The Lost and the Scarred (Kingston City Limits: Book 1) by T. Marie Alexander

The Lost and the Scarred (Kingston City Limits Book 1) by [Alexander, T. Marie]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of Publication: September 16th, 2019

Series: Kingston City Limits

Genre: Romance, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, New Adult

The Lost and the Scarred—Book 1

Where you can find The Lost and the Scarred: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

ROX
When I was six, Wran Belmont found me buried in snow and gave me a place to live.

He became my best friend.

When I was fifteen, I gave him all of me—only for him to abandon me.

Now, he’s back and expecting the lost, scarred girl he’s left behind. I’m not that girl anymore. And while I may still have secrets, it will not be as easy for him to retrieve them this time around.

WRAN
When I was eleven, my father lost his job and became a pathetic excuse for a father. A few months later I found Roxanna Raine buried in snow, barely hanging on to life.

Her father was the reason mine was an alcoholic, and I thought about letting her freeze to death.

One look in her eyes and she became my kryptonite. I swore I would get my revenge, though, even if it was on the fair-skinned beauty.

When I was nineteen, I left Rox without an explanation—broken-hearted and even more lost.

Now, I’m back and I’ll do anything to make up for the stolen time.

First Line:

“I’m taking her!”
The Lost and the Scarred by T. Marie Alexander

My Review:

I was excited about reading The Lost and the Scarred. I have become a massive fan of dark romances. The blurb promised that this was going to be a juicy one. And it was. I couldn’t read this book fast enough.

The plotline that highlighted Wran and Rox’s dysfunctional relationship was dark. Oh so dark and I loved it.

The plotline with Rox and Harley was interesting. It took me a while to realize what happened. I understood why Rox insisted on keeping her visits to Harley a secret. Wran would have blown a gasket.

The plotline with Rox and her father was heartbreaking. The author was cautious not to reveal too much about her years with him. I did guess at what happened to Rox after her mother’s death. There have been very few times where I wished that I could morph into a book and bring all holy hell to a character. This was one of them.

The romance between Rox and Wran didn’t seem real to me. Mainly because of how Wran acted. He was an immature, jealous idiot with an anger management problem and he took it out on Rox. So, yeah, the romance didn’t spark for me.

Josh drove me nuts. He had the power to keep Wran away from Rox. He was the freaking sheriff!! Instead, he talked and talked but didn’t do anything about it. He let Wran have his man tantrums all over the place. He even got assaulted by Wran at the police station. Which made me go “WTF.”

Cade was another person who drove me nuts in the book. He held back who he was to Rox. He went out of his way to piss Wran off. But, he did come through in the end.

The end of The Lost and the Scarred ticked me off. I didn’t agree with what Lynn did at all. Also, it was a cliffhanger. And if you have been reading my blog long enough, then you know how I feel about cliffhangers. I do need to read book 2.

I would give The Lost and the Scarred an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Lost and the Scarred. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Fangs and Frenemies: A Blue Moon Cozy Mystery (Witches with Anxiety: Book 1) by Cherry Andrews

Book and Author Details:

Fangs and Frenemies: A Blue Moon Bay Cozy Mystery
by Cherry Andrews
(Witches with Anxiety, #1)
Publication date: September 4th 2019
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

Add to Goodreads

Book Synopsis:

A socially awkward bobcat shifter.

An ex-cheerleading vampire.

A sweet—but slightly neurotic—cupcake-baking witch.

They fight crime?

When the case of a missing mean girl throws Hazel back into contact with two old classmates, it’s time for these supernatural frenemies to set aside past grudges and help clear each other’s names.

But in the cloudy, romantic beach town of Blue Moon Bay, Oregon, it seems nearly everyone’s guarding a secret.

And they all involve magic of one kind of another.

Will these three women, who normally can’t stand each other, crack the mystery of what really happened to Hazel’s old bully, Ashlee—or is their effort cursed to fail?

Giveaway:

Giveaway ends September 19th.

Grand prize is a $50 Amazon gift card.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251233258/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Author Bio:

Cherry Andrews loves a good scone, a good book, and curling up with her cats by the fireplace.

