Wednesday, February 28, 2018

ARC Review: The Policeman's Daughter by Trudy Nan Boyce

The Policeman's Daughter
Author: Trudy Nan Boyce
Series: A Detective Sarah Alt Novel (Book 3)
Publication: G.P. Putnam's Sons (February 27, 2018)

Description: From author Trudy Nan Boyce, whose police procedural debut was hailed as "authentic" (NYTBR) and "exceptional" (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), returns with a stunning prequel to the Detective Salt series, the story behind the case that earned Salt her promotion to homicide.

At the beginning of her career, Sarah "Salt" Alt was a beat cop in Atlanta's poorest, most violent housing project, The Homes. It is here that she meets the cast of misfits and criminals that will have a profound impact on her later cases: Man Man, the leader of the local gang on his way to better places; street dealer Lil D and his family; and Sister Connelly, old and observant, the matriarch of the neighborhood. A lone patrolwoman, Salt's closest lifeline is her friend and colleague Pepper, on his own beat nearby. And when a murder in The Homes brings detectives to the scene, Salt draws closer to Detective Wills, initiating a romance complicated by their positions on the force.

When Salt is shot and sustains a head injury during a routine traffic stop, the resulting visions begin leading her toward answers in the case that makes her career. This is the tale of a woman who solves crimes through a combination of keen observation, grunt work, and pure gut instinct; this is the making of Detective Salt.

My Thoughts: This novel introduces Sarah Alt known as Salt to her colleagues and the people she serves as a police officer in the Homes, a poor and violent housing project in Atlanta. Salt has patrolled the streets working the 4 to midnight shift for ten years. She has gotten to know the streets and the people.

This case concerns the death of a drug addicted hooker named Shannell. Salt has known her, her boyfriend Big D, her son Lil D, and her daughter Mary for years. Shannell and Big D have a contentious relationship. Shannell often goes after him with her favorite knife. When she is found shot to death, Big D is the first suspect. Lil D is sure he did it. But Salt isn't and begins an investigation which is hampered by sheer amount of crime in the Homes. Homicide, in the person of Detective Wills, has too many cases to spend much time working on Shannell's death.

Salt finds herself looking at Man Man who runs the local gang and who sells drugs to get justice for Shannel. Lil D works for him. So does Stone. Over the years, Salt has tried to help Lil D get away from the drug culture and the violence but the problems are so deep that it is easy for one kid or two to slip through the cracks.

Salt is an intriguing character who is still battling her own ghosts resulting from the suicide of her policeman father on her tenth birthday. Her mother remarried and moved away even before Salt finished college. They talk every once in a while but she doesn't feel any need to let her know when she's shot while conducting a routine traffic stop. 

Her best friend is Pepper, a black man, who became a police officer the same time she did and who has worked with her patrolling the same area. Her focus on finding Shannell's killer and dealing with the aftereffects of the gunshot that grazed her head has caused her to distance herself from Pepper and her other work colleagues until a traumatic event reminds her that they are there for her.

The story setting is gritty and grim with rampant poverty and the culture that goes with it. The day to day police work is a never ending slog with only the occasional small victory. Still there are glimpses of hope and Salt is determined to make a difference. I enjoyed this story which is the first I've read about Salt enough to buy copies of the previous two books in the series to learn what happens next for her. 

Favorite Quote:
Sister stepped closer. "You ever go to church?"

"I was raised in the church," Salt said.

"'Salt,' now that makes me think of Lot's wife who got herself turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back at evil."

"It's my job to look."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: Hooked on a Phoenix by Ashlyn Chase

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 want everyone to hear us? Keep your voice down," Gabe whispered to Parker Carlyle, his best friend since childhood. He scanned the celebrants at his brother Jayce's Christmas Eve wedding reception. No one was paying attention to them -- until his mother looked up. She didn't have paranormal hearing like her sons and husband, but that never stopped her from knowing exactly what was going on. Her smile faded as she took in Gabe's serious expression.
 
