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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

TITLE: The Christmas Bookshop
CHARACTERS: Carmen, Blair & Oke
AUTHOR: Jenny Colgan
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/16/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel.

When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life.

Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone.

At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city. Can she use her design skills to revamp the store and bring it back to popularity in time to benefit from Christmas shopping traffic? Can she choose between bad boy literary rock star Blair and quiet Quaker student Oke? And will she heal the rift with the most important people of all: her family?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is a very sweet story with a bit of romance but more about the story of two sisters finding their way back to each other.

Carmen has been set to the task of saving an old bookstore after her sister has found her the job. Carmen also has two men wooing her. How will Carmen choose between the good boy and the bad boy?

I really enjoyed the children in this book. So many times the children are written either too old or too young for the ages but not in this book. The kids are a great addition.

A charming book to sit by the fire with a cup of cocoa and enjoy during the holidays.

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

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Kimberly reviews Stillwater Island by Gregg Olsen

TITLE: Stillwater Island
SERIES #: Detective Megan Carpenter #4
CHARACTERS: Megan Carpenter
AUTHOR: Gregg Olsen
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/07/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
“Mommy, I’m scared.” Marlena’s precious boy lies with his little arm thrown over her thigh. It’s pitch-black, and she can hear seagulls. She realises they must be near water, and a new panic rises in her.

At 2 a.m. one icy winter morning, in the smart suburbs of Jefferson County, local father Ben Parker reports his wife Marlena and their little boy missing.

Rushing to the impressive family home, Detective Megan Carpenter finds the halls adorned with pictures of the beautiful, stay-at-home mom and their bright-eyed son. But that’s not all she finds…

A bottle of prenatal vitamins in the bathroom cabinet reveal that Marlena is pregnant. Why didn’t Ben mention this in his panicked call to the police?

Digging deeper into their seemingly perfect marriage, Megan’s fear begins to grow. The couple are separated, there’s talk of an affair, and the neighbors report loud fights. And then, Megan tracks a young woman believed to be Ben’s secret girlfriend, only to find her lifeless body in a secluded wood.

Ben’s watch lies in the undergrowth, and Megan’s team think she’s cracked the case, but she’s sure something’s not right. Ben’s family has wealth including a private island, and connections in high places. Is someone trying to block their investigation?

As Megan starts to wonder if the answer lies on the Parkers’ closely guarded island, just offshore, a shocking revelation makes her question everything. With a killer on the loose, can Megan find the missing pieces to the most complex case of her career and bring Marlena and her little boy home alive? Or will it be too late to save them?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is the fourth in the series and a bit slower than the last three books. Megan is coming into her own and we are getting to know her partner, Ronnie.

The nice thing about this story is it felt true to life. Meaning Megan assumes it is the husband because of the history he and his wife had. It seems that is what happens sometimes especially when the neon arrows are pointing at the husband’s head.

I enjoyed the story except I wanted to speed it along.

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

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Kimberly reviews Annihilation Road by Christine Feehan

TITLE: Annihilation Road
SERIES #: Torpedo Ink #6
CHARACTERS: Savage & Seychelle
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
All paths lead to destruction in the new Torpedo Ink novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.

Savin “Savage” Pajari is convinced he’s not worth a damn thing. He’s not like his brothers. He’s a sadistic monster, a killer—a man no woman could truly love. So it completely throws him when a stranger risks her life for his, pushing him out of the way and taking the hit that would have sent him six feet under. If he had any kind of sense, he’d leave her alone, but Savage can’t get the woman with a smart mouth and no sense of self-preservation out of his head. With one kiss, he’s lost.

Seychelle Dubois has spent her entire life not feeling much of anything, until Savage comes along and sets her whole body on fire. Kissing him was a mistake. Letting him get close would be a catastrophe. He’s the most beautiful—and damaged—man she’s ever met. He has a way of getting under her skin, and what he’s offering is too tempting to resist.

Seychelle knows so little about Savage or the dangerous world of Torpedo Ink, but his darkness draws her like a moth to a flame. Loving him could mean losing herself completely to his needs—needs she doesn’t understand but is eager to learn. But what Savage teaches her could destroy her.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I usually love the writing of Christine Feehan and while I mostly enjoyed this book I had a couple problems. So let’s get that out of the way.

