Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Teaser Tuesday: An Affair of Deceit by Jamie Michele


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week my teaser comes from An Affair of Deceit by Jamie Michele. I chose this romantic suspense title from Amazon Vine. It will be released on April 30. Here is the description:
Diligent attorney Abigail Mason doesn’t have a lot of time—not for the father, a legendary spymaster, who abandoned her years ago, and not for the charming CIA agent who’s suddenly asking questions about his whereabouts. But her interest is definitely piqued—just what has her father done to find himself in the agency’s crosshairs?

A trained psychologist, Agent James Riley doesn’t need his degree to figure out that the persistent, sexy Abigail will be a problem—both for his investigation and his heart. And while he needs her cooperation, he’s not ready for the hands-on, dangerous role she insists on taking in the search for her father.

As the two uncover startling truths about a secretive past, can Riley shield the woman he’s come to love from a madman who wants her to pay for the sins of her father?

This pulse-pounding sequel to An Affair of Vengeance tests the strength of love against the crippling power of lies.
Teaser:
He'd never seen a person look so alone in a crowd. Fascination compelled him to stare. Her stance remained rigid and her feet were immobile, neither shifting nor shuffling as she waited. Her head didn't pivot or bob. she made no effort to engage anyone in casual conversation, or even exchange a friendly smile.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 29, 2013)


It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

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.

Finally, Spring weather has made it here to SE Minnesota. I am writing this with the windows open to catch the fresh air. I had a good week last week and read these:
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa is her amazing sequel to The Immortal Rules. I like what Kagawa does with vampires and really like the main character. This book will be released on April 30 and my review will be posted on May 2.

Sketchy by Olivia Samms was an engaging mystery with some paranormal elements. The main character is able to draw what other people can see. She is also just out of rehab and trying very hard to stay clean and rebuild her life. Getting involved in a murder case isn't making it easy for her. You can see my review here.
Battleship by Dorothy Ours was a nonfiction book that read like fiction. A DuPont heiress who is a horse breeder and trainer wants to take her horse to the Grand National at Aintree. We also spend a lot of time with the jockey who is going to ride him. This was a fascinating, detail packed look at the lives of the rich and famous in the early 20th century. You can see my review here.

An Affair of Deceit by Jamie Michele was a romantic suspense title that didn't quite work for me. I had trouble engaging with the characters. I did enjoy the action-packed plot. My review will be posted on May 2.

Headed for Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann was a collection of stories featuring the characters from her Troubleshooters, Inc. series. I have read all of them and enjoyed revisiting old friends in these stories. My review is here

Currently
To Wed in Scandal by Liana LeFey is the book I am reading right now. This is historical fiction that I got from Amazon Vine. I have just begun it but am already a little irritated with the female lead. 

Next on the Stack
I have a little gap in my review calendar and decided to fit in a couple of books from my TBR mountain. I chose Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost and Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger.
The next two adult review books on the pile are Bare It All by Lori Foster which will be released on April 30 but my review will be posted on May 15 as a part of her blog tour and Cuts Through Bone by Alaric Hunt which is a mystery that I got through the Amazon Vine program. It will be released on May 14.
The next two young adult books on my stack are The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston which will be released on May 14 and The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross which will be released on May 21. 

There may be time to fit in another couple of YA books from my TBR mountain in between the two of them. 

I can't believe that it will be May this week. I have a couple of author events scheduled into my May calendar already and am looking forward to the craziness that is the end of another school year too. What do you have planned for the coming week?

Stacking the Shelves (April 28, 2013)

Tynga of Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.
This week I added four books to my stack. Here they are:
Werewolves Be Damned by Stacey Kennedy is a new Kindle book. It sounded like a nice urban fantasy.

Dangerous Refuge by Elizabeth Lowell is a hardcover romantic suspense title that I bought used from Amazon Marketplace.
The Hidden Sun by J. Lloyd Morgan was a Kindle free book that sounded interesting. I mean, "A faraway kingdom. A beautiful princess. A courageous hero. A ruthless villain. An impossible choice." Who could pass that up?

The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick is a hardcover for my keeper shelf. I already read the ARC.

What did you get this week?

