Kimberly’s Review – Page 48

December 1, 2017November 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper

TITLE: Sweet Tea and Sympathy
SERIES #: Southern Eclectic #1
CHARACTERS: Margot & Kyle
AUTHOR: Molly Harper
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/21/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Beloved author Molly Harper launches a brand-new contemporary romance series, Southern Eclectic, with this story of a big-city party planner who finds true love in a small Georgia town.

Nestled on the shore of Lake Sackett, Georgia is the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. (What, you have a problem with one-stop shopping?) Two McCready brothers started two separate businesses in the same building back in 1928, and now it’s become one big family affair. And true to form in small Southern towns, family business becomes everybody’s business.

Margot Cary has spent her life immersed in everything Lake Sackett is not. As an elite event planner, Margot’s rubbed elbows with the cream of Chicago society, and made elegance and glamour her business. She’s riding high until one event goes tragically, spectacularly wrong. Now she’s blackballed by the gala set and in dire need of a fresh start—and apparently the McCreadys are in need of an event planner with a tarnished reputation.

As Margot finds her footing in a town where everybody knows not only your name, but what you had for dinner last Saturday night and what you’ll wear to church on Sunday morning, she grudgingly has to admit that there are some things Lake Sackett does better than Chicago—including the dating prospects. Elementary school principal Kyle Archer is a fellow fish-out-of-water who volunteers to show Margot the picture-postcard side of Southern living. The two of them hit it off, but not everybody is happy to see an outsider snapping up one of the town’s most eligible gentleman. Will Margot reel in her handsome fish, or will she have to release her latest catch?

REVIEW:
4.25 There is so much to this story that it is hard to figure out where to begin. Margot goes through a humiliating experience and decides to move to work in the family business but small town living is not easy to do.

This is women’s fiction at it’s best. The characters are beautifully developed and makes you wish you could get to know them in real life. The town is delightful as well. Some place you wish you could go to spend a long weekend.

This story is a journey of self discovery and understanding. I can’t imagine any woman would not enjoy this novel. What a great read!

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

November 30, 2017November 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz

TITLE: The Whispering Room
SERIES #: Jane Hawk #2
CHARACTERS: Jane Hawk
AUTHOR: Dean Koontz
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/14/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Jane Hawk–fiction’s most relentless, resourceful, stunning new heroine–continues her battle against a murderous conspiracy in the riveting sequel to The Silent Corner.

“No time to delay. Do what you were born to do. Fame will be yours when you do this.”

These are the words that ring in the mind of mild-mannered, beloved schoolteacher Cora Gundersun–just before she takes her own life, and many others’, in a shocking act of carnage. When the disturbing contents of her secret journal are discovered, it seems certain that she must have been insane. But Jane Hawk knows better.

In the wake of her husband’s inexplicable suicide–and the equally mysterious deaths of scores of other exemplary individuals–Jane picks up the trail of a secret cabal of powerful players who think themselves above the law and beyond punishment. But these ruthless people bent on hijacking America’s future for their own monstrous ends never banked on a highly trained FBI agent willing to go rogue–and become the nation’s most wanted fugitive–in order to derail their insidious plans to gain absolute power with a terrifying technological breakthrough.

Driven by love for her lost husband and by fear for the five-year-old son she has sent into hiding, Jane Hawk has become an unstoppable predator. Those she is hunting will have nowhere to run when her shadow falls across them.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the second in the new Jane Hawk series by Koontz. This is a fast and I do mean fast paced story. Jane is dealing with so much. After the suicide of her husband and many others, Jane starts her path of revenge in The Silent Corner and continues in this story.

There is just so much action. I kept having to put the book down so I could settle my brain. Jane is a firecracker who is set to do what needs to be done no matter the consequences. She has gone rogue and is persona non grata at the FBI. But she needs to do what she needs to do to find the cause of her husband’s suicide as well as protect her son.

This is certainly a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you jumping up a time or two. Another great read from Koontz.

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

November 29, 2017November 26, 2017

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews A Very Vintage Christmas by Tilly Tennant

TITLE: A Very Vintage Christmas
SERIES #: An Unforgettable Christmas #1
CHARACTERS: Dodie & Edward
AUTHOR: Tilly Tennant
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The fairy lights are up and shoppers are flooding the snowy seaside promenade. It’s going to be a busy month at Forget-Me-Not Vintage, a magical shop with a warm heart where every item has a story to be told.

With bright red hair and an infectious smile, Dodie is a hopeless romantic and absolutely one of a kind, just like the pieces in her shop.

