Book Review: Mating Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novel (Moon Shifter #3)

Title: Mating Instinct: A Moon Shifter #3

Author: Katie Reus

Stars: 4

Review:

Katie Reus has the ability to gives readers what they want to read. This story is a second chance romance that will come at readers fast and let's admit it a little naught too.  I am not always a fan of Supernatural stories and yet somehow Katie Reus always pulls me into her world, and I am unable to walk away from the strong women and alpha men. 

If readers love Shifter stories with the right number of sexy times to story you will enjoy this series.  Yes, I started with book 3.  Which it can be read as a stand-alone novel. 

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Mating Instinct. 

First time publisher was 2013. 

Synposis: 

As the beast within struggles to break free, he must learn to be what she needs...Surviving for centuries, powerful lupine shifter Jayce Kazan managed to stay away from humans until he met Kat Saburova and was consumed by the need to protect her. But while Jayce shared his passion with the human seer, he refused to make her his bondmate—a refusal that caused the end of their relationship.A year later, an attack that left Kat near death has resulted in another lupine shifter turning her. Furious that he wasn’t the one to save her, Jayce is determined to show Kat that he is the one she should rely on. But the newly turned shifter is still traumatized and worried that she’ll hurt those she loves, unless she can learn to control her inner wolf.And as Jayce struggles to protect Kat from her own worst instincts and convince her to rekindle their love, the extremists who almost killed her are looking to finish the job.

About The Author:

Katie Reus is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Ancients Rising series, the Endgame Trilogy and the Red Stone Security 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 summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing paranormal romance and romantic suspense.

Literary Agent

• Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Book Reviews Starting up again!

 I will admit Bookhimdanno hasn't been my priority lately mainly due to life getting in the way.  My family of 6 came down with a head cold that has taken two weeks for everyone to get over expect me it's been 3 weeks.  I am lucky like that!

While I have been sick and really unable to think more than where are the nose tissues, I have been reading some of my favorite authors and going back rereading several books.  Which is crazy I hate rereading books I already knows what is going to happen. 

That being said I loved getting a chance to review the amazing stories.  One author who I loved and adored died this year along with her husband in a house fire.  I find myself going back to her stories wishing she was still here so I could tell her how I loved her stories. 

Ritter Ames sent me many of her stories before they went to the publisher and often times when I would comment on a story line or secondary plot, and she would tell me she had felt the same way, but the editor felt it wasn't needed or it needed to change.  As time went on Ritter and I soon became friends talking about life, her pup and mine.  I was even able to meet her in person when she came to Phoenix for a convention which she snuck me into.  She sent my kids fun items for her book release. 

Losing her I lost not just a friend but an author who embraced me with all my spelling errors and grammar issues. Ritter Ames saw my love of reading even though I struggle due to my learning disabilities. I miss one of my favorite authors but most of all I miss the friendship I had developed with her over the years. 

Thank you for allowing me to tell you about Ritter Ames. 

I will tell you all the books on my "to review list" are all set for 2024 a few at the beginning of the years.  Those will start to be posted starting December. 

I am hoping to keep reviewing stories as well as finding new authors to fall in love with.  That bring said my family and my health are the most important part of my life so while I will still review there will be times and months where the reviews might not be as new as I hoped for.

Thank you to the author who have entrusted me with their amazing tales and stories.  I can't tell you how honored I have been and will continue to be. 

Netgalley and Updating Review

As a reader I sometimes find myself reading more and more stories without reviewing the story.  I get lost in so many amazing stories that have read over the last several months. 

I have to go back and reread some of the stories that were a bit more forgettable story.  With that being said I am working my way through several months of stories and reviewing them as quickly as I can.

Thank you for being patient with me. 

Here is a list of stories I will be reviewing over the next few weeks

On Her Watch Melinda Leigh

  I Only Read Murder  Will Ferguson; Ian Ferguson

The Missing Witness Allison Brennan

Wild Magic Alexandra Ivy

Life is getting away from me. Yet I am still reading book Just forgetting to Review.

 I am so sorry to everyone who follows this blog or maybe not one follows this blog.  Oh Heck Who knows anymore. 

The last several months have been for lack of a better word Strange. Crazy? I am not really sure what to call it to be honest.

