Category: Kimberly’s Review

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Kimberly reviews Going Under by Skye Jordan

TITLE: Going Under
SERIES #: Wildfire Lake #2
CHARACTERS: KT & Ben
AUTHOR: Skye Jordan
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/14/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Another sweet & steamy read from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Skye Jordan!

Some women want roses and I love yous. I want hot guys and great sex.

Maybe I’ve absorbed too much testosterone employed in the male dominated world of mechanics, only, I’m no longer working on a cruise ship with sexy men around every corner. I’m building a business with my two best friends in a small town where reputation is everything.

But it’s only six months before I can take my money and run–straight back to the sea. Only this time I’ll have my own sailboat, choose my own destinations, and live by my own rules.

When I meet Dr. Delicious over stitches, we’ve got instant heat, but he comes with major drawbacks, starting with an affinity for dating and ending with his status as a single dad.

Before I know it, I’m putting together a frilly “dream bed” for Christmas and teaching his oldest to repair a carburetor.

Dr. Delicious is the very definition of commitment, and falling for him is a non-negotiable no way.

Too bad my heart hasn’t gotten that memo.

REVIEW:
This is the second in the series and Skye Jordan never disappoints. Her men are strong and have a heart of gold. Her women are independent and confident. And this story is no different.

KT is a bit of a tomboy who works in a male driven world of engineering and is in town to work on a Marina for Wildfire Lake with her two best friends. When she gets hurt she goes to see Dr Ben who is a single dad and committed to his work.

But when they meet there is something more than a one night stand and while neither one of them want to admit it we as a fan of romance know they have no say in where their hearts take them.

Another great story from Skye Jordan. She is easily one of my favorite go-to authors because he never disappoints.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Murder, Forgotten by Deb Richardson-Moore

TITLE: Murder, Forgotten
CHARACTERS: Julianna Burke
AUTHOR: Deb Richardson-Moore
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/18/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Julianna Burke, bestselling mystery novelist, has a secret that those closest to her are hiding from the world. Julianna is losing her memory, and with it her powerful gift for storytelling that propelled her to fame.

A further devastating blow comes when Connor, Julianna’s beloved husband, is murdered. Even this is not something Julianna’s mind can hold on to, and every day her assistant has to break the heart-wrenching news all over again.

Julianna is desperate to know what happened to her husband. As she battles her failing mind to investigate, a detail of the murder surfaces that makes Julianna question everything she’s ever known. Somehow she must fight to find the truth, even though her grip on reality is fading…

REVIEW:
I picked up this book since it is set in North Carolina, I live in NC albeit on the other side of the state, and I am glad I did.

Julianna is an author who is trying to finish her book before dementia sets in completely but then her husband is murdered and she takes off to Scotland in case she is in danger as well. But within days she heads back to NC where her daughter has moved in.

The investigation deepens when we learn just how many people had keys to the house, and with Julianna’s memory fading quickly she wonders if even she could have done something.

I enjoyed the story. The suspense was palpable and I felt so bad for Julianna at times. Her confusion is heartbreaking. The story was unique and enjoyable. I will be looking for more from this author.

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

4 Hearts

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews A Heartfelt Christmas Promise by Nancy Naigle

TITLE: A Heartfelt Christmas Promise
CHARACTERS: Vanessa & Mike
AUTHOR: Nancy Naigle
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A perfect gift that captures the spirit of the season, USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle’s A Heartfelt Christmas Promise celebrates the holidays, small-town traditions, and the generosity of love between two lost souls who find everything they ever wanted in each other.

Vanessa Larkin was supposed to be spending Christmas in Paris, France on a business trip she hoped to enjoy as a working vacation. Instead, she’s been assigned to Fraser Hills, North Carolina—home of the Best Fruitcake in the USA—to convert her company’s property into warehouse space and shut down Porter’s, the fruitcake factory. Offering retirement packages and selling locals on new job opportunities may not spread holiday cheer, but Vanessa believes she’s helping secure the town’s future.

