BOOK REVIEW- Mountain Murder by Nichole Severn

  

Whispering Pines Ranch was supposed to be safe. Now it's a crime scene. Lance Whitcher lost everything when he came home from his last tour. After hitting rock bottom, he made the choice to find help at a vet recovery center in the middle of the Colorado mountains. But he never expected to become a bodyguard. Losing a patient forced Audrey Perrogni out of her trauma therapy practice and to confront her own needs for once. Whispering Pines promised healing, but finding a body in the middle of the woods wasn’t part of the plan. As a killer closes in, the past threatens to take control. And Audrey and Lance have no choice but to trust one another to survive.  

 

A story that has a very dramatic start and as scary as that was, I liked that.  It doesn't hurt that both Audrey and Lance are really interesting people going through emotional times.  

The danger to Audrey is real and the killer is way more secretive and skilled than they expected.  Lance has the skills and the desire to protect Audrey but he just isn't sure that he's dependable enough.  Dependable meaning that because of his past, he fears falling into dangerous flashbacks where friends become the enemy.  And there are times when that is a valid concern. 

I liked the friendship between Audrey and Lance that turns into a careful romance.  And how the community that they are living in rallies around them. 

The action at the end holds quite the dangerous, surprise twist heading to a dramatic ending. 

 

 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

BOOK REVIEW- Peril (by Kat Martin; Alexandra Ivy; Rebecca Zanetti)

   

General Fiction (Adult) 

 

Description

From romantic thriller powerhouses Kat Martin, Alexandra Ivy and Rebecca Zanetti, the trio behind the instant USA Today bestseller PIVOT, three new interwoven stories about brave heroes fighting to stop a rampage - and protect the women they love...

Three women. Three connected stories. Three bestselling authors.

When a cop killer resurfaces in Denver, enlisting the help of a pair of local lowlifes, it marks the beginning of a violent crime spree that will wreak havoc and endanger lives. Law enforcement is on alert from the first sighting of the cold-blooded trio. To take down this brutal gang, only those willing to risk everything they hold dear stand a chance . . .

First, a pair of Denver police officers facing each other for the first time after one night of abandon find themselves working together to stop an ambitious bank heist. In Wyoming, a string of robberies marks the gang’s arrival, and the local sheriff springs into action when the criminals discover his estranged fiancée can identify them. Finally, in the mountains of Colorado, the gang takes shelter on a peaceful guest ranch, where a fiercely protective rancher is hellbent on roping the fugitives up for good.

Trusting their sharply honed instincts, three rugged men will fight to stop the rampage before the women they’d die for become the next victims . . 

 

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

Three totally different stories with good main characters and good supporting small cast of people who help them.   Each romance has their own challenges as well, of course.

 

 The evil displayed in all three stories is also shown really well.  The last story has an unexpected twist and I was happy to see how all the H.E.A.'s worked out.

 

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

 

(NETGALLEY)

BOOK REVIEW- The Friend Who Lied by Rachel Amphlett

 

 

Five entered the escape room. Only four came out alive.

Lisa Ashton receives a last-minute reprieve from death two weeks before her birthday. Regaining consciousness, she is horrified to learn one of her friends has been killed – and saved her life.

As she recovers, she uncovers a trail of carefully guarded reputations, disturbing rumours, and lies. Soon, Lisa begins to wonder if one of her friends is hiding a terrible secret. Because five of them entered the escape room that day, and only four got out alive.

And someone is determined to cover their tracks before she can find out the truth.

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

Quite a different story is what this was.  We get to read the P.O.V.'s from a small group of people. Lisa, being the main one but also Hayley, Beca and David too.  It makes for quite the mystery and filled with a lot of emotion too.  They go way back but it hasn't been all sunshine and roses. The story is filled with secrets that they are each holding.  Secrets held both separately and as a group.  Interesting people though is what they are even as different as they are from each other.
Yikes, Detective Constable Angela Forbes was a rude, tenacious terror.  When she sank her teeth into these investigations, she never let go.  Truth be told, I didn't like her.  But the writer did a great job at getting me to hate her and her tactics.  Still, she does get the job done and a lot of truths do come out and the end result is stunning in it's conclusions.

