Month: December 2019

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Book Review: True to Me

This book spoke to me for many reasons. I’ll go into them in a bit, but first a little backstory.

My dad worked for the airlines for over 20 years, and we got to fly on his employee passes quite often. Living in California, Hawaii was a short flight across the Pacific. And yes, I do mean short; because of trade winds and routes, it was often a shorter flight to Hawaii than it was to NY or Florida. Go figure.

Anyway, I first visited the islands when I was about ten years old, and I fell in love with everything about them. The people were amazing, the culture was fascinating, and the vibe was thoroughly relaxing. Even as a kid, I got all of that.

Fast forward to college, where I was friends with a guy whose family was from Hawaii. On one of our family visits over there, he invited my cousins and me to a few of his family gatherings…including his cousin’s wedding.

That’s right: we crashed a wedding in Honolulu. I mean, I guess we were invited, but not formally. But that’s the Hawaiian way. It was an incredible evening from start to finish. You would never know that we haoles didn’t belong. I found out that that word has different meanings depending on who is speaking it. Fortunately for us, it was used in jest and everyone was gracious and welcoming.

All of those memories (and more) came roaring back to me as I read True to Me. The author perfectly captures the Hawaiian way by embodying her characters with different aspects of the culture. The protagonist, Quinn, is guided by all of them along her path of discovery, which gives her a deeper understanding of her life, both past and future.

I don’t want to reveal the plot, as several reviews do, as that’s not what I’m about. Plus, I think that readers should be able to experience Quinn’s journey right along with her without knowing what will happen next. Her decisions are more impactful that way.

Quinn’s personal growth along the way was a joy to watch. I did think that a little bit more detail of her “uptightness” would have been good, especially when it came to her relationship with Ethan. But it was all still clear enough that she was searching for something, even if she wasn’t sure exactly what that something was at times.

And this is the crux of the story. Quinn is searching for the answer to a question about her family but is really looking to find herself. This is ultimately relatable, because everyone (at one time or another) has had questions about the path they are on and whether there is something more “out there.” And frankly, this is the time of year when people think it the most.

Ultimately, this is a beautiful story set in a magical place that illustrates the importance of learning how to breathe and take the time to figure out what the world is trying to tell you. Hawaiians understand the strength of ohana and how vital pono is. Everybody should take a lesson from them. Quinn did and was certainly happier for it.

Happy New Year everyone – find your path and don’t look back.

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Books on Tour (Review): The Argument

I am pretty sure that I have mentioned it before, but in my mind, there are different types of psychological thrillers. Mostly, however, they fit into two categories: the roller coaster and the drawn-out exploration. The Argument is squarely in the latter category.

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07YCPXL2FSocial
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2mUlIKN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2lJrf74
Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2ljeMqo

I find books like this sometimes to be a difficult read. There is so much detail in the thought processes of the characters, little minutiae that needs to be read and processed. On the one hand, I appreciate the attention to details like this as it is apparent that the author has put a lot of thought into the characters’ motivations.

On the other hand, it can make for a plodding read and that can become tiresome.  That might not be the correct word, because the action is still ongoing, it’s just more in the characters’ thoughts instead of actual activity within the book.

Regardless, this is one of the better ones that I have read. At any given time, I felt for either Hannah or Olivia. There was the right balance of both of their points of view, and I found my belief in the individual points of view to change depending on the action. At first, I was not a fan of Olivia at all, but it became apparent there were a lot of underlying issues that were slowly revealed.

There were comments by characters that made me question their motivations, and all of the plot points (even seemingly unimportant ones) eventually added up to quite the finale. I think the author plotted and paced everything out perfectly.

I recommend this book, but make sure you read it when you can devote the time to appreciate every word; you don’t want to miss anything.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/victoriajenkinswriter/
Twitter:      @vicwritescrime
https://twitter.com/vicwritescrime

Victoria Jenkins lives with her husband and daughter in South Wales, where her series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based. Her debut novel The Girls in the Water is an Amazon UK top 30 bestseller, and top 5 bestseller in the Amazon US chart.