I take certain medications.... Oh forget it I have Moderate General and Social Anxiety and lets not forget Moderate ADHD because let's face I am full of invisible disease. I take medication daily for my mental health. While that isn't unusually for me not being able to fill said medication is. I need my medication to be able to function otherwise I am pinned down with anxiety and unable to do more than sit and focus on things I cannot control.  Yes, that is with my coping mechanism I have been taught to us.  My poor husband has been dealing with this mental health issues since we were first married.  It wasn't until 14 years into our marriage I started to take medications and the whole world changed for us for the BETTER!

This stimulate is also the only one I can take into the country of Japan.  TO say I have been stressed and my anxiety is out of control would be like sticking your finger on your sprinkler outside.  It helps a little but sooner or later your will be soaking wet and there is nothing you can do about it. 

Where am I going with this you might be asking.  Good question I have no idea since I haven't been able to take my medication for 5 days now.  My thoughts are racing which makes it impossible to be able to focus on anything IE writing reviews.  I can totally hyperfocus on reading books but writing review with my learning disabilities sets off my anxiety crazy high. 

Back to School!

 This summer I decided to devote 100% of my time to my kiddos.  With a rare autoimmune disease I find it is difficult to split my energy into many different areas.  I decided to focus on what is most important and that would be my 4 amazing little demons.  Well, I guess they are not so little anymore seeing as the oldest is a senior in high school.  

School has started here on the surface of the sun or as the rest of the United States calls it Arizona. 

I will get back to book reviewing many of my favorite authors and hopefully find some wonderful new authors to share with you. 

Thank you for hanging on with me though this time of transition and change. 4 years ago I thought my life was over but now I see it has just begun.  Adventures await!

Book Review: Trail of Deception by Amanda McKinney

 

Title: Trail of Deception

Author:   Amanda McKinney

Stars: 3 1\2

Review:

I am not 100% sold on this story and the characters have me a little confused at times.  Traill of Deception is told from several different viewpoints one being the killer. The author uses the different viewpoints to move the story forward so readers are not reading the sometime just from a different viewpoint. 

Readers will figure out the killer and their motive pretty easily which I found to be disappointing since the characters really didn't jump out at me and I was unable to connect with the male and female leads. 

The author tried to keep away from the steamy romance side and focus on the "getting to know you before we jump into bed together." That was a nice change from the typical romantic suspense. 

Trail of Deception isn't a great read and its not a terrible read.  Its just average.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of Amanda McKinney Trail of Deception.

Synposis:

When Aria, a young girl with autism, goes missing, search and rescue expert Beckett Stolle ventures into the swamplands of Texas to track her down.

When he finds the girl, she is alive, sitting next to a corpse painted in blood. Accusations fly, including suspicion that Aria was involved in the macabre murder. Beckett, however, fears this is the work of a notorious serial killer, turning his rescue mission into a hunt for a murderer. But every clue leads back to Aria, who has secrets of her own—something her psychiatrist, Jo Bellerose, sympathizes with on a very deep and dangerous level.

As an ice storm descends on Texas, Jo partners with Beckett, a handsome ex-military outdoorsman, to prove Aria’s innocence and find the real killer before another victim is slain. The two get trapped in the wilderness, where their professional relationship morphs into something intensely personal.

And the danger headed their way is one they never saw coming

About The Author:

Amanda McKinney is the bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than fifteen romantic suspense and mystery novels. Her latest book, Rattlesnake Road, was named one of POPSUGAR's 12 Best Romance Books to Have a Spring Fling With, and was featured on the Today Show. The fifth book in her Steele Shadows series, Jagger (Steele Shadows Investigations), was recently nominated for the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Amanda wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY in 2017, after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Her books include the bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series, BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES, and many more to come.

Set in small, Southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries peppered with steamy romance She lives in Arkansas with her handsome husband, two beautiful boys, and three obnoxious dogs.

Where have I been you ask? Reviews are coming I promise.

 To start the last two months have been crazy. Anyone with kids knows what crazy means.  This isn't the everyday crazy Nope this is Nonstop something is always happening crazy. 

