3 Star – Page 14 – Books-n-Kisses

August 30, 2019August 27, 2019

Kelly reviews The Turn Of The Key by Ruth Ware

TITLE: The Turn of the Key
CHARACTERS: Rowen Gaine
AUTHOR: Ruth Ware
PUBLICATION DATE: August 6, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.
Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.
It was everything.
She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts The Turn of the Key is was a very interesting book. Ms. Ware formatted this book is in a series of letters from Rowen Caine to a Mr. Wrexham. In those letters Rowen recounts the events the lead up to her being put in prison for murder. Rowen hopes that with these letters Mr. Wrexham will be able to help her.
The events that lead Rowen to become the nanny and being charged with murder are both shocking and sad. I enjoyed this book even if they ending leaving me with the What the heck feeling.
This is my first book by Ruth Ware and I am looking forward to reading more of her works. If you are a fan of Ruth Ware I think you will be pleased with this story.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Gallery/Scout Press, Pocket Books in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

August 29, 2019August 27, 2019

Kimberly reviews Wishful Thinking by Helen Harper

TITLE: Wishful Thinking
SERIES #: How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother…. #1
CHARACTERS: Saffron Sawyer
AUTHOR: Helen Harper
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/26/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Muddled magic. Missing faeries. She’s having one spell of a day at work…

Saffron Sawyer aspires to rise from the magical world’s bottom rung. But when her wish to join the renowned Office of Faery Godmothers is granted, bullies make her first day on the job unbearable. And to add to her misery, she discovers that someone is abducting her coworkers one-by-one.

Desperate to prevent another kidnapping, she scrambles to piece together the clues. After teaming up with the handsome and powerful Devil’s Advocate, she uncovers a strange connection between the disappearances and her lowly former gig. But when Saffron learns her promotion was only a ploy, she vows to ruin the devious plan.

Can Saffron muster enough magic to trap the villain before she’s sacked or stolen?

Wishful Thinking is the first book in the refreshingly original How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother in the World (or Die Trying) urban fantasy series. If you like determined heroines, enchanting spins on old tales, and clever twists and turns, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s captivating story.

Buy Wishful Thinking to watch a spunky sprite strut her stuff!

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Saffron is not Cinderella’s godmother. She is so far from the imagination of what a faery/fairy (forgive me if I use the American version of this word) godmother is that some might wonder if the author really meant the same as Cinderella had.

But she did. Sorta. Saffron is a drug fairy in the UK. What this means is she helps those with drug issues to get clean or at least not get heavier into the stuff. But she wants to be a godmother. And she gets her chance. And what a whirlwind it is.

I will say I expected a lot more humor based on the title/series name than was in it even though there was some humor. There is a bit of everything. Suspense, mystery, romance and a number of twists.

This is cute. I will try the next in this new series as well.

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

July 19, 2019July 6, 2019

Kimberly reviews Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Undead Client by M.J. Downing

TITLE: Sherlock Holmes And The Case Of The Undead Client
CHARACTERS: Sherlock Holmes & Dr Watson
AUTHOR: M.J. Downing
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sherlock Holmes has only been deceased a month when Dr. John Watson, still grieving, recounts his final case with Holmes. A terrifying mystery, it sends Watson and Holmes into the dark reaches of London’s back alleys – and the human soul.
It begins when Anne Prescott, a lovely Scottish nurse, begs Sherlock Holmes and Watson to help her find her fiancé and her sister, who have gone missing in the teeming streets of London. Immediately, Watson feels an attraction to her that shocks him. Newly married to Mary, and deeply in love with her, he struggles to put Anne out of his mind.
As Watson and Holmes dig into the slums and sewers of London looking for Anne’s fiancé and sister, they uncover a deadly web of bloody murders, horrific medical experiments, and even voodoo ritual that threatens not only London, but the entire British empire, and beyond.
Watson must call on his unique combination of expertise in the medical sciences, as well as his military training to stop this killer before London —and Anne — are lost to the killer’s bloody plan.
But time is short and the mystery ever more complex. How can he manage his feelings for Anne? What about his loyalty to Mary? He can’t have both.

REVIEW:
3.25 Hearts Here is the thing… You have to take your head out of the Conan-Doyle way of Sherlock Holmes was written. As new authors pick up this character we have to learn to enjoy Holmes and Watson in a new way.

This is written as if in Watson’s diary of the events. The storyline is well written and enjoyable. The suspense is typical of a Holmes book.

