*** BOOK REVIEW- Broken ( # 1 of the Lost series) by Cynthia Eden

   

The first novel in New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's sizzling LOST series introduces the Last Option Search Team, an elite unit that must protect the only surviving victim of a serial killer. Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he's rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer. When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe. As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it's clear he hasn't forgotten her.

AMAZON LINK 

5+ STARS 

 

What a dramatic start this book had.  And the tension continues throughout the story.  In fact it never lets up. The intensity, the twists and turns had me twisting all around trying to figure out who the serial killer was.  I just finished it and now I'm trying to settle down from that high.

The story was SO good and so was the developing relationship between Gabe and Eve.  Should he trust her or not?  The strong attraction was there but he's been fooled before.  I really loved their interactions and how Eve was so out of her element with no memories.  Everyone on the island seemed to know her better than she knew herself.  Or at least they think they do.  And she even questions "why does everyone seem to be so interested in her sex life?"

Gabe's team was also a wonderful addition to the story with their own individual sorrows and pain.  Each one had very good reasons to want to be a part of the LOST team.  I wouldn't mind reading some of their stories too. 

Great ending with justice being served. 

 

I read this book through the HOOPLA Library App.

 

BOOK REVIEW- Thrill Ride by J. D. Carothers

 

Romance

Description

Cassandra (“Cassie”)

Smart. Attractive. Burned out. Haunted by the past.

Struggling with turning thirty, Cassie is an overworked attorney. Her real passion is cooking, but her parents insisted she follow in their footsteps. Haunted by their expectations, she feels stuck but yearns for a different path in life.

Nudged by her best friend, Cassie applies for a cooking competition at the luxurious Grand Athena in Las Vegas after learning the competition welcomes amateur chefs. Shocked when she's selected as an alternate, Cassie vows to make the most of her opportunity to live her fantasy life for two weeks, even if only as an observer.

Evan

Wealthy. Gorgeous. Sexy accent. Hiding a secret.

While taking a break from family obligations and his royal friends, Evan helps his best friend, the Grand Athena’s owner, with the cooking competition.

He is determined to avoid any romantic interests during his break, but he can’t seem to take his eyes off Cassie, although she could be trouble.

When one of the competitors dies mysteriously, Cassie is suddenly thrust into the competition. But someone will do anything to win, and as things heat up in both the bedroom and the kitchen, Cassie may be the one who gets burned.

 AMAZON LINK

3.5 STARS

 Cassie, Sean and Evan are the main characters who each have their own P.O.V.'s shared.  I'm just not sure that I really felt the connection between Cassie and Evan even though he did treat her like a princess.

The world building was lavish and detailed; the places and the food in particular. 

I just wanted to like it more but it just didn't pull me in like I would have liked.  I have to give the author points though for the details and H.E.A.

" I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley. And these are my honest opinions about it.”

** Book Review- The Payback (Team Zulu Series, #2) by Julie Weaver

 

 

General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers | Romance  

Three years ago, the Mafia murdered my first love and shattered my chance of happiness. I won’t stop searching for the gunman until justice is served, even if every step toward the killer is a step into the gaping jaws of Philly’s notorious underworld.

If only the new guy in my building, AKA Mr. Tall, Dark, and Annoyingly Alpha, would leave me and my secrets alone. My body might want him, but my head knows better. I’ve lost too much to risk giving my heart away again, especially to someone as deliciously tempting as Brandon Lewis.

When the Mob catches on to my revenge plans and delivers a deadly ultimatum, my persistent new neighbor discovers we share a common enemy. Brandon might be an incredibly skilled hacker, but why isn’t he scared of taking on the most dangerous men in the city? And how does a computer geek get the body of a warrior, bullet scars and all?

Teaming up with the fierce, overprotective man next door becomes a proposition too appealing to resist. Except the more I get to know Brandon, the more I realize he’s the last person I could let pay for my foolish mistakes. If it happened again, neither of us would survive.

 AMAZON LINK

4 STARS

 I was quick to pick up this book because I had read a different book by this author and loved it. 

This book was one that took a while to pull me in.  It took a while before things really took off.  It had good main characters with snarky  Sage and more to him than you think, Brandon. The things that came out of her mouth were direct, sarcastic and often funny.  Her BFF Lettie was a tiny dynamo  who was also fierce in a different way but funny just the same. Wait, maybe they weren't so different because they both said whatever came to mind.  I did get a kick out of Lettie not using Brandon's name but instead addressed him as Muscles. 