Her first psychological thriller, The Divorce, was published in July 2019. The second, The Argument, publishes December 10th 2019.

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Books On Tour (Review): The Blossom Twins

Gutted.

There is no other way to describe how I felt by the end of this book.

I knew that something big was going to happen (based on reviews from earlier readers), so I tried to brace myself.

Didn’t help.

When last we saw Natalie, she had to make some crucial decisions regarding her family. There have long been issues with both of her children, mostly born from the fact that Natalie and her husband, David, have been on the outs for quite a while. This book continues with that conflict and everything comes to a head as significant decisions are made (can’t say more, ‘cuz it would give it away).

As always, Natalie has to work a case while her home life implodes. This one is especially chilling because young girls are being killed similarly to a killer from Natalie’s past. Now, I really can’t say much more, because this is one you have to read for yourself to get the impact. I don’t want to give ANYTHING away.

One of my favorite things about this author is her pacing. The reader gets to follow the investigation “in real-time,” which makes it more interesting. The reader also gets an added benefit of flashback chapters that give extra clues as to the identity of the murderer.

The way the investigation proceeds is easy to follow and dovetails perfectly with events in Natalie’s personal life. In this case, the two become inextricably twined in a way that both Natalie and the reader do not see coming. (Not going to lie, I had my suspicions regarding who the killer was, but still was shocked by the bigger picture).

By the end of the book, Natalie is at a crossroads in her life. Events have broken her. And I, for one, cannot wait to see what she does next. I say it every time – if you haven’t started reading the Natalie Ward series, you should start now, because they just keep getting better and better.

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Blog Tour: The Boyfriend Blog

There are several books out there (and have been for a long time) that feature 20-something-year-old characters who think they know everything there is to know about life and romance. Of course they don’t, which is where the conflict in those books occurs.

However, there seems to be a growing trend of having a senior-citizen character (or a few of them) as guidance for the young lovers, and I could not applaud this facet more! I love when there is a feisty grandma type who slyly offers her wisdom to the characters, helping them down their path. Edna fits solely in this category, and I just loved her.

The other side of having senior citizens is that it gives dimension to the younger characters as well. I loved that both Aiden and Lizzie enjoyed the trivia at the senior center. That is something I would have done, and it made both of them even more relatable.

I also enjoyed Lizzie’s bad dates; there was one that was a particular doozy (loved the waiter’s part in it). I thought Aiden showed his true colors most when he was picking up the pieces of Lizzie’s most current lousy date. This was a lovely friends-to-lovers romance, and I would definitely recommend it.

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Books On Tour (Review): Her Hot Ride by Heather Van Fleet

This is the only MC series that I have ever found myself enjoying. I think the author does a fantastic job of portraying the MC life (not that I have anything to compare it to, but I imagine it to be accurate based on a few friends’ experiences).

One of the things I appreciate most about this series, however, is that the characters never enter into stereotype or cartoonish territory. If anything, the male members of the Red Dragons are the antithesis of what one would normally think of when asked to describe someone in an MC. (But I guess that’s the point of these types of books, right? That these guys are not all toughness but have real feelings…)

I do like the recurring theme (carried here by Archer) of the need to protect. There is something so satisfying in reading about a man who has that instinct – even when he feels he should be fighting it due to other conflicts.

In terms of this installment, I also liked that Emily was not really a part of the Red Dragons. She didn’t have the ties that previous heroines in the series did but was still linked. I thought that added an interesting facet to the story.

I also appreciated the continuation of the war with Pops. That has been a driving force through the series, and it was interesting to see Emily’s role in the whole situation. And the end? You won’t see it coming. (No spoilers here, as usual).

I think romance and suspense are balanced nicely in this series and would recommend starting at the beginning to fully grasp the scope of the world created by the author.

Author Bio:
Heather Van Fleet is a stay-at-home-mom turned book boyfriend connoisseur. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, a mom to three girls, and in her spare time you can find her with her head buried in her Kindle, guzzling down copious amounts of coffee.

