Review Sunday – Page 72 – Books-n-Kisses

June 1, 2016May 29, 2016

Kimberly reviews Blood Lust by Alexandra Ivy

TITLE: Blood Lust
SERIES #: The Sentinels #3
CHARACTERS: Bas & Myst
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/31/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Blessed and cursed by their hidden abilities, the Sentinels have no choice but to live, and love, on the edge of humanity…

The Sentinel assassin, Bas, is facing the greatest challenge of his outcast existence. His young daughter, Molly, has been kidnapped. But her disappearance has brought the return of her mother, Myst, whom Bas has never forgotten–or forgiven.

Haunted by a vision that she’s destined to create a weapon that will destroy thousands, Myst was never impulsive–until she met the irresistibly handsome Bas. But with the Brotherhood, the enemy of the high-bloods hunting for her, Myst had to stay on the run, to keep her child, and the world, safe. Now, with the most important thing in both their lives at stake, she and Bas must embark on a treacherous journey to save Molly, to confront the truth of Myst’s fate–and to face their fierce desire for one another.

REVIEW:
I have been waiting for Bas’s story. And what a story it is. When Molly is kidnapped Bas and Myst will do anything to get her back. Myst dropped Molly off with Bas after she was born and never cared. Or that was at least what Bas thought but now he realizes that Myst did what she had to so Molly would be safe.

I enjoyed Myst. She is a strong woman but at the same time vulnerable. Bas is totally alpha and man he is hot!

Do not read this as a stand alone. You really need to meet Bas from the beginning. You will not regret it.

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

May 31, 2016May 29, 2016

Kimberly reviews Heart Of A Bad Boy by Sugar Jamison

TITLE: Heart Of A Bad Boy
SERIES #: Destiny #3
CHARACTERS: Shelly & Levi
AUTHOR: Sugar Jamison
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/31/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The Bad Boys of Destiny are back and this sexy charmer will stop at nothing to win the heart of the one woman who never let him down.

Shelly Walker was born to be good. Raised by her deeply religious, prison guard father, Shelly was taught that good girls follow the rules—and definitely don’t sin. Just as her father announces he’s arranging her marriage, Shelly’s childhood friend-turned-TV host, Levi King, unexpectedly returns. With his sexy smile and bad boy charm he’s the type of guy who has sin written all over him.

Levi has been fond of Shelly since childhood, but when he returns to town, he sees that the delicate girl he knew has turned into a bombshell. Levi encourages Shelly to shake things up, but when Shelly tells him that she’s considering obeying her father and starting a family, Levi realizes that being with Shelly means more to him than just a good time. Will Shelly follow the rules or will she take a chance on the bad boy?

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts I have really enjoyed the King boys and this is Levi’s story. When the boys have been called back to their hometown to care for an ailing aunt they each have a surprise in their future… Love.

Levi and Shelly have a history. They were friends growing up and continued to stay in touch as they grew up. He still sends her trinkets, gifts and correspondence but when he goes back home he is not exactly expecting Shelly to have grown up. He still thinks of her as 15 but now she is an adult… yet one that has had very little experience in life. Shelly wants to try it all. So when she makes a list of firsts the only one she wants to do them with is Levi.

You have heard the saying “when the cat’s away the mice will play”? When daddy is away Shelly will play and Levi is happy to play along. I found these two adorable. There is something so sweet about Shelly and her innocence even though she is far beyond the age of innocence. And I enjoyed the way Levi seemed to be with Shelly.

This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone but you will love the King boys so why not enjoy the whole family?

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

May 30, 2016May 29, 2016

Kelly reviews For 100 Days by Lara Adrian

TITLE: For 100 Days
SERIES #: 100 Days #1
CHARACTERS: Dominic “Nick” Baine & Avery
AUTHOR: Lara Adrian
PUBLICATION DATE:
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Pleasure has a price . . .

Just when everything in my life is falling apart, I find a chance to turn it around–to step into someone else’s glittering world, if only for a little while. I become someone new, no longer the woman defined by an ugly past, but a woman freer and bolder than myself. A woman who isn’t afraid to explore every passion, even at its darkest, with a mysterious and seductive man who believes my mask is real.

Handsome and commanding, enigmatic and irresistible, billionaire Dominic Baine is an obsession I cannot afford and should not risk. He ushers me into consuming new pleasures and addicting new desires, until the line between my real life and the fantasy one I’ve stolen with him begins to blur.

