Category: Kimberly’s Review

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Kimberly reviews Queen Of Vampire Hearts

TITLE: Queen Of Vampire Hearts
SERIES #: Fated Loves #1
CHARACTERS: Phoebe & Lucien
AUTHOR: Jeanette Rose
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/17/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A Woman Fleeing Persecution…
Phoebe Atreus is a witch on the run, her carefully crafted rules have kept her alive for the last decade, each one a product of a hard learned lesson. Rule Number One? Trust No One. She’s been betrayed one time too many to put her faith in anyone else’s hands. Even if the legendary vampire king might be the one person who could protect her from the enemies always one step behind.

A Man Whose Abandonment Issues Span Thousands of Years…
Lucien Silvano has been king of the vampires for the last three thousand years, he’s fought in wars that have been reduced to legend, rescued damsels in distress, seduced said damsels, and moved on. Immortal life has become a never-ending battle against boredom. Nothing has truly stirred his interest in years, except her. She’s the exception to every rule, his Queen, his mate, the one-person Fate declared to be his. The problem? She wants nothing to do with him.

What could possibly go wrong?
Phoebe refuses to share her past with Lucien, pushing him away at every opportunity, yet unable to resist the chemistry that explodes whenever they are together. Forced back to his castle in Romania to live as his Queen, she starts to forget the rules that have kept her safe… until the secrets Lucien has been hiding remind her why she created them in the first place.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Vampire and Witch… What a combination! But when Lucien who hasn’t found his true love in the 3000+ years he has been “alive” finds his true love she is a witch who can’t stand him.

I think this author has a lot of potential. She is new to writing and I think you can tell in this story but you can also tell that she just needs some time to hone her skills. Even the best authors started with a first book.

I can imagine that Jeanette Rose will write a number of other books and maybe a few years from now go back and polish this story to make it even better.

The story is good and has a storyline not often seen. And she has taken many liberties with the paranormal characters that we are not used to but again I think it works for a first time author.

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

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Kimberly reviews Dangerous Curves Ahead by Various Authors

TITLE: Dangerous Curves Ahead
CHARACTERS: Anthology of 9 Stories
AUTHOR: Various
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/28/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
There is nothing sexier than confidence and when it comes to love and passion, size doesn’t matter.

This anthology of nine stories ranges from sassy to sexy to sizzling, from contemporary to paranormal, and from new love to established relationships. What they all have in common is heroines who know they are more than the image they see in the mirror and who cannot be defined by the so-called rules of mainstream media.

Here you’ll find:

A woman who’s finally accepted herself and is not going to settle when it comes to her work or her love life.

A wife who needs to seduce the husband who is afraid to love.

A successful doctor facing down her high school bully and reconnecting with the man who loved her from afar.

A midnight kiss that becomes more in the new year.

A she-wolf discovering the vastness of her powers along with her soulmate.

And more. These women are going for big dreams, facing important goals and changes, and living with a passion that leaves their lovers breathless and aching for more.

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts I was going to rate all of the novellas separately but to be honest they all ran about the same number of stars so I changed my mind.

Mostly these are good. Some are a bit better than others and some are below average. What I did enjoy was each story did not wrap around some Barbie doll kind of girl. These are all “real” women who you could possibly know in real life.

The “romances” of all of these stories did do exactly what the synopsis said. It ran from sweet to sexy to hot. But all in all the stories were just an ok read.

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

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Kimberly reviews Oak Island Mystery: Solved by Joy A Steele & Gordon Fader

TITLE: Oak Island Mystery: Solved
CHARACTERS: Gordon Fader & others
AUTHOR: Joy A Steele & Gordon Fader
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/23/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Legends, questions and theories abound about Oak Island, Nova Scotia, and tales of buried treasure there. For more than two centuries, the island has been studied, searched, probed and cursed all the while failing to give up its secrets.

Joy Steele’s ground-breaking book, The Oak Island Mystery, Solved (CBU Press 2015), was born of her own curiosity about “Oak Island gold,” and her application of historical research to the mystery caused quite a stir among treasure hunters, historians, archaeologists and folks just plain interested in what was and is going on there. Her version of events and her take on the now mythical treasure attracted the attention of a great many Island-watchers, drawing the interest of some and the ire of others.

