Book Review: Drawn to Death by Kat Shehata

 

Title: Drawn to Death 

Author: Kat Shehata

Star: 4 

Review:

This is the first book I have read by Kat Shehata. The author created an interesting story where a woman medium who has ghost who use her to solve her murder. Leo is pretty much a typical cop in a romantic suspense story.  He is skeptical but is willing to listen to Evelyn to solve the murders. 

Yes the two characters are also romantic interest for each other so yup sexy time happens. If you don't not want graphic sex scenes just skip this book.  That being said the story is interesting and reader will find it difficult to put down the mystery needing it to be solved. 

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Drawn to Death. 

Synopsis:

Ghosts visit Evelyn in her dreams. The secrets of the dead could get her killed.

The city is ripe with crime, and the freshly dead need help solving their murders. Evelyn is a reluctant medium who channels the dead through her art.

Leo is a skeptical homicide detective who believes in evidence, facts, and witness testimonies—when the information comes from the living, not the dead.

When a ghost feeds Evelyn clues about a string of unsolved murders, she teams up with Leo to track down the serial killer.

The romantic tension sizzles when Evelyn and Leo go undercover as a couple to lure the killer into a trap.

But when Evelyn gets too close to the case, and the handsome detective, her life is in danger when she becomes the latest obsession of the Windy City Stalker.

About The Author:

Kat is a New York Times Bestselling author—with the help of a psychic.

After teaming up with world-renowned psychic Sylvia Browne, Kat co-wrote and published Animals on the Other Side. The book was a hit and landed on the New York Times Bestseller list. Kat and Sylvia went on to publish and promote three more successful titles, and the books were all featured on The Montel Williams Show.

Kat’s writing career took a romantic turn when a love story about a mob boss and a troubled young woman wouldn’t get out of her head. After spending years writing The Russian Tattoos Trilogy, a new couple, Evelyn and Leo, the main characters of Drawn to Death, demanded her attention.

When Kat is not reading or writing romantic suspense, ghost thrillers, or murder mysteries, she enjoys long walks and traveling with her husband. She splits her time between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Boca Raton, Florida.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre from Wilmington College, a professional writing certificate from the University of Cincinnati, and a master’s degree in creative writing from Spalding University. She has won two Benjamin Franklin Awards and Killer’s Nashville’s Claymore Award for Best Suspense.

Book Review: Exiles (Aaron Falk #3) by Jane Harper

 

Title: Exiles (Aaron Falk #3)

Author: Jane Harper

Star: 4

Review:

This is the first book I have read by Jane Harper and jumping into book 3 in a series isn't always the best way to go.  I couldn't help myself the synopsis was just too intriguing to not read. 

Jane Harper has not just created a story with characters but a world that comes to life as readers start a slowly mystery that takes times to tell the story giving every moment a reason to be in the story.  The characters will come to life having readers staying up late into the night unable to say goodnight to the characters in case something might happen to them. The mystery is well told, and every question will be answered making sure readers know who, what, why, where and how.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Jane Haper Exiles. 

Synposis:

At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her pram, her mother vanishing into the crowds.

A year on, Kim Gillespie’s absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family.

Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group may be more fractured than it seems.

Between Falk’s closest friend, a missing mother, and a woman he’s drawn to, dark questions linger as long-ago truths begin to emerge.

About The Author:

Jane Harper is the international bestselling author of The Dry, Force of Nature and The Lost Man.
Jane is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller, and has won numerous top awards including the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year, the Australian Indie Awards Book of the Year, the CWA Gold Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel, and the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year.
Her books are published in more than 36 territories worldwide, with The Dry in production as a major motion picture starring Eric Bana.
Jane worked as a print journalist for thirteen years both in Australia and the UK, and now lives in Melbourne.

Book Review: A Wicked Game (Ruthless Rivals #3) Kate Bateman

 

Title: A Wicked Game (Ruthless Rivals #3)

Author: Kate Bateman

Stars: 4

Review:

The third book by Kate Bateman detailing the romantic interactions between the Davies and Montgomery families. After a feud that lasted years the young unweds on both sides appear to have taken a strong liking to each other. While trying to be aloof and ignore the mutual desires they find themselves drawn even closer to each other.  This book, like the two before, A Reckless Match and A Daring Pursuit, draws the reader more deeply into both families. The author displays a talent that is able to follow a common theme but at the same time broaden the readers desire to learn more about the families interactions. I have reviewed all three of these books and rate this one 4 stars.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

Thank you, Frank for your Reviews

Synposis:

If there’s one thing impossible for a Davies to resist, it’s a challenge from a Montgomery. . .