I know I cannot keep my truth from him. I know my past will not stay buried forever. But before I can make it right, everything comes crashing down. I have deceived this powerful, dangerous man . . . and now there is a price to be paid.

* * * * * * * *
FOR 100 DAYS is the first novel in a passionate new contemporary romance trilogy from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Lara Adrian. Coming soon: FOR 100 NIGHTS and FOR 100 REASONS.

REVIEW:
WOWZA!!! That was my first thought when I found out the Ms. Adrian was writing a new series. So of course when the opportunity came up to review For 100 Days there was no way I could say no. I had to see what Ms. Adrian could do with an Erotica Romance. Ms. Adrian didn’t disappoint!!!!
For 100 Days is written in first person which I don’t read a lot of but was done great!! While we don’t get an in depth view Nick we learn a lot about Avery. We also learn that there is a lot in Avery’s past that we don’t know about. We get to experience Nick though Avery’s eyes and of course that makes us all love him even more. I really enjoyed the storyline of these two. The pull between them is wonderful, yet both are holding something back. Something that each is afraid will push the other away.
It will be interesting to see where Nick & Avery go over the course of the next two books but one thing is for sure it is going to be a wild ride!!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lara Adrian in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

May 27, 2016May 25, 2016

Kimberly reviews Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham

TITLE: Haunted Destiny
SERIES #: Krewe Of Hunters #18
CHARACTERS: Jude & Alexi
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/24/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Between the evil and the deep blue sea…

A historic cruise ship, a haunted ship, the Celtic American Line’s Destiny, sets sail from the Port of New Orleans—with a killer on board. He’s known as the Archangel Killer because of the way he displays his victims in churches. And how he places a different saint’s medallion on each body. No one knows exactly who he is or why he’s doing this.

Jackson Crow—head of the FBI’s Krewe of Hunters, a special unit of paranormal investigators—is assigned to the case, along with local agent Jude McCoy. Then Alexi Cromwell, who works in the ship’s piano bar, is drawn into the situation when a victim’s ghost appears to her—and to Jude. She and Jude share an attraction, and not just because of their mutual talent.

There are many suspects, but one by one they’re ruled out… Or are they? In the end, Jude and Alexi have to rely on each other to catch the killer and escape his evil plans for Alexi.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts I usually enjoy the Krewe Of Hunters series but this wasn’t one of my favorites. It took me a while to realize why I didn’t enjoy it as much was because there was no real history. One of the things I like most in these stories is learning the history of the area that Graham has written about. Learning about certain events makes me want to hop a plane and head to the scene of the book. This book just didn’t have that. Set on an ocean liner it just doesn’t have that the same feeling.

Also Alexi and Jude really jumped into the relationship and were talking love practically before the ship sailed. I did enjoy the ghost and the ending actually choked me up a little but this story just doesn’t match up to most of the Krewe stories.

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

May 26, 2016May 25, 2016

Natasha reviews City Of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

TITLE: City of Mirrors
SERIES #: The Passage #3
CHARACTERS: Amy, Peter, Alicia and the survives of First Colony
AUTHOR: Justin Cronin
PUBLICATION DATE: May 24, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In “The Passage” and “The Twelve”, Justin Cronin brilliantly imagined the fall of civilization and humanity’s desperate fight to survive. Now all is quiet on the horizon but does silence promise the nightmare’s end or the second coming of unspeakable darkness? At last, this bestselling epic races to its breathtaking finale.

“The world we knew is gone. What world will rise in its place?”

The Twelve have been destroyed and the hundred-year reign of darkness that descended upon the world has ended. The survivors are stepping outside their walls, determined to build society anew and daring to dream of a hopeful future.

But far from them, in a dead metropolis, he waits: Zero. The First. Father of the Twelve. The anguish that shattered his human life haunts him, and the hatred spawned by his transformation burns bright. His fury will be quenched only when he destroys Amy – humanity’s only hope, the Girl from Nowhere who grew up to rise against him.

One last time light and dark will clash, and at last Amy and her friends will know their fate.

REVIEW:
How do you say goodbye to such a significant part of your literary life? With a heavy, but full heart. I have waited many years for the final installment of the series that first captivated me in 2011. After countless readings and recommendations, the end has finally come. From the second chapter of The Passage, I knew this series was going to be amazing, and over the course of 5 years Cronin has not disappointed. City of Mirrors has everything we love about this series: amazing character development, detailed scene building, passion, heartbreak, loss and fulfillment.