When Dodie finds a love letter in the pocket of an old woollen coat, she makes it her mission to deliver it to its rightful owner. Following the address, she manages to persuade the handsome but reluctant new tenant, Edward, to help her with her search.

As the story of the letter unfolds, Dodie is there, as always, to pick up the pieces and make things right. But who will be there for her when her own love story needs a helping hand?

Is it too much to dream of a happy ending like the ones in the black and white movies she adores?

REVIEW:
Dodie is true to herself when it comes to her personality. She is the epitome of vintage. She loves everything old so it makes sense she will open up her own vintage shop. Dodie is “dating” someone but her heart isn’t into it. But once she finds the war-time love letter she knows the owner would want it and needs to track down the owner.

This is a sweet story. It doesn’t have a lot of Christmas feel, I guess more of a winter feel, until the end but that doesn’t take away from the charm of the story. Dodie is an adorable character with so much charm it is hard not to like her. Great background characters like Gran as well.

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

November 28, 2017November 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Tomorrow The Glory by Heather Graham

TITLE: Tomorrow The Glory
CHARACTERS: Kendall & Brent
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/28/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A historical romance by Heather Graham, writing as Shannon Drake.

THE WOMAN
She is Kendall Moore—a spirited southern belle as proud as she is beautiful, driven by a cruel marriage-bed betrayal to risk her life in a dangerous gamble for freedom . . .

THE MAN
He is Brent McClain—the Confederate agent who meets Kendall aboard the warship Jenni-Lyn, and loses his heart in a single, searing night of passion . . .

THE GLORY
But war and treachery soon tear them apart—Brent into raging battle, Kendall into desperate flight from a scorned husband’s white-hot vengeance. They live only for the promise of tomorrow—and a love that will burn forever in both their hearts.

REVIEW:
Re-release from under the name Shannon Drake. This is a historical civil war romance. Graham/Drake has an unbelievable way of writing that pulls you right in. You want to crawl into the book and visit the location she is writing about.

The tension between the couple is wonderful and difficult at the same time. I picked the story because of the author being Graham but I truly enjoyed this story. I am not a huge civil war romance fan but this was a great story.

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

November 27, 2017November 26, 2017

Kimberly reviews Vampire Fight Club by Larissa Ione

TITLE: Vampire Fight Club
SERIES #: Demonica #6.5
CHARACTERS: Vladlena & Nathan
AUTHOR: Larissa Ione
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/28/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Previously published in Supernatural

New York Times bestselling author Larissa Ione tempts you into the darkly irresistible world of Demonica, populated by angels and demons, shifters and humans, all with a thirst that must be quenched . . .

When a wave of violence that hits too close to home forces shapeshifter and underworld nurse Vladlena Paskelkov to go undercover, her first stop is a haven of vice—with a dangerously sexy vamp in charge . . .

Legendary, jaded, Nathan Sabine is the manager of Thirst, a wildly popular vampire club—and secret underground blood arena. But Nathan, a rare daywalker, possesses other, even more explosive secrets, as does his beautiful new medic, Vladlena. The one thing they can’t conceal is the lust that simmers between them . . .

Now, in an underworld divided by revelry and violence, debauchery and vengeance, Nate and Lena will discover which risks are worth taking—and which desires demand surrender . . .

REVIEW:
I picked this up because the moment I see Larissa Ione’s name I request the story. But this is one of those times that I had already read the story when it was part of the anthology. This story is about Lena. And her desire to find her brother’s killer.

This is a short story and is a quick read. The characters are interesting and the story is written with Ione’s exquisite form.

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

November 22, 2017November 19, 2017

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews Wagging Through The Snow by Laurien Berenson

TITLE: Wagging Through The Snow
SERIES #: Melanie Travis Mystery #21
CHARACTERS: Melanie Travis
AUTHOR: Laurien Berenson
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/26/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Melanie Travis needs a little peace from her busy life this Christmas. But the usual holiday hubbub is a joy compared to the killer surprise she finds tucked underneath the tree . . .

With a demanding teaching job at Connecticut’s elite Howard Academy and five poodles scampering around the house, Melanie barely has energy for the upcoming Christmas rush. But she unwraps an unexpected challenge when her brother and ex-husband, elated by the recent success of their country café, make a spontaneous bid on a dilapidated pine tree farm. Although the ten-acre lot had been a popular seasonal destination while the original owner was still alive, it’ll take some sprucing up—and a small miracle or two—before the neglected place is in shape for December.

