Category: Review Sunday

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Kimberly reviews The Highland Outlaw by Heather McCollum

TITLE: The Highland Outlaw
SERIES #: The Campbell’s #4
CHARACTERS: Shaw & Alana
AUTHOR: Heather McCollum
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/21/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Shaw Sinclair, chief of the outcast clan of Sinclairs of Caithness in northern Scotland, has made a deal with the devil. Despite his strength and lethal skills, he needs help—specifically from a woman—to accomplish his mission to bring a bairn to safety to the coast. When he meets the brave and beautiful Alana Campbell at a Samhain Festival, he decides she’s the one.

Alana Campbell is ready to show the world she’s just as skillful with a sgian dubh as any man. Attracting the attention of the brawny chief who coerces her to join him on his journey to the coast of Scotland gives her that very opportunity. Sparks flash between them as they’re forced to act as husband and wife to accomplish the deadly mission. However, when secrets threaten to tear them apart, they have to decide if their differences outweigh the reality of their feelings…

Each book in The Campbells series is STANDALONE:
* The Scottish Rogue
* The Savage Highlander
* The Wicked Viscount
* The Highland Outlaw

REVIEW:
I have very much enjoyed this series and this story was no different. Set in the Highlands we meet Shaw. He has been given the task of caring for a bairn and getting her to a boat with her wet-nurse. By doing so he may actually get everything he has lost back.

We met Alana in the previous series and now we get her story. Alana finds out her mother is alive and wants to get to Edinburg to rescue her. On the road to her mother she is taken hostage by Shaw to care for the bairn. Once she finds out they are going the same direction she allows the “kidnapping” to happen.

I found this story a fun, crazy, interesting read. I loved the connection that Alana found with Shaw but also with the baby.

A great read for any fan of Highlanders.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Liar’s Sister by Sarah Denzil

TITLE: The Liar’s Sister
CHARACTERS: Rosie & Heather
AUTHOR: Sarah A Denzil
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/25/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The must-read psychological thriller for 2019 from the million-copy-bestselling author of Silent Child.

Ten years ago Samuel Murray went missing from the small village of Buckthorpe and was never found again. A quiet boy who loved walking in the woods and tending the animals on his parents’ farm. Family, friends and neighbours all say they didn’t see him on the dark, rainy night he disappeared. But surely someone in the close-knit community must know something?

Rosie Sharpe cried for weeks after. But her little sister Heather knows that Rosie’s tears hide the truth. Because the night their friend Samuel was last seen, Heather saw her older sister climbing back into the window of their childhood bedroom. Her jacket torn, her eyes wild and her body trembling with fear.

Heather has never told anyone what she saw, but secrets can’t stay buried forever…

When Rosie and Heather are forced to return to the home they grew up in, to spend the last days with their dying mother, they must confront what really happened a decade ago. But the people of Buckthorpe make it clear they are unwelcome – they’ve always suspected the girls knew more than they said about the night Samuel went missing. And as the shocking lies of the past begin to unravel, they have the power to put the lives of both sisters in terrible danger…

This twist-filled, page-turning psychological thriller will keep you hooked until the final, jaw-dropping pages.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts I believe this is the first book from this author that I have read. But I do not believe it will be my last.

What a story. This book kept me not only reading but guessing. If you are a fan of suspense thriller than this is the book for you. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love a thriller where I find myself changing the who-dun-it in my mind a number of times. And this one did just that.

The sisters are all grown now and have kept a lot of secrets over the years but now they are all unraveling.

Want a gripping thriller that will leave you wanting more? You have found it.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Beneath The Attic by V.C. Andrews

TITLE: Beneath The Attic
SERIES #: Dollanganger
CHARACTERS: Corrine & Garland
AUTHOR: V.C.Andrews
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/27/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Forbidden passions have shaped and haunted the Dollanganger family since their first novel—Flowers in the Attic—debuted forty years ago. Now discover how twisted the family roots truly are, and witness the clan’s origins as a result of one wild and complicated relationship. In this evocative and thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author V.C. Andrews, see Corrine Dixon as a young girl and discover the fascinating family history of the Dollanganger clan.

Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon, is swept away by the charms of rich, sophisticated, and handsome Garland Foxworth. After discovering that she’s pregnant, Garland does what appears to be the honorable thing and marries her in a huge ceremony on the luxurious Foxworth Hall grounds. Both families fervently overlook the pregnancy, happy for a suitable resolution.

Now the mistress of a labyrinthine estate, Corrine discovers that nothing is what is seems. Garland is not the man once captivated by her charms, and she’s increasingly troubled by his infatuation with memories of his departed mother.

Can Corrine survive this strange new life? Or is her fate already sealed?

Explore the origins of the legendary Dollanganger family in this page-turning, gripping gothic thriller.

REVIEW:
I am on the fence about this story. First it was interesting to take a trip into the family of the Dollanganger family. I grew up reading that series and was looking forward to understanding why the grandmother became who she was — nuts!

But hence comes the fence. This book didn’t seem to tell us anything about Corrine that we didn’t already know. There seemed to be very little insight into her life. I think there was more about the house than Corrine.

As a fan of the series it might be interesting to read but then again you can’t go in expecting too much.

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

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews Lavender & Mistletoe by Donna Kauffman

TITLE: Lavender & Mistletoe
SERIES #: Blue Hollow Falls #3.5
CHARACTERS: Avery & Ben
AUTHOR: Donna Kauffman
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/24/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
This Christmas, small-town Blue Hollow Falls will work big holiday magic for two people who have researched everything but love . . .

Avery Kent needs a project. The busy brain that earned her two PhDs before the age of eighteen is fascinated by the home she’s created with her three friends in Blue Hollow Falls, but the farm and the tearoom are running like clockwork now. As the holiday season approaches, it’s time for Avery to dive into one of her last uncharted research topics: love. Not for herself, of course; for her friend, Chey! But a closer look at the handsome young veterinarian Avery has chosen for this romantic equation has her wishing for gifts she never thought she wanted . . .

Another former child prodigy, Ben Chandler is more like Avery than she ever imagined. His intellect is a perfect match for hers—and everything else about him attracts her in ways that send delicious tingles down her spine. But a relationship? That’s something Avery will need to analyze—unless her friends can help Ben convince her that romance is more magic than science, and that a good old-fashioned kiss under the mistletoe is the perfect way to open her heart to the possibility of the greatest gift of all . . .

REVIEW:
4.75 Hearts What a great novella. With only 140-ish pages this is a quick read that will easily put you in the Christmas spirit.

Avery and Ben are just adorable. And visiting Blue Hollow Falls is like coming home and perfectly in time for the holidays.

Grab a hot cocoa, start a fire and snug up under a comfy blanket…. That and this book is all you need to enjoy a night reading.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Forgotten Child by D.E. White

TITLE: The Forgotten Child
CHARACTERS: Holly Kendal
AUTHOR: D.E. White
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/27/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Lights blinded her in an eerie white flash. She yanked the wheel as she felt the impact from the car behind her. There was a sharp pain, and then a bang in front of her, and after that nothing but darkness.

Holly Kendal is trying to put her painful past and broken marriage behind her and focus on her beloved son, Milo. But while driving him home on a dark February night, Holly loses control on the rain-slicked tarmac, and her car spirals off the road.

When Holly regains consciousness, everything is silent and in the dark, she can’t see Milo. Desperately, she claws her way out of the car and forces the back door open.

To her relief, Milo is where she left him, injured but breathing – but then she sees something that makes her heart stop.

Milo isn’t the only child in the car. Next to him is another little boy, unharmed but unconscious.

And Holly has absolutely no idea who he is.

For fans of Mel Sherratt and K.L Slater, The Forgotten Child will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!

REVIEW:
So here I am on the fence for a recent book. I liked the story but it wasn’t what I expected. I had this idea of the book based on the synopsis but while this was a background story it was not the main one.