Saturday, April 27, 2013

ARC Review: Headed for Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann


Headed for Trouble
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Publication: Ballantine Books (April 30, 2013)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann, whom USA Today calls “the reigning queen of military suspense,” breaks out a rapid-fire collection of pulse-pounding, heart-tugging stories and novellas featuring the intrepid men and women of Troubleshooters Inc., fiction’s hottest ultimate counterterrorism squad. 
 
• Tough-as-nails Troubleshooters operative Sam Starrett learns the agony of loving someone in danger—and the hell of waiting on the home front—as his wife, Alyssa, hurtles into a foreign hotspot that’s about to boil over.
 
• Navy SEAL Frank O’Leary’s ill-fated holiday reunion with his older brother takes a turn for the better—when a chance encounter on a rainy New Orleans street gives Frank a reason to be thankful after all.
 
• In a maze of tunnels deep beneath a military base in Germany, Jules Cassidy, Alyssa Locke, and their comrades in arms match wits with terrorists on a mission with explosive consequences.
 
Plus more never-before-released adventures featuring Jenk, Izzy, Gillman, Lopez, Kenny, Savannah, and other members of SEAL Team 16—along with Suzanne Brockmann’s exclusive interviews with her beloved characters.
 
Looking for the best kind of trouble? You’ve found it!


My Thoughts: HEADED FOR TROUBLE was a great opportunity to visit again with old friend like Sam, Alyssa and Jules. It was also a chance to find out more about newer friends like Arlene and Jack. I enjoyed all the stories and loved the sense of love and patriotism that permeates all of Ms. Brockmann's writing. 

Whether dealing with terrorists beneath an American military base in Germany or trying to get out of a marginally friendly foreign country under terrorist attack with three adults and three babies all suffering from stomach flu, the adventure and love is strong. 

I even liked the parts where Ms. Brockmann inserts herself into her own story and converses with her characters. I can understand their trepidation as she turns her eagle on a secondary characters because her stated goal is to "make them really suffer because the best stories deal with characters who must face their personal vulnerabilities."

Fans of military romantic suspense and, and especially fans of the Troubleshooters, Inc. series, won't want to miss these additional glimpses into the characters' lives. 

Favorite Quote:
But here and now, compared to Lindsey, who could move as if she had a note from her doctor excusing her from the laws of gravity, he felt oafish and noisy.
I chose this one from NetGalley because I am a fan of the series. You can buy your copy here

Friday, April 26, 2013

Friday Memes: Headed for Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The 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.

This week I am spotlighting Headed for Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann. I got this eARC from NetGalley because I am a fan of the author's Troubleshooters series. Here is the description:
New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann, whom USA Today calls “the reigning queen of military suspense,” breaks out a rapid-fire collection of pulse-pounding, heart-tugging stories and novellas featuring the intrepid men and women of Troubleshooters Inc., fiction’s hottest ultimate counterterrorism squad. 

 • Tough-as-nails Troubleshooters operative Sam Starrett learns the agony of loving someone in danger—and the hell of waiting on the home front—as his wife, Alyssa, hurtles into a foreign hotspot that’s about to boil over.

 • Navy SEAL Frank O’Leary’s ill-fated holiday reunion with his older brother takes a turn for the better—when a chance encounter on a rainy New Orleans street gives Frank a reason to be thankful after all.

 • In a maze of tunnels deep beneath a military base in Germany, Jules Cassidy, Alyssa Locke, and their comrades in arms match wits with terrorists on a mission with explosive consequences.

 Plus more never-before-released adventures featuring Jenk, Izzy, Gillman, Lopez, Kenny, Savannah, and other members of SEAL Team 16—along with Suzanne Brockmann’s exclusive interviews with her beloved characters. 

Looking for the best kind of trouble? You’ve found it!
Beginning:
The music made him stop and turn around.
It was just a solo voice—a man singing the richest, bluesiest version of "Silent Night" that Frank O'Leary had ever heard.
Friday 56:
Across the street, the singer finished his song. He started packing up his box. "Sorry, folks. Gotta run. Shelter starts filling this time of night, weather like this. If I wait too long, I won't get a bed."
I can't wait to catch up with old friends. Have you read this series?