Mike Marshall’s family founded Porter’s. For decades, the factory served as the lifeblood of the community until his grandfather sold the business to a Chicago corporation. The sale cost the town its independence—and the Marshalls their family ties. A horse farmer, Mike was never involved with his grandfather’s company, but still felt Fraser Hills lost part of its identity. And as a widower raising a teenage daughter, he’s suffered enough losses in one lifetime. News of the factory’s closing means losing another piece of the town’s legacy.

Far from the skyscrapers and rapid pace of the city, Vanessa finds herself enjoying the easygoing rhythms of rural living. With Mike as her guide, she learns to appreciate the simple pleasures found in shared holiday festivities among friends. Fraser Hills is a town she is growing to love—and Mike is someone she is falling in love with. Now all Vanessa needs is a Christmas miracle to give her newfound friends and home a gift they’ll cherish for many New Years to come.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts I mean who wouldn’t pick up this book with that adorable puppy on the front? But I honestly can’t remember reading a book by Naigle before I am glad that puppy sucked me in. This is a Hallmark movie in the making!

Set about a fruitcake factory in Fraser Hills, NC (I live in NC and love my small town!). Vanessa comes back to help with her grandfather’s company not realizing she was going to fall in love not only with a man but with the small town.

This is a wonderfully written Christmas/Holiday romance. It has everything a person needs to get into the spirit. Hallmark…. Are you listening????

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Missing Persons by Michel Brandman

TITLE: Missing Persons
SERIES #: Buddy Steel #1
CHARACTERS: Buddy Steel
AUTHOR: Michael Brandman
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
MISSING PERSONS is the first book in the new Buddy Steel mystery series by New York Times best selling author, Michael Brandman.

Steel… smart, aggressive, ironic, spare and cynical… has been content working homicide at the LAPD until his father, the legendary Sheriff Burton Steel, falls ill with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Sheriff Steel is headquartered in Freedom, a privileged coastal community located a hundred miles north of Los Angeles. His health failing, he asks his son Buddy to come home to cover his back and to groom him to be his successor.

Buddy reluctantly agrees. He returns to Freedom despite having outgrown its small town limits, wary of his father’s authoritarianism.

No sooner does he hit town than Buddy learns the wife of the high-flying star of a Freedom based world-renowned television ministry has gone missing. A visit to the woman’s home leads to a hostile confrontation with her husband’s family and Buddy’s realization that something greater than simply a missing person is at stake.

Allegiance between father and son provides the backdrop for Buddy’s complex investigation of twisted families, avaricious con artists, violent gangs, drugs, corruption, and murder. And added to the mix is an enigmatic femme fatale who succeeds in upending Buddy’s tenets regarding contemporary relationships.

MISSING PERSONS is its own book, yet crime fiction fans will find it a joy to trace its literary lineage from Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker through to Sue Grafton and Michael Connelly.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts This was so not what I hoped it would be. I could never find myself liking Steel at all. He is just so rude and brash and everything else you imagine a LAPD officer is (especially in this day and age). This seemed to put every stereotypical attitude that we are hearing about nowadays. Maybe it was because of all the tensions the country is going through in real life but I found myself pissed at the author for perpetuating the stereotype. Not all cops are rude and uncaring.

The suspense part was ok but I think I was already beyond caring by the time we were supposed to care.

Just not for me.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Love Study by Kris Ripper

TITLE: The Love Study
CHARACTERS: Declan & Sidney
AUTHOR: Kris Ripper
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
What happens when the search for the perfect date goes perfectly wrong?

Don’t miss this charming romantic comedy from critically acclaimed author Kris Ripper.

Declan has commitment issues. He’s been an office temp for literally years now, and his friends delight in telling people that he left his last boyfriend at the altar.

And that’s all true. But he’s starting to think it’s time to start working on his issues. Maybe.

