Kimberly’s Review – Page 57

February 14, 2017February 12, 2017

Kimberly reviews Dark Witch & Creamy by H.Y. Hanna

TITLE: Dark, Witch & Creamy
SERIES #: Bewitched by Chocolate #1
CHARACTERS: Caitlyn & James
AUTHOR: H.Y. Hanna
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/28/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A witch, a kitty and dark chocolate magic…
Caitlyn is used to being the ugly duckling in her glamorous showbiz family… until the day she learns that she was adopted as an abandoned baby. Now, her search for answers takes her to the tiny English village of Tillyhenge where a man has been murdered by witchcraft – and where a mysterious shop selling enchanted chocolates is home to the “local witch”…

Soon Caitlyn finds herself fending off a toothless old vampire, rescuing an adorable kitten and meeting handsome aristocrat Lord James Fitzroy… not to mention discovering that she herself might have magical blood in her veins!

When she’s dragged into the murder investigation and realises that dark magic is involved, Caitlyn is forced to choose. Can she embrace her witchy powers in time to solve the mystery and save those she loves?

WARNING: May contain traces of “Hahaha!”

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Ok so this story is cute but a bit boring. I can honestly say that was no “Hahaha!” from this book for me. Again it is cute but just not what I expected.

While I did mostly like this story it is a bit slow and none of the characters have much of a connection. I enjoyed the Widow Mags. She is just such a witchy (pun intended) woman with such attitude but really is sweet in her heart of hearts. I like the cousin connection as well. Caitlyn is a bit odd but I liked her too but just didn’t think she has much connection with anyone except the widow and her cousin.

I find it hard to say what I liked about this story but I did. I would read another from this author and in this series.

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

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February 7, 2017February 5, 2017

Kimberly reviews Crossing Hearts by Kimberly Kincaid

TITLE: Crossing Hearts
SERIES #: Cross Creek #1
CHARACTERS: Kimberly Kincaid
AUTHOR: Kimberly Kincaid
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/07/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Hunter Cross has no regrets. Having left his football prospects behind the day he graduated high school, he’s happy to carry out his legacy on his family’s farm in the foothills of the Shenandoah. But when a shoulder injury puts him face-to-face with the high school sweetheart who abandoned town—and him—twelve years ago, Hunter’s simple life gets a lot more complicated.

Emerson Montgomery has secrets. Refusing to divulge why she left her job as a hotshot physical therapist for a pro football team, she struggles to readjust to life in the hometown she left behind. The more time she spends with Hunter, the more Emerson finds herself wanting to trust him with the diagnosis of MS that has turned her world upside down.

But revealing secrets comes with a price. Can Hunter and Emerson rekindle their past love? Or will the realities of the present—and the trust that goes with them—burn that bridge for good?

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts I enjoyed this story. The reason I gave it 3.75 instead of 4 is there are just so many with the second chance at love storyline that it gets to be the same over and over. Now that being said this story was really good.

When Emerson comes home it is not because it is where she wants to be but because she is sick and even though she doesn’t tell her family she still needs to be home. Hunter is a good guy who, of course, never got over his first love. I have to say the sex scenes are worth reading.

The biggest problem was the illness. It just seemed to only be relevant when it was part of the plot and not other times. Meaning she can barely function at one point but can have the hot sex scenes I just talked about and let’s not even discuss the other physical activities she does without mention of hurting but having to push on, etc.

I think the story is good and worth the read.

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

January 30, 2017January 29, 2017

Kimberly reviews Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti

TITLE: Justice Ascending
SERIES #: The Scorpius Syndrome #3
CHARACTERS: Tace & Sami
AUTHOR: Rebecca Zanetti
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/01/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Before surviving the Scorpius bacterium, Tace Justice was a good ole Texas cowboy who served his country and loved his mama. After Scorpius, the world became dark, dangerous, and deadly… and so did he. The Vanguard medic is stronger, faster, and smarter than before, but he’s lost the line between right and wrong. His passion is absolute, and when he focuses it on one woman, there’s no turning back for either of them.

Sami Steel has been fighting to survive right alongside Tace, convincing the Vanguard soldiers she’s one of them. In truth, Sami is a former hacker turned government agent who worked at The Bunker, where scientists stored both contaminants and cures. Only she knows the location, and she’s not telling. Yet when sexual fire explodes between her and Tace, she’ll face even that hell again to save him.

REVIEW:
Again I have to say that I am not into the whole post-apocalyptic world that is popular right now but I am into Rebecca Zanetti and will read anything she writes.

Tace is great. Even in the world that I really just don’t understand I really want him to be on my side and want to protect him as well. Sami is strong and yet is the sweetest of women. She would do anything for her friends with just a “please” being said.