Thursday, April 25, 2013

ARC Review: Battleship: A Daring Heiress, A Teenage Jockey, and America's Horse by Dorothy Ours


Battleship: A Daring Heiress, A Teenage Jockey, and America's Horse
Author: Dorothy Ours
Publication: St. Martin's Press (April 30, 2013)

Description: The moving story of a tough little horse, a gifted boy, and a woman ahead of her time.

The youngest jockey, the smallest horse, and an unconventional heiress who disliked publicizing herself.  Together, near Liverpool, England, they made a leap of faith on a spring day in 1938: overriding the jockey’s father, trusting the boy and the horse that the British nicknamed the "American pony” to handle a race course that newspapers called “Suicide Lane.”  There, Battleship might become the first American racer to win England’s monumental, century-old Grand National steeplechase.  His rider, Great Britain’s Bruce Hobbs, was only 17 years old.

Hobbs started life with an advantage: his father, Reginald, was a superb professional horseman. But Reg Hobbs also made extreme demands, putting Bruce in situations that horrified the boy’s mother and sometimes terrified the child.  Bruce had to decide just how brave he could stand to be.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the enigmatic Marion duPont grew up at the estate now known as James Madison’s Montpelier—the refuge of America’s “Father of the Constitution.”  Rejecting her chance to be a debutante, denied a corporate role because of her gender, Marion chose a pursuit where horses spoke for her.  Taking on the world’s toughest race, she would leave her film star husband, Randolph Scott, a continent away and be pulled beyond her own control.  With its reach from Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight to Cary Grant’s Hollywood, Battleship is an epic tale of testing your true worth.

My Thoughts: BATTLESHIP is filled with detail and is a fascinating look at life in the 1930s especially in the horse country of the East Coast. It tells the story of Marion duPont Somerville Scott who was a fascinating woman who routinely listed herself as a home maker on her travels but who was a horse breeder and horse trainer who, along with her brother Will, did much to set the landscape for American horse racing. 

It is also the story of a horse. Battleship is the descendant of Man o'War who made his mark by winning the Grand National at Aintree. He was an unlikely winner because of his small size and his advanced age but he was a spectacular horse.

Finally, it is the story of the jockey - Bruce Hobbs - who rode Battleship in his historic victory. We meet him as a child and watch him grow as a rider under the tutelage of his horse trainer father Reg. The picture of the riding and racing scene in England between the wars was well described.

The book is filled with detail and, because of Marion's second marriage to actor Randolph Scott, Hollywood celebrities. It is also filled with other horse loving socialites who were friends of Marion. I liked the details about her friendship with Neil Laing and Carroll Bassett.

Readers with an interest in horseracing, the 1930s, or the lives of the rich and famous will enjoy this well-researched and documented story. 

Favorite Quote:
Perhaps problems can be useful. Perhaps it was good to learn how to handle difficulties and know that you could survive the bumps. Perhaps it was good to understand, when you looked across the big sky, that you were fortunate to have come this far and also might need to be ready for something worse.
I got this eARC through St. Martin's Press Early Reviewers program. You can buy your copy here

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

ARC Review: The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick


The Mystery Woman
Author: Amanda Quick
Publication: Putnam Adult (April 23, 2013)

Description: Under the plain gray skirts of Miss Beatrice Lockwood’s gown, a pistol waits at the ready. For Beatrice is a paid companion on a secret mission—and with a secret past—and she must be prepared to fight for her life at any moment.

Yet she is thrown oddly off guard by the fierce-looking man who joins her in foiling a crime outside a fancy ball—and then disappears into the shadows, leaving only his card. His name is Joshua Gage, and he claims to know Beatrice’s employers. Beyond that, he is an enigma with a hypnotically calm voice and an ebony-and-steel cane. . . .

Joshua, who carries out clandestine investigations for the Crown, is equally intrigued. He has a personal interest in Miss Lockwood, a suspected thief and murderer, not to mention a fraudster who claims to have psychical powers. The quest to discover her whereabouts has pulled him away from his mournful impulses to hurl himself into the sea—and engaged his curiosity about the real Beatrice Lockwood, whose spirit, he suspects, is not as delicate as her face and figure.

