BOOK REVIEW- The Bullet That Missed (#3 of the Thursday Murder Club series) by Richard Osman

   

It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal.

Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A local news legend is on the hunt for a sensational headline, and soon the gang are hot on the trail of two murders, ten years apart.

To make matters worse, Elizabeth is paid a visit in which she’s presented with a deadly mission: kill or be killed...

While Elizabeth grapples with her conscience (and a gun), the gang and their unlikely new friends—including TV stars, money launderers and ex-KGB colonels—unravel a fresh mystery. But can they catch the culprit and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

From an upmarket spa to a prison cell complete with espresso machine to a luxury penthouse high in the sky, this third adventure of the Thursday Murder Club is full of the cleverness, intrigue, and irresistible charm that readers have come to expect from Richard Osman’s bestselling series.

AMAZON LINK 

 This book was a slow starter for me. However, I think that was because of having to feel my way through because of not having read anything else in the series.  But I was hopeful..

Sorry to say, I didn't finish the book, so in fairness no way am I leaving a rating on it.  I should  have read the first book in the series, it might have helped. At first I would have had the foundation of the main people in the story.   There were just so many people in the book and it just seemed like more were being added.  I just couldn't keep up.

Add to that the unfamiliar offices for investigations and etc because unbeknownst to me, it's not set in the U.S.A.  Most times I can easily figure those kind of things, but it just made it harder and slower for me.  So, I just had to stop. 

 

(Read through the HOOPLA Library App)

BOOK REVIEW- Defending Honor (Elite Guardians #3) by Lynette Eason, Kelly Underwood

   

She trusts no one… Bodyguard Laila Rabbinowitz is all business. Tough and stoic, she was the perfect Mossad agent…until a terrible betrayal led to her worst nightmare. Being a bodyguard with the Elite Guardians allows her to keep her heart safe-she'll never get involved with a client, never let anyone close enough to betray her again. And she's certainly not going to trust anyone who doesn't earn it. He needs protection… Billionaire Preston Whittaker walked away from his famous family after a terrible event, but he's put that behind him-or so he thinks. When his father and brother are killed in a suspicious boating accident, he must take the helm of the family business and carry on the family legacy. But someone doesn't want him at the helm. They want him dead. She'll have to pretend to be his wife to save his life… Enter the Elite Guardians. Preston is going to need someone by his side 24/7, and the only solution is…a fake marriage. Laila needs to pull off acting as the trophy wife to the country's most eligible bachelor. With the eyes of the paparazzi on them, she'll have to convince everyone that she and Preston are in love. But what will it cost her heart? Preston's reputation as a party playboy precedes him, and Laila doesn't belong in his world filled with parties and money. But is there more to Preston Whittaker that the world doesn't see? Maybe, in time, he's someone Laila could learn to trust. Only problem is, the danger is closer than they both know…and time is running out

AMAZON LINK 

5 STARS

I enjoyed this book a lot.  Both Laila and Preston were really good main characters.  They had believable struggles and I liked that it was a clean story with a Christian thread that is without people feeling like is being stuffed down your throat.

Laila has a really good group of people in the Elite Guardians group.  Preston doesn't have very much support at all when it comes to his family and so called friends. So many selfish, me, me, me people.  I would have liked to see his sister get the boot because wow.  I did forget about Sebastian though and Seth who both definitely ARE in his corner.  

Plenty of action, danger, and yes, some people biting the dust falling like domino's one by one in unpredictable ways.  

The person who I began to suspect part way through the story turned out to be the main force behind all the murder attempts against Preston.  Those attempts began to spread out to those around Preston as well so Laila isn't safe either.  Wife or not his wife, she is seen as a target too. The time isn't right for a romance but that doesn't stop it from developing in a low key way.

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

 

I read this story through HOOPLA Library App.