As with the previous installments, this book spans hundreds of years and answers almost every question you’ve ever had about what happened to the world we all knew. I will say there were portions of the book I struggled with, but understood that Cronin does not waste words. Literally, every single word, every single detail serves a purpose. That purpose is not always apparent right away, but my goodness are they are worth it. As with any fantastic series, it is always sad when the final book arrives. However, this series is living and vibrant and will continue to live on through years of re-reading and recommending. It is my favorite series of all time. When you pick it up, you will be unable to put it back down.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

May 25, 2016May 24, 2016

#TBW Kelly’s review of Dire Needs by Stephanie Tyler – Catch Up From The Beginning

TITLE: DIRE NEEDS
Book 1: Eternal Wolf Clan Series
AUTHOR: Stephanie Tyler
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/06/2012
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Powell’s

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The full moon is their mistress. They are predators of pleasure and pain. Feared by humans, envied by werewolves, the Dire Wolves are immortal shifters, obeying no laws but their own bestial natures. Once they were many, but now only six remain, a dangerous wolfpack forever on the hunt…

Rifter leads the pack, embracing the lifestyle and ethics of an outlaw biker even as he battles an ancient enemy who has become a new, powerful force. But with his Brother Wolf raging inside him, howling to be unleashed, he needs to satisfy his hungers. And when he meets a drop-dead gorgeous blonde drinking alone in a bar that caters to both human and inhuman, Rifter’s primal instinct is to claim her.

Gwen has her own desires, long unfulfilled. She hopes a passionate night with the leather-clad, Harley-riding biker will ease her suffering. The seizures that have wracked her body her entire life are incurable—and they’re killing her.

But none of that will matter if Rifter can’t stop the growing threat to them all–trappers who are determined to enslave humankind and use the Dire wolves as part of their nefarious plan.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly
NUMBER OF STARS: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this story. As with most first books in a series there is a lot of world building and introductions of characters. And boy are there characters in this book. I am already looking forward to Jinx, Vice, Rogue, Stray & Liam’s books. Oh and don’t forget the twins…. But I am getting to far ahead of myself, back to the review. Dire Needs is Rifter and Gwen’s story.

Rifter is the reluctant leader of the last remaining Dires (an immortal werewolf). The last thing Rifter ever expected to find was Gwen. Trouble, Yes!! Danger, Yes!! But Gwen, Never. Now he can’t do anything but think about her. When Gwen is put in danger Rifter does what any wolf would do to protect his mate. He fights to the death for her. But how can this human be his mate? He and his brothers are cursed to never find mates. This has to be some cruel joke, but will Rifter fight for what he wants or fight against fate?

Gwen doesn’t have much time left. She is a walking time bomb and one of these days she will die. So Gwen decides it is time to live her life and do the one thing that she has never done before, fight a man. Gwen lives for now, not the past that tries to haunt her, not the future she will never have, but now, because that is all she has left. When Gwen sees Rifter for the very first time, she know he is just what she has been looking for. What Gwen doesn’t know is how the beautiful stranger will completely change her life in a very, very short time.

So back to what I was saying about the characters. The cast of characters in this book are great. Each has such strong personalities. Vice, is cocky (wink, wink) to a fault, Jinx is so caring, Rogue is lost, Stray is quite, Liam is angry, and the twins, well the twins are just naughty.

I loved Rifter. He is strong, stubborn, loyal and willing to protect everyone even if it means to sacrifice himself. Everything a born leader should be. Now that he has found his Queen he is finally ready to step into the role of leader.

I look forward to seeing where Stephanie takes us next in this series. Thank you Stephanie for the opportunity to review your book.

May 24, 2016May 15, 2016

Kelly reviews All The Pretty Faces by Rita Herron

TITLE: All The Pretty Faces
SERIES #: Graveyard Falls #2
CHARACTERS: Dane Hamrick & Josie DuKane
AUTHOR: Rita Herron
PUBLICATION DATE: March 29, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Josie DuKane is on shaky ground. Having narrowly escaped the notorious Bride Killer, she penned a tell-all memoir that dug up a town’s dark past. Now the book is being made into a movie, and Josie must visit the very place that will trigger an avalanche of unwanted memories—Graveyard Falls. On the heels of her arrival, she receives a gruesome photograph of a dead woman with talon marks carved into her face. And worse, Josie just might be the next victim.