I look forward to read another one from this author to see how the characters grow under his writing.

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

July 17, 2019July 6, 2019

Kimberly reviews The Wicked Viscount by Heather McCollum

TITLE: The Wicked Viscount
SERIES #: The Campbells #3
CHARACTERS: Cat & Nathaniel
AUTHOR: Heather McCollum
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/27/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
1685, Scottish Highlands

Cat Campbell knows all about Nathaniel Worthington, fifth Viscount of Lincolnshire. The determined Englishman is never far from Finlarig Castle, where his sisters train women to do more than read and write. And thanks to the fiery kiss they shared nearly a year ago he is never far from her thoughts. No one ever trained her how to forget an irresistible man.

Nathaniel knows he should keep his distance from the fierce Scottish lass, but when an urgent letter from Queen Catherine calls Cat to London, he can’t resist volunteering to escort her. The tension between the two has simmered for months, but the long journey in close quarters creates a raging wildfire that could burn them both.

Secrets of their past and the treachery lurking at court put both their future together and their very lives at risk.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This historical romance comes after a first kiss that should never have happened but once it did neither Cat nor Nathaniel can forget about it.

But he can not be interested in Cat since Nathaniel needs to marry someone from a nobel home or lose everything.

I can’t say that this book was out of the norm because it wasn’t. Very typical of the genre. But the writing was well done and the story was enjoyable.

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

July 12, 2019July 6, 2019

Kimberly reviews Fear In The Lakes by Graham Smith

TITLE: Fear In The Lakes
CHARACTERS: Beth & James
AUTHOR: Graham Smith
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/12/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A case with no leads.
A victim with no enemies.
A killer with no conscience…

When Detective Beth Young is called to investigate a victim with multiple broken bones, nothing prepares her for what she finds. James Sinclair is fighting for his life, and Beth can’t shake the idea that the nature of his injuries suggest someone with a personal grudge against him.

But James’s devastated wife Laura insists that her kind, softly-spoken husband is a man with no enemies. She was the one with the fiery temper, but James was so calm, she’d never once managed to provoke even a cross word from him in their eight year marriage. And he was the same with everyone – she can’t name one person who might want to hurt him.

But she knows virtually no details about her husband’s childhood or his life before he moved to the Lake District as a young man, and Beth feels sure that the key to finding James’s attacker is hidden in the secrets of his past. Who was he really? And what is the significance of the coded messages that Beth finds hidden on his laptop?

Then two more bodies are found in one of the deep, picturesque lakes that the area is so famous for, exhibiting similar injuries to the ones James Sinclair suffered. How are they connected? And how many more people are at risk?

Beth knows she is in a race against time to hunt a vicious killer who is both elusive and incredibly dangerous. A killer who knows what James did in the past. Who likes to be one step ahead. But who – if they realise they’re being hunted – might come for Beth next…

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is the third in the series but I have not read the other two but it can be a stand alone with just a bit of feeling like you missed something from the previous books.

I liked Beth and found her to be a strong woman capable of handling herself which I always enjoy.

The middle of the story got a bit slow. I was pushing my way through the middle but I had enjoyed the beginning and I was glad I did since the ending picked up and was enjoyable again.

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

July 11, 2019July 6, 2019

Kimberly reviews Jake & the Dragons Of Asheville by Brian Kacica

TITLE: Jake & the Dragons Of Asheville
CHARACTERS: Jake
AUTHOR: Brian Kacica
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/12/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In a small, sleepy town in North Carolina, thirteen-year-old Jake Winston has discovered he carries a unique genetic trait; one that a covert government agency will stop at nothing to obtain. After the tragic death of his father, a local firefighting hero, Jake’s absent grandfather returns and sends him on a journey into the gated forest at the edge of town, bringing Jake face-to-face with a family of ancient dragons thought long extinct.

Determined to grasp the power of the blood flowing through Jake’s veins, the agent from the secret ONX facility begins killing every dragon in his path. This forces Jake in the middle of a battle between the government and the dragons of Asheville, where the true potential of his power is revealed.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I have to say first this is a YA story. But I picked it up mainly because I live right outside of Asheville and wanted to see how the author included the city in the story.

I read it with my son and we both enjoyed it. It really is more for YA then for adults but still a fenjoyable entertaining read for teenagers.

Jake is a great character.

