Saturday, March 31, 2018

ARC Review: A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks

A Death of No Importance
Author: Mariah Fredericks
Publication: Minotaur Books (April 10, 2018)

Description: Through her exquisite prose, sharp observation and deft plotting, Mariah Fredericks invites us into the heart of a changing New York in her remarkable debut adult novel.

New York City, 1910. Invisible until she’s needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a ladies’ maid to the city’s upper echelons. When she takes up a position with the Benchley family, dismissed by the city’s elite as “new money”, Jane realizes that while she may not have financial privilege, she has a power they do not―she understands the rules of high society. The Benchleys cause further outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious playboy Norrie, the son of the eminent Newsome family.

But when Norrie is found murdered at a party, Jane discovers she is uniquely positioned―she’s a woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything; who possesses no social power, but that of fierce intellect―and therefore has the tools to solve his murder. There are many with grudges to bear: from the family Norrie was supposed to marry into, to the survivors of a tragic accident in a mine owned by the Newsomes, to the rising anarchists who are sick of those born into wealth getting away with anything they want. Jane also knows that in both high society and the city’s underbelly, morals can become cheap in the wrong hands: scandal and violence simmer just beneath the surface―and can break out at any time.

My Thoughts: Jane Prescott has decided to write about the events that happened on Christmas Eve 1910 now that all of the relevant players have passed away. Jane was a lady's maid who worked for a newly rich family in New York City. She was hired to guide the daughters - Charlotte and Louise - as they took part in the annual husband hunt. Charlotte was the younger sister but was the one who attracted the men. She was pretty, bubbly, and very socially ambitious. Louise was awkward and shy but had a developing social conscience.

Charlotte manipulates her way into becoming engaged to Norrie Newsome, scion of a high class New York family but not a nice person. Their engagement is to be announced at the Christmas Eve ball hosted by Norrie's father and his new step-mother Rose who was a student with Louise at a prestigious girls' school. However, before the engagement can be announced, Norrie is found murdered in the family library.

Jane begins her investigation when it looks like Charlotte might be accused of the murder. After all, Charlotte railroaded Norrie into the engagement. She cut out the young lady "everyone" knew was his intended fiance and who isn't going away gracefully. Also, the senior Newsome has run afoul of anarchists since he owns a mine where more than 100 miners included eight boy under the age of 10 died in an accident. The company didn't attempt to rescue the boys because they thought it would be too dangerous. He has been receiving threatening notes vowing revenge. Jane's best friend has ties to the anarchists and to newly forming unions and Jane fears that she was somehow involved.

Jane herself was abandoned by her father on arrival in New York from Scotland when she was a small child. She was raised by her uncle who was a minister who ran a home for fallen women. She feels loyalty to the people she works for and has a unique perspective because her position makes her almost invisible to her employers.

I liked the way the story illustrates a turbulent time in US history with the rich desperately holding on to their power as it is being eroded by the rising working class. I liked that Jane figured out who committed the murder and what she decided to do about it. I am really curious about Jane's life between the events of 1910 and the time she wrote her memoirs sometime around 1980. She has a very distinct voice and sensibility.

Favorite Quote:
"Oh, I shan't wait," she said to me. "The engagement will be announced at the Newsome ball on Christmas Eve, and I don't care who doesn't like it or what they have to say. I am marrying Norrie Newsome, and there in nothing anyone can do to stop it."

Sadly, all three of those predictions would fail to come true.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Friday Memes: A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:
I will tell it. I will tell it badly, forgetting things that are important and remembering things that never happened. In that, this narrative will be no different than any other. Only the specifics of what is forgotten and remembered will distinguish it as mine.
Friday 56:
I was about to ask if the lady had been attractive when Mr. O'Reilly said, "She'd had a few, pardon me saying so."
This week I am reading A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks. I got this eARC from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:
Through her exquisite prose, sharp observation and deft plotting, Mariah Fredericks invites us into the heart of a changing New York in her remarkable debut adult novel.

New York City, 1910. Invisible until she’s needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a ladies’ maid to the city’s upper echelons. When she takes up a position with the Benchley family, dismissed by the city’s elite as “new money”, Jane realizes that while she may not have financial privilege, she has a power they do not―she understands the rules of high society. The Benchleys cause further outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious playboy Norrie, the son of the eminent Newsome family.

