Slip Sinker (The Sloane Spadowski Series: Book 2) by Emigh Cannaday

Slip Sinker (The Sloane Spadowski Series Book 2)

Title: Slip Sinker

Author: Emigh Cannady

Publisher: Silver Popular Press

Date of publication: March 15th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 386

POV: 1st person

Series: The Sloane Spodowski Series

Jerk Bait – Book 1 (review here)

Slip Sinker – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

After meeting Andy’s best friend, Sloane begins to rethink her strategy on how to reel in her prize. Not only is Barbie a matchmaker with a perfect track record, but the tall, tan, gorgeous blonde clearly adores Andy and isn’t about to give his new girlfriend the green light without conducting a thorough investigation. Claiming to have Andy’s best interest in mind, Barbie puts Sloane through an intense cross-examination to get to know her better and learn what she wants most out of life. When Barbie’s ruling is announced, Sloane’s in too deep with both of them to realize she’s in way over her head.

* The Sloane Spadowski series is a whimsical, rowdy, dirty blend of Contemporary Romance and Romantic Comedy, with occasional adult language and adults behaving badly. This is the second installment of a complete series.

My review:

I don’t think I have laughed as hard at a book than I did with this one. I was in bed, reading, and I was laughing so hard that I had tears coming down my face and my SO was asking me “You alright? What’s so funny?”. The Brazilian Wax scene was pure gold. I have never had one done and guess what, I will never have one done after reading Sloane’s misadventure with that. Right up there is when Sloane, Barbie, and Andy are at the gay bar and Barbie/Andy dance to “Barbie World” and then Barbie dances to “Ride a Cowboy (Save a Horse)”. I like both songs but I will never get the mental image of Barbie twerking to Barbie World out of my head….lol.

I am going to admit, I was wrong about my misconception with Barbie at the end of Jerk Bait. So wrong about him and I don’t like being wrong. But he seemed like such a good friend and his matchmaking abilities did score Jack a date (and possibly a boyfriend) and he seemed to really like Sloane. His Texan accent, the way he talked and his ridiculous nicknames (Sloaney Baloney, Handy Andy (and am I the only one that internally corrected that to Handy Manny….lol), Kimmy the C*nt) were fabulous. He was a self-described hound with a “disability” that gets him more hunnies than he can handle (his words…lol). I loved him and he is a fictional character…haha.

Sloane was still her bad self in this book but I could see her chafing at being in a relationship with Andy. Christmas was a huge question mark in my mind when she got weird on the gift he gave her. I mean, she got a pearl necklace and she freaked out. The Valentine’s Day fiasco kinda cinched it but I still had doubt. But Saint Patty’s Day, that cinched it. Sloane, in her own words, went through men and jobs like tissues, so I shouldn’t have been too surprised when she started to get itchy. But the person who she moved onto (while still being with Andy) was a huge surprise to me.

Let’s just say that the rest of the book was filled with beyond hot sex. Burning hot sex with this person. Andy, well he didn’t have burning hot sex with Sloane. He was blander and more vanilla. Sloane’s partner was not vanilla. Oh no, he wasn’t….lol.

The end of the book had a sneaky cliffhanger and made me wonder about a few things. The main thing is would Sloane stay with Andy or would she go with the other guy. I also want to know if she was getting a puppy (read the book) and you know what, all this pregnancy talk makes me think that maybe, just maybe, Sloane might get knocked up. Too much stress on babies and how happy she would be without them.

How many stars will I give Slip Sinker: 5

Why: I actually read this book in one night. I was glued to the story while laughing my hiney off. The characters were unforgettable and they all grew on me.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

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

Madly (New York: Book 2) by Ruthie Knox

Madly (New York, #2)

Title: Madly

Author: Ruthie Knox

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 14th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 273

POV: 3rd person

Series: New York

Truly – Book 1

Madly – Book 2

Completely – Book 3 (expected publication date: June 20th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

An impulsive trip to New York City, a heartthrob from London, and a scandalous to-do list turn a small-town girl’s life upside down in this sultry romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Truly and About Last Night.

Allie Fredericks isn’t supposed to be in Manhattan, hiding in the darkest corner of a hip bar, spying on her own mother—who’s flirting with a man who’s definitely not Allie’s father. Allie’s supposed to be in Wisconsin, planning her parents’ milestone anniversary party. Then Winston Chamberlain walks through the door, with his tailored suit, British accent, and gorgeous eyes, and Allie’s strange mission goes truly sideways.