 I was able to be assistant director to Kids Frozen at my daughter elementary school. I finally was able to use my years of musical dance theatre major from college.  (Didn't graduate from college) To help teach and create a wonderful experience for these kiddos and me. 

This was the school's first play and the first play all the kids had ever done.  Thanks to so many wonderful people giving up their time and talents we were able to put on a middle school level performance. The kids used head mics which was adventures to say the least. I was in charge of blocking scenes and teaching how to act and follow direction. I lost my voice a lot. 

The director was in charge of dance and costumes. The music teacher helped with the song and a wonderful father bought in sounds, lights and mic.  It was one of the most frustrating and amazing 6 weeks I have had in a long time.

The costumes were amazing when you think we had such a little budget if you can call it that. In reality we used our own money and lots of goodwill half off shopping days to create costumes and looks for the kiddos. 

I wish I could show you the video, but several parents didn't want their kids' pictures on social media. I am unable to post any pictures. I will be honest I forgot how much I love directing.  I miss performing on stage there is just something so special about theatre. 

During those amazing 6 weeks I had a doctor's appointment that changed how I view medication. I ended up developing medication fatty liver disease.  Not gonna lie it was scary hearing those words The good news we were able to make my liver happy again by reducing my MXT from .6mg to .2mg. That might not sound like much believe it is!

My doctor placed me on steroid to keep me from flaring up which still happened. I realized how grateful I am for modern medicine. Without it I couldn't even imagine living life in that much pain. During the play I was dealing with a major flare up and migraines. 

To understand what a flare up is:

 (an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a flare occurs when symptoms of a disease that has been present for a time suddenly worsen. A flare is a transient worsening in severity of a disease or condition that eventually subsides or lessens. For example, in many arthritis conditions the joints can flare with worsening of stiffness, pain, and swelling.)

 I wasn't able to take anything over the counter due to stomach was inflamed as well. 

I also have the best family as they picked up and helped me out when I wasn't able to keep up with the day to day needs of the family.

Update my liver in happy once again but I am unable to take over the counter pain medication due to interactions. I have been back to my hippie ways as my family calls it is using natural remedies to help.  Are they 100% Not even close thankfully they take the edge off the migraine. 

Next:

Spring Break where all the kids and hubby ended up with the flu ending the fun two weeks quickly. I spent most of the time taking care of sick ones and nothing much else happened.  My kids went back to school 2 weeks later and started State testing which consumed everyday topics.

April arrived and I had a promise to keep. The girl who played Anna has anxiety. The closer we got to opening the night the worse her anxiety grew. I decided to make a deal with her if she gave me her 100%, I would do something that scares me which is get this singing in public.

  Easter Sunday, I sang in front of my congregation with a friend.   I was told it was beautiful and was asked if I gave did voice or piano lesson.  The song was in my lower voice range called His Hands. I had sung it many times when I was in high school but not since I left college. 

It is found in this group of songs.

Parents came for s short visit on their way to college gradations and visiting family in the west.  Which pretty much brings us up to date. 

Wait I completely forgot I found a Xbox game I am in love with and can't stop playing Harry Potter Legacy it is freaking amazing for Potter heads.

Book Review: Hotshot Hero in Disguise (Hotshot Heroes #8) by Lisa Childs

 

Title: Hotshot Hero in Disguise (Hotshot Heroes #8)

Author: Lisa Childs

Star: 3 1\2

Review:

I have to admit Lisa Childs has me not really sure what to review. The story is ok. The characters are ok. The story is what you expect from Harlequinn Suspense series. All in All Hotshot Hero in Disguise is a ok read. If you need something to read while waiting for a doctors appt, flight, or like me waiting for my kids be done with many different activities they are in.  This book works. 

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Hotshot Hero in Disguise by Lisa Childs. 

Synopsis:

His carefully crafted identity…

Is about to go up in flames!

After an attempt on his life, Jonathan Canterbury IV chose to let the world believe he was dead. Then Tammy Ingles discovers that the firefighter she knows as Ethan Sommerly is really the heir to an epic fortune. He doesn’t know what scares him more: the fact that his new lover can expose his secret, or the intensity of his need for her…

About The Author:

Born one dark and stormy Halloween night, Lisa Childs was predestined to write suspense novels. She loves spinning dark and twisty stories that keep readers awake because they’re either too busy turning pages or too scared to sleep. Lisa Childs is the prolific author of more than seventy published novels. In addition to romantic suspense, she also writes women’s fiction, paranormal and contemporary romance.