Torn between guilt, justice, and revenge, Special Agent Dane Hamrick will do anything to find the man who brutally murdered his sister. When he realizes the recent tragedies in Graveyard Falls bear an uncanny resemblance to her death, he volunteers to spearhead the investigation. But doing so means teaming up with Josie.

Nothing prepares him for the feelings the beautiful, tough woman evokes. As the body count rises and the suspect pool widens, Josie and Dane must put aside their growing attraction to run down the killer who devastated both their lives.

A killer who seems determined to destroy all the pretty faces.

REVIEW:
Oh man!!! All the Pretty Faces is an excellent follow up to Ms. Herron’s All the Beautiful Brides. We met Dane & Josie in book one.
****This might be a spoiler, so if you have not read book 1 and don’t want to know stop here****

Josie was the lone survivor of the Bride Killer. To cope with this she wrote a story to tell about the events that happened. Now she is back in Graveyard Falls getting ready for her book to be turned into a movie. But there are many in town that don’t want Josie there or want the stories to be retold. But how far is someone willing to go to make her leave? Is someone willing to start killing just to stop a movie?

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the past gets all tangled up in the present and how we left guessing who is who and why they did what they did.

I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

May 23, 2016May 15, 2016

Kelly reviews City Of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

TITLE: City of Mirrors
SERIES #: The Passage #3
CHARACTERS: Amy, Peter, Alicia and the survives of First Colony
AUTHOR: Justin Cronin
PUBLICATION DATE: May 24, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

“The world we knew is gone. What world will rise in its place?”

One last time light and dark will clash, and at last Amy and her friends will know their fate.

REVIEW:
What a way to end a trilogy.
The Passage trilogy has been such an emotional journey for me. I have loved every page of this series.
If you have not read The Passage (bk1) and The Twelve (bk2) you have to read this series in order.
The City of Mirrors picks up three years after the events of The Twelve. We finally learn what happened to Amy. We get to see Peter in the role of leader. Michael finally figures out what his role is in the world. Alicia will break your heart. Sara and Hollis will find strength in each other. We have to prepare for a showdown that could cost the world everything.
I had a hard time writing this review without giving up anything. But Mr. Cornin took us on a crazy emotional journey that made me tear up multiple times. I was not sure what I was expecting with the final book in this series but there were a lot of twists and turns that I did not expect.
If you are new to this series start at book one! If you are a fan already hold onto your hat because the end is here.

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

May 20, 2016May 16, 2016

Kimberly reviews Little Bones by Sam Blake

TITLE: Little Bones
CHARACTERS: Cat & Zoe
AUTHOR: Sam Blake
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/17/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
For fans of Alex Barclay and Niamh O’Connor, Little Bones introduces Cathy Connolly, a bright young heroine set to take the world of crime fiction by storm.

Twenty-four-year-old Garda Cathy Connolly might be a fearless kick-boxing champion but when she discovers a baby’s bones concealed in the hem of a wedding dress, the case becomes personal.

For artist Zoe Grant, the bones are another mysterious twist in her mother’s disappearance. Then her grandmother, head of the Grant Valentine department store empire is found dead, and a trail of secrets is uncovered that threatens to shake a dynasty.

In a story that moves from London’s East End to the Las Vegas mafia, one thing is certain – for Cat, life will never be the same again.

REVIEW:
What an interesting story. When a baby’s bones are found in a wedding dress hem the mystery really takes off. Cat is a great character. She has issues but don’t we all. Her issues just add to her character. I enjoyed her with the partner Dawson but it is really Cat that holds the book for me.

All of the characters in the story are interesting. I will say it was hard for me to keep them straight for a little while but once I kept reading it got much easier for me.

I really hope this story is the first in the series. I haven’t heard anything one way or the other but the story leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger so I really look forward to continuing on.

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

May 19, 2016May 15, 2016

#TBT Kimberly’s review of Beside A Dreamswept Sea by Vicki Hinze – Catch Up From The Beginning

Beside A Dreamswept Sea
AUTHOR: Vicki Hinze
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/23/11
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Welcome to the third book of The Seascape Trilogy, three mystical romance-mystery novels by bestselling author Vicki Hinze.
New love isn’t on the agenda for widower Bryce Richards, who comes to the peaceful Seascape Inn with his three children, hoping the ethereal setting will help them recover from the death of their mother. Likewise, fellow inn guest Callie isn’t looking for romance either; she’s recovering from an emotionally abusive marriage. It will take all the matchmaking skills of innkeeper Hattie Stillman and her ghostly assistant to bring Bryce and Cally together.