The story is more about the strained relationship of Holly and her husband, her family and her past. And of course let’s throw some organized crime into it.

I think the story could have been good if my mind wasn’t so set on what the book promised but did not deliver.

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

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Kimberly reviews Child’s Play by Danielle Steel

TITLE: Child’s Play
CHARACTERS: Kate, Tamara, Anthony & Claire
AUTHOR: Danielle Steel
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/08/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The lessons our children teach us are the hardest ones. What do we do when our children don’t pursue our hopes for them? In this riveting new novel, Danielle Steel explores how families can evolve and grow in unexpected ways.

A senior partner at a prestigious New York law firm, Kate Morgan couldn’t be prouder of her three grown children. Tamara, Anthony, and Claire all went to great schools, chose wonderful career paths, and would have made their father proud. A single mother for years after the death of her husband, Kate keeps a tight rein on her family, her career, and even her own emotions, never once asking herself if she truly knows her children . . . or if her hopes for them are the right ones, and what they want. She is about to find out.

During one hectic summer in Manhattan, Kate’s world turns upside down. One child has been keeping an astonishing secret while another confesses to an equally shocking truth. A wonderful match and picture-book wedding are traded for a relationship that shakes her to her core. A totally inappropriate love affair and an out-of-wedlock baby complete the chaos. Challenged as a mother and as a successful independent woman herself, Kate struggles to keep up with a dizzying and escalating chain of events, and begins to realize that she has a part to play in the chaos. Because Kate too has kept secrets from her children.

Sometimes the surprising choices our children make are the right ones . . . better than what we wanted for them. More often than not, parenting is about letting go of our dreams and embracing theirs.

REVIEW:
What I think I liked best is that the man character is older and a self-reliant as well as competent. What she also is, is a single mom of 3 adult “kids” who are dealing with a lot amongst themselves. As the lives of her children start to unfold, and she finds out, she questions everything she thought she knew.

Danielle Steel is one of the best at women’s lit and this is exactly why. As an older mom I really could relate to Kate. Of course, not the trauma but the worry for your own children. How you plan the future for your children as they grow and everything you teach them to have everything they need to be productive adults. But what if what you thought you accomplished wasn’t it at all.

Wonderful quick read that really keeps your attention. Another hit by Danielle Steel.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews I See You by Mary Burton

TITLE: I See You
SERIES #: Criminal Profiler #2
CHARACTERS: Zoe Spencer & William Vaughn
AUTHOR: Mary Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/03/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton comes a gritty, suspenseful story in the Criminal Profiler series.

FBI special agent Zoe Spencer uses skeletal remains to recreate the faces of murder victims through sculpture. Though highly scientific, the process is also sensitive and intimate; she becomes attached to the individuals she identifies, desperate to find justice for each.

As Zoe examines old remains, she sees a teenage girl looking back at her—the victim in a cold case from over a decade ago. Zoe wants nothing more than to tell this young woman’s story and to bring her killer to justice.

Zoe’s case leads her to the victim’s hometown and to homicide detective William Vaughan, Zoe’s on-again, off-again lover. As the two become more involved in the case, they quickly realize that it isn’t as cold as they first believed: someone’s still out there hunting women. And with more women gone missing, time’s running out. Can they work together and stop this madman before he kills again?

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts First the obvious. Of course the story was good. It was written by Mary Burton.

Burton not only writes an incredible story but one of the things I enjoy most about her writing is I am always second guessing myself trying to figure out who-dun-it.

I enjoyed the couple of Zoe and William. They mesh together well.

Zoe reminds we a lot of the character created by Iris Johansen, Eve Duncan. If you are a fan of Eve Duncan you need to grab this series.

As I started with. Mary Burton writes books that I can’t wait to read. And you should not wait either.

