What happens when your decisions affect an entire universe?
Ren Argent wanted to be an archeologist and spend her life exploring the lost cities of Earth. But when a new planet is discovered and her father is appointed King, she has to leave behind everything she knows to rule over a place she’s only heard of in legends.
Not long after her arrival, she discovers there are insurgents hiding in the darkened forests and the planet is on the brink of civil war. It won’t be long until the Monarchy steps in to “neutralize” the threat.
Will she be able to stop the hostile takeover? Or will her actions ignite a rebellion across the universe?
My review:
I wanted to like this book. I mean, the storyline is great:
Girl goes to another plant and saves its inhabitants from an evil reign set on wiping them out.
Unfortunately, even a great storyline can’t help awful characters.
I could not stand Ren. She came across as whiny in some parts of the story and childish in other parts. Her relationship with her father was nonexistent because she was still carrying a grudge over something that happened over seven years earlier. The only person that actually likes her is her brother Elian, and she treated him like a child half the time. Two people call her out on her BS: Sheridan, her Sotarian bodyguard, and Abetha, her Guide (a servant). Those scenes I liked.
She did because almost bearable during the last half of the book but, she acted like a child and it drove me nuts. Definitely not my favorite character of all times.
The substory of the rebels was good and I enjoyed the twist that happened midway through the book. It changed my view of one character.
The ending was really good (and this is where Ren almost redeemed herself) and the substory lines were tied up in a very satisfactory way. But it ended in a cliffhanger, which again, drove me nuts. I can’t stand them.
There is a 2nd book in the series but I am not sure if I want to read it or not. Like I said above, Ren grated on my nerves and I couldn’t read another book with her in it.
I would give The Argent Star an Older Teen rating. There are no sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 10 read this book.
I would not reread The Argent Star. I would not recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Set against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, this novel charts the relationship between a young Scottish widow and a French engineer who, despite constraints of class and wealth, fall in love.
In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace and Émile Nouguier meet in a hot air balloon, floating high above Paris, France–a moment of pure possibility. But back on firm ground, their vastly different social strata become clear. Cait is a widow who because of her precarious financial situation is forced to chaperone two wealthy Scottish charges. Émile is expected to take on the bourgeois stability of his family’s business and choose a suitable wife. As the Eiffel Tower rises, a marvel of steel and air and light, the subject of extreme controversy and a symbol of the future, Cait and Émile must decide what their love is worth.
Seamlessly weaving historical detail and vivid invention, Beatrice Colin evokes the revolutionary time in which Cait and Émile live–one of corsets and secret trysts, duels and Bohemian independence, strict tradition and Impressionist experimentation. To Capture What We Cannot Keep, stylish, provocative, and shimmering, raises probing questions about a woman’s place in that world, the overarching reach of class distinctions, and the sacrifices love requires of us all.
My Review:
When I started reading this book, I didn’t know what to think about it. The plot crept and I felt that it was weighted down by one-dimensional characters. I felt that there was no life for anyone but Cait and Emile. Jamie, Alice, and Gabrielle, their portrayals were stereotypical of that time.
I changed my mind by the 2nd half of the book. We learn more about Cait’s marriage, Alice and Jamie flushed out as characters and in surprising ways and Gabrielle, well she ended up being a woman scorned.
The love story of Cait and Emile was present, as was the construction of the Eiffel Tower and Emile’s social/status obligations. Which made the 2ndhalf of the book so interesting to read.
The ending of the book was perfect. Just saying, I couldn’t have written it any better myself.
I would give To Capture What We Cannot Keep an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. 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 To Capture What We Cannot Keep. I am on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
He’s no angel. Erik is a two-thousand-year-old Viking cursed with broken wings; he works as a carnival mascot to cover his shame. Con artist, playboy, and liar, Erik only cares about one thing in the world apart from himself: his best friend, Siobhan.
She’s no demon. Siobhan is an intense seven hundred-year-old leprechaun whose horns she must hide from the world to blend in at her job as the carnival’s CFO. Sarcastic, efficient, and beautiful, Siobhan would rather be forced to grant a hundred wishes than risk losing her oldest friend, Erik.