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 (from 56% of the eARC):
Missy had had it. She was actually glad to get back to work where she could think about something besides disappointing Parker, messing up Gabe's life, and probably messing up her own.
This week I am reading Hooked on a Phoenix by Ashlyn Chase. I got this review book from NetGalley. Here is the description from Amazon:
LOCKED IN A BANK VAULT TOGETHER...
THEY MIGHT REDEFINE THE MEANING OF 'SAFE' SEX


Misty Carlisle works as a bank teller in Boston's financial district. She's had more rotten luck in her life than most, except when her childhood crush shows up to cash his paycheck. Then her heart races and her mouth goes dry.

Gabe Fierro is a firefighter—and a phoenix. Like his brothers, his biggest challenge is finding a woman open-minded enough to accept a shapeshifter into her life. When his boyhood friend asks him to watch over his little sister Misty, he reluctantly agrees. But when the bank where she works gets held up, Gabe does everything he can to protect her. The two of them end up locked in the bank's vault...where things get steamier than either of them ever imagined.

ARC Review: A Call to Vengeance by David Weber, Timothy Zahn, and Thomas Pope

A Call to Vengeance
Author: David Weber, Timothy Zahn, Thomas Pope
Series: Manticore Ascendant (Book 3)
Publication: Baen (March 6, 2018)

Description: Book three in the nationally best-selling Manticore Ascendant series, a prequel series to David Weber's multiple New York Times best-selling Honor Harrington series. Sequel to A Call to Duty and A Call to Arms.

After the disastrous attack on the Manticoran home system by forces unknown, the Royal Manticoran Navy stands on the brink of collapse. A shadowy enemy with the resources to hurl warships across hundreds of light years seeks to conquer the Star Kingdom for reasons unknown, while forces from within Manticore’s own government seek to discredit and weaken the Navy for reasons very much known: their own political gain.

It’s up to officers like Travis Long and Lisa Donnelly to defend the Star Kingdom and the Royal Manticoran Navy from these threats, but the challenge is greater than any they have faced before. Weakened but not defeated, the mercenary forces and their mysterious employer could return at any time, and the anti-Navy faction within Parliament is growing. The situation becomes even more dire when fresh tragedy strikes the Star Kingdom.

While the House of Winton faces their enemies at home, Travis, Lisa, and the other officers of the Royal Manticoran Navy must reunite with old friends and join new allies to hunt down and eliminate the forces arrayed against them in a galaxy-spanning conspiracy.

Manticore has learned that the universe is not a safe place, but the Star Kingdom’s enemies are about to learn it's dangerous to mess with the Manticore!

My Thoughts: The events in this third entry into the Manticore Ascendant series follow closely on the events of book 2. The Royal Manticoran Navy is trying to pick up the pieces remaining after the battle with pirates was won and the politicians, especially Lord Breakwater, are trying to further reduce the power and influence of the Navy. When a second wave of attack comes just weeks after the first, it is up to the RMN to defend Manticore with a very damaged Navy. Luckily, a bluff suggested by Travis Long manages to send them running for safety.

We, the readers, know why this unknown force wants Manticore, but no one on Manticore does. Since one of the viewpoint characters is Mr. Llyn who is the puppetmaster pulling all these strings to get Manticore for his employers. 

Travis is recruited into a new intelligence force that is led by a former cabinet member and is working without the oversight of the Office of Naval Intelligence. His mission is to track down the pirates who attempted to invade Manticore. To do this he is assigned as an officer on the most up-to-date ship in the RMN which has the mission of doing a tour to try to drum up business for a new Manticore shipbuilding operation. One of the first stop connects them with an Andermani "freighter" where they learn that they aren't the only ones on the trail of the pirate. Apparently the Andermani Emperor wants his found and destroyed.

Meanwhile, Travis's girlfriend and fellow RMN officer Lisa Donnelly is part of another mission to Haven to try to track down some parts found in the wreckage after the battle also in hopes of locating the pirate. There Lisa reconnects with a woman who was RMN bur moved to Haven and is now a shining light in their military. Together they are also trying to destroy piracy that affects Haven.

Meanwhile, Mr. Llyn has decided that his hired pirates have outlived their usefulness and know to much about his secret employer and need to be taken off the board. I started to almost feel sorry for Admiral Cutler Gensonne and his mercenary band given that Manticore, Haven, the Andermani and his own employer Llyn were all, individually, working to defeat him.

