Monday Book Review: Cold as Ice, by Toni Anderson

 

About the Book:

When Darby O'Roarke wakes up in a strange house with a dead man - with no memory of what happened - she knows who she has to call: FBI Supervisory Special Agent Eban Winters...the man she fell for, and who rejected her, last summer.

A negotiator isn't supposed to get involved with kidnap victims, and Eban has been trying to avoid the temptation that is Darby O'Roarke ever since they met. One frantic phone call has him racing to Alaska to uncover the truth, but he faces stubborn opposition from the local police, and a growing media frenzy.

Getting Darby released from jail and keeping her safe is his first priority. When another woman is brutally slain, evidence emerges that suggests Darby is being framed, and that the culprit is a vicious serial killer who has eluded the FBI for more than a decade...and, now, the killer has Darby in their sights.

 

MY TAKE:

This is the fifth book in the Cold Justice - The Negotiators series, and another winner from author Toni Anderson. I've read and loved every one of her Cold Justice books from both this series and the prior series, and have to say they keep getting better, the action tighter, the plots twistier. Anderson is a master of romantic suspense.

Readers met Darby O'Rourke previously in another book from the series, Colder than Sin, where she was kidnapped and held hostage by a terrorist group on a tropical island. It was then she first met Eban Winters, the FBI hostage rescue team negotiator who comes to her rescue again in this book. 

This time, Darby's been framed for murder in her small University town in Alaska. The police think it's a slam dunk case, until Darby reaches out to her FBI friends for help. Eban hasn't been able to stop thinking about Darby since they first met, even though he knows he shouldn't get involved with a victim he's helped to rescue. Especially not one who went through the physical, mental and sexual traumas that she did. But he can't ignore her cry for help and rushes to Alaska to help the local cops find the real killer.

The story alternates POVs between Darby and Eban, with first person chapters from the killer scattered throughout. It's those chapters as much as the police investigation that give the reader clues as to the killer's identity - and yet I was still surprised at the end. Great attention to detail, with tons of red herrings thrown in, make this a really absorbing mystery to solve. Totally recommend this new release - and if you haven't read the previous books in this series or the original Cold Justice series, you are in for a huge treat! 

Cold as Ice is now available on AMAZON

Monday Book Review: My Only One, by Charlotte O'Shay

 

About the Book:

My Only One, Book One of the Fortunato Family series, is a friends to lovers, romantic suspense that’s chock full of feels.

Esme:
We grew up in side-by-side New York City tenements. Shane was my first friend, my first crush, and when he enlisted, my unforgettable heartbreak. When fate brings us back together after ten years, I’m in a world of danger. But I’m not a kid anymore and I know what I want. Shane and I have a second chance at forever and there’s no way I’ll lose him again.

Shane:
Brilliant, beautiful, bound for success, Esme was the girl next door and a temptation I had to resist. I was too old for her, but I couldn’t forget her. When we meet again after ten long years, she’s caught in the crosshairs of a deadly drug kingpin. But I wear a badge now. Nothing will stop me from protecting the woman who claimed me—heart and soul—so long ago. I’ll keep Esme safe or die trying.

Time’s running out for Esme to pay her father’s debt to the cartel.

 

MY TAKE:

 

Charlotte O'Shay is a master storyteller, grabbing the reader on page one - hook, line and sinker. I've read her previous books and really enjoyed them all... but with MY ONLY ONE, O'Shay hits her stride as an author. I expect great things from this series, especially if this first book is any indication.

 

This story starts in fifth gear with the heroine running for her life, and the pace never slows, dragging you headlong through emotional highs and lows and everything in between. From the moment Esme and Shane reconnect, sparks are flying. Told in first person with alternating viewpoints, the reader gets all the feels right along with the main characters. The romance progresses quickly, but then again, this couple has been waiting ten years to act on all the suppressed feelings they had for each other as teens. Having Esme's life literally on the line means everything is in stark focus for them both, and they need to make every moment count.

 

I loved the secondary characters as well, from Shane Fortunato's large, warm family to the drug lord who oozes evil with every word and action. I also loved Esme's grit and spirit, and the fact that she never gives up. She's no fainting princess waiting to be rescued, she's determined to rescue herself, even if she has to run barefoot through the streets of Manhattan. Gotta love a heroine with spunk, which she keeps up throughout the story (and no, no spoilers here.)

 

Totally recommend adding this fast-paced page turner to your fall reading list. 5 bright stars for this story, and hope the author hurries up with the next installment of the Fortunato series.

Grab your copy on AMAZON and get reading!

  

 

Monday Book Review: Balance, by Peggy Jaeger

 

About the Book:

She’s a wealthy socialite who survived an abusive marriage.
He’s a hardworking guy raising his son and caring for his widowed father.
They come from different worlds, but it’s said…opposites attract.
Can they find the balance between their two lifestyles to make their love work?
Or will their differences tear them apart?

Life and love are a balancing act

 

MY TAKE:

Peggy Jaeger's emotional and descriptive writing make her an auto-buy author for me, and with Balance she has another winner. This story of opposites attracting is not a fast, breezy read as some of the subject matter is heavier than your average romance - our heroine Phillipa recently got out of a 15-year abusive marriage, and now volunteers at a battered women's shelter. Phil was also the rich, spoiled, and highly unlikeable secondary character in a previous book (Woke, a reimagined tale of Sleeping Beauty), so I wasn't sure I wanted to even like her, despite her tragic story.

