Bashert by Herb Freed

Bashert

3 Stars

Publisher: Bellrock Press

Date of publication: February 14th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Bashert: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Would you recognize your soul’s complement in another? Beyond the bliss of actually finding your soul mate, there is a belief that the universe hinges on predetermined people finding their other half, their bashert, to maintain cosmic balance. In BASHERT author, screenwriter, director, and former rabbi Herb Freed immerses us in the heady intoxication and thunderous losses of what it really means to be bashert.

Dan Sobol and Marion Gladstone meet by chance at a screenwriter’s event in Los Angeles. He’s a rabbi turned director known for his cinematic television commercials; she’s a writer and film editor who is recovering from a tabloid-headline screaming Hollywood divorce. From the moment Marion hears Dan’s voice, she knows–and so does he. It’s bashert.

But when did the course of true love ever run smooth? Dan and Marion are soon partners in business as well as life, traveling the world to create movies. He directs, she writes and edits, and life becomes an amazing adventure–until Cancun. There, among the ruins of the Mayan civilization, Marion has an eerie premonition that has the potential to change everything.

Drawing upon his own personal experience, Freed spins a tale unflinching in its examination of life, but weaving along the edge of magical realism. From the bright lights of Hollywood to Mexico, Israel, Paris and the dreamy exhilaration of Jamaica, BASHERT is a love story about transcending life, loss and the boundaries we mistakenly place on our lives and our hearts.

My Review:

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading Bashert. See, I had gotten an email from NetGalley with their Read Nows. I kinda did a book nerd’s version of drunken Amazon shopping. Except I wasn’t drinking and it wasn’t Amazon. I thought that I had downloaded a book that at its best would bore me to sleep. At its worse, it would completely bore me. I fell somewhere in the middle with Bashert.

I had a hard time following Bashert’s plotline. The book kept jumping from past to present to past. It confused the ever-living out of me. I ended up rereading chapters to understand exactly what was going on. Now keeping what I wrote in mind, I thought that the plotline was original. I wished I could have followed it better.

What intrigued me about this book was that the author didn’t gloss over Dan and Marion’s bad times. He let us know that love wasn’t all sunshine and roses. That there will be dark and turbulent days. It is up to the people to get through them. Which Dan and Marion did. They faced life’s greatest challenges together. Dan always supported Marion and vice versa.

I liked Dan and I got his skepticism when Molly told him that she had talked to Marion. But the more the events in Jamaica unrolled, the more his skepticism was chipped away.

The end of the book confused me. I ended up reading the last chapter a few times and I couldn’t figure out what the author wanted us to think. Not going to get into it but I thought one thing. When I read it out loud to my SO, with a quick briefing on the book, he thought another. I guess we could both be right.

What I liked about Bashert:

A) The locations the book was set in

B) The storyline

C) Dan and Marion’s love story, the good and bad

What I disliked about Bashert:

A) Plot hard to follow

B) Jamaica. With everything going on, the whole festival storyline added to me not being able to follow the book.

C) The end of the book

I would give Bashert a rating of Older Teen. There is language. There are sex and sexual situations. The sex/sexual situations are very vague. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in the book. They would be: Drug use

I am on the fence about recommending this book to family and friends. I would let them know the plotline and let them make their own decision. I would give them a heads up about the trigger warning.

I am on the fence about rereading this book. On one hand, I want to because I find the whole concept of Bashert fascinating. On the other hand, I don’t because the book confused me too much.

I would like to thank Bellrock Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Bashert.

All opinions stated in this review of Bashert are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Do you believe in true love like Bashert was describing? Why or why not?

Can you read a book where the plotline is hard to follow? Why or why not?

Confusing endings? A deal breaker when it comes to reading anything by the author again? Why or why not?

Blood Type (Blood Type: Book 1) by K.A. Linde

5 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: April 24th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Series: Blood Type

Blood Type – Book 1

Blood Match – Book 2

Blood Cure – Book 3

Where you can find Blood Type: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A startling new vision of paranormal romance: When a human ventures into the world of vampires—a decadent milieu of blood-bonds and betrayal—she discovers that not all is what it seems.

For Reyna Carpenter, giving up her body isn’t a choice. It’s survival.

In a civilization laid waste by poverty and desperation, Reyna accepts a high-paying position with the wealthy and hungry vampire elite. Her new job is as the live-in blood escort for the intimidating, demanding, and devilishly handsome Beckham Anderson. He’s everything she expected from a vampire, except for one thing—he won’t feed off her.

Reyna soon discovers that behind Beckham’s brooding, wicked façade lies a unique and complex man. And that, in a dark and divided world, she is more valuable than she ever would have believed.

