As a fan of the Lucas Davenport series, it was hard not to compare the two series. The end result was Ok, now I'm starting to really like this series.
As a fan of the Lucas Davenport series, it was hard not to compare the two series. The end result was Virgil's falling short every time.
It pays to trust the author. In the first two books, I was missing the funny one-liners and the banter Lucas has with everyone. In Rough Country, we finally get Virgil showing some of the same.
Now to the story:
The novel begins with Virgil on vacation. He is participating in a fishing tournament when Lucas calls and assigns him a new job. A woman has been killed while canoeing. As soon as he gets there, many become suspects. It's up to Virgil to figure out who is behind the murder.
I know some readers didn't like the ending and I kind of agree with it but I loved the book so much and would loveI got to say it, this was fantastic!
I know some readers didn't like the ending and I kind of agree with it but I loved the book so much and would love to see it as a movie.
Three women's destinies can be cut short unless they can survive what is coming for them.
The first woman we are introduced to is Celia. She wakes up one morning in a house she doesn't recognize, with a daughter she doesn't remember giving birth to and a husband with whom she doesn't feel any connection at all. The only thing that seems to bring a spark of recognition, is the restaurant she is working at. Cooking relaxes her and she knows how to do it. Her life makes no sense to her and she is pretty sure that this is NOT her life. Why can't she remember her past?
The second woman is Allie. She is in her twenties. She is supposed to spend her birthday at the beach with her two best friends. However, the two friends's boyfriends have decided to show up too. Worse while the girls were sleeping instead of going to the beach, they woke up in a remote cabin. Why are they there? And who is out there stalking them?
Third but not least is Maggie. She is abducted from her home. She finds herself in a container with other women who have been abducted as well. Men come in and the women are told that they need to enter a maze and survive it if they want to live and see their loved ones again. Maggie can only think about her child. She must survive at all costs.
You can feel the tension while reading Good Girls Don't Die. The sense that time was running out and their lives were at stake. I liked all three women. They were survivors and despite their horrible circumstances, they were going to fight until the end for their freedom.
Cliffhanger: No
4.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ashley Smith is an American girl studying art in London for her junior year. She has no family after theThis was a very creepy and successful novella!
Ashley Smith is an American girl studying art in London for her junior year. She has no family after the death of her mother. Not having many choices, Ashley is prepared to spend the holidays alone when a classmate, Emma Chapman invites her to stay at her family home, Starwood Hall.
Ashley is more excited about the trip after meeting Ashley's twin brother, Adam. The days spent in Starwood Hall are full of family, games, food, and the local bars. Ashley finds herself falling for Adam. He is charismatic and spending time in his company is exciting to Ashley until she discovers that Adam is the prime suspect in the murder of a local woman who looks like her.
In the blink of an eye, this goes from being a romance to becoming a horror novel.
The Christmas Guest is an atmospheric novella with engaging characters and I couldn't wait to see how it all ended.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by William Morrow via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
With the incredibly engaging book name, I was excited to read this novel. Yet, I can't say that I loved it.
Charlie Colbert is the current editor-in-chWith the incredibly engaging book name, I was excited to read this novel. Yet, I can't say that I loved it.
Charlie Colbert is the current editor-in-chief of a prestigious magazine called C. She is engaged to be married to Tripp who is a rich heir in the publishing world. Charlie reinvented herself after a horrible tragedy that occurred nine years earlier.
During her time as a student at Carroll, three people died in what is known as the Scarlett Christmas. A book has been published about the events of that night and now a movie is in the works. Charlie is not able to handle it. She needs to stop the movie from coming out. She is not sure what happened because at some point she passed out. She does worry if she hurt someone that night.
With the help of her therapist, Charlie will try to piece together what happened that horrible day before the movie is out.
I liked the first half of the book. I was interested in learning what really happened that night and who were the people who died. Unfortunately, the last part of the novel didn't work for me. It felt rushed and sloppy. Also, the romance between Tripp and Charlie felt lacking. Why were they even together?
This was a buddy read with Jayme and DeAnn. Check out their reviews.
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kate is ready for a Christmas getaway. She is the owner of a bakery but she wants a vacation. She books a place in the small town of Snow Falls. To heKate is ready for a Christmas getaway. She is the owner of a bakery but she wants a vacation. She books a place in the small town of Snow Falls. To her shock, when she gets there, she is not alone. A man by the name of Alex is also staying there. He has proof that he booked the cabin for the same amount of time as Kate did.
What starts as an uncomfortable situation, changes as their attitude for each other morphs too. Spending the holidays together and discovering the beautiful town brings them closer together.
This was a sweet short story. Enjoyable during Christmas!