Book Review: Turn Up the Heat (Pine Mountain #1) by Kimberly Kincaid

 

Title: Turn Up the Heat (Pine Mountain #1)

Author: Kimberly Kincaid

Star:  2 1\2

Review:

I have read several books by Kimberly Kincaid and most of the time her romance and romantic suspense are fully of steamy romance and just enough suspense for readers like me. Her romance at times falls a little the cheesy side and her female leads seem to be push overs. 

The group of female characters are charcutiers of what people see intelligent women to be and honestly it a little annoying and huge turn off to female readers. 

The romance is insta Lust which can work if the characters are likable but they are flat. Honestly the whole story is a cliche in the worst possible way, The author leaves readers to push though the story and at about the 80% mark we finally get to the big secret.  If you are like me you really don't care and just want to end the HEA. 

Synopsis:

Ingredients:

One big-city real estate analyst who gets dumped on national TV
One small-town mechanic with a past he wants to keep in his rearview mirror
One weekend getaway thwarted by a broken down car, a boss that makes Atilla the Hun look like a lapdog, and the snowstorm of the century

Mix well and add a whole lot of sparks under the hood.

Serve with a side of adversaries to lovers, opposites attract, sexy banter, and sizzling heat in both the kitchen and the bedroom.

Find a different story by this author but just move past this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for advance copy of Turn up the Heat by Kimberly Kincaid. 

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: Desperate Acts (Pike, Wisconsin, #4) by Alexandra Ivy

 

Title: Desperate Acts (Pike, Wisconsin, #4)

Author: Alexandra Ivy

Star: 5

Review:

If you haven't started the Pike Wisconsin series go now and start with book 1 before you start the latest in the series.  Once again the author creates a story that will have readers up late at night wondering what will happen to the characters if I close the book? 

Readers might think the story will be easy to figure out after having read so many of her other mystery\romance series.  While other might figure out the killers and realize as the story comes to an end it wasn't about the knowing they were right but falling in love with the Kaden and Lia and the way they connect and change as the story progresses. 

Alexandra Ivy has created a town where readers will connect with the different characters that comes to life. 

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Desperate Acts by Alexandra Ivy

  

Synposis:

Teenager Lia Porter shouldn't have been anywhere near the railroad bridge that night. Sneaking home after a party in the fields outside Pike, Wisconsin, she glimpsed a woman in a leather jacket, running in terror. Lia puts the incident from her mind--until a body is found near the same spot fifteen years later, wearing the same jacket. The police rule it a suicide. Lia knows different. The woman she saw was trying to save her own life, not end it. But whatever she was fleeing from found her first . . .

BEFORE THE KILLER
The stranger who arrives at Lia's store shares her suspicions. Hollywood stunt driver Kaden Vaughn has come home to Wisconsin to learn the truth about what happened to his brother's fiancée years ago. The leather jacket, the timing--he believes the dead woman is Vanna, and that Lia may be the only person who can help. Together they retrace Vanna's steps, but the more they dig, the darker the secrets become.

FINDS HER?
The killer is still out there, stalking the streets of Pike again, willing to do whatever is necessary to keep the truth locked in mystery. One by one, all those who know something about that night must be silenced, until there is no one left to tell .

About The Author:

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

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

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

Book Review: How to Keep a Husband for Ten Days by Jessica Hatch

 

Title: How to Keep a Husband for Ten Days

Author: Jessica Hatch

Star: 3

Review:

I have never read a book by this author, but the title stood out and I couldn't help myself. That being said the book is kind of a mess to me.  The characters, story, message, writing style came across as boring and less funny. 

The story moves very slowly which is normal for a romance but what it lacks is the connection readers are looking for.  Many characters are flat and not even interesting. The story doesn't move at all but instead stands still. 

Instead of being funny it ended up flat. Readers just pass this romance and move onto the next.

PS It makes the Hallmark movie seem funny. 

Synposis:

Pretending to be married to the man you were married to… How hard can it be?!