But when scandal endangers these two and their carnival, will Siobhan and Erik be able to admit their feelings before they both go down for this crime?
This mature romance involves horny immortals, a matchmaking supernatural bartender, the creative use of carnival rides, and a love powerful enough to soar.
My review:
I am doing this review a bit different from reviews in the past. The 3 books that I reviewed are part of a series of novellas and are under 100 pages each. To save myself time and patience (which I am running out of today…another post and a long story), I decided to consolidate them into one review. So, this might seem to be the world’s longest review but it isn’t. It’s just me being lazy.
So, having said that, here is my review of Her Winged Viking.
Loved, loved, loved that Siobhan was a leprechaun and loved the different direction that the author took with it. Instead of a pot of gold, she is fascinated with numbers and she grants wishes. Which is pretty awesome and actually makes me want to go find a leprechaun….lol.
Erik did come off as somewhat of a playboy at the beginning of the book. I mean, his wish really wasn’t fair to Siobhan (not that I think she complained and she totally gave back). But, in the course of the book, I did love seeing how his character changed and, in a way, matured.
The sex scenes, of course, were hot, hot, hot and also very funny at the same time (can it be that???). I will never look at pinball games, whack a mole or those funhouse mirrors the same. There was some non-traditional sex involving feathers and horns that were totally different from what I have read. Still very hot!!
I loved the ending and how everyone got what they deserved/wanted!!
How many stars will I give Her Winged Viking:4
I would give Her Winged Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Her Winged Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Book Synopsis:
Her Rock Hard Viking
Rock hard was never so literal. Carr, once a proud Viking warrior, was cursed to be the very island he invaded. But when a gorgeous woman parachutes into his life, everything changes. Will her sexual healing finally bring him release? Or will he give up his last chance at humanity to save her?
Becca never thought to pack sexy lingerie for this trip. She’s a botanist on the hunt for a miracle cure to save her family. What’s a woman to do when she discovers her remote island is actually an extremely passionate Viking? Go with it.
This steamy tale for mature readers contains sexy vine and waterfall action, an omniscient bartender, and a love passionate enough to make the earth move.
My review:
I was very excited to read Carr’s story and I wasn’t disappointed!!!
Becca is a botanist on a desperate mission. She is trying to locate a rare flower that will help cure her nephew an incurable disease that he was dying of. This flower is located on an island in the middle of nowhere, and unbeknownst to her, is alive.
Carr is the last of the Viking brothers cursed by a witch. He is cursed to stay on the island….to be the island until the curse is broken. Which he thought would never happen until Becca parachutes onto his island.
I have never read a book that used plants for sexual uses but because Carr was the island, it made sense and was totally hot. And when he became human, the sex was even better.
I also thought the whole sub-story of her nephew and his illness for heartbreaking and I loved that storyline was brought to a very nice end too.
How many stars will I give Her Rock Hard Viking:4
I would give Her Rock Hard Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Her Rock Hard Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Book synopsis:
Her Christmas Viking:
Christmas is hotter than ever: the Elemental Viking brothers are back!
Over a thousand years ago, four Viking brothers led by their tyrannical father invaded lands under the protection of a powerful witch. Cursed for their crimes, the brothers suffered for their wrongdoing for over a thousand years. With the help of the women they loved, they became worthy of redemption and broke their curses.
Now it’s Christmas, and–with the help of a little magic–the entire family is reunited to celebrate. But when the yuletide spell bringing them together also summons their bloodthirsty father back from the veil, the boys and their lovers must band together to save the holidays.
This festive novella for adults features holiday spell work, naughty gifts, and a winter wonderland you’ll never see coming.
This STANDALONE novella is part of the “Her Elemental Viking” series and features characters from throughout the series. There are no cliffhangers and each short ends as it should: happily ever after.
My review:
This had to have been my favorite book of all the Elemental Viking books put together. Why? Simple. It brought all of the brothers together and we got to see what happened to them after their stories ended.
