Review: Gathering Prey by John Sandford

Posted by

0

23281640If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times…Sandford is the absolute master of dialogue. This latest edition to the long running Davenport series is no disappointment in terms of dialogue. The banter between the characters leaves me chucking at times and feeling like I am right there as part of the group. I’ve never experienced any other writer than can nail it so completely. Maybe it’s the sarcasm that pops up from time to time that I relate to so well….

First all, I’ve been an avid and yea….perhaps a rabid fan of John Sandford since the 80’s. I’ve been with Lucas from the very start and I have read them all. I marvel at how Sandford continues to keep this series exciting and fresh after all these years. I have watched Lucas grow up and mature. I don’t even mind anymore that he’s with Weather (I never felt she was a strong enough character for Lucas from the start). I don’t even mind that his hair has grey in it…or that he’s now in the over 50 club. He’s still relevant!

If I am to be honest, I love this series even more now then I did when it first began. It’s just gotten better in more ways than one…

Just as we start to feel that Lucas is getting bogged down in his job…well, Sandford fixes that. We see some hints of conflict between long time characters that spell lots of changes in not just Davenport’s professional life, but perhaps his personal life as well.

Sandford has also been prepping us for more of Lucas’ daughter…really, since she was first introduced in Naked Prey….but in this installment, Letty really comes to shine and we continue getting glimpses of the young adult she is becoming.

The ending of the book didn’t disappoint. I won’t bore you with the plot summery….If you’ve read Sandford, you already know there’s going to be some very bad people who Davenport is going to be tracking…This novel had more than it’s fair share….but from the very start you can sense that the feelings of dissatisfaction, boredom, and aggravation that Davenport has been feeling for his job has got to come to some sort of head. Lucas once again sets off in what can only be called “Davenport style” and off on his own to do what needs to be done. It’s who he is. It’s what I often miss from the older books. So often (as in real life) politics and endless bureaucratic barriers are there to tie Davenport’s hands and prevent him from doing his job in a timely fashion. Not this time….

The ending….well it doesn’t leave me feeling worried….or fearing for the next book. I am excited. I can’t wait to see what happens. It not only opens up this series to endless new possibilities, it also does the same for Sandford’s other series that centers around Virgil “F” Flowers….

Bring, it Sandford….I’m ready!!!!

Until next time….

Urania xx

Buy it now Gathering Prey by John Sandford

Review: Chasing River by K.A.Tucker

Posted by

0

01 chas Let me start off by saying that normally I’m not one for suspense books. They makes my nerves shot and my stomach all twisty. But this Burying Water series by K.A.Tucker is one of the exceptions. This series has characters that draw you in. While some may not be the “perfect” characters(I mean, let’s face it, no one’s perfect) but you’ll find yourself rooting for them and hoping they find the right path. River is one of those characters.

SYNOPSIS
Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

I liked River. I mean, let’s face it, he’s Irish. What’s not to like? He risks his life for someone, when most people would’ve just ran away. He works hard to keep his family’s pub running smooth, while trying to keep his trouble maker brother out of harm’s way. So when this American girl shows up and shows interest in him, he really should try and push her away. He’s not good enough for her.

Amber Welles has wanted this trip for years. She even made a crazy vacation bucket list, with her brother’s girlfriend, Alex.

#1 Have a torrid affair with a foreigner.

Sounds easy enough. Everyone does that. Well, when you’ve just been saved by a ridiculous hot Irishman, an affair sounds like a good idea. YOLO, and all that. What she doesn’t know is that her savior, isn’t all she thinks he is. He has secrets that could change this course she’s on, if she’s not careful.

Their love affair was not without lots and lots of bumps in the road. His past isn’t all sunshine and roses, and getting mixed up with the Sheriff’s daughter, who always does the right thing, may not be in his best interest. But maybe, just maybe, being chased is the best thing for him.

I actually found myself really liking all the side characters, in this one. The Delaney family, with the exception of the oldest brother, was fun to read. I could hear Rowen’s teasing tone, right through the pages. But my favorite was Ivy. She may seem tough on the outside, but that girl has a sweet side that I’m sure will come out in the next book. I just know her book is going to be great!!

~Melpomene

Buy Chasing River: A Novel (The Burying Water Series)

Review: Those Girls by Chevy Stevens

Posted by

0

23014603Every reader has a select group of those authors, writers whose newest releases are automatic must-reads. Each book is different, of course, but every new story must be read as soon as it comes out. Chevy Stevens is one of those authors for me. From the very beginning, with Still Missing, to the latest, That Night, her stories have not let me down. This latest offering is no exception.