When Lina’s oldest friends unexpectedly announce they’re coming to stay, she has to think fast. No one knows she and her husband Brown are breaking up, and so she persuades him to act as if they aren’t… After all, how hard can it be to pretend to be married for ten days?

Turns out, a lot harder than she thought. On day one, she strikes so many couple poses that she throws her back out. On day two, she gets muscle spasms from smiling too hard at her husband’s jokes. On day three, she almost has a heart attack when she puts her hand far too high up his thigh at the dinner table. And on day four, when she accidentally grazes Brown’s lips when aiming for his cheek, she almost passes out in the middle of the restaurant.

By day five, Lina is starting to realise there’s a thin line between love and hate. And while she can try to fool her friends, she can’t fool her heart. Was she too hasty calling time on her marriage? Is this more than make believe? And does she even have enough time to find out if Brown feels the same?

About The Author:

Jessica Hatch writes hilarious, heartfelt romantic comedies for the girls who grew up rooting for the main character's best friend. Her first novel, My Big Fake Wedding, debuted at #1 in Humorous American Fiction, and her second novel, How to Keep a Husband for Ten Days, has been embraced by a devoted second-chance romance readership.

She loves to develop quirky, high-concept scenarios and then drop her characters into them, escape room–style, to see what happens next. Her work spotlights characters and locales the reader can fall in love with, and aims to explore real-world issues that women and nonbinary people face.

(She also enjoys loafing around, largely ignoring her characters and binge-watching Netflix instead.)

Book Review: More Than Meets the Eye (Kendra Michaels #10) by Iris Johansen; Roy Johansen

 

Title: More Than Meets the Eye  (Kendra Michaels #10)

Author: Iris Johansen; Roy Johansen

Star: 5

Review:

I am pretty sure if you are on book 10 of the Kendra Michaels series than you as a reader already know what amazing authors Iris and Roy Johansen are.  Two author who are able to bring their world of mystery to readers all over the world who will finish book 10 and still need more from there to authors.

More Than Meets the Eye is another can't put down mystery story that will have readers wondering what will happen next as they absorb chapter after chapter of this cat and mouse game between a serial killer and Kendra Michaels. 

Readers will not be able to put this book down until the very last words are read Late into the night.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Iris and Roy Johansen More than Meets the Eye. 

Synposis:

After scoring a plea deal in a high-profile murder trial, serial killer James Michael Barrett leads a grim parade of law enforcement officers to the body of his last victim. At the alleged burial site, the officers swing their shovels down and are met with a strange metallic sound they weren’t expecting. In a blink, a terrific explosion rocks the woods, killing Barrett and most of the officers instantly.
The detonation is only the beginning of a shocking case for FBI consultant Kendra Michaels—a string of heinous murders in the style of the very-dead Barrett mysteriously continue, and it becomes clear that he may not have been working alone. As the crimes accelerate, Kendra reluctantly accepts help from college student Tricia Walton, the only survivor of Barrett’s attacks. But the killer has a terrifying plan that Kendra and her team are only beginning to understand.

About The Author:

She lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

Book Review: Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles #2) by April Asher

 

Title: Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles #2)

Author: April Asher

Star: 4

Review:

Not Your Ex's Hexes is part of a series but can be read as a standalone supernatural romance. The traditional one and done story line takes it traditional turn when the characters realized there is more going on and fight those feelings. 

Rose is a cute character trying to find new life she is seeking and ends up makes mistakes and a few turns she wished she hasn't done.  When she finds her calling her and the one-night stand decides she is crazy the humor starts and the romance that doesn't seem to be what either one want. 

They story is what you expect but April Asher adds her own flare to the story and the world she created.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of April Asher Not Your Ex's Hexes. 

Synposis:

For her entire life, Rose Maxwell trained to become the next Prima on the Supernatural Council. Now that she’s stepped down, it’s time for this witch to focus on herself. And not think about her impulsive one-night stand with Damian Adams, a half-Demon Veterinarian who she can’t get out of her head. Neither of them is looking for a relationship. But when Rose is sentenced to community service at Damian’s animal sanctuary it becomes impossible for them to ignore their sparking attraction. A friends-with-benefits, no feelings, no strings arrangement works perfectly for them both.

