Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review: I’ll Be Watching You by Courtney Evan Tate

 I’ll Be Watching You

by Courtney Evan Tate

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

Paperback: 336 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (March 26, 2019)

 

IT’S EVERY MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE…BUT ONE SHE WILL NOT ACCEPT

In an unthinkable flash, Emmy Fisher’s fifteen-year-old daughter, Leah, seemingly drowns close to shore one summer night—at least that is what the police report says.

In deep grief, Emmy needs time and courage before she can enter Leah’s bedroom. But when she does, she finds something at first bewildering, then unspeakable, as she begins to understand the full implications…

She uncovers evidence that Leah had been secretly involved with someone, someone perhaps older, someone with dark appetites.

Bit by bit, the last few months of Leah’s life unfold in a terrifying way that Emmy can hardly imagine.

All she knows is that she has to find the person who took her sweet daughter’s innocence. No matter the cost.

The truth will set her free. Or bury her.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She wants to sit and float on top of her board, staring at the moon, pretending the rays hitting her skin are fairy dust.

 

Bars always smell the same, even when they have open windows on the end of a pier. Like… old peanuts and neon lights, and felt-top pool tables and desperation.

 

My Review:

 

This cleverly paced and well-contrived tale started slowly and gradually built into a gripping tale that occasionally had me cringing and frequently found me biting my cuticles. I had narrowed down my list of suspects from four to two before all hell broke loose and removed all doubt. The premise was original and relevant and unfortunately could happen all too easily in any society. Ms. Tate’s writing was emotive and evocatively detailed, conjuring keen visuals in my cranium as I read. Her active storylines were cunningly constructed and perfectly pitched for each idiosyncratic character.

 

While the subject matter was a bit disturbing given the inappropriate and predatory behaviors involving a minor, the narrative was more intensely driven toward the well-crafted intrigue and mystery rather than provocative sensuality, although there was some of that as well. I was fully invested and bristling with curiosity as I gathered clues, formulated theories, and cast aside possible perpetrators, but I would never have anticipated this conclusion. Courtney Evan Tate is a sly and crafty wordsmith. This was my first exposure to her clever arrangements of words and I anticipate delving into many more.

About the Author

Courtney Evan Tate is the nom de plume for New York Times bestselling author, Courtney Cole.  Courtney Evan Tate is her darker side… the side that explores shadowy places.

Courtney lives in Florida with her husband and kids.  She has a passion for raising drug addiction awareness, the Marine Corp (her middle son is a Marine) and being introspective on the human condition.

Connect with Courtney

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

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Book Review: Kneel Down (Nailed Down Book 3) by Chelle Bliss & Eden Butler

 Kneel Down

(Nailed Down Book 3) 

by Chelle Bliss & Eden Butler

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N  

 

My job as a SEAL was to go in and save the day.
But even heroes fall. Even heroes make mistakes.

My only saving grace was Gin Sullivan.
My knock out best friend who wasn’t afraid to tell me the truth even when it hurt. She’d pick me up when I was wallowing in my own stupidity.

It wasn’t hard for me to fall for her.
Any man would.
She was beautiful.
She was smart.
She was everything I’d ever wanted.

I had plans to tell her that, squash the pinning we’d both done for two years.
But a bullet to the gut silenced me and Gin got tired of waiting.

Now I have a new mission, one that I can’t fail:
Do whatever it takes to make Gin mine forever.

Other books in the standalone Nailed Down Series:
Nailed Down – Book 1
Tied Down – Book 2
Kneel Down – Book 3

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

Words always get in the way. They did. Somehow, it was the words we didn’t say that injured the most. It was the silence that kept us from what we want.