Like most stories of this genre, everything begins with a bang. And then it quickly spirals downhill from there. When three young girls are able to finally escape their abusive father, it seems as if their lives might finally take a turn for the better. But of course it’s not to be, as one tragedy after another befalls them. Now, eighteen years later, secrets from the past threaten to rise to the surface. The fragile peace they’ve managed to craft for themselves is in danger of being upended as long-buried (literally) secrets bubble to the surface.

And if it seems like my description is ambiguous and vague, it was meant to be. This is one of those stories where you don’t want to give too much away. It’s best enjoyed by going in without too much of a clue as to what it’s going to be about. And it’s far too easy to turn a book review into a summary. So I’ll leave it at that.

When I was kicking ideas for this review around in my head, the first word that came to mind was implausible. And I don’t mean that as a criticism at all. But then as I thought about it, I realized that the same could be said for any of Chevy’s books. And that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying any of them, this one included. The characters are so strong, so relatable that it doesn’t even matter if the storyline is far-fetched. The author makes you care about them, forces you to keep reading to find out how it’s going to end. And there are so many twists and turns that you’re never truly quite sure what’s going to happen. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, it goes in a completely different direction. So grab this one and settle in for quite a ride. And if this is the first book you’ve read by Chevy Stevens, add the others to your list!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Those Girls

Review: Taming Lily by Monica Murphy

Posted by

0

01tameYES!!! It’s Lily’s turn in the spotlight. Well, technically she’s always in the spotlight, but it’s not for the right reasons. But I’ve been patient, and I’m quite happy I was. This story was filled with secrets, lies, a hefty amount of heartache and quite a bit of romance. All in all, I am very satisfied with the ending of this series.

SYNOPSIS
I’m in trouble. Again. And instead of facing my problems head on, I’ve run away. Far away this time, and no one can catch me—not my two younger sisters, Violet and Rose, not my father, my grandmother, or that witch Pilar who wants to take control of my family’s cosmetics company. Now I’m in Hawaii, enjoying the sun and the sand and water, where nobody knows the hot mess known as Lily Fowler. And I’m loving every minute of it.

But someone is watching me. Following me. He’s gorgeous. And soon we’re talking, and against all my instincts, I reveal bits and pieces of myself to Max. It feels good, though I know he can’t be the man for me. These sudden feelings we share are way too complicated, too fraught, too intense.

Then everything explodes and I’m forced to return home. My intentions have always been true, but now everyone’s mad at me. I don’t know who to turn to anymore . . . except to Max. He’s who I want to trust. But I’m not so sure I should. Maybe it’s worth the risk—and what-ifs be damned. . . .

Lily has always wanted love and respect from her family. After losing her mom, in a very selfish way, and having her dad ignore her, unless she was bad, has left her feeling lonely. She has no one in her corner. No one to defend her. No one to support her. And when she gets herself into major trouble, she runs away, cuz she knows she’s on her own to fix it. What she isn’t planning on was finding Max.

“Keep me wild.”

For once, she may have found someone to put her trust in. Or has she? As she grows closer to Max, she finds herself wanting to tell him everything. All her deep dark secrets. But she has always been alone, so trusting someone is quite difficult for her.

Max has a way of tearing down some of her walls and soon she’s falling for him, faster than anyone before him. Their chemistry is off the charts hot. The sexual tension is so thick, I was squirming in my seat. But I loved every minute of it. But Max has a secret of his own. And when Lily finds out, her world is flipped and she’s beginning to question if there’s anyone she can trust.

I just want to be free. To fly. To lose myself and let this man to whatever he wants to me. I just want…to feel nothing.

And everything. All at once.

I enjoyed reading quite a few scenes with her sisters and brothers in law. I did wish, however, that her father somehow manned up and told her that he loved her. But I doubt that relationship will ever be like that. But that’s alright. She has the love of her sisters and Max, and that’s all she needs.

~Melpomene

Release date: July 7, 2015
Buy Taming Lily: A Novel (The Fowler Sisters)

Review: The Samaritan by Mason Cross

Posted by

0

21566238oh dear….I’m not sure what happened here…I LOVED the first book in this series. This one? Meh…not so much….

We still are dealing with Carter Blake….We are still wanting to find out more about Blake and his past….we are allowed once again to see bits and pieces….He’s still in the same line of work….finding people that don’t want to be found….so why didn’t I like this one as much as the first?

A couple of things….First we know Blake was part of some top-secret government black ops that very few people played a part in and even fewer knew about…however, once again, Blake stumbles across someone from this operation. It was too much like the first book.