I hate a book where one of the main characters cheats and Savage cheats. It really turned me off. Also this book doesn’t have an ending. Well I mean it does, but in the next book. Also, other triggers like rape, torture, sex trafficing, etc Read the warning Feehan has at the beginning of the book before starting it.

Ok that being said I mostly enjoyed this book. I liked Savage in most cases. Sometimes he pissed me off so that means I was invested. Seychelle was an interesting character. I loved the powers that she has and how she used them. She has such a calming personality.

Another good book from Christine Feehan but be prepared.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

TITLE: The Bone Code
SERIES #: Temperance Brennan #20
CHARACTERS: Temperance Brennan
AUTHOR: Kathy Reichs
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/06/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twentieth gripping novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, whose examinations, fifteen years apart, of unidentified bodies washed up from the sea may be connected to a deadly new pestilence.

A storm has hit South Carolina, dredging up crimes of the past.

On the way to Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan receives a call from the Charleston coroner. During the storm, a medical waste container has washed up on the beach. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Chillingly, Tempe recognizes many details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec fifteen years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she flies to Montreal to gather evidence and convince her boss Pierre LaManch to reopen the cold case. She also seeks the advice—and comfort—of her longtime beau Andrew Ryan.

Meanwhile, a storm of a different type gathers force in South Carolina. The citizens of Charleston are struck by a bacterium that, at its worst, can eat human flesh. Thousands panic and test themselves for a rare genetic mutation that may have rendered them vulnerable.

Shockingly, Tempe eventually discovers that not only are the victims in both grisly murder cases related, but that the murders and the disease outbreak also have a common cause…

REVIEW:
This is the 20th in the series and I have read a few of them but, honestly, have not read some in a while so it was nice to catch up with the characters and see what has been going on.

This story is right on point with today’s climate of vaccinations and such. But we also have a murder that brings Tempe right back to a case she worked years ago but never solved. The suspense of the book was great. Having had the break from the series it was great to see that Kathy Reichs hasn’t lost her amazing writing skills.

Can’t wait to stay in touch with these characters from now on since I am caught up.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Keepers by Jeffrey B Burton

TITLE: The Keepers
SERIES #: Mace Reid K-9 Mystery #2
CHARACTERS: Mace Reid
AUTHOR: Jeffrey B Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/29/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Jeffrey B. Burton’s The Keepers is the next installment of the Mace Reid K9 series, featuring golden retriever cadaver dog Vira and her handler, Mason Reid.

Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection—that is, he trains dogs to hunt for dead bodies. He calls his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders, and his prize pupil is a golden retriever named Vira.

When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at three o’clock in the morning, what they find has them running for their very lives. The trail of murder and mayhem Mace and CPD Officer Kippy Gimm have been following leads them to uncover treachery and corruption at the highest level, and their discoveries do not bode well for them . . . nor for the Windy City itself.

The Keepers is an exciting, fast-paced mystery filled with courageous dogs you’ll want to root for.

REVIEW:
This is the 2nd in the series. I have really enjoyed this series. I know it is only the second in the series but I am loving the main characters especially the dogs. In this one we meet a new dog. I love the connection between Mace and her dogs. Vera is a great dog too. OK enough about dogs.

The relationship between Mace and Kippy heats up some and the suspense of the book kept my attention and I wanted to know more. There were a LOT of characters in the book which was hard to keep up with a few times.

I can’t wait to read the next in the series. I really hope some station picks it up because how can you go wrong with a suspense series with dogs (oopps the dog thing again).

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Murder At Sunrise Lake by Christine Feehan

TITLE: Murder At Sunrise Lake
CHARACTERS: Stella & Sam
AUTHOR: Christine Feehan
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/29/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan reaches new heights of passion and suspense in this thrilling novel that takes readers deep into the California backcountry, where a woman is tormented by visions of a killer.

It starts in her dreams. Hideous flashes from a nightmare only she can stop. Images of a murderer stalking the ones she cares about most…

Stella Harrison thought she got away from the traumas of her past. Running the Sunrise Lake resort high in the Sierra Nevada mountains has brought her peace, even though she doesn’t truly share her quiet life with anyone. Not even Sam, the hired handyman that notices everything and always seems to know exactly what she needs.