 

 My Review:

 

I struggled to finish this one, not that the book was bad, it just wasn’t aligned with or palatable to my personal taste as constant conflict just isn’t my jam. The angsty storylines were missing the critical element of wit and levity that I had come to expect from these talented authors and instead appeared to be a repetitive cycle of 90% conflict, reticence, and forfeiture. I also failed to connect with the painfully stubborn and annoying morose characters, I found them exasperating. However, for readers who have a proclivity for angsty and quarrelsome tales with a few sizzling scenes of hot steamy sex, this would be a quick and tasty treat.

Meet the Author

USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss currently lives in a small town near the Gulf of Mexico. She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend. She’s written over ten books and has two series available. She loves spending her free time with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and her hamster.

Before becoming a writer, Chelle taught high school history for over ten years. She holds a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor’s in History. Although history is her first love, writing has become her dream job and she can’t imagine doing anything else.

http://chellebliss.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorchellebliss1

http://chellebliss.com/newsletter/

https://twitter.com/ChelleBliss1

https://www.instagram.com/authorchellebliss/

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Book Review: The Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sara Ackerman

The Lieutenant’s Nurse

by Sara Ackerman

Paperback: 352 Pages

Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (March 5, 2019)

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

November 1941. She’s never even seen the ocean before, but Eva Cassidy has her reasons for making the crossing to Hawaii, and they run a lot deeper than escaping a harsh Michigan winter. Newly enlisted as an Army Corps nurse, Eva is stunned by the splendor she experiences aboard the steamship SS Lurline; even more so by Lt. Clark Spencer, a man she is drawn to but who clearly has secrets of his own. But Eva’s past—and the future she’s trying to create—means that she’s not free to follow her heart. Clark is a navy intelligence officer, and he warns her that the United States won’t be able to hold off joining the war for long, but nothing can prepare them for the surprise attack that will change the world they know.

In the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Eva, and her fellow nurses band together for the immense duty of keeping the American wounded alive. And the danger that finds Eva threatens everything she holds dear. Amid the chaos and heartbreak, Eva will have to decide whom to trust and how far she will go to protect those she loves.

Set in the vibrant tropical surroundings of the Pacific, The Lieutenant’s Nurse is an evocative, emotional WWII story of love, friendship and the resilient spirit of the heroic nurses of Pearl Harbor.

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My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Eva had been shown a Pro-kit— sulfa ointment, directions, and a soaped-up cloth— and told to hand them out to every soldier who left the hospital. A Good Soldier Will Not Get Venereal Disease was stamped across the front.

 

Murmurs erupted and the room cleared faster than if someone had let loose a bagful of snakes.

 

He felt as though he were watching a war movie, his eyes unable to believe what he saw. He kept thinking about that first Zero and how close it had been. The bastard had actually waved. That face, he would never forget.

 

I swear to you, that morgue right there is enough to turn anyone against a war. Even the most hardened general. You ask me, it ought to be required visiting for those folks.

 

 My Review:

 

This was an engaging and poignantly written tale which combined fact and fiction, although, there were more surprising factual events than I was ever aware of or would have expected. The premise was unique and entertaining, with writing that squeezed my heart while continually plucking at my curiosity. I enjoyed the well-crafted mystery as well as the interplays between characters as much as I appreciated the historical significance of the story. Ms. Ackerman’s characters were complicated, smart, disarmingly endearing, and well fleshed out. Her scenes were lushly described and well textured to involve and employ all the senses. And despite the traumatic backdrop of the carnage of war, the emotional tone was generally well-balanced with surprising twists and unexpected bursts of wit tucked in.

 

I live in Hawaii and though I wasn’t around during the attack on Pearl Harbor, I am old but not that old, it was several levels beyond cool to read a book that mentioned quintessential local landmarks that were familiar and special to me. Some are no longer standing such as the iconic Dole Cannery water tower, which was shaped and painted like a pineapple; where else in the world would you ever see one of those? Having trod many of the same steps, it was supremely pleasing to be able to read of the locales they frequented and know exactly where they were and what it looked like. I’ve also sucked back drinks at sunset at the illustrious Royal Hawaiian Hotel, which is still lovely and still pink. And I could hear the crunch and taste the pleasant crispness as the nurses snacked on Saloon Pilot crackers, which are the absolute best and still baked fresh in Honolulu. Reading that scene had me cheating on my diet while digging my own tin out of the pantry and grabbing the guava jelly for an afternoon treat. That extra pound on the scale tomorrow will be blamed on Sara Ackerman’s charismatic storytelling.