Another thing…..we are left, yet again, with secondary characters that are playing a major part in the story and yet we aren’t given much insight into them. I hardly think one paragraph explaining the controversy around the main detective qualifies…especially since it her were her POV we saw the most of during the novel…

The way the story jumped around from one POV to another for the first 80% was also distracting….and it might be poor editing that will hopefully be fixed once released, but the flashbacks that the Samaritan had…well….they didn’t flow right….there was no stopping point where the present met the past…it made for a very awkward reading experience..at least a space between paragraphs was needed….

Finally….we didn’t even get much of Blake until the end of the book….just a little bit here and there….Carter Blake is the one who makes this series!!!! Yes he is a mystery….but FFS, he should be playing a major role throughout the entire novel…not just at the end…..and it’s been proven in the past that he is known by the FBI and certain elements just didn’t add up at the end with the bit FBI players involved….

Am I let down by this novel? Yes….it felt choppy and unedited….it wasn’t smooth at all….do I still look forward to the next in the series? Hell yes….Carter Blake is a great character. I still think Mason Cross has a great opportunity to make him a household name. I just hope in the next novel that he expands and doesn’t expect the reader to believe that such a small secret operation has team members that are always running into one another…it’s a very large world out there…I think Cross is safe to look outside this small circle for someone who Blake can hunt….it might even make it more interesting and show his skills if it a complete unknown….

Just my thoughts…

Until next time….

Urania xx

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review

Buy it now The Samaritan by Mason Cross

Review: Ride Steady by Kristen Ashley

Posted by

0

01 ride I swear to God, Kristen Ashley can do NO WRONG. This book had all the feels. Oh my word, did it ever. One moment I’m giggling and the next I’m tearing up, and five minutes later I’m swooning. She writes the perfect story.

Right off the bat, my heart was breaking for Carson”Joker”Steele. His home life was made from nightmares. Pure nightmares. But some how he finds a way to break free and move on from the damage his father has done to him, and make a name for himself with the Chaos MC. He found a place to belong. A place of safety. A place where he’s not alone. But he was just treading, not really putting forth an effort to create livelong bonds. That is until he ran into Carissa and realizes that just skimming the surface isn’t a way to live. He needs to dive in deep.

Carissa had the perfect life, until it wasn’t. She married her high school sweetheart and gave him a child, but then he threw her away. She was forced to scrounge up and try and make a life for her and her son, with no help from her jerk off ex. Then one day she gets a flat tire and is rescued by the one boy she always felt something for. The one boy who was hurting but tried to hide it. The one boy that’s going give her the ride of her life.

Chaos is family. No matter what. They care for each other and will stand by you, until you get the through your thick skull. So when Joker is suddenly in the position to finally have something real in his life, his brothers will do anything to help him achieve that. Because everyone deserves to be happy.

I loved watching Joker transform into the man he was meant to be. He went from a non smiling, no emotion showing guy, to a smirking, full out rolling laughter in a matter of weeks. His feelings made me tear up half the time. He was straightforward and calm, and majorly swoony.

I swear, watching the big tough “manly man biker” with an eight month old, was enough to make me melt right to the floor. And then to watch him defend that boy’s mama, really made me melt. He was fierce and super loyal and he is the standard by which all men should be ranked against.

This is, by far, my most favorite MC series EVER. I hope there will be many books to come. I love the fact that some of the past characters, from the Rock Chicks to the Dream Men, make an appearance. I love seeing all their worlds collide and work together to keep everyone safe. Well done, Kristen!!

~Melpomene

Buy Ride Steady (Chaos)

Ride steady can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend you read the rest of the Chaos books. Trust me, you will love this series.

Own the Wind is only 99 cents!! That’s a great incentive to get started with these guys!!

Then grab Fire Inside to continue the series.

Review: Priest by Sierra Simone

Posted by

0

01 pre WOW. This book was….wow. All I can think is, Holy Hannah, this was HOT.

If you like saucy books, this book is for you.

If you like forbidden or controversial romance, this book is for you.

If you like HEA, after hearts are broken and shredded, and lives are changed, this book is for you.

SYNOPSIS
There are many rules a priest can’t break.
A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.

I’ve always been good at following rules.
Until she came.
My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I’m twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again.
I am a priest and this is my confession.

Not to get in a debate, but I’ve never understood the reason behind priests having to be celibate. But those are their rules, and they know them going in. This book shows what happens when one man gives in to his human nature and how he must make difficult choices in order to be the man he’s supposed to be.

Father Bell is supposed to lead, teach and be a listening ear, but when she walks into the church, his calling doesn’t seem so black and white any more. The more time he spends with Poppy, the more he realizes that holding fast to his vows shouldn’t be like this.

Why would God bring Poppy here if I wasn’t supposed to fall in love with her?

Poppy is a woman who was loved and hurt. She left to go and find a life for herself. She never imagined finding and falling for a priest. That doesn’t happen. That shouldn’t happen. But it did happen. Now they must face a difficult choice. There is no right answer. No matter what they pick, heartache will happen.