And yet... Jaeger has a way of peeling back the layers to reveal the goodness in her characters. When Phil meets Decker on call in the ER, he seems just as prickly, pompous, and unlikeable as she is, despite his handsome good looks and surprisingly caring bedside manner. Yet... as more of his character is revealed, we find he's a hardworking single father, struggling to care for his son and aging father while making ends meet.Each has opposite problems to overcome, and yet the whole opposites attract thing seems to flow so naturally and un-forced. The problems the pair face also flow naturally from circumstances.

The story is told all in Phillipa's first person POV, and although I would have loved to know what exactly was running through Decker's mind, the one POV helped to keep the tension running throughout the story. Peggy Jaeger is a master of description and emotion, tugging you by the heartstrings through the story until you reach the satisfying happily ever after.

5 stars for this emotional roller coaster of a romance. Highly recommend.

Grab a copy on AMAZON

Monday Book Review: TOTALLY FOLKED by Penny Reid

 

About the Book:

One unforgettable night leads to an unlikely shared connection, and unlikely connections never go unnoticed by the good folks in Green Valley, Tennessee. . .

Jackson James follows the rules. He has to. He’s a sheriff’s deputy in a super small town with a super big personality. However, strict adherence to the law during the day has been enjoyably balanced by rakish rules at night. Jackson, typically happy to protect and serve (and serve, and serve), starts questioning the value of wayward evenings when getting laid starts to feel more like being waylaid. Could it be that Green Valley’s most eligible—and notorious—bachelor longs for something (and someone) real?

Mega movie star Raquel Ezra follows only one rule: always leave them wanting more. Studio execs, reporters, audiences, fans, lovers—no one can get enough of the smart, savvy, and sexy bombshell. But when “generous offers” begin to feel more like excessive demands, years of always leaving has the elusive starlet longing for something (and perhaps someone) lasting.

When Raquel abruptly returns to the quirky Tennessee hamlet, her path crosses with the delectable deputy with whom she spent one unforgettable night. Unfortunately, scandal and intrigue soon follow. Raquel and Jackson must decide which is more important: following their rules? Or, at long last, finding something real.

TOTALLY FOLKED is a standalone, contemporary romantic comedy novel and book #1 in the Good Folk: Modern Folktales series.

 

 MY TAKE:

Have you read any Penny Reid books? If not, you need to get acquainted with the wonderful, quirky, smart, comedy-prone, fast-paced, fabulous author and her books.  Her Knitting in the City series is to die for - or at least to curl up on the couch for a weekend and read non-stop, not leaving except maybe to use the bathroom or refill your wine glass. But I absolutely love her Winston Brothers series, which she cleverly spun into a whole universe for other writers to play in. Except I didn't realize she'd reserved some of the characters for herself - but boy, am I glad she did.

Jackson James is a deputy sheriff in Green Valley, with big shoes to fill and big expectations to meet, considering that his daddy's been the sheriff forever. No one expects more out of Jackson than he does of himself, and in the Winston Brothers series he comes off as a bit of an uptight prick, especially when he's trying to arrest the heroes of those books...

Like the rest of the Green Valley stories, TOTALLY FOLKED is told in alternating first person POVs between Jackson and Rae, otherwise known as Raquel Ezra, mega-movie star and Hollywood sex symbol. Which may seem contrived, unless you've read the previous books and know one of the Winston brothers met (and eventually married) a Hollywood star when she was filming on location in the State Park where he was a ranger.

Their love affair is an emotional rollercoaster with so many levels you'll want to flip back to page one as soon as you hit "the end", just to experience the ride all over again. Which you should totally do. Unless you haven't read the other previous books. In that case, you should totally START WITH BOOK ONE AND READ THEM ALL.

You can grab TOTALLY FOLKED on AMAZON

Monday Book Review: EVERYTHING BY PIPPA GRANT

 

If you haven't checked out this awesome box set, you need to go to Amazon and grab it now.

$1.99 for 11 full books by 11 wonderful authors. Here's a link: https://amzn.to/3dimusE

I grabbed the boxset on preorder when it was free or 99 cents or something like that, after seeing it advertised on Penny Reid's facebook page. I've read most of Penny Reid's books... and saw that Claire Kingsley was in there, and I've read a whole lot of her books too.... turns out both of their stories were ones I already own. So started to read some of the others in the anthology - that's what box sets are for, to find new to you authors at a discounted price. It's also like saying, if you like these authors, you might like these others too.

I found Pippa Grant. 

Oh. My. Good.

She's prolific, profane, and pretty all-around amazing at world-building an extended group of friends that spill from Manhattan down to Virginia and encompass hockey stories, baseball stories, billionaire stories, small town stories, enemies to lovers, best friend's brother, brother's best friend, the one that got away... you name it, she's written it, and in the funniest most down to earth way possible.

All the stories I've read are first person, told in alternating viewpoints between the two lead characters in mostly alternating chapters (sometimes one character gets a few chapters in a row, depending on where the arc takes us.) 