 
I read this story through the HOOPLA Library App.

BOOK REVIEW- Faith Like a Child (Embracing Our Lives as Children of God) by Lacy Finn Borgo

   

Christian | Nonfiction (Adult) | Religion & Spirituality

Description

Embrace the invitation of childlike faith. A well-known challenge of Jesus to his followers is to become like little children. But it's often difficult to remember the natural patterns of our childhood selves that enabled us to live freely in God's wonder-filled presence. Is childlike faith simply an unquestioning faith, or is it being present with ourselves in a way that invites healing and wholeness? Faith Like a Child considers Jesus' invitation to childlike faith and explores seven distinct ways of welcoming the child within. Offering wisdom from years of experience as a spiritual director with both adults and children, Lacy Finn Borgo explores practices to welcome and enliven your childhood self. Offering examples of what becoming like children could look like, Borgo invites you to take Jesus up on his offer to live more deeply into a relationship with God. As we welcome our childhood selves, we allow God to heal our wounds so we can live in freedom with Jesus as our companion. 

 

AMAZON LINK 

 4 STARS

 

I liked that this was an interactive book. Especially at the end of each chapter there were what the author called a smorgasbord of practices.  To reunite you with your childhood self and the One who loved you into being. What a great way to put it.  I also liked that the author advised choosing one practice and working it.

There was a  statement that stood out to me early on. It was that we hop back and forth between the generous and the scarce almost unnoticeable. It's like we forget moments of God's kindness, unconditional love and unplanned goodness.  

The very first action that I set up was making a childlike wonder altar.   The book suggested a physical place but an idea came to make mine a digital one.  A place that I could visit daily but also keep it private because it felt so personal. 

When the author said that, asking is a superpower of the kingdom of God, I almost shouted out loud. Yes! 

I'll give you an idea of some of the chapters that were covered.  Play, Laughter, Humor all which were a surprise. I found many gold nuggets throughout the book.  It's something that will need to be read and read again and apply the "exercises" suggested.  I also liked that throughout the book there were suggestions of other books to help. You're going to be surprised when you see what some of them are. 

Included are some personal stories of not only the author but a few other people that not only adds information but charm. 

My last words on it is that "I liked it, learned from it and will continue to do so." 

 

 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

 

(Netgalley)

BOOK REVIEW- SUSPECTS by Danielle Steel

  

A dedicated CIA agent becomes an unexpected ally to a woman haunted by the kidnapping of her family, in Suspects, a thrilling novel from international number one bestselling author Danielle Steel.

Theodora Morgan is fashion royalty. Founder of a wildly popular online shopping service, she is one of the most successful businesswomen in the world, although she prefers to keep a low profile, especially in recent months. It was a year ago when the unthinkable struck her family: her husband, industry mogul Matthieu Pasquier, and their son were kidnapped and held for ransom – a nightmare that ended in tragedy.

The case has gone cold, despite evidence linking the crime to Matthieu’s Russian competitors. Theo has reluctantly gone back to work running her company. On the flight to a launch party for one of her highly anticipated pop-up shops in New York City, she crosses paths with high-society ‘networkist’ Pierre de Vaumont. Theo politely invites him to her event –unaware that Pierre has been flagged by the CIA.

Senior supervising CIA operative Mike Andrews investigates Pierre’s suspicious Russian contacts and clears him to enter the country, but when he realizes that Theodora Morgan is on the same flight, he becomes concerned for her safety. Posing as a lawyer, Mike begins a covert mission – starting with Theo’s opening party. When Mike and Theo meet, their connection is instant, but Theo is completely unaware of Mike’s true objective or identity . . . or that the life she is rebuilding is in grave danger.

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

This story was way more different than what I was expecting.  But that was good.  So was the world building, which was really well done.  There were a few times like it did feel like it slowed the story for me though.  

Theo and Mike were both great main characters with a huge amount of depth to them. I enjoyed the fact that they each shared their P.O.V.'s. The tragedy that Theo went through was heartfelt and you could believe the emotional things she went through because of it.   I liked how tender or even careful Mike was with Theo knowing how not to push things with her.