For with each passing night, Reyna can’t shake the sensation that it’s Beckham who’s afraid of her.

Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story continues in Blood Match.

My review:

When I saw that this book was up for review on NetGalley, I almost passed it by. But something about the blurb caught my attention and made me look twice. I thought it was going to be your typical Twilight knockoff. Not only am I glad that I requested (and got) the book, I am glad that my assumption was so wrong. This book is nothing like the Twilight knockoff. NOTHING like it. So don’t expect a book like that. Expect something that is much darker and grittier. These vampires don’t glitter.

Blood Type takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. Vampires came out to the humans years before, sending the world into a tailspin. After the dust settled, the vampires had taken over the world. People were left fighting for food, shelter, and jobs. Reyna grew up during that time and is struggling to survive in the new world the vampires created. Her way out is to become a blood escort. Someone who lets the vampires feed off of her in exchange for money. But, she gets chosen to test out a new role. A role as a live-in escort. Her sponsor is the VP of the escort company, Beckham Anderson. As heat and lust sparks between Beckham and Reyna, she can’t feel that there is something off. Something that she doesn’t know about. Something that could make or break her world if she finds out.

Like I mentioned above, this book was gritty. It was not written to make you think that vampires where nice people who happened to want to drink your blood. Nope, these vampires were evil. Even if they had good intentions, like Beckham. I loved it!!! It was a refreshing read and different from other vampire books. I was not bored reading it.

I felt bad for Reyna. She tried everything in her power to get out of where she was staying. The escort service was her last resort. She didn’t want to be known as a blood whore. She was ashamed of it. I did get a laugh out of her wardrobe and her reaction to it. What was running through my head was Julia Roberts wardrobe before Richard Greer picked her up in Pretty Woman. Except Reyna had the opposite reaction.

I couldn’t get a feel on Beckham until almost the end of the book. Normally, that bothers me but in this case, it only added to how much I like the book. He is a vampire. I shouldn’t be able to read him like a book. I should have to work, like Reyna did, to see what he was like underneath. It wasn’t until the bombing that I even began to understand him. I loved it!!!

The sexual tension in Blood Type was through the roof. Reyna and Beckham do not actually have sex until towards the end of the book. I thought that the author did a great job keeping the sexual tension up until then. When they finally had sex, it was explosive. I swear my Kindle’s screen fogged up a few times.

The end of the book was insane. Not going to get into it, but I was not expecting what happened. There is a cliffhanger. I don’t like cliffhangers but this one made me eager to read book 2.

What I liked about Blood Type:

A) Vampires were what I thought they should be. Not glittery freaks.

B) Reyna and Beckham’s sexual tension

C) The plotline

What I dislike about Blood Type:

A) Reyna being forced into being a blood escort

B) The other live in blood escorts. They annoyed me

C) The judgey peeps that Reyna met

I would give Blood Type a rating of Adult. There is explicit sex, explicit violence, and language. This is a book that no one under the age of 21 should be reading.

I wouldn’t give this book any trigger warnings.

I would recommend Blood Type to family and friends. I would give a warning about the sex, violence, and language. This is a book that I would reread. This is also a series that I am going to enjoy reading.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Loveswept for allowing me to read and review Blood Type.

All opinions stated in this review of Blood Type are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Everything She Lost by Alessandra Harris

Everything She Lost

4 Stars

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing LLC

Date of publication: January 2nd, 2018

Genre: Suspense, Women’s Fiction, Psychological Thriller

Where you can find Everything She Lost: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

After suffering a mental breakdown that nearly destroyed her marriage, Nina Taylor works hard to maintain her tenuous hold on sanity and be a good mother to her two young daughters. Despite her best efforts, she questions the possibility of a full recovery.

Single mom Deja Johnson struggles to overcome her troubled past and raise her young son. But her friendship with Nina brings more complications. What Deja is hiding could not only destroy relationships but endanger lives.

One traumatic night threatens to shatter Nina’s mind. With Deja’s help, she strives to maintain her mental balance. But as events spiral out of control, the women must find out if Nina is losing her sanity or if someone is plotting against her.

My review:

When I was approached by Alessandra Harris to review Everything She Lost, my interest was caught. I enjoy reading psychological thrillers. I like being put on edge about events that happen in the book. I like having my theories about what is happening to the main character being proven wrong. Everything She Lost had and I enjoyed it.

Everything She Lost’s main plotline was centered around Nina’s mental illness and her recovery. I have read other books where the main character has a mental illness but it has been glossed over. Or it was miraculously cured. Or forgotten about. Nina’s recovery was written about realistically. She was taking baby steps. For most of the book, it was one step forward, two steps back. Just like in real life and I loved it. It made the book feel more realistic to me. I did feel bad for her during that struggle. The only one that supported her was her father. Her husband was a jerk and her BFF was even a bigger jerk.