Back on Manticore, the monarchy changes hands when King Edward and Crown Princess Sophie die in a boating accident and Edward's widowed sister Elizabeth becomes the new queen. Lord Breakwater looks on this as an opportunity to increase his power and prestige as he tries to find a way to influence or control her. The death of the long-standing Prime Minister also helps destabilize things. But Elizabeth isn't a pushover. She is very able to deal with the political maneuvering fomented by Breakwater.

This was another intriguing science fiction space opera about the early days of the Star Kingdom of Manticore. I hope that there are more books planned for this prequel series to the Honor Harrington books. 

Favorite Quote:
Still, Llyn had always held to the rule to never ascribe to malice that which could be explained by incompetence. Especially when the individual in question had such an abundant store of incompetence to draw upon.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Monday, February 26, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Feb. 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... 

I'm writing this on a sunny Saturday morning. I hope you are enjoying nice weather too.

Speaking of weather, we have had lots of snow this week and more is predicted for the evening hours today and tomorrow. We were down for the month of February but have caught up. This has been a low snow winter so far but it looks like we will be catching up a bit. I think we are till down more than 15 inches for the season even counting the snow that has fallen this week. They are predicting 8 - 10 inches of new snow in this round after getting 10 inches last Sunday through Tuesday and 5 inches Thursday night and Friday.

I have a doctor's appointment Monday morning and thus far the weather looks good. We are expecting highs in the 30s for most of the coming week. With snow on Saturday and Sunday, I just hope that they get our street plowed before I need to leave Monday morning. Last week we didn't get plowed until Wednesday morning when all the snow had finally stopped falling. Taking advantage of being able to see the road, I headed up to the Mall for a few laps to add some steps to my FitBit on Wednesday.

This will be a big blogging week. I have my monthly summary of review books to prepare. I list what I've read, what I've received, and what is still on the stack every month. It helps me keep on track with my review book reading.

Also, baseball Spring Training games have begun. I renewed my annual subscription to MLB.TV and am using my Amazon Fire to show the games on my television. Between baseball and a new season for The Voice, I have plenty of TV to watch in between books.

Read Last Week
  • Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet - thrilling conclusion to fantasy trilogy. My review will be posted on March 22.
  • Lost Crow Conspiracy - entertaining historical fantasy which is second in a series. My review will be posted on March 21.
  • Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi - middle grade fantasy based on Indian mythology which begins a series. My review will be posted on March 23.
  • Falling Star by Terri Osburn - nice feel-good romance. My review will be posted on March 24.
  • Ice Wolves (Elementals) by Amie Kaufman - entertaining middle grade fantasy that begins a series. My review will be posted March 26.
  • Better Homes and Corpses by Kathleen Baldwin - entertaining cozy mystery set on Long Island and starring a newly divorced decorator. My review will be posted on March 29.
  • The Window by Amelia Brunskill - YA mystery and best book I read this week. My review will be posted on March 28.
  • The School for Psychics by K.C. Archer - entertaining characters in this science fiction/mystery. My review will be posted March 28.
Currently
Lake Silence by Anne Bishop - for the third time. I love this story.

Next Week
They Lost Their Heads! by Carlyn Beccia (April 3)
A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks (April 10)
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Mine)
Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance (April 10)
The Shadow of Death by Jane Willan (April 10)
Lord of the Pies by Nell Hampton (April 10)

Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:
Darkest Night by Tara Thomas
Collision Point by Lora Leigh
Close to the Edge by Dawn Ryder

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:
The Tombs by Deborah Schaumberg
Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Small haul this week. Two by authors I just discovered and one finished copy of a book I read for review.

Rising Star by Terri Osburn
An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James
The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka

What was your week like?

Saturday, February 24, 2018

ARC Review: Close to the Edge by Dawn Ryder

Close to the Edge
Author: Dawn Ryder
Series: Unbroken Heroes (Book 5)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 27, 2018)

Description: They are part of an elite unit. On task. Off grid. These are the men of the Shadow Ops task force. Be seduced and thrilled by Close to the Edge, the next Unbroken Heroes novel by Dawn Ryder.