Bram did a spell without Audrey knowing and somehow summoned all of his brothers and their girlfriends/wives to the bar that they run. I got to see again:
Mikkel/Jo
Erik/Siobhan
Carr/Becca
But, unfortunately, it also summoned their father, Havarr, who was cursed along with them. To be PC about it, he is a big, huge jerk. When he found out that Audrey was a witch, he tried to run her through with his sword. In her haste to protect herself and Bram (who stepped in front of the sword), she magics everyone out of the room. Erik and Siobhan end up falling down the chimney, Mikkel and Jo end up in the freezer and Carr/Becca end up wrapped in Carr’s Christmas present to Becca. Audrey and Bram end up in the back storage room.
Each couple has to work to get out of their predicament and hot sex is used once. Not going to say which couple got busy but I will say that the other ones were jealous that they had it so easy….lol.
Of course, Havarr got what was coming to him and oh boy, did I laugh. Do I see a story coming with him or is he going to remain what he was turned into forever….lol?
The end of the book was very sweet and perfect for the series.
How many stars will I give Her Christmas Viking:4
I would give Her Christmas Viking an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Her Christmas Viking. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
In a novel of sensual passion and deep commitment from the author of My Obsession, an undercover cop finds a soulmate who surrenders to his healing touch.
Fiercely independent and determined to free herself from her father’s manipulation, tech expert Kate Fretwell finds a refuge in L.A.’s elite BDSM dungeon scene as the hot new thing to political and Hollywood A-listers. Still, all that glitters gets old, and Kate soon tires of the stream of well-heeled masters who expect her to be at their beck and call. Then she meets a very different kind of Dom—one whose quiet confidence, strength, and command bring her most willingly to her knees.
Undercover FBI agent Dex Alexander fits right into his assignment to expose terrorist links to one of L.A.’s most popular clubs. The case has reawakened a desire to find the perfect companion, and he knows that beautiful, vulnerable Kate is a woman he could love. But when her father’s corruption unwittingly makes Kate the target of a bigger enemy, Dex brings her to his Phoenix home—and his dungeon, Club Desire. Here she shows him just how eager she is to give him everything . . . and more.
My review:
I am going to come right out and warn everyone that this book defiantly isn’t for anyone who is A) easily offended by BDSM lifestyle and B) people who are easily offended by graphic details about the BDSM lifestyle. If you are offended, hit the back button and head to my next review. If you are easily offended and keep on reading this review well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I loved how this book balanced BDSM and regular life. Unlike other books that I have read in this genre, the sex takes 2nd place to the storyline, and I loved that. I have read books in this genre that once the sex was introduced, the storyline went out the window. So it was very refreshing to see that the storyline was kept up once the BDSM scenes started (which was fairly early in the book).
I liked Kate. She was one of those heroines who didn’t take jack from anyone. I think the scenes where she stood up to Stanton (ie, punched him in the junk) and when she finally told her father off was excellent, and I thought it showed off how spunky she was.
The attraction that she had to Dex was instantaneous, and I loved the flogging scene. Now, usually, I am not into that stuff, but the way it was written and the way Dex and Kate discussed her soft and hard limits piqued my interest. And how he took care of her afterward was tremendous and did show what kind of guy he was.
Dex is my new book boyfriend. He is hot and cares about his woman/Sub (and his past Sub’s). The only thing that I didn’t like was that he couldn’t tell her that he was investigating her and that he was FBI. It killed him, and when she found out, it hurt her.
The subplot with the money laundering, the terrorists, the Dungeon, and its clients was OK, and it was resolved satisfactorily. Well, except that poor Kate got hurt.
The sex scenes between Kate and Dex were hot, hot, hot. They lit the pages on fire!!
The ending was excellent, and the epilogue was great. I can’t wait to see if Dex and Kate are going to be mentioned in book 3 (if there is a book 3).
I would give My Addiction an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread My Addiction. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Seth McGregory is not your average badass biker guy. Yeah, he may love beer and cigarettes, bars, motorcycles, and heavy rock but there’s something more than what meets the eye. He found himself madly in love with his step-sister, Caroline. This is obviously not right but he thinks there’s nothing wrong with falling in love with someone that doesn’t share your bloodline.
At first, Caroline was skeptical when she found out about his love but soon enough, she finds herself falling for him too. This creates huge dilemmas and sacrifices between them, along with the disapproval from their parents when they find out.
Seth will do about anything to make sure he can have Caroline to himself without a worry. The question is, how will he be able to convince their parents and make them approve of their twisted, sick relationship?