I thought Nina’s backstory was heartbreaking. I do wish that her brother’s illness had been addressed up front. That would have helped me with understanding what Nina was going through. Her devastation when he died led to her making some rash decisions. One which included her marriage to Rodney.

Speaking of Rodney, I couldn’t stand him. He was such an opportunist and a pig. He was going to divorce Nina when her breakdown occurred. Then he kicked her out of her house until the money ran out. They got back together but he treated her like a flipping child. To be having an affair with Deja was the final straw for me. I wanted to kick him where the sun doesn’t shine. He was a great father but that was the only thing I liked about him. So yeah, I didn’t like him.

My feelings for Deja were complex. She was a strong woman who had overcome some pretty awful things in her life to get to where she was now. She wasn’t afraid to use her body or her sexuality to get what she wanted or what her boss wanted. I liked her for that. But I didn’t like that she was being blackmailed by her ex to do something that she didn’t want to do. She also didn’t want to have a relationship with Rodney after getting to know Nina better. Even with everything that happened later in the book, she felt awful for doing it.

I loved the storyline about who was stalking Nina. I thought the author did a great job at keeping who it was and why they were doing it under wraps. I did figure out part of it about halfway through the book. But the other half of it, I was surprised by.

I wish that Damien had been introduced earlier on in the book. I also wish that he factored more at the end of the book. But, I got what I wanted in the epilogue…haha.

The end of the book was one that kept me on my toes. Everything was revealed and what happened after the revelations shocked me. I loved the epilogue. Talk about a perfect ending to the book!!

What I liked about Everything She Lost:

A) Strong female characters

B) Great plotlines

C) The correct usage of Nina’s mental illness

What I disliked about Everything She Lost:

A) Rodney. I couldn’t stand him

B) I wish her brother’s illness had been addressed earlier (why he committed suicide).

C) No Damien until almost the end of the book

I would give Everything She Lost an Adult rating. There is sex. Not graphic sex but it is vague enough to understand what is going on. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 21.

There are trigger warnings for Everything She Lost. They would be Child sexual abuse, teenage prostitution, domestic violence, mental illness, suicide (talk of it nothing was described), bullying, and talk of alcoholism. If you are triggered by any of these, please do not read the book.

I would recommend Everything She Lost to family and friends. I would include a warning about the triggers and what they are. This is a book that I will reread.

I would like to thank Alessandra Harris and Red Adept Publishing for allowing me to read and review Everything She Lost.

All opinions stated in this review of Everything She Lost are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Do you like Psychological Thrillers? Why?

Do you feel that mental health in most books are swept under the rug?

Strong female characters that straddle the line between good and bad? What do you think about them?

Let me know!!

R + J Sucks (The Complete Saga): A Paranormal Shakespeare Retelling by Ann Hunter

R+J Sucks [The Complete Saga]: A Paranormal Shakespeare Retelling

4 Stars

Publisher: Aisling House, LLC

Date of publication: September 1st, 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Where you can find R + J Sucks: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Teenagers. Romance. Vampires.

Get all three books in one go with this complete set of R+J Sucks, and save 50% off.

R+J v.1: When immortality is the be all, end all of Capulet family, can Juliet escape her ancestry to live happily ever after?
A boy from the wrong side of the tracks, Romeo is forbidden to cross into Capulet territory, but how long can he resist when all that beckons him is gold and prosperity? Will he realize in time that all that wealth was amassed in blood, or will he sway to Juliet’s overpowering natural charisma?

R+J v.2: The Capulets have plans for Juliet, a rare natural-born vampire. She must marry Paris and continue the bloodline. But how can she when she’s fallen for a human? Such a love is forbidden, and her cousin Tybalt is sure to “discourage” Romeo Montague. Unsettled by this unholy union, the Montagues are ready to defend their family and Romeo’s soul.

R+J v.3: With Romeo facing his entire family being hunted by the vampire Royal Guard, it’s up to him and Juliet to fight for their happiness. Fearing the downfall and disgrace of her own family, Juliet must choose love or immortality. Will the Montagues save themselves from the wrath of the Capulets? Or will Paris ensure the downfall of Romeo and his clan?

Two households, both of great dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge breaks new mutiny, and civil blood makes civil hands unclean….

My Review:

I am a huge Shakespeare fan. I have read his plays more than once. Among my favorite plays are Romeo and Juliet. Something about forbidden love that ends tragically gets me. I have watched a fantastic rendition of Romeo and Juliet. It is Romeo + Juliet, starring Clare Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a written take on that play that I liked until R + J sucks.