Winston doesn’t do messy. But after a pretty stranger ropes him into her ridiculous family drama with a fake kiss that gets a little too real, he finds out that messy can be fun. Maybe even a little addicting. And as the night grows longer, Allie and Winston make a list of other wild things they could do together—and what seems like a mismatch leads to a genuine connection. But can their relationship survive as their real lives implode just outside the bedroom door?

My review:

I really didn’t know what to think of Madly during the first few chapters. The whole premise of the book, Allie goes to New York to find her mother and ends up meeting a hot Brit, had been done before. But I liked the spin that the author gave to the storyline. Winston and Allie, after having bonding in a bar while spying on her mother and her mother’s “friend”, decide to make a naughty list. The list included everything from a simple 30-second hug to anal sex to mutual masturbation to stexting to mind-blowing, feelings involved sex. Just acting out the list would have made a great read for me. But the author decided to make Allie and Winston human and that is what sold the book for me.

I actually felt bad for Allie. She always felt that she was the outsider and when she found out that she was the result of an affair that her mother had, the bottom of her world dropped out. I can’t even imagine being told that. It must have been awful finding that out and it must have been awful to keep it a secret from her sister, May. I can understand the anger she had towards her mother and I can understand why she went after her to drag her to her wedding anniversary. I can even understand why she was in disguise, spying on her mother. She was hurt and trying her best to get her family back together.

Let’s talk about Allie’s ex-boyfriend, Matt. OMG, he was the biggest pain in the butt in the entire book. Honestly, I think Allie should have had the personal boundary talk way before she did. The guy was a borderline stalker.

Winston, I really wasn’t too sure of at first. He came across as stiff and he really didn’t know what to think of Allie (which I didn’t either). But he really grew on me when he was Allie’s mailman and when he agreed to make that list with Allie. What really cinched it for me was his love for his daughter (who, I loved). He moved from London to New York City to make sure she had a parent nearby. Which was pretty awesome. I also liked how honest he was with Allie about his first marriage, his divorce and how he almost ruined his relationship with his brother.

The sex scenes between Winston and Allie were alright. Nothing spectacular and to be honest, I thought Allie talked, a lot. Not that I don’t mind a chatty character but when you are doing the nasty, shush!! LOL.

Like I said above, what really sold the book for me was that Winston and Allie were human. They didn’t have perfect bodies and they were very honest about not having feelings for each other. Well until they developed feelings, but that is a whole different story.

The storyline with her mother did take a very surprising turn. Actually, it was something that I didn’t see coming and looking back on it, made sense.

The end of the book was great and I liked that while Allie and Winston admitted their feelings towards each other, they didn’t jump to move in with each other. Actually, I think they were going to do a long distance relationship. We’ll have to see in the next book what happens!!

How many stars will I give Madly: 4

Why: I actually really enjoyed reading this book. It focused more on the getting to know each other part of the relationship than the sexual part. Which was perfect for me because sometimes I need to read a book like that. Where sex is there but not really mentioned and the hero/heroine get to know each other first before actually bumping uglies.

Will I reread: yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

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

Himself by Jess Kidd

Himself

Title: Himself

Author: Jess Kidd

Publisher: Atria Books

Date of publication: March 14th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Fantasy

POV: 3rd person

Number of pages: 368

Series: No

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

When Mahony returns to Mulderrig, a speck of a place on Ireland’s west coast, he brings only a photograph of his long-lost mother and a determination to do battle with the village’s lies.

His arrival causes cheeks to flush and arms to fold in disapproval. No one in the village – living or dead – will tell what happened to the teenage mother who abandoned him as a baby, despite Mahony’s certainty that more than one of them has answers.

Between Mulderrig’s sly priest, its pitiless nurse and the caustic elderly actress throwing herself into her final village play, this beautiful and darkly comic début novel creates an unforgettable world of mystery, bloody violence, and buried secrets.

My review:

Told in 3rd person, Himself is a book about a young man trying to find out what happened to his mother in a small village in Ireland. With supernatural, mystery and crime-woven into the book, Himself is a book that will suck you in and not let you out until you finish it.

I was truly surprised at how much I liked this book. I couldn’t get enough of it and found myself reading it while waiting for my kid’s bus while cooking supper, eating supper and at night in bed. It was literally book crack for me. I couldn’t get enough of Mahony’s story and of all the other secondary plotlines going on.

I really liked Mahony and definitely felt for him while he was searching for answers for what happened to Orla and who his father was. He had so much opposition but also had so much help, if that makes sense.

The mystery of who killed Orla was a true mystery to the end. The author did a great job of hiding his identity. It was only when the dog was killed and then showed up by the killer’s side was I clued in. Well, that and the other two murders in the village.

I loved the supernatural elements of the book. The ghosts, the storm, the pagan stream in the priest’s house (which was ironic and funny to me), just added more depth to the book. I like that the ghosts were not who they were in real life and they kept their secrets as well as they did when they were alive.