Among the people “interested” are many who in the past studied, explored and written about Oak Island. One of those people is professional geologist Gordon Fader, whose expertise has been sought out over the years by numerous explorers, treasure hunters, consultants and researchers whose names appear frequently throughout Joy’s enquiries and books, and many others.

In her first book, Joy made the very convincing argument that Oak Island’s true treasure is its multi-layered history–its role in 18th-century world affairs. Not only have the bold and sometimes foolhardy physical efforts of the treasure hunters over the past two-and-a-half centuries likely been in vain, but have almost certainly destroyed much of the evidence of what actually took place there.

Over the past couple of years, Joy Steele and Gordon Fader have been working together to solidify Joy’s theories on the tantalizing evidence of human activity on Oak Island. In the process, their collaboration has not only strengthened Joy’s earlier revelatory conclusions that there was manufacturing activity on the Island in the early 1700s but, remarkably, uncovered still more evidence unexplored until now.

REVIEW:
If you have been a fan of this series then you know what this book is all about. And honestly if you have not been then do NOT start with this book. It gives away too much.

That being said I have enjoyed the series and enjoyed the accompanying books that I read.

This is the final one, which is why I suggest not starting with this one.

Very well written and a very interesting subject. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give anything away.

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

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Kimberly reviews Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer

TITLE: Nothing Ventured
CHARACTERS: Detective William Warwick
AUTHOR: Jeffrey Archer
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/03/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Nothing Ventured heralds the start of a brand new series in the style of Jeffrey Archer’s #1 New York Times bestselling Clifton Chronicles: introducing Detective William Warwick. But this is not a detective story, this is a story about the making of a detective . . .

William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a lawyer like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force.

After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery who he falls hopelessly in love with, even as Beth guards a secret of her own that she’s terrified will come to light.

While William follows the trail of the missing masterpiece, he comes up against suave art collector Miles Faulkner and his brilliant lawyer, Booth Watson QC, who are willing to bend the law to breaking point to stay one step ahead of William. Meanwhile, Miles Faulkner’s wife, Christina, befriends William, but whose side is she really on?

This new series introduces William Warwick, a family man and a detective who will battle throughout his career against a powerful criminal nemesis. Through twists, triumph and tragedy, this series will show that William Warwick is destined to become one of Jeffrey Archer’s most enduring legacies.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts This is a new series by Jeffrey Archer and I found it really interesting. First, I have a problem with British stories. Mainly it takes me a time or two of reading the same sentence once in a while to understand the different meanings of the same words between Britain and the USA.

That being said it was still a quick interesting read. It kept me wanting to keep reading. The new character of William Warwick I found very interesting to read. The best part was he wasn’t proficient at his newly acquired private eye job and it was fun to see him learning the ropes.

Highly recommended if you enjoy suspense. Can’t wait to read more in this series by Archer.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Fallen by Rebecca Zanetti

TITLE: Fallen
SERIES #: Deep Ops #2
CHARACTERS: Brigid & Raider
AUTHOR: Rebecca Zanetti
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/24/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Too quiet. A talented hacker who got caught, Brigid Banaghan is now forced to work with a secret Deep Ops unit. But she won’t reveal any more to these renegade Feds than she has to. Especially not to Raider Tanaka, her control freak of a bodyguard and handler. It’s enough that his body is tensed for action and his heated gaze is always on her . . .

Too sharp. Raider knows there’s more to his new assignment than he’s been told. Why send a deadly agent of his experience to guard a computer genius—even a gorgeous, unpredictable, undisciplined one? But when Brigid’s estranged father is named in an investigation into Boston’s organized crime, Raider’s mind switches onto high alert, just like his senses . . .

Too close. To clear her father’s name, Brigid needs Raider’s help. The Unit’s idea that she bring a straight-laced Fed in as her “fiancé” won’t fly, though—not unless Raider can release his inner bad boy and become the rebel Brigid can’t resist . . .

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts To know if a book is good you only need to read two words… Rebecca Zanetti.

Raider and Brigid… Aw! Love them! They are perfectly meant for each other.

What I enjoyed most was the twist and turns. There were so many in this story.