I try to put the world out of my head and focus on the people and story. I really don’t want to say too much because I worry it would be negative when I don’t want it to be. As I said this is just not my cup of tea but I wouldn’t miss a Zanetti story for the world, even an apocalyptic world.

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

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January 26, 2017January 23, 2017

Kimberly review On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins

TITLE: On Second Thought
CHARACTERS: Ainsley & Kate
AUTHOR: Kristan Higgins
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/31/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Following in the footsteps of her critically acclaimed novel If You Only Knew , multi-bestselling author Kristan Higgins returns with a pitch-perfect look at the affection—and the acrimony—that binds sisters together

Ainsley O’Leary is so ready to get married—she’s even found the engagement ring her boyfriend has stashed away. What she doesn’t anticipate is for Eric to blindside her with a tactless breakup he chronicles in a blog…which (of course) goes viral. Devastated and humiliated, Ainsley turns to her half sister, Kate, who’s already struggling after the sudden loss of her new husband.

Kate has always been so poised, so self-assured, but Nathan’s death shatters everything she thought she knew—including her husband—and sometimes the people who step up aren’t the ones you expect. With seven years and a murky blended-family dynamic between them, Ainsley and Kate have never been overly close, but their shared sorrow dovetails their faltering worlds into one.

Despite the lifetime of history between them, the sisters must learn to put their differences aside and open their hearts to the inevitable imperfection of family—and the possibility of one day finding love again.

REVIEW:
So I liked this story but I wouldn’t say that I loved it. The characters are odd to me. Not so odd that I couldn’t enjoy them but there is just something odd about them. Ainsley just wants to be loved and she sticks with a guy for 11 years even though he is self centered and obnoxious. Kate is older and finds love with Nathan but months after the wedding he dies. Kate is a bit lost and delusional in her desire to be pregnant from her deceased husband.

Now none of that sounds weird but it is. Ainsley and Kate were never close as half sisters but their shared loss brings them together. Of the 450+ pages the first half of book is sadness and loss. A bit of sisters coming together. The second half is them finding what they really want from life. It has a bit of hate to love relationship and friends to lovers relationship.

The problem is I can’t really even say what this story is… It is about love and romance? No. Is it about sisterly bonding? No not really. But I can tell you one thing…..Gram Gram is adorable in her dementia.

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

January 25, 2017January 23, 2017

Kimberly reviews Power Game by Christine Feehan

TITLE: Power Game
SERIES #: GhostWalkers #13
CHARACTERS: Zeke & Bellisia
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/24/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When members of a United Nations joint security force are taken hostage by radical terrorists in Indonesia, Captain Ezekiel Fortunes is called to lead the rescue team. Part of a classified government experiment, Zeke is a supersoldier with enhanced abilities. He can see better and run faster than the enemy, disappear when necessary and hunt along any terrain. There are those in the world willing to do anything for power like that…

A formidable spy genetically engineered to hide in plain sight, Bellisia rarely meets a man who doesn’t want to control her or kill her. But Zeke is different. His gaze, his touch—they awaken feelings inside her that she never thought possible. He’s the kind of man she could settle down with—if she can keep him alive…

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Man how I love this series! I have been waiting for Zeke’s story. He has powers that even some of the other GhostWalkers do not have but he is so interesting. Zeke has so much to offer and is the ultimate protector to those he loves but he doesn’t feel like he deserves or will ever find love which makes me just sad… but then Bellisia comes into his life and he knows he has to protect her.

Bellisia is an amazing character. She is strong and has special abilities but she is still just a sweetheart. I found her to be my favorite character in the book. She just always held my attention. If it has been a movie she would have held my attention each time she was on screen.

Everyone is this book is great. Since this is the 13th in the series some things can be a bit of the same old same old but with this series it is more than ok. Can’t wait for the next in the series.

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

January 23, 2017January 22, 2017

Kimberly reviews Thirst by Jacquelyn Frank

TITLE: Thirst
SERIES #: The Energy Vampires #1
CHARACTERS: Rafe & Renee
AUTHOR: Jacquelyn Frank
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/17/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon| B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A hidden society of vampires—and the humans they love—are at the heart of this opening novel in a biting, all-original series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Nightwalkers saga.

Rafe DaSilva is an energy vampire, soaking up nourishment from the sun—and, only when necessary, drawing sweet sustenance from humans who are pure in body and spirit. As the right-hand man to his queen, Rafe is a key player at a historic peace summit in New York City, which will unite the vampire nations against a common threat: the sycophants, who feed on humanity and kill indiscriminately. But Rafe’s fascination with a beautiful blond police detective may put everything at risk.

