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Book Review: Hell and High Water (Maeve Malloy Mystery #3) by Keenan Powell @KeenanPowell6 @TLCBookTours @levelbestbooks

Hell and High Water
(Maeve Malloy Mystery #3)
by Keenan Powell

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound  | Apple

 

Alaskan attorney Maeve Malloy isn’t sure she’s cut out to be a lawyer. All she wants is to be treated like everyone else. Hiding her past, she takes a kitchen job at a remote lodge while she sorts out her life. The day after she lands at Fox Island, a tourist is killed and a rampaging bear has trapped her and the lodge’s guests inside.

The local cops can’t get to the lodge because of a storm so they ask Maeve for help. Her cover is blown and she’s thrown back into investigating the who, why, and wherefore of the murder before a killer among them can strike again.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

His shaggy eyebrows lifted briefly, came together, wiggled, and then settled back down. They looked like caterpillars trying to escape.

 

Mother Superior used to say if you connected the dots on Maeve’s face, they’d spell “Erin Go Bragh.”

 

She surveyed the room. One narcissistic tourist with an inebriated husband, a couple of nuns, a crazy old biker chick, a New Age woman, also drunk, her pot-smoking husband, and an awkward botanist. No one normal. Just her luck.

 

He didn’t trust nuns. What a strange Catholic thing, women cutting off their hair, giving up sex, wearing ugly clothes. He’d seen them in flocks back in Chicago and never thought he’d have one in his home, much less as an in-law. Back when he hooked up with Bernie, Iggy wasn’t a nun, she was a cop. He wasn’t sure which was worse.

 

Nothing he fixed worked right afterward. He didn’t talk much. At first, Roger wondered if that was because he was stoned all the time; lately, he’d suspected it was because Lester knew he was an idiot and didn’t want anyone noticing.

My Review:

 

Slowly unwinding, perceptively written, and shrewdly paced – this tautly written mystery held my attention and kept me on edge and guessing throughout perusal. Packed with a bracingly odd assortment of alcoholic personalities, mostly within one extended family unit, the fatally faulty characters’ development was brutally and insightfully observant and occasionally amusing in their descriptions.   These were not people most of us would invite into our homes for an enjoyable dinner party, or really, for any sane reason.

Hidden glints of levity were cleverly and unexpectedly sprinkled in to balance out the constant familial tension as well as the diabolical and heinous nature of the background issues. The histories of crimes were handled sensitively and thoughtfully despite being dishearteningly realistic and wretchedly relevant to the world we live in.   This was my introduction to Ms. Keenan Powell and her uniquely flawed yet keenly intelligent, Mauve Malloy, Alaskan based J.D. Esquire. And while this is the third in the series and although I’m sure I would also enjoy reading the first two books and would have possibly gotten a bit more out of the tale if I had, this installment has the strong legs of a mogul skier and can easily stand on its own.

About the Author

Keenan Powell is the award-nominated author of the Maeve Malloy Mystery series. Her first publication was illustrations in Dungeons and Dragons, 1st edition, while in high school.

Art seemed to be an impractical pursuit – she wasn’t an heiress, didn’t have the disposition to marry well, and hated teaching – so she went to law school instead. The day after graduation, she moved to Alaska, where she continues to practice law.

In 2009, there was a string of homeless deaths which the Alaska Medical Examiner had ruled were the result of natural causes. While attending a legal seminar, she learned of a little-known law that permits the medical examiner to declare death by natural causes without performing an autopsy. These deaths and that loophole inspired her to write Deadly Solution.

She won the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic grant which led to a three-book deal with Level Best Books. Deadly Solution was published in January of 2018 and was nominated for a Lefty, Agatha, and Silver Falchion.

When not writing or practicing law, Keenan can be found connecting with readers on social media, chatting with fellow mystery authors in the Bouchercon and Crime Bake community, oil painting, or studying the Irish language.