Stella doesn’t know anything about Sam’s past, but somehow over the last two years his slow, steady presence has slipped past her defenses. Still, she knows she can’t tell him about her recent premonitions. So far there’s been no murder. No body. No way to prove what’s about to happen without destroying the life she’s built for herself.

But a killer is out there. And Stella knows that this time she’ll do whatever it takes to stop him.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Christine Feehan is one of the queens of suspense and paranormal so putting them together is right up Feehan’s alley.

Stella has premonition nightmares. And when she heads to the Sierra Nevada’s her nightmares return. And she sees a serial killer near the lake. And Stella knows she has to find this person before she dreams and witnesses another murder.

I will be honest, this was not my favorite book by Feehan but I enjoyed the step out from her many series’ that she has going on right now. And I enjoyed the story very much but Feehan is a master of writing and this one didn’t have the same “umph” that most of her books do.

Now that being said, keep in mind I am comparing her to herself and not to the general author in the genre. And that says a lot.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Hunted by Lisa Childs

TITLE: The Hunted
SERIES #: Bane Island Trilogy #2
CHARACTERS: Olivia & Deacon
AUTHOR: Lisa Childs
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/30/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
YOU’RE GOING TO PAY

The pressures of fame and an obsessive stalker have driven pop star Olivia Smith to take shelter at Halcyon Hall, an exclusive spa on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Yet from the moment she arrives, there are rumors about women disappearing, and stories about the resort’s grisly past. Then a note arrives from her stalker, proving that nowhere is truly safe . . .

It’s been twenty-five years since Sheriff Deacon Howell discovered his first dead body on these grounds. Back then, Halcyon Hall was an asylum known as Bainesworth Manor. Others have perished here since, including Deacon’s wife. Many locals share his belief that her death wasn’t suicide. The difference is, they think Deacon killed her. But he has bigger problems than gossip, because another body has been found . . .

As Deacon investigates the increasing threats to the singer’s life, the danger becomes undeniable. Something evil lurks here—not just in the asylum’s grim history, but in the present. And there will be no rest at Halcyon Hall until every sin has been avenged . . .

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts So the first book in the series was really dark. This one was a bit more of a romance but still had a bit of violence that was too much for me.

I am just not that thrilled with this trilogy but now that I have read the other two I will probably pick up number three from NetGalley.

I would suggest reading book one before reading book two. There is some background from book one that helps in book two. Yes, it does sum it up a bit but not as much as if you read book one.

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

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole

TITLE: The Christmas Dress
CHARACTERS: Meg & Ellie
AUTHOR: Courtney Cole
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An enchanted Christmas dress brings two generations of women together for the magic of the season in this delightful holiday story from New York Times bestselling author Courtney Cole.

One Dress. Two Women. The Magic of the Holiday Season.

When hopeful fashionista Meg Julliard must return to her hometown of Chicago to manage her late father’s apartment building, she thinks her dreams of making it in the fashion business are over. Add in her father’s eclectic roster of tenants who all need Meg’s attention (ASAP!), a host of building related disasters, and a handsome handyman she keeps embarrassing herself in front of, and this has all the makings for the worst Christmas she’s ever had.

Ellie Wade, one of the building’s longtime residents, is also not feeling the Christmas Joy this year. She is preparing to move into a nursing home (reluctantly), and is in the process of sorting through her belongings to downsize. Every corner of her apartment holds memories, some good, some bad. But there’s one dress she hesitates to pack up as it represents both the best and worst night of her life.

Ellie and Meg strike up an unlikely friendship and the story of Ellie’s dress comes out. Ellie gifts the gorgeous dress to Meg, hoping that it will bring her more luck, on the condition that she wear it to the building’s Christmas party.

The dress magically fits, and while it eventually leads to the best night of Meg’s life, it also acts as inspiration for Meg to follow a life-long dream of her own, a dream that will help save the crumbling Parkview West, and restore it to its former glory, and keep it as a safe home for all of the current tenants.

The dress and the magic of the holiday season helps both Meg and Ellie find their own happy endings.