After a sequence of dead-end jobs, it’s not until Rose tangos with two snarly demons that she thinks she’s finally found her path. However, this puts Damian back on the periphery of a world he thought he left behind. He doesn’t approve of Rose becoming a Hunter, but if there's one thing he's learned about the stubborn witch, it was telling her not to do something was one sure-fire way to make sure she did.

Working—and sleeping—together awakens feelings Damian never knew he had...and shouldn't have. Because thanks to his ex's hex, if he falls in love, he'll not only lose his heart—but his humanity.

About The Author:

April Asher, aka April Hunt, was hooked on romantic stories from the time she first snuck a bodice-ripper romance out from her mom's bedside table. She now lives out her own happily-ever-after with her college-sweetheart husband, their two children, and a cat who thinks she's more dog—and human—than feline. By day, April dons dark blue nursing scrubs and drinks way too much caffeine. By night, she still consumes too much caffeine, but she does it with a laptop in hand, and from her favorite side of the couch.

From the far left cushion, April Asher pens laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with a paranormal twist, but when she’s not putting her characters into embarrassing situations with supernatural entities, she also writes high-octane romantic suspense as April Hunt, her thrill-seeking alter ego.

Book Review: Sate the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #20) by Alexandra Ivy

 

Title: Sate the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity #20)

Author: Alexandra Ivy

Stars: 4

Review:

I love Alexandra Ivy Romantic suspense series and cannot get enough of those stories. I have tried to read several of the Guardians of Eternity series and some of those stories are a hit or miss for these readers. 

The author invites readers into her Paranormal world of demons, gargoyle, Jinn, Imp, and everything you can think of in the supernatural world she has created for her readers. 

There are a lot of characters that come from different books and while you would think after 20 books the author would be repeating story lines (Only head a few so maybe) the author seems to bring a fresh new look to her series that will bring new readers into her world and cast of characters. The story has cheesy romance lines that will make readers laugh a little but hey sometimes you just need to escape from the real world and dive into the romance Alexandra Ivy has created.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Sate Darkness. 

Synposis:

Ryshi—half-jinn, half-imp—is the only male who has ever managed to slip through the minotaur labyrinth and lived to tell the tale. He wasn’t so lucky when it came to stealing prized vampire artifacts. Caught and imprisoned, he now has a chance at freedom if he can rescue the gargoyle Levet from that same labyrinth. But he’ll have a minder on his mission in the petite, enticing form of Sofie, the vampire he’s been fantasizing about for a very long time . . .

Sofie is shunned and feared for her ability to control others’ minds. She didn’t ask for that gift, and she certainly doesn’t want to use those powers to control this gorgeous, sensual demon. Too bad a request from the Anasso isn’t up for debate. To rescue the gargoyle, she and Ryshi have to work closely together, and Sofie is compelled to lower her defenses around him in every way—though she expects him to disappear the moment their task is complete. But now that Ryshi has glimpsed what his future could be with Sofie, he’s ready to fight for her trust, even against the darkness within . 

About The Author:

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

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

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

Book Review: Wolf Takes the Lead By Terry Spear

 

Title: Wolf Takes the Lead

Author: Terry Spear

Star: 4

Review:

This is the first book I have read by Terry Spears.  The author created likable characters who come to life on page. Derek Spencer tried of dating humans and has issues with She-Wolves. Giving up on romance Derek friends step in with Kate Hanover she wolf.

Kate and Derek characters work being they are werewolves not trying but trying to find their mate. The romance is very sweet and just the right blend for this style of writing.  

The story moves quickly giving readers what I can assume they can expect from Terry Spear.  The story is balanced with romance, character build and plot.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Terry Spear Wolf Takes The Lead. 

Synposis:

Billionaire wolf Derek Spencer may have a rocky history with she-wolves, but there's no one better to take as his date to the latest gala than the wolf he's had his eye on ever since she applied to be his bodyguard—the remarkable Kate Hanover. Kate checks all the boxes for his perfect mate: she's smart, sexy, and business savvy, not to mention one of the best bodyguards around.