BOOK REVIEW- Falling For The Ice Queen (Ice Breaker Cold Case # 2) by Cynthia Eden

 

 He’s more than a little rough around the edges…

Memphis Camden isn’t a nice guy. He’s big, dangerous, and has an extremely low tolerance for BS. A former bounty hunter, Memphis now has a deadly new target…a serial killer. Memphis has been tracking the guy for months, and he may just have found the way to drag the monster into the light. In order to accomplish his mission, he’s going to need help from an unlikely ally…

She’s elegant, poised, and a beautiful society queen.

Eliza Robinson doesn’t talk about her past. She tried going to the cops—long ago—but they never caught the man responsible for her abduction, and her powerful family made sure to bury every detail about that night. Now, she spends her days dodging the stiff guards her family keeps sending her way. Until someone very unusual steps into her path.

He’s not like the others. He’s fierce, ruggedly sexy, and more than a little uncivilized…

At first, Eliza thinks that Memphis is a new bodyguard. The attraction she feels for him is white-hot, stunning in its intensity, and it completely disrupts her carefully ordered life. But Memphis isn’t suddenly close to her because he’s on her parents’ payroll.

Memphis belongs to a group of cold case solvers called the Ice Breakers, and for his latest mission? He’s hunting the man who once turned Eliza’s world into a nightmare. Memphis wants her help because she is the only one who ever escaped from the monster. What Memphis doesn’t know…is that the monster has been stalking Eliza ever since she fled from him…

They are complete opposites.

The only rules that Memphis follows are the ones that he makes. He hits life full-force, with no apologies. Eliza is reserved, careful in all that she does, and always on her guard. They shouldn’t want each other so badly, but they do. Their attraction won’t be denied, and their sudden, forced proximity just throws them closer to the edge of desire.

Eliza is determined to help Memphis, and she’ll take any risk to end the nightmare that has haunted her. But with every moment that passes, the danger deepens around her, and soon Memphis realizes that closing the latest case isn’t his top priority. Protecting Eliza, making sure that she’s safe—that is his only goal. Because the refined and cautious Eliza may have just stolen his heart…

Author’s Note: Memphis never loses his prey. He’s alpha to his core, fierce and dedicated, and when he falls…oh, but he will fall hard. His latest cold case has taken him into Eliza’s high society world. The fierce attraction he feels for Eliza catches him off-guard, and all too soon, he can’t imagine his life without her in it. But, someone else has eyes on Eliza, too. Someone who has been watching her for a very long time. A cold case is about to ignite, and if they aren’t careful, Memphis and Eliza might just get caught in the blaze.

AMAZON LINK 

 5 STARS

No one messes with Memphis.  Well, not if they know what's good for them.  But it's amazing how many people are slow on the uptake on that.  He's not only large in size but also in determination.  I liked his no BS personality and he was definitely NOT impressed by others wealth or supposed power.  He just mowed over resistance. 

Eliza has been rigidly controlling herself especially in public..nothing to draw attention to herself.  So it was so much fun when Eliza first meet Memphis, she poured a beer over him!!

This woman had strengths that she didn't even realize.  And she's needed it for what she went through and for what she is facing.

There is plenty of well felt emotions written into the story.  As well as more people with an unpleasant agenda against Eliza than I realized. Until things started getting peeling back and it was amazing how many and what their reasons were for it.  Things would have been cleared up more and sooner if her father and brother hadn't been so busy "protecting" Eliza.   Yes, there will be hot sex, but there will be love developing too. 

Incredible, incredible dangers and betrayals ramp up  until all is exposed with surprise after surprise.

 Eliza and Memphis do get their H.E.A. so yay!

BOOK REVIEW- . The Syndicate Spy (A Juliet Arroway Novel) by Brittany Butler

   

Mystery & Thrillers | Romance | Women's Fiction

Description

Sacrifices must be made; battles will be lost. It is always this way in a quest for change.”