What I really liked about this book was that not all the storylines were resolved in a way that was satisfactory or not at all. One storyline, I do think I figured out who it was ( read the book if you want to know what I am talking about….haha).

How many stars will I give Himself: 5

Why: A great book that had so many layers to it, it resembled an onion in my mind. Once I peeled one layer back, another one appeared. The characters were multi-dimensional (hence the layers) and the storylines were not all happily resolved.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older teen (16+)

Why: Violence

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

The Devil’s Triangle (A Brit in the FBI: Book 4) by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison

The Devil's Triangle (A Brit in the FBI, #4)

Title: The Devil’s Triangle

Author: Catherine Coulter, J.T. Ellison

Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Putnam Books

Date of publication: March 14th, 2017

Genre: General Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 512

POV: 3rd person

Series: A Brit In The FBI

The Final Cut – Book 1

The Lost Key – Book 2

The End Game – Book 3

The Devil’s Triangle – Book 4 (expected publication date: March 14th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Catherine Coulter, the thrilling new novel in the remarkable series featuring Nicholas Drummond and Mike Caine.
FBI Special Agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine have a new mandate as the government’s Covert Eyes, assembling a handpicked team of top-notch agents to tackle crimes and criminals both international and deadly. But their first case threatens to tear the fledgling team apart when the enigmatic thief known as the Fox reappears with a plea for help.

Master thief Kitsune has stolen the staff of Moses from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, and now that she’s delivered, her clients are trying to kill her. On the run, she asks Nicholas and Mike to help her discover the true identity of her clients and stop the threat against her life. Under strict orders to arrest the Fox and bring her back to New York, the Covert Eyes team heads to Venice, Italy, to meet with Kitsune, and finds nothing is as it seems. Kitsune’s secret clients are the Koaths, a family descended from Moses himself, who will do anything, anything, to find Ark of the Covenant and wield its power, as their long and bloody history can attest. To execute their plan, they’ve spent years perfecting a machine that can control the weather, manipulating worldwide disasters that spin the entire globe into chaos.

From New York to Venice, from Rome to the Bermuda Triangle, Nicholas and Mike and their team are in a race against time, and nature herself, to stop the Koaths and recover the famous Ark of the Covenant. But can they trust Kitsune, their sworn enemy, to help them save the world from a family of madmen?

My review:

I know that I have stated in earlier reviews that I absolutely hate picking up and reading a book mid-series. Why is that? Because there is always tie-ins to the other books in the series and I am left wondering “What did I miss in the earlier books?” While The Devil’s Triangle did have those moments, I am happy to say that they were few and far between. The only time I even started to wonder what was with the scenes with Kitsune and the Covert Eye team. There was so much history there that I wished I had read the earlier books.

The Koath twins, Ajax and Cassandra, just oozed evil. I couldn’t believe how evil they were. I mean, they thought nothing of discussing killing people and they thought nothing of using their connections to the local police and army to execute those killings. All the while keeping up very public personas that they were these good people who did great things for the world. I am glad that the author didn’t try to make them any less evil (well, Cassandra was given a kind of conscious that lasted for all of 3 pages). I also liked that you could see Cassandra and Ajax’s sanity unraveling as the book went on and as they continued to make major mistakes.

While I didn’t read the earlier books (see above statement), I did like Kitsune. I mean, she pulled off stealing the staff of Moses and then eluded the Koath twins and their goons until she allowed herself to get caught. She was very resourceful and I liked how she had the Covert Eye team recruited to help her with her mission (read the book to find out what it was).

The action was intense. From when Kitsune decided that she had to kill the goons outside the Koath twins house to the end, it didn’t let up. I felt like I couldn’t take a breath or I would miss something. And yes, for those of you who have weak stomachs or like things all sunshine and butterflies…..there are people killing people in this book. Most who need it….some who don’t.

I thought the plotline of the weather control machine with ties to DaVinci and Tesla was fantastic. I actually have no problem imagining that someday, there will be a machine like that (if there isn’t one already). Add in the plotline about the search for the Ark of the Covenant and intertwine it with the weather control machine and it made for a great read!!!

The end of the book was pretty good. A bit anticlimactic but good. I am wondering if there will be a book 5.