But ever since Derek gave his bodyguard position to another wolf, Kate has been avoiding him. It's only when she reluctantly agrees to be his date to the gala that she realizes why: the attraction between the two alpha wolves is undeniable, but Kate doesn't want to end up as one of the billionaire's many flings. The more time Kate and Derek spend together, the more they are in danger...of falling deeply in love.

About The Author:

Love, love, love romance, the paranormal, hunky Highlanders with their delicious brogue and hot kilts, so Terry Spear writes about those hunky Highlanders both in medieval times and as wolves in contemporary times. Jaguar shifters too! And young adult urban fantasy. And romantic suspense.

She grew up reading mystery, adventure, mythologies from around the world, ghost stories, the paranormal, fell in love with Dracula and Wolfman, and felt they needed loving too. Everyone should have someone to love. Which means her stories always have a HEA.

USA Today Bestseller residing in Central Texas from Sacramento, California who creates award-winning teddy bears too!

Book Review: Five Will Die by L.A. Detwiler

 

Title: Five Will Die 

Author: L.A. Detwiler

Star: 3 1\2

Review:

This is the first book I have read by L.A. Detwiler so it always takes a little time to get the swing of a new author. That being said this author has way to many characters to the point readers will be lost on who is who.  The author uses chapters to introduce characters and their point of views as well as the killers point of view.  For this reader this made it difficult to remember the characters purpose and secret.  It also became a distraction as well as several spelling errors I came across. 

While the moves along well enough and the plot is interesting but the switching back and forth between so many characters ends up causing more of a headache and less enjoyment while reading L.A. Detwiller Five will Dive.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of the book.

Synposis: 

When a new girl, Becky Rusett, joins the Evermore Publishing team, she’ll start to realize no office setting is as safe as it appears. The secrets, lies, and underhanded dealings of the publishing house are unsettling enough–but now some sinister events are putting the entire office in real danger.

Decades before Evermore Publishing existed, a group of five meanspirited children terrorized a young child in a small town. The Fab 5, as they were called, set off the chain of events that would lead to the horrific events at Evermore. But what’s their connection to the New York City bookworms…and can anyone solve the mystery before there’s a brutal murder?

You never really know if there’s a killer in the cubicle beside you. This tense mystery is only the first of five books tracing the footsteps of a killer.

About The Author:

L.A. Detwiler is a USA TODAY bestselling author and high school English teacher from Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. During her final year at Mount Aloysius College, she started writing her first fiction novel, which was published in 2015. She has also written articles that have appeared in several women’s publications and websites. L.A. Detwiler lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad. They have six cats and a Great Dane named Edmund.

Book Review: Honolulu Cold Homicide (Hawaii CI #3) by R. Barri Flowers

 

Title: Honolulu Cold Homicide (Hawaii CI #3) 

Author:  R. Barri Flowers

Stars: 3

Review: 

Honolulu Cold Homicide is pretty much your traditional Harlequinn Intrigue. Nothing stands out that would make these readers keep reading the Hawaii CI series.  The characters are a little flat making it difficult to connect with the characters.  

To be honest this is your airplane read that you read because there is nothing else and you leave behind because it wasn't memorable.

The writing, characters and even the killer is what readers expect from Harlequinn Intrigue series.

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of R. Berri Flowers Honolulu Cold Homicide.  

Synposis:

When a new case carries echoes of his sister’s cold case murder, Detective Sergeant Lance Warner is visited by another ghost from the past. Caroline Yashima isn’t only the CJD specialist assigned to work alongside him, she’s also the ex he regrets walking away from. He’s not sure if he can expect a second chance—or just a chance for closure. But when Caroline becomes a target, he knows that he doesn’t want to live without her.

About The Author:

R. Barri Flowers is an award winning criminologist and bestselling author of crime and thriller fiction, crime nonfiction and true crime, relationship novels, and young adult mysteries.

Recent adult mysteries include FRACTURED TRUST, MURDERED IN THE MAN CAVE, BEFORE HE KILLS AGAIN, SEDUCED TO KILL IN KAUAI, MURDER IN HONOLULU: A Skye Delaney Mystery, MURDER IN MAUI: A Leila Kahana Mystery, DEAD IN THE ROSE CITY, JUSTICE SERVED, STATE'S EVIDENCE, and DARK STREETS OF WHITECHAPEL: A Jack the Ripper Mystery.