My favorites so far (and yes, I do mean that since I haven't read them all yet, but the summer is just getting started) are:

America's Geekheart (Bro Code Book 2)

 

and 

Mister McHottie (Girl Band Book 1)

Yes, okay, sometimes the stories are a little over the top. Like Eloise's book (The Hero and the Hactivist, Girl Band Book 4) where the main characters comes up with outrageous, over-the-top bad-romance-book euphemisms for her "love muff," his "rod of pleasure" and the acts themselves - and never uses the same one twice. I think someone must have dared the author to come up with as many as possible... or she'd fallen into a vat of bad 1970s Harlequins, or something equally outrageous. 

Or Grady Rock's over-the-top way he talks so lovingly it's pretty sexual to his dough when he's creating his culinary masterpieces in Master Baker (the first Bro Code Spin-off standalone)

Yeah, maybe over-the-top is the way to sum up a lot of these books...

But they're also fun and flip and entertaining and engaging, and like plugging pure sugar into my Kindle each time. Addicting in a dangerous way if you work from home. Or have kids that need to be fed. Or laundry piling up in the corner. Oh wait, is that just me? 

(and have I mentioned how much I love love love her cover art? Yum...)

I want to write like Pippa Grant when I grow up.

Instead of giving you a book link, I'm giving you the link to Pippa's Amazon page. Start anywhere. Seriously, I didn't start with book one of anything, except for Flirting with the Frenemy (Bro Code Book 1), which was in the Box Set (now a bargain $1.99) that started me down this dangerous wormhole of literary genius or devilry, I'm still not sure which. But like Alice when she went through the looking glass, I'm having fun exploring all that's here.

Pippa's Amazon author page - https://www.amazon.com/Pippa-Grant/e/B075KNG97R

Monday Book Review: The Wonder of You, by Claire Marti

 

About the Book:

One lifelong friendship. One snowy night. And one kiss that changes everything.

Renowned photographer Grant Michaels travels the world covering the international sports scene, but after a bitter divorce he returns home to Pacific Vista Ranch. Tired of life on the road, he wants stability and a fresh start.

Archivist librarian Olivia Hanlon spent the last decade stuck in her hometown. Now she has a chance at adventure: a dream job in Greece for one year.

Childhood best friends Grant and Olivia share a forever bond, always there for each other through thick and thin. When they get snowed in together at a snowboarding event, one steamy New Year’s Eve kiss quickly spirals into an explosive chemistry neither can deny. Except he’s ready to settle down just as she wants to spread her wings.

Will their friendship survive this newly discovered passion… or did they ruin the one relationship they each count on?

 

My Take: 

Claire Marti has done it again!  This fifth story in her Pacific Vista series is the whole package, a friends to lovers romance that will have you rooting for the main characters right from the very first page. I've read all of her romances so far, and they only keep getting better. Strong writing, engaging characters, beautifully detailed scenery and story lines to make you swoon. Marti is truly an author to watch.

Olivia and Grant have been best friends since elementary school. Along with their pal Toby, they've always been the three muskateers, there for each other through any crisis. Olivia was there for him when Grant's father died. He was there for her when her mother became a paraplegic, which altered Olivia's life plans drastically. They remained best friends through his marriage and subsequent divorce. But that's all back story, deftly told with a few well chosen words.

The story begins with our three muskateers reuniting for a snowboarding event and getting snowed in. One thing leads to another and sparks fly between Grant and Olivia. They agree to keep it a secret and go back to being just friends, but that can be harder in practice than in theory.Will they be able to figure out the best way to move forward? ....and that's why we read friends to lovers romances! To find out.

Marti has a wonderful way with words, giving the reader a true sense of place as well as insight into the individual characters, both their motivations and their fears. Her dialogue is spot on, and I loved the way the characters wove their backstory so naturally into normal, entertaining conversation. I loved everything about this book, actually. A fast, fun read, Marti keeps the pages turning and leaves you satisfied and yet somehow still wanting more.

Luckily, there are four other great books in this series, all standalone stories that you can read on their own or in any order and still enjoy. As a Marti fan, I did happen to read them all in order and loved every minute of them and highly recommend. If you're looking for a series for your summer beach chair reading, look no further. If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I totally would.

Grab your own copy today on AMAZON or at your favorite retail ebook outlet.

Monday Book Review: Cold Cruel Kiss by Toni Anderson

 

About the Book:

When the daughter of the US Ambassador to Argentina is kidnapped in broad daylight on Christmas Eve, the FBI sends one of its best negotiators to investigate.

Supervisory Special Agent Max Hawthorne arrives at an embassy thrown into chaos as US and local law enforcement hustle to track the young woman. Is this a simple kidnap for ransom, or part of a political agenda? Could it be something more sinister?

Lucy Aston has something to hide. Preferring to stay in the shadows, the lowly, fashion-challenged office assistant resents being assigned to help Max. But Max can’t resist a puzzle…he’s starting to suspect Lucy Aston is not what she seems.

When rumors emerge of a suspected Russian spy operating out of the embassy, Lucy’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble. As she and Max race to rescue the ambassador’s daughter, Lucy has to do whatever it takes to keep her cover from being blown—even if that means betraying the man she’s falling for.