My review:
Seth McGregory is a billionaire that comes from a family of billionaires (if that makes sense). In the first scene, he is buying his stepsister, Caroline, a ruby-encrusted infinity symbol for her birthday that costs over $9,000…..which he has the cash for.
Seth is in a bit of a dilemma. He has strong feelings for Caroline but hasn’t acted on them because A) he isn’t sure she has the same feelings and B) his parents would freak out. But he has decided that he can’t keep his feelings to himself any longer. So he shows up at her house (because every 19-year-old has their own home) to give her his gift, and he confesses his attraction to her. At first, she is pretty grossed out and throws him out. But after a couple of days of thinking about it, she calls him and asks him to come back to her house and confesses her attraction to him. Use your imagination as to what happened next.
After two months of basically sneaking around, they decide to come clean to their parents. Their reactions were what I expected.
This is the first stepbrother romance that I have reviewed (I have read longer books), and I have to say that I am on the fence about it. Seth and Caroline lacked “ummph,” and there was no explosive sexual attraction between them. There was no heat in the sex scenes either.
The only real thing in the book was their parent’s reaction, at first. Dad was the most ticked off. But then they did a turnaround and said that they knew that they were dating and keeping it under wraps because people will judge.
I would give Billionaire Stepbrother: Our Bad Romancean Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is explicit language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would not reread Billionaire Stepbrother: Our Bad Romance.I would not recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
When a nine-year-old girl goes missing in Harwood Forest, the search for her brings back memories of an unsolved double murder some forty years earlier. Could the key to Erin Jackson’s disappearance lie in the bloody fate of Elijah and Joanna Ingham, bludgeoned to death while their young daughters slept? Were the Inghams really the victims of opportunistic burglars—or a more sinister fate?
The woods are combed for signs of the child, but Erin’s brother, Jake, mounts his own investigation, uncovering evidence that puts the Inghams’ daughters—vanished Rachel and ‘crazy’ Mary—in the frame. Meanwhile, Erin’s father suspects that the ragtag army of eco-warriors besieging his quarry development may have something to hide.
As devastating secrets and betrayals are revealed, the Jackson family is brought to a breaking point. But time is running out. Erin is still missing and Jake’s unorthodox inquiries have left him dangerously exposed. They must find Erin and lay the past to rest—before they become its latest victims.
My review:
Tom Jackson started off having a good day. He had won the approval of his village’s council to reopen an abandoned quarry near a historical site, over the objections of a group of eco-warriors and Druids that are objecting to them even opening the quarry. Then he gets a phone call that is the beginning of the end. His 9-year-old daughter, Erin, has gone missing while on a walk in the woods with her mother, Amanda.
While the whole town starts a search party and the local police launch an investigation, Jake, Erin’s older brother, decides to go into an abandoned house where two people were murdered over 40 years ago. After being attacked by a rook, killing it, and rescuing its babies, Jake is drawn into an awful confrontation with his mother and father. That sends him running back to the house, and what he finds there is something that can unravel the world as he knows it.
Tom and Amanda, in the meanwhile, are having struggles of their own. Secrets come to light during the investigation. Those secrets threaten to destroy their marriage and commitment to each other.
Seth is a young man who happens to be in town at the same time that Erin disappears. He has his agenda and wants to right a wrong that occurred over 40 years ago. He is caught up in the search, and his plan is taking a back seat to the search and rescue.
Mary is the surviving daughter of the people who were murdered over 40 years ago. Called “Crazy” Mary, she never talks, lives in a secluded bungalow with her cats, and acts weird. She knows who killed her parents but is rendered mute due to that trauma.
Everything is tied together in an explosive ending!!!
This book is very fast-paced right from the get-go. I mean, I scorched through 1/2 of the book within a day and the other half the next day. The book had me that sucked into it.
I did figure out who killed the Ingham’s about halfway through the book, but even though I figured it out, I was surprised at why that person did it and how this person would go to cover their tracks.
The multiple storylines in the book were wonderfully brought together at the end of the book. The ending was a bit of a shock, actually a huge shock. I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen.