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 Home For The Holidays by Terry Spear

TITLE: A Home For The Holidays
SERIES #: Silver Town Wolf #9
CHARACTERS: Meghan & Peter
AUTHOR: Terry Spear
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/24/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
“The best of holiday romances…a howling good time.”–Long and Short Reviews for A Silver Wolf Christmas

Silver Town is howling with Christmas cheer

Gray wolves Meghan MacTire and Sheriff Peter Jorgenson plan to spend the rest of their lives together, and what better time to start forever than Christmas? But they are both harboring dark secrets that are about to surface and threaten their future together. With holiday magic in the air and all Silver Town ready to celebrate, Meghan and Peter have to conquer the past if they’re to have any hope of celebrating this Christmas together.

Silver Town Wolf series:
Destiny of the Wolf (Book 1)
Wolf Fever (Book 2)
Dreaming of the Wolf (Book 3)
Silence of the Wolf (Book 4)
A Silver Wolf Christmas (Book 5)
Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply (Book 6)
Between a Wolf and a Hard Place (Book 7)
All’s Fair in Love and Wolf (Book 8)
Silver Town Wolf: Home for the Holidays (Book 9)

REVIEW:
Well this was a it different. Of course the whole wolf thing is there but this one had ghost. Interesting combination.

I liked the story. This has a nice holiday feel to it with a paranormal feel. I thought the couple was perfect for each other and liked with the holiday theme there was not a lot of couple drama. Mostly the couple stuck together to deal with the other issues.

Good holiday read.

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

4 Hearts

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What’s New: Kelly gives Selkies Are A Girl’s Best Friend 5 Stars

TITLE: Selkies are a Girl’s Best Friend
SERIES #: Mystic Bayou #3
CHARACTERS: Sonja Fong & Will Camody
AUTHOR: Molly Harper
NARRATOR: Amanda Ronconi & Jonathan Davis
RUN TIME: 6 Hours & 33 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: August 27, 2019
ORDER LINKS: On Audible | Amazon only

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
MOLLY HARPER IS BACK WITH THE NEXT WICKEDLY FUNNY, WILDLY ENCHANTING MYSTIC BAYOU NOVEL – AVAILABLE IN AUDIO FIRST!

Sonja Fong isn’t afraid of a little chaos. As director of the league’s research center in Mystic Bayou, a tiny town in Louisiana that’s home to supernatural creatures and humans alike, she’s responsible for making sure things run smoothly. It’s not an easy task when her daily memos include lines like, “new equipment is needed because the old equipment was destroyed by a temper tantrum involving dragonfire.”

The job puts her in the path of Dr. Will Camody, a mysterious shifter who’s returned to Mystic Bayou after a long absence only to find that he’s now considered an outsider. To make matters worse, the rift – a tear in the fabric of the universe that is leaking supernatural energy into the bayou – is unraveling at an alarming rate. Now Sonja and Will must team up to fix the rift and save Mystic Bayou from certain disaster, all while their own romance is heating up. Can they have a future together while the whole world is falling apart?

REVIEW:
Oh my sweet tea!! Sonja finally gets her story!! *Happy Dance*

I really enjoyed this story! It was great to see tough as nails Sonja find her weakness. Who just happens to be in the form of a Selkie. Will is great too! He is just the perfect amount of damaged for Sonja. It was great to watch (listen) them both overcome their insecurities about a relationship. I can’t wait to see what is next in this series!!! I really really hope that we will learn more about Mr. & Mrs. Fong!!

As always I listened to this book on audio. Thank you Audible.com for making this book free to members :). Amanda Ronconi is amazing as always!! And even though I am not a fan of the dual narrators in an audiobook Jonathon Davis is growing on me. I look forward to the next installment in this series.

Disclaimer:
I purchased this book from Audible and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

 

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What’s New: Kelly gives The Institute by Stephen King 4 Stars!

TITLE: The Institute
CHARACTERS: Luke Ellis, Avery Dixon and the other kids of the Institute
AUTHOR: Stephen King
NARRATOR: Santino Fontana
RUN TIME: 18 Hours & 59 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: September 10, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It—publishing just as the second part of It, the movie, lands in theaters.

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”
In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.
As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.