You can read FREE CHAPTERS on her website at www.cherryandrews.com

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads Page

29 Seconds by T.M. Logan

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of Publication: September 10th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find 29 Seconds: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear . . .

When Sarah rescues a young girl in trouble, she expects nothing in return. But her act of bravery puts a powerful and dangerous man in her debt. He lives by his own brutal code, and all debts must be repaid – in the only way he knows how.

He offers Sarah a way to solve a desperate situation with her intolerable boss. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that will make all her problems disappear.

No consequences. No comeback. No chance of being found out.

All it takes is a 29 second phone call.

Because everyone has a name to give. Don’t they?

First Line:

The Rules were simple enough.

My Review:

29 Seconds is not a book that you can put down. I found that out the hard way. When I started reading 29 Seconds, I had every intention of reading a couple of chapters and then putting the book down. Yeah, it didn’t quite work out that way. I stayed up until 2 am reading this book. 29 Seconds is that good!!

Sarah is a professor who is being sexually harassed by her superior at the university she works at. Seeing what happens to those who stand up to him, Sarah endures his touches and inappropriate comments. After an unusually stressful day at work, Sarah witnesses and thwarts an attempted kidnapping of a young girl. Her father, a brutal and powerful man, offers her a burner cell phone and the promise to take care of anything for her. All she needs to do is to make the phone call and give a name. But can Sarah do it? Can she provide the name of the one person who is making her life a living hell? Can she live with herself?

The author did a fantastic job of setting up the main storyline. But I did have a hard time believing it. If the #MeToo movement hadn’t of happened, then I could see the situations that were presented in the book happen. But still, Sarah’s stress and distress over what was happening at work were palpable. I got upset for her.

Sarah wasn’t my favorite main character, but I also didn’t dislike her. There were times where she came across as whiny. But there were also times where she showed surprising strength. I liked how she took her life back after it seemed like she hit rock bottom.

I detested Alan. He was one of the vilest characters that I have read to date. He deserved everything that he got in this book. I felt like I needed a shower after every scene he was in.

The thriller angel of the book was well written. I was kept on the edge of my bed (I was in bed reading), wondering what was going to happen next.

The end of the book was excellent. There was a twist in the plot that I saw coming. But it still surprised me when it happened. I loved what happened to Alan. Talk about justice!!!

I do want to add that Sarah’s dad was the real MVP of the book. His advice was what convinced Sarah to do what she did.

I would give 29 Seconds an Adult rating. There is sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread 29 Seconds. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Girl the Sea Gave Back (Sky in the Deep) by Adrienne Young

4 Stars

Date of publication: September 3rd, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Genre: Young Adult

Series: Sky in the Deep

Sky in the Deep—Book 1

The Girl the Sea Gave Back—Book 2

Where you can find The Girl the Sea Gave Back: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The new gut-wrenching epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep.

For as long as she can remember, Tova has lived among the Svell, the people who found her washed ashore as a child and use her for her gift as a Truthtongue. Her own home and clan are long-faded memories, but the sacred symbols and staves inked over every inch of her skin mark her as one who can cast the rune stones and see into the future. She has found a fragile place among those who fear her, but when two clans to the east bury their age-old blood feud and join together as one, her world is dangerously close to collapse.

For the first time in generations, the leaders of the Svell are divided. Should they maintain peace or go to war with the allied clans to protect their newfound power? And when their chieftain looks to Tova to cast the stones, she sets into motion a series of events that will not only change the landscape of the mainland forever but will give her something she believed she could never have again—a home.

First Line:

“Give me the child.”
The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young

My Review:

I was excited to read The Girl the Sea Gave Back. Every review I read about this book painted it as a fantastic read. So, I went into this book with high expectations. I am happy to say that The Girl the Sea Gave Back lived up to those expectations. It was a fantastic read!!

