenges.

I have rated this book 4 stars. It is a love story for young adults or the young at heart.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.  Thank you Frank for your review.

Synopsis:

Tara Park doesn’t do serious relationships. Neither does she hop into bed with virtual strangers. Especially when that particular stranger is her best friend’s new brother-in-law. It isn’t an easy decision, though. Seth Kim is temptation personified. His unreasonably handsome looks and charming personality makes him easy on the eyes and good for her ego.

When a friendly game of Truth or Dare leads to an uncomplicated four-date arrangement with Seth, Tara can’t say she minds. But their dates, while sweet and sexy, have a tendency to hit roadblocks. Thankfully, their non-dates and chance meetings get frequent and heated.

Seth is leaving for a new job in Paris in a month and a no-strings attached fling seemed like a nice little distraction for both… But soon Seth realizes that Tara Park doesn’t come in a “nice & little” package--she’s funny and bold, sweet and sexy, and everything he ever wanted and never expected to find. Neither of them are ready for something serious and both have past relationship baggage they’ve been ignoring, but with a shot at forever on the line will they follow their hearts and take a chance on happily-ever-after?

Paperback, 320 pages

Published August 3rd 2021 by St. Martin's Griffin

About The  Author:

Jayci Lee writes poignant, sexy, and laugh-out-loud romance every free second she can scavenge. She lives in sunny California with her tall-dark-and-handsome husband, two amazing boys with boundless energy, and a fluffy rescue whose cuteness is a major distraction. At times, she cannot accommodate real life because her brain is full of drool worthy heroes and badass heroines clamoring to come to life. Because of all the books demanding to be written, Jayci writes full-time now, and is semi-retired from her fifteen-year career as a defense litigator. She loves food, wine, and travelling, and incidentally so do her characters. Books have always helped her grow, dream, and heal, and she hopes her books will do the same for you

Book Review: The Ambassador: Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940 by Susan Ronald

 

Title: The Ambassador: Joseph P. Kennedy at the Court of St. James's 1938-1940

Author:  Susan Ronald

Stars: 4

Review:

A well researched, and presented, book into Joseph Kennedy's time as Ambassador to England. The reader must realize that this was a turbulent time immediately before and after the beginning of World War II. Kennedy was not a diplomat but a wealthy businessman who felt commerce should come first even if it meant appeasement to the Germans and Italians. However it suited Roosevelt's political purpose to keep him out of Washington and America and in the dark as to what was really going on behind the scenes.

The book can be a little dry and difficult to read but is well worth it in the end. Everything is footnoted and easily referenced for the reader.

I have rated it 4 stars and recommend it to everyone with a liking for historical background on recent current events.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Synopsis:

On February 18, 1938, Joseph P. Kennedy was sworn in as US Ambassador to the Court of St. James. To say his appointment to the most prestigious and strategic diplomatic post in the world shocked the Establishment was an understatement: known for his profound Irish roots and staunch Catholicism, not to mention his “plain-spoken” opinions and womanizing, he was a curious choice as Europe hurtled toward war.

Initially welcomed by the British, in less than two short years Kennedy was loathed by the White House, the State Department and the British Government. Believing firmly that Fascism was the inevitable wave of the future, he consistently misrepresented official US foreign policy internationally as well as direct instructions from FDR himself. The Americans were the first to disown him and the British and the Nazis used Kennedy to their own ends.

Through meticulous research and many newly available sources, Ronald confirms in impressive detail what has long been believed by many: that Kennedy was a Fascist sympathizer and an anti-Semite whose only loyalty was to his family's advancement. She also reveals the ambitions of the Kennedy dynasty during this period abroad, as they sought to enter the world of high society London and establish themselves as America’s first family. Thorough and utterly readable, The Ambassador explores a darker side of the Kennedy patriarch in an account sure to generate attention and controversy. 

Expected publication: August 3rd 2021 by St. Martin's Press

About The Author:

Born and raised in the United States, Susan Ronald is a British-American author and biographer. Now living in England for over twenty-five years, she is the author of nine history books ranging across the ages. Her latest book to be published (August 3, 2020 ) is entitled THE AMBASSADOR: JOSEPH P. KENNEDY AT THE COURT OF ST. JAMES'S 1938-1940. She is also the author of CONDÉ NAST, A DANGEROUS WOMAN, HITLER'S ART THIEF, HERETIC QUEEN, SHAKESPEARE'S DAUGHTER (a novel), THE PIRATE QUEEN, THE SANCY BLOOD DIAMOND, AND FRANCE: THE CROSSROADS OF EUROPE. She has also appeared as herself in documentaries and has produced films and has written screenplays.

Susan is working on her tenth book (St. Martin's Press/Macmillan) entitled HITLER'S ARISTOCRATS about the powerful Nazis who charmed the elite in Britain and the United States.