Author: Kimberly

Posted on

Kimberly reviews The Cliff House by RaeAnne Thayne

cliff houseTITLE: The Cliff House
CHARACTERS: Beatriz & Daisy
AUTHOR: RaeAnne Thayne
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/26/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Three women—two sisters and their aunt—and the cliff house on the northern California coast that served as a beacon to them all…

After the death of their mother, sisters Daisy and Beatriz Davenport found a home with their aunt Stella in the beautiful and welcoming town of Cape Sanctuary. They never knew all the dreams that Stella sacrificed to ensure they had everything they’d ever need. Now, with Daisy and Bea grown, it’s time for Stella to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from them—a secret that will change their family forever.

Bea thought she’d sown all her wild oats when she got pregnant far too young. The marriage that followed was rocky and not destined to last, but it gave Bea her wonderful, mature, now eleven-year-old daughter, Marisol. But just as she’s beginning to pursue a new love with an old friend, Bea’s ex-husband resurfaces and turns their lives completely upside down.

Then there’s Daisy—sensible, rational, financially prudent Daisy. She’s never taken a risk in her life—until she meets a man who makes her question everything she thought she knew about life, love and the power of taking chances.

In this heartwarming story, Stella, Bea and Daisy will discover that the path to true happiness is filled with twists and turns, but love always leads them back home.

REVIEW:
WOW this is a heart wrenching story. Not because of anything happening but the emotions that each woman and their relationships with men and each other produces.

There is Bea and Daisy who lived with their aunt, Stella, after their mom died and then went into foster care for a bit. I really enjoyed the foster care aspect of this story. As someone who took my best friends son in when his dad died I felt so much of what Stella felt and know the feelings that Bea and Daisy feel. I also like that the story doesn’t put the foster care system in a horrible light.

But I also enjoy the relationship the women have together. There is so much in their hearts and in the past that they have to deal with and not get over but move on from. So when the men comes into the lives they begin to open their hearts up even more.

I enjoyed the background characters and found myself interested in all three women and their romance.

Yet another incredible story from Thayne!

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Posted on

Kimberly reviews The Trial Of Lizzie Borden by Cara Robertson

trial of lizzie bordenTITLE: The Trial Of Lizzie Borden
CHARACTERS: Lizzie Borden
AUTHOR: Cara Robertson
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/12/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The remarkable new account of an essential piece of American mythology—the trial of Lizzie Borden—based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence.

The Trial of Lizzie Borden tells the true story of one of the most sensational murder trials in American history. When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone—rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars and laypeople—had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she?

The popular fascination with the Borden murders and its central enigmatic character has endured for more than one hundred years. Immortalized in rhyme, told and retold in every conceivable genre, the murders have secured a place in the American pantheon of mythic horror, but one typically wrenched from its historical moment. In contrast, Cara Robertson explores the stories Lizzie Borden’s culture wanted and expected to hear and how those stories influenced the debate inside and outside of the courtroom. Based on transcripts of the Borden legal proceedings, contemporary newspaper accounts, unpublished local accounts, and recently unearthed letters from Lizzie herself, The Trial of Lizzie Borden offers a window onto America in the Gilded Age, showcasing its most deeply held convictions and its most troubling social anxieties.

REVIEW:
As someone who has always been fascinated by this story I found this book very interesting. This is not the story of Lizzie exactly but the trial itself and how exactly the trial went to find her innocent.

I learned a number of things that I did not know before reading this.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in knowing about this subject.

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Posted on

Kimberly reviews Toxic Game by Christine Feehan

toxic gameTITLE: Toxic Game
SERIES #: Ghostwalkers #15
CHARACTERS: Draden & Shylah
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/12/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
On a rescue mission in the heart of the Indonesian jungle, Dr. Draden Freeman and his GhostWalker team need to extract the wounded as quickly as possible—or risk spreading a deadly virus unleashed by a terrorist cell. When Draden gets infected, he forces his team to leave him behind. He won’t risk exposing anyone else. He intends to find the ones responsible and go out in a blaze of glory….

Shylah Cosmos’s mission is to track the virus and remain unseen. Her enhanced senses tell her that the gorgeous man eradicating the terrorists one by one is a GhostWalker—and his lethal precision takes her breath away. When he’s hit by a lucky shot, she can’t stop herself from stepping in, not knowing that by saving his life she’s exposed herself to the virus.