 

MY TAKE:

Toni Anderson has done it again! Another brilliant home run of a romantic suspense novel in the fascinating series, which itself is a spinoff of her previous awesome series. The best part with all of these stories? They're all stand-alone books, each and every one. You can try any one - or read them all. The intertwined characters add a depth to reader enjoyment, but the lack of knowledge has few consequences because Anderson is a master of focusing on the story at hand, and dragging the reader along for the wild ride.

Cold Cruel Kiss released last week, and is technically Book 4 of her Cold Justice-Crossfire series, each focused on a member of the FBI's hostage negotiating team. Like the previous books, we've met the FBI negogitator before in a secondary role but haven't yet encountered the love interest. In this story, the hostage negotiator is Max Hawthorne, a British ex-pat and former soldier who happened to be on Christmas holiday in South America with a few of his old British special forces buddies when the kidnapping occurred in Argentina. The 17-year old daughter of the U.S. ambassador was taken off the streets, and the motives are unclear - is it politics or greed at work? Or some mix of both?

Anderson sets her usual fast pace, and the reader can almost feel the clock ticking down. Chapters are narrated in third person from varying points of view, including both main characters and both kidnapped girls as their situation becomes more desperate. The identities and true motives of the kidnappers are kept secret to the very end - at least, I had no clue who was behind it all. Masterful storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat and guessing what's around each corner.

If you haven't read a Toni Anderson novel, you're in luck because between the two series, there are now 14 of these FBI romantic suspense novels already available to binge on. Strap yourself in for a wild ride!

Grab a copy of COLD CRUEL KISS now on Amazon

Monday Book Review: The Sugar House by Kat Szmit

 

About the Book:

As kids growing up in Walton, New Hampshire, Penny McAllister and Ethan Dunford were nearly inseparable and a childhood friendship blossomed into love. But in 1986, days before prom, an act of unspeakable violence tore the two apart. Decades later, her parents gone, Penny has returned to ready her family homestead for sale, wanting nothing more than to lay the ghosts of the past to rest and get as far away from Walton as possible. But a mysterious visitor to the vacant backyard sugar house sets in motion a new relationship that could have Penny thinking twice about selling, especially after she learns that Ethan is still in town, and single. With a possible, new future laid out before them, can these three people finally find a path to healing among the Walton woods and sugar maples?

 

My Take:

Prior to Christmas, my son and I went to Chatham to grab two specific gifts for my husband. Parking was not as scarce as it is during most holiday seasons - an upside to the pandemic, I guess - but we still had to walk a few blocks to get to the stores we were heading for. Masks on and head down, we were surprised to see an author sitting at a sidewalk table in front of a local bookstore, a pile of books at her side. Even more surprising was that she recognized us from my Instagram posts of my son and our new puppies, despite our masks.

My son had just dyed his hair a brilliant shade of red, which tipped her off.

Cape Cod can be a very small place. Especially in the off season.

We stopped to chat, and talked about her new book. A first novel is a big deal, and I was happy to support her (and happy that the premise sounded interesting.) I purchased a copy, had her sign it and continued on the quest for Christmas gifts. I put the book on my shelf and forgot about it in the semi-chaos of end of quarter at work on top of the holidays...

And then I found it again New Years Day, quickly losing myself in the lyrical narrative.

THE SUGAR HOUSE is a wonderful debut novel from a talented writer. Told in a third person with a literary fiction style, this is a story of emotional discovery, forgiveness, and reconciliation with the past. Moving back and forth in time, the author tells a story of childhood friends with large obstacles to overcome, one of which is three decades of separation.

Each of the three main characters have secrets from the others, some from the past and some from the present. Secrets that keep them apart, keep them from fully knowing and trusting the other. As each secret is revealed, another layer peels away until the truth is all that's left. 

At the start of the story, Penny McAllister returns to her New Hampshire hometown six months after the passing of her father. She left home at 18 under a cloud of whispers, attending college on the opposite coast and never returning for more than a day or two at a time. Now that both of her parents are dead, she's determined to put their house on the market and close the door on that chapter of her life forever. 

Digging through boxes stirs memories, both heartwarming and painful, and she's surprised when the good memories begin to outweigh the bad. Discovering a trespasser in the property's outbuilding - her dad's old sugaring house - changes her plans for a quick turnaround on the property. A tentative friendship blossoms as Penny connects to the young girl through cooking lessons, and for a while the reader is the only one who knows how all three of the characters are connected, or that the girl's father is Penny's childhood friend.

Kat Szmit is a master wordsmith, painting the landscape of a small town, rural community with her words with complete accuracy. She lovingly describes the cooking and baking lessons between Penny and Mickey in such detail the reader can almost smell the freshly baking bread and bubbling tomato sauce. (Should the author consider a second edition, I would humbly recommend adding some of Penny's recipes at the end.)

The author fluctuates between points of view, even dropping in a few omniscient narrator paragraphs once in a while, so if head hopping bugs you as a reader, be forewarned. Other than that, this is a solid debut novel and a thoroughly compelling read. Five sparkling stars for a new-to-me author.

Available at Cape Cod bookstores (like the Yellow Umbrella in Chatham, where I bought mine.)

