Author: Kimberly

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Kimberly reviews The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

the invitedTITLE: The Invited
CHARACTERS: Helen & Nate
AUTHOR: Jennifer McMahon
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/30/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A chilling ghost story with a twist: the New York Times best-selling author of THE WINTER PEOPLE, returns to the woods of Vermont to tell the story of a husband and wife who don’t simply move into a haunted house, they start building one from scratch, without knowing it, until it’s too late…

In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate abandon the comforts of suburbia and teaching jobs to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this charming property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago. As Helen starts carefully sourcing decorative building materials for her home – wooden beams, mantles, historic bricks — she starts to unearth, and literally conjure, the tragic lives of Hattie’s descendants, three generations of “Breckenridge women,” each of whom died amidst suspicion, and who seem to still be seeking something precious and elusive in the present day.

REVIEW:
This story is a little bit of everything when it comes to ghost story. There is a bit of mystery, a bit of suspense, a bit of old world and a bit of witchcraft.

I found this to be a quick read and one I really enjoyed. The ghost story of Hattie is interesting but it switches back and forth between old and current day and I enjoyed the mystery of the haunted land and the mystery of Olive’s missing mom.

The thing I didn’t really get is how someone builds a haunted house. Yes on haunted land but it seems the house becomes haunted too. Maybe I read too much into that, I am not sure.

But I think if you give the story a couple of chapters to catch your attention it really will. And it will keep your attention until the end.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Pirate’s Pleasure by Lisa Kessler

pirates pleasureTITLE: Pirate’s Pleasure
SERIES #: Sentinels Of Savannah #3
CHARACTERS: John & Harmony
AUTHOR: Lisa Kessler
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/22/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
No one steals from this pirate…

John Smyth has survived mutinous pirate crews, wars, and the passage of centuries by keeping his life as he did his ships, organized and well stocked. But when his crew is tasked with stealing Pandora’s Box for the government, it opens a door to destruction, and her name is Harmony Andrews.

Harmony is a risk-taking investment broker by day, and a thief by night. As a member of the underground Digi Robins crew, she steals relics to sell on the dark web and donates the money to people without insurance who need life-saving medical treatments. After taking a box from the docks in Savannah, she finds herself being hunted on multiple fronts, but she never expects the chaos trailing her to lead directly to her boss, the sexy, infuriating John Smyth.

The fearless thief has tangled with the wrong pirate, but he will be forced to choose: will he keep his heart safe at port, or follow it into the storm of pleasure.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is the third in the series but I didn’t realize that when I requested it from NetGalley. While it can be read as a stand alone you can tell that you are missing some information from the previous books.

I have read this author off and on for years and to be honest have never been into the whole pirate thing but since I knew the author I thought I would give it a try. And I wasn’t disappointed.

I felt the story was a little slow in the beginning and it took me a bit to understand that the series is about immortal pirates and the women they fall for. Seems an odd combination. But once the romance relaly got started it was an enjoyable read.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

3hearts-68-77

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Kimberly reviews The Husbands by T.J. Brearton

the husbandsTITLE: The Husbands
CHARACTERS: Kelly Roth
AUTHOR: T.J. Brearton
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/17/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A BREATHTAKING CRIME THRILLER FULL OF SHOCKING TWISTS AND TURNS

He kills their wives. He destroys their families. Then he comes after the husbands. “Do you want to know who killed your wife?” he asks.

Kelly Roth, FBI profiler, returns home to Syracuse to stop a sadistic serial killer. Three murders in three separate jurisdictions in central New York State have the same pattern: women killed by fatal headshots from a hunting rifle. Kelly Roth is sent from Virginia to help the local police.

Each victim was found murdered in a remote area or in a quiet park. The media call him “The Park Killer.” But Kelly doesn’t think the killer lurks in the bushes. She thinks he hunts his victims somewhere else.

But is he really contacting the bereaved husbands or is this a cover for their own guilt? Kelly will risk her own life in a heart-stopping race against time to stop more murders and find out the truth.

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO DISCOVER WHO KILLED YOUR WIFE?

If you like Jeffery Deaver, Linwood Barclay, Lisa Unger, Kendra Elliot, or JD Robb you will enjoy this compelling new mystery novel.

The book is set in New York State, an area the author brings to life with compelling detail based on his local knowledge.

ALSO BY BEST-SELLING AUTHOR T.J. BREARTON HABIT SURVIVORS DAYBREAK BLACK SOUL DEAD GONE TRUTH OR DEAD GONE DARK WEB DARK KILLS

REVIEW:
3.25 Hearts So I am on the fence a bit on this novel. The psychological thriller side is interesting and kept me interested. The problem was the characters. I never really connected with any of them even the heroine, Kelly Roth. I found her strong and smart but any more of her personality was unexplained.

This is a heavy book, if you ask me. This is not a light read but one that makes you think about the human mind of the victim and the killer.