But when Norrie is found murdered at a party, Jane discovers she is uniquely positioned―she’s a woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything; who possesses no social power, but that of fierce intellect―and therefore has the tools to solve his murder. There are many with grudges to bear: from the family Norrie was supposed to marry into, to the survivors of a tragic accident in a mine owned by the Newsomes, to the rising anarchists who are sick of those born into wealth getting away with anything they want. Jane also knows that in both high society and the city’s underbelly, morals can become cheap in the wrong hands: scandal and violence simmer just beneath the surface―and can break out at any time.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Book Review: Better Homes and Corpses by Kathleen Bridge

Better Homes and Corpses
Author: Kathleen Bridge
Series: Hampton Home and Garden Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (August 4, 2015)

Description: After Meg Barrett found her fiancĂ© still had designs on his ex-wife, she decided it was time to refurbish her life. Leaving her glamorous job at a top home and garden magazine, she fled Manhattan for Montauk, only to find decorating can sometimes lead to detecting…

In between scouring estate sales for her new interior design business, Cottages by the Sea, Meg visits the swanky East Hampton home of her old college roommate, Jillian Spenser. But instead of seeing how the other half lives—she learns how the other half dies. Jillian’s mother, known as the Queen Mother of the Hamptons, has been murdered. Someone has staged a coup.

When she helps a friend inventory the Spensers’ estate for the insurance company, Meg finds herself right in the thick of things. Cataloging valuable antiques and art loses its charm when Meg discovers that the Spenser family has been hiding dangerous secrets, which may have furnished a murderer with a motive. As Meg gets closer to the truth, the killer will do anything to paint her out of the picture…

My Thoughts: Meg Barrett left her cushy job in New York City when she discovered her fiance-boss in a compromising position with his ex-wife. She moved to Montauk on Long Island and is building a career as a designer. When she is called by a college roommate Jillian Spenser to go through her wealthy socialite mother's attic, she walks in on a murder. The socialite,known as the Queen Mother of the Hamptons, is dead and the daughter has amnesia.

Meg gets involved in solving the case to help her old roommate. There are suspects aplenty from the estranged son Cole Spenser to the artist living in one of the cottages on the grounds. There are tangled relationships among the suspects too. Cole has been estranged from his family for seventeen years since he fought with his mother. Meanwhile, the son of one of the mother's confidants has moved into the role of son because of their shared interests in antiques and collectibles.

I liked the Long Island setting and the information about antiques and shabby chic decorating. I liked that Meg is trying to rebuild her life and career. The characters were all nicely developed and the mystery was twisty enough to keep my attention. Typical in cozy mysteries, the recipes in the back also looked interesting. They were supplied by Meg's dad who is a retired homicide detective turned gourmet cook since Meg's only culinary ability is doctoring up simple foods with herbs.

Favorite Quote:
Based on her side of our dorm room, I expected Jillian's room to have a Marcia Brady decor; instead, it was brothel madam meets Ernest Hemingway. Animal hide rugs coordinated with black and tan print pillows trimmed in gold. There were enough tassels to supply a pre-Mayor Guiliani strip bar. Fro some reason my thoughts went to the ugly stuffed boar up in the attic. It would fit in nicely here.
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

ARC Review: The School for Psychics by K. C. Archer

The School for Psychics
Author: K. C. Archer
Series: School for Psychics (Book 1)
Publication: Simon & Schuster (April 3, 2018)

Description: An entrancing new series starring a funny, impulsive, and sometimes self-congratulatory young woman who discovers she has psychic abilities—and then must decide whether she will use her skills for good or…not.

Teddy Cannon isn’t your typical twenty-something woman. She’s resourceful. She’s bright. She’s scrappy. She can also read people with uncanny precision. What she doesn’t realize: she’s actually psychic.

When a series of bad decisions leads Teddy to a run-in with the police, a mysterious stranger intervenes. He invites her to apply to the School for Psychics, a facility hidden off the coast of San Francisco where students are trained like Delta Force operatives: it’s competitive, cutthroat, and highly secretive. They’ll learn telepathy, telekinesis, investigative skills, and SWAT tactics. And if students survive their training, they go on to serve at the highest levels of government, using their skills to protect America, and the world.