Also available on AMAZON in Kindle or paperback

Monday Book Review: Cold Wicked Lies (Cold Justice: Crossfire, Book 3), by Toni Anderson

 

About the Book:

In an effort to halt an armed standoff, FBI negotiator Charlotte Blood tries to unravel the mystery of a young woman’s death on a remote mountainside. Pity she has to fight her stubborn, sexy, Hostage Rescue Team counterpart every step of the way.

As a highly skilled operative, HRT leader Payne Novak doesn’t have time to play detective or make nice with killers who flout the law. His focus is getting inside the compound and ending the siege as quickly as possible.

Forced to work together, the battle-hardened HRT team leader and the quietly determined negotiator figure out they might have more in common than they anticipated. As the clock ticks, Charlotte discovers there are some dangers she can’t talk her way out of, and the race to unearth long-buried lies becomes a matter of survival for everyone on the mountain.

 

MY TAKE: 

I think I've mentioned before - and recently - that enemies to lovers is not my favorite romance trope. It usually feels forced. But I'm signed up to write one that's due out next year, so I thought I should explore how other authors handle the relationship in real and believable ways. Claire Marti did an excellent job with her recent Christmas story. And this weekend I read Toni Anderson's take on the trope in one of her recent Cold Justice: Crossfire series stories. 

If you haven't read anything by Toni Anderson, what are you waiting for? She is an absolute genius of romantic suspense and FBI thrillers. I've read her entire Cold Justice series, and now the first three books of the Crossfire spinoff series. Gritty, detailed, believable suspense that will have you turning pages faster than you ever thought possible. Anderson drags you along on her wild roller coaster ride, kicking and screaming and eating up every word on the page.

FBI hostage negotiator Charlotte Blood has appeared in several other books, and I was glad to see she finally got her own story. The book takes on he said/she said dueling POVs, with several chapters sprinkled throughout in other character POVs to forward the plot. The instant antagonism between Charlotte and Payne Novak is palpable and feels justified, although their situation commander's solution seems contrived. Making the two pair so tightly wouldn't seem to be the most efficient way for anyone to get their jobs done. It does, however, give the pair insight into each other's motivations and drivers, and help them each see past the external face the other presents to the world.

With a ripped from the headlines plot, this fast-paced story kept me engrossed and engaged, with writing that crackled off the page and characters you wanted to root for. Totally recommend and give 5 shiny stars. Despite the fact that I've read all her books - and recommend all of them - I think this would easily work as a standalone read. Or, be like me and start at the beginning. The first book of the Cold Justice series is perma-free for Kindle, to suck you in. Believe me, you won't regret it.

Grab COLD WICKED LIES on AMAZON

Or, Grab the first book of the original series A COLD DARK PLACE on AMAZON

 

Monday Book Review: Dead Wood, Grosse Pointe Pulp Book 1 by Dan Ames

 

 

About the Book;

An Ex-Cop Who Lost Everything. A Killer Who Will Stop At Nothing.
By the author of the Jack Reacher Cases, set in the Reacher universe by permission of Lee Child.

In the exclusive enclave of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a woman who builds custom guitars is murdered. A disgraced ex-cop turned private investigator is hired by the dead woman's father and immediately becomes the target of a violent ex-convict. An enigmatic music star performs damage control on her links to the dead woman. And a professional killer who idolizes Keith Richards is brought into town by a mysterious employer.

Dead Wood is what great mysteries are all about: love, hate, faith and vengeance, all wrapped up in an explosive story that simply refuses to let up.

 My Take:

 I admit to buying this book through BookBub without reading the full blurb. the teaser sounded good so boom, into my reading queue. But it's not my typical read, and it's not really the sort of cover I gravitate toward, so it sat unread for a while in my online library. I pulled it up to try, thinking I'd at least clear it off my device. Nope. Read it like it was water to a person in the desert, and went on to read the next two books in the series.

Snarky, self-deprecating, and fast with the quippy one-liners, John Rockne is the disgruntled ex-cop turned PI. More like Stephanie Plum or Kinsie Millhone than Sam Spade, Rockne grabs the reader from the first few pages and drags them along on his wild ride. Told in first person POV, the book starts with young rookie-cop Rockne, cocky and self-assured, making that mistake that cost him his badge, his fiance, and the life he'd planned out. 

The next time we see the now ex-cop, it's years later. He's a different man except for the snark. His sister is the chief of police and he hasn't left the same Grosse Pointe enclave where he lived before and during his screw-up. he runs a successful PI business, is married to a strong woman with a temper and opinions, and has two little girls whom he dotes on. Not the glamorous life he'd envisioned as a younger man, but comfortable. Happy.

The case that comes his way seems straight-forward at first but brings him back to the beginning, to the night his life made the left turn off the fast lane. I found it interesting to read the introspection from a male character - and a male author's - point of view. What gets focused on. What doesn't. Rockne has the same healthy amount of self doubt as Sue Grafton infuses her character with, and the same thoughtless hubris that Evonavich's Stephanie Plum often displays. His character is fascinating reading to me because it wasn't as predictable as I first expected, and I couldn't unravel the mystery any faster than Rockne could as he plods through the confusion of facts and profusion of dead ends.

Entertaining, engrossing, gripping and gritty, the Grosse Pointe Pulp series is totally worth the time spent reading. 5 bright stars for this new-to-me author. Looking forward to reading more from him!

