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Kimberly reviews There’s Something About Cornwall by Daisy James

theres something about cornwallTITLE: There’s Something About Cornwall
CHARACTERS: Emilie & Matt
AUTHOR: Daisy James
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/08/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A knight in a shining camper van!

Life is far from picture perfect for food photographer, Emilie Roberts. Not only has her slimy ex cheated on her, he’s also stolen her dream assignment to beautiful Venice! Instead, Emilie is heading to the wind-swept Cornish coast…

Emilie doesn’t think it can get any worse – until disaster strikes on the very first day! And there’s only one man to rescue this damsel in distress: extremely hunky surfing instructor, Matt Ashby.

Racing from shoot to shoot in a bright orange vintage camper van, Matt isn’t the conventional knight in shining armour – but can he make all of Emilie’s fairy tale dreams come true?

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts I had the hardest time with this book. First the author has an odd way of writing. There are typical lines that I assume sounded odd because of it being Brit-Lit but there is more. There are a lot of $5 words that could have been written in normal every day verbiage.

Then there is Emilie who I just never found that I liked. Her confidence is really low because of the breakup with her boyfriend but when Matt comes into her life there just seems to be too much about her ex for me. Then there is the background characters which, again, I just didn’t enjoy.

As I said I had the hardest time with this story. There could have been a number of reason but it really just comes down to “it wasn’t my kind of book”.

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

3hearts-68-77

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Kelly reviews Quieter Than Killing by Sarah Hillary

quieter than killingTITLE: Quieter Than Killing
SERIES #: DI Marnie Rome #4
CHARACTERS: DI Marnie Rome
AUTHOR: Sarah Hillary
PUBLICATION DATE: March 9, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It’s winter, the nights are dark and freezing, and a series of seemingly random assaults is pulling DI Marnie Rome and DS Noah Jake out onto streets of London. When Marnie’s family home is ransacked, there are signs that the burglary can have only been committed by someone who knows her. Then a child goes missing, yet no-one has reported it. Suddenly, events seem connected, and it’s personal.

Someone out there is playing games. It is time for both Marnie and Noah to face the truth about the creeping, chilling reaches of a troubled upbringing. Keeping quiet can be a means of survival, but the effects can be as terrible as killing.

REVIEW:
Quieter Than Killing takes us on a ride of murder, kidnapping and revenge. DI Rome and DS Jake have new mystery on their hands. At first things don’t seem to fit any kind of normal profile. But as they dig deep and deep the connections start to from. And just when you think you have all the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed you learn something new. So you have to ask yourself…… How far would you go for revenge?

Another wonderful story by Ms. Hillary. Just when I thought that Marnie’s life couldn’t get more complicated Quieter Than Killing brings out some very troubling issues. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Beachside Sweet Shop by Karen Clarke

Beachside sweet shopTITLE: The Beachside Sweet Shop
CHARACTERS: Marnie, Josh, Beth & Celia
AUTHOR: Karen Clarke
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/02/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Chocolate fudge, butterscotch and raspberry bonbons… treat yourself to some sugary treats, a big slice of friendship and a sprinkling of romance at The Beachside Sweet Shop.

When Marnie Appleton inherited a sweet shop from her grandfather she was determined to do his legacy proud. The shop has been a much-loved feature of the little seaside town of Shipley for years, but now Marnie needs to bring it up to date, and she’s recruited gorgeous new assistant Josh to help.

Marnie gets busy redecorating the shop and choosing delicious new sweets to stock, but things are never that simple: new neighbour Isobel, a fame-hungry blogger, is on a crusade against sugar, and she’ll go to any lengths to secure bad publicity for Marnie’s shop.

Marnie fights back with homemade sugar-free treats, but with her best friend Beth heavily pregnant, her grandmother Celia recovering from an operation, and her very recently ex-boyfriend Alex returning to Shipley with a new love, Marnie has a lot on her plate.

And then there’s Josh, with whom Marnie is struggling to keep her relationship strictly professional…Will both the sweet shop and love flourish?