Detective Renee Holden has never worked a homicide quite like this. The victim has twin puncture wounds on his neck, and the only eyewitness swears she saw a vampire. Now’s definitely not the time to get distracted by a seductive stranger. But the suave, darkly austere, exotically handsome Rafe DaSilva is a hard man to deny, and as Renee falls under his spell, she also falls prey to his enemies. Desperate to protect her, Rafe lifts the veil on a shadow realm she can only visit—a world of intoxicating power, terrifying dangers, and forbidden pleasures.

REVIEW:
Wow is this book hard to review. The story is interesting…. Sort of. The problem is that there is a lot of things about these vampires that we are not used to hearing. I mean don’t we all know that vampires can not be in the sun and yet this society gets their energy from the sun. What? And they don’t really feed off of blood but off human energy. What? I mean why make him a vampire then?

Then there is Renee. I liked how independent she was and how strong and willing to stand on her own two feet but sometimes her character just takes it a bit too far.

This isn’t a bad story. It just took me a realllllllly long time to read and just never seemed to get my full attention. I finished it though but I doubt I will move on with the series.

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

January 19, 2017January 15, 2017

Kimberly reviews The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz

TITLE: The Nowhere Man
SERIES #: Evan Smoak #2
CHARACTERS: Evan Smoak
AUTHOR: Gregg Hurwitz
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/17/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Evan Smoak, the Nowhere Man, returns in the sequel to the breakout national bestseller Orphan X.

Spoken about only in whispers, it is said that when the Nowhere Man is reached by the truly desperate, he can and will do anything to save them.

Evan Smoak is the Nowhere Man.

Taken from a group home at twelve, Evan was raised and trained as part of the Orphan program, an off-the-books operation designed to create deniable intelligence assets—i.e. assassins. Evan was Orphan X. He broke with the program, using everything he learned to disappear and reinvent himself as the Nowhere Man. But the new head of the Orphan program hasn’t forgotten about him and is using all of his assets—including the remaining Orphans—to track down and eliminate Smoak.

But this time, the attack comes from a different angle and Evan is caught unaware. Captured, drugged, and spirited off to a remote location, heavily guarded from all approaches. They think they have him trapped and helpless in a virtual cage but they don’t know who they’re dealing with—that they’ve trapped themselves inside that cage with one of the deadliest and most resourceful Orphans.

Continuing his electrifying series featuring Evan Smoak, Gregg Hurwitz delivers a blistering, compelling new novel in the series launched with the breakout national bestseller, Orphan X.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This was not one of favorite’s from Hurwitz. For some reason it seemed to take me a long time to read this book. There were parts that were very slow, they dragged on and just gave too much detail. It almost seemed like Hurwitz combined two stories because of so many villains (“I can’t make book 1 a complete story or book 2… I will just throw all the characters together in one”).

Don’t get me wrong the book is not bad just not great. Smoak just needed a little less going on and a lot less detail of what did happen.

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

January 17, 2017January 15, 2017

Kimberly reviews Law And Disorder by Heather Graham

TITLE: Law And Disorder
SERIES #: The Finnegan Connection #1
CHARACTERS: Kody & Nick
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/17/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Trust the enemy?

Desperate to escape her kidnappers, Kody Cameron can turn to only one man…and he’s holding a gun. Outnumbered and trapped in the deadly Everglades, she has little recourse, but something in this captor’s eyes makes her believe she can trust him. Does she dare to take the risk?

Undercover agent Nick Connolly has met Kody before and knows she might very well blow his cover. Though determined to maintain his facade, he can’t let Kody die. He won’t. And his decision to change his own rules of law and order are about to make all hell break loose.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I am a fan of Heather Graham’s. I love her Krewe of Hunters series and usually pick up every one of her books so I didn’t pass this one up. And mostly enjoyed it. But here is the thing the writing seemed early. What I mean is I went back to see if this was a reprint of one of her earlier works but I can’t find that it is.

Kody is a strong woman willing to do what she needs and I liked her. She was willing to put herself out there in the midst of danger to protect her people. But yet when it comes to Nick/Barrow she is a bit girly. She has feelings for the guy that just kidnapped her. But it is a little early for Stockholm Syndrome when it has only been a day. Nick doesn’t seem like a very good cop. I mean Kody does all the heavy lifting but he does seem sweet.

I will of course pick up the next one in the series when it comes out.

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

January 12, 2017January 8, 2017

Kimberly reviews Worth The Wait by Claudia Connor

TITLE: Worth The Wait
SERIES #: McKinney/Walker #1
CHARACTERS: Mia & Nick
AUTHOR: Claudia Connor
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/10/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
He broke her heart. When he finds out just how badly, it will break his too.
Nick Walker found the love of his life when he was just nineteen.
Found her.
Loved her.
Lost her.
It’s been ten years since Nick watched the only woman he ever loved walk out of his life. Now this FBI Special Agent will do anything to win her back.
But it won’t be easy…
Mia’s heart was shattered by Nick. They’ll have to face their painful past if they want a future, including Mia’s own secret about that day it all fell apart.
Do you believe in second chances?