REVIEW:
I got an ARC from NetGalley in August and wish I had waited to read it until the holiday time. This is an adorable book that is perfect to begin the holidays and get you into the Christmas spirit.

Meg heads to Chicago to deal with her father’s affairs after his death. One of the things to deal with is his condo that is really not her favorite place to be but something changes when she meets the people of the building and Logan who comes to help with what Meg can’t deal with (which is a lot).

But Meg decides she is going to enter a contest for the winnings to help get the condo building back in shape. And to do that she needs to design a dress. The dress itself has so much character if that doesn’t sound nuts to say.

I hope Hallmark or Lifetime hears about this story. It is perfect for the season.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Midnight Lock by Jeffrey Deaver

TITLE: The Midnight Lock
SERIES #: Lincoln Rhyme #15
CHARACTERS: Lincoln Rhyme & Amelia Sachs
AUTHOR: Jeffrey Deaver
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/30/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When a woman arrives home to her Manhattan apartment to find that her personal items have been rearranged while she slept, police initially dismiss her complaint. Nothing was stolen, and there’s no sign of breaking and entering. But when the same woman turns up dead, Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in to investigate the murder. They soon learn that the murderer calls himself “the Locksmith.” He is obsessed with locks, slipping into homes in the dead of night and tying his victims up with knots or locks, ultimately strangling them.

Their hunt for the killer is interrupted when an internal investigation in the police force uncovers what seems to be a crucial mistake in one of Rhyme’s previous cases. He is removed from the case, and must investigate the Locksmith in secret to untangle the mysteries behind the psychotic killer before he can set his ultimate trap.

REVIEW:
I have read most, if not all, of the Lincoln Rhyme books and have enjoyed most of them. This is not high on my “enjoyed” list. Now I want to say that I am comparing this to other Jeffery Deaver books not to books in general.

I was really enjoying the book at first. The storyline was holding my attention but then something happened. I just stopped being interested. I, honestly, can’t even tell you why. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mindset or something. Because the writing seemed off.

I do really appreciate who Lincoln Rhyme is. And the mind that Deaver has given him. He is a fascinating character and even though I gave this 3 stars, as I said it is based on other Lincoln Rhyme books because honestly Jeffrey Deaver is one of the best.

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

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Kimberly reviews All The Feels by Olivia Dade

TITLE: All The Feels
SERIES #: Spoiler Alert #2
CHARACTERS: Alexander & Lauren
AUTHOR: Olivia Dade
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/26/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Following Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade returns with another utterly charming romantic comedy about a devil-may-care actor—who actually cares more than anyone knows—and the no-nonsense woman hired to keep him in line.

Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.

REVIEW:
I really, really wanted to like this book. The heroine is a plus size woman so not the Barbie doll type. The hero has issues so he is not “perfect”. But there was no chemistry between the couple.

I didn’t read the first in the series so I felt I was missing a little bit about the couple meeting in the first place but mostly the writing didn’t keep me interested.

Reading the reviews from others makes me feel like this just might have been a fluke. I may give the next one a try depending on the synopsis.

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

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Kimberly reviews Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch

TITLE: Whisper Island
CHARACTERS: Riley, Sam, Mia and Scarlett
AUTHOR: Carissa Ann Lynch
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/16/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Don’t miss the gripping new page-turning thriller from the USA Today bestseller!

It was the perfect escape

Until one by one they vanished…

For friends Riley, Sam, Mia and Scarlett, their trip to Whisper Island, Alaska, was meant to be a once in a lifetime adventure – just four young women, with everything to live for…

But as soon as they arrive things start to go wrong. First there is the unexpected arrival of Sammy’s drug addict brother and his girlfriend Opal – why are they here?

And then the deaths begin.

As the dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare, suspicion is high. Are they really alone on the island? Or is there a killer hiding in the shadows?

And as each of the girls reveals a dark secret of their own, perhaps the truth is the killer is closer than they think…just a whisper away…

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts This was not the book for me. It is not a thriller but more of a mystery. And actually reminded me of those mystery room places you see popping up everywhere except set on an island.

I actually didn’t care who died or who the killer was. To be honest, I skipped over full paragraphs and didn’t lose any info.

I just didn’t care much about this book. Sadly.

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