A teasing bet.

Shipwrecked and imprisoned thanks to an incorrect map, Captain Morgan Davies has returned to London to exact sweet revenge on the cartographer responsible for his suffering. He’s also vowed to claim the winner’s prize―three kisses―in the bet he made with his long-time nemesis, the prickly, smart-mouthed Harriet Montgomery. His incarceration has clarified his feelings for her, but convincing the infuriating woman he wants to marry her is going to be his greatest challenge yet. When Harriet’s revealed to be the very mapmaker he seeks, Morgan decides to combine revenge and seduction into one delightful package. . .

A dangerous enemy.

Harriet’s always wanted witty scoundrel Morgan, and now he’s back; as handsome and as taunting as ever. She has enough on her plate dealing with her father’s failing eyesight and a rival mapmaker copying her work to play wicked games with a dastardly Davies―however tempting he might be. But when a threat from Morgan’s past puts them both in danger, Harry discovers that she and Morgan might not be enemies at all . . .

About The Author:

Kate Bateman (also writing as K. C. Bateman) wrote her first historical romance in response to a $1 bet with her husband who rashly claimed she'd 'never finish the thing.' She gleefully proved him wrong. Her Regency and Renaissance-era romances all feature her trademark feisty, intelligent heroines, wickedly inappropriate banter, and heroes you want to both strangle and kiss.

When not traveling to exotic locations 'for research,' Kate leads a double life as a fine art appraiser and on-screen antiques expert for several TV shows in the UK, each of which has up to 2.5 million viewers. She splits her time between Illinois and her native England and writes despite three inexhaustible children and a number-loving husband who still owes her that dollar.

Book Review: Ancient Vengeance (Ancients Rising #6) by Katie Reus

 

Title: Ancient Vengeance (Ancients Rising #6)

Author: Katie Reus

Star: 4

Review:

I will start off with Katie Reus is a go to author for me so the second I get a chance to review one of her books I jump.  I also love the cover of this book in the Ancient Rising series. 

Ancient Vengeance is part of a series supernatural series that will become colorful as readers start with book 1 in the series. That being said readers can jump in with book 6 or book 2 as they can be read as standalone novels. 

The story is everything you expect from Katie Reus; Romance, action, sexy time, feisty strong female leads and overprotective male characters. The world the author has created in one where supernatural roam the world of humans. The balance they have created is constantly being tested and once again being tested.

The story is face pace supernatural romance that will leave readers happy they dove headfirst into Katie Reus world. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of Ancient Vengeance. 

Synposis:

She’s been sheltered her entire life…

Stella is from a fierce and ancient dragon line, but when her kingdom was invaded and half her family slaughtered, everything changed. She’s been taught to fight, to protect herself, but now that one of her sisters is back after being thought dead, she realizes it’s time to make some changes. After years of being smothered, she needs freedom, to spread her dragon wings and experience life. So when her grandmother tasks her with a job in New Orleans, she jumps at the chance to strike out on her own and prove herself.

He's never met anyone like her…

Dragon shifter Rhodes is a killer. An assassin. And he’s been ordered to kidnap the dragon princess Stella as vengeance against her clan. He’s always finished his contracts—until he meets her. Now he’ll do anything to keep her safe. To claim her forever as his mate. But first they’ll have to overcome the danger stalking her—and then he’ll have to figure out how to get her to forgive him for betraying her.

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: Last Seen in Santorini (Miss Ashford Investigates #2) by Vivian Conroy

 

Title: Last Seen in Santorini (Miss Ashford Investigates #2)

Author: Vivian Conroy

Stars: 4

Review:

Vivian Conroy the author of Last Seen in Santorini reached out to me on Twitter after seeing my review requesting me to read her book.  This is the first time have read Vivian Conroy and I wasn't sure what to expect.  The story starts off very slowly and it takes a little time to really get into the mystery.  The author creates her world in the book that will have reader transported into Venice, Santorini and the many different locations that will come to life. 

The story does get a little wordy at times, Atalanta needs less internal monologues, and lastly yes, I figured out the mystery before the characters. That being said Vivian Conroy creates a cozy mystery that will bring readers into her colorful world and a mystery that needs to be solved. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for advance copy of Last Seen In Satorini. 