About the Author

Sara is the bestselling author of Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers. Born and raised in Hawaii, she studied journalism and earned graduate degrees in psychology and Chinese medicine. She blames Hawaii for her addiction to writing and sees no end to its untapped stories. When she’s not writing or teaching, you’ll find her in the mountains or in the ocean. She currently lives on the Big Island with her boyfriend and a houseful of bossy animals. Find out more about Sara and her books at www.ackermanbooks.com.

Connect with Sara

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Book Review: Ten Lies by Emily James

Katie Perkins lives a simple life. She takes care of her son, works hard, and tries not to worry about the man-shaped hole in her life. That is until she wins a fantastic luxury holiday. Throwing caution to the wind, Katie lets down her hair and the holiday mood takes over.

Enter Jackson Quinn, a handsome doctor who is no stranger to the good life.

Katie has no experience of riches, and with only her bus fare home in her pocket, she decides there’s no harm in a few white lies… Filthy rich? Check. Size ten? Check. Olympic Gymnast who can complete a Rubik’s Cube in under thirty seconds? Check. After all, it’s not like she’s ever going to see Doctor Quinn again…

Follow Katie’s hilarious journey as she learns that sometimes those little white lies really can come back and bite you on the butt.

This standalone romantic comedy has a happy ending, no cliffhanger, and can also be enjoyed as part of The Power of Ten Series. It is best suited for readers over the age of eighteen due to sexual themes and mature content.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

What on earth happened to you, love? Come and sit down, you look like you’ve had a fight with death and come off worse…

 

I wonder what the hell kind of rubbish runners are on about when they say running brings them tranquillity and a chance to be at one with their thoughts. Right now, all I feel is dizzy from lack of oxygen and raw from no small amount of chafing between my thighs… My breathing is ragged, and the sun is so bright, all I can see is white light. I wonder if I’m about to encounter the pearly gates of heaven. Can you actually die from running?

 

What’s up? You look like you fell in a barrel of dicks and came out sucking your thumb?

 

My Review:

 

This was a fun and lively read.   Katie had won a first class vacation in a raffle, and after enduring more than four years of being pitied as “the widow” of her small quirky village, she decided to try on a new persona with the handsome and wealthy man sitting next to her on the plane, and her embellishments and prevarications became increasingly more grandiose with each glass of champagne. She enjoyed the lavish and romantic encounters throughout her vacation with this lovely stranger, never expecting to run into him again after her once in a lifetime vacation fling ended, so imagine her humiliation when he turns out to be the interim GP in her little village a few weeks later. She was unable to hide from him but tried her best to keep all of her lies from being outed and embarrassing her further, but that proved rather difficult as she had told some ridiculous whoppers.

 

The premise was entertaining and relevant while the writing was creatively spirited and zinging with sensuality and clever levity. I particularly enjoyed Katie’s imaginatively sweet fibs involving “the elf” and her various fake phone calls to an assortment of make-believe complaint departments for such distressing problems as “monster removal,” to delight and soothe her anxious child. I adored Jackson, but why can’t I meet a handsome and attentive doctor when I travel?   Sigh, I have decided to give up on flying as the skies aren’t so friendly and providence always seems to find me seated next to loud talkers, screaming infants, unmedicated hyperactive whiners, and rambunctious seat kickers instead.

About the Author

Amazon
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Emily James is an insanely funny British author who writes romance.

Current titles:

Ten Dates

Ten Dares 

Ten Lies

The Mistakes of My Past

Join her newsletter for updates:
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Spotlight: The Mister by E L James

TheMister-Banner

Beautiful and mysterious she possessed little more. . .