The plotline for The Girl the Sea Gave Back was interesting. Tova was found in the wreckage of a funeral boat by a Svell holy man. Recognized as a Truthtongue by she is taken to the nearby Svell village. There, she is used to read runes for the leader of the Svell. Things change for her when two rival clans merge into one. Forced to read the runes, what Tova sees will change her life. People will die, and Tova will realize that she can have the one thing that she wants the most: a home.

The plotline for The Girl the Sea Gave Back was fast-paced and well written. I have a love/hate relationship with fast-paced books. I love them because the book zips along. I don’t like them because sometimes, there are plotlines that get overlooked. Which didn’t happen here.

I loved how the author had the tribes modeled after the Vikings. The tribes weren’t exactly like the Vikings, but there were enough similarities that I had pause at points and tell myself, “This is a fantasy book. Not real life.” The two essential things that stood out to me were the Tova reading the runes and the funeral boat in the prologue.

I liked Tova and man, did I feel bad for her at points in the book. What she went through was awful. The Svell hated her because she was a Kyrr Truthtongue, but they used her too. I couldn’t even imagine growing up under that type of hatred. She read the stones that told the Svell that they needed to battle Nadhir, which sets her on course to meet with Halvard. I also liked that Tova was conflicted about her rune reading. She wanted to please the leader, but at the same time, she didn’t want to cause death. I found her connection to Halvard to be interesting. I do wish that more had been explained about why she was connected to him. Something other than he was her destiny. Because I’ll tell you, it did confuse me.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is a bloody book. There are quite a few battles between the Svell and the Nadhir. I liked that the author didn’t hold anything back when it came to describing the battles. I am not at all affected by blood and violence in a book. But some people are.

There is no romance in The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I can’t tell you all the last time I read a young adult book that didn’t have a romance. I loved it!! There was a hint of it between Tova and Halvard but it didn’t get beyond a hint.

I do wish that Tova’s background had been released sooner. I would have understood certain parts of the book better. I didn’t put two and two together until the middle of the book. And even then, it took me a while to realize who Tova was.

The Girl the Sea Gave Back is not a stand-alone book. I read it as one and was left wondering about several things mentioned in the book. Relationships and how the Nadhir were brought together were the main ones. Read Sky in the Deep before reading The Girl the Sea Gave Back.

The end of The Girl the Sea Gave Back was interesting. The way individual storylines were ended made me wonder if there will be another book in this world. I hope so because I enjoyed it. I hope that there will be more focus on the Kyrr if there is.

I would give The Girl the Sea Gave Back an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Girl the Sea Gave Back. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Merlin’s Shakespeare (Merlin’s Shakespeare: Book 1) by Carol Anne Douglas

This is my stop during the blog tour for the Merlin’s Shakespeare series by Carol Anne Douglas. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 3 till 16 September. See the tour schedule here: http://www.lolasblogtours.net/blog-tour-merlins-shakespeare-by-carol-anne-douglas

Stars

Book and Author Details:

Merlin’s Shakespeare (Merlin’s Shakespeare #1)
By Carol Anne Douglas
Genre: Fantasy/ Time Travel

Age category: Young Adult

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Book Synopsis:

Beth loves Shakespeare’s plays, but does she want risk her life for them?

The immortal wizard Merlin transports high school actor Beth Owens to Shakespeare’s London and the worlds of Shakespeare’s characters in search of a missing play about King Arthur. Mercutio guides her and flirts with her, but Richard III threatens her sanity, her friends’ lives, and the integrity of Shakespeare’s plays.

Giveaway:

The prizes are:

One set of paperback copies of both Merlin’s Shakespeare and The Mercuito Problem (US only)

Two winners will each win a set of e-book copies of both Merlin’s Shakespeare and The Mercuito Problem (International).