Synposis:

Miss Atalanta Ashford is sightseeing near Venice when a mysterious veiled lady approaches her with the urgent request to look into her daughter's mysterious death on the idyllic Greek island of Santorini. Whilst working as a companion for the eminent Bucardi family, the unfortunate girl took a plunge from the dramatic cliffs during a walk alone. But is all as it seems?

Sailing to Santorini and going undercover as the new companion, Miss Ashford soon discovers that her client hasn't told her the full truth. Someone is watching her. Now she must unravel the mystery and prevent the breathtaking azure sea views from becoming the last she too will ever see…

About The Author:

Vivian Conroy is a multi-published mystery author with 25+ contracted titles. Away from writing, she enjoys hiking, crafting and spending too much time on Twitter where readers can connect with her under @VivWrites.

Vivian Conroy – HarperCollins

Book Review: Cold Deceit (Cold Justice: Most Wanted #2) by Toni Anderson

 

Title: Cold Deceit (Cold Justice: Most Wanted #2) 

Author: Toni Anderson

Star: 5

Review:

I will start off this review with I have read everything Toni Anderson and written.   Cold Deceit is hands down one of the best book she has written.  I found myself wanting to savory the story because I knew it would end all too soon. Zoe is strong, she doesn't want what she was born into to replace what she desires to do in life. Seth Hopper is Zoe superhero. 

What sets this story out from others is when the characters know they said something to upset the other they would try to figure out what it was and how to correct what caused the hurt feelings.  The relationship developed fast and yet with the way the characters communicate and the way the author has written the characters the HEA makes 100% since. 

Cold Deceit is the perfect blend of romance, action, suspense and characters building.  Hand down the best book I have read by Toni Anderson.

Thank you to Toni Anderson for an advance copy of Cold Deceit.  

Synposis:

When forensic anthropologist Zoe Miller stumbles across a murder victim in the blisteringly hostile Sonoran Desert, she triggers a chain of events that puts her in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer.

FBI HRT operator Seth Hopper is on secret assignment near the Mexican border when he suddenly finds himself on a rescue mission. The former Navy SEAL is ordered to protect Zoe, whether she likes it or not, which sets them off on a cross-country journey back to Virginia.

Zoe has good reason not to trust a man like Seth, but there is no denying the scorching heat that flares between them, hotter than the desert sun. Can Zoe find justice for the murdered woman? Or will the killers close in to destroy them both…

About The Author:

Toni Anderson writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the Readers' Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers' Best, Golden Quill, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She’s been a finalist in both The Vivian Contest and the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her books have been downloaded more than two and a half million times.

Best known for her Cold Justice® books perhaps it’s not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth--Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean, but is lucky enough to travel for research purposes. In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center. She hopes not to get arrested for her Google searches.

Book Review: Hunter Avenged (Forgotten Brotherhood series) by N.J. Walters

 

Title: Hunter Avenged (Forgotten Brotherhood series) 

Author:  N.J. Walters

Stars: 5

Review:

Hunter Avenged is a standalone story but I would suggest you read it as a part of the series to understand the world the author has created in her Forgotten Brotherhood series. 

This supernatural romance created to characters that accept who they are and what they are to do in the world that N.J. Walters has created.  The action is epic as well as the final battle in Hunter Avenged is hands down very well written that reader will feel as if they are fighting side by side with Sven and Rivka. There is romance that balances out the rest of the fighting and action back scenes. 

Thank you to netgalley for advance copy of N.J. Walters Hunter Avenged. 

Synopsis:

It’s taken Viking hunter Sven Knutson six frustrating months to find her. To track down the angel responsible for compromising the Forgotten Brotherhood and waking the drakon. She may be clever. Resourceful. But no one ever gets away from Sven. Ever.

All Rivka longed for as an angel was a chance to serve on Earth and help humans. Instead, it all went impossibly, horribly wrong, and she still doesn’t understand how or even why. All she knows is that she’s on the run—not only from Heaven’s dangerous elite guard, but also from the Brotherhood, who want answers.

She might just have to trust the immortal Viking whose icy blue eyes make her feel almost wickedly human. Because someone wants Rivka dead and the Brotherhood eliminated. Someone powerful enough to take on the most dangerous assassins who have ever lived. Someone who could unleash the fury of both Heaven and Hell…and Rivka is the key.

About The Author:

Once upon a time N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown, and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years.

One day she gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first erotic romance novel and life would never be the same.