In class, Teddy befriends Lucas, a rebel without a cause who can start and manipulate fire; Jillian, a hipster who can mediate communication between animals and humans; and Molly, a hacker who can apprehend the emotional state of another individual. But just as Teddy feels like she’s found where she might belong, strange things begin to happen: break-ins, missing students, and more. It leads Teddy to accept a dangerous mission that will ultimately cause her to question everything—her teachers, her friends, her family, and even herself.

Set in a world very much like our own, School for Psychics is the first book in a stay-up-all night series.

My Thoughts: THE SCHOOL FOR PSYCHICS was an interesting combination of science fiction, mystery, thriller, and coming of age novel. Teddy Cannon's life has gone considerably off track. She's twenty-four, has been expelled from Stanford, and is debt for a quarter of a million dollars to a loan shark because she gambled away money taken from her parents' retirement accounts. When we meet her, she's in disguise as she tries to slip into one of the casinos she's been banned from to find a poker game to win enough to pay the loan shark.

Teddy has a talent. She knows when people are lying which helps a lot when figuring out if other gamblers are bluffing but makes it hard for her to have relationships with people because even the common social lies grate on her. After blowing her stake, she meets a man who tells her that her problems come because she is psychic and who recruits her for the School for Psychics. Desperation forces her to give the school a try.

She finds herself on an island off the coast from San Francisco trying to gain control of her powers in the company of a group of other young psychics. She becomes friends with a group of her classmates known as the misfits since their powers tend to be unusual. Her roommate communicates with animals. The first person she meets is an empath who also happens to be a computer hacker. The first guy she likes starts fires with his mind.

They are being trained to work someday with the CIA or FBI or Homeland Security or the military so besides learning to use their psychic gifts they are also given training for law enforcement. They are also in competition with other first year students to keep their places at the school.

The mystery comes in a couple of ways. Teddy is an orphan but she learns that she has genetic markers that indicate that her birth parents were psychics. She also learns that she is one of three students whose parents died in mysterious car accidents and the other two have left the school abruptly and perhaps not by their choice. She also begins to believe that her mentor, the man who recruited her and is the dean of students, might know more about her than he's saying. As she and her new friends investigate, they come closer to learn all sorts of secrets.

I enjoyed this story. Teddy is an intriguing character who changes a lot through the story. I am eager to read more in this series to see what happens next.

Favorite Quote:
The Strip. If there was any place in the world as appropriately named, Teddy Cannon didn't know what it was. The Las Vegas Strip had been created for the sole purpose of stripping money from tourists, stripping clothing from women, stripping dignity from drunks, and stripping romance from weddings. And Teddy loved everything about it. 
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: Better Homes and Corpses by Kathleen Bridge

Every Tuesday Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posted the first paragraph of a book she is reading or planning to read. In 2018, Vicki from I'd Rather Be at the Beach is taking over this meme.

Here's mine:
It seems I'm always at the wrong end of the stick. The pointy end. The one you can't see until you trip over it and it pokes your eye out, or worse yet, your heart. I got the flat tire at the intersection of Old Montauk Highway and Route 27. Earlier, my spirits has scaled the upper limits of antique-picker heaven. Now I'd be late, and Caroline Spenser would never tolerate lateness.
 
Link up here. It is very easy to play along:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.
Here's mine:
Maurice and his partner owned a small Victorian cottage in town, decorated with the perfect mix of vintage and modern. He had a flair for everything he did and was my go-to fashionista. He'd taken me under his wing on those rare occasions I was invited to an important Hamptons event. He was instrumental in coordinating my outfit for Caroline and Jillian Spenser's cocktail party. I'd never tell him about the clinging-underwear faux pas.
This week I am spotlighting Better Homes and Corpses by Kathleen Bridge. This is a recent Kindle book I added to TBR mountain. Here is the description from Amazon:
After Meg Barrett found her fiancĂ© still had designs on his ex-wife, she decided it was time to refurbish her life. Leaving her glamorous job at a top home and garden magazine, she fled Manhattan for Montauk, only to find decorating can sometimes lead to detecting…

In between scouring estate sales for her new interior design business, Cottages by the Sea, Meg visits the swanky East Hampton home of her old college roommate, Jillian Spenser. But instead of seeing how the other half lives—she learns how the other half dies. Jillian’s mother, known as the Queen Mother of the Hamptons, has been murdered. Someone has staged a coup.