The future: Earth’s oil reserves are depleted. Nations race against terrorists for control over alternative energy sources, and the Syndicate—a conglomerate of allied intelligence agencies—must put an end to the global energy war. Syndicate spy Juliet Arroway and her best friend, Mariam, a Saudi princess, are tasked to hunt down energy terrorists. When the Syndicate begins to suspect that Mariam’s family is somehow involved, tensions build and the carnage multiplies. Juliet’s long-time boyfriend, Jean-Marc, is targeted and killed. In her quest to seek revenge and end the war, Juliet is paired with Graham—a dashing, yet arrogant FBI agent with whom she ultimately falls madly in love—to infiltrate Mariam’s family to prevent further attacks. When peace means a stunning betrayal, Juliet must decide if her mission is worth risking her own life as well as the lives of those she loves.

AMAZON LINK 

5 STARS

Outstanding world building.   Intense drama with a lot of depth to it.  When it first started, I wasn't even sure whether or not I was going to like it.  Truth to be told, it grew on me.  But it did take a while, maybe because of all of the political information.  Yes, I know it was an important part of foundation in the story.  But it really kicked in for me when it got deeper into the people in the story.  We knew that Juliet's boyfriend, Jean-Marc was going to be killed but the author kept things edge of the seat.  I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to how that was going to happen.

I liked how Graham called Juliet "muharib" which meant warrior and that after a while it became an endearment.  I also enjoyed the sparks that flew off of them when they first met and the following mistrust sparks that continued.  It was Warrior meeting Warrior.

What a great main character Juliet turned out to be.  Couldn't help rooting for her.  And her best friend and co-worker spy Mariam was one tough, smart addition to the story.

Hang on to your seat belt because there will be some amazing surprises before the story ends.  Well done. 

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

(Though NETGALLEY)

BOOK REVIEW- Bad King (Book #1 of Bad Business) by M. Malone

  

Who Wants to Marry a Billionaire?
Resumes accepted here.
Must be completely inappropriate.


My parents just put a gold digger's target on my back.

They want me married and they're willing to play hardball by threatening the company I've put my blood, sweat and tears into.

But I'm a Kingsley. And no one knows how to play the game like I do.

If all they want is a wedding, I’ll find the fiancée of their nightmares. Too loud, too blonde and ready for a good time. Let the games begin.…

AMAZON LINK

3 STARS

For me, this book was just okay.  I did like Olivia, who seemed to have more personality especially when compared to the more stereotyped King.  The story was somewhat predictable with a fair amount of quick sex.  

On the positive side:  But it didn't end on a cliffhanger and does make it to a H.E.A.  

Book Humor- Regretting Nothing

 

. FACEBOOK LINK

BOOK REVIEW- Over the Flames (Hunting Grounds # 1) by Nichole Severn

   

Losing a child destroyed their marriage, but a killer will ensure their future ends in flames.

A journalist who always gets her story.
An FBI agent who’ll die to keep her safe.
Losing a child destroyed their marriage, but a killer will ensure their future ends in flames.

When Arden Olsen discovers her mentor’s smoldering remains, she’s determined to expose the killer. Her work is the only way to process the grief tearing her apart. But the FBI’s lead case agent will do whatever it takes to keep her from getting involved.

Violent Crimes Agent Lawson Mitchell has been burned before—by the media and by Arden. She’s not going to let the story go, so as the killer escalates, keeping his ex-wife close is the only way to keep her safe. Even at the risk of losing his heart all over again.
As one of the most vicious serial offenders closes in, Lawson and Arden must confront the guilt and resentment they’ve harbored for one another and work together. Before there’s nothing left.

AMAZON LINK 

4 STARS

Emotional, intense and downright scary when it comes to the true serial killer is how I would describe this story.  Add to that really good while flawed main characters.  Each of them both dealing with the grief over their daughter's death in totally different ways.  Ways that  caused them the additional grief of not being there for each other.  Later in the story, it felt like Arden nailed it when explaining to Lawson that he had not recognized that she has  been grieving because she dealt with it differently than he did.  Add to the problems of them working together by his mistrust of all journalists and him lumping her in that mistrust.  Yep, that's going to cause some problems.

You want twists, turns and dangers? You'll get it in this book, especially as it moves towards the explosive ending.   

 

 " I voluntarily read a copy of this book,  and this is my honest opinion about it.