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Book Review: The Girl in the River (Detective Ellie Reeves Book 7) by Rita Herron

 

Title: The Girl in the River (Detective Ellie Reeves Book 7)

Author: Rita Herron

Star: 4 1\2

Review:

Book 7 I wasn't sure what to expect since Ellie Reeve has been to hell and back in the first 6 novels. I have enjoyed Rita Herron Detective Ellie Reeves series if you have read one you know that at times you need to suspend your belief in the world the author has created. 

The story moved quickly with bodies piling up, missing bride and a best friend who will stop at nothing to find the bride. The characters are finding their pathway in the story and of course the two men in Ellie life one trying to find a place in her heart and the other hiding away his feelings. 

I want to make it clear that I would highly recommend you read the Ellie Reeves series in a row.  It will help understand the world that Rita Herron created.  I know it is scary finding a new series this one thankfully can sometimes be found on kindle unlimited.  If you come across Rita Herron books on kindle unlimited grab a copy you won't regret.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Rita Herron The Girl in the River. 

Synposis:

The body lay in the river, arms outstretched. Long brown hair swirled in all directions, flowing with the current of the water. Her eyes were wide open in death, pale pink lips parted in a scream.

Detective Ellie Reeves should be enjoying the wedding of her dear friend Mia Norman. But instead of celebrating, she is frantically searching for the missing bride. Something is terribly wrong—just hours ago, Mia was blissfully happy. Why would she suddenly vanish?

Bursting through the dressing room, Ellie finds it in disarray—chairs overturned, a perfume bottle shattered. Hiding in the bathroom is Mia’s six-year-old daughter Pixie, curled in a ball and sobbing her heart out. The little girl says she was locked inside when she heard a man’s voice, and her mother crying. “I just want my mommy back,” she pleads. Ellie vows to make that happen.

Turning the venue upside down, Ellie’s blood turns to ice when she reaches the riverbank. Someone is dead in the rippling water, floating beside a white veil. Ellie holds her breath as she turns the body over. It belongs to Tori, Mia’s bridesmaid, a gunshot wound in her back. Near the murder scene, Ellie discovers a button from a man’s shirt, and her friend’s engagement ring. The race is on to find Mia—before it’s too late.

When forensics come back, the investigation takes a dark turn. DNA proves that Mia was actually Jesse Habersham, a woman who went missing five years ago. Ellie is certain that Mia was running from someone. Did her past finally catch up with her?

Facing the most complex case of her career, Ellie is in a race against time. Can she uncover the truth before her friend is brutally killed? And when the murderer comes after innocent little Pixie, will Ellie save her from the clutches of death?

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. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.

Book Review: The Wolf is Mine by Paige Tyle

 

Title: The Wolf is Mine

Author: Paige Tyle

Star: 5

Review:

I have read several of the SWAT series by Paige Tyler and I have to admit this might be one of my favorites.  If you have read the series, I think this just might be the book you have been waiting for and I bet you already knew that cat wasn't really a cat!

There is sex but push that all away the story and characters are well developed.  The author is bringing in more supernatural characters into her stories and the wolves are discoveries make it entertaining. 

Paige Tyler has created sexy supernatural world that comes to life with each different romantic story.

The "The One" does get old after a while but it is what connects all the books in Paige Tyler series. 

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Paige Tyler The Wolf is Mine. 

Synposis:

The stakes are higher than ever in the newest installment of Paige Tyler's thrilling and sexy paranormal SWAT series. What can a werewolf do to win the woman he knows is his fated mate?

Werewolf Connor Malone and his SWAT team are in San Antonio looking for their teammate. But Connor can't stop worrying about his cat who went missing the morning he left Dallas. His furry friend has been by his side since he found her a year ago, and the fact that she's disappeared is weighing on him. Things get much worse when he and his team realize they're up against a powerful creature they might not be able to defeat...

Back in Dallas, Connor's feline friend turns out to be the powerful woman who introduces herself as Kat Davenport...a witch who needs the SWAT team's help to defeat the wicked warlock who cursed her. And when she and Connor are thrown together again, there will be no denying the connection they already share, and the white-hot chemistry that sizzles between them.

About The Author:

Paige Tyler is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of sexy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She and her very own military hero (also known as her husband) live on the beautiful Florida coast with their adorable fur baby (also known as their dog). Paige graduated with a degree in education, but decided to pursue her passion and write books about hunky alpha males and the kick-butt heroines who fall in love with them.

