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Reviewing great reads. |
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Click here to find more great reads on my Wordpress blog Click here to view my Pinterest Great Reads board |
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***Though the publisher provides the free book, I offer the opinion.***
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| February 23, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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by: Daniel Palmer My Look: Sexting, child porn, and murder intrudes into Tom Hawkins life, and that's not all. A former Navy SEAL, Tom Hawkins is high school coach whose ex-wife is murdered, and the police have him pegged as prime suspect. Before her death, Tom had a blustery relationship with Kelly, and Kelly is the main reason his relationship with his daughter, Jill, is a distant one. But when the FBI comes calling, Tom's career, his daughter, and his life are all hitting the losing it fast category, and he's helpless to stop it. Soon, a story paints him in the lover role with a teenage student, and everyone believes it. In addition, once the FBI finds child porn on his computer, they put him as their kingpin in a child porn investigation. Could this all be the work of a local cop who isn't his best fan? Is everything somehow tied to his ex-wife's murder? Tom does not know what side anyone is playing on, but he does know that somebody's framing him. But who. And why? He cannot trust local law enforcement, but he needs help. FBI help. FBI Agent Rainy's budding attraction to Tom isn't the only reason she believes him, but she crossed a line with their kiss. Involvement with a target is a career killer in her FBI, but she was sure that one day, he'd no longer be their target. In fact, she was sure that he should not have ever been. She has one problem. Rainy has no proof to clear him. My Take: HELPLESS is a timely tale of today's cyberspace, where pictures and stories can go viral and where online meets infinity. Daniel Palmer traps you in his credible character's lives and into their stories. Bringing you into a complicated plot, he leaves the reader guessing at not only the whom but at the how as things keep happening to Tom Hawkins, and you'll be hoping he can get out of this mess. You'll want to read Daniel Palmer's DELIRIOUS (Kensington February 2011) until his next book releases! |
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| February 19, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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by: Mary Burton Click here to watch Mary Burton's video. My Look: Defense attorney Charlotte (Grace) Wellington is not who everyone thinks she is, but her secrets are safe until the past comes bounding up to her present day door. Eighteen years ago, when she was a teen, Grace's mother died, and her sister was murdered by a ritualistic nightmare. Grace fled leaving her mother's infant and her baby sister, Sooner, to be adopted. Now, Charlotte has managed to turn her life into a picture of what it never was. She is a highbrow attorney who travels in all the right circles with all the right connections. Nevertheless, when her stepdad shows up at her expensive office, all bets are off on keeping her life the pristine image it has become. Emotions overwhelm her as memories flood from all directions, and the news he brings leaves her hollow. The problem was Charlotte has always had a hole inside anyway, but she thought she did the right think by her baby sister, Sooner. She pacified herself believing Sooner had a real family and was growing up far away from the carnival. But that didn't happen. Her stepfather raised Sooner, and now's she's been arrested. He's threatening to expose Charlotte's past, but Charlotte's problems are only just beginning. Meanwhile, Detective Daniel Rokov discovers the ice goddess isn't the queen of cold; in fact, she's hot, sexy, and sultry. Moreover, their no strings attached, clandestine relationship suited him fine, for a while, but now he wants more. Though they are burning up the sheets, she has her heart locked in an ice chest, and she will not change the no attachment part of their relationship. Daniel Rokov wants to know her secrets, and he wants to understand why she lives without emotional entanglements. Fresh from a hotel tryst, he's arriving on scene. A young girl has been murdered. Not news, really. Everyday something like this happens, and maybe some think he's cold at heart due to indifference. He isn't. Emotions will hinder his job. However, even a seasoned detective isn't ready for this crime scene. The young woman had been killed elsewhere, but her body had been brought to an abandoned building and staged in the most ritualistic way. The salt outline only confirms what he already knows to be true. Investigating this death leads him straight to the carnies in town, as death and this group seem to come as a package deal. However, he's not at all expecting what he unearths. My Take: BEFORE SHE DIES by Mary Burton is a read I recommend! Mary Barton lets us meet her killer on the first page, and you'll learn this will be his first kill of many more to come. In this read, you are in for a suspense filled ride through a romantic suspense tale where secrets are deadly but distrust can save a life. Her main characters are flawed but redeemable, and you'll be rooting for them to live long enough to come together. While this is a stand-alone title, you will want to read Mary Burton's other suspenseful reads such as MERCILESS (Zebra January 2011), SENSELESS (Zebra December 2010), and DYING SCREAM (Zebra December 2009). |