When Declan meets Sidney—a popular nonbinary YouTuber with an advice show—an opportunity presents itself: as part of The Love Study, Declan will go on a series of dates arranged by Sidney and report back on how the date went in the next episode.

The dates are…sort of blah. It’s not Sidney’s fault; the folks participating are (mostly) great people, but there’s no chemistry there. Maybe Declan’s just broken.

Or maybe the problem is that the only person he’s feeling chemistry with is Sidney.

REVIEW:
Ok let me say I am not exactly sure what caught my attention about this book because this is everything that is happening in the world today and while I have no problems with any of it I do not usually read the genre. But I requested it so I read it and it was a cute lighthearted read. But the part I loved best was the relationship of Declan’s circle. I can see the conversations happening just the way they are written.

Now the next thing I want to say, since I am not into this type of read and do not have friends/family who fall under the LGBTQ description I did live in San Francisco for awhile and was used to seeing same sex couples but I do not understand the “nonbinary” label and other things so that was hard for me to read about.

All of this being said it is still a funny book with a lot of good lines from the author. And I can imagine it would be a hit with fans of the genre.

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

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Kimberly reviews All The Missing Pieces by Julianna Keyes

TITLE: All The Missing Pieces
CHARACTERS: Reese Carlisle
AUTHOR: Julianna Keyes
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/21/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Reese Carlisle hates her life.

Three years after her father’s arrest for one of the largest embezzlement schemes in history, twenty million dollars is still missing, and the world believes she knows where it is.

Two years after her brother’s death, they still think she killed him.

One year later, she’s still hiding.

When the loneliness is too much, she seeks out strangers for one dark night, no questions asked. She makes up a name, puts on a disguise, and tries to forget.

One night she meets a new man. She tells him her name is Denise, she’s a dental assistant, and she loves dogs. He tells her she’s smart, she’s pretty, she’s funny. Things she hasn’t heard in too long.

Things that are too good to be true…

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts A bit romance, a bit mystery and a whole lot of good read. After Reese’s dad goes to jail for stealing a butt-load of money Reese goes into hiding, sorta. She is still out in the world but under a bunch of pseudonyms and back stories. Then she meets Chris.

There are a lot of things to figure out while we enjoy the HOT romance between “Denise”/Reese and Chris. Does Reese have or know where the missing $20M went? If Reese isn’t who she says she is, how do we know Chris is?

Fun fast read that has a bit of everything.

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

4 Hearts

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews The Twelve Dogs Of Christmas by Lizzie Shane

TITLE: The Twelve Dogs Of Christmas
SERIES #: Pine Hollow #1
CHARACTERS: Ally & Ben
AUTHOR: Lizzie Shane
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A delightful holiday romance about a small-town single dad and an animal rescue owner as they try to find forever homes for a dozen lovable pups before Christmas.

Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family’s rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he’s far more reasonable — and handsome — than she ever expected.

As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn’t have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town’s gossip is spreading faster than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays. . . and the whole year through.

REVIEW:
Ally comes back to Pine Hollow to help her grandparents with their animal shelter but finds that the shelter is having funding taken away and given to the community center. Now she has to find homes for all the animals in a month.

And as always, there is a devil in the details and in this case it is Ben who was the deciding vote on being defunded and since he is already on her list she is not a happy camper. So off she goes to confront Ben.

But there is more to Ben then being the Grinch. He is raising his niece who happens to love dogs. So Ben says he will help Ally find homes for all of the dogs. And as expected romance begins to bloom.

Ally, Ben, Astrid and the pups make this story worth the read. Living in a very small town I could see this exact thing happening here.

By the end of this book I kept thinking how Hallmark HAS to make this book into a Christmas movie. Great way to start getting into the holiday spirit.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews See Her Die by Melinda Leigh

TITLE: See Her Die
SERIES #: Bree Taggert #2
CHARACTERS: Bree & Matt
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/15/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Sheriff Bree Taggert is both hunter and hunted in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s blood-freezing thriller of murder, rage, and revenge.