He does know one thing, though: This flame-haired beauty was present the night Roland Fleming died at the Academy of the Occult. Guilty or not, she is his guide to a trail of blood and blackmail, mesmerism and madness—a path that will lead both of them into the clutches of a killer who calls himself the Bone Man. . . .


My Thoughts: In this second book in the Ladies of Lantern Street series, Miss Beatrice Lockwood is working for Flint & March and is undercover as a paid companion protecting a young heiress when she meets Joshua Gage who helps her foil the abduction of her charge. Joshua is recovering from injuries that happened when one of his investigations as an agent for the Crown went badly awry, He has spent the past year in isolation at his family estate and has been left with a scarred face, a week leg, and a determination to leave investigations in the past.

Joshua is called back to London from his brooding when he believes that Beatrice is the one who is blackmailing his sister. Psychic sparks fly between Joshua and Beatrice when they meet though each is wary of the other. The running joke through this whole story is Beatrice's acceptance of her psychic powers and Joshua's determination to deny that they exist and to rely instead on logic. Joshua quickly comes to see that Beatrice is in danger and it looks like the case that injured Josh so badly isn't over. 

This story had all the elements of an intriguing mystery and an inevitable romance. Both Beatrice and Joshua are strong characters who have a great deal in common as they are both investigators and competent adults. However, they come from different social classes. Beatrice can't see a future for them but Joshua is not a conventional sort of man. The villains include a Russian assassin called the Bone Man and a truly mad scientist.

This was a fun story for all of Amanda Quick's fans and anyone who like paranormal historical fiction. 

Favorite Quote:
"I make my living as a private inquiry agent who poses as a paid companion," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Before that, I pursued a career as a paranormal practitioner for a certain individual who was evidently engaged in blackmail. I assure you, it takes more than a few snide comment from my betters to insult me."

"They aren't your betters."

She paused in the act of adjusting her hair. "What?"

"You are so much better than they are," he said, his voice roughening. "Better in spirit  better in character, better in every way imaginable. You are...amazing, Beatrice."
I won this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Battleship by Dorothy Ours


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
  • 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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from Battleship: A Daring Heiress, A Teenage Jockey, and America's Horse by Dorothy Ours. I got this eARC from St. Martin's Press Early Reviewer program. I don't usually read nonfiction but this one sounded very interesting. Here is the description:

The moving story of a tough little horse, a gifted boy, and a woman ahead of her time. 

The youngest jockey, the smallest horse, and an unconventional heiress who disliked publicizing herself.  Together, near Liverpool, England, they made a leap of faith on a spring day in 1938: overriding the jockey’s father, trusting the boy and the horse that the British nicknamed the "American pony” to handle a race course that newspapers called “Suicide Lane.”  There, Battleship might become the first American racer to win England’s monumental, century-old Grand National steeplechase.  His rider, Great Britain’s Bruce Hobbs, was only 17 years old. 

Hobbs started life with an advantage: his father, Reginald, was a superb professional horseman. But Reg Hobbs also made extreme demands, putting Bruce in situations that horrified the boy’s mother and sometimes terrified the child.  Bruce had to decide just how brave he could stand to be. 

On the other side of the Atlantic, the enigmatic Marion duPont grew up at the estate now known as James Madison’s Montpelier—the refuge of America’s “Father of the Constitution.”  Rejecting her chance to be a debutante, denied a corporate role because of her gender, Marion chose a pursuit where horses spoke for her.  Taking on the world’s toughest race, she would leave her film star husband, Randolph Scott, a continent away and be pulled beyond her own control.  With its reach from Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight to Cary Grant’s Hollywood, Battleship is an epic tale of testing your true worth.
Teaser:
A hoof touches earth; a nose jolts toward the turf. A tremor races through two bodies, with all of the possibilities that burst open whenever I becomes we.
What do you think? Will you be adding this April 30 release to your stack?

Blog Tour: Evidence of Life by Barbara Taylor Sissel


Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Barbara Taylor Sissel's Evidence of Life. I am pleased to be sharing an excerpt from the novel.


“Dad says it’s not going to rain, that the weatherman doesn't know his—“

“Lindsey,” Abby warned.

“I wasn't going to say ass, Mom.  I was going to say bum or buttocks, or what about seater rumpus?”

Abby rolled her eyes.