I enjoyed reading this book. The author did a great job of keeping true to the original play while putting her own original spin on it. It never crossed me, before reading this book that Juliet could be a vampire or that Romeo could be a poor Latino boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Right away, that grabbed my attention.

Romeo made me laugh. Right from the beginning, when he was told to get lost by a girl that he had dated. He would do anything for his family. Then he met Juliet and everything spiraled out of control. He should have listened to Father Laurence and stayed away. But, no, he didn’t (typical teenage boy) and man, the fall out from that was awful.

I did like Juliet. I could understand why she left her house unchaperoned. In her way, she was rebelling against her parents and the marriage that they were forcing upon her. I think her commonsense took a leave of absence. I couldn’t believe that she would lead a human into a house full of vampires and then keep him there!! I did a facepalm with that. The fall out from her actions was as bad as Romeo’s.

The secondary characters gave depth to the story. I did like that all the secondary characters in the play were written into the story. I also liked that the parents were given first names and personalities to match their characters. Romeo’s mother lived up to her name, as did Juliet’s mother. Actually, Juliet’s mother more than lived up to her name. What a cold, calculating woman.

I do wish more insight was given into how a natural-born vampire comes into existence. The very barest of explanation was given.

These books are also serial novels. I am not a fan of those and I avoid them at all cost. But, if they are compiled into one book, then I will read them.

The end of the book was interesting. I was surprised at the end of the book. Not what I was expecting.

What I liked about R + J Sucks:

A) Great take on Romeo and Juliet

B) Relatable characters

C) Interesting end to the book.

What I disliked about R + J Sucks:

A) Juliet’s mother.

B) Little insight into what a natural-born vampire was

C) Serial novel.

I would give R + J Sucks a rating of Older Teen. There is mild violence. There is mild language. But, there are no sexual situations. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

There are no trigger warnings in R + J Sucks.

I would reread R + J Sucks. This is a book that I would recommend to family and friends.

I would like to thank Ann Hunter for allowing me to read and review R + J Sucks.

All opinions stated in this review of R + J Sucks are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Bella Cove: A Second Chance Romance by Rochelle Katzman

Bella Cove: A Second Chance Romance

4 Stars

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Date of publication: April 24th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Bella Cove: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

She Gets a Second Chance at Love, But Her Family’s Secrets Could Ruin Everything
Kayla Conway is devastated when she is forced to leave her life and her fiancé behind in California to take care of her family. She must return to her hometown of Bella Cove, a small, charming town on Long Island to visit her grandma on her deathbed. Just before her grandmother dies, Kayla promises that she will help put the pieces of her family’s life back together.

But when she makes that promise, she has no idea of the lies, deceit, and betrayal she will have to deal with. The grief from grandma’s death brings out the worst in her family.

Two years later, her family is stronger, but Kayla’s passion for life seems to have died the day grandma left.

When her ex-fiancé, Gabe Wademan, walks back into her life—not as her partner, but as her new landlord and neighbor—Kayla feels more alive than she has in months.

But getting back together with Kayla is the last thing Gabe wants—he never forgave her for leaving him so suddenly. He demands explanations for her behavior two years earlier, but Kayla refuses to reveal her family’s deepest, darkest secrets.

So instead, she makes it her mission to show Gabe she’s the same woman he fell in love with back at school—just a little older and a lot less naïve. And if he gives their relationship a second chance, she promises she’ll never leave him again.

But when Gabe gets close to her family, Kayla is terrified that he will discover their secrets. How could he ever trust her again if he found out?

He’s only been back in her life a few weeks, but Kayla doesn’t think her heart could handle losing him a second time. Especially since this time, it would be forever.

My review:

I had mentioned in another review how much I love second chance romances. It wasn’t any difference with Bella Cove. I loved reading about Kayla and Gabe rediscovering their love. After reading (and reviewing) a few books that were intense. So reading this romance was the thing I (and my brain) needed.

I liked Kayla. Her passion for anything that she did in life was a breath of fresh air. When the book starts, she had taken over a toy store. She threw herself into it so it could continue making a profit. What I liked is that behind that happy façade was a woman who was the backbone of her family. A woman who had to be tough. A woman who suffered immense heartbreak and loss. She had been tried by fire and came out this amazing person. But she was also tired of it all. She wanted her own life without the responsibilities of being the “family matron.” My heart broke for her because she couldn’t tell her family to start solving their own problems. She felt that she would let her Nana down.

