Category: NetGalley

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**

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**

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**

Sentinel’s Kiss (Sentinels of Babylon: Book 2) by Jamie K. Schmidt

Sentinel's Kiss (Sentinels of Babylon) by [Schmidt, Jamie K.]

Title: Sentinel’s Kiss

Author: Jamie K. Schmidt

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept

Date of publication: March 7th, 2017

Genre: Romance

Number of pages: 216

POV: 3rd person

Series: Sentinels of Babylon

Necessary Evil – Book 1 (review here)

Sentinel’s Kiss – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

A fiercely protective bad boy. An innocent reporter in serious trouble. They shouldn’t work, but after he throws her onto his bike, there’s no going back.

If Josh Lehman learned one thing as a Green Beret, it’s patience. Josh founded the Sentinels of Babylon because he was sick and tired of watching scumbags cheat the system—scumbags like the man who murdered his sister. Of course, if Josh’s sniper rifle was linked to the death of his ex-brother-in-law, that might be a problem. The bigger problem is the nosy reporter who’s this close to exposing the club. Josh has to find a way to keep her hot mouth from talking . . . but he’ll be damned if he lets someone take her from him. Not on his watch.

Ashley Carver thought she’d do anything for a scoop. That was before her latest story leads to multiple attempts on her life. Ashley’s been investigating a homicide that has gone unsolved for five years when she uncovers evidence tying the vigilantes of the Sentinels of Babylon to a revenge killing. Now she’s in their crosshairs. But after Josh defies all notions of club loyalty to come to Ashley’s aid, soon they’re burning up the sheets—and taking on the world.

My review:

Sentinel’s Kiss is a wild book with action that takes place not only in between the sheets but out of them. This book continues the Sentinels of Babylon series which follows 4 friends who form a motorcycle club and who are vigilantes. They are the people who defend the innocent and make sure that justice is paid when the legal system fails the victims. Evil was a detective, Sentinel was a Green Beret, Warden was a correctional officer and Ryder was a CIA operative. On the top of their list….making sure that Sentinel’s sister’s killer, her husband, was killed.

Where do I start with Ashley? I was in awe of her sexual prowess and that she had next to no inhibitions. I mean, sex on the side of the road, in an elevator AND in a parking garage…..I was in awe of her. But, as I got into reading the story, the more I began to like her and the more I felt bad for her. She overcame so much to get where she was. I also felt that she was perfect for Josh. She was the ying to his yang. What I really liked about her was that she was a very determined reporter and she would go the distance for her story.

I loved Josh!!! He came across as such a bad boy but he was a softy at heart. I mean, he volunteered at the hospital and cuddled babies in the NICU as a tribute to his sister. And he did it shirtless (skin to skin), which made my ovaries melt. ((Swoon)). He was a ladies man too. Sentinel loved the ladies and they loved him back. But, once he got reinvolved with Ashley, there were no other ladies. I also liked that he was committed to bringing Stan to justice.

The sex between Josh and Ashley was over the top. The two of them were like bunnies, doing it everywhere and anywhere. The pages sizzled with their sex scenes. S-I-Z-Z-L-E-D. I had to fan myself a few times, that was how hot it got!!

The storyline with Stan (Josh’s sister’s husband) was wrapped up in what I thought a pretty satisfactory way. The only thing I didn’t like was that Ashley had to get hurt in order for it to go down. The other storylines were ended right around the same time Josh went to Massachusetts and there was only the Stan storyline.

I loved the end of the book. Talk about the ultimate HEA!!!

How many stars will I give Sentinel’s Kiss: 4

Why: This would make a great beach book and, to be honest, was a lot better than Necessary Evil. The plotline was more streamlined, the characters a lot more likable and the sex was through the roof hot. The vigilante theme wasn’t as in your face as it was in Necessary Evil but it was there.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, Language, and violence

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

Ill Will by Dan Chaon

Ill Will

Title: Ill Will

Author: Dan Chaon

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

Date of publication: March 7th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, General Fiction

Number of pages: 481

POV: Alternating 1st person and 3rd person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

Two sensational unsolved crimes—one in the past, another in the present—are linked by one man’s memory and self-deception in this chilling novel of literary suspense from National Book Award finalist Dan Chaon.

“We are always telling a story to ourselves, about ourselves,” Dustin Tillman likes to say. It’s one of the little mantras he shares with his patients, and it’s meant to be reassuring. But what if that story is a lie?

A psychologist in suburban Cleveland, Dustin is drifting through his forties when he hears the news: His adopted brother, Rusty, is being released from prison. Thirty years ago, Rusty received a life sentence for the massacre of Dustin’s parents, aunt, and uncle. The trial came to symbolize the 1980s hysteria over Satanic cults; despite the lack of physical evidence, the jury believed the outlandish accusations Dustin and his cousin made against Rusty. Now, after DNA analysis has overturned the conviction, Dustin braces for a reckoning.