Than a dangerous and troublesome past.

THE MISTER, the highly anticipated new love story from #1 New York Times bestseller E L James is available now!

the mister hi res 1.22.19

London, 2019. Life has been easy for Maxim Trevelyan. With his good looks, aristocratic connections, and money, he’s never had to work and he’s rarely slept alone. But all that changes when tragedy strikes and Maxim inherits his family’s noble title, wealth, and estates, and all the responsibility that entails. It’s a role he’s not prepared for and one that he struggles to face.

But his biggest challenge is fighting his desire for an unexpected, enigmatic young woman who’s recently arrived in England, possessing little more than a dangerous and troublesome past. Reticent, beautiful, and musically gifted, she’s an alluring mystery, and Maxim’s longing for her deepens into a passion that he’s never experienced and dares not name. Just who is Alessia Demachi? And can Maxim protect her from the malevolence that threatens her? And what will she do when she learns that he’s been hiding secrets of his own?

From the heart of London through wild, rural Cornwall to the bleak, forbidding beauty of the Balkans, The Mister is a roller-coaster ride of danger and desire that leaves the reader breathless to the very last page.

TheMister-ANFB3

Download your copy today:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2T0zMwJ

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2HjnVsb

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TheMister

Nook: http://bit.ly/2T3CzWb

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2O0pYC6

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2HixZSr

Amazon Paperback: https://amzn.to/2TzCEWE

Audible: https://amzn.to/2u3HU5x

ABOUT E L JAMES

E L James is an incurable romantic and a self-confessed fangirl. After twenty-five years of working in television, she decided to pursue a childhood dream and write stories that readers could take to their hearts. The result was the controversial and sensuous romance Fifty Shades of Grey and its two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. In 2015, she published the #1 bestseller Grey, the story of Fifty Shades of Grey from the perspective of Christian Grey, and in 2017, the chart-topping Darker, the second part of the Fifty Shades story from Christian’s point of view. Her books have been published in fifty languages and have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.

E L James has been recognized as one of Time magazine’s “Most Influential People in the World” and Publishers Weekly’s “Person of the Year.” Fifty Shades of Grey stayed on The New York Times Best Seller List for 133 consecutive weeks. Fifty Shades Freed won the Goodreads Choice Award (2012), and Fifty Shades of Grey was selected as one of the 100 Great Reads, as voted by readers, in PBS’s The Great American Read (2018). Darker has been long-listed for the 2019 International DUBLIN Literary Award.

She co-produced for Universal Studios the Fifty Shades movies, which made more than a billion dollars at the box office. The third installment, Fifty Shades Freed, won the People’s Choice Award for Drama in 2018.

 

E L James is blessed with two wonderful sons and lives with her husband, the novelist and screenwriter Niall Leonard, and their West Highland terriers in the leafy suburbs of West London.

E.L. James
HyperFocal: 0

For more information about E L James, visit:

Website: https://www.eljamesauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELJamesAuthor/

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2XTO0TM

And Instagram: http://bit.ly/2TO6vdd

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Book Review, Giveaway: Pieces of Us by A.L. Jackson