How many stars will I give The Devil’s Triangle: 4

Why: This was a great book with a couple of fantastic storylines woven into it. The way the author brought them all together was fantastic and I couldn’t read enough of it.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

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

Love, Always and Forever (Sergeant Joe’s Boys: Book 3) by Alexis Morgan

Love, Always and Forever (Sergeant Joe's Boys, #3)

Title: Love, Always and Forever

Author: Alexis Morgan

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 14th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: Not stated (this is a first….lol)

POV: 3rd person

Series: Sergeant Joe’s Boys

Always for You – Book 1

Always Be True – Book 2 (review here)

Love, Always and Forever – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

As a child, Mikhail Wanjek couldn’t save his drug-addled mother; as a young man, he left a promising military career because he couldn’t defend the innocent victims of war. When Mikhail’s feeling like a failure, not even the love of his adoptive parents and loyal brothers can console him. But after he volunteers to help his beautiful brunette neighbor install a fence around her yard, Mikhail begins to heal. He wants to shield her pure, unabashed lust for life from the darkness including his own.

Successful heart surgery has allowed Amy Short to finally set out on her own, apart from her loving but overprotective family. Now she’s experiencing new thrills with the chiseled fireman next door, from riding on the back of Mikhail’s Harley to late nights full of passion. Still, he refuses to open up emotionally, and with Amy’s history, she’s not willing to wait around for Mikhail to change. What she needs to do is show him that together they can build something that will last forever.

My review:

Mikhail Wanjek is a tortured soul. He has never forgiven himself for leaving his heroin-addicted mother alone on the day that she overdosed. He was 10 years old when she died and always felt that if he had stayed home from school that day, that she would be alive. His guilt over that carried over to when he was in the Marines and saw combat. After leaving the service, he went into being a firefighter…..where he agonized over not being able to save victims from the fires he put out.

Amy Short is a survivor. Born with a heart defect that severely impacted her childhood, she got surgery that fixed it. Wanting to prove her 4 older brothers and her parents that she is better and can survive on her own, she buys a house over an hour away. That house just happens to be next to Mikhail.

They meet on when Amy goes over to introduce herself to a very sleepy Mikhail. He had just finished a shift at work and was sleeping when she brought over a plate of brownies. She also wanted to ask him if she could tear down his part of the fence and replace it with a new one because she is adopting a puppy and wants to make it safe for him.

To say that they were attracted to each other off the bat is an understatement. But Mikhail is battling some dark demons. He has PTSD, which manifests in terrible nightmares and bouts of uncontrollable anger. While he really likes Amy, he feels he can’t offer her anything but friendship….which made me really sad for him.

Amy, herself, isn’t on the up and up with Mikhail either. She is extremely stubborn and refuses to tell him about her surgeries or heart condition. She wants more than friendship (which she hilarious makes her point with cookies with kisses inside of them) but doesn’t press him for further because not only can she sense that he is troubled but she doesn’t want him seeing her scars.

The chemistry between Amy and Mikhail was a slow burn. I loved that the author made them have a friendship first before they had sex. And the first time that they did…..oh boy was it burning hot. They also used safe sex (hooray….lol.!!)

Amy, I felt, went overboard to show her parents how independent she can be. To the point where she limited her phone calls to one day a week and never invited them to her house. I thought it was overkill but in hindsight, after reading how freaked out her parents/brothers got whenever she wanted alone time…I think she did the right thing.

Mikhail sent to many mixed signals to Amy in the beginning so I was glad when he decided to throw her in the friend zone. Not that he was happy about it (see what I wrote above) and not that it worked. I do wish that he came to the realization and read Joe’s letter sooner than later. Because it would have done him a world of good, I think.

I was a little disappointed in the ending. It seemed rushed to me. I did like the epilog, though, and I would love to see books written about Amy’s brothers’ who are single.

How many stars will I give Love, Always and Forever: 3

Why: While I liked the story, I felt the ending was rushed and it was a little unrealistic with how overprotective Amy’s parents and brothers are. Other than that, I really liked the book.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and language

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

Meant to Be (Whisper Creek: Book 5) by Maggie McGinnis

Meant to Be (Whisper Creek, #5)

Title: Meant to Be

Author: Maggie McGinnis

Publisher: Random House Publishing – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 14th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: Unknown

POV: 3rd person

Series: Whisper Creek

Accidental Cowgirl – Book 1

A Cowboy’s Christmas Promise – Book 2

Once Upon a Cowboy – Book 3

Unlucky in Love – Book 4 (review here)

Meant to Be – Book 5

Can be read out-of-order from series: Yes

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Hailed by Christie Craig as “a witty new voice in contemporary romance,” Maggie McGinnis takes readers back to Montana’s sexiest dude ranch, where anyone can start over, and falling in love is just a beautiful twist of fate.