There’s no telling how much time Draden and Shylah have left. Racing to find a cure, they quickly realize that they’ve found their perfect partner just in time to lose everything. But even as the virus threatens to consume their bodies, they’ve never felt more alive.

REVIEW:
Feehan is certainly one that is at the top of my go to authors list. I have always found her books tantalizing and intriguing. The relationship between Shylah and Draden is almost perfect. There is not a lot of misunderstanding or games (no pun intended). They have angst but it is based on a true relationship.

This is the 15th in the series and should not really be read as a stand alone. Well I guess it can be but you will lose a lot of background without reading the entire series. But I can guarantee that once you read the first you will want to catch up on until current!

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Posted on

Kimberly reviews What I’ve Done by Melinda Leigh

what ive doneTITLE: What I’ve Done
SERIES #: Morgan Dane #4
CHARACTERS: Morgan & Haley
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/18/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Morgan Dane’s new client has blood on her hands—and no recollection of what happened—as the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling series continues.

Haley Powell wakes up covered in blood, with no memory of the night before. When she sees a man lying in the backyard, stabbed to death, she has only one terrified thought: What have I done?

Agreeing to take the case as a favor to her PI friend Lincoln Sharp, Morgan must scale a mountain of damning circumstantial and forensic evidence to prove her client innocent. Haley couldn’t appear more guilty: her bloodstained fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and she has no alibi. But Morgan can’t shake the feeling that this shocked young woman has been framed.

Someone out there is hell-bent on sabotaging her defense, targeting Morgan, her partner, and especially Haley. Someone who will stop at nothing—and whose next move will be deadly.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts So I picked up this book because I have heard this authors name so many time from friends and family who enjoy her writing and after reading this I understand why. However, the problem was I didn’t realize this was the fourth in the series and I have to say I was a bit lost.

Morgan has a new client and that part is easy to follow. But the problem is Morgan herself.. And that is not really a “problem”… I wish I had read the other stories first just to understand a bit about Morgan herself. But that does not take away from the story.

I get it now. Leigh is certainly one that I will want to read again.

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

3hearts-68-77

Posted on

Kelly reviews Secrets Never Die by Melinda Leigh

secretsTITLE: Secrets Never Die
SERIES #: Morgan Dane #5
CHARACTERS: Morgan Dane & Lance Kruger
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: March 19, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The #1 Amazon Charts bestselling series continues as Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger fight for the innocence of a young murder suspect—if only they could find him.
When a retired sheriff’s deputy is shot to death in his home, his troubled teenage stepson, Evan, becomes the prime suspect. Even more incriminating, the boy disappeared from the scene of the crime.
Desperate to find her son, Evan’s mother begs PI Lance Kruger for help. She knows her son is innocent. Kruger and defense attorney Morgan Dane want to believe that too, but the evidence against the boy is damning. Just as the trail goes cold, another deputy vanishes. His shocking connection to Evan’s stepfather throws the investigation into chaos as Lance and Morgan fear the worst…that Evan is the killer’s new target.
With so many secrets to unravel, will Lance and Morgan find him before it’s too late?

REVIEW:
Lance and Morgan get involved in a new case that could cost them everything they have worked for.

Another wonderful story from Ms. Leigh! I really enjoyed this book. I read Secrets Never Die in one sitting. As always I think I have the who done it figured out and Ms. Leigh proves me wrong. I liked seeing Lance and Morgan’s relationship grow. They are such a great team. Also we got to see more with Sharp and Olivia! I can’t wait to see what is next for those two.

I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Morgan Dane series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Posted on

Kimberly reviews Why Not Tonight by Susan Mallery

why not tonightTITLE: Why Not Tonight
SERIES #: Happily Inc #3
CHARACTERS: Natalie & Ronan
AUTHOR: Susan Mallery
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/18/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Susan Mallery welcomes you to Happily Inc, where true love isn’t just for fairy tales…

Natalie Kaleta will do anything for the artists at her gallery, including risk life, limb and the effect of humidity on her naturally curly hair. Braving a downpour to check on reclusive Ronan Mitchell, Natalie gets stranded by a mudslide at his mountain home, where the brooding glass artist reveals his playful side, sending her inconvenient crush from under-the-radar to over-the-top.