A second chance stand-alone romance in A.L. Jackson’s Confessions of the Heart Series.
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“I absolutely adored all of the sweet emotion, angst, and just all of the feelings “Pieces of Us” inspired. The characters and their growth had me hooked from the first page. Read it. You will not regret it.”
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~NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author Kylie Scott
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My loves!! PIECES OF US IS LIVE!!! I am so freaking excited, I can hardly stand it! This book is EVERYTHING!
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✓ Second-chance romance
✓ Sexy AF hero
✓ All the feels
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DETAILS:
TITLE: PIECES OF US
SERIES: A Confessions of the Heart Stand-Alone Novel
RELEASE DATE: April 22nd, 2019
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Maxon Chambers has a way of stealing all the attention.
All my affection, and all my dreams.
What I needed to remember was he’d stolen my good judgment and my virginity, too.
When he broke up with me, I ran across the country and swore I’d never return to Broadshire Rim.
But here I am, thirteen years later.
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Maxon is all grown up.
Sexier than sin and more tempting than ever.
A detective on the Charleston force, he lives on the outside of safety, devoted to protecting the people of his city.
But with the way he’s looking at me now? I’m pretty sure what needs protecting is my heart.
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Can we mend the pieces of us? Or will he leave my heart shattered forever . . .
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Daddy-the-Great looks like he might be at his wit’s end. Grams said she is always at her wit’s end, and I don’t think we need to be driving Daddy there, too. It seems like a dangerous place to be. We might need an intervention.

 

I looked at Ian’s infant who was wearing nothing but a towel duct taped around his waist… “If you can get her into her bed for a nap without waking her up, I’ll give you a thousand dollars. Strike that, I’ll give you my car.”

 

Pulling me closer, she hiked up on her toes and murmured quietly in my ear so only I could hear, “Now don’t go and do something stupid like hurt my daughter. I’ll hunt you down and cut off your balls. Know it took some big ones for you to show up here today, so use ’em wisely.”

 

That’s a really bad word, Mr. Mack. Don’t tell me you really are a troublemaker, too. Mom’s already got her hands full with the two of us.

 

My Review:

 

A.L. Jackson seems to revel in anchoring her compelling yet broken and deeply flawed characters in misery, angst, melodrama, distress, and indecision while keeping her storylines fraught with tension. Thank goodness she always plants a few adorable children without filters on their mouths within her addictive stories to provide comic relief.   Like the previous two books in this series, Pieces of Us was an intriguing, tragic, and heart squeezing second chance romance with elements of suspense and a ton of heartbreaking family drama. My poor coronary muscle feels battered and bruised and is in dire need of wine therapy and lighter fare. I’m thinking a vat of Moscato and a nice relaxing romantic comedy is in order for my next read.

Don’t miss the awesome giveaway for the Pieces of Us release! It’s the first two books from the Confessions of the Heart Series + Kindle Fire + Polaroid Camera + All the Goods!
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Ahhh I can’t wait for you to experience this story! I’m so insanely proud of it! I can’t wait to hear what you think!
xoxo ~
Amy
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A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.

Her bestselling series include THE REGRET SERIES, CLOSER TO YOU, BLEEDING STARS, and FIGHT FOR ME novels. Grab A.L. Jackson’s latest novel, PIECES OF US, the third stand-alone novel in her brand-new CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART series.
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If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
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Be sure not to miss new releases and sales from A.L. Jackson – Sign up to receive her newsletter http://smarturl.it/NewsFromALJackson or text “aljackson” to 33222 to receive short but sweet updates on all the important news.
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Connect with A.L.
Facebook: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonPage
Reader Group: http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonAmzn
Bookbub: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonBookbub
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor
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Spotlight, Giveaway: Colel – The Mistress of Bees by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Colel, The Mistress of Bees

(Stand Alone)

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Synopsis:
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a Standalone, Romantic Comedy a la Paranormal.

COLEL

Book #5, the Immortal Matchmakers, Inc., Series

WARNING:

This book contains foul language, gratuitous sex against a truck, outrageously rude immortal warriors in leather pants, snow, pigheaded gods, a sexually frustrated goddess, a very hot and hunky florist guy with a bad attitude and a big secret, Brutus bubble baths, a sneaky invisible unicorn, unrequited love, bees, bees, and more bees, and chocolates. SOMETIMES LOVE BITES AND SOMETIMES IT STINGS. Colel, the Goddess of Bees, has been looking for Mr. Right for over seventy thousand years. So when she meets the hunky owner of a small-town flower shop and explodes with flutters and tingles, she’s almost certain that he’s the one. Only two problems: her tiny black-and-yellow army suddenly won’t let her anywhere near him, and…is that a freaking epinephrine pen in the fridge? “Dear gods! He’s allergic to bees? Say it isn’t so.” If simply dating the guy will kill him, how will she ever know for sure if he’s really the one? Colel has a solution, but it’s drastic. Even for her. And what if he says no?