Rebecca Zanetti is one of the best. She drags you into the story within the first few pages and never lets you go. By the end of the story you aren’t glad it is over you are sad that you have to come out of her world and leaves you waiting for 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 Bloody Genius by John Sandford

TITLE: Bloody Genius
SERIES #: Virgil Flowers #12
CHARACTERS: Virgil Flowers
AUTHOR: John Sandford
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Virgil Flowers will have to watch his back–and his mouth–as he investigates a college culture war turned deadly in the latest thriller from #1 New York Times-bestseller John Sandford.

At the local state university, two feuding departments have faced off on the battleground of PC culture. Each carries their views to extremes that may seem absurd, but highly educated people of sound mind and good intentions can reasonably disagree, right?

Then someone winds up dead, and Virgil Flowers is brought in to investigate . . . and he soon comes to realize he’s dealing with people who, on this one particular issue, are functionally crazy. Among this group of wildly impassioned, diametrically opposed zealots lurks a killer, and it will be up to Virgil to sort the murderer from the mere maniacs.

REVIEW:
Great book! I really enjoy books that keep me guessing but then also I enjoy when I am pretty sure of the “who-dun-it” and find out I was right.

Virgil is such an interesting character that I find myself trying to figure out how he is going to act before he even starts his investigation.

This is a great story that has twists and turns and I loved reconnecting with some of the characters we have met in previous books.

I also love the sub-plots and crimes that Virgil somehow gets wrapped up in.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Second City Sinners by John Seidel

TITLE: Second City Sinners: True Crime from Historic Chicago’s Deadly Streets
CHARACTERS: Chicago Criminals
AUTHOR: John Seidel
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Countless criminals have made their mark on Chicago and the surrounding communities. Chicago Sun-Times journalist Jon Seidel takes readers back in time to the days when H. H. Holmes lurked in his “Murder Castle” and guys named Al Capone and John Dillinger ruled the underworld. Drawing upon years of reporting, and with special access to the Chicago Daily News and Chicago Sun-Times archives, Jon Seidel explains how men like Nathan Leopold, Richard Loeb, and Richard Speck tried to get away with history’s most disturbing crimes. . .

REVIEW:
It might be bad but I have been fascinated by Al Capone for a long time. I really find him an interesting character.

This book emcompasses Capone and so many others. Chicago has been laden with crime that have fascinated the general public over the years and this book adds to the fascination.

I thought this book was really well written and kept my interest. Many I have heard of but some I have not. Being a fan of John Douglas (FBI Profiler) this one fits right in to the same caliber.

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 Dash Of Christmas by Samantha Chase

TITLE: A Dash Of Christmas
SERIES #: The Montgomery Brothers #9
CHARACTERS: Carter & Emery
AUTHOR: Samantha Chase
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/24/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
With a dash of Christmas magic…
Two people who have spent most of their lives being rivals…
Learn a little something about following their hearts…

Carter Montgomery broke the family mold when he went to culinary school. Now a successful restauranteur, he’s at a crossroads: should he continue on his successful path or look for a new challenge? What he needs is time alone to think things through. But his matchmaking family has other ideas…

Emery Monaghan’s no-good fiancé has embroiled her in scandal and she needs a way out. When mentor Eliza Montgomery offers her a refuge, she’s relieved―until she realizes that the deal means rubbing elbows with Eliza’s son Carter―Emery’s childhood nemesis.

REVIEW:
This is the 9th in the series so really what this means is there are a lot of Montgomery’s to keep track of and it is not easy.

Besides the family we are dealing with Carter and Emily. They end up working together on a cookbook. But they have a past.

I never really connected with the characters. The story is sweet for a holiday romance but just not one that had me staying up late to read the story.

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

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Kimberly reviews Fan Mail by Daryl Wood Gerber

TITLE: Fan Mail
SERIES #: Aspen Adams #2
CHARACTERS: Gloria Morning & Aspen Adams
AUTHOR: Daryl Wood Gerber
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/12/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Agatha Award–winning and national bestselling author Daryl Wood Gerber returns with a dark new novel of suspense . . .

An adoring fan and a string of murders: a demented show of love that leaves no one safe . . .