Find out more about Keenan at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

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Book Review: The House at Magpie Cove by Kennedy Kerr @KennedyKerr5 @bookouture

The House at Magpie Cove
by Kennedy Kerr

Amazon  / B&N / GP/ Apple / Kobo

 

The Cornish beach house creaked in the salty sea wind and, from the weathered wooden porch, Mara watched a lone magpie circle above. It was silly to think that her mother’s spirit was still with her, but Mara felt as if there was something keeping her here. A secret that needed to be told…

When Mara Hughes inherits her late mother’s tumbledown beach house overlooking the bright, sandy sweep of Magpie Cove, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. With her marriage on the rocks and her husband threatening to take the family home, the beach house – with all the bittersweet memories it holds – might be the thing that finally sends Mara’s world crashing down around her. She tells herself she’ll only spend a few days there: sell it and move on to rebuilding her life.

When Mara arrives, the house is in a worse state than she feared – holes in the bedroom ceiling, birds’ nests in the attic, and the beautiful, wrap-around porch on the brink of collapse… but she loves it anyway. With all its history it feels like the last link to her late mother and, determined to do whatever it takes to keep it in the family, Mara strikes a deal with local handyman – and town heartthrob – Brian Oakley to save the crumbling cottage from ruin.

But when a box of unopened old letters arrives on her new doorstep – a bequest from her mother’s will – Mara’s resolve to save the beach house will be tested to the limit. Because Mara’s mother’s perfect childhood in Magpie Cove was forever spoiled by one haunting day in July, and the letters contain a secret about her family that Mara can scarcely believe to be true…

A story of secrets, family, and forgiveness, this heartfelt read set in beautiful Cornwall is perfect for fans of Susanne O’Leary, Fern Britton, and Rosanna Ley.

  

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He gave the air of considering himself too important for something as fanciful as reading a novel or a play or a poem. Privately, Mara had always thought that anyone who didn’t like books was either boring or an idiot. Turns out, I was right.

 

Life’s always easier when you’ve got your hair done and a good pair of knickers on, in my experience.

 

Ugh. I am sick and tired of men, she thought. Maybe I can go and live on some kind of women’s commune where everybody is nice and eats cake and plants lovely vegetable gardens and we have monthly moon rituals and community sing-songs and I could train to be a medicine woman, and no one would ever be mean or unreasonable.

My Review:

 

This was an engaging, fairly quick, and entertaining read with relevant and relatable issues and knowable characters. There were several periods I wanted to give the main character of Mara a swift kick to dislodge her misplaced noggin from her colon and shake loose a few stagnate brain cells and some self-confidence in the process, but thankfully she saw the light before too much damage was done. The storylines were well constructed and smartly paced. I see this is only the author’s second book and I would never have guessed as the writing style was well developed with a smooth and inviting flow. Well done, Ms. Kerr, I am duly impressed.

About the Author

Kennedy Kerr is the author of A Spell of Murder, a witch-themed cozy mystery, and The House at Magpie Cove (November 2020), and The Café at Magpie Cove (coming in 2021). She adores beaches, lochs, and magical places, and loves writing about small communities, mysteries, and family secrets.

Kennedy also loves cooking and baking all types of food, which is almost as much fun as eating it.

 

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Book Review: The Girl Who Never Came Home by Nicole Trope @nicoletrope @bookouture

 

The Girl Who Never Came Home 
by Nicole Trope

 

They find her just as the sun is beginning to rise in the early morning mist. They had begun at dawn, the group of searchers keen to get going. A missing child spurred everyone on. In the end, it was a flash of colour, a bright neon pink that caught her eye. They had been looking for pink.

Nothing tests your faith like being a mother. The first time your children walk to school alone, their first sleepover when they finally fly the nest. As a parent, you have to believe that everything will be OK.

It’s why, when Lydia’s sixteen-year-old daughter Zoe goes on a school camping trip, she has no idea of the horrors that will unfold. It’s why, when Lydia gets a call saying that her daughter has disappeared, she refuses to give up.

As she searches the mountains, her voice hoarse from calling Zoe’s name, she imagines finding her. She envisions being flooded with relief as she throws her arms around her child, saying, ‘you gave us such a scare’. She pictures her precious girl safely tucked in bed that evening.

It’s why, when they find Zoe’s body, Lydia can barely believe it. It is unthinkable. Her little girl has gone.

Something terrible happened, she is sure of it. Something made Zoe get out of her sleeping bag in the middle of the night, walk out of the warmth and safety of the cabin, into the darkness of the mountains. Driven by the memory of her youngest child, Lydia needs to find out the truth. What kind of mother would she be if she didn’t?