BUY LINKS

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU | AMAZON Other

KOBO/Walmart | iBOOKS | NOOK  | PAPERBACK

About the Author

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling romance author with over a million books sold worldwide. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dream. Mimi lives with her Latin Lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and the rat terrier duo, Snowflake and Mini Me, in Arizona. She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Sign up for Mimi’s mailing list for giveaways and new release news!

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Other books in the series

Immortal Matchmakers, Inc. (Book #1)

** CURRENTLY FREE ON ALL PLATFORMS **

AMAZON US | AMAZON  UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU

iBOOKS | KOBO | NOOK

Tommaso (Book #2)

BUY LINKS

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU

iBOOKS | KOBO | NOOK | WALMART | PAPERBACK

God of Wine (Book #3)

 BUY LINKS

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU

KOBO | B&N | iBOOKS | WALMART | PAPERBACK

Goddess of Forgetfulness (Book #4)

 BUY LINKS

AMAZON | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU

 KOBO | B&N | iBOOKS | WALMART | PAPERBACK

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Book Review: Trust Me (Lies and Misdirection #4) by K. J. McGillick

 Trust Me

(Lies and Misdirection #4)

by K. J. McGillick

 


Amazon US / UK / AU / CA  

 

Sex. Power. Murder.

Dr. Gabriel Blackwell and his wife Sandra Blake have it all. He’s a brilliant thoracic surgeon. She’s a high-powered attorney with family money. Their lives are as loving as they are glamorous.

Or are they?

When a nurse Dr. Blackwell works with is brutally murdered, the questions fly. Who would want to kill this woman and why? When an autopsy reveals the woman was pregnant, all signs point to Dr. Blackwell. Just what was her relationship with him?

Whispers about a scandalous sex club surface. How many other lovers are there? Are any of them safe? How far would he go to protect his reputation?

Tragedy strikes again as Sandra Blake is found dead floating in their pool. Dr. Blackwell now finds himself on trial for two murders. Facing life in prison, Dr. Blackwell will grasp at any straw to preserve his freedom.

Any straw.

Is anyone innocent? Is anyone safe?

 

My Rating:



Favorite Quotes:

 

The practice of law came down to which lawyer was a better actor, whose clients lied with more finesse, and who could put out the fires the quickest when your case exploded in real time. At some point, I would have to ask Mary if I could look inside her bottomless bag. And maybe even set up a duplicate one for me. Weapons and candy, every girl’s dream. These are times I wish I could get the hang of meditation or maybe comfortable enough to keep a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in my drawer. I’m always disappointed when a liar’s pants didn’t catch on fire.

 

 My Review:

 

I am shocked to realize I had started feeling sorry for these surprisingly likable lawyers. I will admit to considering their general ilk a necessary evil in navigating the justice system (emphasis on the evil), and rate close to loan sharks in my level of esteem. However, this boutique law firm of feisty ladies set out to be of a different sort as they actually claimed to have principles as well as standards about whom they chose to represent. Although determining a client’s guilt or culpability can be a difficult judgment call, one made even more complicated when unknowingly dealing with sociopaths. And unfortunately, they seem to have landed in a nest of vipers with bizarre happenings quickly mushrooming from bad to worse.