At twenty-eight, Shelby Quinn’s already a has-been. Scooped off a country stage at sixteen and remolded into glittery pop princess Tara Gibson, she toured the country for a decade, playing to sold-out stadiums while slowly losing her soul. Now her sales are waning, and when her beloved father dies in a fiery plane crash, she finally comes apart at the seams. Alone and brokenhearted, she hides away at Whisper Creek Ranch, never expecting to meet a man who understands her in a way no one else ever has.

Cooper Davis was one of Boston’s top detectives—until a bogus investigation cost him his badge, his family, and almost his life. Now he’s wrangling horses and guests at Whisper Creek Ranch while keeping one eye firmly on a super-secret VIP holed up in a private cabin—a beautiful, soulful singer who knows what it’s like to lose everything. Cooper and Shelby both have ample reason to guard their hearts. But if they can learn to trust each other, something magical awaits them under the big skies and bright stars.

My review:

Meant to Be starts off on such a sad note. Shelby is attending the funeral of her father, a country singer legend who died in a horrific plane crash. She is beyond devastated but is not allowed to show it. When she complains about it, her handler (aka her PA) basically tells her to suck it up for another hour. Which she does and then, in the privacy of her father’s house, she decides to break dishes. Unfortunately, her PA witnesses it, reports it to Shelby’s record label and they make the decision to ship her off to a dude ranch for some rest and relaxation.

I did a holdup, wait a minute after those chapters. This poor girl loses her father in a horrific plane crash, is told that she can’t grieve in public AND when she has a totally normal reaction, she is told that she needs rest and relaxation before going off on a tour (oh yeah, forget to mention that Shelby has an alter ego called Tara Gibson who is a pop star) that is supposed to bolster her career. I kinda wanted to smack the PA upside the head and say “Why???”. But it’s a book so the best I could do was shake my head, say to myself “idiot” and read on.

The ranch was probably the best place for her, looking back. She was able to come to terms with her father’s death and find herself. Of course, she meets the best-looking cowboy on the ranch. Cooper.

Cooper has his own issues and I got a little frustrated at how long it took for the author to show exactly why he left Boston and why he only talks to his younger sister. All we knew, for a little while, was that he was an ex-cop who left Boston and the police force because of an investigation turned bad. Exactly what the investigation was about, who was involved in the investigation and where the investigation led was revealed, slowly, throughout the book. To be honest, I would have loved to know everything up front and then have things happen from then on.

I had to laugh at so many people seeing through Shelby’s disguises and how many people she told the truth to….after being told keep it on the down low. I mean, the people that she told did keep her secret but still. It wasn’t the point, she wasn’t supposed to let anyone know who she was. And that failed….in a big way.

Cooper and Shelby’s romance was sweet and slow. I loved that while they had sex, the author didn’t feel the need to spell it out and just left it as they went to bed. I got to use my imagination, gasp, during those scenes and I loved it!!!

Both storylines were wrapped up in a very satisfactory way, even if Cooper’s did give me some concern before it ended. I also liked how a certain person was forced to apologize for his behavior to him.

The end of the book was pretty good too and everyone got what they wanted. It was a HEA :). I do want to know what happened to the pig, though…..lol. What pig? Read the book!!!

How many stars will I give Meant to Be: 4

Why: I really enjoyed reading this book, even though it started off on a sad note. The Cooper’s plotline alone was enough to keep me reading but throw in Shelby trying to rediscover herself and I couldn’t put it down. Add that the romance was a slow burn and it made for a pretty good read.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, language

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

Every Dead Thing (Charlie Parker: Book 1) by John Connolly

Every Dead Thing: A Charlie Parker Thriller by [Connolly, John]

Title: Every Dead Thing

Author: John Connolly

Publisher: Atria Books (original publisher: Pocket Books)

Date of publication: June 16th, 2015 (original date of publication: 1999)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 467

POV: 1st person

Series: Charlie Parker

Every Dead Thing – Book 1

Dark Hollow – Book 2

The Killing Kind – Book 3

The White Road – Book 4

The Black Angel – Book 5

The Unquiet – Book 6

The Reapers – Book 7

The Lovers – Book 8

The Whisperers – Book 9

The Burning Soul – Book 10

The Wrath of Angels – Book 11

The Wolf in Winter – Book 12

A Song of Shadows – Book 13

A Time of Torment – Book 14

A Game of Ghosts – Book 15 (expected publication date April 6th, 2017)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (taken from Goodreads):

Hailed internationally as a page-turner in a league with the fiction of Thomas Harris, this lyrical and terrifying bestseller is the stunning achievement of an “extravagantly gifted” (Kirkus Reviews) new novelist. John Connolly superbly taps into the tortured mind and gritty world of former NYPD detective Charlie “Bird” Parker, tormented by the brutal, unsolved murders of his wife and young daughter. Driven by visions of the dead, Parker tracks a serial killer from New York City to the American South, and finds his buried instincts — for love, survival, and, ultimately, for killing — awakening as he confronts a monster beyond imagining…

My review:

This book spooked the pants off me and I don’t normally get spooked by books. From the beginning, when Charlie’s wife and daughter were murdered by the end…..I got chills. Put it this way, I couldn’t read this book at night because of how creepy it was. The one time I did, all I dreamed about was human beings being cut open and flayed. So yeah, I read this book during the day.