When she helps a friend inventory the Spensers’ estate for the insurance company, Meg finds herself right in the thick of things. Cataloging valuable antiques and art loses its charm when Meg discovers that the Spenser family has been hiding dangerous secrets, which may have furnished a murderer with a motive. As Meg gets closer to the truth, the killer will do anything to paint her out of the picture…

ARC Review: A Glimmer of Hope by Steve McHugh

A Glimmer of Hope
Author: Steve McHugh
Series: The Avalon Chronicles (Book 1)
Publication: 47North (April 1, 2018)

Description: Layla Cassidy has always wanted a normal life, and the chance to put her father’s brutal legacy behind her. And in her final year of university she’s finally found it. Or so she thinks.

But when Layla accidentally activates an ancient scroll, she is bestowed with an incredible, inhuman power. She plunges into a dangerous new world, full of mythical creatures and menace—all while a group of fanatics will stop at nothing to turn her abilities to their cause.

To protect those she loves most, Layla must take control of her new powers…before they destroy her. All is not yet lost—there is a light shining, but Layla must survive long enough to see it.

My Thoughts: This is an urban fantasy with a richly developed world filled with a secret society that rules it all, werewolves, ogres, red caps, and other creatures pulled from mythology. Layla gets pulled into this world when she is kidnapped by Elias Wells, the red cap, and in an escape attempt bleeds on a scroll which causes her to inherit the demon trapped in it and the three other persons who previously held the scroll.

Layla has been laying low, attending university, and taking MMA classes. Her father is a well-known serial killer who was caught when she was fourteen. He taught her to fight and use weapons when she was a child. She loved him and felt particularly betrayed when his secret life came to light. She is one of the few people who know where he is imprisoned but has refused to communicate with him since his incarceration.

Layla has been building a safe life with just a couple trusted friends until everything is disrupted by her kidnapping. Now, she has to find a way to take control of her new powers which include the ability to control metal won't be easy since her demon is determined to take control of her and kill everyone she has ever loved. She is also feeling betrayed again because she learns that Chloe who has become her best friend was assigned to watch over her by this same secret society.

The book is stronger on world building than it is on character development. Layla seems to be particularly one-note until quite late in the book. Her desire not to unleash the anger inside her and her sense of betrayal are her primary motivations and are frequently referred to. Though the characters could be more well-rounded, the story does not lack in action. There are frequent battles as the good guys confront the bad guys. There is also some humor as Layla banters with her friend Chloe and her friend Henry.

Fans of action in their urban fantasy will enjoy this story.

Favorite Quote:
She refused to become her father's daughter. She refused to allow that enjoyment of violence to turn her into a new version of him.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Amazon through the Kindle First program. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, March 26, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 26, 2018)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup. YA and middle grade reviews will still be posted on  Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Other Than Reading...

This was another quiet week. The skies were grey and gloomy most of the week with the temperature struggling to reach the 30s and a brisk wind off Lake Superior cooling things down. Next week is supposed to begin with snow but only 2-4 inches and then turning to rain as the temperatures warm up. Luckily, I don't need to go anywhere until my eye doctor's appointment later in the week.

I discovered Anne Bishop's fandom on Facebook this week and have been spending a lot of time talking with other people who are as enthusiastic as I am about her Others series. Those fans made me curious about some of her earlier books. So I bought the first books in her other three series. The Kindle ones are list below but I'm still waiting for the one I ordered through Amazon Marketplace.

I'm excited for the official start of the baseball season this coming week even though I have been enjoying Spring Training games on MLB network already. I can't wait to follow my Atlanta Braves.

In reading, I am currently trying to lower my stack of May review book releases. All of the books I read this week came from my review stacks. I have four more review books to read to finish out my April calendar. I also spent some time setting up my posts for May including writing and scheduling my Teaser Tuesday/First Paragraph and Book Beginnings/Friday 56 posts for May. This week I'll also be writing my State of the Stack post which summarizes the whole review book thing from new additions to the stack, ones patiently waiting, and those I've finally read.