HOW FAR WILL ONE MAN GO

Jenna Henson always plays it safe. It’s what has gotten her through all these years . So she never expected to end up in arm-to-arm combat with a gorgeous, muscle bound mercenary named Dare…

Agent Dare Servant lives for the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline high. He’s fully committed to his job, fully armed, and full-on dangerous. But when innocent, irresistible Jenna Henson walks in on his latest mission, the need to keep her safe becomes all-consuming.

TO PROTECT THE WOMAN HE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?

Jenna’s captured the attention of Dare’s deadliest enemies, and with a target on her back, she needs Dare’s protection. But being Jenna’s bodyguard might be his hardest challenge yet. How can he keep her safe when he longs to take her in his arms and never let her go?

My Thoughts: CLOSE TO THE EDGE is the fifth in the Unbroken Hearts series but stood alone quite well for me even though I haven't read any of the others in the series. Jenna Henson finds herself involved with very secret agents from a covert government organization when she goes to Kirkland Grog's house as a substitute chef for her best friend who is a caterer. She walks right in on a team of agents who are bugging the house to try to get evidence that Kirkland is a criminal who specializes in human trafficking.

For some unknown reason, Kirkland decides to eliminate her which sort of baffled me since he wasn't home when she arrived, she was subdued by the good guys almost immediately, and removed from the scene. Luckily, the good guys had chipped her like a puppy which let them know when Kirkland's men kidnapped her. Dare Servant should have been able to treat her like any other witness but somehow she got to this dedicated agent.

He knows he isn't good for her since he is married to his very dangerous job. But Jenna needs protection and Dare wants to provide it. This story had hot romance and creepy villains. There was action and adventure in a twisty plot.

I read an eARC of this book and had some problems that will, hopefully, be corrected before the book is published. The book has been run through a spellchecker and the spellings are correct but there are a number of cases where the wrong word was chosen for the sentence. Sometimes this was amusing and sometimes it was confusing.

Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this story which nicely balances the romance and the suspense.

Favorite Quote:
She couldn't be attracted to him.

How can you miss it?

Okay, fair enough. The guy oozed charisma. That wink, combined with the way his lips were set into an inviting grin, well, perfect combination for her hormones to do something...impulsive.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Friday Memes: Close to the Edge by Dawn Ryder

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:
"These two were murdered."
Friday 56:
He was hard and determined, his eyes narrowed as he pressed her flat, capturing her wrists and pinning them above her head to the surface of the bed.
This week I am spotlighting Close to the Edge by Dawn Ryder. This is the 5th book in the Unbroken Heroes series but the first I've read. Here is the description from Amazon:
They are part of an elite unit. On task. Off grid. These are the men of the Shadow Ops task force. Be seduced and thrilled by Close to the Edge, the next Unbroken Heroes novel by Dawn Ryder.

HOW FAR WILL ONE MAN GO

Jenna Henson always plays it safe. It’s what has gotten her through all these years . So she never expected to end up in arm-to-arm combat with a gorgeous, muscle bound mercenary named Dare…

Agent Dare Servant lives for the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline high. He’s fully committed to his job, fully armed, and full-on dangerous. But when innocent, irresistible Jenna Henson walks in on his latest mission, the need to keep her safe becomes all-consuming.

TO PROTECT THE WOMAN HE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?

Jenna’s captured the attention of Dare’s deadliest enemies, and with a target on her back, she needs Dare’s protection. But being Jenna’s bodyguard might be his hardest challenge yet. How can he keep her safe when he longs to take her in his arms and never let her go?

Thursday, February 22, 2018

ARC Review: Collision Point by Lora Leigh

Collision Point
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Brute Force (Book 1)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 27, 2018)

Description: HE’S NOTHING BUT TROUBLE

Riordan Malone is more than a bodyguard. As an Elite Ops agent, he’s ripped, raged, and ready to rumble―a true warrior, inside and out. But no war zone can compare to the battle in Rory’s heart when he lays eyes on the only woman he’s ever loved―and thought he had lost forever. . .