When the action starts up its full guns ahead, totally unpredictable with a good explosive ending.   

 

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

BOOK REVIEW- Shadow Reaper (A Shadow Riders Novel Book 2) by Christine Feehan

   

Meet the Chicago crime family that has built its empire in the shadows . . .

Billionaire playboy Ricco Ferraro knows no other life. Being a shadow rider is in his blood - but so is a haunting desperation stemming from the secrets of his dark past. His recklessness not only puts his life at risk, but the future of his entire family. To save them all, he must find a woman who can meet his every desire with a heat all her own . . .

Just when Ricco has given up hope, he meets her - a mysterious woman whose shadow connects with his. She's someone looking for a safe haven from the danger that has stalked her over the last several months. In Ricco's embrace, she finds one. But the darkness in which they so often find sanctuary can also consume them . . .

AMAZON LINK 

3.5 STARS

This story was a mixed bag for me and that made it hard to figure out how to rate.  Parts I really liked: Ricco, his family (both blood relatives and people that they drew in as family) and Mariko.  The plot was darn good too.  The secrets that Ricco had kept for YEARS was really well put together.  They are part of what has driven him to reckless living.  And the things that Mariko survived was also emotional and  well written. I liked them both. Their chemistry was well felt.

Ricco had gotten into the art of Shibari as a way to survive with his memories but it didn't take long for me to wish that there had been less written about that.  Of course, it was well detailed even including some "heat" but not something that I was all that interested in.  

The way that the family and their community of people all banded together with love was really good.  And the surprise twist towards the very end?  Even better !

*** Book Review- Hunter's Hope (Vampire Motorcycle Club #2) by Alyssa Day

   

Romance | Sci Fi & Fantasy 

Description

Hunter Evans risked his life again and again as a firefighter until the night he died saving a child...only to be reborn as a vampire. Now the man who lived his life as the quintessential “nice guy” must find a way to conquer the deadly urges that threaten to turn him feral. When his own actions put a beautiful woman in danger, he vows to protect her…even from himself.

Alice Darlington has a secret of her own: she sees ghosts. She thought she’d done a good job of keeping it under wraps—until now. A terrible threat from her past is hunting her down in order to use her power for dark purposes. Now she’s on the run and doesn't know who to trust or where to go.

When Hunter and Alice team up to battle the dangers coming at them from all sides, they’re forced to rely on each other. But Hunter doesn’t know how long he can keep the beast inside him away from the woman it craves…

AMAZON LINK 

 5 STARS

This story is quirky and also filled with quirky people.  

Hunter is a Nice Guy which why he is often finds himself in the Friend Zone when it comes to women.  But when he got Turned he also developed some other strengths as well.  I loved, loved, loved him and the way he cared for those around him. Even when he turns out snarly from being new at this vampire thing.  I really liked how the relationship between Hunter and Alice developed. 

Alice..now there is another awesome person in the story. She's been through so much and more is coming.  But she is also developing got your back friends.   Something that she never had before.  And what friends they were, not really what you would call "normal but great just the same.  This story was TOTALLY unpredictable which was such a great adventure. Speaking of adventure there had to be time that Alice felt like she fell through the rabbit hole like Alice in Wonderland.

While I am NOT a fan of talking to and interacting with ghosts, there was plenty more to the story than just that. This story had plenty of action and another supernatural character that made me smile was "Charlie".  There was more humor in the story than just with Charlie, plenty of emotions and a really good ending. I cheered for the outcome.  But you need to know that the door is left open for more adventures because there is still one bad guy out there.

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

***Book Review- The Friendship Pact (The Sunrise Cove Series # 2) by Jill Shalvis

   

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

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a powerful, moving story about a young woman on a quest to find the truth about her father who learns the meaning of true love along the way.

Alone in the world, Tae Holmes and her mother April pretty much raised each other, but as Tae starts asking questions about the father she’s never met, April, for the first time in her life, goes silent. To make matters worse, Tae is dangerously close to broke and just manages to avoid financial meltdown when she lands a shiny new contract with an adventure company for athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors.