Grab a copy on AMAZON and try it for yourself...

...or if it sounds good to you, save money and grab the first 3 books in the set on AMAZON

New YA Book Release and Review: Damned When I Didn't, by Cherie Colyer

 

About the book:

Death isn't the end for eighteen-year-old Avery Williams, and her final resting place isn't beyond the Golden Gates. No, the Queen of the Damned has plans for her and, unbeknownst to Avery, fought hard to gain possession of her soul. 

As Hell's newest succubus, Avery is expected to siphon life from the living. It only takes a long, meaningful kiss, but for a virgin like Avery, kissing guys she barely knows isn't something she's comfortable doing. Avery focuses on the upside of her fate—she'll be returning home, or so she thinks. When the Queen of the Damned cuts her off from her old life, Avery is determined to find a way back to her family and friends, even if it means facing Hell's fury if she's caught.

 MY TAKE:

Paranormal romance takes many forms - weres, vampires, ghosts, witches, demons - and succubi are usually one of the racier sub-genres since a succubus is really all about sex. Imagine my surprise in finding a new Young Adult story about a teenage succubus who is still - get this - a virgin. 

How does something like that even happen?

Turns out that the job of a succubus is actually to feed on men's souls, shading them grey with a bit of sin. Acting as part of the recruiting squad for Team Hell. Except 18-year-old Avery, Hell's newest recruiter, isn't as loose with her kisses as she needs to be to get the job done. Before she died, she'd never gone further than stolen kisses - unfortunately they were with a friend's boyfriend, which caused the grey stains on her soul. 

Luckily, Avery is sent to live with Cole, who is supposed to show her the ropes of her new immortal existence. The handsome hunk has been an incubus for over hundred years, having sold his soul at nineteen to save his older brother. Together with his rag tag band of human and no-so-human friends, he tries to help Avery come to grips with and adjust to her new "life" as an immortal demon. I can't go into too many actual details as the fun of this story is the twists and turns of the journey.

I've read several of Cherie Colyer's previous young adult books, including the Embrace series.Colyer does a great job with first person POV and snappy teenage dialogue. Colyer keeps the action moving right along, complete with bad decisions and close calls between Avery and the Queen of the Damned. i found the characters likeable, and kept rooting for some kind of happily ever after, even though all the best characters were already, um, damned. Buckle in for an interesting ride, for a book that seems to be the first in a new series.

5 stars, in hopes that there are more Avery books to come!

Grab a copy on AMAZON

Monday Book Review: Wrapped Up in You by Claire Marti

 

About the Book:

When cocky financial genius Rafael Cruz is forced to partner with his snarky office rival Phoebe Hollingsworth to land a prestigious new client, nothing goes as planned.

At work, they ignore each other, but at the Jingle Ball, their unexpected chemistry changes the game.

Will their secret holiday hook-up ruin the deal or is it the start of a deeper connection?

 

My TAKE:

Claire Marti writes with humor and heart, with believable characters and fun twists to her plot lines. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this full-length story, part of her Pacific Vista Ranch series that I've read and reviewed. With every story, I find myself drawn further into the California coastal worlds she creates, wishing I could live there.

The first three books of the series focus on the three sisters whose family owns the Pacific Vista Ranch. This story features the brother of one of the previous heroes, who we met in Marti's wonderful second chance romance The Very Thought of You. At the time, I'd hoped for hunky older brother Rafe Cruz to get a book of his own - and here it is. (insert happy dance!)

Rafe and Phoebe are coworkers at the same financial firm, both Harvard-educated and at the top of their game. Each thinks they’ll be the one to take over the firm when the CEO retires. And they hate each other. I have to admit, enemies to lovers has never been one of my favorite romance tropes because the antagonism often feels forced or ginned up, but I totally found myself believing these characters and situations and loved every minute of it.

When Rafe and Phoebe are sent to represent the company together to woo new clients at the annual Jingle Ball fundraiser, their boss makes a clear statement. Get along or else. The pair are both professionals and grit their teeth, agreeing to work together for one night. Over wine before and during the event, they actually get to know each other and misconceptions each held are torn down. Sparks fly as things between them heat.... and keep heating. I don't want to give any of the good parts away, but rest assured Marti adds plenty of steam and spice to heat up this holiday tale.

Thoroughly enjoyed this read, and totally recommend. It works as a standalone read, but my enjoyment was totally enhanced by the fact that I'd previously met the secondary characters in the first three stories. Love this whole series and totally recommend! 5 well-Deserved Stars!

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Monday Book Review: Whispers in Washington (Ticket to True Love) by Jennifer Wilck

 

About the Book:

Naomi's life has been destroyed…

When Naomi Adelman’s crooked politician husband was arrested, her life, and that of her daughters, was destroyed. Divorced and rebuilding her life, Naomi is wiser, stronger, and determined not to let anyone hurt her or her family again. Her new life doesn’t include falling for her charming and good-looking neighbor.

Max bet everything and lost...

Max Bruder bet his entire career on the Adelman story and lost everything. So, he figures that karma has smiled down on him when Naomi moves in next door. This is his chance to revitalize his career. Except the closer he gets to her, the deeper he falls for her. And soon, the line between interview subject and lover blurs.