 Theo's home base is Paris and Mike's is New York so there is the constant question.  Can this work between them and if yes, how? 

The dangers were really well written. At first, some people felt that the danger to Theo was over.  But not Mike, he felt the baddies weren't done with her yet. He hit the nail on the head on that one. 

My one downside comment was that there were a couple of issues that were repeated a few more times than I would have liked. 

The ending though?  That I did like.  It had hope for the future. 

 

I read this book through the HOOPLA Library App.

 

BOOK REVIEW- The Sweetheart List A Novel(The Sunrise Cove Series # 4) by Jill Shalvis

 

General Fiction (Adult) | Romance | Women's Fiction 

 Description

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a beguiling, lighthearted story about fresh starts, second chances and true love.

When Harper Shaw’s life falls apart, she knows it’s time for a change. She removes everything that doesn’t spark joy—from her soul-sucking job to eating kale to making lists—and sets off for the last place she was happy, Lake Tahoe (who wouldn’t feel good there, right?) to fulfill her dream of opening her own bakery.

With her Sugar Pine Bakery in between a tavern, owned by sexy, grumpy Bodie Campbell, and a bookstore, run by her new BFF, she feels a peace she’s never experienced since…well, forever.. Then she meets Ivy, a teenage runaway, who barrels into her heart. She sees a lot of herself in Ivy and takes her under her wing, but the teenager has secrets…

When those secrets explode, it changes Harper’s new world, and she’ll learn, it’s never too late to start over, it’s never too late to figure out your life, and best of all, it’s never too late to let yourself believe in love.

AMAZON LINK 

 5+ STARS

 Hilarious beginning..starting with the way it was written to joy chucking Harper and and then Velma.   And seriously?  I'm giggling at Ham's antics in the very first chapter. This story had the humor I was hoping for both in the way it was written and how some people thought and spoke. It also had a boatload of emotions that weren't sappy but totally relatable. The non-romance, romance between Bodie and Harper kept things interesting and I liked her suspicion and down right hostility when it comes her early encounters with him. I liked that it started graduating to friendship and kept going.

Savor.  Just Savor, is what I wanted to do.  I loved it that much.  Even though I knew I had a a bunch of other books clamoring that I promised to read by a certain date.  Help me, I've fallen into this book and I don't want out.  

Bodie, Harper and Ivy steal the show. Well, so does Ham in a more minor way. I liked that we get Bodie, Harper and Ivy's P.O.V.'s.    Adding in Bodie's 

wild, intrusive, loving but often hovering family out of his business is another thing that keeps him pretty busy too.  He says too busy to get to caring about people but boy, his actions show a very different man.  

Shay and her abuela are not shy people either and made me smile and shake my head more than once.

Harper truly was a sweetheart with a big heart and no one in the story has ever encountered anyone like her before.  More than one person she helped wanted to know what the catch was when she did something good.  With her there never is a catch but they will learn.  

Ivy had quite the secret, which I liked how it was revealed.  It definitely upsets the apple cart for a while.  But I liked how the story ended and the Epilogue just finished it off the best.  I wanted to be able to give it more stars.

 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

-NETGALLEY-

BOOK REVIEW- Counter Attack (Pearl River#1) by Patricia Bradley

   

Christian | Romance 

 No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promises he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late. 

 AMAZON LINK

4 STARS

 Alexis is one focused, competitive, driven woman.  All work and no play has what she has become.  She has a goal and it didn't included staying in  her hometown.  She loves her grandparents who raised her but she has a specific job that she wants to get promoted to.  And she can't get it here with loving but hovering grands.  She doesn't want to stay here permanently.  As much as she loves and owes her grandparents.

On the other total side is Nathan, who is great at his job, loves the town and never wants to leave.  You can clearly see the dilemma that they face as their attraction re-appears.

Chess was one of the things that made it a different kind of story. While I appreciated that it was also something that being a non-chess player I found a bit harder to follow..often.   I just didn't realize when I chose the book that there would be so MUCH chess information.  On the plus side, I think it shows the author did their homework on it. I did like how at about 36% on my kindle, that's when I saw how the title of this book fit. 