“He doesn't know his seater rumpus from a hole in the ground,” Lindsey finished. She stowed her purse and ipod in the front seat. “Mom?”

“Yep?”

“I wish you were going.”

“You do? How come?”

“Because that delicious French toast you made for us? It’s the last good meal I’ll eat til we get home.”

 Abby laughed.

 “Very funny.” Nick hefted his briefcase and laptop into the back of Abby’s Jeep Cherokee, shifting it to fit, muttering what sounded to Abby like, “Who needs this?” Or “why am I doing this?”

She said, “Why don’t you leave that stuff here? You don’t have to work every weekend.”

“I gave you the keys to the BMW didn't I?” he asked if he hadn't heard her, and maybe he hadn't or didn't want to.

“Oh my gosh!” Lindsey’s eyes were round in mock amazement. “Dad’s letting you drive his precious BMW?”

“I know,” Abby said. “I’m astonished, too.”

He straightened. “Hey, funny girl, maybe I’ll let you drive Mom’s Jeep.”

“For real?” She only had her learner’s permit, wouldn't turn 16 until August.”

Here is the description of the book:
On the last ordinary day of her life, Abby Bennett feels like the luckiest woman alive. But everyone knows that luck doesn't last forever…

As her husband, Nick, and daughter, Lindsey, embark on a weekend camping trip to the Texas Hill Country, Abby looks forward to having some quiet time to herself. She braids Lindsey's hair, reminds Nick to drive safely and kisses them both goodbye. For a brief moment, Abby thinks she has it all—a perfect marriage, a perfect life—until a devastating storm rips through the region, and her family vanishes without a trace.

When Nick and Lindsey are presumed dead, lost in the raging waters, Abby refuses to give up hope. Consumed by grief and clinging to her belief that her family is still alive, she sets out to find them. But as disturbing clues begin to surface, Abby realizes that the truth may be far more sinister than she imagined. Soon she finds herself caught in a current of lies that threaten to unhinge her and challenge everything she once believed about her marriage and family.

With a voice that resonates with stunning clarity, Barbara Taylor Sissel delivers a taut and chilling mystery about a mother's love, a wife's obsession and the invisible fractures that can shatter a family.
*************
EVIDENCE OF LIFE
Barbara Taylor Sissel
Harlequin MIRA, April 2013
320 pages; $14.95 U.S./$17.95 CAN.
ISBN-13:978-0-7783-1516-2 

Sunday, April 21, 2013

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 22, 2013)



It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

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 woke up to another snowy morning here in SE Minnesota and am really wondering when Spring is going to arrive. Other than that, I had a great week. I managed to read an amazing eight books.

Adult Books Read
I finished Sharp: A Mindspace Investigations Novel by Alex Hughes which is the second in an urban fantasy series. I liked this one as much as the first and look forward to more. My review is here.

Behind the Lies by Robin Perini was a heart-pounding romantic suspense title that grabbed me and didn't let me go until the last page was read. My review is here.
The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick was a fun historical paranormal. I always love Quick's characters and romances. My review will be posted on April 24.

Young Adult Books Read
One + One = Blue by MJ Auch was a middle grade title about friendship and family narrated by a boy with synesthesia (he sees numbers as colors). I enjoyed the story. My review will be posted on April 25.

The Rules (Project Paper Doll) by Stacey Kade was an entertaining science fiction story with engaging young adult characters but the adults were really nasty people. My review is here
I finally finished The Madman's Daughter (Jan. 29 release) by Megan Shepherd. I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere but had some trouble with the science in this science fiction story. This was an OK read. I'm not sure if I'll be reading more in the series. My review is here.
I also read two books in Kathleen Krull's Giants of Science series to support a unit I am teaching my fifth graders. I really enjoyed Krull's writing style in both Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton though I don't intend to review either of them. I liked them so much I bought the rest of the series to read and donate to my elementary media center. 

Currently Reading
I am currently reading Battleship: A Daring Heiress, A Teenage Jockey, and America's Horse by Dorothy Ours. I am finding it readable but not particularly memorable. I like the glimpse I am getting of the horse world of the 1930s.