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1000e4f1323/

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Author Bio:

Carol Anne Douglas has loved Shakespeare since she watched A Midsummer Night’s Dream when she was a child. She identifies with the character Nick Bottom because she wants to play every part, which only a writer can do. She is an avid reader of Arthurian and Shakespearean literature. Her previous fantasy novels, Lancelot: Her Story and Lancelot and Guinevere, feature Lancelot as a woman in disguise. When Douglas isn’t reading or writing,
she spends as much time as she can in the national parks, hiking and watching wildlife. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Author Links:

Website

Goodreads

Amazon

Twitter

First Line:

Beth Owens put herself in the mood for playing Puck at Not Your Mama’s Ingenue Summer Theater Camp.
Merlin’s Shakespeare by Carol Anne Douglas

My Review:

When I was in high school, I was a huge Shakespeare nerd. I read and reread his plays. I watched everything and anything that even mentioned Shakespeare. My enjoyment of his work hasn’t faded as I have gotten older. I am also a massive fan of Canterlot. So when I read the blurb and saw that Merlin’s Shakespeare contained both, I knew that I had to read this book.

I felt divided about this book. I loved that the author was able to bring Shakespeare, Oberon, Titiana, Richard III, Lady Macbeth, Mercutio, and other characters to life. Each character was how I pictured them to be, and it made that aspect of the book enjoyable to read. But there were parts that I didn’t like about the book. I felt that the non-Shakespearean characters lacked depth. I didn’t like how Merlin was portrayed. And the ending didn’t jive with me (even knowing that there was going to be a book two).

I did like Beth and felt for her. She was picked to do something that other people couldn’t. But I had questions about her. I wanted to know how she got her magic. Was it inherited? Did her unnamed father have it? I would have loved to see more focus on that. I also wanted to see more of her out of non-Shakespeare relationships. It bothered me that they were shoved to the back burner for almost the whole book.

I did not like Merlin. He rubbed me the wrong way the entire book. He appeared whenever he felt like it. He came across as surly and grumpy for the whole book. I didn’t like him.

I did like how the author entwined Shakespeare and the legend of Camelot together in the book. To have King Richard III be based on Mordred was fascinating. There were similarities there.

Speaking of King Richard III, I loved his character. Go figure, liking a villain. He was sneaky, charming, and ruthless. He was the perfect villain.

There were some wanna be romances in the book. Romeo trying to woo Lady Macbeth was hilarious. The attraction that Beth had for Mercutio was cute. But nothing took off, which made what happened at the end of the book interesting.

The end of Merlin’s Shakespeare was exciting. I can’t get into it because of spoilers, but a whole lot of craziness went down. Individual storylines were ended, and certain storylines were left open. I am interested to see where book 2 goes.

I would give Merlin’s Shakespeare a Young Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 13 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Merlin’s Shakespeare. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Truth About Cowboys (Texas Heat: Book 1) by Laura Renee Jones

The Truth About Cowboys (Texas Heat Book 1) by [Jones, Lisa Renee]

4 Stars

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, Entangled: Amara

Date of publication: August 27th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: Texas Heat

The Truth About Cowboys—Book 1

Tangled Up In Christmas—Book 2 (expected publication date: October 29th, 2019)

Where you can find The Truth About Cowboys: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

I had my life figured out.

Engaged to a successful man.

About to make partner at my firm.

Bought a high-rise apartment in downtown Dallas.

And then, poof, it’s all gone. Now, like in some cheesy romantic comedy, my car has broken down in the pouring rain on my way to “find myself” in The Middle of Nowhere, Texas. Cue hot guy coming to my rescue and changing my tire. This is the part where we flirt and have a meet-cute, right? That’s how it works in romance novels, and I should know—after all, I’m coming to Texas to write my own cowboy romance. But nope. This sexy cowboy lights into me about not being prepared for the country roads and how inappropriate my high-heeled boots are.

Little did I know, Jason Jenks would tilt my world into a new dimension with his sinful smirk and his bad attitude. Every time I turn around, he’s there to reluctantly save the day. And every time, I think there may be something to that spark we ignite. But there’s a reason the majority of country songs are about broken hearts. The closer I get to this man, the closer I get to learning the truth about cowboys.

First Line:

Rain pours on my window, the wipers on my windshield working fervently to clear the glass and my view.
The Truth About Cowboys by Lisa Renee Jones

My Review:

I am going to admit this; I read this book because of the cover. I mean, look at it. The model is gorgeous. But the cover itself is striking. Black and white with the title in blue. Eye-catching!!