God wanted me in the real world and in the midst of the ordinary lives of his people. Maybe the plans He had for Tyler Bell were so much more exciting and wonderful than I’d ever counted on.

Some of the scenes in this book were so hot, I was squirming as I was reading. And then to have all the emotions to go along with them, I was a wreck. They knew they shouldn’t give in to the flesh, but the passion overtook them and it couldn’t be stopped. It wouldn’t be stopped.

To watch his struggle with the rules and his flesh, made my heart hurt. I don’t understand why it has to be one or the other. But Father Bell makes his choice. There are consequences and heartache, but in the end it all comes down to love. Love of God, love of the church and love of a woman.

~Melpomene

Buy Priest: A Love Story

Review: Behind the Falls by Brenda Zalegowski

Posted by

0

25400942

Disclaimer #1: This book was reviewed several weeks earlier by our very own Urania. This is my perspective on it.

Disclaimer #2: The author is a friend of mine, and I’m sure she’s a friend to many of you as well. That’s both good and bad. Good because it’s an honor to share someone’s creative work. And bad because, well, if it’s really no good how do you address that? It’s like seeing someone’s really ugly baby. What do you say? But there are no such book-related worries in this case because the book truly is exceptional on so many levels.

Noah is barely sixteen but yet has faced so many issues in his young life. Burdened with panic and anxiety disorders from a very young age, he struggles with how exactly to be normal. And then his somewhat predictable world is shaken up as his family decides move to a new town. Not only that, but Noah will be going to public school for the first time. Enough to send even the most well-adjusted (if there is such a thing) teen over the edge.

Thankfully there’s a friendly face in the crowd. A hand reaches out to him on his very first day, and Noah doesn’t feel so lost anymore. When Max welcomes Noah into his world, it’s more than he could have ever hoped for. He begins to feel “normal” for the very first time in his life, whatever that word truly means.

Noah’s inner demons aren’t so easily silenced, though. His struggles continue as does his battle to hide it from his new friends. If he could only find the strength to be honest with them as well as with himself, and about so many different things.

And this is where my summary ends. Because to give anything else away would spoil it. And this is a book that you just have to read and feel for the very first time without any preconceived notions or ideas about what you’re supposed to think. I’m glad I didn’t when I read it, and I’m doing the same for you.

So the obvious…
This is a very long book, clocking in at just under 700 pages. And I admit, as have several other reviewers, that the length was a bit daunting at first. I found myself getting bogged down in the beginning, wondering if the lengthy narrative and internal dialogue were really necessary. But I felt a pull, something compelling me to keep going. And yes, part of the reason was because, well, friends.

Still, at about the halfway point I realized that it worked for this book. Noah’s story really couldn’t be told in a lesser manner. The sometimes rambling dialogue is surely reminiscent of what must be going on inside the head of somebody with a panic/anxiety disorder. And more importantly, such detailed descriptions of the characters as well as background info made me feel for them, connect with them on a level not achieved by all authors. In fact, I’m so invested with Noah and Max, even Tabitha, that several days later I still can’t get them out of my head. I want more!

And another caveat. It’s a very heavy book. Heavy on the emotions, heavy on the subject matter. But so is life. Not a reason to avoid it. Still, it’s probably a book that’s best suited for older teens and adults. Now crossing my fingers and hoping there’s a sequel in the works…

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Behind the Falls

Review: Kiss Me by Susan Mallery

Posted by

0

  

Zane is a rancher with a closed heart. He protects his family and property with stern love, but leaves no room for any other relationships. 

Phoebe is a softie on the outside but protects her heart fiercely. When she heads to Zane’s ranch on the recommendation of her best friend (and Zane’s sister) Maya, she doesn’t expect to fall into lust. Or love. 

This installment of Fool’s Gold romance included the requisite – and hilarious – antics of Gladys and Eddie. Mallery has a few other Fool’s Gold regulars make an appearance as well. But for the most part, you could read Kiss Me as a stand alone. 

You’ve got a cattle drive, campfires, sleeping under the stars, a drowned-out tent, a couple of rescues, and Pheobe talking to Zane’s steer-in-charge to get him to cross a raging river. 

That makes for many damsel-in-distress scenarios, and a few damsel-saves-the-day ones, too! 

I enjoyed Kiss Me like I enjoy all the Fool’s Gold novels. I liked reading a strong, silent hero, and I REALLY appreciated the sibling and friend relationships. I sort of rushed reading this one because I wanted to hurry and get to the HEA (I must have needed one!) … and now I’m eagerly anticipating Thrill Me!

-calliope

Buy KISS ME