Next Week's Review Books
Headed for Trouble by Suzanne Brockmann is a collection of novella and short stories featuring the characters from Troubleshooters, Inc. It will be released on April 30/

Bare It All by Lori Foster is the first book in a new romantic suspense series. It will be released on April 30 byt my blog tour post is scheduled for May 15.
Sketchy by Olivia Samms is a new YA paranormal that sounded really good when I was browsing NetGalley. It will be released on April 30.

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa is the second book in her Blood of Eden series. I have never read anything by the author that hasn't been amazing. I can't wait to start this April 30 release. 

What was the past week like for you? What are you planning for this week?

Stacking the Shelves (April 21, 2013)

Tynga of Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

Here is what I added to my stack this week.
Lone Wolf by Jennifer Ashley was a Kindle bargain and is about shifters. I couldn't resist buying this novella. 

A Bit of Bite by Cynthia Eden was an even better Kindle deal. It was free. This is a short paranormal romance that was previously published as part of an anthology.
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts is her latest romantic suspense. This hardcover was a no-brainer for me. I love everything she writes.

Worth the Wait by Synithia Williams was a Kindle Daily Deal. I liked the blurb and decided to add this romance to my "I'll read it someday" pile. 

What did you get this week?

Saturday, April 20, 2013

ARC Review: Behind the Lies by Robin Perini


Behind the Lies
Author: Robin Perini
Publication: Montlake Romance (April 23, 2013)

Description: Of the six Montgomery brothers, Zach has always walked on the wild side. He rocketed to fame playing a hero in a movie, but offscreen he’s living in the shadows. Zach’s dark secret: he leads a double life as a CIA operative. When a mission to stalk a terrorist goes horribly wrong, Zach’s cover is blown. He’s on the run and fighting to stay alive long enough to discover whom he can trust—and who betrayed him.

Jenna Walters thought she’d married the perfect man—until she unearthed his terrible secret. Now, desperate to escape his crosshairs, she and her son take refuge in Zach’s secret hideaway. Sparks fly between Zach and Jenna even as danger explodes around them.

From Afghanistan to Turkey to the mountains of Colorado, assassins track them and are closing in. Not only is Zach’s life at stake, but now Jenna and her son are targets in this high stakes game.

Golden Heart Winner and seven-time finalist, Robin Perini offers up another page-turner.

My Thoughts: BEHIND THE LIES was an action-packed romantic thriller. Jenna was fleeing with her five-year-old son Sam from her husband. She had learned that he was an assassin, turned him in to the FBI, but was betrayed by the FBI and had to run for her life. Zach Montgomery, whose cover as a B class actor hid his CIA agent reality, was also on the run as it looked like he had been betrayed by someone in his own agency. 

Though Zach had good intentions of setting Jenna and Sam up in a new life far away from the danger he presented, each set of enemies was too close to converging on them for him to put the plans into action. Zach, Jenna and Sam had to deal with car accidents, houses exploding around them, and the hazards or running through the mountains at night. 

Jenna had tried to protect her son from the reality of his father but Sam knew that he hit her and thought that was how husbands treated their wives. It wasn't until he saw how Zach treated Jenna that he began to understand how men should treat women. Of course, it helped that Zach had played the Dark Avenger in one of his movies and that Sam already thought of the Dark Avenger as a hero. 

Even though he doesn't want too, Zach ends up bringing Jenna and Sam home with him to seek the aid of his brothers. Zach had been staying away because he felt responsible for their father's death. But the Montgomery boys are very formidable when they all get together. Together they take on an insane Afghan terrorist who wants revenge on Zach for the death of his sister, Jenna's assassin husband, and a rogue CIA agent on the way to a happy ending for Zach, Jenna and Sam. 

This was a real page turner. I look forward to reading more stories about the Montgomery brothers and can't wait for Robin Perini to finish writing them. 

Favorite Quote:
Jenna didn't want to lean on Zach Montgomery. She didn't want to rely on anyone. Not again. She had to find the scrappy kid she'd hidden away when Brad found her. The girl who could pick a pocket without her target having a clue; the girl who could hot-wire a car in thirty seconds, not the minute it had taken her to start Zach's truck; the girl who'd survived on her own for two years carelessly overseen by an uncle whose best friends were paid to break kneecaps. Until he vanished, leaving her homeless and hungry.
I got this ARC through Amazon Vine. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Friday Memes: Behind the Lies by Robin Perini

Happy Friday everybody!
Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The 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.