Book Review: The Killer In Me by Max Manning

 Title: The Killer In Me

Author: Max Manning

Star: 5

Review:

Max Manning created a compelling story psychological thrillers that will stay with readers long after they put the book away. The characters are well developed, and reader will wonder if Liv Marsh is a psychopath as she researches her sister's death. 

Book lovers of psychological thrillers will want to put this at the top of there to be read file. 

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Max Manning The Killer In Me. 

Synopsis:

Everything changes when you find out what you really are.
Liv Marsh is still grieving the death of her sister, killed in a hit-and-run. The driver confessed and was convicted, but he’s going to be released from prison any day now.
Soon he’ll walk free while her sister is dead.
Liv is struggling with that knowledge when suddenly her world turns upside down.
Liv volunteers to take part in a study of the brains of violent criminals, as a control sample of a ‘normal’ brain. That’s when she learns she has all the classic abnormalities of a high-level psychopath.
Suddenly Liv’s head is crowded with possibilities. Dark thoughts. Twisted opportunities. Maybe it’s time to embrace her secret self.
Maybe finding out she’s a psychopath is the push she needs to exact revenge . . .

What would you do?

About The Author:

Max Manning is a former national newspaper journalist. He started his career as a news reporter on regional newspapers before moving on to Fleet Street. There he worked for several titles, including Today and the Daily Express. He later joined the staff of the Daily Telegraph where he worked for sixteen years as a news sub-editor. Now You See is his debut crime novel.

Book Review: The Emotionally Exhausted Woman: Why You’re Feeling Depleted and How to Get What You Need by Nancy Colier

 

Title: The Emotionally Exhausted Woman: Why You’re Feeling Depleted and How to Get What You Need

Author:  Nancy Colier

Star: 4

Review:

Nancy Colier as create a book for women to realize that all healing comes starts from the inside.  To become self-aware of your world and where you put your energy. 

  The author uses inspirational stories to teach different lesson though the book. This self-help book is willing to go into the darker side of womanhood and how to step back and figure out how to create a world for themselves and others that will prevent you or anyone from becoming Emotionally Exhausted.  

I am not a fan of self-help books because most do not seem to apply to my life.  That being said The Emotionally Exhausted Woman is a surprisingly good and worth investing into the change it can help women create. Thank you to netgalley for advance copy of Nancy Colier the Emotionally Exhausted Woman. 

Synposis:

Are you feeling emotionally exhausted? Do you worry about being likable (at all cost)? Are you trying to do it all and be it all—all the time?  This radically different self-care guide will help you find the courage needed to express your deepest needs, nurture self-awareness, and be yourself in a world that expects you to be everything to everyone.

About The Author:

Nancy Colier is a psychotherapist, thought leader, interfaith minister, author, and public speaker. She teaches mindfulness, meditation, and awareness practices, and writes a regular blog for Psychology Today and Huff Post. She is the author of the upcoming "The Emotionally Exhausted Woman" (New Harbinger, 2022), "Can't Stop Thinking" (New Harbinger, 2021), "The Power of Off" (Sounds True, 2016), "Inviting a Monkey to Tea," and "Getting Out of Your Own Way." Nancy spent 25 years as a top-ranked equestrian on the national horse show circuit and serves as a performance consultant to competitive athletes and professional artists.

Book Review: One Last Chance (Blood Ties: The Logans #3) Kat Martin

 

Title: One Last Chance (Blood Ties: The Logans #3) 

Author: Kat Martin

Star: 4 1\2

Review:

Kat Martin is an author who is able to write a series that can all be read as a stand-alone novel or read as a series. The author is able to bring her world to life with romance, characters who readers can fall in love with and of course an ending that everyone will love. 

One Last Chance has to character who have military background who are both strong, smart, and will do anything to help each other find a missing loved one. The romance, sexual tension is perfect a combination with the action pack moments in One Last Chance.  

One Last Chance is a perfect addition to Blood Ties Series and well worth diving into the series. 

Thank you to netgalley for advance copy of Kat Martin One Last Chance. 

Synposis:

Former Green Beret Edge Logan has made a new life for himself at Nighthawk Security in Denver, using his finely honed skills to neutralize threats of all kinds. When he overhears friend and fellow agent Skye Delaney discussing a new case involving her missing sister and a mysterious cult, he offers himself as backup. With her own military background, Skye is gutsy and more than capable, but a cult like Children of the Sun is too risky for anyone to investigate alone.