Young adult mystery fiction include SUMMER AT PARADISE RANCH, OUT FOR BLOOD, TEEN GHOST AT DEAD LAKE, COUNT DRACULA'S TEENAGE DAUGHTER, GHOST GIRL IN SHADOW BAY and DANGER IN TIME.

Book Review: Don't Open the Door (Regan Merritt #2) by Allison Brennan

 

Title: Don't Open the Door (Regan Merritt #2)

Author:  Allison Brennan

Star: 5

Review:

Allison Brennan hands down is one of the best mystery writers I have ever read. Her ability to pull readers in from page one and keep them readers until they have read every single book she has written. This is book 2 in the Regan Merritt series which can be read as a stand-alone novel or read part of the series.  The author catches up readers quickly so you will know the major characters right off the bat. 

The characters are well developed, and each have a purpose and a reason for being in the story. The story written as readers are given answered to all their question not leaving any plot holes. 

This story will not disappoint Allison Brennan fans and those seek a new mystery thriller writer. 

Thank you to Netgalley for advance copy of Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan

Synposis: 

After their ten-year-old son, Chase, was senselessly murdered, Regan's life unraveled. Her corporate lawyer husband, Grant, blamed the death on Regan’s work as a US marshal. Unable to reconcile their grief, they divorced, and Regan quit her job and moved away.

Now she's back after a voice mail from her former boss Tommy said he had important news to share about Chase’s killing. Regan is stunned to learn Tommy is dead too. When she reaches out to Grant, his panicked reaction raises her suspicions. Then a lawyer with ties to her ex also turns up murdered, and the police make Grant their top suspect.

Unsure of his guilt or innocence, Regan risks everything to find Grant before the police do so she can finally get the answers to all that has haunted her since losing Chase. But the truth is not even close to what she imagines—and now she fears she has no one to trust.

About The Author:

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.

40 books and numerous short stories later, Allison relocated in 2019 from Northern California to Arizona with her husband and two youngest children.

Sorry I have been MIA

 I am sorry for the lack of book reviews!

Between the Holidays, school, kids and just life with an Autoimmune disease that doesn't take vacations.  Life has been full of ups, downs and things going sideways.

As things are starting to go "Back to Normal" honestly what is normal really? 

I have found myself helping with my daughters elementary schools 1st play. Frozen musical for kids. I am really exited to help the kids find their voice and a chance to show off their talents.

My first play was 6 years old Annie.  I was just in the cast.  As time went on I was in several community plays, children's theaters and school musicals and plays.  I was in the background, leads and everything in between.  I loved being apart of the theater and at times miss it. 

Being given the chance to teach kids what I have learned, create costumes and just have fun with my daughter.  Who is the lead dancer because "I do not like to stand out.  Lets face it I love to dance more than sing."

Hoping to catch up on reviews and if you are looking to see what we have been up to head over to tictok or Instagram to see everything we have been up to.

Book Review: Lie To Her (Bree Taggert #6) by Melinda Leigh

 

Title: Lie To Her (Bree Taggert #6)

Author: Melinda Leigh 

Star: 5

Review:

Melinda Leigh is hands done one of my top 10 authors of all times.  The mysteries are interesting keeping wondering what will happen next. What I think Melinda Leigh excels at is her ability create characters readers are able to connect and cheer for.  Lie to me is a can't miss addition to the Bree Taggert series.  

Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for a advance copy of Lie to Me!

Synopsis:

When a digital marketer is found murdered in his backyard—hands bound and face smothered by plastic wrap—Sheriff Bree Taggert and criminal investigator Matt Flynn respond to the call. Their investigation focuses on the man’s dating-app profile and the word liar carved into his forehead.

One day later, the killer strikes again.

Both victims are players in the internet dating scene. In their wake, they leave a trail of hurt—and angry—women. But Bree and Matt aren’t convinced the motive is as simple as it appears. Everyone they interview seems to be lying or hiding something.

As the list of suspects grows, the killer’s rage escalates, and he leaves a personal and deadly warning for Bree. They must act fast. Because someone Bree loves is targeted as the next to die.

About The Author:

#1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon bestselling 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