Meanwhile, one of Dustin’s patients gets him deeply engaged in a string of drowning deaths involving drunk college boys. At first, Dustin dismisses talk of a serial killer as paranoid thinking, but as he gets wrapped up in their amateur investigation, Dustin starts to believe that there’s more to the deaths than coincidence. Soon he becomes obsessed, crossing all professional boundaries—and putting his own family in harm’s way.

From one of today’s most renowned practitioners of literary suspense, Ill Will is an intimate thriller about the failures of memory and the perils of self-deception. In Dan Chaon’s nimble, chilling prose, the past looms over the present, turning each into a haunted place.

My review:

Ill Will is not an easy story to read. Hopping between the early ’80s and between 2012-2014, the story follows Dustin Tillman as he slowly gets involved in a serial killer investigation and learns that Rusty, his adopted brother is getting out of prison after his prison sentence was overturned because a DNA analysis proved that he didn’t do it. Rusty was convicted of killing Dustin’s parents and his aunt and uncle. The story also follows Dustin’s son, Aaron, a strung-out junkie trying to cope with the loss of his mother and trying to figure out who killed his best friend, Rabbit.

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If you have triggers, I don’t recommend you read this review. There will be talk about child molestation and drug use.

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Like I said in the above paragraph, this is not an easy book to read. It deals with a wide spectrum of issues…..from child sexual abuse to mental illness to drug abuse, it’s there and it is not glossed over and made pretty. Which was one thing I liked about this book, it wasn’t pretty. It dealt with all these issues in a real-world sense. No one was mysteriously cured of their mental illness or drug use.

The Satanism cult angle was fascinating to read. I am old enough to remember the insanity over Satanic cults and the aftermath when it turned out that almost all of those memories were false. I really can’t comment anymore on that part of the book but I will say this. Read with a very open mind because not everything is what it seems.

I didn’t know what to feel for Rusty. I felt awful for him because of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his mother and her “boyfriends”. No child should go through that and the author did keep true to the abused child abusing other children. But, however, Rusty was a really screwed up dude as an adult. When the author wrote from his perspective, I got the chills and did wonder to myself “How long until he kills someone”. Even the fact that he had a mental kill list was scary.

Dustin was someone who truly scared me. He started off as a scatterbrained therapist and just morphed into someone else. I believe that his wife’s death along with Rusty being released from jail pushed him over the edge. To be honest, he had been on a slow slide into insanity since he was 11 and I think those two things pushed him over the edge. His obsession with the serial killer case that Aqil was working on him with even furthered the slide. It was sad to see it.

Aqil. Let’s talk about him and how he totally fooled me. Yeah, not happy about that and I think I groaned when it was revealed who and what he was. I was like “Why didn’t I see that coming!!!” Totally frustrating for me but very good on the author’s part.

Aaron was pretty dead on for a heroin junkie. Everything about him rang true. I did find it very sad that he slid into addiction after his mother died. I truly believe that it was a way to cope because his father was starting to flake out and his older brother was in college in a different state. But, even with his addiction, he still cared enough about what happened to his friend to go looking for the last person to see him alive. And oh boy, was he in for a surprise when he realized who it was.

There are a couple of twists in the story and I didn’t see two of them coming. The one with Aqil (which I already mentioned) and the one with what really happened that night and how Rusty went on trial. I will say this, I was disgusted and very surprised.

The ending was sad. NO HEA’s. Definitely no HEA’s. I do have a couple of questions about Aaron that I wish was answered. But with the way that the book was written, I don’t think that will happen….unless a book 2 happens.

How many stars will I give Ill Will: 3

Why: This was a really hard book for me to rate. I liked the storylines, they were pretty easy to follow. But my main complaint is with how the book was written. It would go from normal chapters to almost a split screen format with what looked like Dustin or Aaron’s running thoughts in them. There were a few chapters like it and it made it very confusing to read because I couldn’t follow the trains of thought. Maybe it would be better to read it in paperback instead of on my Kindle.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age Range: Adult

Why: Sexual themes, language, violence. Pretty descriptive scenes of child molestation, of murder sites and of murdered bodies. Also very detailed scenes of drug use.

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

Book Review: The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch: Book 1) by Rin Chupeco

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch, #1)

Title: The Bone Witch

Author: Rin Chupeco

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Date of publication: March 7th, 2017

Number of pages: 400

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Part of a series: The Bone Witch

The Bone Witch – Book 1

Standalone: Yes

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha — one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.

Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind in this brilliant new fantasy series by Rin Chupeco!

My review:

I had a very hard time keeping my attention on this book. The beginning had no problem keeping my attention. I mean, not a lot of books deal with necromancy in an almost positive way. The only books that I can even begin to think that even comes close to that are the Anita Blake series (before the series took a walk down the smutty side). It was the middle to almost the end of the book that I couldn’t focus on.