I would give The Lost Ones 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 would reread The Lost Ones. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Welcome to Panic, a sultry Miami nightclub where bodies and hearts move to a beat that doesn’t stop at sunrise—the setting for “a magnificent story full of deep emotion” (Sawyer Bennett).
Katherine:I thought I could enjoy a night out like a normal person. I thought I could handle the flashing lights, the pulsing music, the crowded dance floor. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After having an anxiety attack and passing out during my sister’s engagement party at Panic, I wake up in the arms of the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. Nick Moreno’s no gentleman. But he might just be the man I need to help me take control of my life.
Nick:When I hear there’s some random girl passed out in the back room of my family’s South Beach nightclub, I’m pissed. My dad’s already behind bars and we can’t afford any more bad press. But after giving her a lift—literally—back to her apartment, I stop seeing Katherine Wilson as some random girl. She’s gorgeous, vulnerable, and braver than she knows. And when we kiss, all I want to do is pull her close and promise that she’ll always be safe in my arms.
No cheating. No cliffhangers. And no dress code.
My review:
Katherine thought she could attend her sister’s bachelorette without having a major panic attack. See, Katherine hadn’t been outside of her apartment in well over a year but forced herself to go because her sister wanted her to. Saying that her attempt to go out of her apartment ended badly was an understatement. She passed out in front of Mat, Nick’s twin brother and co-owner of Panic….the nightclub she was at.
Nick was an idiot (to keep it PC) and was beyond stressed out when Katherine was brought to him. He had taken over his father’s nightclub after his father was arrested and put in jail. He is stressed because he is trying to keep the club on the straight and narrow (which was the opposite his father had done). He is also a bit jaded when it comes to women. His ex-girlfriend (who thankfully didn’t make an appearance at all) was caught naked in the VIP section by Nick with his former best friend. She was also doing lines of meth off of his man bits. Oh, the mental image that went with that….lol. So, it was safe to say that when Katherine was brought to him, unconscious, he wasn’t happy and assumed that she was a junkie.
He does make the effort to believe her and even started to get to know her. But, one day he showed up at her apartment and she was acting like she was high. He ripped her a new one and took off. Meanwhile, as he is telling her off, she is trying to tell Nick that she’s having a reaction to the new medications she is on. Nick acting the way he acted was a catalyst of sorts for Katherine. She started to get the help she needed and she was able to go to Nick’s club to explain that she has PTSD, agoraphobic and has an anxiety disorder and that she had a reaction to her medications the last time she saw him.
From then on, Nick didn’t leave Katherine’s side. He read up on PTSD and worked with her on getting better. Those scenes were so sweet because you could tell that he wasn’t a bad guy. The more he hung around Katherine, the sweeter he got. It got me right in the feels.
Even better, the author held off on them having sex. But when they did…omg good was it good. Better than good, it was fantastic. They even had protected sex (gasp) which doesn’t happen in many of the books I have read lately (and if you have read my blog, you know how I feel about that….lmao).
The end of the book was beyond fantastic. I hope to read the 2nd book because I have a feeling that Mat’s story will be next and I would love to see what will happen with him.
I also want to add that the author’s note at the end of the book brought me to tears.
I would give Pull Me Close 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 would reread Pull Me Close. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Three-hundred-and-sixty-four days a year, Allison Carmichael doesn’t mind being single. It sure beats dating another loser, and it keeps her heart safe. Then there’s that three-hundred-and-sixty-fifth day: Christmas Eve, the traditional time her entire family gathers together—and gangs up on her, demanding to know when she’s going to get married. This year, she swears, is going be different. And that’s why, at a charity auction she’s throwing on-base, she buys herself a man.
Sergeant Troy Matthews insists that he’s not for sale. His time is, though, and he’s happy to donate it. Happier still when he learns the identity of the winning bidder: the redhead with the killer good looks and smart mouth who runs the veteran’s center. Allison needs Troy’s help to fool her family into believing they’re an item, and he’s all too happy to indulge her. But by the time Christmas Eve rolls around, their little charade is working a little too well . . . because Troy’s falling head over heels.