REVIEW:
Well now…..

The Institute is a classic Stephen King with all the “What the heck?’, ‘OMG could that really happen ?’, and the ‘I will never be able to trust that gut feeling without questioning everything’. The Institute was not scary like It or Pet Cemetery, but it was highly disturbing and will make you wonder.

There are a lot of moving parts in this story and listening on audio was a little confusing at the very beginning. Trying to figure out who and why we were following certain characters. But Mr. King does a great job of putting everything in order and give us as many answers as possible.

This is my first audiobook narrated by Santino Fontana. Mr. Fontana does a really good job bring the characters alive. My only struggle (and I think I struggle with a lot of male narrators) is the female voices. There were a few of them that I just wasn’t wild about. But other then that it was a wonderfully long audiobook.

Fans of Stephen King will enjoy this latest installment to his amazing library of classics.

Disclaimer:
I purchased this audiobook from Audible.com and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts
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What’s New: Kelly reviews Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh

TITLE:  Wolf Rain

SERIES #: Psy-Changeling Trinity #3

CHARACTERS: Alexei & Memory

AUTHOR: Nalini Signh 

NARRATOR: Angela Dawe

RUN TIME: 13 hours & 26 minutes

PUBLICATION DATE: June 4, 2019 

ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us on a new adventure in this next novel of the Psy-Changeling Trinity series…

The end of Silence was supposed to create a better world for future generations. But trust is broken, and the alliance between Psy, Changeling, and human is thin. The problems that led to Silence are back in full force. Because Silence fixed nothing, just hid the problems.

This time, the Psy have to find a real answer to their problems–if one exists. Or their race will soon go extinct in a cascade of violence. The answer begins with an empath who is attuned to monsters–and who is going to charm a wolf into loving her despite his own demons.

REVIEW:

Another wonderful, wonderful story from Nalini Singh. Wolf Rain is the third installment in the Trinity Series but the 18th book in the overall PsyChangeling series. I really loved this story from start to finish. Everything from the multiple story arcs to the love story of Alexei and Memory to all of the cameos by my favorite character Judd. Everything about this book was wonderful.

I can’t wait to see what Nalini has in story for this world next.

Angela Dawe does an amazing job narrating as always. I am totally in love with her talent to be able to do so many voices. It is so great that she has been the voice of the PsyChangeling series. I am already excited to the next book and to be able to listen to Angela.

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

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What’s New: Kimberly reviews American Witch by Thea Harrison

 

TITLE: American Witch
CHARACTERS: Molly & Josiah
AUTHOR: Thea Harrison
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/29/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Power can change a person…

For months Molly Sullivan endures the inexplicable: electrical surges, car breakdowns, visions. She even wonders if she might be the cause… and wonders if she might be crazy. Then she discovers her husband has cheated on her. Again. Now Molly realizes she is a newly awakening witch and a woman pushed over the edge.

Revenge can shape a person…

Josiah Mason is a Powerful witch and the leader of a secret coven with a shared goal: to destroy an ancient enemy who has ruined many lives. Josiah lost years to this man, and his sole focus is revenge. He’s prepared for every contingency—except encountering a beautiful new witch who understands nothing of the immense Power building within her or the attraction she wields over him.

Danger can bring them together…

When divorcing her husband, Molly uncovers a dangerous secret he’s willing to kill to protect. She turns to Josiah for help, and they discover a connection between Molly’s husband and Josiah’s enemy.

As they work together, a spark ignites between them that threatens to become an inferno. But Molly is done compromising herself for any man, and Josiah’s mission is his top priority. And the enemy is cunning, cruel, and drawing ever closer.

As the danger escalates, so does the tension between them. Is a lasting relationship possible? Will either of them live long enough to try?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This was a cute read. Molly is married but finds her husband is cheating on her and when she meets Josiah her true power within herself comes out.

There is a romance that blooms while she learns what her powers are about.

But there is more than just magic between them so the danger takes the two of them on a magical ride and of love and intrigue.

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