Reindeer Ridge town has a new major, Meredith Aikman. Meredith is trying to prove herself to the town. However, she is drowning in Christmas preparatiReindeer Ridge town has a new major, Meredith Aikman. Meredith is trying to prove herself to the town. However, she is drowning in Christmas preparations for the yearly festival. She knows she is running out of time. Then, she crashes into the prior major Christopher Shepard whom she has known all her life, and despite having run against him, he is willing to help her out.
Christopher has always cared for Meredith. You could say he had a crush on her since high school. Now as an adult, he wishes they could be more. He wants to help her succeed and as a bonus, he could spend more time with her in the process.
Really cute Christmas story. Love Christopher. He was a sweetheart.
Continuing with the Christmas spirit, I went and opened this book.
The story begins with Marissa Taylor who works at a nursing home. She is working on Continuing with the Christmas spirit, I went and opened this book.
The story begins with Marissa Taylor who works at a nursing home. She is working on Christmas when the hired Santa shows up. It turns out that her boss instead of booking a regular Santa, has hired a stripper Santa.
Liam Carlisle is working as a stripper while he finishes med school. When he meets Marissa, he can't avoid proposing a private show.
Fun and interesting characters in this short novella. I like that Liam wasn't embarrassed about his side job. He was pretty confident. They made a good couple.
Behind A Closed Door begins with a therapy session. A couple's relationship, Abby and Brendan Hollander's marriage is in troubThrilling until the end!
Behind A Closed Door begins with a therapy session. A couple's relationship, Abby and Brendan Hollander's marriage is in trouble. When the first session ends, their therapist recommends that they download an app called Sugar and Spice to improve their sex life.
In the beginning, the app seems interested in only spicing their sex life but progressively it becomes more intense until the app asks Abby to kill someone or Brendan will die. Abby believes this is true but she is nowhere near ready to murder a stranger or is she?
J.D. Barker writes very interesting characters that take over your life while reading his books. I could not put this book down. I had to know how it was all related and what ending was I getting.
Was I able to guess some of the twists? Yes, but not all of them. This could be a great movie!
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Hampton Creek Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Tara Connelly: Tara has been serving time in prison for the last eighteen monthsGreat sophomore novel!
The Connellys of County Down follows 3 siblings.
Tara Connelly: Tara has been serving time in prison for the last eighteen months for trafficking drugs. Tara was an art teacher but she won't be able to return to her job. She will need to start her life all over again. Without a place to call her own and without money, she will need to stay at their childhood home with her other 2 siblings and her nephew.
When her sister, Geraldine is not there to pick her up, she is offered a ride home by Brian Nolan. Brian is one of the two cops who arrested her. Why is he there?
Eddie Connelly: He had a traumatic brain injury many years ago but he's still dealing with the sequela of his trauma. He gets debilitating headaches. Eddie has a son, Connor who lives with him after his mother left them.
Geraldine Connelly: She likes rules and tries to keep the house running. She feels responsible for her family. She is also very stressed at work and in reality, being overwhelmed is a better way to describe her.
I love the dynamics of the main characters brought to life by Tracey Lange. Despite being flawed characters, it was hard not to root for a good outcome for all of them. The Connellys had not been treated well by life and you wanted a win for them.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Celadon Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Evie Porter is living the suburban life with her boyfriend, Ryan Sumner. She wishes for a garden and to have a place to calPerfectly crafted thriller!
Evie Porter is living the suburban life with her boyfriend, Ryan Sumner. She wishes for a garden and to have a place to call home. She can envision this future with Ryan.
The only problem is that she is not Evie Porter.
Ryan is the next mark on Mr Smith's list. "Evie" has worked for Mr. Smith for the last few years and her identity is created and changed depending on what he wants from his targets. Evie is the best at what she does but Ryan has made her question her future.
A truly enjoyable thriller from the very first chapter. Ashley Elston has written a fast-paced, twisty-galore, and addictive story that kept me glued to the pages.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Pamela Dorman Books | PENGUIN GROUP Viking via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Alexis and her husband Sam have moved into an exclusive neighborhood. This is what Alexis has always wanted. She wA deadly neighborhood if you ask me!
Alexis and her husband Sam have moved into an exclusive neighborhood. This is what Alexis has always wanted. She wanted prestige and safety and she hoped her fixer-upper could deliver just that.
When Alexix moves to the neighborhood, she is pregnant with her second child. Sam is trying to become a partner at the firm he works at. Due to the financial drain the new house has become their relationship is strained. Sam belittles her and keeps on reminding her that when she changed her job, she made a mistake (getting paid less money, and no good promotions in her future). Thankfully, Alexis has in her corner, her live-in nanny who helps her out with anything her kids need.