New sheriff Bree Taggert is called to a shooting in a campground shuttered for the winter. But she arrives to find a perplexing crime. There is no shooter, no victim, and no blood. No one but Bree believes the sole witness, Alyssa, a homeless teenager who insists she saw her friend shot.

Bree calls in former deputy Matt Flynn and his K-9 to track the killer and search for Alyssa’s friend. They discover the battered corpse of a missing university student under the ice in Grey Lake—but it’s not the victim they were looking for.

When two more students go missing and additional bodies turn up, Bree must find the link between the victims. She knows only one thing for certain: the murders are fueled by rage. When Alyssa disappears, Bree must race against time to find her before her witness becomes another victim.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts I tried the first book in the series because a friend likes Melinda Leigh’s books. I picked up the second one because the first was so good.

I really thought the beginning of this story was interesting. Bree, as the new sheriff, is called in on a murder-that-wasn’t. Meaning she gets to the crime scene and there is no there. Not even a victim. So how can she investigate?

She calls in Matt Flynn and his K9. And then up pops a murder of a University student and now Bree has to figure out what these murders and the murders that come after have to do with each other.

I like Bree. I like her as a Sheriff, as an Aunt, as a potential romantic partner with Matt and just in general as a “person”.

I really look forward to the next on in the series.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Bears Behaving Badly by Mary Janice Davidson

TITLE: Bears Behaving Badly
SERIES #: BeWere My Heart #1
CHARACTERS: Annette & David
AUTHOR: MaryJanice Davidson
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/31/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
These social worker bear shifters give the term “mama bear” a whole new meaning! Bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson is back with this brand-new paranormal romance series featuring a foster care system for at-risk shifter babies and teens.

Werebear shifter Annette Garsea is a caseworker for the Interspecies Placement Agency. When a selectively mute and freakishly strong teen werewolf is put in her custody, Annette has to uncover the young girl’s secrets if she’s to have any hopes of helping her. And not even the growling of a scruffy private investigator can distract her from her mission…

Bear shifter David Auberon appreciates Annette’s work with at-risk teen shifters, but he’s not sure if her latest charge is so much a vulnerable teen as a predator who should be locked up. All that changes when he, Annette, and her motley band of juveniles find themselves dodging multiple murder attempts and uncovering a trafficking cartel that doesn’t just threaten the kids, but risks discovery of the shifters by the wider world of homo sapiens.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts First this is the first in a new series. And can I say I am just so happy to read a shifter novel that is NOT about wolves. I mean I love wolf-shifters but there are like a million other kinds of animals in the world.

Anyway…… This was really cute. There was a lot of humor and fun mayhem in this book that actually had me smiling and chuckling at certain times. David has a crush on Annette, Annette has a crush on David… They do not think the other like the other and when posted together to find a group of traffickers of shifters they start getting a little clearer picture of each other and really in the most humorous of ways.

This is a really cute story and I look forward to the next in the series.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Deadly Houses by Charlie Gallagher

TITLE: The Deadly Houses
CHARACTERS: Maddie Ives
AUTHOR: Charlie Gallagher
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/14/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
THEY LOST THEIR FAMILIES, NOW THEY’RE COMING FOR YOURS

Four brutal men destroyed their own families. And they will do anything to get them back.

Detective Maddie Ives won’t let that happen.

She works with the people who will keep them safe. But then the team protecting them begin to be hunted down.

The social worker leading the case is found beaten and suffocated. A man turns himself in claiming to be the killer, but Maddie knows he’s lying.

FEAR WILL MAKE YOU DO THE UNIMAGINABLE

Three more victims are under pressure. If they fail, their families will die.

Detective Maddie Ives faces a heart-pounding race against time to connect the crimes. And she calls in Harry Blaker, still grieving the loss of his own daughter, to help.