I didn’t like certain members of Kayla’s family. Her mother, her brother, her SIL, and her father. For various reasons, they all earned my dislike. From the drama queen of a mother to the father who had no backbone, I felt bad for Kayla.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Gabe at first. All Kayla’s flashbacks of him made him out to be kind of a control freak. Also, the way he treated her when she told him that she was ready to come back was awful. She was going through a lot and he added to it. He also ran hot and cold with her, which confused me as much as it confused her. But, towards the middle of the book, I could see he was coming around. By the end of the book, I liked him. He was everything that he wasn’t when they broke up. I felt that he was worthy of Kayla.

The chemistry between Gabe and Kayla was intense. From the minute they first saw each other, after two years, you could see the sparks. The more interactions they had, the more the heat there was. I was surprised that they didn’t have sex sooner in the book.

The sex scenes were deliciously hot. I swear my Kindle fogged up from the heat that they generated. Kayla was also a bit of a horn dog later in the book. She had a liking for outdoor/public sex. I mean, they got it on behind boards at the house Gabe was building, which was right next to her parents. They also had sex in the front seat of Gabe’s truck.

The end of the book was everything a romance novel should be. Certain things should have come sooner, in my opinion. I loved the epilogue!!! Total happy ending there. I am hoping that there is a book 2. Kayla’s sisters and her unmarried brother need some action.

What I liked about Bella Cove:

A) Complex and well-written characters

B) Interesting storyline

C) Great world building

What I disliked about Bella Cove:

A) Certain members of Kayla’s family.

B) Gabe at the beginning of the book

C) Too much responsibility put on Kayla

I would give Bella Cove an Adult rating. There is language. There are explicit sexual situations. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are no trigger warnings with Bella Cove.

I would recommend Bella Cove to family and friends. This is a book that I could see myself rereading.

I would like to thank Rochelle Katzman for allowing me to read and review Bella Cove.

All opinions stated in this review of Bella Cove are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Befriended by Ruth O’Neill

Befriended

4 Stars

Publisher: Lulu.com

Date of publication: February 5th, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Befriended: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Some secrets never leave us alone. . . Gemma Peacock’s life was perfect – or at least, she thought it was. She had a home she loved, a job she enjoyed, and a husband she adored. The only cloud on the horizon was the continuing tension between Gemma and her mother-in-law, but that’s the same for everyone, right? After the death of her beloved husband, Ritchie, everything begins to fall apart. Indiana Manors’ life, on the other hand, is far from perfect – but she knows just what she has to do to fix it. Befriend Gemma Peacock – and destroy her.

My Review:

I wasn’t expecting to like Befriended as much as I did. When I read the blurb, I thought that it was going to be a chick lit novel. There were parts of the book that do have that vibe. But, this book was so much more. It was the so much more that surprised me. The more I read, the more I liked and the more I enjoyed the story.

I did feel bad for Gemma for about 90% of the book. Her husband’s death devastated her. But, it was the secrets that were revealed after his death that rocked her world. Which brought me to my first question. Why did she keep going back to Indiana? I know that Gemma wanted to help her but still. I agreed with Maria. Gemma should have told Indiana to leave her alone after what happened in Crete. I do think that Gemma needed to come to terms with what Ritchie did and Indiana was there to help.

There was a point in the book where I did think that Indiana and Gemma’s relationship was going to become a Single White Female type of relationship. I mean, Indiana was calling Gemma’s friends and driving them away. She even phoned Mick and told him that Gemma wanted nothing to do with him. Thankfully, Mick didn’t believe that BS.

My feelings for Indiana was all over the board in the book. I first felt disgust for her when she revealed why she became Gemma’s friend. That changed to feeling bad for her because of her mental illness. I will say this, she did try to get help. My feelings then morphed into pity when it was revealed why she had singled out Gemma and what was being kept from her. Then I actually started to like her at the end of the book. Like I said, they were all over the place.

I did not see the big twist that came towards the middlish (more towards the end) of the book. I also did not see who was behind everything. That came as a huge surprise. Put it this way, when it was revealed why and who set everything in motion, my mouth fell open and I whispered (I was in bed), “No freaking way“.

I did think that Mick’s romance with Gemma was cute. But it did seem to me that it was more of an afterthought. I didn’t see that Gemma had feelings for Mick until he came to London. I thought they were friends. Then, suddenly, she has feelings for him. It seemed like it came out of nowhere. Of course, I could have missed the cues to their romance with everything else that was going on in the book.

The end of the book was great. I loved that everything was ended the way it did. Each character got their version of a happy ending.

What I liked about Befriended:

A) Great storyline

B) Likable characters

C) Twist that I didn’t see coming

What I disliked about Befriended:

A) What Gemma was put through the first half of the book

B) Indiana’s antics in the first half of the book

C) Mick’s relationship with Gemma

I would give Befriended an Adult rating. While there is sex, it is not graphic. There is language. There is also mild violence. I suggest that no-one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in Befriended. They are mental illness, the death of a spouse and kidnapping. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest not reading the book.