Unfortunately, the impromptu business venture goes cold when the group discovers a purebred Maltese whimpering in the snow-covered grove—right beside a dead body. Pete, a squatter who camped out on the land, apparently met his end after a fallen fir tree branch knocked him on the head. But as Melanie and Aunt Peg investigate Pete’s history and the terrible habit that cost him everything, it’s clear his death was no accident. Now, Melanie must run through a flurry of likely suspects and muzzle a dogged murderer in time—or she’ll be next on someone’s deadly list.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts So this story is really cute. It is a short read of only about 100 pages so I wouldn’t say it will put you in a holiday mood because about the time you get into it it’s over.

I think one of the problems was I have never read one from this author or series before. I didn’t know this was #21 in the series and I think it would have been a bit better if I knew the characters from before. Now that being said the mystery is good and the story is very well written.

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

November 17, 2017November 14, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Kidnapped Bride by Susan Mallery

TITLE: The Kidnapped Bride
SERIES #: Desert Rogues #1
CHARACTERS: Dora & Khalil
AUTHOR: Susan Mallery
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/01/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Swept away by the passionate Prince Khalil Khan, Dora Nelson reveled in her new fairy-tale life as princess of El Bahar. But once she learned that the love and affection Khalil had showered her with were a sham, she refused to bend to his will. For he’d tricked her, and she couldn’t forgive him….
But she also couldn’t stop loving him. More than anything else, Dora wanted a happy home and an adoring husband. Still, when Dora’s feistiness met Khalil’s arrogance, sparks flew. And unless Dora and Khalil agreed to meet halfway, this fiery marriage threatened to consume them both!

REVIEW:
So this is a re-release from Susan Mallery and she has come a long way since this book. While it might have been better if I wasn’t comparing it to Mallery’s current reads this just didn’t add up to me.

I am not a fan of the whole sheik romance but since this was Mallery I picked it up. And to tell you the truth it was a bit cheesy and I believe unintentionally funny.

Not one of my favorite but still an ok read.

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

November 15, 2017November 14, 2017

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews Christmas In Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts

TITLE: Christmas In Icicle Falls
SERIES #: Life In Icicle Falls #11
CHARACTERS: Muriel/Sienna/Olivia
AUTHOR: Sheila Roberts
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/24/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Join USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts this Christmas as she returns for the final installment in her treasured Icicle Falls series When Muriel Sterling released her new book, A Guide to Happy Holidays, she felt like the queen of Christmas. She’s thrilled when the new tree she ordered online arrives and is eager to show it off–until she gets it out of the box and realizes it’s a mangy dud. But rather than give up on the ugly tree, Muriel decides to make a project out of it. As she pretties up her tree, she realizes there’s a lesson to be learned: everything and everyone has potential. Maybe even her old friend Arnie, who’s loved her for years. Except, she’s not the only one seeing Arnie’s potential… Meanwhile, Muriel’s ugly-tree project has also inspired her friends. Sienna Moreno is trying to bring out the best in the grouchy man next door, who hates noise, hates kids and hates his new neighbors. And while Olivia Claussen would love to send her obnoxious new daughter-in-law packing, she’s adjusting her attitude and trying to discover what her son sees in the girl. If these women can learn to see the beauty in the “ugly trees” in their lives, perhaps this might turn out to be the happiest holiday yet.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Sheila Roberts is well known for her romance novels but even more so for her Christmas romances. And this book is why. The emotions in this book are just all over the place. And the Christmas spirit is on every page.

The “Ugly Tree” project is really a different spin and makes a person think. The characters are well written and the town is a great fictional location.

This is a don’t miss for the Christmas season. It will get you in the spirit but will also bring some perspective to what the season is all about.

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

November 13, 2017November 12, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Wardrobe by Deryn Lake

TITLE: The Wardrobe
CHARACTERS: Rebecca & Greg
AUTHOR: Deryn Lake
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/05/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It was the flat Rebecca and Greg had dreamed of finding; a beautiful conversion in a big Victorian house. The huge mirrored wardrobe that the builders couldn’t shift only seemed to add to its charms…

But soon their dream turns into a terrifying nightmare. As Rebecca delves into the dark circumstances surrounding the mysterious murder of George Carthew in the same house a hundred years before, she finds herself surrounded by echoes of the crime. Carthew was victim to slow arsenic poisoning, and now Greg is struck with a horrible wasting illness. Carthew’s beautiful widow, Charlotte, was suspected of the gruesome crime but never convicted, and now Rebecca wakes in terror to find reflection of strange women in the wardrobe doors…

That old wardrobe, a relic of the Victorian days, seems to be the only remaining witness to the crime and Rebecca becomes convinced that all these years later, it could still hold the key to the murder.

Another classic of love, loss and the past manifesting in the present from master Deryn Lake, this story of murder unsolved will have you gripped from beginning to end.