Skye is grateful for Edge’s experience, even though she is aware of the attraction simmering between them. Her battle scars make her reluctant to get involved with anyone, much less a coworker—even a warrior like Edge. But infiltrating the cult’s compound is more complicated than expected—and something much more sinister than worship is clearly going on behind its walls. As the pair works against the clock to unearth high-stakes secrets, the personal barriers between them begin to crumble. Together, can they unmask the face of evil before their time runs out?

About The Author:

Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.

Published since 1988, she singed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.

Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe.

"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."

"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era."

Book Review: You Can Hide (Laurel Snow #2) by Rebecca Zanetti

 

Title: You Can Hide (Laurel Snow #2)

Author: Rebecca Zanetti

Star: 5

Review:

First off, your need to start with book 1 in the Laurel Snow Series and trust me it will be worth it!

Rebecca Zanetti creates a story that will have reader finishing the book needing to know what is happening with Laurel and her new half-sister who might be a killer or who might have a killer after her.  

The author has the ability to create characters out of everything from an animal, people, the city and even the buildings that are found in the story. 

The characters are growing and developing along with a few surprises that readers will not be able to get enough of. Laurel and Huck are completely different from each other which create the best team.

The author is able to create a dark and gritty story that has just the right blend of light moments to keep readers from falling in the darkness. 

Hands down one of the best series by Rebecca Zanetti and seeing as the author as an amazing book list that is saying something big.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of You Can Hide by Rebecca Zanetti

Synposis:

Calling Laurel Snow’s relationship with her newly discovered half-sister challenging is an understatement. Not only does Laurel suspect Abigail is behind the mysterious disappearance of their father, but her erratic behavior also makes life in Laurel’s small hometown interesting, to say the least. Still, when Abigail claims someone is now out to kill her, Laurel’s instinct to protect her sister goes into overdrive. Then things get even more dicey as dead bodies start turning up in the icy waters of the Sauk River and there’s only one connection among them: Abigail . . .

Having Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers bringing in those bodies with his dive team only complicates matters. Huck is as impulsive and fiery as Laurel is coolly analytical, which makes their alliance risky at best. But standing up to such a demonically brilliant killer is going to take all the help Laurel can get. Because Laurel’s attempt to save her troubled sister’s life might cost her own . . .

About The Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner - only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She writes dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and sexy contemporary romances.

Book Review: Flight Risk (The Booking Agent #2) by Cherie Priest

 

Title: Flight Risk (The Booking Agent #2) 

Author: Cherie Priest

Star: 3

Review:

I will say I didn't read the first book in the series.  The author does bring readers up to date quickly at the beginning of the story in kind of a book dump.  Quickly moves into the current story which is 100% beyond unrealistic which might be why lots of romance readers enjoy this author so much. 

The story is simple, easy to read, and nothing truly stand out.  The characters are odd and charming, and the story moves quickly and yet after putting it down.  I couldn't remember the book and what it was about. 

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Flight Risk by Cherie Priest. 

Synopsis:

When psychic travel agent Leda Foley is approached by a man searching for his sister, she quickly agrees to help. The missing woman disappeared with a vintage orange car, a fat sack of her employer’s cash, and a grudge against her philandering husband—a man who never even reported her missing.

Meanwhile, Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt has temporarily misplaced his dog. While he’s passing out bright pink “Lost” flyers at the Mount Rainier visitor’s center, the wayward pooch appears—with a human leg in his mouth.

Thanks to DNA matching, Grady learns that the leg has something to do with Leda’s new client, and soon the two cases are tangled.

About The Author:

Cherie Priest is the author of two dozen books and novellas, most recently The Toll, The Family Plot, The Agony House, and the Philip K. Dick Award nominee Maplecroft; but she is perhaps best known for the steampunk pulp adventures of the Clockwork Century, beginning with Boneshaker. Her works have been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards for science fiction, and have won the Locus Award (among others) – and over the years, they’ve been translated into nine languages in eleven countries. Cherie lives in Seattle, WA, with her husband and a menagerie of exceedingly photogenic pets.

Book Review: The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

 

Title: The Do-Over 

Author: Lynn Painter

Star: 3

Review:

Lynn Painter creates a very cute YA romance that young and old readers can enjoy.  The story is very much ground hogs' day where she is stuck in a time loop wishing the day would come to an end instead of waking up and living the worst day all over again. 