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| February 11, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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by Donna Kauffman My Look: "Klutz Extraordinaire" Riley Brown ran away from her former life and left her career as a food stylist in Chicago. The career wasn't the problem. Riley left to escape her cheating bridegroom, Jeremy. Now, she lives in a houseboat on Georgia's Sugarberry Island. She hasn't exactly gotten the total independent woman thing nailed down yet, as she lives a houseboat loaned to her, but she moors the boat in a fishing village to live within her means. For just little more than a year, she enjoyed the island and her cupcake club friendships, but Riley Brown has sworn off men. Yep. For sure. Riley has a lot of work to do on Riley. Tripping into decent employment, she's a stagehand, of sorts. Riley's staging properties. Using her former career as a step stone, she took a leap into showcasing properties, and her pay is decent, even if she was working for Scary Lois Grinkmeyer-Hington-Smythe. Meanwhile, Quinn Brannigan is on this island to come to grips with a not so easy to plan issue, but he'd have to go it alone. Without the advice of buddies or his professional community, he needs to contemplate some hefty career decisions. He's come here to concentrate on work, without distraction. At this point in his career, Quinn should be on top of his game. He is not, and Quinn knows it's only a matter of time before his agent, editor, and publisher realize this. The books people have read made him famous, and this is what his writing and publishing communities are happy with. However, Quinn wishes for writer's block. His problem is lack of want for the expected, and with a head full of steam and desire for a story that is different, his mind is occupied. Consequently, when Riley and Quinn meet, it is a disaster. Literally. His early arrival meets Riley on the treadmill ride from hell and his sneaking up provides them both a head full of surprises. But when her hands leave the side grips long enough to launch her past him into the garden, Quinn's concern launches him into a state of confusion over the kind of woman he's never met before. Nevertheless, Riley and Quinn keep seem to finding each other in one disastrous way or another. My Take: SWEET STUFF is a book I recommend, completely! Donna Kauffman creates a loveable character in Riley who believes herself a misfit, but Riley will have all your attention with her take on things. In addition, the way these two meet sets the tone for this great read. From the beginning, Quinn Brannigan's introduction is the funniest romance entrance that I've read, so far. Although humor plays a big part in SWEET STUFF, the romance is complete, and a few other themes are part of the whole. From dealing with change to overcoming fears and from learning to trust and learning to love, Donna Kauffman brings it all into this romance. |
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| February 8, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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by Sandra Hill, Trish Jensen, Kate Holmes My Look: The Santa Brigade is coming to town, in a bus. This quirky crew of senior Santa's are giving holiday cheer, making stops, and acquiring passengers along the way to the wedding of George Garrison. The first new passenger descends from the sky, literally. With a news crew in tow, Sam Merrick parachutes into the scene. He lets himself become a feature story in a desperate attempt to make it to his mentor's wedding; George Garrison took Sam in, as a wayward boy, and loved him like a father. He will make it to the wedding, and he sure will not pass up an opportunity to be with his childhood sweetheart, Reba, again. The next passenger brings an unexpected guest. Kevin "J. D." Wilder arrived handcuffed to an Amish woman. In his youth, Kevin was a juvenile delinquent who was also mentored by George. Therefore, the handcuffs didn't shock the seniors who knew him at his worst, but he's on the right side of the law, now. Kevin is a famed private investigator who stumbles right into the woman he was supposed to find. Though her Amish disguise had him fooled and she did have an easy time picking his pocket, it was Calli's false, faltering accent, lip gloss, and Channel No. 5 that gave her away but not before she nearly got away. The last man to board the bus comes with another guest. Stan Kijewski's lost football career ends by accident, and his injuries are not close to healed. Nevertheless, George also helped Stan, and he will not let the weather, his injuries, or his own inability to remain upright in snow keep him from attending. He made it through the storm to pick up another guest; she's a Forrest Ranger. Dana not only watches football, she's has spent many hours watching Stan's tight end play in the game. Now, the Santa Brigade is the only way they will make to the wedding. My Take: Sandra Hill, Trish Jensen, and Kate Holmes build hot romances in 'TWAS THE NIGHT. These authors provide humor in just the right dose but demonstrate what giving of oneself really means. Although the story was written in a round-robin fashion between three authors, it flows from beginning to end without inner seams showing. This book was originally published by Dorchester Publishing (Leisure Books) and was then titled HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS. |
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| February 5, 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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by: Cindy Woodsmall My Look: The betrayal of a sister who marries the man Sylvia Fisher loved gets even more complicated. Years later, Sylvia indulges her sister's husband in an adulterer's kiss, and she must give up her family. She takes a job on a farm, the Blank's farm. Cara Moore is discovered living with her daughter in Ephraim's barn. Alone with her daughter, Cara's background is heartbreaking; her mother died and her father left her alone at a bus station. She's an abandoned child whom Social Services takes into foster care. After knowing her plight, Ephraim Mast takes care of them and endures a shunning for refusing to make her seek help elsewhere. Now, she's in love with Ephraim and dedicated to become an accepted member of the Amish community. However, her father comes back. Meanwhile, Aaron Blank's parents will not answer his letters from rehab, but that's not going to stop him from going home. He's going to take care of his parents, and Aaron has a plan. Putting money down on business, he goes home intending to do the right thing for them. Can he make amends? Aaron wants to take care of his parents, but it was only months earlier that he had left them alone on a dairy farm. Lena Kauffman is in love with Grey Graber, but she's prepared to wait for his official mourning period to end. Grey is a widower and wants to do right by his first wife's family. How