YOU’RE NOT EVEN SAFE IN YOUR OWN HOUSE

REVIEW:
I have not read any of the books in this series. And while the story itself can be read as a stand alone I believe if I had read the previous ones I would have understood Detective Maddie Ives a bit better but I really enjoyed the suspense of this book. And I very well may go back and read the others in the series.

I will say it took me a bit to get into the suspense part of the book. Mainly, because we already knew so much. I mean there is suspense but we know what is going on more than the police do and it took a bit away from the beginning for me. But once I got into the book some I enjoyed it.

It can be a bit creepy but still a good read. Have a light on.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Shadows Of Foxworth by V.C. Andrews

TITLE: The Shadows Of Foxworth
SERIES #: Dollanganger #11
CHARACTERS: Corrine & Garland Foxworth
AUTHOR: V.C. Andrews
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/30/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Continuing the events from Beneath the Attic and Out of the Attic, the prequel trilogy to the Dollanganger series comes to a riveting end with The Shadows of Foxworth, a passionate novel about Corrine Foxworth’s intense desire to flee her overbearing life trapped in the Foxworth estate.

Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, the life of her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon changed forever. At age sixteen, she discovered she was pregnant by the wealthy and handsome Garland Foxworth. Now, trapped in the labyrinthine Foxworth estate, young Corrine is overwhelmed with her stifled life and domineering husband. When an artist is hired to paint her portrait, she immediately falls in love and is convinced to abandon this dark world forever, unaware that her decision could have far-reaching consequences that linger for generations…

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts I read Flowers In The Attic decades ago. We all know that story. Besides the fact it was THE book of the time, they made movies and everyone discussed it. But over 3 decades ago V.C. Andrews actually passed away. But they brought in ghost writers and continued the stories and even went back and told the stories BEFORE the original book. Problem is the writing is just not our V.C. Andrews. I put off reading anything that was not from the original author until this book came up on NetGalley, now I remember why.

The writing is terrible. It doesn’t flow the way the original books were. It is almost like “How many shocking things can we put into one book? Oh let’s add one more.” The original books felt like we were reading a documentary not smut. As if it had really happened. Like you can imagine the rich could do something so off the wall. This book? Nope!

Honestly, this is not worth the read if you are a fan of the original author.

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

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Kimberly reviews Whirlwind by Janet Dailey

TITLE: Whirlwind
SERIES #: The Champions #1
CHARACTERS: Shane & Lexie
AUTHOR: Janet Dailey
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/25/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
At the Alamo Canyon Ranch, set amid the desert foothills of Southern Arizona, the Champion women carry on the family legacy of breeding bucking bulls for the rodeo. In a world where bloodline is everything, love is the only risk worth taking . . .

Everyone’s talking about Whirlwind at this year’s Professional Bull Rider’s Competition. But the promising young bull is the last thing on Shane Tully’s mind once he lays eyes on the lady responsible for bringing Whirlwind to the arena. Beautiful, smart, and sexy as hell, Lexie Champion has this rodeo man hungry for more than the thrill of his next competition. But the daughter of bull rancher Bert Champion wants nothing to do with a daredevil, despite the powerful attraction between them . . .

After losing her beloved brother to a bull riding accident, Lexie is no stranger to the dangers of rodeo life. Which is why resisting Shane’s rugged allure should have been easy. But nothing is simple about her reaction to the handsome cowboy, from their first kiss, to the terrifying moment Lexie watches Shane go down in the ring. Faced with a devastating decision, will Lexie make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of love?

REVIEW:
This is a new series from Janet Dailey. Dailey was one of the best in women’s lit. The interesting thing is Dailey passed in 2013 but she did what she loved and wrote. Thankfully her family continues to share all the works she wrote before her passing.

I kept thinking as I read this book that somehow she wrote a (clean) version of Yellowstone before the tv show was released. There are cowboys, romance, drama, rodeo and mostly family.

Somehow Dailey catches you from the first moment and never lets go. I have been a fan for decades and I will keep reading her books until the family says there are no more. And even after as I reread her stories.

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

4 Hearts