I  had a lot of questions about Kayla.  What's up with her?  Who is she really? And what are her motives ?  She made my suspicion meter go up.

Although this is a Christian story, it's my hope than people wouldn't pass it by because of that.  It's really good and references to God aren't like a punch to the face.  

There is plenty of action in this story as the serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer plays a murderous game of cat and mouse with Alexis.  Come to find out there is more to deal with that just this serial killer.  Others have plans to "damage" Alexis and we discover that as time goes on.  Leads to a whole lot of suspects. The story keeps you guessing until the final moments which come to some stunning surprises.

I liked how the story ended with hope for the future.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

NETGALLEY

Book Review- Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon

 

 General Fiction (Adult),  | Mystery & Thrillers 

 

Description

Utterly original and wildly entertaining, with a protagonist whose life is a total mess, Killing Me is the laugh-out-loud fuNG/16 May 2023 | Archive Date 16 May 2023/nny thriller that we never knew we needed.

She escaped a serial killer. Then things got weird.

Amber Jamison cannot believe she’s allowed herself to become the latest victim of a serial killer. She’s smarter than this! As the child of two grifters, she knows every trick in the book. So when she gets pushed into, of all things, a white windowless van, she is more angry than afraid. Until she’s miraculously saved by a fabulously dressed, mysterious woman…who promptly disappears. Who was her rescuer? And why was she hunting serial killers to begin with? Maybe if Amber had the answers, the police would lay off a bit. Because she and the police have not, historically been a good match.

Forced to go on the run, Amber ends up in a seedy motel in Las Vegas, where she befriends a glamorous innkeeper and a hooker with a heart of gold. But just as she begins to let her guard down, she catches up to her unlikely heroine. Soon Amber is again in the crosshairs of a murderer, and finds herself in a cat and mouse game between a killer and the woman determined to catch him. Dusting off her con artist playbook may be the only way out, even if doing it also means she’ll never really be free again. But hey, sometimes you just have to roll the dice.

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

I can honestly say that I have never read a book quite like this one before.   Because of that, it also left me with mixed feelings at times.  It was odd, definitely an odd story. Not your usual type of story which could be part of its appeal.

What a life Amber has led up to and including this time.   If I'd known about the lesbian aspect in the story I probably wouldn't have chosen this book.  But at least thankfully it wasn't detailed. 

 The people that show up in the story are detailed and interesting and the world building is really good. 

The mystery woman who showed up as a serial hunter was just that..a mystery.  And she remained that way for quite some time. Slowly we began to see how brilliant she was.  Especially when it came to anything computers.  Amber wasn't considered brilliant but she should have been because she learned to read people from the streets. 

 The murders and the chase was also well built. That sounds ghoulish when said about the murders but that was part of the story. So was the YEARS of the chase done by Mystery Woman.  See, of course it comes out who Mystery Woman is but I'm not going to spoil it for the next reader by naming her here.

 You know that saying about saving the best for last?  This story did it with a bang and an unexpected HUGE plot twist and a great for some, ending. 

So in the end I have to say that I liked it with some reservations.

 

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

 

-NETGALLEY-

BOOK REVIEW- Wicked and the Wallflower (Bareknuckle Bastards # 1 ) by Sarah MacLean

   

When Wicked Comes Calling . . .

When a mysterious stranger finds his way into her bedchamber and offers his help in landing a duke, Lady Felicity Faircloth agrees—on one condition. She’s seen enough of the world to believe in passion, and won’t accept a marriage without it.

The Wallflower Makes a Dangerous Bargain . . .

 Bastard son of a duke and king of London’s dark streets, Devil has spent a lifetime wielding power and seizing opportunity, and the spinster wallflower is everything he needs to exact a revenge years in the making. All he must do is turn the plain little mouse into an irresistible temptress, set his trap, and destroy his enemy.

For the Promise of Passion . . .