Read Last Week
  • The Viridian Convct by Sam York was a hard-boiled science fiction story set on a prison moon. My review will be posted on April 10 - it's release day.
  • A Town Called Vengeance by Kevin Wolf combined werewolves and a Western in an engaging story. My review will be posted on April 18.
  • Shattered Mirror by Iris Johansen is the latest Eve Duncan thriller. My review will be posted on April 19.
  • What You Want to See by Kristen Lepionka is the second book starring troubled private investigator Roxane Weary. My review will be posted on April 21.
  • Beyond the Pale by Clare O'Donohue stars two college professors who volunteer to do an errand for an old friend and find themselves the focus of three groups of spies and/or criminals in Ireland. My review will be posted on April 25.
  • White Rabbit by Caleb Roehrig was a YA thriller starring a gay young man who has one night to prove that his half-sister didn't murder her boyfriend. My review will be posted on April 20. 
  • The Outcast by Taran Matharu is a prequel to the Summoner trilogy. I loved everything but the last two chapters. My review will be posted on April 25.
Currently
Pairing a Deception by Nadine Nettmann is a cozy mystery from my review stack being released on May 8.

Next Week
Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:
On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

I bought all of these this week. They are now living on my Kindle.
What was your week like?

Saturday, March 24, 2018

ARC Review: Falling Star by Terri Osburn

Falling Star
Author: Terri Osburn
Series: A Shooting Stars Novel (Book 2)
Publication: Montlake Romance (March 27, 2018)

Description: A country star looking for a comeback has one last shot at fame—and he might just have one last shot at love.

Naomi Mallard is a fixer by nature. And as PR manager for Nashville’s Shooting Stars record label, she’s facing her biggest fix: redeeming country music bad boy Chance Colburn. But in Naomi’s eyes, a police record and a stint in rehab are the least of Chance’s sins. He has spent his life running from demons and making tabloid headlines that have sent his career into a tailspin. Now he’s struggling to find his muse and maintain his newfound sobriety, all while counting on the woman he once betrayed to repair his tattered reputation.

Naomi is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but that’s not easy when an unexpected injury forces the former couple into disturbingly close proximity. Will mending their once-broken relationship be Naomi’s best save yet? Or will Chance’s past wreck any hope for a future together?

My Thoughts: Chance Colburn had it all, a high-flying music career in country music, money, fame - until he self-destructed gaining a police record and a stint in rehab. Now Chance has been clean and sober for a year and is trying to make a comeback at a Shooting Star after losing contracts with two other labels. Naomi Mallard is the PR director who is trying to redeem Chance's reputation. But Naomi and Chance have a history.

Naomi and Chance dated seven years previously when she caught him sleeping with her boss and he broke her heart. She wants to think that she is long over him but the hurt and the anger have never gone away. Nor has she been able to form a relationship with another man.

Chance and Naomi meet again when the record label throws him a birthday party. Chance uses the opportunity to apologize which is part of his recovery process. Naomi accepts the apology but makes it clear that, while she needs to work with them, they will never be friends.

Things change when they meet at a club where her jealous boyfriend Michael picks a fight with Chance and is then abusive to Naomi when she decides to leave. The boyfriend and Chance have a history of their own wherein Michael blames Chance for cutting him out of an opportunity to advance his career.

Chance and Naomi begin to rekindle their romance but both have demons to overcome. Naomi is dealing with a mother who wants to micromanage her life to the point of picking a man for her to marry. She didn't like Neal when they were in high school together and can't imagine that medical school has made him any more acceptable. When her mother arranges to have Neal at their usual Sunday dinner, Naomi finds out and Chance offers to go along as a boyfriend. Naomi's mother's behavior when Chance shows up causes Naomi to walk out and makes her realize that Chance is still important to her.

This was a great romance. I loved Chance who had overcome so much and was trying so hard. I also loved the way the Naomi wasn't willing to give up on him and called him on his behavior and wouldn't be chased away no matter how bad things got.

I recommend this book for anyone who wants a feel-good romance.

Favorite Quote:
"What do you want me to say?"

"Well," he offered, "we've gotten the 'screw you' out of the way, so maybe a 'go to hell'?'

Naomi couldn't help herself. The bastard always could make her laugh. Almost as much as he'd made her cry.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, March 23, 2018

Friday Memes: Falling Star by Terri Osburn

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City ReaderThe Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Beginning:
Chance Colburn looked about as comfortable as a lumberjack trapped at a royal tea party.
Friday 56:
"Well?" He watched her with raised brows. "You go up first."

"Up where?"

"There." He pointed at the sky. "Climb through the opening so we can lie on the roof."