A heartbreaking, redemptive, and beautifully crafted novel which brings to life a mother’s worst nightmare, questioning how well we ever really know the people we love the most. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher, and Liane Moriarty will be blown away by this stirring, unforgettable tale.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I have a bit of a soft spot for Leeanne, for how awkward the poor girl is, with her perpetually hunched shoulders and the glasses that slip to the tip of her nose as soon as she moves her head, for how dreadful her skin is, for how she makes me see myself at sixteen. Leeanne is, as I was, the smartest girl in the year… I have often told her that as long as she sticks with her dream, she will one day be able to look back at her school years and see them as a growth opportunity rather than a trial to be endured.

 

I was incandescent with rage…

 

Guilt weighs me down, slows my steps, steals my sleep and my appetite. Guilt is the only emotion I deserve to feel.

My Review:

 

I argue that justice was not served by the end result as the punishment was too severe and not at all deserved, and I’m referencing the true victim in this piece – and just to be clear – I’m not talking about the dead girl. There were many victims in this tale as the recently deceased teen, Zoe, was quite the heinous little madam. Zoe was vile and vicious and a monster of her mother’s creation by a lifetime of overindulgence. I despised the bratty she-devil while I deeply resented her shortsighted mother, but I had overflowing buckets of empathy for everyone else.

The storylines were taut with tension, well-crafted intrigue, and tantalizingly slow revelations. I thoroughly enjoyed the insights reaped from the multiple points of view and although there appeared to be an unending plethora of fractured and wounded people to keep up with who had been brutalized in some manner by the cruelty or repercussions of Zoe’s selfish schemes and reprehensible behaviors, it was easily done once the characters were semi-established. I found it highly interesting how they all suffered from guilt by their limited knowledge of and inactions leading up to and during the main event. This was my second foray into the sly and artful deception and cunning word-stylings of Nicole Trope and I can only hope for many more such unscrupulous outings.

About the Author

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Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realized the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because, as her professor pointed out, ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’

She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree. In between raising three children, working for her husband, and renovating houses, she has published six novels. She lives in Sydney, Australia.

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Book Review: The One Before by Miranda Smith @MSmithBooks @bookouture

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The One Before
by Miranda Smith

I love him. I trust him… But what if I’m wrong?

Whisper Falls is a fresh start for Madison and her fiancé Cooper. The safe, quiet town on the shores of a beautiful lake is the perfect place to spend the rest of their lives.

But then Madison learns that Cooper’s high-school girlfriend Celia disappeared after a party. Three days later, her body was found in the lake.

And the town thinks it wasn’t an accident.

Madison loves Cooper, but she can’t help wondering. She has to know the truth.

But if she starts asking questions, what other secrets will be revealed? Will she meet the same fate as the woman who came before her?

A dark, gripping psychological thriller with a brilliant twist, The One Before is perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn, and Rachel Caine.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I feel slighted by her unnecessary comment, but I don’t think she can help herself. In the half-hour I’ve known her, I’ve picked up on her innate ability to aggravate people.

 

“That’s what we do in Whisper. We choose our side and defend it to the death.” I roll my eyes again. Regina will take some getting used to, but there’s truth in what she says… This town certainly takes sides.

 

Mistakes cast ripples; they penetrate your surface, the life you thought you had, and expand onward from there.

 

Sympathy is granted sparingly; it’s typically reserved for forms of tragedy. An unpreventable illness. An unprovoked crime. We forget most people are the source of their own unhappiness. When you’re the cause of your hardships, people are less willing to forgive.

My Review:

 

This was a clever and twisted tale of intrigue, family entanglements, small-town complications, and secrets.   The characters were oddly enticing and magnetic, they plucked at my curiosity to know more about them as they inhabited well-crafted storylines that curved, bent, and folded over like a beautiful origami swan. The pacing was shrewd and expertly honed to keep me enslaved to my Kindle and hissing at any and all distractions that dared interfere with my perusal. This was my first exposure to Miranda Smith’s treachery and I am already craving more.

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Miranda Smith writes psychological and domestic suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Before completing her first novel, she worked as a newspaper staff writer and a secondary English teacher. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three young children.
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Book Review: The Next Wife by Liz Lawler  @AuthorLizLawler @bookouture

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The Next Wife
by Liz Lawler 

Amazon  / B&N / GP/ Apple / Kobo

I should never have married him. I ignored the warnings. It’s what you do when you’re in love. Ignore what you don’t want to see.