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

July 9, 2019July 6, 2019

Kimberly reviews Blindsided by Kate Watterson

TITLE: Blindsided
CHARACTERS: Cadence Lawrence
AUTHOR: Kate Watterson
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/09/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A young woman encounters the killer she accused years earlier—and finds herself drawn back into a vortex of evil she thought she’d left far behind her.

A decade after Cadence Lawrence accused the perpetrator in the brutal murder of her high school friend, she’s finally put the nightmare to rest. But the ghosts of her past won’t rest, and an unexpected encounter with the killer reawakens demons she thought were long dead. Gripped by paranoia, Cadence fears she’s being stalked, and suspects that the murderer has invaded the sanctity of her home. Could her chance encounter have rekindled the savage rage that claimed the life of her friend and now threatens Cadence herself?

Half-crazed with fear, Cadence takes flight, but instead of finding sanctuary, she runs headlong into one of the worst snowstorms to blast northern Wisconsin in years. Stranded, freezing, and alone, Cadence confronts her worst nightmare—until deliverance comes in the form of a stranger who rescues her and offers shelter from the blinding storm. But something is not altogether right with her savior, and Cadence is faced with another impossible dilemma. Should she trust this enigmatic stranger, or once again flee for her life? In the midst of an unrelenting storm, the walls are closing in on Cadence.

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts This was a difficult story to read. It has a lot of potential but it never really met it. I had a hard time connecting with the characters but especially Cadence. Many times I was reading and thinking “seriously, that wouldn’t/can’t happen that way” and it took me out of the story.

Just not a book I would recommend.

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

June 27, 2019June 26, 2019

Kimberly reviews Lost And Found by Danielle Steel

TITLE: Lost and Found
CHARACTERS: Madison Allen
AUTHOR: Danielle Steel
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/25/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
What might have been? That tantalizing question propels a woman on a cross-country adventure to reunite with the men she loved and let go, in Danielle Steel’s exhilarating new novel.

It all starts with a fall from a ladder, in a firehouse in New York City. The firehouse has been converted into a unique Manhattan home and studio where renowned photographer Madison Allen works and lives after raising three children on her own. But the accident, which happens while Maddie is sorting through long-forgotten personal mementos and photos, results in more than a broken ankle. It changes her life.

Spurred by old memories, the forced pause in her demanding schedule, and an argument with her daughter that leads to a rare crisis of confidence, Maddie embarks on a road trip. She hopes to answer questions about the men she loved and might have married—but didn’t—in the years after she was left alone with three young children. Wearing a cast and driving a rented SUV, she sets off to reconnect with three very different men—one in Boston, one in Chicago, and another in Wyoming—to know once and for all if the decisions she made long ago were the right ones. Before moving forward into the future, she is compelled to confront the past.

As the miles and days pass, and with each new encounter, Maddie’s life comes into clearer focus and a new future takes shape. A deeply felt story about love, motherhood, family, and fate, Lost and Found is an irresistible new novel from America’s most dynamic storyteller.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is a story about finding yourself not only in your choices you made in your past but where you are right now.

Maddie has a difficult life. Mainly she is a loner. And she has time to reflect on the choices she made, the same questions we would ask ourselves. Why did I marry __? Why did I divorce __? Did I raise my kids right? If so why are we not close? And so on and so on…. The questions are endless for Maddie… and for us!

This is certainly women’s lit. This is about looking at ourselves through Maddie’s eyes. I had a bit of a problem in the beginning because I really wasn’t invested in Maddie and to be honest I felt she was a doormat under her own daughter’s feet but as her journey goes on I could relate to her a bit more.

I have a feeling, anyone who reads this will take some time, even if just a moment, to reflect on something about themselves.

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

May 22, 2019May 21, 2019

Kelly reviews Wolfhunter River by Rachel Cain

TITLE: Wolfhunter River
SERIES #: Stillhouse Lake #3
CHARACTERS: Gwen Proctor
AUTHOR: Rachel Cain
PUBLICATION DATE: April 23, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audiobook | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
She can’t ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, it’s open season.
Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.
But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was.
But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it’s poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it’s so easy for them to hide…

REVIEW:
Wolfhunter River is the third installment in the Stillhouse lake series. I would recommend reading these books in order as there is a lot of history that gets brought up in the books. I really enjoyed the first two books but this third book was a little slow for me. It wasn’t until about 3/4 of the way done that I felt the story picked up and was exciting. I am not sure if I will pick up the next book in this series. I will have to wait to see what the blurb is about and go from there.