Despite her marital problems, Alexis likes the neighborhood until Teddy, a successful handsome man, and father of three, is found murdered while jogging a trail on the bank of the Potomac River.
Alexis worries about the murder. Who did it? Is one of the neighbors responsible for it?
Alexis feels bad for Blair, the widow, and can't stay away and offers support. Soon a friendship develops until Alexis finds herself trying to piece together a deadly secret Blair might have.
A slow burn with some good twists, although I guessed the important ones.
From the main characters, I found myself liking Alexis and not so much Blair. All the neighborhood men were awful including Sam who was such an inconsiderate bully. I have no clue why Alexis would have picked him for her husband and father of her children. Thankfully, she had a live-in nanny because he was no help.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Minotaur Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Vanishing Hour was interesting but the ending was too out there for me!
At night, women go missing from "the Strip" on Hemlock Lane. Over the ye3.5
The Vanishing Hour was interesting but the ending was too out there for me!
At night, women go missing from "the Strip" on Hemlock Lane. Over the years, drug addicts and prostitutes have disappeared from this sketchy area of town in Rock Harbor, Maine.
The latest young woman who was taken is Brooke Everett. Her mother Kira Everett will do anything to find her daughter. She follows all the clues she can get her hands on. She knows the police might not be enough.
Besides Brooke, Aden Coleman's father has also disappeared. At first, Aden thinks that he might have gone fishing and will be back soon but after talking to the police, he is not sure about this anymore. He decides to stay in an inn until his father is found.
Grace Holloway works for the local Inn. Usually, during summer it's busy but during winter, she has the place to herself. You see eight years ago, Grace was abducted and kept for a month until she was able to escape. Since then, she has kept to herself and doesn't watch TV or have a social media presence. However, she can't continue to stay in her cocoon when she discovers women who look like her are the ones being taken.
The Vanishing Hour started strong but the last third was chaos. Some parts were not realistic and unlikely to happen in real life.
Snowed In is the next book in the Fitzpatrick Christmas series.
I loved The Holiday Romance and I couldn't wait to see how the next couple got togetherSnowed In is the next book in the Fitzpatrick Christmas series.
I loved The Holiday Romance and I couldn't wait to see how the next couple got together.
Catherine Walsh uses the fake dating trope masterfully.
Megan has not gone back home for the last five years. The last time she was there, was when she ran away from her wedding. She was going to marry her high school sweetheart, Isaac. Yet, Isaac was not really sweet but she never told anyone.
Christian knows his family expects him to return home for the holidays but he is not looking forward to it. His family is all coupled up except for him. So when he bumps into Megan at a Dublin bar, he realizes they have something in common, neither can return home without a significant other. The best plan would be to make their family believe that they are a couple and that way they can enjoy the holidays without the pressure.
It was so nice going back to the town and these characters. Megan and Christian were easy to like and root for.
I enjoyed Chasing the Boogeyman and I couldn't wait to see what was new in the world of Richard Chizmar!
Chizmar delivers a story with enough suspense I enjoyed Chasing the Boogeyman and I couldn't wait to see what was new in the world of Richard Chizmar!
Chizmar delivers a story with enough suspense and mystery to entertain. However, in difference to Chasing the Boogeyman, this story dragged in some areas.
I do like his winning formula of inserting himself and his life into the world where a serial killer is out to get him. Chizmar gave us enough questions, including if there was a new killer and if he was someone he already knew. Was he just following orders from someone from prison? or if a copycat was lurking on his property just to create non-stop fear.
The ending gives a perfect place for book 3 which I would read without hesitation.
Cliffhanger: Yes
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Iris was devastated after losing her mother to cancer. Then she moved to New York City after leaving London or escaping Sweat in a gelato kind of way!
Iris was devastated after losing her mother to cancer. Then she moved to New York City after leaving London or escaping London should be a better way to describe it. She was in an abusive relationship and she finally was able to leave him behind.
Iris is a chef but in NYC, she is working in a noodle restaurant. Here is where she met Bobby, her friend who offered her a job and a place to stay. Iris doesn't go out much but when Bobby insists that she must go with him to the Little Italy's autumn fair, she can't say no. Her future changes when she stumbles into a family-owned gelateria with a door that seems familiar to her. She remembers the door from a picture her mother had. Her curiosity makes her return to it and walking inside she meets Gio, one of the family owners.
Gio is in dire straights. His gelateria might close soon. Santo his uncle and father figure had a stroke. Santo is the one who has the secret recipe for the famous vanilla gelato they have been serving for years. Unbeknownst to Gio, Iris knows the recipe and she has been making it for years. Her mother had been given the recipe years earlier by someone in Gio's family!