I would recommend Befriended to family and friends. I would let them know about the triggers. This is a book that I would reread.

I would like to thank Ruth O’Neill and Lulu.com for allowing me to read and review Befriended.

All opinions stated in this review of Befriended are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

Colossus (Run Rabbit Run: Book 1) by Jette Harris

COLOSSUS: a serial killer thriller (Run Rabbit Run Book 1) by [Harris, Jette]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 19th, 2015

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Horror

Series: Run Rabbit Run

Colossus – Book 1

Two Guns – Book 2

Where you can find Colossus: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Lured away from safety by their own goodwill, four high-school seniors from the affluent suburbs of Atlanta are kidnapped, tortured, and forced to entertain the malicious appetites of an unpredictable predator. He calls himself Rhodes. They call him COLOSSUS—looming, omnipresent, and threatening to collapse into insanity.

Heather Stokes, clever, resourceful, and no stranger to tragedy is willing to risk her life and sanity to protect her friends. They are focused on survival. But as the month hurtles the four toward their likely deaths, their worst nightmares become increasingly real—even for Rhodes: All of their efforts could be in vain, and it is likely none of them will survive.

COLOSSUS is an uncompromising, white-knuckled serial killer thriller, featuring unforgettable characters and an unsettling, nightmare-inducing antagonist. A must-read for fans of Karin Slaughter and Thomas Harris.

My Review:

I haven’t had a book that has affected me the way that Colossus affected me in a long while. I wanted to put the book down and stop reading it but at the same time, I had to finish reading the chapter. I needed to find out what happened to Heather and her friends. I wanted to know the mystery behind Rhodes. I do not like it when books end with no resolution to the storylines. But in this book, it fits. It also left the book wide open for book 2.

This book is brutal. Not going to lie and tell you all that this book has a couple of scenes that will make you wince. It doesn’t have a couple. The whole book from the time Heather is kidnapped to the end is scene after scene of brutality. I like to think that I have a pretty thick skin when it comes to books with graphic violence. But I reached my limit with Colossus. I praise the author for that. I was kept breathless from chapter to chapter. Rhodes was such a wild card that I couldn’t predict what he was going to do next.

What was interesting to me was how the author was able to make all 4 kids have different reactions to their situation. Witt thought that if he could get on Rhodes good side, and stay there than he wouldn’t be tortured. He was also very submissive. Monica, while submissive, became withdrawn and quiet. She would curl up into a ball to make herself smaller. Like she wanted to disappear. Z did try to fight Rhodes but he was always overpowered. He learned to do what Rhodes wanted without making a sound. Heather fought Rhodes tooth and nail. She got the worse of the beatings. But there was something about her that Rhodes liked and that was the only reason she was alive.

There were times in the book where I wanted to tell Heather to stop fighting Rhodes and do what he wanted. Especially when he told her that they all had a time limit hanging over their heads. If anything, that made her fight harder.

What also got under my skin was the rape scenes. They were pretty graphic. What affected me was that it wasn’t just the girls getting raped. The boys did too. Then Rhodes videod them raping each other. It did get pretty intense during that part of the book.

Rhodes was a complete mystery. There was more to him than being a psychopathic serial killer. There were hints about someone who he had in his life that wasn’t there. Hints about his childhood and the abuse he endured. Hints about Spain and a job that waited for him there. Just the barest of facts and I wanted more. So I was a little disappointed when the book ended and there was no mention of it. I am hoping that book 2 gets more into his background.

The end of Colossus was a not what I thought it was going to be. It played with my mind. I stayed up after I was done with the book and thought about the ending. It affected me that bad. Let’s say that what I thought was going to happen didn’t happen. There was a twist that made me go “W.T.H.“.

What I liked about Colossus:

A) Kept me on the edge of my seat

B) Fleshed out characters

C) Excellent storyline

What I disliked about Colossus:

A) The violence

B) The rape scenes

C) Rhodes is a complete mystery. Drove me nuts.

I would give Colossus an Adult rating. I would not let anyone under the age of 21 read this book. There is explicit violence. There are explicit rape scenes. There is explicit language.

This book definitely has trigger warnings. They would be rape, kidnapping, and assault. If you are triggered by any of these, I would suggest that you not read the book.

I would recommend this book to family and friends. But I would make sure that they knew how intense and graphic the book can get. I would also let them know about the triggers. This is a book that I could see myself rereading.

I would like to thank Jette Harris for allowing me to read and review Colossus.