My husband is everything I ever dreamed of. A handsome, successful doctor who swept me off my feet.

Our new life together is perfect.

He’s perfect.

But am I good enough for him? I never seem to get anything right. And I’m starting to feel a little afraid of the man I married.

He’s taken away my bank card and my phone. I don’t know what to think or what to do. I gave up everything for him and now I’m trapped.

Then a stranger comes to our door. She tells me that I can’t trust my husband.

That I should ask him what happened to his first wife.

Totally gripping, chilling and with a twist you won’t see coming, The Next Wife is a dark, heart-stopping story of what really goes on behind closed doors. Fans of My Lovely Wife, B A Paris, and JP Delaney will be completely enthralled by this addictive read.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

This wasn’t living. She was only alive in the sense that her body was breathing and her heart was beating.

 

…truth and lies are often told together. The truth to hide the lies and lies to hide the truth.

My Review:

 

I’m waffling and conflicted in how to rate this one, I was tense and antagonized with the main characters most of the way through yet their twisted logic and unpredictable storylines kept me reading to the end. The new wife was just as unhinged as her cruel and creepy sociopath husband for living under those abusive and volatile conditions, and it would be a rare woman with more than two working brain cells who would have. But I would never have guessed that ending, it was very clever and upped the final star rating. Liz Lawler is an underhanded minx and a twisted sister, and I have to give her props and kudos for her slick trickery – with maybe a few sharp pinches in a soft area for torturing me along the way. 😉

About the Author

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Liz Lawler grew up sharing pants, socks, occasionally a toothbrush, sleeping four to a bed. Born in Chatham and partly raised in Dublin, she is one of fourteen children. She spent over twenty years as a nurse and has since fitted in working as a flight attendant, a general manager of a five-star hotel, and is now working with trains. She became an author in 2017 when her debut novel Don’t Wake Up was published by Twenty7.
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Book Review: Trick or Thief (Death by Cupcake #6) by D.E. Haggerty @dehaggerty

Trick or Thief
(Death by Cupcake #6)
by D.E. Haggerty 

A little haunting sounds like innocent fun until a ghost plunders your stockroom.

Kristie is convinced ghosts don’t exist until food starts disappearing without a trace from the Youth Center storage. There are zero clues as to who’s been inside the building. The security guard hasn’t seen a thing, and the security tapes are mysteriously blank. When the ghost widens his hocus-pocus to include Kristie’s office, the gals of Callie’s Cakes jump in to find the culprit before Kristie can get in a whole mess of spooky trouble.  Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes expose the ghost before Kristie’s facility is destroyed?

Cupcakes not included, although recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes are.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

So, here I am, placing a cupcake laced with laxatives on the kitchen counter in the Youth Center in the hopes the thief – who is most definitely not a ghost despite what Anna believes – takes the bait.

 Anna is basically the only baker at Callie’s Cakes… Although Callie will claim she helps with the baking, don’t believe her. She mostly licks the frosting off of spoons and annoys the daylights out of Anna.

 Logan grunts in response. I guess that’s manspeak for okay, I understand.

 “Pumpkins!” Anna shouts before running off into the pumpkin patch…

Several children are clapping and giggling while chasing after her. Their parents look on concerned. I can’t blame them. It’s not every day you see an adult with orange and black tipped hair skipping through a pumpkin patch.

My Review:

 

This is such a fun and vibrant series of novellas, each delightfully amusing and interconnected yet capable of standing alone, but why deny yourself the pleasure of reading them all. All the major holiday periods appear to be represented in the various installments as well as witty banter, amusing humor, growly alpha men, delicious cupcake recipes, and more than a few mysterious conundrums for the three oddly matched friends to solve.

D.E. Haggerty is actually just plain old Dena, but she thinks using initials makes her sound sophisticated and maybe even grown-up. She was born and raised in the U.S. but considers herself a Dutchie and not only because it sounds way cooler. After a stint in the U.S. Army, she escaped the US to join her husband in Holland. She fled Holland over ten years ago when she couldn’t stand the idea of being a lawyer for one single second more. Turns out Bed & Breakfast owner in Germany didn’t do it for her either. When the hubby got a job in Istanbul, she jumped ship and decided to give this whole writer thing a go. She’s now back in Holland, which she considers home. Sorry, Mom.