How can Iris help Gio without revealing secrets that could hurt him?
I liked the story. Gio was sweet and caring. His family was amazing. They all treated Iris so well. I also loved Bobby. He was there for Iris when she needed a helping hand.
I had some issues with Iris. I didn't like how many secrets she had and the lies she was keeping.
Overall, it was an enjoyable story.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Delacorte Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Malcolm Gephardt is a bartender and now the owner of The Half Moon bar which was his dream. Malcom bought it from his prior boss. Well, he made an arrMalcolm Gephardt is a bartender and now the owner of The Half Moon bar which was his dream. Malcom bought it from his prior boss. Well, he made an arrangement with him and he pays him an amount every month. However, his dream is now a nightmare. His debt is piling up and his shady ex-boss wants to get paid ASAP.
Jess Gephardt is a lawyer. Yet, her dream has been to become a mother. Her infertility has been a long road of pain and loss. She feels like she has lost the support from Malcolm.
During a storm they both have to reconsider the choices they have made and get on with their lives but will it be alone or together?
Mary Beth Keane wrote characters that are believable. They are selfish and arrogant at times but also heartbroken and relatable. I liked Malcom more than I liked Jess. She made some choices that I didn't agree with. I did feel bad for her not being able to get pregnant. Malcolm also made huge decisions without getting much input from Jess.
Even though I enjoyed it, I did think the resolution was too easy.
Cliffhanger: No
3.5/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by Scribner via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
In my opinion, this book can't be read as a standalone.
I was looking forward to finally reading Lassiter's book and loving it but it turns out it was In my opinion, this book can't be read as a standalone.
I was looking forward to finally reading Lassiter's book and loving it but it turns out it was not as fantastic as I hoped.
A few books ago, Lassiter took over the Scribe Virgin's job. He has been there interfering in the right way to help the good guys get their happy endings. When it was finally his turn, I thought the lady he fell for would be fantastic. Yet, I found myself not crazy for Rahvyne's character. She has so many special powers but I don't think she used them as much as she should or at the right time she could. An incredible loss of opportunity. Furthermore, Lassiter didn't act like himself. He was not the jokester he usually is. He was more serious than ever.
The other thing that bothered me was the way Devina and Lash behaved. She could be formidable but spent most of her time trying to get Lash's attention and love while he was trying to escape her when he could.
The last thing that made me upset was what J.R. Ward did to a beloved couple. You don't do that. They already had a difficult time during their own HEA trajectory so no reason to make them suffer again.
Will I continue reading this series?
Of course I will, I need to know what happens next.
This novella is about Blay and Quinn. There is a personal tragedy but with the help of Zsadist and Lassiter, it ends up hopeful instead of heartbreakiThis novella is about Blay and Quinn. There is a personal tragedy but with the help of Zsadist and Lassiter, it ends up hopeful instead of heartbreaking.
It is Christmas time and a blizzard is coming. The brothers all have to stay in and protect their homes from the elements. After the storm, despite close calls, they are all okay except for one.
Besides the main storyline, we also meet two human girls. Their father’s BMW is stuck in the snow and the only way to get it out will be with the help of a tow guy in the form of Quinn. Yet things don’t go the way they should.
I found A Warm Heart in Winter to be quite a tear-jerker in parts. Yet, as I mentioned earlier, it's hopeful too. J. R. Ward is doing a great job at making me love Lassiter more with every book.
I do have one request and it's that I would like to see these two young human girls show up in later books.
Balthazar is part of the Band of Bastards. He is also a thief and a great one as well. Think of him more likeThis time is Balthazar and Erika's story.
Balthazar is part of the Band of Bastards. He is also a thief and a great one as well. Think of him more like Robin Hood. Stealing from the wealthy and giving to the poor. He won't apologize for it.
Erika Saunders is the cop we have met in prior books. She suffered a tragedy as a teenager and because of it, she became a cop to try to help people or maybe to atone for her guilt.
When these two meet, the sparks are heavy in the ambiance. There is just a little problem, Balthazar has been possessed by the demon, Devina.
Lover Arisen also sets the chain of events for the next book in this series since we get some Nate, Rayven, and Lassiter.
I don't get tired of reading these books. Even though, they all have the same format in regards to Hero and Heroine that fall in love and fight adversity to end up with their Happily Ever After.
I did like both characters. Erika was self-sufficient and she was not scared of fighting Devina with whatever she had. Balthazar has always been a favorite since he was introduced into the series. I wish he had more talks with the other Bastards since they are his true brothers.
I don't like that an old baddie has made a comeback but we shall see what happens because of it.
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