Kimberly’s Review – Page 33

September 6, 2019September 1, 2019

Kimberly reviews Jake’s Redemption by Jamie Schulz

TITLE: Jake’s Redemption
SERIES #: Angel Eyes #.5
CHARACTERS: Jake & Monica
AUTHOR: Jamie Schulz
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An imprisoned cowboy. An empowered woman. When true love is forbidden, opening their hearts could destroy them both…

Chained and enslaved, Jake Nichols is convinced he’ll die alone. In this new order where men are stripped of all power, he endures brutal torture at the hands of his female captor. But when he’s hired out to build a ranch home for an outspoken beauty, his dreams of escape transform into visions of passion.

Monica Avery struggles to fill her heart in a loveless society. With marriage outlawed and romantic partners reduced to pawns, she’s given up hope of finding her soul mate. But the rugged rancher building her shelter awakens her deeply buried desires.

As the project comes together, Monica discovers a kindred spirit in the tenderhearted Jake. But despite their growing attraction, he still belongs to a cruel woman who’d rather see him dead than free.

Can Monica save Jake, or will their love lead to a tragic tomorrow?

Jake’s Redemption is a full-length book in the Angel Eyes cowboy dystopian romance series. If you like scorching-hot chemistry, clever post-apocalyptic worlds, and star-crossed love stories, then you’ll adore Jamie Schulz’s captivating tale.

Buy Jake’s Redemption today to see if love can brighten a dark world!

This prequel has an HFN ending and opens the door for the next book in the Angel Eyes Series, Masters’ Mistress, scheduled for release in 2020.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I had a hard time with this story. I am not a fan of dystopian stories. But I was asked by the author to read this story.

This is a bit of a change in the norm. The women are the ones with all the powers and the men are the ones in distress. Monica falls for Jake who is a slave.

This is a prequel to the series coming up.

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

September 4, 2019September 1, 2019

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews The Bakeshop At Pumpkin And Spice by Kauffman, Angell & Charles

TITLE: The Bakeshop At Pumpkin And Spice
CHARACTERS: Bree, Cassie & Lara
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman, Kate Angell & Allyson Charles
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/27/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Every autumn, Moonbright, Maine, is the picture of charm with its piles of crisp leaves, flickering jack-o’-lanterns … and a touch of the sweetest kind of enchantment.

Witches, goblins, the occasional ghost—they’re all sure to be spotted at the annual Halloween parade, where adults and children alike dress in costume to celebrate Moonbright’s favorite holiday. And no place has more seasonal spirit than Bellaluna’s Bakeshop, a family business steeped in traditional recipes, welcoming warmth—and, legend has it, truly spellbinding, heart-melting treats …

Between good-natured Halloween tricks, frothy pumpkin lattes, and some very special baked goods, for three Moonbright residents looking for love—whether they know it or not—the spookiest thing will be how magical romance can suddenly be …

REVIEW:
This is three novellas combined into one novel. As a fan of Donna Kauffman I requested the book from NetGalley and I am glad I did. The stories mesh so well. Having a bit of magic and romance.

The magic is in and around the bakeshop and the cookies that Nana bakes. In the first one Bree is learning her own way around the bakeshops magic as well when Caleb enters the bakery just as Nana knew he would.

The second and third are from authors I do not remember reading before. The second story is about Cassie trying to make one man interested in her when maybe it is a complete stranger she needs to be made aware of. And the third is about Lara who seems to be having a bad day until love walks in.

This is a great story to read around the Halloween season. A magical romance!

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

September 3, 2019September 1, 2019

Kimberly reviews DaVinci In Love by Maysam Yabandeh

TITLE: Da Vinci In Love
CHARACTERS: Leo & Mona
AUTHOR: Maysam Yabandeh
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/08/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The identity of the lady portrayed in Mona Lisa, the masterpiece of Leonardo Da Vinci, and the secret behind her mysterious smile, is one of the biggest unanswered questions in art history. This is the story of her, and her romance with her creator, the young Leonardo. The story takes us from the land of true lovers, India, to the far east, the heights of mysterious wisdom in China, and sheds some light on the puzzling love story of Mona Lisa and her painter, Leonardo Da Vinci.

REVIEW:
I received a request from the author to read this and since it was a short story I thought I would.

I am not exactly sure what in the world I read. This is not about the painting and Leo really at all.

Not that it wasn’t good but nothing like I expected.

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

August 27, 2019August 26, 2019

Kimberly reviews Beware The Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

TITLE: Beware The Darkness
SERIES #: Guardians Of Eternity #14
CHARACTERS: Tarak & Waverly
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/20/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The enemy may have changed, but the battle between good and evil burns hotter than ever in this scintillating new installment in Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series.