Heather graduated from Black Hawk College in 2003 and currently writes Adult contemporary romance. She is published through Sourcebooks Casablanca with her Reckless Hearts series and Bookouture with her Red Dragon series. 

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Release Blitz w/Review: The Forbidden Man

How do I love this book? Let me count the ways:

  1. The heroine is 40 years old (yay for that!)
  2. It is set in Spain.
  3. It centers around Real Madrid and is full of soccer references.

For me, that’s all the author had to do to make it a winner. I’ll explain.

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2rrQYDd
Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/TheYoungerManKH

I do like reading romances for characters of all ages. A well-written novel transcends age. That being said, it does sometimes get tiring reading about a 24-year-old whose life is over but then miraculously meets their soulmate (not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just gets tiring after a while).

Thalia has been through a divorce (relatable), has the opportunity to switch jobs, and moves to do so (relatable) and connects with a hot young soccer player (okay…not so relatable). But still, I really “got” Thalia. The author did a great job of covering the myriad of feelings a woman goes through in those situations.

Spain. I traveled a lot as a kid because my dad worked for airlines. But somehow we never made it to Spain. I recently had the opportunity to travel to Valencia due to my son’s soccer talents (see where this is going) and absolutely fell in love with the country. I was really excited when he was invited back in the Spring to play again in Barcelona. Still haven’t made it to Madrid.

But I loved the descriptions of the different areas of Madrid. I found myself picturing places I went to in Valencia as stand-ins. It was nice to “wander back” to the country.

Soccer. My son is a total football fan. Only 14 years old, and he knows more about the game than many adults. Obsessed is a good word. Our house is all EPL and La Liga/all the time. I would have been interested in the book anyway because of the story, but the details around the players and clubs gave me another level of enjoyment.

As to the story itself, I loved reading about a woman who has the opportunity to re-invent herself and continue with new experiences. It was easy to be in Thalia’s corner, rooting for her. The romance between her and Alejo was a delicious slow burn. It was nice to live vicariously through her for even a little bit.

Even if you aren’t into football/soccer, do yourself a favor and pick this one up. Thalia will win you over.

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Blog Tour w/Review: The Blood Acre

This book started with a bang (quite literally) and didn’t let up. It was gritty and pulled no punches.

It was obvious from the start that the author had a background in law enforcement (either that or as a criminal) because the descriptions of both the crimes and the investigations were realistic and interesting. Nothing felt made up or forced. From the tension between partners to the multi-faceted crimes, everything was full of enough detail to paint vivid pictures.

I thought The Creepers were especially colorful. While they reminded me of street gangs in general, there was also something uniquely Scottish about them.

The setting was interesting for me to read about because I find it fascinating to compare crime and law enforcement between countries.

The only thing that I had a love/hate relationship with was the style of writing. I appreciated that the author wrote in a way that I could get a sense of the Scottish brogue/burr. I do love when I can get a sense of how someone actually “sounds.”  However, the extensive use of it made for very slow reading which took me out of the story a few times.

Ultimately, however, the atmosphere created by the writing won out, and I enjoyed this book.

AUTHOR BIO

Robert James Mitchell was brought up in Stirling. Mitchell was initially detailed beat duties out of the former Blackhill Police Office and then Baird Street Police Office in the former ‘D’ Division, or the North, as it was known to all the men who served in the division. In January, 2007, while recovering from an appendicitis, Mitchell decided to write the first draft of ‘Parallel Lines: The Glasgow Supremacy‘, drawing heavily on his own experiences and featuring the characters of Detective Sergeant Gus Thoroughgood and DC Kenny Hardie.

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Blog Tour w/Review: Feather and Claw

This book was not what I expected it to be. I don’t think I have ever read a cozy mystery set in the Mediterranean, but that’s how it felt to me. The juxtaposition of location and investigation was interesting.

I will admit to feeling a little bit lost at the beginning of the book. The scenes were well-described, but it took me a while to figure out where the author was going with the plot. Once the dead body appeared, it became easier (isn’t that the way 😉).

I liked the California references (being a California girl myself) but thought that there could have been more parallels to make the connection stronger. I also liked that Cat was on vacation and out of her natural element because that caused her to be creative in her investigation.