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

Audio Sample:

May 16, 2019May 13, 2019

Kimberly reviews The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver

TITLE: The Never Game
SERIES #: Colter Shaw #1
CHARACTERS: Colter Shaw
AUTHOR: Jeffery Deaver
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/14/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the bestselling and award-winning master of suspense, the first novel in a thrilling new series, introducing Colter Shaw.

“You have been abandoned.”

A young woman has gone missing in Silicon Valley and her father has hired Colter Shaw to find her. The son of a survivalist family, Shaw is an expert tracker. Now he makes a living as a “reward seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. But what seems a simple investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of America’s tech hub and the cutthroat billion-dollar video-gaming industry.

“Escape if you can.”

When another victim is kidnapped, the clues point to one video game with a troubled past–The Whispering Man. In that game, the player has to survive after being abandoned in an inhospitable setting with five random objects. Is a madman bringing the game to life?

“Or die with dignity.”

Shaw finds himself caught in a cat-and-mouse game, risking his own life to save the victims even as he pursues the kidnapper across both Silicon Valley and the dark ‘net. Encountering eccentric game designers, trigger-happy gamers and ruthless tech titans, he soon learns that he isn’t the only one on the hunt: someone is on his trail and closing fast.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is the first in a new series by Jeffery Deaver. I have been a fan of the Lincoln Rhyme series so I couldn’t grab this new series fast enough.

Here is the thing. I think I am going to like the series but as with any first book in a new series there was a lot of having to explain each new character and their background and the reason why Shaw is in the middle of the suspense.

I look forward to the new in the series so I can get a better feel for how the series will play out.

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

May 8, 2019May 5, 2019

Kimberly reviews Tightrope by Amanda Quick

TITLE: Tightrope
SERIES #: Burning Cove #3
CHARACTERS: Amalie & Matthias
AUTHOR: Amanda Quick
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/07/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the Author’s website: An unconventional woman and a man shrouded in mystery walk a tightrope of desire as they race against a killer to find a machine that could change the world.

Former trapeze artist Amalie Vaughn moved to Burning Cove to reinvent herself, but things are not going well. After spending her entire inheritance on a mansion with the intention of turning it into a bed-and-breakfast, she learns too late that the villa is said to be cursed. When the first guest, Dr. Norman Pickwell, is murdered by his robot invention during a sold-out demonstration, rumors circulate that the curse is real.

In the chaotic aftermath of the spectacle, Amalie watches as a stranger from the audience disappears behind the curtain. When Matthias Jones reappears, he is slipping a gun into a concealed holster. It looks like the gossip that is swirling around him is true—Matthias evidently does have connections to the criminal underworld.

Matthias is on the trail of a groundbreaking prototype cipher machine. He suspects that Pickwell stole the device and planned to sell it. But now Pickwell is dead and the machine has vanished. When Matthias’s investigation leads him to Amalie’s front door, the attraction between them is intense, but she knows it is also dangerous. Amalie and Matthias must decide if they can trust each other and the passion that binds them, because time is running out.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Love the setting of 1930’s Los Angeles/Hollywood era. Amalie worked as a trapeze artist until she almost died and then decided on getting a B&B in the area. Problem is it comes with a history of murder and when a new murder happens there is a lot of speculation.

Matthias comes into the picture but lets say it is not love at first sight. But as with all romantic suspense the romance does play a part.

I am a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick but this is not one of my favorites. It can be read as a stand alone but you might want to read the previous two just to understand the background characters a bit better. I never seemed to connect with Amalie and Matthias just wasn’t the alpha I go for. But that being said it is still a good read. Just not one of my favorites.

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

May 3, 2019April 28, 2019

Kimberly reviews Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine

TITLE: Wolfhunter River
SERIES #: Stillhouse Lake #3
CHARACTERS: Gwen & Marlene
AUTHOR: Rachel Caine
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/23/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
She can’t ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, it’s open season.

Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.

But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was.

But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it’s poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it’s so easy for them to hide…

REVIEW:
3.5 This is the third in the series and as is becoming my habit I didn’t realize it before I requested it. And I really feel like you needed to read the other two before reading this one. While I was able to finish it I was a bit unsure of some issues that I am sure were part of the other two books.

I will be honest and say I am just not sure if I will go back and read the other two books. Having not read this author before I am not sure if it was the writing that left me kind of blah or if it was because this book felt like a quick way of getting the set up for the next novel.

This did seem to take me a while to read. I felt like I was forcing myself to continue. Again I think it is because the other two in the series have not been read.

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