There is only one thing more precious to vampire Tarak than his newfound freedom after five centuries of captivity, and that’s the promise of revenge. At last, he can destroy Riven, the merman who has drained his power in order to make himself king. But at the very moment when justice is a fang’s breadth away, Tarak’s quest is complicated by the beautiful mermaid princess who kept him sane and fed during his ordeal.

Waverly hoped that once Tarak escaped, he’d return to his own kind and enjoy the rest of his immortal life. She also hoped she might one day stop dreaming about the darkly handsome vampire. Instead, Tarak’s return draws Waverly into an unlikely alliance—and a passion that eclipses all her fantasies.

Hatred for Riven has sustained Tarak this long. But only Waverly’s love can give him the strength to claim eternity with her . . .

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Alexndra Ivy is simply one of the Queens of Paranormal Genre. I have never found a novel of hers that disappointed and this was no exception.

The vampire world that Ivy writes is exciting, sexy and fun. Waverly and Tarak are unexpected but perfect. I loved Tarak. I knew after reading his story in the last novel that it would take a while to like Tarak but as always Tarak is a diamond in the rough. Waverly is interesting but I really liked her. The Mer world is one I do not normally read about. Never been a mermaid kinda girl but this was different and I actually enjoy it. Would I grab a different series about it. Probably not but there is never a book that Ivy writes that is not worth the read.

Dive in. You won’t be sorry. But I do suggest reading at least #13 before this one so you know Tarak’s story. And Levet is always worth visiting!

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

August 26, 2019August 25, 2019

Kimberly reviews Old Bones by Preston & Child

TITLE: Old Bones
SERIES #: Nora Kelly #1
CHARACTERS: Nora Kelly
AUTHOR: Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/20/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The first in the groundbreaking Nora Kelly series from #1 bestselling authors Preston & Child blends the legend of the Donner party with a riveting suspense tale, taking the dynamic duo’s work to new heights.

Nora Kelly, a young but successful curator with a series of important excavations already under her belt, is approached by the handsome Historian, Guy Porter, to lead an expedition unlike any other. Guy tells his story–one involving the ill-fated Donner Party, who became permanently lodged in the American consciousness in the winter of 1847, when the first skeletonized survivors of the party stumbled out of the California mountains, replete with tales of courage, resourcefulness, bad luck, murder, barbarism–and, finally, starvation and cannibalism.

Captivated by the Donner Party, Nora agrees and they venture into the Sierra Nevada in search of the camp. Quickly, they learn that the discovery of the missing starvation camp is just the tip of the iceberg–and that the real truth behind those long-dead pioneers is not only far more complex and surprising than they could have imagined…but it is one that puts them both in mortal danger from a very real, present-day threat in which the search for the lost party, and its fabled fortune in gold, are merely means to a horrifying end.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts As a fan of the Pendergast series by Preston/Child I was looking forward to starting this new series. And it doesn’t hurt that I lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains and frequently visited Donner and knew the story of the Donner Party well. But then on the other side I was worried because of being close to the story I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t get facts and lore correct. But I should not have worried.

Preston/Child are two authors that team up to write their stories and somehow it works. The flow they have together is incredible. I am not quite sure of their collaboration techniques but it is one of the best.

In this new series we meet Nora Kelly, who is a character brought over from the Pendergast series. But you do not have to have read the old series to pick up the new one. There is also FBI agent Swanson.

The two meet as Nora is looking for a possibly hidden camp and Swanson is looking for treasure hunters on government land.

I really enjoyed this story and I am thrilled that Preston/Child have started a new series but I do hope that they haven’t stopped with Pendergast because there is never enough of him.

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

August 22, 2019August 21, 2019

Kimberly reviews Templar Secrets by Andreas Enonomou

TITLE: Templar Secrets
CHARACTERS: Hiram & George
AUTHOR: Andreas Economou
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/26/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
FROM THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON TO THAT OF THE FREEMASONS
Hiram—the tragic hero of Masonic tradition—is brutally murdered in Solomon’s Temple, three thousand years ago. An event which very much influences the founding of the Knights Templar two millennia later, and the discovery they made. But that not’s all! Largely because of it, Templars escaping the 1307 arrests go on to set up the precursor of modern Freemasonry.
Flash forward to the present day: George, a young Mason is struggling to unravel the origins of the institution he just joined. Was Freemasonry created by English medieval stonemasons, like they told him? And what do all its secret handshakes and passwords still protect? Can he solve these puzzles in time?
These questions (and many more) are all answered within this powerful, era-weaving journey.
If you liked Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” you’ll love this!

REVIEW:
I found this novel interesting if not all of it was true. I wish I knew exactly what part of it is true and which is not.