HE’S EVERYTHING SHE NEEDS 

As the daughter of a crime lord, Amara Resnova has endured the cruelty of her father’s enemies―and has tried to escape that world ever since. Now, she must reach out to the one man who saved her life, even if she’s never forgiven him for breaking her heart. But Amara is tougher today than she was then. She’s also more desirable to Rory―and dangerous to love. Can he protect her from her father’s enemies without surrendering to his own passions…or will love seal their fate for good?

My Thoughts: COLLISION POINT is the beginning of a brand new series but as I was reading I felt that there were stories for some of the characters that I was missing. Some quick research at Fantastic Fiction tells me that some of these characters were introduced in the Elite Ops series which I have on TBR mountain. The basic story is that Riordan Malone was hired as a bodyguard for Amara Resnnova. They fell in love, started a hot affair, then he was sent on an assignment, and, while he was gone, she was kidnapped. He found her severely beaten and with broken bones and rescued her. During the course of the rescue he was shot multiple times and died three or four times before he got to the hospital and out of the operating room.

He tries to contact her and is denied by her family who says she doesn't want to talk to him. Then she comes running to him because she's had dreams that tell her that he is the only one who she can trust. She has had a number of close calls which tells her that whoever kidnapped her and wanted her dead hasn't given up. The trauma of her abduction has made her lose all memory of the last year of her life. The last thing she remembers is meeting him when her father hires him to be her bodyguard.

Riordan was getting ready to go claim her when she came looking for him. He formed a connection with her that makes her his. He is willing to die for her. The sexual tension is high between the two of them despite Amara's lack of memory of their previous relationship. Much of the book is foreplay between the two of them. Lots of the rest describes their sexual encounters in tedious detail.

The romance plot far outweighs the suspense plot in this story. In fact, when the villain was revealed, my first reaction was "who's that?" Fans of Leigh's steamy romances will enjoy this one. People looking for suspense should look elsewhere.

Favorite Quote:
Malone men didn't just love, they were cursed, or gifted as his grandpops claimed, to share a bond that bound them forever to the ones they loved. To see through their eyes, their dreams.
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

ARC Review: Darkest Night by Tara Thomas

Darkest Night
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad (Book 1)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 27, 2018)

Description: In this first novel in the explosive, brand-new romantic suspense Sons of Broad series from Tara Thomas comes a novel of deadly secrets and hidden danger. In the sultry streets of Charleston, one family, ruled by its powerful, take-no-prisoners sons, has risen to the top. But a merciless enemy is out to destroy them…and everyone they hold close…

SHE THOUGHT SHE’D LOST HIM FOREVER
Tilly Brock has learned―the hard way―how to take care of herself. Once a pillar of Charleston society, her family lost everything in the wake of a shocking scandal. And then Tilly lost the only boy she ever loved.

BUT NOW THAT HE’S BACK IN HER LIFE
Keaton Benedict is Charleston’s most notorious bachelor. But in spite of all his advantages―the money, the women, the family name―he longs for more: the heart of the young woman he still can’t forget.

THE DANGER HAS JUST BEGUN…
When Keaton re-enters Tilly’s life, after all these years, she is torn between feelings of doubt and desire. Can they put the past behind them and learn to love again? Tilly is willing to try. But Keaton is afraid that a vengeful enemy is watching―and waiting to destroy them. Can the rekindled flame of their love defeat the deadliest rival and light their way forward in the darkest night?

My Thoughts: This first Sons of Broad book is romantic suspense with a heavy emphasis on suspense. Someone wants Tilly Brock dead. That same someone also wants to bring down the wealthy and powerful Benedict family.

Keaton Benedict is the youngest of the three Benedict brothers. He's a recent college graduate who wants to begin a division in Benedict Shipping for charitable giving. He's with some friends at a gentleman's club celebrating his graduation when he spots Tilly.

Keaton and Tilly were best friends on their way to a romance when she disappeared from his life. He was told that her father embezzled from the Benedict Company, was fired, and moved the family to Texas. In fact, they just moved to a different part of Charleston and dropped out of the upper social circle. Her father and mother both died leaving Tilly to struggle to make her way through college - thus the reason for working at a gentleman's club.