Local celebrity news anchor Gloria Morning is used to receiving declarations of love and praise in her weekly fan letters, but when a Lake Tahoe doctor is murdered and she gets an anonymous note telling her it was done for her glory, her appreciation turns to panic. Unsure of where else to turn, she enlists the help of novice private investigator Aspen Adams. No sooner does Aspen begin digging into who sent the macabre note than another murder occurs, followed by another note, and she soon realizes she’s up against a ruthless and deranged killer.

Working with scant clues and a puzzling array of potential suspects, Aspen is determined to unearth the elusive connection between the victims and her client. But as the body count grows and the murderer remains a mystery to both her and the police, Aspen discovers she’s gotten closer to the killer than she ever imagined, and now she must risk everything she holds dear to stop the killings, including her own life . . .

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts I realized this was the second in the series as I got into it and realized there was some missing information. I highly suggest reading the 1st in the series first.

Because of not understanding the characters from book 1 I think I couldn’t connect with the characters. Aspen seems very, well honestly bitchy. I think the author was trying to give Aspen an independent attitude but it came across as rude to me. She figured because she wanted to do something she could. Including going through confidential case files of her boyfriends.

I think the idea of the story was good but it was hard for me to get through it because of the characters.

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

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews It’s A Christmas Thing by Janet Dailey

TITLE: It’s A Christmas Thing
CHARACTERS: Rush & Claire
AUTHOR: Janet Dailey
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/24/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The best gifts last a lifetime . . .

Veterinarian J.T. “Rush” Rushford isn’t looking forward to Christmas. It’ll be his first without his beloved four-year-old daughter, Claire. A year ago, Rush’s wife divorced him for another man–then broke his heart further by revealing that Claire was her lover’s child. The final blow was Rush losing all parental rights. Now he’s in Branding Iron, Texas, with his mobile vet practice, just hoping to get through the season–until something like a Christmas miracle happens . . .

Turns out Claire’s parents are going on an extended cruise, leaving Rush to take her for the holidays. It’s bittersweet, knowing that he and Claire will have to part again, maybe forever. . . . Until a smart, not to mention beautiful, lady judge with a pregnant cat and an aging mutt takes a liking to the vet and his little girl and gets involved. With her on their side, and love in their hearts, this Christmas just might be the most joyous of all . . .

REVIEW:
Oh how I loved this story. This is a great book to snuggle up with on the couch and fall into the Holiday season.

Rush was madly in love with his daughter just to find out that he is not Claire’s dad, breaking his heart. When Claire’s mom and her new boyfriend go on vacation they have to leave Claire with Rush. But there is still sadness for Rush and Claire knowing they have to part soon. And then Rush’s new girlfriend brings the fun back into the holidays.

What a delightful story. I loved Claire and her world of an old dog and a pregnant cat and of course Rush, her favorite cowboy. To me this was Claire’s story.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Hunter by Rebecca York

TITLE: Hunter
SERIES #: Decorah Security Series #20
CHARACTERS: Kathryn Kelley
AUTHOR: Rebecca York
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/19/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Kathryn is hired to socialize a criminal whose memory had been erased. But the better she gets to know him, the more she fights to strip away the lies she’d been told and get to the heart of the man. Even as the two of them grow to care deeply for each other, she knows that every move she makes only puts her in graver danger. Does the man who named himself Hunter have the skill and the cunning to save her life? And what if he has to sacrifice himself to do it?

EXCERPT:

Acting out of character, Hunter has defended himself by decking a man before going off to take a shower. The staff are all afraid of what he will do next. Kathryn volunteers to bring him out.

She wanted to bolt from the room. But she remembered the face of the man on the road. She’d seen a bleakness behind his eyes that had wrenched at her heart. No wonder, when you considered the implications of Emerson and Winslow’s callous conversation.

Instead of running away, she crossed the tile floor on unsteady legs and dropped quickly onto one of the benches.

There was no noise from inside the shower room besides the steady dripping of water. And she could see nothing beyond the billowing steam.

“Hello?” she called.

No answer.

“Hello. It’s Kathryn Kelley. Do you remember me? We met while you were on your run. I’m in the locker room.”

She sat staring into the mist, wondering if he had heard. Or if he even remembered her, for that matter, she thought with a jolt. If they’d been feeding him mind-altering drugs, there was no telling what they’d done to him.