I felt awful for Charlie. I mean, I can’t imagine coming home to my family murdered. I don’t even think I could cope. Actually, I know I couldn’t cope. So I was a little surprised when it looked like he had moved on. New job, new house. Then everything came to a head when he takes a job to find the missing girlfriend of the son of influential women and clues show up about his wife and daughter.

My favorite characters had to have been Angel and Louis. A thug and an assassin in a relationship, yes please!!! Louis I liked because of his fashion style and the fact that nothing seemed to phase him. Also, I think I would want him as a backup when things when south. Angel was very cute (but also very dangerous) and you could tell that he genuinely loved Louis.

The action in this book was insane. It went from zero to bloodshed within a chapter. Which is OK with me. Sometimes I need that!!!

I liked that the author really didn’t play up the paranormal part of the book until the end. And even then, it was understated. Creepy but understated. With everything else that was going on in the book, I liked that.

I will say that the author did have me going about who The Traveling Man was until the end of the book. I did have a suspicion as to who it was but with everything that was going on in the book, I kinda said “Nah”. Well, color me surprised when it ended up being who I originally thought it was.

The end of the book was very good. All of the storylines were tied up, for the most part, and I could see where the author left an opening for the next book. Which I am going to have to read because I got hooked on this series!!

How many stars will I give Every Dead Thing: 4

Why: A very intense mystery will keep me guessing and I refused to read at night. The violence and bloodshed might be a little much for some people but I didn’t care.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sexual situations, violence, and language

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

Set in Stone (Legend: Book 1) by Kylie C. Stewart

Set in Stone (Legend, #1)

Title: Set in Stone

Author: Kylie C. Stewart

Publisher: TCK Publishing

Date of publication: April 23rd, 2016 (republished February 19th, 2017)

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Suspense

Number of pages: 284

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Legend

Set In Stone – Book 1

The Duke’s Curse – Book 2 (expected date of publication: March 20th)

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

When Alexandria York fatefully met the Duke of Avalon in the woods she never imagined she’d be working for him. A rising star of the art scene in London, Alexandria agrees to commission a piece for the infamous noble. His intentions quickly become confusing as chemistry grows between the two.
As she dreams of the man she can’t have, the one she can lure her deeper into his lair. Will the man she once loved be her Knight in shining armor and slay the Dragon? Or will the Dragon consume her before it’s too late?

In this life, his heart was the stone and her love was the sword…

The Duke of Avalon has lived a long and lonely life. He has chased his love through the centuries and every time she has jilted him, but not this time. Tormented by inner demons, Avalon seeks to keep his secret safe while vowing to win Alexandria York. When his former charge, Lancer Rivers comes back into both their lives, he finds him more than one challenger for her hand. Can he protect Alexandria not only from the man after her very life but also himself?

Kylie C. Stewart joins the myth of King Arthur and his Knights of the ‘Round to modern-day. Join Avalon and Alexandria on an adventure full of magic, adventure, and romance. For once is in the past, and the future is now.

My review:

Set in Stone is a newer, darker take on King Arthur. Told from Arthur/Avalon’s point of view and Alexandria point of view, you are taken on a dark journey with a man who has nothing to lose and woman who has the ability to bring him to his knees and possibly destroy him if she chooses wrong.

When Kylie approached me to review Set In Stone, I did an internal “Squeee” of delight. I am a sucker for anything about Camelot/King Arthur/Knights of the Round Table. Seriously, if I see a book that even mentions it’s about that, I snatch it right up and devour it. Which was the same with this book. And I have to say, this was a great and different take on the King Arthur myth.

I wasn’t expecting Arthur/Avalon to be a dark as he was. He came across as a man who would do anything to keep his love this time around. Anything and that included making a move on her and claim her as his own. He was so passionate when he was alone, with M or with Alexandria in her dreams. But when he was with Alexandria in real life, he was so cold….so possessive. It actually confused me at times and made me wonder why? But then I remembered the triangle of Guinevere/Lancelot/Arthur and a light bulb went off over my head. He was jealous and afraid of getting hurt.