Not that I didn’t like the book, I thought it was great. I just got really bored reading about Tea’s training (her dance lessons, her music lessons, her history/current events lessons, her dealings with the other asha’s). That took up a huge part of the book and to be very honest, I almost DNF’d the book. Stress almost.

Then things started to get interesting. Tea learned how to “blood” her familiar (her brother, Fox, who she raised from the dead at his funeral), battled a centuries-old demonic creature (did she or didn’t she defeat it???), got promoted to Asha (a witch that can control elemental powers) and oust a rebel from her House.

I also loved that there was a strong Asian theme running through the books. The asha’s are kinda sorta like geisha. The demons resemble demons from Asian Lore. The clothing (the hua) that the asha’s wear is also very reminiscent of the kimono’s that the geisha’s wore/wear.

There are two very distinct storylines running through the book. One with Tea at the age of 17, exiled and plotting revenge. The reasons she was exiled is unknown and it is left open to be continued in the next book. The other storyline, which I outlined above, is being told to the Bard as an explanation and warning as to why she is doing what she is doing (I know, really confusing but it works in the book). Both storylines are easily distinguished from the other. So no confusion there.

The ending of the book was kinda left up in the air….which makes sense if there is to be a second book. I am curious as to how the second book is going to be and will definitely be reading it once it is published.

How many stars will I give The Bone Witch? 3

Why: Great book that I felt went on for a little too long. Like I said above, I almost DNF’d it because I lost interest about halfway through and had to force myself to read it. But once I got over the boring part, the book turned really good.

Will I reread: Maybe. Can’t really say yes or no right now.

Will I recommend to family and friends? Again, maybe.

Age range: Teen

Why: Very clean. No sex, some violence (not a ton and not very descriptive). But the descriptions of some of the demons and of raising the dead might frighten younger readers.

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

Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse

Seven Days of You by [Vinesse, Cecilia]

Title: Seven Days of You

Author: Cecilia Vinesse

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Date of publication: March 7th, 2017

Genre: Young Adult

Number of pages: 337

POV: 1st person

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis (via Goodreads):

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say goodbye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.

Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but goodbye?

My review:

Seven Days of You is a story about a teenager who is leaving behind friends and a city she loves to go back to the United States. This book centers around Sophia and her relationships with her sister, her best friends and the boy who broke her heart 4 years earlier. Everything in the book takes place 7 days before she is supposed to fly back to New Jersey.

I am going to come right out and say it, I couldn’t stand Sophia. While she was 17, she acted more like a child and it really grated on my nerves after the first couple of chapters. I mean, take it when she found out that Jamie was coming back…..her jealousy of his and Mika’s friendship almost consumed her. She was so focused on him becoming Mika’s best friend that it ruined those chapters of the book. To be honest, I skimmed those chapters because she annoyed me so much. The rest of the book really wasn’t any better with her. She refused to listen to reason (ie Allison) when it came to her moving to Paris.

Jamie was another one who annoyed me. He took Sophia’s crap when he came home and didn’t say a word in his defense (even to David who let it “slip” that Jamie was adopted). He just let it roll off of him. At one point, I wanted to say “Dude, what happened 4 years ago is in the past. Man up and stop letting them push you around.” The only reaction that I saw him have, in the entire book, was when Sophia kissed David on her last night in Tokyo.

David, I couldn’t stand. He just oozed player from the first page and, to be honest, I wasn’t surprised when something major was revealed later in the book. And I hated his nicknames. Sofa? Really? When I heard that, I imagined a girl who just let people sit all over her. He was condescending and to be blunt, a jerk.

Mika was actually my favorite person in the book. She came across as true (as weird as that sounds) and she fought for Sophia’s friendship when that stuff with David went down. I wouldn’t say that I loved her but I enjoyed it when she appeared in the book.

My other favorite person was Allison, Sophia’s sister. She had her own issues, her girlfriend dumped her and she was hurting, but she looked out for Sophia the best way that she could. I mean, she even took her to that tower and out to lunch to try to find out what was wrong with Sophia. She cared and she didn’t want Sophia to get hurt by their father…who makes promises and then breaks them.

I did think the story was cute and loved that it was set in Tokyo. I think the author did a great job of capturing Tokyo through teenage eyes.

The end of the story was pretty standard with a hint of a HEA.

How many stars will I give Seven Days of You: 3

Why: While I liked the story and the location, the characters ruined the story for me. Sophia and David acted like toddlers, Jamie wouldn’t stick up for himself and Allison was an emotional mess and was absent for 90% of the story. The only person who I connected with was Mika and even she was a jerk at points in the book.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Language. Also sexual situations and underage drinking

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