REVIEW:
This is a very short story of about 50 pages. It is a quick read and yet very interesting. The wardrobe is a relic with much mystery surrounding it. When Rebecca starts looking into the history of it there is way more than she would expect and it begins affecting her and Greg.

For such a small story it really pulls a punch. Great book!

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

November 10, 2017November 5, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Inn At Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman

TITLE: The Inn At Blue Hollow Falls
SERIES #: Blue Hollow Falls 1.5
CHARACTERS: Stevie & Noah
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/31/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Stevie Franklin is ready to go all-out Grinch on Christmas this year, but a snowy trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains could provide some unexpected gifts…

Stevie is thrilled to help her best friend Sunny launch her new greenhouse business in Blue Hollow Falls. Not only does it give her a chance to visit the quaint location, but it’s a welcome distraction from Stevie’s recent bad luck with men. Just one catch: since Sunny’s home is under renovation, Stevie must stay at the local inn, whose amenities feature hunky innkeeper, Noah Tyler.

Noah may be as tempting as her grandmother’s famous sweet potato pie, but city-girl Stevie isn’t sticking around—and she doesn’t do flings. Yet when Noah’s chef gets stranded in a Christmas Eve snowstorm, Stevie can’t resist pitching in and serving up some of her family’s favorite recipes. The magic of a Blue Ridge Christmas is already rekindling Stevie’s holiday spirit and making her wonder what else she might be missing out on. Now can Noah restore Stevie’s belief in love?

REVIEW:
Adorable story by Donna Kauffman. We met Stevie in the previous book but now she gets her turn at romance when she comes to Blue Hollow to help Sunny with her new greenhouse.

Stevie and Noah are a cute couple that really seem to fit together. Stevie is quirky and Noah is down to earth and yet they mesh perfectly.

Donna Kauffman is one of my go to authors and she should be one of yours too. Starting with this story would be a great start if you have not read her before.

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

November 9, 2017November 5, 2017

Kimberly reviews Dark Justice by Jenna Ryan

TITLE: Dark Justice
CHARACTERS: Amber & Gage
AUTHOR: Jenna Ryan
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/23/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
After attempting to help the FBI expose a ruthless weapons and drug dealer, Owen Fixx, Amber Kelly enters the Witness Protection Program. Unfortunately, her sister, who was once married to said drug dealer, is forced to join her—key word, forced. When Rachel grows tired of their new life and runs off with a local man, a nightmare ensues for Amber.

The only person who can help her is Gage Morgan, an edgy former police officer. The mysterious and compelling Gage must convince Amber that he is not only on her side, but he is also her best bet to stay alive.

Amber wants her sister back. What she doesn’t want is to be attracted to her sexy new protector. But in the haunted Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, desire trumps logic. And it leaves a smoldering trail for Fixx’s gunmen to follow.

REVIEW:
This is the first in a new series. And I am not sure if I will pick up the next one. Some of the story was a bit different but mostly it is the same. And to be honest not very realistic.

There was just way too much action. I know it sounds weird but there was just so much going on it is hard to believe that the author will be able to come up with anything for the next book.

The characters are lust at first site and some how that turns into love in the blink of an eye. The villains are pretty common.

I guess that is mostly the problem with this story is it is pretty common.

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

November 8, 2017November 5, 2017

Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews A Cosy Candlelit Christmas by Tilly Tennant

TITLE: A Cosy Candlelit Christmas
SERIES #: An Unforgettable Christmas #2
CHARACTERS: Isla & Justin/Sebastian
AUTHOR: Tilly Tennant
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
All Isla wants for Christmas is to be left in peace, but in the Alps there’s potential for romance in every snowflake that falls…

It’s the week before Christmas and Isla McCoy has just received an unexpected gift: a letter announcing she is due a life-changing inheritance, but only if she’s willing to make peace with the father who abandoned her.

She has absolutely no intention of making amends, but who could resist an all-expenses-paid trip to the French resort of St Martin-de-Belleville?

There she meets smooth-talking Justin and nerdy glaciologist Sebastian; two very different men, with two very different agendas. Torn between her head and her heart, Isla finds herself utterly lost in a winter wonderland of her own feelings.

Surrounded by twinkling candles and roaring log-fires, Isla’s resolve finally begins to melt. But will she learn how to reconnect, not only with a whole new family, but with herself and her heart?

REVIEW:
First let me say that I recommend you reading A Very Vintage Christmas before reading this one. The books are set at the same time and run parallel.

It is hard to explain this book without giving too much away from this book or A Very Vintage Christmas. But the characters are great and the stories while simultaneous and some scenes intersect the story is a great read.

Great for a quick Brit-lit Christmas tale.

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