The Truth About Cowboys is the love story of Jessica and Jason. Jessica is trying to find herself after a painful breakup. Jason is trying to keep his family’s ranch from being repossessed. They meet on a rainy country road leading to Jason’s ranch, where they clash. They continue to fight when Jason finds out that his grandmother had rented out the cottage he uses as an office to Jessica. But, behind the unfriendliness and distrust, Jason and Jessica want each other. Can Jason get over his mistrust of Jessica? Can Jessica get over her ex?

I loved Jessica. From the beginning of the book, she let him know that she wasn’t going to be pushed around. I did think that she put up with more from him that I would have. I liked how she bonded with Martha. Those were some of the best scenes in the book!! To sum it up, Jessica was a strong woman who didn’t back down when a jerk decided she needed to be put in her place.

I didn’t like Jason until almost the end of the book. I did feel bad for him. The amount of pressure he was under would have broken a lesser man. But it didn’t excuse his behavior towards Jessica. There were times where I got mad. Like when he refused to fix her AC or when he went hot and cold with her. How about when he flipped out on her in the hospital? He did have some redeeming qualities, which were highlighted at the end of the book. He redeemed himself when he went after Jessica and apologized. That made me go from not liking him to liking him. He realized he was being an a**hole and made up for it.

If I don’t like a character, I can’t get into the sex scenes. Well, for this book, I did. Jessica and Jason had incredible sexual tension, which in turn lead to fantastic sex scenes. I couldn’t get enough of those!!

I loved Martha. She cracked me up. She wasn’t afraid to call Jason out for being a jerk. I loved when she did that. I thought it was hilarious that she rented the cottage so that Jason could meet someone.

The end of The Truth About Cowboys was a typical HEA ending. The epilogues were great. I can’t wait to read book 2!!

I would give The Truth About Cowboys an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Truth About Cowboys I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Stolen Bloodlines (Steam and Shadow: Book 4) by L.G. Rollins

Stolen Bloodline (Steam and Shadow Book 4) by [Rollins, L. G.]

4 Stars

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Date of publication: August 20th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Steampunk, Paranormal

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 0.5

Buried in Blue—Book 1

Waltz of Crows—Book 2 (review here)

Clockwork Image—Book 3 (review here)

Stolen Bloodlines—Book 4

Where you can find Stolen Bloodlines: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The heritage she never knew was hers. The future he never believed could be.

Jasper Wimple’s art is gaining popularity and life is falling into place for him at last. After meeting the Ambassador from China, a relationship that could propel him forward, Jasper’s street smarts tell him to steer clear of the man. But nothing could have prepared Jasper for a ghostly visit from one of the ambassador’s murdered victims, or taught him what to do when the ghost demands Jasper help protect his surviving wife and daughter.

Ju is done mourning a father she never knew for the entirety of Ghost Month, despite her mother’s insistence that they continue the tradition. Instead, Ju focuses on her upcoming audition—her one chance to enter London’s most prestigious dance school.

But then her mother’s life is threatened, and Ju sets everything else aside. Working together as new friends and unexpected allies, Jasper and Ju struggle to protect Ju’s mother and each other. With their own lives, the lives of those they care most about, and a budding romance all on the line, will they bring one of the most powerful men in England to justice before he silences them for good?

First Line:

Zhi Liling slipped in through the door and tip-toed up behind her husband, Ju-Long.
Stolen Bloodlines by L.G. Rollins

My Review:

The blurb for Stolen Bloodline caught my attention. Not only because it was Jasper’s story but because of Ju. Those two paragraphs made me want to read Stolen Bloodline. I wanted to see who the lucky lady was that caught (and held) Jasper’s attention. I also wanted to see if his story was as good as Tressa. I was pleased with both.