Alexandria kinda rubbed me the wrong way at first. She gave such mixed signals about Arthur/Avalon that even I was confused. I mean, she created a statue of him (Legend) after first meeting him but they proceeded to try and put him in the friend zone when he told her that he was starting to have feelings for her. She was also hung up on a guy that seemed to move on and it drove me nuts. I did feel for her when Arthur started getting all possessive. I mean, she had no clue.

Mordred and Morgan Le Fey were mentioned a bit in the book. I figure out what her agenda was other than to drive Arthur/Avalon nuts and Mordred was only mentioned a couple of times. I can’t wait to see how they come into play in the next book.

Merlin was mentioned in the book and I wish that there was more of him. He was so wise and had such great council for Arthur/Avalon. Again, I hope he is in Book 2 more.

The end of the book was great. No twists or anything but I did like how certain events came to pan out!!

How many stars will I give Set in Stone: 4

Why: Like I said above, I love the King Arthur myth and I enjoyed this story. The story was fast paced and I was totally engrossed in the story. I couldn’t read it fast enough.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Language, some violence, and sex

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

More Than A Slave by Anaelle Gadeyne

More Than A Slave

Title: More Than A Slave

Author: Anaelle Gadeyne

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: March 8th, 2017

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance

Number of pages: 460

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

Alexander Anderson has a reputation that would strike fear into the heart of the devil himself. And now, Aria Starbird is his property.

Aria has spent only a few months as a lowly slave, but already her happy childhood memories were starting to fade under the weight of her brutal existence.
When she is sold to Lord Anderson at an auction, she cannot help but be afraid. Lord Anderson is known for his cruelty. He is fiendish and handsome and as wicked as he is wealthy.

However, as she gets to know her new master, she realizes there is more to him than meets the eye. Over time, she is able to penetrate his tough exterior and begins to understand the struggle of a man who believes love is a weakness, but whose heart is now yearning for something unknown.

As the two let down their walls and discover each other’s truths, will Aria be able to tame Alexander’s inner-beast?

My review:

Inkitt has been good to me over the last few months. I have reviewed many good books for them. Books that I enjoyed reading. So when I was asked to review More Than A Slave, I didn’t hesitate because of my history of getting good books from them. I was actually excited to read it. So, needless to say, I went into this book with high expectations and oh boy, did they get smashed.

This book takes place in America (around Marietta, Georgia if I am not mistaken)….pre-Civil War. Aria’s parents sold her into slavery because they all were starving and they needed the money. They sold her to a family friend with the stipulation that she would be treated well and off they went with their lives. 8 months later, Aria is being brought to auction to be sold because she was very disrespectful to her master.

Aria is dragging into town on a rope by her master and she catches the eye of Lord Alexander Anderson. Alexander is from England and has settled in Georgia with his sister and brothers to make a new life for himself. He quickly built a reputation for being a cruel slave owner. The slaves that go work at his manor are never released and never seen alive again. He is so casual about talking about killing slaves with his brother Oliver, it made me sick.

Aria is bought by Lord Alexander and brought to his manor along with another slave called Harriet. She keeps running into Alexander and he keeps treating her like she isn’t a slave. Except when he wants to make a point and then he gets mad and treats her like a slave if that makes sense. But he always feels bad and apologizes to her. Their relationship quickly escalates to her sharing his bed (not sleeping with him) and her getting very upset whenever he kills someone or threatens to kill someone. At one point in the book, she makes him promise not to kill someone when he gets mad. The book is put down but this time I went “Great, he’s a psychopath (because he enjoys killing)”.

He actually kills one slave after she got into a fight with Aria. That scene was gruesome and so unnecessary. He goes on to imprison her father (in his defense, he didn’t know it was her father at the time) and then tells him to never talk to Aria again, takes part in this hunt called “Little Red Riding Hood” (slave girls were put into red capes and set loose in woods for the lords to hunt down and kill), torture Harriet (Aria’s archnemesis) and Aria’s old master. Plus, when he gets mad, he beats on one of his siblings. But it’s ok that he does it because deep down he’s a good guy, he just had a hard life. Excuse me while I go puke. It sounds like every excuse that people make for an abuser.

The end of the book was a surprise too because of the turn around Aria does on certain subjects. To be honest, I was proud of myself for finishing this book without having a meltdown or DNF’ing.

How many stars will I give More Than A Slave: 1

Why: Awful storyline. Awful characters. I couldn’t wrap my head around the use of slavery during Colonial America as even being OK to use as a romantic plot line.

Will I reread: No

Will I recommend to family and friends: No

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and sex

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

Disenchanted: Not Your Typical Fairy Tale Romance by Susan Carroll

Disenchanted: Not Your Typical Fairy Tale Romance

Title: Disenchanted

Author: Susan Carroll

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 7th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 303

POV: 1st person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis: Goodreads:

An alluring love triangle and a daring caper unfold in this imaginative retelling of Cinderella, featuring an indomitable damsel who’s not so easily swept off her glass slippers.