If they fall for each other, they may jeopardize their chance at a future.

When Max’s true motive is revealed, will Naomi be able to forgive him? And will Max be able to stop the whispers to protect her before it’s too late?

 

MY TAKE:

I love second chance romances, and this one has surprising depth and nuance. If you ignore the cheesy series premise about drinking the special spring water that will make you find true love, the rest is really well-plotted and thought out. Although, in all honesty, I kinda like the myth of the spring water, and the faith the main character's mother places in its power. But I also like to think that love doesn't need magic water to grow.

Anyway.

Naomi's rocky and ultimately failed marriage is behind her, but she can't escape the whispers of gossip that follow her, especially not in a town like Washington D.C. that thrives on innuendo and secrets. What did she know and when did she know it are questions that dog her even now, long after her divorce from the cheating, lying politician she married. Determined not to let him overshadow the rest of her life, she moves back to D.C. and starts a new life that feels more like who she wants to be rather than who her ex-husband wanted her to be.

Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to Naomi, her new next door neighbor is one of the reporters who dogged her story back in the day, and recognizes her right off the bat. Max lost his prime newspaper position because he failed to get Naomi's story the first time around, and he's determined to grab an inside scoop now that the opportunity is in front of him. Except... The more he gets to know his beautiful, quirky, reticent neighbor, the more he would rather protect her from journalistic sharks than exploit her for his own benefit.

The back and forth between the main characters is wonderful to watch, as Naomi learns to trust again and Max's preconceptions are shattered. There's very little heat in this story, but a whole lot of heart. the author also does an excellent job of weaving the feel of multi-cultural D.C. as well as Jewish holiday traditions and complicated family relationships into the narrative giving a fullness to the story.  If you're looking for a feel-good second chance romance, try Whispers in Washington. It's the first book I've tried in this multi-author Ticket to Love series, and I think I may be hooked.

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Monday Book Review: Home In Your Arms, by Charlotte O'Shay

 

About the Book:

After her sweetheart Joe dies in a road accident, twenty-four hours after he returns from Army service, grieving Karla Payne slams the door on love. Five years later, Karla's tavern business is booming, and she owns her home, but she knows forever love has no part in her future.

Headed to interview for his first civilian job, retired career Army 1st Sgt. Zane Blackthorne can't resist visiting his late buddy's beloved Vermont hometown. He also can't resist looking up Joe's sweetheart, Karla, who is an alluring mix of brains, beauty, and bravery.
Loyalty to his brother-in-arms demands Zane fight his attraction to Karla. Besides, even if Karla wants him, she'll never love him.

Can Zane say goodbye to the woman he has no right to call his own?

Even if his only true home is in her arms?

 

MY TAKE:

I love second chance romance! And I love Vermont settings, so the Deerbourne Inn series has a lot going for it, especially this newest installment in the series. Published by the Wild Rose Press, each Deerbourne Inn book is written by a different author and different romance genres, but I love a story of second chances.

Charlotte O'Shay writes believeable, down-to-earth characters with such heart and emotion, you can't help but root for their Happily Ever Afters right from the start. Home in Your Arms, however, gets off to a rockier than usual start.

Karla and Zane met only once before, at her fiance's funeral. Joe made it through an overseas deployment, only to be killed in an early morning car accident when he returned to his small Vermont hometown. Five years later, his Army buddy Zane comes to pay his respects to the town and the sweetheart he feels like he knows from so many stories and conversations. If he's honest with himself, he probably fell in love with her from the stories alone, but the reality of seeing the strong, beautiful, take-charge woman in person blows Zane away.

Karla has only ever dated or loved one man. When Joe dies, she decides fate meant her to be alone for the rest of her life, and throws her energy into work. The feelings Zane stirs in her surprise her on so many levels, but she studiously avoids labeling them since she doesn't want to betray Joe's memory. When he finally pushes to define their relationship, she completely panics. 

Can she let herself love again? That's the million dollar question at the center of any good second chance story, and at the heart of the book. And the way Ms. O'Shay handles all the nuances of Karla's emotional upheaval is brilliant.

If you enjoy small town, second chance romance you've got to grab this one. It will tug your heart strings and make you smile. 5 well-deserved stars.

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Monday Book Review: Mistletoe, Mobsters & Mozzarella by Peggy Jaeger

About the Book:

Finding a body in the freezer of the family deli isn’t the way Madonna San Valentino planned to start her day.

Adding insult to injury, the investigating detective is the one guy she’s never been able to forget. After seven minutes of heaven in the back seat of his car when they were teenagers, Tony Roma skipped town without so much as a thanks for the memory.

Just when Madonna thinks the present situation can’t get any worse, Tony is ordered to go undercover at the deli to ferret out a killer. Forced to work together, she vows to keep their relationship cool and professional. But with the sexy, longing looks he tosses her at every turn, Madonna’s resolve is weakening.

With Christmas drawing closer and Tony’s investigation taking an unexpected turn, Madonna is at her wit’s end. Can she really be falling for him again? And will he wind up leaving her broken hearted and alone like the last time?

 

MY TAKE:

I know, I know, it's a bit too early for Christmas stories - my own personal rule is to keep the holidays in order, so Christmas stuff shouldn't ever come before Thanksgiving, including Christmas-themed romance. 