Stolen Bloodline has an exciting couple of plot lines. Jasper is an artist who is starting to become famous. The Chinese Ambassador, Leng, approaches Jasper at one of his showings. Leng wants Jasper to steal something for him. In turn, Leng will guarantee that Jasper’s career as an artist will explode. Jasper declines, and he is visited by Leng’s associated later on that night. Jasper must choose, does he do what Leng wants and become famous, or will he risk losing everything he loves.

I loved Ju. From the minute she was introduced in the book, I knew that she was going to be unique. I did raise an eyebrow when she had the talk with her mother about not doing Ghost Month. I did think it was a little disrespectful for her not to honor the ancestors like her mother. But, then I got to thinking. If I was the daughter of an immigrant, would I have acted the same way? Yes. I also liked how Ju concluded that honoring her ancestors wasn’t bad. It was refreshing to read.

I also liked how Ju tackled her race in Stolen Bloodline. She was aware that she was different. Ju knew that there wasn’t a lot of girls/women who looked like her auditioning at the school. She still went and did it. Again, it was refreshing to read.

I loved Jasper in Stolen Bloodlines. He took being approached by Ju-Long in ghost form very well. But then again, he had dealt with a vampire in the last book, so nothing phased him. I liked that he knew how he felt about Ju. I also liked that he was awkward when trying to explain how he felt about her. There was another thing that made me love him. Unfortunately, it is part of the end of the book, so I can’t say what it is.

The paranormal angle of the book was terrific. The author had the werewolves back in this book, which I loved. But, she also had ghosts. I hope that she expands on how they interact with people. Because it was interesting!!

The romance angle of the book was subtle. It did take some time to get moving. It did get frustrating at times, but at the same time, I loved watching the dance they did.

I want to add that while Stolen Bloodlines is the 4th book in the Steam and Shadow series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

The end of Stolen Bloodlines was action-packed. I was happy that things got resolved the way they did. Leng deserved everything that happened to him. I thought what Jaspar did to call attention to Leng was ingenious. I loved that Ju and Jasper got their HEA. I am wondering if there will be a book 5 and who will it be?

I would give Stolen Bloodline an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Stolen Bloodline. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Dirty Cooking by Carley Mercedes

4 Stars

Publisher: Literary Wanderlust

Date of Publication: July 1st, 2019

Genre: Romance

Where you can find Dirty Cooking: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Trigger Warning: Talk of past physical and sexual abuse

Book synopsis:

Melanie is a broken-hearted chef who has a passion for fine food, but without any other job prospects, she’s stuck at the Jivin’ Diner, where grease is the main ingredient on the menu. She’s desperate to get a new job so she can start cooking the food of her dreams, and when her best friend calls her about an opportunity as a live-in chef, Melanie jumps at the chance. Not once did she consider that her boss would be hotter than her oven.

Growing up in foster care, Erik had a rough start. He escaped to Arizona to save himself and his foster brother from their abusive foster father. Now the owner of a successful app development company, Erik has more money than he knows what to do with. He has a huge home, fast cars, and even faster relationships. His life seemed perfect, but something was missing. That is…until he hires Melanie. This little chef makes Erik’s blood sizzle more than the oil in her frying pan.

The fire between them burns hot, and though they try to resist the delicious temptation, the attraction proves to be too much. Emotions flare up, but the past hangs around like the smell of burnt popcorn, and neither can fully trust the other. Will Melanie and Erik overcome their past fears and embrace what is bubbling up between them? Or will their romance flop like a ruined soufflé?

First Line:

“Did you find me a job that looks good?” Melanie asked her friend, Shelia, over the phone.
Dirty Cooking by Carley Mercedes

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Dirty Cooking, I was intrigued. Dirty Cooking is the second book that featured a live-in chef turned lover that I have read. I wanted to see if the book lived up to the promising blurb. It did.

Dirty Cooking’s plotline was straightforward. Melanie wants to do more than work at a greasy diner. Her best friend tells her about a live-in chef position and she interviews for it. Sparks fly between Eric and Melanie. They try to keep their relationship professional, but it spirals into a sexual relationship. But Eric has secrets. These secrets have the power to tear their relationship apart.