REVIEW:
2.75 Heart I had the hardest time with this book. First it just didn’t have the lightheartedness that I expected from the description. There is way too much about Marnie wanting to keep the place for her grandfather. Beth and her hubby are not really very interesting to me either. Marnie spends way too much time thinking of Alex and Josh seems too young for Marnie in attitude not years.

This was just not my cup of tea.

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

3hearts-68-77

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Natasha reviews Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens

never let you goTITLE: Never Let You Go
CHARACTERS: Lindsey, Sophie and Andrew
AUTHOR: Chevy Stevens
PUBLICATION DATE: March 14, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started over with a new life.

Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with her own business and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When Andrew is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties and left the past behind her. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded, and her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it’s her ex-husband, even though he claims he’s a different person. But has he really changed? Is the one who wants her dead closer to home than she thought?

With Never Let You Go, Chevy Stevens delivers a chilling, twisting thriller that crackles with suspense as it explores the darkest heart of love and obsession.

REVIEW:
I have to be honest, I am not typically a fan of domestic violence novels. However, I will read Chevy Stevens darn grocery list so of course I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. I have to say; from the beginning, I was invested. I assumed it would follow the typical battered wife storyline and that the whole story would be fairly predictable. I was pleasantly surprised. The story switches perspective between Lindsey and her daughter Sophie. I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this way. Like all of Chevy’s characters, these characters are uniquely written in a way that makes you truly care for each of them.

I read the book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I kept assuming the ending was going to be so obvious, but it wasn’t! Such a good read! If you’re looking for some good entertainment I highly recommend giving this book a go.

Disclaimer:
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

5hearts-68-77

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Kelly reviews Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones

11th graveTITLE: Eleventh Grave in Moonlight
SERIES #: Charley Davidson #11
CHARACTERS: Charley & Reyes
AUTHOR: Darynda Jones
NARRATOR: Lorelei King
RUN TIME: 9 Hours & 18 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: January 24, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah…demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. In this eleventh installment, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after after all.

REVIEW:
Why Charley!!! Why on earth did you do that. Why did you let him…… Uggggg I can’t believe I have to wait until October to see how Charley gets herself out of this miss.

Eleventh Grave will take you on a wild ride and of course Charley is driving so you know things are going to get crazy. So much happens in this book that is leading us to the end of this beloved series. We do get some questions answered. But we get a lot more questions that need to be addressed. Ugg, I am not even sure how to tell you without spoiling the book for you.

But be prepared, you will laugh, you will cry, you will die a little inside and you will scream at Charley (a lot)!!!!! I really can’t wait to see what happens next. To see how this gets fixed. I want to know so bad but at the same time I am dreading the ending.

Ms. King does an amazing job as always. She brings Charley, Reyes, Cookie and all of them to life. I am so thankful that I started this series on audio!! I will be sad when it is done. I am going to have to start looking for a new series narrated by Ms. King.

Until next time!!!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased an audio copy of this book to review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

5hearts-68-77

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Kimberly reviews Flash Of Fury by Lea Griffith

flash of furyTITLE: Flash of Fury
SERIES #: Endgame Ops #1
CHARACTERS: King & Allie
AUTHOR: Lea Griffith
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/07/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Their spark is immediate

Kingston McNally lost men when someone betrayed his team, and now he’s out for retribution. His quest for the enemy’s courier leads him to Cameroon and Allie Redding, a petite Peace Corps volunteer as stubborn as she is brave. Their attraction is immediate, but Allie has secrets of her own…and she’s not giving them up easily.

But their secrets could burn them both

Allie’s life has been spent hiding in plain sight, but she’s had enough of her cloak-and-dagger existence. On her way home, her plane is hijacked-and King saves her life. But that doesn’t mean she owes him anything…even if he is the most damnably sexy man she’s ever laid eyes on. He’s got black ops and secrets written all over him, and trust is a two-way street.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts I really enjoyed this book. King is damn hot if you ask me. His character is strong, a natural leader, dominate and yet can turn that around for the woman who grabs his heart… which is exactly what Allie does.