At the tender age of seventeen, Ella Upton lost her innocence to a traveling minstrel, a youth with flaxen hair and a golden voice whose deep blue eyes concealed his true intentions—until it was too late. Seven years later, Ella’s stepsisters chatter about winning the affections of the dreamy Prince Florian at the royal ball, but Ella has no such illusions. Instead, her dashing best friend, Malcolm Hawkridge, persuades her with his reckless charm and wicked smile to use the occasion to steal back a magic orb from the corrupt king.

But before the clock strikes midnight, Ella finds herself pursued by more than one prince—not to mention Commander Horatio Crushington, who captures her with his piercing gaze from across the crowded ballroom. Dancing through the sudden swirl of suitors, Ella feels her cheeks burning—and not solely because of the orb hidden in her gown. Has the strapping Horatio awakened long-dormant desires or is Ella finally coming to grips with her feelings for Malcolm? Only the girl who thought she’d given up on love can decide.

My review:

Disenchanted is a fun twist on Cinderella. Take everything you know about Cinderella and forget it because Disenchanted doesn’t follow the fairy tale. What you get, instead, is a totally original story that incorporates parts of the fairy tale into the plot line.

I will admit, I laughed my butt off while reading this book. Ella was pure snark and I loved it. The way she dealt with her sister’s suitors, her stepsisters, her stepmother, her next-door neighbor, Mal, and even Prince Florian had me giggling. Even the situations she found herself in and her reactions to them made me laugh.

But, at the same time, I did feel bad for her. She had her heart-broken at 17 by a traveling bard named Harper. That same week, her father died and then she became the glue that held her family together. She made sure that they went without anything even if it meant sacrificing things that she might have wanted to do or have. Ella also had a great relationship with her stepmother and her two younger stepsisters…even though they drove her nuts.

Her friendship with Mal did kinda confuse me at times. It confused me because at the beginning, they were strictly friends and he was a shady apothecary. But, after the King announces the ball, he suddenly became interested in her in a romantic way? I actually reread the chapters that had him in to make sure I didn’t miss anything and reconfirmed the out of left field romantic angle. Which I didn’t. It didn’t bother me as much as it confused me.

What I did like about Ella’s friendship with Mal was that it was real and it was lasting. Which is why I think both Ella and myself were surprised when Mal asked her to steal the orb the night of the ball. When he told her that she wasn’t going because she couldn’t afford it, he got tickets for her, her stepmother and two stepsisters to go. Which kinda forced her into going and doing what he wanted.

I loved the romance between Ella and Horatio. There was no Instalove. Horatio and Ella got to know each other from seeing each other around the village. It was when he asked to come calling on her and continued to go after her even when she was rude, that the romance started. It was sweet to watch it unfold. I felt horrible for him when he admitted to Ella that he overheard her stepsister and stepmother commenting on him being a “foundling”. But, I do think that there is something else about his parentage that he doesn’t know about (read the book!!!)

Prince Charming (aka Prince Florian) in this book was not so charming. Well at least to Ella, he wasn’t. She didn’t like him and the more I read about him, I didn’t like him either. He came off as one of those extremely cocky jock types that think they are God’s gift to women. Plus, there is something off about him. How his brother reacted to him was not normal. And what is going on with the King? I thought it was very weird that he knew Ella’s mother and when he found out that she had her father’s eyes, he got all pissy and walked off.

I also loved the references to the original fairytale. Mal as the fairy godfather, the quip about the field mice hurting their paws if they were to sew a dress, the pumpkin carriages that are hazards and the best thing of all…..Ella refusing to wear the glass shoes because they hurt her feet. Loved it!!

The end of the book was perfect but it left me with more questions than anything. What was up with Ella’s father? Who was S? What about the young king, his wife and newborn son (before the present king took over) who were killed? The baby’s body was never found…so where is he? Why does the King create laws and fines about everything (the fainting one did crack me up, though)? Was he in love with Ella’s mother too? and so much more. Oh, so many questions that need to be answered. I do hope that there is a book 2!!

How many stars will I give Disenchanted: 4

Why: This was a very original and imaginative retelling of Cinderella. Normally I don’t like it when fairy tales are retold, something is always left out. Not here. This was a totally engrossing tale with characters that are unbelievably snarky and lovable at the same time. The references to the original fairy tale were woven into the story in such a way that you had to laugh.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Young Teen

Why: Some mild violence. Some kissing. Other than that, a very clean book.

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

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