All opinions stated in this review of Colossus are mine.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**

The Perfect Duchess (The Macalisters: Book 2) by Erica Taylor

The Perfect Duchess (The Macalisters, #2)

3 Stars

Publisher: Amberjack Publishing

Date of publication: April 17th, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Series: The Macalisters

A Suitable Affair – Book 1

The Perfect Duchess – Book 2

Where you can find The Perfect Duchess: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Andrew Macalister, oft regarded as the Stone Duke of Bradstone, hates his annual birthday ball tradition. He dislikes facing those around him who only see him for his title, and has given up on a chance to live a normal life. That is until he spots Lady Clara Masson across the ballroom. Clara’s twin sister is the woman who infamously jilted Andrew at the altar five years ago, but little does Clara know, Andrew had been smitten with her since childhood, and he finds her presence a ray of sunshine in a dreary dukedom.

When Clara’s life is threatened by her evil brother, Johnathan, Andrew must do the only thing he can think of to save her: propose marriage. Between Clara’s trust issues and Andrew’s battle with societal norms, two find romance under dangerous circumstances.

My Review:

I’m going to admit, I read the reviews for The Perfect Duchess before I decided to review the book. With the majority of the reviews being favorable, I decided to take my chances with it. While I am glad that I read it, I was left feeling a little overwhelmed by everything that went on in the book. I felt that some of the action should have been cut. The storyline with Clara’s abusive brother was more than enough to carry the book. Anything else cluttered the plotline and dragged it down.

The Perfect Duchess was set in my favorite era, Regency England. Like I have stated in other reviews, I love this era. Something about it calls to me. I enjoy reading about the exploits of the ton. I love it when the bluestocking gets the Duke, Earl, or Count. I love reading about the different activities that the upper class did. I find reading about the Season fascinating. If you can’t tell, I have a passion for this era.

I liked that the author made Clara the underdog in the book. Her reputation was in tatters because of horrendous (for that time) rumors. She also carried the scandal of her sister jilting Andrew at the altar. So she was persona non grata in the ton, even though she was the daughter of an Earl. I thought that she handled the abuse thrown at her with grace. I know that I wouldn’t have been as gracious as her if I heard what people were saying about me.

I couldn’t get a handle on Andrew for a good part of the book. The author chose to make him unreadable. I don’t have a problem with that but she made him so unreadable that when he did certain things, it took me by surprise. I also didn’t get how him becoming a Duke had an effect on anything until Clara and Andrew had a talk about her brother. Then the lightbulb went over my head. I don’t know how I didn’t put two and two together.

I actually felt bad for Clara’s brother, Jonathan. I know, feeling bad for the bad guy. He didn’t ask to feel the way he felt and it was bad timing that things happened the way they did. I couldn’t imagine being gay during that time. But, my feeling bad for him only lasted through that part of the book. He did some awful things to Clara and her sister for money. Any pity I had for him was washed away when it was revealed exactly what he put her twin through.

Clara did drive me up a wall. I could understand her trust issues. But there was a time in the book where I was eye-rolling and going “Seriously“. I did like her but still. She should have trusted Andrew. She knew that he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.

I loved the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter of the gossip rag. I laughed at how the full names of everyone talked about were not used. But you knew who they were. I did feel bad for Clara. It was like she was living her life under a microscope and this column was picking her apart.

I didn’t get the storylines of Clara’s sister, her secret and the inheritance being introduced so late in the story. While it showed why Jonathan was doing what he was doing, I felt that it dragged the book down. Made it murky and confusing. I had to reread those parts to get them straight in my head. That is not something I like doing.

The sex between Clara and Andrew was hot but I felt that it was also a bit forced. I would have been fine with them not having sex and letting their chemistry continue to the end of the book. I do feel that them having sex did let some of the oomph out of their relationship.

The end of The Perfect Duchess was your typical historical romance ending. A HEA (which I liked). I am wondering which sibling the author will write about next!!

What I liked about The Perfect Duchess:

A) The excerpts for the gossip magazine

B) Set in Regency England

C) Clara’s underdog status

What I disliked about The Perfect Duchess:

A) Plotlines introduced in the last half of the book.

B) Mark was too unreadable

C) Sex killed the chemistry

I would give The Perfect Duchess an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is violence. There is not any language. I wouldn’t let anyone under the age of 21 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in The Perfect Duchess. They are: abuse (emotional and physical) and bullying

I am on the fence if I would reread The Perfect Duchess. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends. If I did recommend, I would give a heads up about the trigger warning.

I would like to thank Amberjack Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Perfect Duchess.

All opinions in this review of The Perfect Duchess are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

On the Line (Milwaukee Dragons: Book 1) by Liz Lincoln

2.5 Stars (bumped up to 3 stars for NetGalley, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads)

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: April 17th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: Milwaukee Dragons

On the Line – Book 1

Swagger – Book 2

Where you can find On the Line: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Is this man: A) a super-hot NFL player, B) the guy you’re sexting, or C) your new boss?