REVIEW:
Once again visiting the Seascape Inn was just as delightful and moving as with the rest of the trilogy. The Seascape Inn is a magical and healing inn that makes you long to visit. This should be in the category of a timeless romance. Everyone should read this trilogy at some point in their lives.

This story as with the others of the trilogy read like a movie. You feel taken into another world and it consumes you when you read it. I wish these books would be made into a movie for The Lifetime Channel or something. As with the other books I sit here trying to describe the book but it is more than a read it is a feeling and it is hard to describe the feeling I get from this book. I think everyone who loves romances should read this book/trilogy. This trilogy will be the one that stays with you forever and will become the first book you recommend when someone asks for a new author. So many of the stories now are about sex but these stories are about love and romance… true romance. The romance of people and a place. These books are perfectly written and I wish they would have gone on forever. It is sad to know this is the last of the Seascape Inn and I hope the author changes her mind and writes more now that these have been reissued.

May 18, 2016May 15, 2016

Kimberly reviews Spare Me The Truth by CJ Carver

TITLE: Spare Me The Truth
CHARACTERS: Dan, Grace & Lucy
AUTHOR: CJ Carver
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/07/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Dan Forrester, piecing his life back together after the tragic death of his son, is approached in a supermarket by a woman who tells him everything he remembers about his life – and his son – is a lie.

Grace Reavey, stricken by grief, is accosted at her mother’s funeral. The threat is simple: pay the staggering sum her mother allegedly owed, or lose everything.

Lucy Davies has been forced from the Met by her own maverick behaviour. Desperate to prove herself in her new rural post, she’s on the hunt for a killer – but this is no small town criminal.

Plunged into a conspiracy that will test each of them to their limits, these three strangers are brought together in their hunt for the truth, whatever it costs. And as their respective investigations become further and further entwined, it becomes clear that at the centre of this tangled web is a threat more explosive than any of them could have imagined.

REVIEW:
This is a very well written story with a lot of intrigue and twists. The characters are interesting but I have to say that sometimes I got a bit confused over who was who and what was what.

This thriller made me think. Would anyone want to erase their memories just because they are bad? I can actually see this book becoming a tv series or at least a made for tv movie.

It did take a bit to get into it and at first I wondered if it would be worth the read but in the end I believe it is if you are interested in thrillers with a bit of a science fiction feel.

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

May 17, 2016May 16, 2016

Kimberly reviews Beyond The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

TITLE: Beyond The Ice Limit
SERIES #: Gideon Crew #4
CHARACTERS: Gideon & Glinn
AUTHOR: Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/17/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
BEYOND THE ICE LIMIT
That thing is growing again. We must destroy it. The time to act is now…
With these words begins Gideon Crew’s latest, most dangerous, most high-stakes assignment yet. Failure will mean nothing short of the end of humankind on earth.
Five years ago, the mysterious and inscrutable head of Effective Engineering Solutions, Eli Glinn, led a mission to recover a gigantic meteorite–the largest ever discovered–from a remote island off the coast of South America. The mission ended in disaster when their ship, the Rolvaag, foundered in a vicious storm in the Antarctic waters and broke apart, sinking-along with its unique cargo-to the ocean floor. One hundred and eight crew members perished, and Eli Glinn was left paralyzed.
But this was not all. The tragedy revealed something truly terrifying: the meteorite they tried to retrieve was not, in fact, simply a rock. Instead, it was a complex organism from the deep reaches of space.
Now, that organism has implanted itself in the sea bed two miles below the surface-and it is growing. If it is not destroyed, the planet will be doomed. There is only one hope: for Glinn and his team to annihilate it, a task which requires Gideon’s expertise with nuclear weapons. But as Gideon and his colleagues soon discover, the “meteorite” has a mind of its own-and it has no intention of going quietly…

REVIEW:
Yea! It is about time! The sequel to The Ice Limit.

I am not a huge fan of double author books but Preston & Child is one of my exceptions. There is something about the way that Preston and Child write together that flows freely and gets your attention from word one. There are some times that the book was slow and I just kept with it since I know that P&C will make it all worth it. There were also some things that were predictable but honestly I am not sure if it was predictable because of the story or because I have read enough P&C books to know how they think (oh that is a scary thought).

I will say that, yes, it can be read as a stand alone but The Ice Limit is a great book so pick it up before you read this one. You won’t be disappointed.

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