The storylines were complex yet interesting, twisty, and intriguing. As with her previous books in the series, Ms. McGillick shrewdly tucks and folds levity and ironic wit in amongst the tension and suspense to balance out the strain of uncertainty and distressing revelations. My favorite cunning and spry octogenarian, Mary, was back with her infamous handbag, stylized weapons, and wry wit. New members were added to the legal team who were required to hit the ground running with the sudden unexpected influx of complicated cases.   The new attorneys couldn’t have been more dissimilar; I enjoyed them both but was totally enamored with the rigid and robotic Mr. Martin’s computer-like brain and cataloging of obscure information, he was a well-dressed and well-seasoned Sheldon Cooper. The most compelling characters were the various nightmarish clients and their questionable lifestyles, as well as their victims. I am gleefully looking forward to the next book in the series as Ms. McGillick promised to provide more of the oddly peculiar Mr. Martin.

 

About the Author

K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that’s what New Yorker’s do. Right? A Registered Nurse, a lawyer now author.

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing, she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field, she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/ 

Kathleen McGillick

@KJMcGillickAuth

 http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

https://twitter.com/KJMcGillickAuth

 

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Book Review: The Worth of a Penny by Jess B. Moore

 

The Worth of a Penny

by Jess B. Moore

 

Amazon

 

Sweetheart Penelope Davies is what her daddy calls gullible, right after he told her she was stupid and worthless. With her cheek red from being slapped by him, and her heart trampled by a worthless boyfriend, she packs up and follows her half-brother to Fox River, North Carolina, in need of a fresh start.

Dominic MacKenna is the youngest of five brothers, the friendly one with a killer smile and easy laugh. His brothers are all grown up, and one by one they’re flying the nest, leaving him out of sorts and unsure of his place. Who is he if not the youngest MacKenna?

Penny falls in with the MacKenna brothers, welcomed in as family, and offered the kind of love and support she never knew existed. With a new job and a lot of determination, she is finding out what she’s capable of. The last thing she needs now is to fall in love with the most notorious flirt in town.

Dominic falls for the sweet strong girl with a penchant for random facts and quirky homemade dresses. All he wants is to show Penny how wonderful she is, how smart and funny, and how desired and loved—even if he has to do it as her friend.

 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

Are they monitoring your texts now? Should I send a shot of my nipples? My gentleman sausage? Would it get you fired?

 

“I can show you all the places girls have professed their love for Dominic.” “Oh, yes, please show Penny all the graffiti. Way to keep it classy, Magnolia.” I deadpanned, shifting my weight, and wishing for an end to this conversation. “Don’t’ Magnolia me, Dominic Oswald MacKenna.” I sucked in a breath. Maggie middle named me. In front of Penny.

 

It’s all my sisters do, and all the women working here. Like a sickness. I swear, if and when I meet a woman who doesn’t gossip, I’ll know she’s the one.

 

My Review:

 

There has to be some type of bewitchment or inexplicable magic that Jess B. Moore sprinkles on her stories as I am immediately sucked into her characters’ vortex whenever I pick up her books. This is my third exposure to her craftily written and heart squeezing tales, and this delightful phenomenon has occurred each and every time.   Her word voodoo is strong! I adored these quirky, irresistible, and complex characters. Ms. Moore certainly has a knack for casting her tales with uniquely compelling and slighted dented yet highly endearing individuals. Penny and Dominic were both adorable, highly appealing, and gentle souls who were well worth knowing. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Moore conjures next for Fox River.

About the Author

Jess B Moore is a writer of love stories. When she’s not writing, she’s busy mothering her talented and stubborn children, reading obscene numbers of books, and knitting scarves she’ll likely never finish.

Jess lives in small-town North Carolina with her bluegrass obsessed family. She takes too many pictures of her cats, thinking the Internet loves them as much as she does. She is a firm believer of swapping stories over coffee or wine, and that there should always be dark chocolate involved.

Her novels combine her interests in family, music, and small towns into thoughtful tales of growing up and falling in love.

Social Media Links –
Website: https://jessbmoore.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessb
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjessb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjessb/

 

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Book Review: One Last Summer by Victoria Connelly

One Last Summer

by Victoria Connelly

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

They have the whole summer ahead of them. Is it enough to rekindle the friendship they once shared?