The Do-Over has a lot of pop culture conference that can work for the here and now.  In the end the book will not last the ages because of the pop culture references.  With that being said the The Do-Over is a quick easy read for those needing a little romance and humor for their day.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of Lynn Painter The Do-Over

Synposis:

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?

About The Author:

Lynn Painter is the USA Today Bestselling Author of BETTER THAN THE MOVIES and MR. WRONG NUMBER. She writes romantic comedies for teens and adults, and when she isn't reading or writing, she can usually be found binge-watching rom-coms or shotgunning energy drinks.

HELLO, LOVELY (lynnpainter.com)

Book Review: Payback (Allegiance #4) by Edie Baylis

 

Title: Payback (Allegiance #4)

Author:  Edie Baylis

Star: 4

Review:

This is the first book in the Allegiance series as well as a first-time reading Edi Baylis. That being said I was a little lost as I started reading Payback and found I needed to get into the swing of things. 

The plot, characters, action, and romance work well in this story.  It doesn't stand out in the romantic suspense that I have read in the last year but it's not a back read either.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Edie Baylis PayBack. 

Synposis:

With his once thriving casino business now in ruins, Seb Stoker is certain about two things: One – he will rebuild bigger and better than ever. And two – someone will pay for torching his club.

But until that day comes, Seb has bigger things to worry about and a business deal that could make or break them all…

Sam Reynold knows Seb is out for revenge, and she’ll do anything she can to help him. But Sam has her own enemies and battles to fight – ones much closer to home.

About The Author:

has met a lot of interesting people - several of whom have supplied ideas for some of the characters in her books! She has now settled back in central England with her partner and children, where she is pursuing her writing.

Edie writes gritty gangland fiction and is currently signed to Boldwood Books for a 5-book series set in Birmingham. The latest and third in the series is due to be released in September 22.

Edie's other series are the Retribution series, the Hunted series and the Downfall series - all trilogies.

When she isn’t writing, Edie enjoys reading and is a self-confessed book hoarder. She also enjoys crochet and music as well as loving anything quirky or unusual.

For all news and updates and to join Edie's mailing list, visit www.ediebaylis.co.uk or follow Edie on Twitter @ediebaylis or Facebook

Book REview: The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

 

Title: The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks 

Author: Shauna Robinson

Star: 3

Review:

Shauna Robinson writes a very quirky character with lots of humor in a small town.  The story is very predictable including the romance.  The story moves quickly, and readers will enjoy the story. All in all the story isn't something to write home about just another cute romance for readers needing to escape life.

Thank you to Netgalley for a Copy of The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson

Synposis:

I, Maggie Banks, solemnly swear to uphold the rules of Cobblestone Books.

If only, I, Maggie Banks, believed in following the rules.

When Maggie Banks arrives in Bell River to run her best friend's struggling bookstore, she expects to sell bestsellers to her small-town clientele. But running a bookstore in a town with a famously bookish history isn't easy. Bell River's literary society insists on keeping the bookstore stuck in the past, and Maggie is banned from selling anything written this century. So, when a series of mishaps suddenly tip the bookstore toward ruin, Maggie will have to get creative to keep the shop afloat.

And in Maggie's world, book rules are made to be broken.

To help save the store, Maggie starts an underground book club, running a series of events celebrating the books readers actually love. But keeping the club quiet, selling forbidden books, and dodging the literary society is nearly impossible. Especially when Maggie unearths a town secret that could upend everything.

Maggie will have to decide what's more important: the books that formed a small town's history, or the stories poised to change it all.

About The Author:

Shauna Robinson writes contemporary fiction with humor and heart. Originally from San Diego, she now lives in Virginia with her husband and their sleepy greyhound. Shauna is an introvert at heart—she spends most of her time reading, baking, and figuring out the politest way to avoid social interaction.

Book Review: City of Night (Secrets and Sin #1) by Linsey Hall

 

Title: City of Night (Secrets and Sin #1)

Author: Linsey Hall

Stars: 4

Review:

Linsey Hall is a romantic supernatural writer who knows her audience as she writers her different series. City of the Night is a mystery, romantic supernatural that will have fans of Linsey excited for a new series as well as introduce new readers to this author.

The female lead isn't as likable at first but soon wears you down as she finds her tribe of supernatural's willing be friends with her prickle personality.  The male lead is what I would call typical supernatural hero/romantic lead.  The author creates a supernatural New Orleans that doesn't quite fit to the cities history and colorful style.  