My review:
Allison was perfectly happy being single until it hits Christmas time. Then she gets all sorts of stressed out. Why does she get stressed out? Because normally, she doesn’t have a date for her family’s Christmas party. And if she does have a date, her mother, a psychiatrist, analyzes him and then tells Allison what she thinks of him. Which normally isn’t a lot and she has predicted Allison’s breakups. So, yeah, that would stress anyone out.
Troy is an MP on base who is a love them and leave them type of guy and Christmas is not his favorite holiday. This year, instead of celebrating Christmas, he was planning on spending it alone. The reason why he was planning on spending it alone? He was still smarting over a fight that he got into with his brother over 2 years ago over Troy being in the Marines instead of running a business. Which to be honest, it struck me as a stupid reason to be mad at someone. But I have seen relationships with families ruined over less so this did strike me as totally believable.
Allison and Troy meet, unknown to both of them when Allison is picking up wine for a charity event at the Veterans Center that she runs. Troy, who happened to be behind her, warned her about partying too hard and Allison gave him this funny, flip answer before leaving. The next time they meet was when Allison buys Troy at the charity auction she was running. Her reason for buying him? She needs him to pretend to be her boyfriend at her family’s Christmas party and she was willing to spend extra money for the extra hours (ie dates) for them to get to know each other.
The book gets pretty standard from that point on with Allison and Troy. They both fall into having sex with each other. That kinda annoyed me because Allison made a huge deal about not jumping into bed with him and then bam, two chapters later, she did. Not that I minded the sex scenes, they were pretty hot and there was one with pretty inventive use of a 6″ purple, sparkly vibrator. Speaking of that, I was cracking up laughing when she realized that she left it out when she thought she was getting robbed and Troy noticed. I literally couldn’t breathe, I was laughing so hard.
The three subplots (one being Allison’s issues with her mother, the other being the robber and the 3rd being Troy’s issues with his brother) that was wrapped up pretty quickly. But the storyline with the children’s home wasn’t wrapped up until the epilogue and I LOVED how it was wrapped up. I had a huge permagrin on my face.
Speaking of the ending, I loved it and it totally fits with the book!!!
I would give Welcome Home for Christmas 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 would reread Welcome Home for Christmas. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Andy Crowl barely knew his recently deceased cousin, Craig Moore, so he’s especially surprised to be named as the sole beneficiary in Craig’s will. Not that there’s much to inherit: just an empty bank account and a run-down house.
Andy Crowl barely knew his recently deceased cousin, Craig Moore, so he’s especially surprised to be named as the sole beneficiary in Craig’s will. Not that there’s much to inherit: just an empty bank account and a run-down house.
Once Andy arrives in the town of Mortom, however, he’s drawn into his puzzle-obsessed cousin’s true legacy: a twisted and ominous treasure hunt. Beckoned by macabre clues of dead rats and cemetery keys, Andy jumps into the game, hoping to discover untold wealth. But unsavory secrets–and unanswered questions about Craig’s untimely demise–arise at every turn, leading Andy to wonder if he’s playing the game…or if the game is playing him.
Revised edition: This edition of Mortom includes editorial revisions.
My review:
I am not one to be creeped out by a book. To be honest, the last book that genuinely creeped me out was “It” by Stephen King. So, I wasn’t expected to be as creeped out as I was by Mortom. It wasn’t scary but any means but Andy’s actions and his obsession creeped me out. By the end of the book, all he thought about was getting the prize.
The story starts off with Andy Crowl and his sister, Kate, traveling to the town of Mortom to settle the estate of their late cousin, Craig. Craig had died a couple of weeks earlier what many people, including Andy and Kate, considered an accident. He drowned in a local lake. While they are waiting for the bank manager to show up, they explore the house. While in the kitchen, Andy discovers a huge rat, dead under the refrigerator. When he pulled it out from under the fridge (it stunk), he discovered that it had a key stuck down its throat with a note wrapped around it. All the note said was “Follow Me”.
From this point on, Andy is following the clues left for him and is growing increasingly erratic in his behavior and his obsession with following the clues to whatever prize it at the end. According to a note that Andy found, as part of a clue, Andy has until Friday to find the prize. They also discovered Craig’s death wasn’t accidental….that is was planned because….Craig had a brain tumor, it wasn’t operable and he wanted to die on his own terms.