If you’re Carrie Herron, the answer is all of the above. First Carrie starts exchanging steamy text messages with the sexy single dad she meets in line at the grocery store. Then she lands a job—and a bedroom—as the live-in nanny for the daughter of the Milwaukee Dragons’ newest star. But when Carrie shows up for work and realizes that they’re actually the same guy, she has no choice but to try to keep things professional. After all, Seth Chamberlain is her boss now. Her chiseled, charismatic, oh-so-tempting boss. . . .

After getting traded from Houston to Milwaukee, Seth’s having a tough time keeping his head in the game, let alone setting up his daughter in a brand-new city. So if the only nanny his daughter will tolerate while he’s on the road is the gorgeous, cosplay-loving redhead he’s had his eye on, well, so be it. Surely he can resist Carrie until football season is over. But with her knowing glances and kissable lips driving him wild, Seth must decide whether he’s ready to put everything on the line.

My review:

Image result for you're my zing memes — **Picture credit**

I went into reading On the Line thinking that it would be a great romance. And it was, for the first chapter. After that, the book bored me. I struggled to finish reading it. There was no zing with the main characters. To me, that is the most important part of a romance novel. The characters have to have a least some attraction to each other. Also, I like it when there are no dropped storylines. I can understand, and deal with, one dropped storyline. Things happen. But when there are more than one, then I start to get frustrated.

Image result for love drama memes funny — **Picture Credit**

Carrie drove me bat-poop crazy during the entire book. She collected more drama than a drama llama. First, she got fired from her job as a science teacher. Then her landlord is selling her apartment. Next, she cannot find a job. She keeps putting off the nanny job that her well-meaning friend keeps offering her. I was irritated with her then. But when she started working for Seth, my irritation levels went through the roof. She should have listened to her BFF or wised up sooner in the book. I did like some parts of Carrie. I like that she dressed up for LARP at Comic Cons.

I liked Seth. If Carrie was a drama llama, Seth was the exact opposite. He was a single parent trying to raise a 13-year-old girl alone. That alone bumped him up in my eyes. Then he met Carrie and I thought to myself “Did you lose your ever-loving mind?” For some, strange, unknown reason, he wanted her. He did try to keep her at arm’s length until the middle of the book. Then it was like he said “Eff this” and started banging her.

Maddy, Seth’s daughter, deserves a mention here too. I alternately felt bad for her and thought she was a spoiled brat. I felt bad for her because she wanted to know about her mother. Any questions she had, Seth refused to answer. No wonder she started to look for her herself. She did have a connection with Carrie but it didn’t stop her from having a fit when she found out about Carrie and Seth. The total 180 that she did on that subject made my head spin.

Image result for lack of sexual chemistry memes — **Picture Credit**

I felt that there was a lack of chemistry between Carrie and Seth. Everything seemed forced up to sex. It made me sad because the sex scenes were actually pretty hot. I couldn’t get into them.

I had an issue with the dropped storylines in On the Line. There were a few. Carrie’s brother and his connection to Seth. Carrie’s last job. Seth being unsatisfied in his career. I felt that the book could have been so much better if those had been resolved. Because, to be honest, it made the book very hard to read. I feel that those storylines could have helped flush out the plot and the characters.

The end of On the Line was a very typical romance novel ending. The plotlines were brought together and ended in a way that should have satisfied me as a reader. But with the way I felt about Carrie and the lack of chemistry between Carrie and Seth, I kind of groaned.

Now saying all this about On the Line, I am looking forward to reading book 2.

What I liked about On the Line:

A) Carrie LARP’d. I don’t think I have ever read a romance novel where the main character LARP’d. Very refreshing.

B) Carrie’s education background. Came in handy several times in the book.

C) Seth’s dedication to his daughter

What I disliked about On the Line:

A) The book bored me.

B) Lack of chemistry between Carrie and Seth

C) Too many dropped storylines

I would give On the Line a rating of Adult. There are language, mild violence, and explicit sexual situations.

There are no trigger warnings in On the Line.

I would not recommend this book to family and friends. I would not reread On the Line but I would be open to reading other books by the author. I would also be open to continuing the series.

I would like to thank Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review On the Line.

All opinions stated in this review of On the Line are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

In Her Skin by Kim Savage

In Her Skin

4 Stars

Publisher: Macmillian Children’s Publishing Group, Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux (BYR)

Date of publication: April 17th, 2018

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Suspense

Where you can find In Her Skin: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest heist of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine.

When Jo takes on Vivi’s identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety or escape the danger around her before it’s too late.

Continue reading “In Her Skin by Kim Savage” →

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