After a secret tore apart his family and made him question his sense of self, Ronan fled his hometown for Happily Inc, but the sunny small town can’t fix his damaged heart. He won’t give in to his attraction for beautiful, perpetually cheerful Natalie. She’s untouched by darkness—or so he thinks.

Natalie knows that when a heart goes through the flame, it comes out stronger. Life may not be a fairy tale, but sometimes dreams do come true. Why not this one? Why not tonight?

REVIEW:
Oh Susan! You have done it again!

Susan Mallery is *THE* author that I always turn to when I want to read a contemporary romance. Happily Inc is a branch off of Fool’s Gold and this is the 3rd in the series. Fool’s Gold was always my dream (novel) vacation spot. And Happily Inc is really starting to be where I want to visit after Fool’s Gold.

Mallery is great at drawing you in with the very first few pages. We have met Ronan in the first two of this series and not it is his turn at love. Ronan may be my favorite of the Mitchell brothers because of his broody personality and it was great to see him bloom.

Never a disappointment!

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

Posted on

Kelly reviews by Awaken The Darkness by Dianne Duvall

awaken the darknessTITLE: Awaken the Darkness
SERIES #: Immortal Guardians #8
CHARACTERS: Stanislav & Susan
AUTHOR: Dianne Duvall
NARRATOR: Kirsten Potter
RUN TIME: 8 Hours & 46 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: July 10, 2018
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Kindle | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her.
When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that—against all reason—she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn’t have to fix up the place. So she can’t explain why she bought it. She also can’t explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ordinary. Susan knows she should keep her distance. He has no memory and possesses gifts that would make most fear him. But as the two work together to unravel the mystery of his past, she finds herself drawn in by his teasing nature and tender touch. So much so that she loses her heart to him even as they find themselves hunted by unknown enemies who are ruthless in their quest to capture them.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Awaken the Darkness was a good read. It was not my most favorite of the series but it was a great book to learn more about Stanislav and what happened to him after the battle that killed Yuri. Awaken the Darkness was a bit of a slow start but at about the halfway point it started to pick up. I still love this series and can’t wait to see where we go next.

As always I let the wonderful Kirsten Potter read this book to me. I love how talented she is with the amount of voices she can do. I really enjoy the fact that I don’t feel like she is just reading words on a page but telling me a story!

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

3hearts-68-77

Posted on

Kimberly reviews Shades Of Betrayal by Jill Ramsower

shades of betrayalTITLE: Shades Of Betrayal
SERIES #: The Fae Games #3
CHARACTERS: Ashley & Michael
AUTHOR: Jill Ramsower
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/26/18
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ashley

All my wildest fantasies have come true, but reality is never quite as simple as we imagine. I dreamed of living in a wondrous world of the supernatural and having magical powers of my own. Now, I have all of that, but it comes with a caveat—a six foot Fae brute who is supposed to train me on all things Fae. He’s a dauntless warrior of the Wild Hunt. A beautiful bigot. He’s my lover and my burden, my savior and my curse.

There’s a monster loose in the city leaving a trail of bodies in its wake. I want more than anything to help others with my new abilities—what better use of my power than to stop a killer? Too bad Michael doesn’t feel the same.

Michael

She’s a born fighter. Courageous and brash like the heroes she reads about. Two weeks ago I carried her lifeless body out of a dirty alley. Ever since, my carefully constructed world has been leveled, despite my endless efforts at damage control.

Ashley Moore is a force of nature. Her best friend is the Erlking’s woman, and together, Ashley and Rebecca have infiltrated our brotherhood. Everything about our lives is dangerous, so I’ve done what I can to protect her—even if she ends up hating me for it.

Author’s Note: This is NOT a Young Adult novel! It contains graphic violence and scenes with adult sexual content.

REVIEW:
This is the third is the series and to be honest while it can be a stand alone I think I would have had a better understanding if I had read the other books first. And this is the first I have read from this author.

This was just not for me. I enjoy romance and I enjoy adult content books but this was like watching a porn with no storyline. Seemed they barely said hello and bam they are sleeping together. There is no background story for the most part.

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

2hearts