She would do no such thing. "Are you crazy? I'm not getting on top of this car."
This week I am reading Shooting Star by Terri Osburn. This is a romance from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:
A country star looking for a comeback has one last shot at fame—and he might just have one last shot at love.

Naomi Mallard is a fixer by nature. And as PR manager for Nashville’s Shooting Stars record label, she’s facing her biggest fix: redeeming country music bad boy Chance Colburn. But in Naomi’s eyes, a police record and a stint in rehab are the least of Chance’s sins. He has spent his life running from demons and making tabloid headlines that have sent his career into a tailspin. Now he’s struggling to find his muse and maintain his newfound sobriety, all while counting on the woman he once betrayed to repair his tattered reputation.

Naomi is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but that’s not easy when an unexpected injury forces the former couple into disturbingly close proximity. Will mending their once-broken relationship be Naomi’s best save yet? Or will Chance’s past wreck any hope for a future together?

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Book Review: Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston

Hot and Badgered
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: The Honey Badgers (Book 1)
Publication: Kensington (March 27, 2018)

Description: It’s not every day that a beautiful naked woman falls out of the sky and lands face-first on grizzly shifter Berg Dunn’s hotel balcony. Definitely they don’t usually hop up and demand his best gun. Berg gives the lady a grizzly-sized t-shirt and his cell phone, too, just on style points. And then she’s gone, taking his XXXL heart with her. By the time he figures out she’s a honey badger shifter, it’s too late.

Honey badgers are survivors. Brutal, vicious, ill-tempered survivors. Or maybe Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan is just pissed that her useless father is trying to get them all killed again, and won’t even tell her how. Protecting her little sisters has always been her job, and she’s not about to let some pesky giant grizzly protection specialist with a network of every shifter in Manhattan get in her way. Wait. He’s trying to help? Why would he want to do that? He’s cute enough that she just might let him tag along—that is, if he can keep up . . .

My Thoughts: This is another of Shelly Laurenston's humorous paranormal romances. Berg Dunn is a grizzly and a security specialist. Charlie Taylor-MacKilligan and a wolf-honey badger hybrid. They meet when Charlie, on the run from unknown assassins, lands naked and bloody on Berg's hotel balcony. She escapes with his best gun and one of his tee-shirts leaving him curious about what her situation was.

Charlie has always been the protector for her two younger half-sisters. Max is all honey badger and a borderline sociopath kept from total mayhem by her love for her sisters. Stevie is the youngest and is a honey badger-Siberian tiger hybrid. She is also a certified genius who is subject to panic attacks. The three girls have banded together since childhood to protect themselves from their father who is immoral, inept and constantly doing things that are likely to get his daughters killed. For example, when she was much younger, he tried to sell Stevie to a Peruvian drug lord to cook up meth for him. Now it looks like he has tried to sell Stevie again and it is up to her sisters to save her.

When they run into Berg again in New York City, he offers to help which is a unique situation for Charlie. No one has ever offered to help. Her MacKilligan family has more or less written them off unless they want to use them to get to their father. Right now they do because Freddy has stolen 100 million British Sterling from his brother and he wants it back. Also their aunt Bernice wants to hire them to make sure that her daughter's wedding to an all-human wealthy man goes ahead without a hitch.

Berg's help lands the girls in a house smack in the middle of the bear section of New York City. Did I mention that Stevie is terrified of bears and tends to have more panic attacks around them? She can often be found hiding up a tree or in a kitchen cupboard. But Charlie's habit of baking when she is under stress quickly endears her to all their sweet loving neighbors.

Lots of characters from earlier books in this series make appearances in this one too. From the lethal wolf Dee Ann Smith to the hockey-obsessed bear Bo Novikov to the Jean-Louis Parker family of jackals. There is a lot of humor in this story and a really nice romance too. My only complaint is that the problem with Freddy MacKilligan wasn't resolved by the end of the book. Of course, that does give lots of room for more books and maybe even romances for Charlie's younger sisters.

Favorite Quote:
"Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? What could be wrong?"

"People are trying to kill you?"

"Well, yeah, there's that," she admitted. "That's definitely a problem. But, ya know . . . sadly not the first time."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Book Review: Dark in Death by J. D. Robb

Dark in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 46)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (January 30, 2018)

Description: Lieutenant Eve Dallas returns in Dark in Death, by J.D. Robb, the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense, and takes on a case of death imitating art…

It was a stab in the dark.