I didn’t like Melanie, but I understood why she acted the way she did. Her ex hurt her bad. She was afraid even to try dating again. Her attraction to Eric scared her, and she used food and sarcasm to cover it up. I did think that Melanie was immature at times. Like when she found out about Eric’s past. I understood that there was a “no secrets” part of the relationship but seriously? They were dating for two weeks!!! He didn’t know her enough to trust her.

I did like Eric, and I did feel bad for him. I couldn’t imagine growing up as a foster child and not having a permanent home. He did the absolute right thing in taking Hunter and running. I did think he was a little over the top during Melanie’s interview. I also believe that he was in the right for not telling Melanie about his past. Like I said above, they had been dating for two weeks. That is nowhere enough time to get into that stuff.

My mouth watered while reading this book. I wanted to eat Melanie’s cooking for myself. Everything she made sounded so good.

The sexual tension was through the roof. The author did a great job of keeping that sexual tension at such a high level. Same with the sexual attraction. When Melanie and Eric finally did have sex, it was one of the hottest scenes I have read to date.

I want to mention the storyline with Eric and his past. My heart broke for him. He was only seven years old!!! All I have to say about that.

The end of Dirty Cooking was your typical romance HEA. Everything ended with no dropped storylines. There was no lag in the plotline, and all the characters stayed in the book. No one went poof.

I would give Dirty Cooking an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Dirty Cooking. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Truth Behind the Lie (Kouplan: Book 1) by Sara Lovestam

The Truth Behind the Lie: A Novel by [LÃ¶vestam, Sara]

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: August 27th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Kouplan

The Truth Behind the Lie—Book 1

Where you can find The Truth Behind the Lie: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

The Truth Behind The Lie is Sara Lövestam’s award-winning and gripping novel about blurred lines, second chances, and the lengths one will go to for the truth.

When a six-year-old girl disappears and calling the police isn’t an option, her desperate mother Pernilla turns to an unlikely source for help. She finds a cryptic ad online for a private investigator:
“Need help, but can’t contact the police?”

That’s where Kouplan comes in. He’s an Iranian refugee living in hiding. He and his brother were forced to leave Iran after their involvement with a radical newspaper hated by the regime was discovered. Kouplan’s brother disappeared, and he hasn’t seen him in four years. He makes a living as a P.I. working under the radar, waiting for the day he can legally apply for asylum.

Pernilla’s daughter has vanished without a trace, and Kouplan is an expert at living and working off the grid. He’s the perfect PI to help… but something in Pernilla’s story doesn’t add up. She might need help that he can’t offer…and a little girl’s life hangs in the balance.

First Line

The rain was so strange the day they took Julia.
The Truth Behind the Lie by Sara Lovestram

My Review:

I made a mistake before I started reading The Truth Behind the Lie. I read the reviews before I read the book. This is something that I usually don’t do. I had scrolled down on Goodreads, and one review caught my eye. You all know how that goes. You can’t read one. I got sucked down a rabbit hole of enthusiastic reviews, awful reviews, and mediocre reviews. By the time I emerged, my opinion of the book wasn’t that great. Then I read The Truth Behind the Lie; I can say for sure that my opinion of the book was changed for better.

One thing that caught my attention of The Truth Behind the Lie was that it was set in Sweden. Over the last year, I have noticed that most of the thrillers I read have taken place in those northern European countries. But what set this book apart for the other books was that Kouplan was not native to Sweden. Instead, he was an Iranian illegal immigrant. It was interesting to see Sweden through an immigrant’s eyes.

Kouplan caught my attention right from the beginning. His backstory was sad. He escaped from Iran after his older brother, who ran a radical newspaper, went missing. He was in the country illegally after his bid for citizenship was denied. The tension from that and from not seeing his family were well written. The only way he was surviving was working odd jobs and hoping someone answered his PI ad in the paper.

When Pernilla answered his ad, he thought that he had an easy case. He believed that Julia was taken in a custody dispute. That all he would have to do is find the father, and it would be over with. But, the case ended up being one of the hardest things he ever had to work on. The case was one of the best things about the book. Even when I felt that it was getting nowhere, I knew that something was happening. That Kouplan would break the case and find Julia. There was a break, but it wasn’t what I thought it would be.