As with The Da Vinci Code it is based on truth with a splash of fiction. I have already found this subject interesting. There is so much mystery wrapped around the subject that again I am not sure exactly what part of the leaked information is myth or legend.

That being said the story makes you think and puts a new spin on the subject. The story is well written and interesting.

Any person interested in the subject will enjoy this story. Well worth the read.

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

August 15, 2019August 12, 2019

Kimberly reviews Womby’s School For Wayward Witches by Sarina Dorie

TITLE: Womby’s School For Wayward Witches
SERIES #: Not So Cozy Witches 1-5
CHARACTERS: Varies
AUTHOR: Sarina Dorie
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/10/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A magical boarding school. Budget cuts. Missing teaches. A not-so-cozy mystery.
You think you know the world of magical boarding schools? Not from a teacher’s perspective at a school for at risk youth.

This book bundle includes: Tardy Bells and Witches’ Spells, Hex-Ed, Witches Gone Wicked, A Handful of Hexes, Hexes and Exes, and BONUS MATERIAL. Personal Ads for Witches and Thirteen Ways to Tell if You are a Witch are also included in this bundle.

Book 1: Tardy Bells and Witches’ Spells (A prequel before Clarissa teaches at Womby’s School for Wayward Witches.)
Most of us have faced the fact that an owl will never come with our acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Find out what this teen does to take matters into her own hands. Will she become a witch, even if the price is higher than she expects?

Book 2: Hex-Ed
Consider what would happen if a bumbling character like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum had been told with the quirky voice of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and she was trying to get a job at Hogwarts.

A gang of evil Fae wants to kidnap and enslave Clarissa for accidentally using magic at the wrong place and the wrong time. Clarissa must escape little old ladies in gingerbread cottages, the evil school district psychologist who has always been out to get her, and a hoard of harpies before she can prove to the Witchkin that the bad apple falls farther from the tree that they’d guessed.

If she can do this, then maybe, just maybe her dreams will come true and she’ll land that job teaching the dark arts and crafts.

Book 3: Witches Gone Wicked
As if being the new “arts and crafts” teacher isn’t hard enough at a school for juvenile delinquent witches, budget cuts are just as severe in the magic community, administrators are as unrealistic in their expectations of teachers, and the job is a hazard if the students find out you can’t actually do magic.

As if this isn’t enough pressure, she has to figure out why teachers are mysteriously disappearing. If she doesn’t, she might be next.

Book 4: A Handful of Hexes

When Clarissa finds her mother’s diary outlining her experiments with the Fae Fertility Paradox, she is desperate to uncover the mysteries of her mother’s past that will help with her own magic problems of the present. She suspects this book will solve the feud between Fae and Witchkin.

Either that or it will cause an all-out war.

Book 5: Hexes and Exes
Dear Jezzy: Love Advice for Paranormals

The ghosts of boyfriends past are haunting Clarissa Lawrence, the most unmagical teacher at Womby’s School for Wayward Witches.

When Clarissa’s problems aren’t filled with her exes, they are filled with hexes. Everything in her life revolves around letting go of her past so she can accept her future. Clarissa must save Derrick before the Raven Queen gets him for good, even if it means she must join the dark side to do so.

REVIEW:
This is the first 5 in a series that I would describe as an adult version of Harry Potter. Maybe not as well written but still a really good series.

Clarissa finds out she is a witch and ends up teaching at a magical school. But she finds out that no one wants her in the school because of her heritage of her descendents being an evil witch.

What I liked best is this is a boxed set so I was able to start at the beginning and continue reading. This is still ongoing so I look forward to continuing the series.

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

August 14, 2019August 12, 2019

Kimberly reviews When He Vanished by TJ Brearton

TITLE: When He Vanished
CHARACTERS: Jane & John
AUTHOR: T.J. Brearton
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/14/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A HEART-POUNDING THRILLER WITH A STUNNING TWIST

WHAT IF YOUR HUSBAND DISAPPEARED AND THE POLICE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT HAVE KILLED HIM?

Jane Gable returns from her shift at the hospital one night to find her two children asleep in bed and her husband gone, his phone and wallet left behind.

John has long been a responsible and dependable man, maintaining a predictable schedule. He is a former alcoholic, and so Jane fears he has relapsed and may be in trouble.

An ‘old friend’ of John’s, Bruce Barnes, turned up on their doorstep the day before his disappearance.

Jane’s son Russ had seen a mysterious blonde woman at the house.

An SUV keeps showing up. Jane feels watched and under threat.

Then John’s abandoned car is found with blood on the steering wheel and Jane fears the worst. And there is a revelation that will make her question her own sanity.

Jane desperately begins investigating on her own. Suspects include her ex-husband, her stepbrother, and the mysterious blonde.

Is she being framed? Can she even trust herself?