On a chilly February night, during a screening of Psycho in midtown, someone sunk an ice pick into the back of Chanel Rylan’s neck, then disappeared quietly into the crowds of drunks and tourists in Times Square. To Chanel’s best friend, who had just slipped out of the theater for a moment to take a call, it felt as unreal as the ancient black-and-white movie up on the screen. But Chanel’s blood ran red, and her death was anything but fictional.

Then, as Eve Dallas puzzles over a homicide that seems carefully planned and yet oddly personal, she receives a tip from an unexpected source: an author of police thrillers who recognizes the crime—from the pages of her own book. Dallas doesn’t think it’s coincidence, since a recent strangulation of a sex worker resembles a scene from her writing as well. Cops look for patterns of behavior: similar weapons, similar MOs. But this killer seems to find inspiration in someone else’s imagination, and if the theory holds, this may be only the second of a long-running series.

The good news is that Eve and her billionaire husband Roarke have an excuse to curl up in front of the fireplace with their cat, Galahad, reading mystery stories for research. The bad news is that time is running out before the next victim plays an unwitting role in a murderer’s deranged private drama—and only Eve can put a stop to a creative impulse gone horribly, destructively wrong.

My Thoughts: On a snowy February evening, Eve is the first one home and is just settling in by the fire with a glass of wine when she is called out. A young actress has been murdered while watching an old movie with a friend. Eve, Peabody and McNabb all converge on the theater to begin their investigation of the death of Chantal Rylan. But thing aren't adding up. Chantal doesn't have any enemies. She was pretty and popular, friendly and kind. There are no jealous lovers. No jealous rivals for parts. But the crime isn't random. It was too carefully planned and too well executed.

Then Eve's friend reporter Nadine brings in a lead in the person of author Blaine DeLano who has written a series of books whose crimes are seemingly being acted out by the killer. Chantal's death is from the second book. Eve finds that her guys recently investigated the death of a young sex worker whose death mirrored the crime in DeLano's first book. Eve hasn't read the books. She's more of a vid girl. But Roarke has them all in his wonderful home library since he's one of the minority who still reads print books.

Some research leads Eve to a deranged fan of DeLano's work who goes crazy after DeLano sends back the fan's opus unread. The fan is determined to rewrite DeLano's books so that evil triumphs. Eve and her people need to do investigating to discover the identity of the fan and to track the fan down before the crime in the third book becomes real. The third crime takes Eve deep into the club scene with drugs and rock and roll. Nadine's new boyfriend is a famous musician. Well, famous to everyone but Eve whose narrow focus doesn't include rock stars.

I love this series. I like the relationships Eve has built through this series. I love her relationship with Roarke which is one of the most wonderful in all romantic suspense books. They complete each other and make each other a better, stronger person. I like the dialog which is crisp and witty. Despite being at book 46, this series is still fresh and engaging. I can't wait for the next episode.

Favorite Quote:
"I'll wager you haven't eaten."

"You'd win that bet. It has to be Italian. The last interviews were in an Italian restaurant and it smelled like heaven coated in red sauce."
I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

ARC Review: Deadly Secret by Tara Thomas

Deadly Secret
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad (Book 2)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 27, 2018)

Description: In this next novel in the thrilling romantic suspense Sons of Broad series from Tara Thomas comes a novel of deadly games and uninhibited passion. In the sultry streets of Charleston, one family, ruled by its powerful, take-no-prisoners sons, has risen to the top. But a ruthless serial killer is out to destroy them…and everyone they hold close…

SHE KNOWS THE TRUTH IS IN REACH
As a lawyer and aspiring Congresswoman, Bea likes to keep things professional. But she’s hired to investigate past dark secrets embedded in the Benedict business empire―and as secret wife to Knox Benedict, the job is about to become even more personal…

BUT THE CLOSER SHE GETS
Knox is the moral backbone of the Benedict family, but even a modern-day saint can have a mysterious side. He’s out to win back his estranged secret wife―but getting close to her again could destroy them both…

THERE IS NOWHERE LEFT TO RUN…
As Bea and Knox dig up the truth, Bea falls deeper and deeper into danger. Someone close by is watching her―and waiting to kill. Can Knox save the woman he loves from the enemy out to destroy them? And can their marriage survive the deadliest secret of all?