After several seconds she saw a form moving indistinctly in the vapor. A tall, man-shaped form. Moving closer. Moving slowly on feet that were silent as a cat. Then he stepped through the doorway and into the locker room, and she couldn’t hold back a gasp. A towel was draped across his shoulders. Otherwise, he was as naked as the day he was born.

She saw her own feeling of shock mirrored on his face as he came to an abrupt halt, staring at her with a mixture of recognition and astonishment. Well, he remembered her, all right. Apparently, their meeting had been as unique for him as it had been for her.

The disbelief vanished as he continued to regard her, standing comfortably with his feet several inches apart. He was tall and intimidating, towering over her where she huddled on the bench. Droplets of water clung to his skin. His dark hair was wet, making it look almost black.

“You were with McCourt,” he said, his features filling with a roiling mixture of emotions before he got control of them.

She struggled to keep her posture relaxed as she looked up at him. He had been compelling in running shorts and a tee shirt. Naked he reminded her of Michelangelo’s David. And he stood with the same unconscious nobility, as if nudity were the norm and she was overdressed in her beige skirt and jade silk blouse. His shoulders were broad, his hips lean, his stomach flat. And his sex was proportioned to inspire some very erotic fantasies.

But this was no time for fantasies or recklessness. One wrong move and she could be in serious trouble. The two of them were alone, and he could hurt her if he wanted, she reminded herself. The thought of rape leaped into her mind, to be dismissed at once. He wasn’t looking at her like a would-be rapist. In fact, he didn’t look as if he were trying to embarrass her or make a point about a woman invading the guys’ locker room. There was no smirk on his face—only an expression that had become carefully neutral.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is #20 but the 1st that I am reading. But honestly it was fine. There wasn’t a lot about the company so I didn’t feel I missed too much not having read the first 19 in the series.

Hunter is a really interesting character. He is being trained for the government but something is really off about it. And Kathryn is hiding from a deranged psychopath. So of course they find romance… because why not?

There is something that makes Hunter and Kathryn perfect for each other and each want to protect the other from the rest of the world. I really enjoyed these two together.

I enjoyed the romance and the paranormal was a bit crazy but heck that is why we read paranormal.

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

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews A Mrs Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber

TITLE: A Mrs Miracle Christmas
CHARACTERS: Mrs Miracle, Laurel, Zach and Helen
AUTHOR: Debbie Macomber
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Mrs. Miracle shows an ordinary family that they are blessed beyond belief in this uplifting holiday tale from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

As the holiday season begins, Laurel McCullough could use some good news. She and her husband, Zach, have been praying for a baby that seems more and more like an impossible dream, and they’ve had to move in with her beloved grandmother, Helen, who’s having trouble taking care of herself. But when Laurel contacts a local home-care organization for help, there are no caregivers available.

Then Mrs. Miracle appears at her door. No stranger to lending a helping hand to a family in need, Mrs. Miracle reveals herself to be nothing short of a godsend. Helen’s even convinced she’s an angel! Still, Laurel has to admit that Helen has become noticeably happier and more engaged, decorating the family Christmas tree and setting up the nativity with Mrs. Miracle’s companionship. In the meantime, Laurel and Zach begin to encounter curious signs, all pointing toward the arrival of a special baby.

With Christmas approaching, there appears to be even more to Mrs. Miracle than meets the eye. In a classic turn of Debbie Macomber’s signature seasonal magic, Laurel, Zach, and Helen experience a holiday of heavenly proportions.

REVIEW:
The perfect Christmas story!

I have not read all of the Mrs Miracle series. I have seen some of the movies and have read a story here or there but of course the stories can be stand alones. These stories are not only about romance but about the faith of Christmas, God and yourself.

When Laurel and Zach are coming to their wit’s end in walks Mrs Merkel/Miracle who is an angel, literally. And she makes no qualms about it where Helen (Laurel’s unhealthy mother) is concerned. Mrs Miracle is there whenever Laurel needs her.

Mrs Miracle reminds us of what Christmas is supposed to be about. It is about helping, loving and faith. This is a perfect book to remind ourselves who we should be and remind us there are always angels on our shoulders.

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