HOW FAR WILL SHE GO TO SAVE HER FAMILY?

Perfect for fans of Rachel Cain, Harlan Coben, or Julianne MacLean.

REVIEW:
Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

3.75 Hearts This is a true psychological thriller that makes you a bit unsure of your own surroundings.

When Jane’s husband goes missing the cops automatically look at the wife as the suspect. So Jane takes the role of detective on to herself.

What she finds puts her (and the reader) into a suspenseful mindset.

I really found this story interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I had a hard time figuring out who-dun-it. Everytime I thought it was one thing a twist turned my thoughts around.

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

August 8, 2019August 5, 2019

Kimberly reviews Asylum by Jack Adams

TITLE: Asylum
SERIES #: Delaney & Murphy #1
CHARACTERS: Nathan Delaney & Adam Murphy
AUTHOR: Jack Adams
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/02/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Something happened here. Behind these walls, in these rooms, on the grounds, at the river. The inmate sketched it all – fine lines. See there, in the negative space, the truth in the pencil strokes. Then he was gone.

Joe was their friend; the man they spoke to through the wire fence of the Lunatic Asylum, and 10-year-old best friends, Nathan Delaney and Adam Murphy, knew he wasn’t insane. Then, one day, Joe was gone. Now hitting their thirties—jobs and divorces in their wake—ex-cop, current P.I. Nate and psychologist Adam decide to share office space and a receptionist. That’s when the letter arrives advising them that they have received ‘Expectations’. A quaint, old-fashioned bequest delivered by a solicitor which amounts to an inheritance for two boys – left by Joseph O’Connell, a missing-believed-deceased former patient at the River Park Lunatic Asylum.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts I have never read anything like this book which I found very amazing considering how much I read. But this book was different and kept me intrigued throughout most of the story. I saw most because there did seem some extra side stories that were a bit out of the flow of the book but even with that being said the story of Nate and Adam, as well as Joe.

I liked the relationship of the boys/men. As boys, Nate and Adam, became friends with Joe, a patient at the Asylum but years later as men Joe shows up again and there are a lot of questions.

I found this really enjoyable even if there was a bit that didn’t need to be added. I liked that the book didn’t make the patients into insane monsters. They were people who need help and shows them as lonely and kind.

Better than I thought.

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

August 6, 2019August 5, 2019

Kimberly reviews Life And Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins

TITLE: Life And Other Inconveniences
CHARACTERS: Emma & Genevieve
AUTHOR: Kristan Higgins
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck with That comes a new novel about a blue-blood grandmother and her black-sheep granddaughter who discover they are truly two sides of the same coin.

Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn’t protect her from life’s cruelest blows: the disappearance of Genevieve’s young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. But Genevieve rose from those ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son.

When Emma’s own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother’s doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her–until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back…but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but to thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley.

So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after not speaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?

REVIEW:
Higgins is easily one of my favorite authors and I gladly grab any books that are available from her.

I enjoyed this story very much. It was simply about life. Emma was not one of my favorite characters but after a while I began to understand her a bit more. I enjoyed the background characters very much. Especially the grandmother. Feisty thing that she was.

As a fan of women’s lit this is a great story to read. Wonderful beach read. With a lot of angst and family love this is worth the read.

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

August 5, 2019August 4, 2019

Kimberly reviews Summer On Moonlight Bay by Hope Ramsey

TITLE: Summer On Moonlight Bay
SERIES #: Moonlight Bay #2
CHARACTERS: Main Characters
AUTHOR: Hope Ramsey
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/06/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Only one thing can make veterinarian Noah Cuthbert return to Magnolia Harbor-his mother’s failing health. He’ll do anything to help his family, including taking a short-term gig at the local animal clinic. What he doesn’t count on is getting up-close-and-personal with the clinic’s new manager, a woman whose love and compassion for every stray that crosses her path has him rethinking his plans to head back to his big-city life…

After her time in the Navy, Lia wants nothing more than to settle down. The quaint seaside town is just what she’d been hoping for, and not just because her new boss is movie-star handsome. As they grow closer, Lia starts wondering if Noah could be the one. But when a town crisis forces Noah to take a stand that jeopardizes their new-found happiness, can Lia convince him that home doesn’t have to be a four-letter word?

Includes the bonus novel Then There Was You by Miranda Liasson!

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts After Lia finds a hurt puppy in the street she heads to the closest vet office. Noah is called in to help the puppy and sparks fly.

Lia is trying to start over in life after getting out of the Navy. Noah plans on moving back to Charleston.

I enjoyed this story very much. The characters are written very well. The background story seems to be a lead in to the next in the series which I am interested in reading.

This is the second in the series but easily can be a stand alone. Great curl up and get away from it all read. Higgins is high on my read list and should be on yours too.

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