But there’s nothing plain about Felicity Faircloth, who quickly decides she’d rather have Devil than another. Soon, Devil’s carefully laid plans are in chaos and he must choose between everything he's ever wanted . . . and the only thing he's ever desired.

AMAZON LINK  

3 STARS

For me this story was just okay.  It had it's moments but it also felt like it dragged quite a bit too. 

 I will give it some points for having both Devil and Felicity being different kind of characters.  Felicity's unexpected skill with locks was quite the surprise. She definitely did not being held back by locks and had quite the curiosity too.  A skill that towards the end is VERY useful and timely. 

Devil had been formed by some almost unbelievable cruelties and his desire to protect his siblings.

There is also the fact that although it seemed impossible they do fight their way to a H.E.A.

Although I didn't love this one as much,  I would like to read the story about Whit.

I read this book through the HOOPLA Library App

BOOK REVIEW- The Lady Knows Best(Goode's Guide to Misconduct, #1) by Susanna Craig

   

Romance

Description

In her print debut, award-winning author Susanna Craig launches a new Regency historical romance series, based around the daring ladies’ magazine-and the witty, clever, often rebellious heroines behind it, including the fiery Irish advice columnist. When a nobleman blames her advice for provoking his fiancé for publicly breaking of their engagement, he proposes that she marry him instead. This modern twist on the genre will appeal to fans of Sabrina Jeffries, Sarah MacLean, and Julia Quinn and those who love fast-paced, innovative historical romance featuring strong women!

Serving as the advice columnist, ‘Miss Busy B.’, for an often-subversive ladies’ magazine is the perfect outlet for Daphne Burke’s outspoken nature. But when she advises a young lady of the ton, to break off her engagement to a notorious rake, the consequences take Daphne beyond the page and into her real life.

Miles, Viscount Deveraux, sometimes known as “that devil Deveraux” needs a respectable bride by the end of the Season, and he’s bet a fortune that he can get one. Now, his fiancée has not only changed her mind—but done it publicly, in a letter to London’s most infamous magazine. With the stakes high and time short, it seems reasonable to him that the columnist responsible should come to his rescue and marry him instead.

Fortunately for Miles, Daphne is eager to escape the pressures of the London marriage mart. She agrees to a courtship. But at the end of two weeks, she intends to turn him down in a big, splashy, scandal that will ruin her reputation and set her free. There’s just one shocking wrinkle: Who knew being ruined by a rake could be so much fun? 

AMAZON LINK

3 STARS 

 

I liked both of the main characters.  Especially as more time went on and more of who they truly were was revealed.   Even some of the other people in the story added to it.  However, I just wish I'd loved it more.  I struggled at times to push through the story but I did want to know how it ended.  I'm thinking other people probably  would enjoy it more because it was pretty well written.  Not sure why, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

 It does get points for a satisfying H.E.A. because I wasn't sure how that could happen.  And the following Epilogue makes it even sweeter.

 

 

 

 “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

(NETGALLEY)

BOOK REVIEW- Guardian Ranger: A Special Agent Romantic Suspense (Shadow Agents Book#2) by Cynthia Eden

   

 "Trust me."

The Last Chance bar was Veronica Lane's last hope. Desperate to find her missing brother, the sheltered computer programmer turned to Jasper Adams—the man she'd been warned to stay far away from. Veronica knew she was putting her life in the hands of the former Texas Ranger, who aroused desire she had to resist at all costs.

Posing as a ruthless mercenary was a cover for what Jasper was really doing: hunting a killer. And Veronica was in the line of fire. The soldier-turned-elite-ops-agent knew he was playing a dangerous game—trying to win her trust while deceiving her about his true mission. What would happen once Veronica discovered that everything about him was a lie…everything except his passion for her?

AMAZON LINK 

 4 STARS

This story had good main characters that I really liked a lot  Each had their weaknesses and strengths like most people do. 

 I really felt for Jasper when it comes out in the story that he was never wanted.  Even his mother had run out on him.  