There were a couple of considerable twists in the case that took me by surprise. One involved Pernilla, Julia, and the girl in the room. The other involved Kouplan. Neither I saw coming. Both almost made me lose my shit when they were revealed.

I did learn some interesting facts when reading The Truth Behind the Lie. I learned that mental health in Sweden was managed as well as the rest of the country. What surprised me was that the government took children away from parents if the parent had a mental illness. I was not expecting that. I also was surprised to learn that the children needed to be registered with the government. These two things I mentioned are huge in this book, so keep them in mind when reading this book.

The end of The Truth Behind the Lie was exciting. Remember the twists I mentioned above? They are both revealed in the last chapters. I loved how Pernilla, Julia, and the girl in the room was revealed. I got chills up and down my spine when I read it. The twist involving Kouplan came out of left field. I was NOT expecting what was revealed to be revealed. After I got over my shock, I loved it!!

I would give The Truth Behind the Lie an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Truth Behind the Lie. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Small Spaces (Small Spaces: Book 1) by Katherine Arden

3 Stars

Publisher: Penguin Group, Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Date of publication: September 25th, 2018

Genre: Horror, Middle Grade

Series: Small Spaces

Small Spaces—Book 1

Dead Voices—Book 2 (expected publication: August 27th, 2019)

Where you can find Small Spaces: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think–she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she’s been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn’t have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver’s warning. As the trio head out into the woods–bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them–the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: “Avoid large places. Keep to small.”

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

First Line:

October in East Evansburg, and the last warm sun of the year, slanted red through the sugar maples.
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

My Review:

When I saw that Katherine Arden wrote Small Spaces, I knew I had to read it. I was a massive fan of the Winternight Trilogy, and I had high expectations of Small Spaces. Unfortunately, it fell short for me.

Ollie is an eleven-year-old who suffered a tragic loss. Refusing to talk about what happened, Ollie shut herself from the world. Her only solace was reading. After defending a new student from bullies, Ollie goes to her secret reading area. There she meets a deranged woman about to throw a book in a stream. Stealing the book, Ollie reads a story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and the smiling man. The next day, Ollie takes a field trip to Smoke Hollow, where she notices something strange about the scarecrows. When the bus breaks down on the way home, Ollie’s teacher goes back to the farm to get help. The bus driver warns Ollie and her friends to start running. Then he says, “Avoid large places, keep to small.” After that, her watch, the last physical thing her mother was wearing the day she died, spells out the word “Run.” That’s when the adventure begins. What will happen to Ollie and her friends? Who is the smiling man? How is he connected to what was happening to Ollie? And what exactly does the bus driver mean?

I thought Small Spaces storyline was fantastic. It was creepy enough for upper elementary/middle school-aged children.

I did like the characters, but I felt that there was not a lot of depth to them. Ollie was the loner with a tragic past, Brian was the jock who had a hidden side to him, and Coco was the new girl who was trying too hard to fit in. The author did try to make them more fleshed out. Brian quoting Alice in Wonderland did surprise me. As did Coco revealing that she used to rock climb before she moved to Evansburg. But other than that, I didn’t get a connection with them.

Revealing Ollie’s tragic past sooner would have been an asset to the book. I did guess at what happened early on in the book, but it took forever for it come out. I wanted to reach into the book and hug her.

I did have an issue with the formatting what reading Small Spaces. I would be reading a paragraph, and then random numbers would appear (example: running in the 1. woods). It made it hard for me to read the book and did take away from my enjoyment of it. It also affected my rating.

I also thought that paranormal/horror angle of the book was almost too understated for me. I am an adult and used to more scares. But, as I said above, this would be a perfect book for middle-grade kids. But for adults, no.

The end of the book left me feeling unfulfilled. While I liked what Ollie did, I was left wanting more. There is a book 2, which I would like to read.

I would give Small Spaces a Tween rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 13 read this book.

I would reread Small Spaces. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

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