My Thoughts: This second book in the Sons of Broad series is the story of the romance between Knox and Bea. They are secretly married and Bea is being pressured to stay away from him. It seems like Bea is getting too close to finding the secret The Gentleman is trying to hide.

Bea is suffering from panic attacks as a result of an attack on her. She is also being shadowed by someone who is constantly trying to frighten her. She can't keep away from Knox though. He is the one she calls when she wakes from her nightmares. After the villains try to kill her by setting her father's house on fire, she moves with Knox to Benedict house where there should be stronger security. Unknown to her or to anyone else, one of the guards has been compromised which bring the danger into a place that should be safe.

As Bea and Know continue to go through papers that Tilly's mother saved, they uncover a family secret and come closer to figuring out who The Gentleman is and why he wants all the Benedicts dead.

We also find out more about Jade in this episode but the revelation was telegraphed even in the previous book and didn't come as a surprise to me. I am still wondering who The Gentleman is and, hopefully, all will be revealed in the next book which should also be about oldest brother Kipling's romantic fate.

Favorite Quote:
Someone else might have described it as being watched. Jade was being hunted. Watched was much too mild of a term to describe what he was currently doing to her. There was no doubt in her mind, she was being hunted. She was the prey. He was the lion.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet

Every Tuesday Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posted the first paragraph of a book she is reading or planning to read. In 2018, Vicki from I'd Rather Be at the Beach is taking over this meme.

Here's mine:
"Do you see what I see?"

What normal person doesn't look up at that? Not that I'm entirely normal, but at least Griffin's question snaps me from unpleasant thoughts of giant metallic birds, Cyclopes, fire, and blood.
 
Link up here. It is very easy to play along:
  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.
Here's mine:
My ire grows, swelling along with my magic. He chose the wrong Magoi to cross. I am descended from gods. I have ichor in my veins. Olympian power. He's a threat to me, to my family, to all the people I love. I'm about to lose control all over him, and frankly, I don't give a damn.
This week I am spotlighting Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet. This is the third in the Kingmaker Chronicles. Here is the description from Amazon:
GODS. I’M AN IDIOT.

Without Griffin—and apparently a few meddling Gods—to push me along, I’d still be telling fortunes at the circus, lying about my past, ignoring my future, and living as far away from my tyrant mother as humanly possible.

True understanding thuds into place. Hope isn’t just an abstract concept; it’s me. Flesh and blood me. Griffin knew it all along. Probably everyone did. I’m an idea in human form.

I have the power of the Gods at my fingertips.
The only thing ever stopping me has been me.

Monday, March 19, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 19, 2018)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I will be combining my YA and adult reading and purchases on this one weekly roundup. YA and middle grade reviews will still be posted on  Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.

Other Than Reading... 

It was a quiet weather week here in Duluth. The temperatures hovered in the 40s, the skies were blue, and some snow melted. There isn't even any snow in the near forecast. I couldn't be happier with these early signs of Spring. And...baseball season is just days away. I will admit I've been watching lots of Spring Training games on MLB network but I can't wait until I can watch my Atlanta Braves play.

I did do my banking this week. It is wonderful to go to my online banking account and see "Paid in Full" next to my mortgage.

I'm working away at my April releases from my review stack which wasn't really helped when I added two more to the April stack this week. My May stack already has 18 review books on it. I would like to start lowering that stack soon.

Read Last Week
  • The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - entertaining YA which starts a trilogy from my TBR mountain. Review will be posted on April 4.
  • Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton - great conclusion to a fantasy trilogy. My review will be posted on April 11.
  • Lake Silence by Anne Bishop - another re-read of my new favorite book.
  • Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian - beginning of new YA fantasy trilogy. My review will be posted on April 13.
  • Save Me by Tiffany Snow - final book in a romantic suspense quartet. My review will be posted on April 17.
  • The Explorers: The Reckless Rescue by Adrienne Kress - middle grade adventure that is the 2nd book in a series. My review will be posted on April 18.
Tried but wasn't feeling. I threw them back onto TBR mountain for another day.
Currently
The Viridian Convict by Sam York (May 1) is a review book I just accepted from a publisher I haven't read before.

Next Week
Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:
On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Bought
New Review Copies
What was your week like?