I was pretty sure I knew who it was a number of times but was still interested in how the mind works of the characters and the author.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

3hearts-68-77

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Kelly reviews A Few Pecans Short Of A Pie by Molly Harper

a few pecansTITLE: A Few Pecans Short of a Pie
SERIES #: Southern Eclectic #2.5
CHARACTERS: Kyle Archer & Margot Cary
AUTHOR: Molly Harper
NARRATOR: Amanda Ronconi
PUBLICATION DATE: February 10, 2019
RUN TIME: 2 Hours & 49 Minutes
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sexy school principal Kyle faces the biggest challenge of his career: getting his (pregnant) event planner girlfriend Margot down the aisle before the baby arrives!
Readers first fell in love with big city event planner Margot in the first Southern Eclectic novel, Sweet Tea and Sympathy, as she discovered a long-lost branch of her family—the McCreadys, of McCready’s Bait Shop & Funeral Home. To Margot’s surprise, she’s taken a liking to life in small-town Georgia…helped along by a romance with the hot elementary school principal.
The two of them have been taking it slow—or they were until Margot gets pregnant! Kyle wants to make an honest woman of her, but Margot’s still trying to proceed with caution. After all, she was the best event planner in Chicago before she ever came to Lake Sackett—her wedding has to be perfect, and perfect includes not having the baby halfway down the aisle.
With her trademark witty prose and warm hearted storytelling, Molly Harper’s newest glimpse of the McCready family will be perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Amy E. Reichert.

REVIEW:
I love when we get to go back and revisit characters and see how they are doing. A Few Pecans Short of a Pie gives us a update on how Kyle, Margot (bk 1 Sweet Tea and Sympathy) and the girls are all doing.
How Margot is dealing with small town politics about small town weddings, being pregnant, a step mom to two little girls. Of course Kyle is there with her ever step of the way being the amazingly sweet soon to be husband and dad.
I really enjoyed this novella of Kyle and Margot. And super excited for the next installment of the McCready clan. Bring on Duffy!!!

Disclaimer: I purchased this his review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

5hearts-68-77

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Kimberly reviews Missing Daughter by Rick Mofina

missing daughterTITLE: Missing Daughter
CHARACTERS: Karen & Ryan Lane
AUTHOR: Rick Mofina
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/19/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Families with nothing to hide don’t have so many secrets

Life can change in an instant. For Ryan and Karen Lane, it happens on the morning they discover their twelve-year-old daughter’s window open, their beloved Maddie missing from her bed.

Police investigate. Suspicions swirl. A teenage boy admits he was outside her bedroom window the night she disappeared. A halfway house for convicts recently opened in the neighborhood. The Lane family is thrown into turmoil, then detectives turn their sights on them.

No one is ruled out. Not Karen, with her tragic past, who argued with her daughter. Not Ryan, with his violent streak. Not Maddie’s thirteen-year-old brother, Tyler, who heard voices in her room the night she vanished.

Days, weeks, months, then agonizing years go by without answers, the Lanes fearing that Maddie is gone forever…until a stunning twist shocks everyone, plunging the family deeper into a world of buried secrets whose revelations threaten the very foundation of their lives.

REVIEW:
I really enjoy reading Rick Mofina’s books. I have been a fan for a while. I also enjoyed this story as well. The writing was a bit different for Mofina but it was interesting. The book is very long but the read is pretty quick. Some sections go slower than others but mostly it is an easy read.

There are two sections to the book which have a huge time lapse of about 4 years. That was a bit surprising but to be honest I enjoyed the second sections more than the first. It seemed to go by quicker and it made figuring out the “who-dun-it” easier for me.

If you are a fan of suspense then this is a great book to pick up.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Darkness Returns by Alexandra Ivy

darkness returnsTITLE: Darkness Returns
SERIES #: Guardians Of Eternity #13
CHARACTERS: Chiron & Lilah
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/16/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
More powerful than ever, the Guardians of Eternity are facing their greatest challenge yet: a war within their ranks. Their future is in the hands of one rebel vampire, who must choose between loyalty and love . . .

Blessed with an even more compelling allure than most vampires, Chiron has made a fortune in the human world, creating an empire of resorts and casinos. Since the betrayal and imprisonment of his master, he has existed outside the order of the Guardians, trusting no one. But now, the new vampire king has given him a peace offering: a scroll that could free his master. Following the relic’s magic leads him to a demon hotel deep in the Everglades, a lush paradise owned by a mysterious and
mesmerizing woman . . .

As far as Lilah knows, she’s lived her entire life within the confines of her enchanted estate. Memories of her own past are elusive and cloaked in shadows. Even Chiron can’t figure out exactly what she is, and if her intoxicating beauty is his destiny or an illusion drawing him ever closer to his demise—or perhaps to an even more tormenting choice, between his master and his mate . . .

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Oh Alexandra how I love your writing! And your characters!

Chiron is a vampire who is looking for his master and Lilah has lived her entire life hidden away and which Chiron walks into her life she finds herself mesmerized. And aren’t we always mesmerized by Alexandra’s characters too?

Oh the romance (and sex) is delicious in this book, as with all of Alexandra’s stories. And which is my favorite character? Levet! But of course!

This is lucky #13 in the series and lucky for us we get to read it! But I suggest reading the series first… And why wouldn’t you want to since Alexandra is one of the best in the paranormal romance field.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts