Tag Archive | fiction

Kill Without Mercy by @AlexandraIvy #klover #thriller #romance

Dec27

I received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review


Kill Without Mercy

4heart

Synopsis

Annie is in the small town of Newton, Iowa looking for answers. Her father is known as a serial killer from 15 years ago. When women begin to disappear in the same town. She wonders if she can help stop a killer.

Rafe went to Iowa to clear out his deceased grandfather’s house. Upon overhearing a conversation involving Annie, he decides that he needs to help her with her investigation. When there seems to be threats to Annie’s life, he is more convinced that he is doing the right thing.

Opinion

This book is one of the best thriller/suspense romance books I have read in a long while.

There were so many twists and turns, I almost got whiplash.

I really liked Rafe’s character. He was all alpha male and a protector. Rafe cannot deny the attraction between him and Annie, but initially he was intrigued because he is a sucker for damsel in distress.

“Rafe had a full blown case of savior complex…”

Annie’s life is a hot mess. I did not warm up to her at first, but I was able to understand her. Between the gaps in her memory, the nightmares, and the notoriety of her serial killer father, she was a mystery waiting to be solved.


Once all is revealed… Let’s just say wow!


I cannot say a lot about the story without giving anything away/ One of my favorite parts of the story was the camaraderie  between Rafe and his friends. The five of them are Rafe, Hauk, Teagan, Max, and Lucas. I love them all so much. I cannot wait for them to get their own stories.

Should you buy? Absolutely yes! For me all of the ARES security stories are now on my TBR list. How Alexandra Ivy will top this story is beyond me,  but I am eagerly waiting to find out.

Book Details from Amazon
File Size: 517 KB
Print Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Zebra (December 29, 2015)
Publication Date: December 29, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

 

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The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman #historicalfiction

Nov25

The Light Between Oceans
3heart

Synopsis

Tom is the caretaker of a lighthouse and lives on an isolated island with his wife Isabel. When a boat appears with a dead man and a baby, Tom wants to report it. Isabel pleads with him to let her keep the baby and raise it as her own. Tom knows it is against the law, but relents since his wife suffered 3 miscarriages.

While in isolation, they can pretend their actions have no consequences. However, once back in tow, it becomes evident that the implications of one act will affect the entire town in some way.

Opinion

The book was well written in an artful way. It was very descriptive but I felt like the book was as tedious as trudging through knee-high snow. For example, when the author described some scenes and I wondered where the story was going. Was this important to the story? Does not seem to be. Does this give me additional insight into the character? Not much.

The pace was so slow, almost sluggish. In the first chapter, they find the baby. Based on that, I thought the story would have move faster than it did. Then the second chapter goes back to the time when Tom first started working at the lighthouse, before he met Isabel. There was so much build up, but the ending seemed rather flat, as if it fizzled out like a lukewarm, stale soda.

While all the characters experience different degrees of pain and suffering, the story was the most tragic for Isabel. Not that Isabel had done anything to endear herself to me, but I felt sorry for her desperate desire to have children. Three pregnancies which ended in miscarriages/stillbirth had to be heart wrenching. She had so much love to give a child, but desperation and isolation made her crazy.

When I started this book, I had no real expectations. I had a feeling that it would not end well since the whole plot line was centered on the consequences of not reporting the missing baby.

What good could come of that?

When I finished, I was not surprises that the story had no winners. While the story was interesting, I did not find that I identified with the characters. Tom had a screwed up childhood and acted as if he did not deserve any goodness in his life. On the other hand, Isabel was spoiled as if the world owed her.

Should you buy? If you like reading emotionally charged books that lean towards being depressing, you will enjoy this book. I could not rate this book higher because I like books with a decidedly happier ending.

 

Book Details
Paperback: 345 pages
Publisher: Scribner (April 2, 2013)
Language: English

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Feel the Burn G.A Aiken #dragonkin #review #kLover @KensingtonBooks #TBRlist

Nov8

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


Feel the Burn (Dragonkin)
4heart

Synopsis
Gaius is the Iron Dragon One-Eyed Rebel king and Kachka is a Rider, daughter of the Steppes.
Both are on a mission. Gaius is trying to find his sadistic cousin to exact revenge for her torturing his twin sister. Kachka is on a mission from the queen to put an end to the Charamnesind cult, a group of people who are disrupting peace by slaughtering priests in the temples throughout the land.

Opinion
To me, this book is not really a romance. Do not get me wrong, I thought it was great fiction with romantic elements. For the most part, I felt like it was a Game of Thrones type of book. There were all these different characters, tribes, and ruling groups that had to be explained. There were alliances between nations, provinces and obvious power struggles that had to be addressed. It was a ways into the book before the hero & heroine actually meet.

Props to the author for the elaborate world she created. This was not as simple as just dragons and non-dragons. There were people with various types of abilities and those with none at all.

Kachka was a hilarious multi-faceted character. She was a skilled hunter that was not used to just sitting around. She needed a mission or purpose to stay active. Her people, as a race of female chauvinists, looked down on males. Period. It did not matter if the male in question was stronger; he was still only good for one thing. Help her make babies. Well, two things.

As a result, she looks down on Gaius in the beginning. She is attracted to him and tells him that she will allow him to share her bed because it pleases her. Gaius should be offended at the way that Kachka talks to him (she shows no respect) but he cannot help but feel drawn in by the attraction.

I focused a lot on Kachka, because I love her character, but Gaius is just as well developed. He is a warrior and dragon, but at the same time, I could tell so much about him from the way he takes care of his sister.

There was so much action happening in this book that it is difficult for me to concentrate on one aspect. Don’t worry. It is not too convoluted that you cannot follow the story. My only regret is that I did not read some of the previous books in the series before requesting this one. I think that would have helped me to have a deeper context and understand the supporting characters better.

Should you buy? Yes! If you like strong heroines, Kachka is the one for you. She is a warrior in her own right and does not need a man to save her. Gaius and Kachka are definitely equals, even though it takes a while for her to see it that way. I am glad that they have a HEA and it is an entertaining story to see all that Gaius and Kachka experience along the way.

This story is a standalone but it you are like me, you will want to read the rest of the books in the series as well. This series is a world that you want to immerse yourself, especially when it is cold and rainy outside!

Book details
Series: Dragonkin
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Zebra (November 24, 2015)
Available on Amazon
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Edisto Jinx @hopeclark #southernlit #mystery #whodunit #edistojinx

Oct30

I received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Edisto Jinx (The Edisto Island Mysteries)

4heart

Synopsis

Every August, it seems that a tourist falls prey to the Edisto Jinx. The locals are sympathetic but would rather Callie left well enough alone. While her friend says that the spirits are busy causing mischief, Callie is not convinced.

In a town that thrives on tourism, an investigation with the words “serial killer” in the mix makes all the town businesses nervous.

Whoever or whatever that is causing havoc in the community soon turns their attentions to Callie. Can she find out what is going on before it’s too late?

Opinion

C Hope Clark did it again! Great story. And unlike with the main character from the Lowcountry Bribe series, I love Callie!

Once a Boston city PD detective, Callie is still dealing with the loss of her husband, a teenage son more mature than his years, and the trauma she endured in the previous months (read Murder on Edisto). Meanwhile, she is having a difficult time ignoring what appear to be crimes happening in the community. It seems like the unfortunate death of a tourist is more than just an accident that should be dismissed casually. Callie trusts her gut feelings when no one else wants to even talk about it. The author Clark does a fabulous job creating such a multi-dimensional character that I could feel Callie’s angst and frustration.

The secondary and tertiary characters were painted just as effectively. Some of my favorites were

  • Seabrook, the reluctant sheriff, thinks that Callie is looking for problems. At what point will he take her seriously? If at all?
  • Alex is the young whipper-snapper journalist. She wants to make a name for herself in the community but will she have what it takes to step on the toes of town leaders and make some serious waves?
  • Sopie is the kooky, sage burning, self-proclaimed psychic and yoga instructor. She is so positive that it was almost nauseating. She believes in the spirits and cautions Callie against angering them. Can she burn enough sage to calm the spirits and bring harmony back to Edisto?

Overall, this story has the right mix of conflict between the characters as well as suspense. While I might not have liked all the characters, they were developed enough that I understood them as people. They seemed real to me. I could relate to them in the sense that I know people like them. I thought the story moved along at an even pace. Most importantly, all my questions were answered and the conclusion was satisfactory.

Should you buy? Yes! This is a great beach read with colorful characters and an engaging story line. It is the second in the series, but still a standalone book. The author does not give away much about the first book, but your interest will probably be whetted enough to want to buy Murder on Edisto too. And I am waiting for the next book to find out what else might happen in Edisto 😀

Amazon Product Details
File Size: 933 KB
Print Length: 294 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (October 1, 2015)
Publication Date: October 1, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English

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Breaking Bailey’s Rules #bailey #netgalley @AuthorBJackson

Oct17

I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Breaking Bailey’s Rules (The Westmorelands)

4heart

Synopsis

Bailey is the baby of the Denver Westmorelands. They are a close-knit family who discovered that they could be related to a family in Alaska.

Walker comes to visit the Denver Westmorelands as a favor to his best friend (the family that might be related to them). Bailey is sent to the airport to pick him up from the airport.

There are rules that Bailey lives by, but Walker might have her breaking all of them.

Opinion

First, I must say that I think Brenda Jackson is one of my favorite romance authors and that is not just because she writes African-American romance novels. Of all of her different series (she has SEVERAL), the Westmoreland series is the best. She had a plan when she developed this family because there are so many siblings and cousins and everyone gets their story. Just when you think the series is over, the family finds another branch of Westmorelands to keep it going. Seriously, if you have not read any of the Westmoreland series, there are enough books to fill a couple of months’ worth of weekends. It more of a saga than a series 😀

Okay now I got that out-of-the-way. Back to the story.

I like Bailey. She may be a little spoiled but that is because she is the youngest of a very tight family where the brothers try to seem chill but are overprotective.

Walker is doing his friend a favor and really likes the Denver Westmoreland guys. He sees the attraction to Bailey as unexpected. Plus his adherence to the “bro code” will not allow him to get physical with their little sister.

Good thing that Bailey knows what she wants and is going to do her best to get it.

Even after reading so many of Jackson’s books, you would think that I would not be surprised by her plot twists. But one of the things that Bailey did in Alaska really surprised me. It had me seeing her with a newfound respect. I went from ambivalent to “This chick is cool!” and “She needs a happy ending!”

While I decided early how much I liked Bailey, I could tell that Walker was being hardheaded. He has a lot of making up to do when he finally realizes that Bailey is the one for him. He does it in grand style. All I can say is that it is good to have friends in high places.

Overall, I loved this book because Bailey’s multi-faceted character added so much the story. If you like the Westmoreland series, this book should definitely be on your list. If you are new to Brenda Jackson, this is a great author and book to add to your list.

Book Details from Amazon

Print Length: 256 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Desire (November 1, 2015)

Publication Date: November 1, 2015

Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.

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