I made an exception.

This was a little bit of a departure for the author, with a dead body in the first chapter heightening the suspense factor, but she handled it with her usual wit and finesse. Or rather, her characters handled it. Ms. Jaeger has given us a few books starring the San Valentino family, a large but close-knit Italian famiglia in New York City who may or may not have shadowy whispers of mob connections. With this book, those whispers aren't necessarily confirmed, but the connection lines are penciled in a bit darker.

Donna and her father work at the family deli. She's the oldest and the only one of the siblings who does, although no one really defines what any of the other brothers do for a living, except the youngest who's in college. It's not like they couldn't use the help at the busy deli, but Donna's first person viewpoint tells us there is no hope that any of her lazy brothers would ever step up to join this family business. 

With the busy Christmas season approaching the last thing she needs is to find her delivery guy stuffed into the walk-in freezer. Make that second to last. The Absolute last thing she needs is for her high school crush - the one who left without saying goodbye - to be the detective in charge of solving the mystery and finding the killer. Tony Roma is tall, dark, and handsome, and doesn't seem to remember the kisses they shared long ago. Donna working together with the hot hunk of detective leaves no doubt that a fuse has been set and something is going to explode.

I can't get into much more without giving away plot points, and it's a whole lot more fun to unravel the mystery - both the dead body and what's up with Tony -  alongside Donna and her crazy family.

Peggy Jaeger writes with such heart and feeling, pulling the reader right into the story and taking us for a rollercoaster of a ride. She continues with the strong themes that run through so many of her stories - the importance of family, trust, and forgiveness. It's such fun to revisit with these characters for the holidays again (A Kiss Under the Christmas Lights is one of my favorite holiday feel-good romances, also by Peggy Jaeger) If you're looking for a fun read to kick off your holiday book spree, give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed. 5 sparkling stars for this Christmas romance!

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Monday Book Review: Jingle Balls, an anthology by various authors for Testicular Cancer Awareness

 

About the Book:

Jingle those balls for a great cause and get a head start on the holiday spirit with this spicy collection of romantic comedy stories. Twenty of today’s most entertaining rom-com authors have teamed up to go #Nuts4Books to benefit the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation.

Curve Ball by Aidy Award
I Told You So by Serena Bell
Sleigh My Name by Kilby Blades
A Blue Balled Holiday by Dylann Crush
Jingle Ball Bender by Sophia Henry
Ball Sacked by Christina Hovland
Coldcocked by Saint Nick by Melonie Johnson
Under the Mistletoe by Tawdra Kandle
Decidedly for Christmas by Stina Lindenblatt
Licking His Candy Cane by Elizabeth Lynx
Wrapped Up With You by Claire Marti
One Jingle or Two by MK Meredith
Rockin’ Around the Jingle Balls Ball by Susannah Nix
Lick My Snowballs by Tracey Pedersen
Deck the Halls With Balls by Marika Ray
Not So Silent Night by Piper Rayne
Out of the Eggnog by Arell Rivers
Mistletoe Hearts by Brenda St. John Brown
Scoring a Holiday Match by Delancey Stewart
Nuts About You by Sylvie Stewart

 

My Take:

Irreverent, Outrageous, Over-the-top Fun – all for a Good Cause

Jingle Balls is an anthology of Christmas stories with a common theme and for a common cause: raising money for the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation. The theme the stories share is that there is a holiday fancy-dress ball that’s a fundraiser for testicular cancer – the Jingle Balls Ball. Except, it’s not just one party in one place that each author’s characters are attending. These parties are all over the U.S. and all have their authors little twist to them, running the gamut from a black tie fundraiser at a country club to a male auction at a swingers club, and everything in between. The titles of the stories are a suggestive hoot – Licking his Candy Cane? Jingle Ball Bender? Ball Sacked? Clever and funny and oh-so-hot, like much of the writing.

I read them all – some a bit longer, some a little too short leaving you wanting more. Most of the authors involved characters from a series in progress, giving you back story or secondary characters from another story getting the spotlight. Going into this, I only recognized two of the author names, but now I’ve added several more to my list that I need to check out.

My favorite story is from Claire Marti, the reason I bought the anthology in the first place. I love the Southern California settings of her Pacific Vista Ranch series and heard she was giving one of her minor characters a shot at love – I needed to read it!

Rafe and Phoebe are coworkers at the same financial firm, both Harvard-educated and at the top of their game. Each thinks they’ll be the one to take over the firm when the CEO retires. And they hate each other. Phoebe was a year behind Rafe at school, and worshipped the playboy from afar but he never noticed the mousy student she was. When she started at the same firm, Rafe thought she was one of the stuck up East Coast girls who wouldn’t give him the time of day outside the bedroom. When they are both sent to represent the company and woo new clients at the annual Jingle Ball fundraiser, they agree to work together for one night. Over wine, misconceptions each held are torn down and sparks fly as things between them heat. I’m hoping the author turns this into a longer novel because as satisfying as the happy-for-now ending was, I would love to read more of Rafe and Phoebe’s story!

Great stories, lots of laughs, not for the easily offended, as there are a lot of f-bombs and there’s an awful lot of sex in closets and other public spaces! But it’s all for a great cause and all in good holiday fun!

 

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