I did feel bad for Kate after this point because of how Andy was acting. He was becoming more and more obsessed with finding whatever Craig hid. He was assuming it was money. Also, Kate was dealing with her own issues but you really need the book to find out what.
Andy annoyed me. He was acting like a man-child and would throw fits when Kate tried to talk sense into him. His obsession with finding the prize did almost have some disastrous consequences for him and for Kate. But does he realize that? No, he doesn’t and he keeps at it.
The suspense that built throughout the book was great. I knew that the book was heading towards something bad but I didn’t know what, where, who or why. When the climax did happen, it happened with a bang and definitely didn’t let me down. I was sufficiently creeped out by Andy by the end of the book.
Speaking of the end of the book, oh boy did what was revealed take me by surprise. Now, I will say that looking back, there are hints dropped throughout the book but they kinda took a back-burner to the main story.
I would give Mortom 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 would reread Mortom. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Adeline “Addie” Montgomery has finally found her soulmate in Blake Greenwood. As the forgery trial begins for her former boss, Otto, her happily-ever-after seems to be taking shape. But when Otto puts everyone she loves back in danger, Addie must look to the past to make her future possible.
As Addie and Blake make progress finding her missing family, demons who’ve hunted her for centuries threaten to destroy the life she’s come to love. Once again, it all comes down to a choice: loyalty for her family or love for her soulmate. Her decision could transform the world…
Somewhere in Time is the second book in the Fine Art of Deception series, a set of supernatural romance mystery novels. If you like delicious plot twists, alternate histories, and well-executed time travel, then you’ll love Alyssa Richards’ can’t-miss series.
My review:
This book starts off a month or so after the first book ends. Addy and Blake spent a month in Paris, getting to know each other and just falling even more madly in love. But reality sets in when they get home. Addy and Blake are set to testify in Otto’s trail of art forgery and theft. Understandably, Addie is a bundle of nerves about testifying against him. Otto was a scary man with connections everywhere.
Leaving Addy at their penthouse, Blake heads over to the courthouse to testify against Otto. Only thing, he doesn’t exactly make it into the courtroom. He is attacked by two men, taken into an alley, given what was supposed to be a lethal dose of something (it wasn’t stated) and left in the alley to die.
Meanwhile, Addy gets an ominous phone call from Ellen, her ex-co-worker basically warning her that she better have another plan set up in case Otto’s trial doesn’t happen or he gets off scot-free. Addy is unnerved, as I would have been, and throws up her lunch. This disturbs her to the point where she feels a migraine coming on and she decides to go to her house to get her medications and some family keepsakes.
While she was there, her migraine gets oh so much worse, even with her taking her medication and she lays down with a wet washcloth and club soda (which made me go yuck) to have a quick nap. After waking from her nap, she immediately senses a man’s presence in her house and guess who that was? Otto. See, all of Otto’s witnesses have miraculously decided not to testify against him. Otto decides to lay everything on the table with Addy. He wants her to work with him on a special project of his…using her talents to tell Otto which paintings were fakes and which ones were real and he would sell the real ones and make a killing on them. He also wants to possess Addy like he possessed Carolena, Blake’s mother. He also dangles a carrot in front of her. She helps him and he helps her find her missing grandfather and father and he leaves Blake alone. If not, well, he doesn’t help her and he doesn’t leave Blake alone. Simple enough. So she decides to think about it.
Basically, the story after this point is Blake and Addy trying to outsmart and outmaneuver Otto while trying to solve the mystery of what exactly happened to her father and grandfather.
Blake and Addy were still going on strong and their sex scenes were beyond hot. More glimpses into their past life as Sassy and Jack were seen and Otto was introduced as also being connected to them as Gary, Sassy’s fiance or boyfriend (the book wasn’t exactly clear as to what he was). Which explains why Otto was so intent in going after Addy and Blake. It was history repeating itself and it was kinda freaky.
The last part of the book was probably the most interesting part for me. There was a small twist and a huge twist thrown into what I thought was going on. What I didn’t like is that it ended in a cliffhanger. I absolutely do not like cliffhangers. But this one was pretty good and it definitely makes me want to read book 3.
I would give Somewhere in Time 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 would reread Somewhere in Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
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