I think that was a strength of the plot. An investigator/detective will always have the desire to solve a crime wherever they are. So, how does one go about doing so without stepping on the toes of local law enforcement? Not that Cat always succeeds in that, but the author did a good job of allowing Cat to be creative in her investigating because she was freed from her normal parameters.

The plot itself was good. I especially liked the intermittent chapters that hinted at something deeper and possibly more nefarious. Those added another level of mystery.

I am usually not a fan of cozy mysteries, but the unique setting of this one sold me. I would definitely look for others in this series.

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Books On Tour (Review): The Girls in the Lake

The idyllic setting of Lake Windemere in the Lake District is disturbed when a young lady is found floating face down near a boat. From that opening sequence, this is a gripping crime thriller that had me turning pages to find out “whodunit.” The author does a fantastic job of building the suspense while following the forensic clues that lead to the killer.

Amazon: https://geni.us/B07YNQ4N5VSocial
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2K7Z4aU
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2oMUcQl
Googleplay: http://bit.ly/2pBkLIU

I liked that the heroine of this book (Beth) was a Forensic Pathologist, rather than a detective. The author went into great detail several times (I learned more about autopsies than I ever thought I would). Having the lead character not be a detective allowed for a unique perspective on the investigation.

I liked the characters, although I felt some of them could have been more developed. I would have liked to have learned a little more about the squad of detectives, but I suppose that would have taken the focus away from Beth. However, considering that one of them had a family member that figured heavily in the plot, I think we could have had a little bit more.

I did enjoy the plot. I thought it was unique, and the author did a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing. Some clues pointed to multiple people, just like in a real-life investigation, and only someone who reads a lot of crime novels will put the pieces together faster than Beth.

Not having read the first book in the series, I missed the importance of Beth’s past and that figured heavily in the first part of the book. It didn’t wreck the narrative, but I think I would have appreciated it more had I read the first one. I intend to do so in my downtime – whenever that might be. But in spite of that, this book can be read as a stand-alone.

I recommend this book and look forward to further investigations with Forensic Pathologist Beth Adams.

Author Bio

Helen Phifer lives in a small town called Barrow-in-Furness with her husband and five children. Helen has always loved writing and reading. Her love of horror films and novels is legendary. Helen adores reading books which make the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Unable to find enough scary stories to read she decided to write her own. 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Helenphifer1
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/helenphifer
Twitter:      https://twitter.com/helenphifer1
Website:     https://www.helenphifer.com

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Blog Tour w/Review: Landon & Shay, Part 2

There are very few authors who can bring me to tears with the beauty and heartache of true love. Brittainy C. Cherry is one of those authors, and Landon & Shay Part Two is no exception. I liked how Part One traced the evolution of their relationship, and I was looking forward to the continuation in Part Two.

While there were sections that tugged at my heartstrings, I felt that overall, the second half of their story was rushed.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2BQhBDW
Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/landonshay2

It started where the first book left off, with Landon in Southern California and Shay back at home, writing letters back and forth to keep each other grounded and remind each other of their bond. It becomes evident fairly quickly that Landon’s new life in SoCal will take center stage, and boy, does it ever.

These were the parts that I felt were on fast forward. Landon’s rising star rose quickly, and I wish that the author had spent some more time on those parts. I would have loved to watch the two of them support each other through that rise (and fall).

I thought that Shay was more inconsistent in this book. I understand that her heartbreak (from her father and Landon) made her distrustful, but there was just a little too much inconsistency. A lot was made out of her writing abilities, but it ultimately went nowhere.

She even got on my nerves towards the end when she would ask why something happened and then immediately say, “never mind.” That got annoying.

All of that being said, their romance is still vintage Brittainy Cherry. There are angst and pure emotion, creating places where I did tear up. I especially liked the parallel with Eleanor and Grey, and how that story fed Landon and Shay’s. I love how she creates that world where people are connected and not just functioning in a vacuum.

Part Two doesn’t quite live up to Part One, but put together they make an epic love story.

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