Soon after they met again, bodies started appearing around them. First Tilly's friend from work. Then two of the dancers from the club. Keaton's older brother was briefly a suspect in the second dancer's death.

Added to the confusion, a young woman who is determined to marry Keaton and who is a family friend has come to spend the summer with the Benedicts. She is not above using blackmail or murder to get her way and convince Keaton to marry her. At first, I wondered if her actions and presence were another attempt by The Gentleman. I don't think so but am still not sure.

Then there is the villain of the piece - The Gentleman - and his henchwoman/victim Jade. The Gentleman is involved in all sorts of crime in Charleston including human trafficking and he's the one who wants the Benedicts destroyed. Jade is an interesting character because she has been raised and brainwashed by The Gentleman to hate the Benedicts but is starting to question what she has been taught.

The romance storyline between Keaton and Tilly is brought to resolution in this book but the suspense plot will need resolution in the upcoming books in the series. This was a busy story with lots of threads.

Favorite Quote:
"The same blond ones from earlier?" The evil little scumbags.

She nodded. "You  know,they aren't natural blonds."

"There wasn't much of them that were natural, if you know what I mean." He waggled his eyebrows to lighten the mood and smiled when that got a laugh out of her.

"True. I remember one of them saying they got boobs for graduating from high school."
I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

First Paragraph/Teaser Tuesday: Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

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:
Prologue

Two children, a brother and a sister, played down by the Old Bridge nearly every day, weather permitting. None observing them would have guessed they were a prince and a princess. The boy, the younger of the two, was generally up to his elbows in mud due to his brave exploits as a frog catcher. His sister, though significantly more prim, was often barefoot and sported a few leaves and flowers stuck in her hair. She thought these romantic, but her nurse, when she brushed the princess's hair at night, called them "common," and said it with a distinct sniff.
 
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:
Fidel cleared his throat. There are many expressive ways a king may clear his throat; this one expressed keen interest. "Just how great would you say your kingdom is?"

"How great can you imagine, King Fidel?"

"Rather great."

"Mine is greater."
This week I am spotlighting Heartless from Anne Elisabeth Stengl which has been on my TBR pile since July, 2, 2010. Here is the description from Amazon:
Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir.

Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

Book Review: The Sons of Broad Novellas

Shattered Fear
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 6, 2018)

My Thoughts: This novella introduces the Sons of Broad romantic suspense series. The setting is Charleston where a serial killer is targeting young women without families. They have been disappearing from a local club. The Prologue introduces The Gentleman and the nameless minion who is kidnapping girls for him. The minion is a gambler who owes The Gentleman half a million. He also apparently has ties to the police department since he knows Janie has been assigned to work undercover.

Janie is a police officer who is undercover at the club working as a bartender. There she meets Brent Taylor who is a rich guy who is also really handsome. She starts dating him despite the fact that he fits the profile of the kidnapper. They are shot at and Janie is removed from the case for her relationship with Brent. However, since a homeless guy she befriended outside the club is murdered, she doesn't want to let the case go and decides to investigate on her own.

The story ends on a cliffhanger and has a few things that bothered me. First of all, Janie is awfully weepy for a police officer. Also the relationship with Brent happened very quickly. I know that things have to happen fast in a novella but I still thought the relationship got too serious too fast. I also thought that Janie going from suspended to fired in the course of a couple of days seemed pretty unrealistic and looked like a potential lawsuit for the police department.

I am eager to see where the clue that Janie smelled a minty cedar smell and has linked it to the kidnapper goes in the next novella.


Hidden Fate
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 13, 2018)

My Thoughts: This second novella has Janie still investigating the kidnappings and murders that happened at the club where she was working undercover until she fell in love with a suspect and was fired by the police department.

Wealthy Brent Taylor was cleared of the charges through the use of DNA evidence. Now his main goal is protecting Janie who is still the target of someone who wants her dead.

The assassin who was assigned by The Gentleman to kill Janie is having too much fun trying to scare her by sending her dead roses and threatening poetry and trashing her apartment. He did make a mistake by leaving some DNA but his is not on file.