Join my newsletter for free stories, writing updates & great deals on books here:

https://www.subscribepage.com/dehaggerty

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Book Review: Fireworks, A Firecracker & Foul Play (Death by Cupcake #5) by D.E. Haggerty  @dehaggerty

Fireworks, A Firecracker & Foul Play
(Death by Cupcake #5)
by D.E. Haggerty 

Amazon 

 

How do you plan the perfect July 4th wedding with the groom in jail for murder?

Anna is not about to find out. And no way is she getting married in the jailhouse. Not happening. Instead, she’s off to uncover the actual murderer, because there’s no way her fiancé Logan would hurt anyone. Yeah, sure, he looks kind of intimidating, but he’s a cop. He fights crime. He doesn’t commit it!

Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes solve the mystery before Anna’s wedding is ruined?

Cupcakes not included, although you’ll find recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He’s a hot fireman. If I didn’t have Logan, I’d drool all over him. Who am I kidding? I still drool over the man.

 

My pink hair might have been a dead giveaway. For some reason, gangbangers don’t usually have colorful hair. Their loss.

 

My Review:

 

This was a fun and lively read that was shot through with snarky humor and smirk-worthy wit. And clocking in at 110 pages it was a quick and satisfying treat that left me jonesing for sugar and eager to dive into the next installment.

D.E. Haggerty is actually just plain old Dena, but she thinks using initials makes her sound sophisticated and maybe even grown-up. She was born and raised in the U.S. but considers herself a Dutchie and not only because it sounds way cooler. After a stint in the U.S. Army, she escaped the US to join her husband in Holland. She fled Holland over ten years ago when she couldn’t stand the idea of being a lawyer for one single second more. Turns out Bed & Breakfast owner in Germany didn’t do it for her either. When the hubby got a job in Istanbul, she jumped ship and decided to give this whole writer thing a go. She’s now back in Holland, which she considers home. Sorry, Mom.

Join my newsletter for free stories, writing updates & great deals on books here: 

https://www.subscribepage.com/dehaggerty 

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Book Review: Murder on the Dance Floor by Helena Dixon @NellDixon @bookouture

Murder on the Dance Floor
(A Miss Underhay Mystery #4)
 by Helena Dixon   

Amazon 

 

Kitty Underhay’s dance card is full… of death.

November 1933. Amateur sleuth-cum-dutiful granddaughter Kitty Underhay stifles a sigh of boredom as she attends the annual Hoteliers’ Association Dinner and Dance on behalf of her grandmother, the proprietress of the Dolphin Hotel. She hopes the company of ex-army captain Matthew Bryant will enliven the otherwise dull evening. That is until bullish and overbearing local councilor Harold Everton drops dead into his bowl of consommé.

While the local police are still scrambling for their whistles, Kitty and Matt waste no time leaping into action. Soon they find themselves caught up in a dangerous search to uncover who amongst the distinguished guests used cyanide for seasoning?

When their digging throws light on a corruption scandal brewing in the local council involving Everton’s assistant Thomas King, they are sure they’ve cracked the case. But before he can be questioned further, King’s body is found in a smoldering car wreck. Meanwhile, the murderer has made a sinister plan to avoid detection or punishment, and it will lead Kitty and Matt into a dangerous dance with death…

A fast, fun, and utterly unputdownable Golden Age cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey, and Lee Strauss.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘I believe I’ve met her cousin, Betty, on a few occasions.’ Alice’s mother sniffed. ‘My sister Aggie’s girl. A fast article she is and so sharp she’ll cut herself one of these times.’

 

You know you cannot do anything around here without the world knowing your business. You were seen, my dear, by one of the staff and now their tongues are wagging at both ends spreading gossip.

 

The remains of the snow lingered only in a few shady corners, piled up like spilled icing sugar that someone had swept up and forgotten to disperse.

My Review:

 

While this may be book number four in the series, it was my introduction to Miss Underhay as well as my first sojourn into the wry wit and smooth writing of Helena Dixon. It seems I’m slow on the uptake lately. Each scene flowed like a well-cast episode of Masterpiece Theater. It was an easy, engaging, and light read that kept me interested as well as entertained throughout perusal. The storylines and writing were well contrived, shrewdly paced, and laced with amusing observations and humorous descriptions of the cast of idiosyncratic and oddly intriguing characters.