Her first big fundraiser event falls flat, but what starts out as a terrible, horrible, no-good night turns into something else entirely when Tae finds herself face-to-face with Riggs Copeland. She hasn’t seen the former Marine since their brief fling in high school, and while still intensely drawn to him, she likes her past burned and buried, thank you very much. Hence their friendship pact.

But when April oddly refuses to help Tae track down her father, it’s Riggs who unexpectedly comes to her aid. On a hunt to unlock the past, the two of them find themselves on a wild ride and learn a shocking truth, while also reluctantly bonding in a way neither had seen coming. Now Tae must decide whether she’s going to choose love … or walk away from her own happiness.

 AMAZON LINK

 5 STARS

Tae and Riggs meeting back up in the opening chapters?  It gave me a huge smile.  Tae was one tough cookie with a HUGE chip on her shoulder and her sass was really funny !  It made me wonder how in the heck the author keeps coming up with these great people and the hysterically funny conversations !  How does she do that?

I enjoyed the push-pull relationship between the two of them. The nickname of, Rebel, that Riggs gave Tae was a good fit.  It was also amazing how different the two people were but yet they also had some similarities which wasn't seen right away.  Their childhoods weren't normal by any stretch. 

Anyone trying to get up in Tae's business though,  not a good idea. Not even how much she loved her mother allowed that.  She had her own ways of shutting that out and her ways of coping that were uniquely hers.  

I really liked how Riggs handled Tae and how the friendship pact came about. For a guy closed off as much as Riggs was, he sure got how Tae was and when to back off.  But he also enjoyed rattling her cage too.  She made him laugh too which is something he hadn't been doing much of.  It was sweet how tender he could be with her too. That friendship pact sure did lead to some interesting times.

April was Tae's mother who I was surprised to see had her own P.O.V. included.  Surprised me but I was glad to see it.  It amused me when it comes to her perspective about Riggs not being a good match to be with Tae.  Like come on, her gauge on finding good guys has been pretty much at zero for most of her life.  But it all came from loving Tae and wanting better for her.  But that lie that April has been holding is definitely heading to a big blowup.  And it was quite the twist.  

I've got to say that I hated to see the end of this story although I liked how it was completed.

" I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley. And these are my honest opinions about it.”

 

 

 

 

 

***Book Review- View From Above (#4 Hunting Grounds) by Nichole Severn

   

A trauma therapist escaping her father’s legacy.
A homicide detective who can’t prove murder.
A case that can heal their old wounds or send them over the edge.

When an innocent woman plunges to her death, Mallory Kotite is convinced there’s a connection to her father’s supposed suicide. Desperate to be free of the family legal empire—and the suffering at the hands of a self-made tyrant—she convinces the investigating detective to take a second look. Only to find her life and her heart in danger.

Detective Payton Nichols can’t hold onto a partner. He’s good at understanding evidence. People are a different puzzle altogether. But faced with a mistake on his last case, Payton must rely on Mallory’s insights into her father’s life. He’s not a project for the assertive therapist to fix, but as desire ramps up between them and a killer targets Mallory, he finds himself exposed to a past better left forgotten.

With a serial killer closing in, Mallory and Payton don’t have much choice. Learn to trust one another or get their own view from above.

 AMAZON LINK

5 STARS

Wow, I loved how this story just kept surprising me !!  Step by step it just kept proving how out-standing it was.   Unpredictable things just kept on coming. 

 I loved both Payton and Mallory and how smart they were, flaws and all.  The childhoods that they had was something out of nightmares but they survived.  I loved the depth of their individual pasts. 

The author's writing style was something that I just have to mention liking.  One of my favorite times was when Payton was drinking coffee  "He took a sip of his own liquid adrenaline and collapsed back into his chair." Another time I noticed was when Mallory had her chance at drinking that same kind of nasty coffee and a protein bar.  She spit the coffee back into the small opening at the top of the lid of the to-go cup.  Yes, we've done stuff like that but how may authors have written that?  I enjoyed that normal response being written in!

 The story has some pretty hair-raising actions throughout and towards the end too.  But with hope for both Payton and Mallory.

The additional people in the story were just a bonus.  Trooper Rowan Wells had a part in this story.  And that quick look into the next book "Study in Color"drew me and I'm all into that one featuring Rowan Wells.

 On a side note or two:  I thought the cover was attractive and got me interested in reading the book information.  And the title was PERFECT for this book.

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