In her personal life, Janie and Brent and falling in love. She's ready to move with him to Washington, DC, as he serves on a government committee. Thinking they are safe house hunting in DC, they learn they are wrong when the assassin sends pictures of the two of them in an intimate moment in their hotel suite.

This is definitely the middle novella in a trilogy because it ends on a major cliffhanger. While the readers knew who the assassin was, the good guys just find out when Janie is kidnapped from a police picnic.

Twisted End
Author: Tara Thomas
Series: Sons of Broad
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 20, 2018)

My Thoughts: This concluding episode deals with Janie's kidnapping and Brent and Alyssa's quest to find her.

Janie has been drugged which leaves her with slow reactions and hallucinations. Her kidnapper didn't remove her phone from her back pocket though and, despite hands tied behind her back, she manages to call Brent which lets him know she's alive.

Alyssa grabs a tablet and tracks Janie's phone which leads them to an isolated forested area. They need to rescue Janie before the kidnapper steels himself to kill her.

After a fight which leaves Janie and Brent wounded and the kidnapper dead, The Gentleman decides Janie and Brent aren't a danger to him. He also kills a couple of young cops and frames one of them leading the police to believe that he was the kidnappers partner.

This series is among the least realistic romantic suspense stories I've ever read. Janie was kidnapped from a police picnic yet Alyssa doesn't alert the police to the kidnapping. She and Brent go off on their own to try to find her! She does indicate that the Charleston police force is fulled with corruption and she doesn't know who she can trust. But really? There are no officers that she can trust?

I am still curious about who The Gentleman is since he says that he fears Alyssa would recognize him. Hopefully, the full-length novels coming soon will answer that question.

Monday, February 19, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Feb. 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... 

This was my "go to the dentist" week. I went on Tuesday and had an exam and met the dentist. I went on Wednesday for a cleaning and one filling. My next visit is already schedule for August. Our weather has been nice this week. Although it got well below zero during the night, the days were bright, sunny, and relatively warm. I think we hit 40 degrees on Valentine's Day. Of course all good things must come to an end. As I am writing this Saturday morning, I'm hearing a forecast for 3 - 6 inches of wet heavy snow on Sunday and continuing on into Monday.

For our excitement this week, our furnace quit working. I ran out to do some grocery shopping on Friday afternoon and got back to a chilly house. My brother came home shortly after I did and called the furnace repair guy he uses. Now our furnace has a brand-new motor and brain and should last us for a while. We have been talking about getting a new furnace since we moved in because we know this one is the original from when the house was built in 1999 and isn't as efficient as a newer furnace but it was working. Now we are going to keep an eye out for sales on furnaces with a goal of having a new furnace before next fall.

I've been staying up late to watch the Olympics this week. I mainly look for the figure skating. That should keep me busy for the rest of this week. The Voice starts again next Monday with Kelly Clarkson as a new coach. I can't wait!

Read Last Week
  • Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss - cute cozy mystery. My review will be posted on March 14.
  • The Broken Girls by Simone St. James - Excellent mystery with a vengeful ghost. My review will be posted on March 17.
  • Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn - science fiction that reminded me of Robert A. Heinlein. My review will be posted on March 15.
  • Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts - TBR pile; YA epic fantasy that starts a series. My review will be posted on March 16.
  • Bones Don't Lie by Melinda Leigh - next in the Morgan Dane romantic suspense series. My review will be posted on March 13.
  • Losing Leah by Tiffany King - YA twisty psychological suspense story. My review will be posted on March 14.
Currently
Heart on Fire by Amanda Bouchet - Epic fantasy from TBR mountain.

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
Diane Duane put out a plea on twitter to earn some quick money as she and her husband were in danger of losing their rental house and becoming homeless. I bought these to help her out.
More of Gwen Florio's backlist
  • Lost Among the Living by Simone St. James (because I loved The Broken Girls and wanted to try more of her work.)
  • Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre - I read the eARC and wanted a keeper copy.
Review
  • Falling Star by Terri Osburn (March 27) - because I haven't read a romance for a while
  • What You Want to See by Kristen Lepionka (May 1) - this request was approved at NetGalley but I don't remember asking for it. I ordered the first book in the series since this is the second.
  • Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen (July 17) - sequel to another eARC I read
What was your week like?