And it has been a good while since I scored an addition to my Brit Words and Phrases list and I found two new ones tucked into their dialogues with walking out – an old fashioned term for courting or dating; and nine days’ wonder – a hot topic for a short duration, what we currently would say is trending on social media. Although what might have held an enduring interest for nine days then, might last all of nine minutes now due to our vastly diminished attention spans.

About the Author

Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo, and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel, and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was the winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.

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Book Review: A Better Man (The Heartbreak Brothers Book 3) by Carrie Elks @CarrieElks

 

A Better Man
(The Heartbreak Brothers Book 3)
by Carrie Elks

 

She’s his addiction. He’s her escape.

Logan Hartson is gorgeous, successful, and has a smile that’ll knock a woman off her feet. And from the moment Courtney Roberts meets him on a dirt road, the chemistry sizzles between them.

Everything about them is wrong. He’s city, she’s country.

He owns expensive restaurants. She runs a small farm.

None of that matters when they’re tangled together in her bed, his body promising things her heart shouldn’t want.

Until people start to talk, and things get rough, and after one last, sweet night together they agree to part.

She never thought she’d see him again. But nature has other plans. The serious kind.

Now she just has to tell him the truth.

So how do you tell somebody their life will never be the same again?

She takes a deep breath, her wide eyes meeting his. “Logan, I’m pregnant.”

*A Better Man is the third book in the Heartbreak Brothers series of emotional standalone romances, set in the small town of Hartson’s Creek. Find out why readers are falling in love with these handsome and brooding brothers!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She’d been called Poor Courtney so many times she wondered if it was her new name.

 

“The downsides of small town living.” Lainey sighed. “If the gossip doesn’t kill you, waiting for it will.”

 

Courtney Roberts is having a baby, even though her husband’s cold in the ground. It’s like an early Christmas gift for the town gossips.

My Review:

 

I am infatuated with this series of handsome, swoon-worthy, and successful brothers; they have all been my favorite brand of catnip. Each of the three installments could easily standalone yet they have been so much fun I advise anyone who hasn’t read them to start at the beginning. The storylines and writing style are engaging, witty, amusing, well-conceived, and expertly paced. There are two more endearing siblings to go in this quirky small-town family, although maybe if we beg the author enough she could be bribed to extend the series to in-laws, friends, and friends of friends.

 

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

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Book Review: Still The One (The Heartbreak Brothers #2) by Carrie Elks  @CarrieElks


Still The One
(The Heartbreak Brothers #2)
by Carrie Elks

Nobody expects to meet the love of their life on their first day at school, but from the moment Tanner Hartson set his eyes on Savannah Butler, she stole his breath away.

She was beautiful, wild and free. And though her life was hard, she made everything feel easy.

As they grew up, they were best friends.
Then sweethearts.
And finally lovers.

Until he broke her heart in the worst way.

They haven’t spoken for the last ten years. But now she’s returned to their small home town and he can’t fight the intense attraction that keeps pulling them together.

He wants her back. And this time he won’t take no for an answer.

Doesn’t true love deserve a second chance?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She’d always been obsessive about saving. Maybe somewhere deep inside she’d known her mom was a ticking time bomb. It was a matter of when, not if, she’d detonate.

 

“I have a sprinkle next weekend. Would you like to come?” “A sprinkle?” Van asked, biting down a smile. It sounded like some kind of incontinence problem. “What’s that?” “It’s like a baby shower, but without all the gifts.” Regan shrugged. “After three kids I have almost everything I need. And anyway, Mrs. Fairfax said it would be bad form to ask for gifts for the fourth time around.” She blinked, then forced a smile on her face.

My Review:

 

I am enjoying this series, but then I always enjoy reading Carrie Elk’s work. She implants me so easily into her characters’ vortex, I was so thoroughly engaged I could smell the popcorn and taste the smores. The storylines were entertaining and smirk-worthy and cast with a bevy of quirky yet complicated characters who rippled with wit and snark. I seemed to have inhaled this tale and feel more than ready for even more Carrie Elk goodness with her latest missive idling on my Kindle.

 

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.