would they feel having their daughter replaced too soon? Will time do more than keep them these two apart? THE HARVEST OF GRACE delves into the lives of these and others characters. However, the most central theme is the family struggles and rejection is a large part of these stories. Cindy Woodsmall demonstrates that hurt begets hurt and forgiveness needs to follow. She does not concentrate on the Amish themes; she zeros into the characters, their flaws, and the many human emotions that we all share. My Take: I recommend THE HARVEST OF GRACE! Cindy Woodsmall writes from a background with a strong Amish connection, but she writes about non-traditional Amish issues in this book and will keep you turning pages. She provides more than just a love story and does more than teach you about the Amish traditions, Cindy Woodsmall writes about issues that face all of us and shows us all forgiveness is possible. This is a stand-alone novel, but is part of a series. You will want to catch up with the other titles in the Ada's House series. They are THE HOPE OF REFUGE: ADA'S HOUSE BOOK 1 (August 2009), THE BRIDGE OF PEACE: ADA'S HOUSE BOOK 2 (August 2010), and THE CHRISTMAS SINGING (October 2011). |
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THE PROFESSOR by: Cathy Perkins My Look: A serial killer claims his third victim, and SLED Agent "Mick" O'Shaughnessy is trying to piece together clues to stop the murders. This sick predator stalks his prey, college-aged women from well-to-do families, and Mick, his team, and the local police department must uncover his pattern before he strikes again. A possible assault at a local college pulls him off the investigation; Mick hates the kind of political pandering that expropriated the police force, but he must deal with it. Although the assault was not that at all, Mick meets graduate student, Meg Connelly. Like a schoolboy with a crush, he makes up a reason to see her. Meg Connelly wasn't ready for the lovesick feelings she'd get for the agent, but romance isn't on her agenda. Been there. Done that. Moreover, she had the pain to prove it. Meg needs to keep her focus, move forward, and gain a career that will actually allow her creature comforts, like a cell phone. However, she really wasn't prepared for his kiss, and she's going to avoid agent Mick O'Shaughnessy like a bad cold. Meanwhile, the professor watches his victims, and he's been watching Meg. He notices the way she dresses and the confidence she exudes, but a woman like her needs to regain a subservient posture. Just like his other victims. He has also been watching the news reports of his deeds, and he laughs. The police are too stupid to put it together, but soon his hide and seek with the police becomes personal. That SLED agent is cocky and arrogant. Look at that superior body language; he would like to teach him just how superior he isn't. Soon the professor dashes off an email to the agent, and his email won't be traceable. My Take: I recommend THE PROFESSOR by Cathy Perkins! From that first paragraph to the last page the suspense endures, the mystery grows deeper, and the police procedures stay a mainstay in this story line. The author shows how the police investigation progresses, as if she's done one herself. In Mick, she paints a lovable guy whose job is intense, but he's looking for more than just his career and his empty condo from life. Her other police officers are just as true to life, each with their own story. Cathy Perkins is a debut author who will keep you in a perpetual state of suspense while you are awaiting her next book.
SEAL OF MY DREAMS by Robyn Carr,Jami Alden, Stephanie Bond, Kylie Brant,Helen Brenna,HelenKay Dimon, Cindy Gerard,Tara Janzen,Leslie Kelly,Elle Kennedy,Alison Kent,Jo Leigh,Gennita Low,Marliss Melton,Christie Ridgway,Barbara Samuel,Roxanne St. Claire, Stephanie Tyler,and Loreth Anne White My Look In this anthology of short shorts, every author tells a different story, but the stories all have something in common, the heroic Navy SEALs. From wounded personnel to those out on a mission to those coming home, these stories will steal your breath. The loss of limbs and the ravages of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can be found on these pages, and from difficult situations to harrowing feats, these heroes have to face it all. Our military men and women suffer the after-effects of war, to some extent. However, for some, the battle doesn't stop upon their return to American shores, and there is one story that will bring that point home. In this book of many tales, one SEAL lives with the ghost of the mission, and as in life, one SEAL is Missing-In-Action. Despite all the seriousness, these romance authors found a way to weave romance and sensuality into the eighteen stories they created, but they added enough laughs, tears, and love to make us the see the promise of happy ever after. Most of all, these authors provide a solid tribute to the brave men and women of all our military and to military K-9's too. All proceeds from this book are donations to the Veterans Research Corporation. This non-profit foundation supports veterans medical research. My Take I recommend SEAL OF MY DREAMS! In this book, you'll find patriots, tears, romance, and laughter, and you will learn something about the military and about the life of a SEAL. Also, you get to read another story from your favorite romance author, and I can guarantee that you'll discover new favorites too. I did. Moreover, this one book comes to you guilt free! You're not just feeding your insatiable romance pleasure in buying this romance novel; you are supporting a non-profit that supports our military. |
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A book reviewer, Sisters in Crime member, writer, mum, dog mom, cat mom, wife, and lover of good food who is always on a diet! Reviewing great reads direct from publishers including: Kensington Books, Forever Romance (imprint of Grand Central Publishing), B&H Publishers, Barbour Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group (through Blogging for Books), Bell Bridge Books, Tyndale (through Tyndale Blog Network), and others. Come visit me on Google+, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari, and Wordpress at www.http://eleanoranders.wordpress.com |
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