There are a LOT of twist and turns to this story. There is also a lot of fighting, running and sexual tension.
And a bit of repetitive storyline.

The story does have a bit of a feel that we have missed something. I actually wondered if I had missed the first in the series but checked and this is the first one. But even though it has that feel it does answer all the questions that the reader does have.

I really really really enjoyed this book. The only reason the number wasn’t higher is the repetitiveness. There is a lot of action and sometimes I just kind of felt like “won’t these two ever get a break?”. And some thoughts and storyline is repeated a bit too many times. But again reading this book is worth it every repeated letter.

I can’t wait until the next one. And the funny part is I don’t even care who’s story it is because all of the guys at Endgame Ops are just the kind of guys I love reading about!!!

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Kelly reviews Firestorm by Donna Grant

firestormTITLE: Firestorm
SERIES #: Dark Kings #
CHARACTERS: Dimitri & Faith
AUTHOR: Donna Grant
PUBLICATION DATE: March 7, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
SCORCHED BY DESIRE

Dimitri lives to protect the secret of the Dragon Kings from the human race. Bound by a bond stronger than blood to the Kings, Dimitri uses his strength and prowess to defend a thousand-year-old secret. But when an oh-so-sexy, slightly absent-minded archaeologist wanders into his midst, Dimitri will have to give up his rules, and give in to desire…

When Dr. Faith Reynold stumbles upon an ancient skeleton that appears it comes from a dragon, she’s completely taken aback. A woman of science, there’s no way in her mind that this mythological creature can exist. But when a devilishly handsome man named Dimitri intercepts her path to uncovering the truth, Faith’s curiosity turns into all-consuming passion. She’s never felt this way about any man before. But when Dimitri reveals his biggest secret, can she learn to love the man—as well as the dragon within, in Firestorm, the next Dark Kings novel by New York Times bestselling author Donna Grant.

REVIEW:
I enjoyed Dimitri’s book. I liked that this storyline went in a different direction from prior books. I enjoyed learning more about the Dragon Kings history and the events that surround them forcing their dragons away. My heart broke for Dimitri when he realized what was in that mountain. I am on the fence about Faith. I neither loved or hated her. I felt she was somewhere in the middle of the road for me.
I will have to say the highlight of this story is the lengthy conversation that Rhi & Con have. Yes, they actually have a conversation.
I have been loving this series (and the Reapers) but I am getting very antsy waiting for Rhi’s story and the final showdown. I know what I would like to have happen, but like all evil authors Ms. Grant is making us wait.
Until next time Kings.

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Girl In The Painting by Kirsty Ferry

the girl in the paintingTITLE: The Girl In The Painting
SERIES #: Rossetti Mysteries #2
CHARACTERS: Cori & Simon
AUTHOR: Kirsty Ferry
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/07/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
What if you thought you knew a secret that could change history?
Whilst standing engrossed in her favourite Pre-Raphaelite painting – Millais’s Ophelia – Cori catches the eye of Tate gallery worker, Simon, who is immediately struck by her resemblance to the red-haired beauty in the famous artwork.

The attraction is mutual, but Cori has other things on her mind. She has recently acquired the diary of Daisy, a Victorian woman with a shocking secret. As Cori reads, it soon becomes apparent that Daisy will stop at nothing to be heard, even outside of the pages of her diary …

Will Simon stick around when life becomes increasingly spooky for Cori, as she moves ever closer to uncovering the truth about Daisy’s connection to the girl in her favourite painting?

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts This is the second in the series and I am most certainly going back to pick up book 1( Some Veil Did Fall). I won’t say this book is perfect. It isn’t. It can be a little jumpy and some things move fast and others slow but something about this book pulled me in within a couple of pages and I just kept wanting to read it. But honestly I can’t pin down what it is.