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts So I love the McKinney brothers. Matt is one of my book-boyfriends from Worth The Fall. But this Walker boy just didn’t do it for me. Nick is nice and we met him in the previous book. This book actually has some moments where is takes place at the same time as when we met Hannah in Worth The Risk.

The problem is there was a lot of flashbacks of Mia and Nick’s love the first time around and I just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. In all honesty I think Nick was so stressed over Hannah (his sister) the entire time that she was his whole world. Mia is sweet and I love how she was/is with Hannah, even when Hannah is an adult.

Ok now all that being said. I still enjoyed this book. I read every word and didn’t put it down often. But I just didn’t fall for Nick like I have the McKinney boys. But we will see who is up next. These Walker boys may just turn me around.

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

January 10, 2017January 8, 2017

Kimberly reviews Wild Kisses by Skye Jordan

TITLE: Wild Kisses
SERIES #: Wildwood #2
CHARACTERS: Avery & Trace
AUTHOR: Skye Jordan
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/10/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Newly divorced, Avery Hart returns home to Wildwood eager to take on her dream opportunity and transform her family’s dive bar into her own bakery. The contractor for hire isn’t just a master with his hands—he’s big, built, and wears a tool belt like nobody’s business. Despite being an ex-con, Trace Hutton is irresistible. Too bad he’d never go for someone as inexperienced as Avery.

Trace needs to focus on the job at hand, not daydream about smearing icing all over the sexy baker…and licking it off. This job is the key to getting his construction company back on its feet after his time in prison. Besides, no one deserves a fresh start more than Avery, and she certainly won’t get that with him.

After a delectable night of passion (and pie), Trace craves something more. But he’ll be damned if he’ll let his checkered past crush her dreams. And as Avery starts to realize how Trace fulfills more than just her physical needs, she struggles with whether to let her history decide her future, or explore the wild new possibilities of forever…

REVIEW:
Skye Jordan is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and this book is one of the reasons why. This is a new series from Jordan and I really enjoyed it. I just adored Trace. The thing about Trace is he is real. I know that sounds strange since he is fictional but he is just a real down to earth character. He has issues. He has been through way too much and is trying to get his life back but he has aches and pains. He is taking care of his dad who is ill and so much more.

Avery is adorable. She is Ms Sunshine most of the time but I enjoyed that eventually everything catches up to her and she just has a mini-breakdown like women do. Everyone should have a friend like Avery in their lives.

All in all this was a really great story. Perfect for any fan of contemporary romance. Chapter 5 alone is worth reading for (assuming you enjoy the down and dirty parts of a story). You can never go wrong with Skye Jordan’s books!

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

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January 4, 2017December 31, 2016

Kimberly reviews The Lost City Of The Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston

TITLE: The Lost City Of The Monkey God: A True Story
CHARACTERS: Douglas Preston
AUTHOR: Douglas Preston
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/03/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A five-hundred-year-old legend. An ancient curse. A stunning medical mystery. And a pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world’s densest jungle.

Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location.

Three quarters of a century later, bestselling author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety, single-engine plane carrying the machine that would change everything: lidar, a highly advanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization.

Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. But it wasn’t until they returned that tragedy struck: Preston and others found they had contracted in the ruins a horrifying, sometimes lethal-and incurable-disease.

Suspenseful and shocking, filled with colorful history, hair-raising adventure, and dramatic twists of fortune, The Lost City of the Monkey God is the absolutely true, eyewitness account of one of the great discoveries of the twenty-first century.

REVIEW:
Well this is a big difference from the books Preston usually writes. It is a true story about his journey. I enjoyed it mostly. Some parts were a big winded for lack of a better word. There is a bit too much conversation about things like disease and it gets to be too much.

Now that being said it is interesting. Knowing it is true makes it even more so. But I look forward to Preston heading back to his regular genre.

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

December 27, 2016December 26, 2016

Kimberly reviews Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

TITLE: Southern Spirits
SERIES #: Southern Ghost Hunters Mysteries #!
CHARACTERS: Verity & Ellis
AUTHOR: Angie Fox
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/14/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.

Ellis Wyatt is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity put an end to the disturbances. But soon Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms.

There’s a modern day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn’t above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts So this story was weird but good. So Verity (we should know it would be weird when the heroine is named Verity) is trying to get her life back together after it fell apart and then bam she can talk and see ghost. And then bam again she is caught in the middle of a murder mystery.

I liked the story mostly. I think it has a lot of potential and if it had been worked on a bit more could have been a great book but the characters just didn’t mesh real well. There were some lines that could have been great but were just ok.

This is a quick read that doesn’t take much thought and honestly sometimes that is exactly the kind of book a person needs.

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

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