 Veronica was the opposite, she had her protective brother Cale watching out for her. They lost their parents at a fairly young age in a way that still gave Veronica nightmares at times. Cale had  taught her a thing or two on how to protect herself.  She wasn't highly skilled like him but she did have some skills.  My favorite thing was when Cale had told her that people saw her as weak and that she can use that if she needs to.  She might be shy and stammer when nervous around Jasper but she also had a spine of steel.

Plenty of danger in the story.  I didn't even get a suspicion into who the murderer was until about three quarters of the story.   But then I thought, "Nah, couldn't be that person." Guess what? It was that person killing and blowing up stuff.

Everything gets cleared up except who was the person who was behind the whole assignment not just the trigger person. Looks like will go into another story but the main story ends well. 

I liked how it ended and that it included an Epilogue.

I read this book through the HOOPLA Library app.

 

BOOK REVIEW- Royal Caleva: Gabriel: Duke of Bencalor by Nancy Herkness

   

General Fiction (Adult) | Romance  

Honor, passion, danger. A modern-day duke and an American computer hacker must confront all three.

Honor. Gabriel, Duke of Bencalor, allows himself to be kidnapped to save his cousin, the Prince of Caleva. He pays a price—a mutilation that damages his brilliant career as a Flamenco guitarist—yet he would not hesitate to do it again.

Passion. Quinn Pierson is hired to track down Gabriel’s abductors. As she follows the trail, she and the sexy duke spend more and more time together until a spark ignites between them. Quinn fights her feelings every inch of the way because she knows there can be no future between a royal duke and an American commoner with an ugly past.

Danger. The criminal mastermind who carried out Gabriel’s abduction travels to Caleva to threaten Quinn. Yet even he is less dangerous than the mysterious figure who set the kidnapping in motion.

Opposites attract in Caleva, where the royals are hot and the criminals are twisted.

 AMAZON LINK

4 STARS

 Good world building makes for a good foundation but it also felt like it slowed the story at times.  The story starts out good but it really did slow down a lot for me for quite a while. It left me with some mixed feelings.  I liked it but with some reservations.

Mikel, what a character he was and not someone who you want to be on the wrong side of.  And anyone messing with the royal family will definitely get his scary attention.  But for those he cares for, that's what he does.  He takes them under his wing.  Quinn can't figure out why she seems to fall into that category but she does.  He admires her brilliance, her loyalty and he knows her full past.  Quinn finds Mikel to be someone who she respects and is grateful for the second chance that he has given her.  She knows how to deal with the criminal elements but is out of her depth at times with it comes to royal protocols. Gabriel finds  her American ways amusing. He is enjoying her treating him as a human and not fussing around him because he has a title.  Gabriel, wow the horrors that he's endured. 

Quinn, is brilliant at her job, seeing patterns that others might miss.  Towards the end, she focuses on one person as the villain behind it all.  It almost comes to late. 

The ending and Epilogue are well done and I liked it.

The eBook cover was so interesting that it caused me to stop and take a better look.  The book information also kept my interest.

 

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

-Netgalley-

BOOK REVIEW- Dead Again (Defenders of Battle Mountain # 6) by Nichole Severn

   

She disappeared from his life once
Can he trust her now?

Detective Riggs Karig has never forgotten his childhood best friend. Now he’s found her again, and he wants to know how she’s involved in his partner’s death. He soon discovers that Macie Barclay is a target, not a suspect—and that she knows more about the case he’s working than he does. Can they put their past behind them to save an innocent life?

 AMAZON LINK

5 STARS

 Wow.  What a story that was !  Macie, girl what a life you have lived.  Well, semi-lived because of what happened when you were ten years old.  On the run for all those years, hiding but also constantly looking for the man who ruined her life and those of her friends. What a great place she has been hiding in recently though.  The people there are outstanding too. Macie was outstanding in her own unique way and I liked her a lot !
Riggs Karig has a whole lot of issues which don't show up right away.  But he is one tough, intense Detective.  It took me a while to warm up to him.  But behind his wall, there was a lot of pain that he was hiding and also some he wasn't fully aware of.  They are going to fight hard to have any trust established between them. It's a fragile thing easily broken.
I totally fell in love with feisty Penny and can see why others did too.  
The actions caused by the diabolical villain is off the charts. Every time they think they have him, him just manages to slip away unrecognized.  But that won't last forever and when the end comes it comes in a MAJOR way.