The story moves quickly, and readers will be able to figure out who is the bad guy and what he wants quickly and with very little fanfare. City of the Night is a quickly fast read for those who need their Supernatural romance fix. 

Synposis:

When I inherit a haunted bookstore in New Orleans, I go from demon hunter to my dream job. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to my beautiful new life—the gorgeous demon who seems to think he owns the place.

The attraction between us is insane, and we can’t keep our eyes off each other. But I don’t trust him one bit—especially not the way he uses his seductive charms to try to compel me to work for him.

When a young girl is kidnapped from right outside my house, he’s the first person on my mind. I just can’t figure out if he’s the culprit or my fiercest protector. But I do know he has answers. And I have to resist his dangerous allure, because to give in is to risk losing everything—including my life.

City of Night is the first in the Secrets & Sin trilogy. It's got enemies to lovers, fated mates, and a tortured hero who is absolutely obsessed with the heroine (but doesn't want to be).

About The Author:

Before becoming a writer, Linsey was an archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). After a decade of tromping around in search of old bits of stuff, she settled down to start penning her own adventure novels and is freaking delighted that people seem to like them. Since life is better with a little (or a lot of) magic, she writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Book Review: The Saint the Intelligence Unit #5 by Kimberly Kincaid

 

Title: The Saint (The Intelligence Unit #5) 

Author: Kimberly Kincaid

Star: 4

Review:

The Saint is part of a series by Kimberly Kincaid but can be read as a stand-alone novel. The story is very easy to follow and very much your typical romantic suspense.  Readers will know all the players right away the good, the bad and the not to be trusted. 

The story moves quickly as readers get to know Liam and Carmen and the lust\love they have for each other. If you like this story, I suggest you pick up the first 4 book in The Intelligence Unit series.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Kimberly Kincaid The Saint.

Synposis:

His partner’s most trusted informant is his only hope…and his only weakness.


When Detective Liam Hollister is assigned to an assault-turned-murder, he brings his signature three “C”s: control, calm, and composure. The “C” he wasn’t counting on? His partner’s informant, Carmen Desoto, who’s not only the key to unlocking his case.

The sexy, sharp-tongued nurse is the only person who’s ever gotten under Liam’s skin. Driven him crazy.

Made him want the one thing he can’t have.

And now they have to go undercover together to catch a killer.

Liam knows he must keep Carmen at a distance, no matter how hard it is to resist. But when the scheme they uncover puts them directly in danger, distance isn’t an option.

They’ll have to fight together if they want to make it out alive.

About The Author:

USA Today best-selling author Kimberly Kincaid writes romantic suspense that sizzles and contemporary romance with heart and heat. Equal parts action and emotion, her firefighters and first responders always save the day. When she's not finding adventure with her husband, three teens, and naughty Whippets, Olive and Daisy, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book.

Kimberly's series include Remington Medical, Station Seventeen, the Line series, Cross Creek, and her brand-new Intelligence Unit series. All titles stand alone for easy reading.

Book Review: The Wrong Bones (Widow's Island #10) by Melinda Leigh

 

Title: The Wrong Bones (Widow's Island #10)

Author: Melinda Leigh

Star: 5

Review:

Once again Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot are able to bring the world of Widows Island to life that will have readers wondering what they will come up with next?

Tessa and Logan story continues, that will keep readers wanting more of the Widow Island after they finish this novella. 

How is it possible for the author to put together a series that are short and to the point. Yet the author weaves a world of death, family and love using only a few short pages.

Everything readers have come to love from Melinda Leigh are pouring out of these pages.  

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of The Wrong Bones.

Synposis:

Deputy Tessa Black spots a man disturbing a grave in the local cemetery and gives chase. But when Tessa catches him, she learns that the ghoulish trespasser wasn’t robbing graves; he was burying a box of bones.

With the help of her fiancé, park ranger Logan Wilde, Tessa discovers that the remains belong to a missing teenager from a nearby island. After the girl disappeared nine months ago, police labeled her a runaway. Now, though, it’s clear the teenager was murdered.

When the only witness is an uncooperative teenager, Tessa and Logan must find the killer before the boy becomes the next target.

About The Author:

Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker who learned that writing books is way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have sold more than 10 million copies across the world. Melinda loves martial arts, rescue dogs, and sea turtles.

WEBSITE: https://www.melindaleigh.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/melindaleighauthorpage/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MelindaLeigh1