This week I am spotlighting Behind the Lies by Robin Perini. I got this romantic suspense title from Amazon Vine for review. It will be released on April 23. Here is the description:
Of the six Montgomery brothers, Zach has always walked on the wild side. He rocketed to fame playing a hero in a movie, but offscreen he’s living in the shadows. Zach’s dark secret: he leads a double life as a CIA operative. When a mission to stalk a terrorist goes horribly wrong, Zach’s cover is blown. He’s on the run and fighting to stay alive long enough to discover whom he can trust—and who betrayed him.

Jenna Walters thought she’d married the perfect man—until she unearthed his terrible secret. Now, desperate to escape his crosshairs, she and her son take refuge in Zach’s secret hideaway. Sparks fly between Zach and Jenna even as danger explodes around them.

From Afghanistan to Turkey to the mountains of Colorado, assassins track them and are closing in. Not only is Zach’s life at stake, but now Jenna and her son are targets in this high stakes game.

Golden Heart Winner and seven-time finalist, Robin Perini offers up another page-turner.
Beginning:
The last time Sergeant Patrick Montgomery had seen his third-oldest son, Zach had been on the cover of a tabloid cavorting with five naked women.
Friday 56:
Her son wanted so much to meet the Dark Avenger, and she didn't want to ruin his childhood fantasy. Too much of his innocence would be stolen over the next few weeks.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

ARC Review: Sharp by Alex Hughes


Sharp
Author: Alex Hughes
Publication: Roc (April 2, 2013)

Description: HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, EVEN FOR TELEPATHS.…
As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop—I never will be—and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident.
And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane.
Parts for illegal Tech—the same parts used to bring the world to its knees in the Tech Wars sixty years ago—are being hijacked all over the city. Plus Cherbino's longtime nemesis, a cop killer, has resurfaced with a vengeance. If I can stay alive long enough, I just might be able to prove my worth, once and for all...

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this second entry into Alex Hughes' Mindscape Investigations series. I liked watching Adam grow and make some tough choices. In his last case, he had to deal with a telepath who was also a serial killer. This brought him to the very negative attention of the very secretive Guild of telepaths. 

This story begins with Adam being called to the scene of a murder and finding out that the victim was one of the students he accidentally stripped of her telepathic powers when he was under the influence of the drug that got him kicked out of the Guild. The Guild would really rather that he had died on the streets from an overdose of the drug. 

Adam is clean now in part because of the devotion of his Narcotics Anonymous sponsor Jonathan Swartz and in part because he has found a purpose for his life working with the police department. He is especially close to Isabella Cherabino with whom he accidentally formed a mind link. This has really freaked Cherabino out because, like most people, she doesn't trust telepaths and doesn't want to share her mind with one. He is slowly rebuilding trust with her. Then the Guild comes calling because they might want him back and certainly want to monitor him to make sure he isn't telling any Guild secrets.

Adam has lots of stresses in this story which isn't good for a man who still fights everyday to stay drug-free. The police department is down-sizing due to budget cuts and his job could be on the line. He is at odds with Cherabino who is a strong, sane, helping hand when he is down. His NA sponsor suffers a major heart attack. One of Adam's students was murdered. The Guild plants a tag in his mind so that they can make sure he isn't a danger to them which increases suspicion in the police department and the FBI is investigating him. There are other stressors to but edge into spoiler territory. 

In the world that Hughes has created, technology went wild and killed millions when a madman took control of the semisentient computers and spread computer viruses to people's implants. Tech is not allowed and is greatly feared. Now someone is hijacking components that could be used to recreate that Tech and it gets mixed up in Adam's murder case.

Fans of urban fantasy who want a main character who isn't a superhero will really enjoy this story. I can't wait to read further Mindspace Investigations novels.

Favorite Quote:
She had to swallow. It was like the weight of the world, of someone she loved, was sitting squarely on her, and I hurt to see it. This was Cherabino, for all our differences. This was the woman who'd given me a chance, and a new life. I'd do anything for her. Anything.
I received a copy of this ARC because I am on the blog tour for the book. You can buy your copy of the book here