 The personal ending was everything I could have hoped for.
“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

BOOK REVIEW- Your Eyes Don't Lie (Lily's House Book 3) by Rachel Branton

 

 Note: All the stories in the Lily's House series are complete stories without cliffhangers. Reading all of them will catch you up with characters in previous novels, but you do not have to read them in order.

Sometimes Survival Isn’t Enough

Years of living on the street and fending for herself have made Makay Greyson tough and resourceful, if a bit disillusioned. She’s come a long way from sleeping in parks and scavenging for food. Her entire focus is on providing a better life for her young brother, one without fear of loss and neglect.

That certainly doesn’t leave time for Harrison Matthews, who from their first meeting sends fire through her veins and upsets all her carefully laid plans.

Makay has done things she isn’t proud of to survive, and those choices now threaten the small amount of security she’s created—and any chance of a future with Harrison. They’ve been raised in two very different worlds, and the secrets they both hide can only lead to disaster.

There is only one chance to make it right, and one misstep could be fatal.

Your Eyes Don’t Lie is a story about facing fears, sacrificing for those you love, and about a girl who thinks she isn’t worth loving and a guy who knows she is.

BOUGHT @

AMAZON LINK

 

The desperation that Makay lived you could almost taste.  Her devotion to her brother Nate was off the charts.  The things that she has done to survive and to keep Nate with her weigh on her but she keeps going. 

Harrison was a good son at least to him mom.  He found his "father"an  overbearing and controlling man.  He just bears with him for his mother's sake. So many times he's just held his tongue because of that.  But boy, does his mother have some secrets. 

What a scum of the earth Lenny Pagolino was.  That pretty much says it all about him.   The problems that he caused was spectacular in it's evilness.  He also presented many dangers to Makay and Nate.
This was a well written story, so I liked it but with some reservations.  Meaning I liked some parts better than others. 

BOOK REVIEW- Protective Vows: A Dark Mafia Romance (Valverde Mafia#1) by B.B. Hamel

   

I crave freedom and his marriage bed.
But I can’t have both.

I’m all that’s left of the powerful Greek Florakis mafia. My father and my older brothers were murdered in a yacht explosion off the coast of Crete, and now my family is in tatters.

That’s when Luca Valverde comes for me. He’s six-foot-four, covered in scars and muscles, a hardened killer, and my sworn enemy.

But instead of finishing the job, he takes me home and gives me a choice: a bullet or his wedding ring.

I accept marriage and decide to bide my time until I can put a knife in his back.

When we return to New York, things get complicated. He needs to prove himself to his family after taking a Greek bride, and I’m stuck trying to help my hated husband while also waiting to escape.

Every second I spend in his marriage bed is another second I spend forgetting about my freedom.

His touch is a poison flower and his lips are like honey.

But I’m playing the long game, and in the end, I’m going to win.

Welcome to a brand new mafia family! You’ll love watching hardened Luca break all the rules to keep his new Greek bride Kacia. There’s plenty of steam, plenty of twists, and lots of dirty-talking mafia swagger. As always, it’s a standalone full-length novel with no cliffhanger and a happily-ever-after. Enjoy!

 BOUGHT @

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

A dark romance that starts out with violence and there will be a lot more.  But I was intrigued with both Luca and Kacia.  I felt like they were great main characters.  The decision that Luca put before her in the book blurb is what drew me in to wanting to read the storyBOUGHT.
For me the whole story kept my interest with the fight that is going on between Luca and Kacia.  Mainly because Kacia fights him ever step of the way and how Luca responded back.  His ways of dealing with her was totally unexpected and made it even better.  When the martial sex hits it's quite a lot and pretty detailed.  While well written, I could have done without all the details.  But hey, I took a chance on this book knowing that it could be that way.
The mafia battles were well done and I liked out everything came to an end.  Well, an end for now, because there is a Russian battle brewing.  But the ending for Kacia and Luca ended well with a good Epilogue as well.