Cori is obsessed with a painting and meets Simon at the museum. Then she is given the diary of the person who may be the girl in the painting (hence the title). The issue comes when Daisy (the author of the diary) comes to Cori in spiritual form and Cori freaks out, rightfully so. Simon is by her side throughout the situation but so is Lissy, Becky and Jon from book 1.

I have to say that I believe it was the writing that pulled me in. The story is interesting and the characters are good, the romance is ok and the setting is common but something about this story was just so wonderful.

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

4 Hearts
4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks

how to tame a beastTITLE: How To Tame A Beast In Seven Days
SERIES #: The Embraced #1
CHARACTERS: Luciana & Leofric
AUTHOR: Kerrelyn Sparks
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/07/17
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Luciana grew up on the Isle of Moon, hidden away because of her magical powers. But when her father arrives, he offers her a choice: remain on the island or return with him and marry the Beast of Benwick in order to save their legacy—and her father’s life.

Lord Leofric, the Beast of Benwick, has not been touched since he was a child. Born with the power to harness lightning, he is a danger to everyone he touches. When he meets his betrothed, he expects a loveless, lonely marriage…until he discovers she’s vastly more powerful than he realized. But is she strong enough to withstand his touch?

If they can survive, their love will alter the future of the kingdom. But will their extraordinary powers cost them everything?

REVIEW:
4.75 Heart This is a book that has everything. You want a book with romance? Done! Want a book with a historical feel? Done! Want a book with a paranormal feel? Done! Want a book set in another realm? Done! DONE DONE DONE! Everything a reader could want is in this book.

Luciana has grown up an orphan. When her father comes back to get her her whole life changes. Leo has never known love or even been able to receive compassion. Now they have found each other in an unexpected way and there are fireworks.

Lately I have been forcing myself to read. I just seemed to have other things to do but when this book hit my hands I was a goner. I couldn’t put this book down. I just wanted to keep reading. I can’t even explain it but it pulled me in from moment one and I just hated to stop reading it. I can not wait for the next one. I even went to NetGalley hoping the new one may be up but unfortunately not yet.

There is only one reason it did not get the full 5 stars and it is because at the end it seemed a bit preachy about religion. But even that was great. Heck I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning knowing my alarm would sound at 6:30. I am assuming the books will follow age order for the girls but I really can’t wait for what I hope will be Maeve and Brody’s story.

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

5hearts-68-77

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Kelly reviews Face The Flames by Jo Davis

face the flamesTITLE: Face the Flames
SERIES #: Sugarland Blues #6
CHARACTERS: Clay Montana & Melissa Ryan
AUTHOR: Jo Davis
PUBLICATION DATE: March 7, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The author of “Bring the Heat “returns to Sugarland, where a firefighter from Station Five will face the dangers in risking his heart…
A near-fatal accident left firefighter/paramedic Clay Montana with devastating injuries. Now, after a year-long recovery, Clay is focused on one thing: getting his body back to form, so he can return to the job he loves. And then a chance meeting with a fiery redhead changes his life…
Detective Melissa Ryan may be the new cop on the block, but she’s no stranger to Sugarland. It’s where she lived with her violent, criminal uncle a man she needs to see behind bars. But when she meets Clay at a crime scene, the down-but-far-from-out firefighter makes her rethink her priorities.
Getting close to Clay is intoxicating, but Melissa must keep her wits about her if she s to protect them from a man with deadly intentions ”

REVIEW:
CLAY!! I am so glad that we finally got Clay’s story. As all of the guys/gals start to fall in love, Clay finds himself the odd man out. But he is okay with that or he thought he was. There is nothing like almost dying to put your life into perspective.
Clay is great. I really liked his grit and determination to get back into the Station house. Throw in the tough new Detective Melissa Ryan and you get fireworks from the word go. I enjoyed the fireworks between these two. But I am thinking these two need to live in a safety bubble.
I loved how all the guys/gals of Station Five are always there for each other too. I can’t wait to see what is next in this series for us.

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.

4 Hearts
4 Hearts