Harriet Greenleaf dreams of spending the summer in a beautiful ancient priory on the Somerset coast with her two best friends—but her dream is bittersweet. On the one hand, it’s a chance to reconnect three lives that have drifted apart; on the other, she has a devastating secret to share that will change everything between them forever.

First to arrive is Audrey—the workaholic who’s heading for a heart attack unless she slows down and makes time for herself. Then Lisa, the happy-go-lucky flirt who’s always struggled to commit to anyone—or anything. Ever the optimist, can Harriet remind them of the joy in their lives and the importance of celebrating good friendship before it’s gone?

Through the highs and lows of a long, glorious summer, these three women will rediscover what it means to be there for each other—before they face the hardest of goodbyes.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He was the head of the maths department and she’d told him that she’d always hated figures and he’d made some wisecrack about liking hers.

 

Harrie’s diagnosis. D-Day, she called it, and now her life seemed to be divided between everything that had happened before D-Day and everything that had happened after.

 

Kindness. That was the trait she’d come to value most in recent years. You realised that as soon as you became ill. Kindness trumped absolutely everything else.

 

… the likelihood was that she wasn’t going to see her birthday. How strange a thought was that – to know that you have seen your last birthday?

 

A moment of stillness and wordlessness passed between the two women. It was a strange feeling because Harrie didn’t feel any sort of closeness to Mrs Ryder, but this confession – this sharing of intimate pain – now connected them. Harrie had found that her journey with cancer had linked her to so many people in this way – people she probably would never have spoken to.

 

Lisa, aligning my chakras and teaching me how to breathe through one nostril isn’t going to save me… This thing’s got me good and proper.

 

I know he’s the father of my daughter and there’s a part of me that will always love him, but he’s moved on now. He’s married to Lizzie, who has big hair and wears tight tops. So, you see my health isn’t his concern anymore.

 

My Review:

 

Knowing her days were numbered, Harriet, Harrie for short, splashed out a fortune to provide one last hurrah to host a peaceful summer vacation with her two oldest and dearest friends of twenty years, who are unaware of her dire health issues. This wasn’t a highly eventful or active story but a slowly evolving character-based study of coming to grips with mortality, as well as how that was processed and dealt with within complicated relationships and personalities. Each woman possessed a distinct and complex identity with vastly different temperaments, life goals, and levels of accomplishment, yet they cared about each other and fussed like siblings.

The premise was relevant and thought-provoking while the writing was emotive and thoughtfully insightful with recurrent themes of interpersonal tension, poignancy, melancholia, angst, and wry humor. The main characters were well fleshed out, although the character of Audrey was the most difficult for me to warm up to as she was the type of person I generally make an effort to avoid in real-life; she was stubborn, bristling with self-importance, driven, highly opinionated, and abrupt. I actually found the local workers to be the most compelling and interesting and greatly enjoyed their addition and contributions to the story.

New additions to my Brit Word list include plimsolls – which are rubber-soled canvas shoes; slap-up – a large and sumptuous meal; and supply teaching – what most Americans know as substitute teaching.

About the Author

Victoria Connelly studied English literature at Worcester University, got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and now lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband, a young springer spaniel and a flock of ex-battery hens.

She is the author of two bestselling series, Austen Addicts and The Book Lovers, as well as many other novels and novellas. Her first published novel, Flights of Angels, was made into a film in 2008 by Ziegler Films in Germany. The Runaway Actress was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Romantic Comedy Novel award.

Ms. Connelly loves books, films, walking, historic buildings and animals. If she isn’t at her keyboard writing, she can usually be found in her garden, with either a trowel in her hand or a hen on her lap.

Her website is www.victoriaconnelly.com, and readers can follow her on Twitter @VictoriaDarcy and on Instagram @VictoriaConnellyAuthor.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/312085782631729/

Twitter: @VictoriaDarcy

Instagram: @VictoriaConnellyAuthor