ARC Review: A Wrench in the Works by Kate Carlisle

A Wrench in the Works
Author: Kate Carlisle
Series: A Fixer-Upper Mystery
Publication: Berkley (November 6, 2018)

Description: Shannon Hammer's younger sister Chloe left Lighthouse Cove after high school to make it big in Hollywood. And she did it! For several years now, Chloe has been the co-host of a popular home repair show on the Do-It-Yourself Network. Now, after ten years, Chloe returns to Lighthouse Cove with her crew and co-host to film several shows featuring her sister Shannon, along with some special mini-segments on Victorian style and design.

But Shannon realizes quickly that things are not exactly blissful in TV land. Her sister's handsome co-host is being stalked by someone who turns out to be his estranged wife, Erica--who also happens to be the executive producer of the show. Erica's got a knack for stirring up sticky situations and when she's found dead, Chloe and the entire crew are under suspicion.

Shannon soon discovers the real reason why Chloe was so eager to move away from Lighthouse Cove all those years ago. Can Shannon figure out if that ten-year-old secret is connected to Erica's death? And can she track down the real killer before her beloved sister becomes the next victim?

My Thoughts: Contractor Shannon Hammer's sister Chloe has come to Lighthouse Cove to film some episodes for her popular home improvement show and wants to feature Shannon. Chloe was unhappy in town and left right after high school. Now Shannon finds out what happened to cause her to leave.

Shannon also learns about the ins and outs of making a television show and all of the personality conflicts involved. Chloe's executive producer Bree is a toxic personality who delights in stirring things up. She also delights in firing her staff which the staff has learned to ignore.

When Shannon and Chloe are looking over the property that they are going to rehab, they find Bree dead on the hearth of one of the fireplaces. They also find her husband, and Chloe's co-star, drugged in his trailer.

Since Chloe had had a loud argument with Bree the day before, Shannon needs to put on her detective hat and find out who really killed Bree. Then when a man who had been using emotional blackmail on Chloe for years is also found dead in the house, Shannon's task becomes even harder.

Shannon wonders if the deaths came from something in Chloe's past or whether they had to do with a possible new television show which will oust her old co-star and bring in a younger hunk to be her partner.

I enjoyed the mystery and the information about Victorian houses. This is not the first book in the series but I had no trouble following what was happening. I would like to read earlier books to learn more about Shannon's previous cases and how her friends and boyfriend came into her life.

Favorite Quote:

"I don't want you to panic."

"Really? Because when someone says that, it pretty much guarantees there will be panic." I glared at him. "What did you do?"

"My job."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Widow's Island Novellas 1 & 2 by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh

Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh have teamed up again to write a series of four novellas telling a larger story. These are the first two in the Widow's Island quartet.

Close to the Bone
Author: Kendra Elliot
Publication: Montlake Romance (October 23, 2018)

Description: FBI Special Agent Cate Wilde is back home on a remote Pacific Northwest island when she gets the call: a teenager’s skeletal remains have been found on a nearby island.

Together with Tessa Black, a childhood friend turned local deputy, Cate confronts dreary weather and bleak leads to make sense of the death. The complications pile up as Cate is distracted by the coroner on the case—and by nagging memories that draw her twenty years into the past. The remains suggest eerie similarities between this victim, and Cate and Tessa’s friend Samantha, who disappeared when she was fourteen.

Cate finds herself up against closemouthed locals, buried town secrets, and even her own heart. As the case unravels, will she be able to cut through the fog and find justice for the missing and the dead?

My Thoughts: FBI Special Agent Cate Wilder is back home on Widow's Island recovering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder and the loss of her partner when she gets a call to check out some bones on Ruby's Island. Since the ferry isn't running, no other agent can get there.

This is rather traumatic for Cate since her best friend disappeared when she was fourteen and Cate and Tessa have been feeling guilt ever since. Both Cate and Tessa went into law enforcement and now Tessa is back home working on Widow's Island as a deputy.

The bones might be of their friend Samantha but it is more likely that the bones belong to Becca Conan who disappeared a few years earlier. Her father is the only one who lives on Ruby's Island. He's a best selling mystery author who has taken his daughter's disappearance badly. His wife headed back to New York but he won't leave because he is still holding out hope that Becca will come home some day.

The story, for all its brevity, builds a lot in. Widow's Island is a unique place. Many, including Cate and Samantha, are descendant's of the original settlers and still recall the scandal of Elias Bishop, wealthy shipbuilder, who betrayed his wife Camilla with Ruby. Elias and Ruby died together and many thought that Camilla was responsible. Cate is the great-great-granddaughter of Ruby and Elias. She feels certain that she's seen Ruby's ghost but that isn't something she's shared with many. Also, Widow's Island is unique in that some feel at home there and find it a healing place while others can't get comfortable there and quickly move on. Cate's mother is one of those who moved on leaving her son and daughter to her own mother to raise.

There's a budding romance between Cate and the new doctor on the island. The main mystery in this one - the identity of the bones and who killed her - is solved. But the bigger mystery of Samantha's disappearance is still unsolved and Tessa and Cate decide that they need to look into it.

A Bone to Pick
Author: Melinda Leigh
Publication: Montlake Romance (October 23, 2018)

Description: Deputy Tessa Black gave up her career as a detective with the Seattle PD and returned to the Pacific Northwest island she calls home to care for her ailing mother. Tessa thinks her mother’s illness is the worst thing she’ll face—until she responds to a routine call in the state park and discovers a local man harpooned to a sign.

As the murder investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the victim harbored secrets. Together with her FBI agent best friend, Cate, and park ranger Logan Wilde, Tessa must connect the pieces before the murderer strikes again. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more she finds herself—and the ones she loves—in harm’s way.

Pressure mounts as Tessa attempts to juggle the current case with her search for the truth behind her childhood friend Samantha’s disappearance twenty years ago. Can Tessa find the murderer and uncover answers about Samantha without jeopardizing everything she holds dear?

My Thoughts: Tessa Black has left her job with the Seattle police department and taken a job as a deputy on Widow's Island. She needs to take care of her mother who suffers from dementia. She answers a call from a woman who hears screaming in the nearby forest. Because the other deputy's are off the island or already on duty, she calls local park ranger Logan Wilde to go with her. He's her best friends older brother and the object of her childhood crush. Logan has left the Army Special Forces to take this job because he couldn't deal with the situations he was forced to handle anymore. He's hoping that Widow's Island will be a quiet healing place for him.

Together, they discover the body of a young local artist who has been harpooned. He's only been on the island for about a year and no one knows him well. Almost the first thing that they discover is that he is living under a false identity. Tessa is attacked by a stranger when she goes to investigate the artist's house, but she also discovers a dufflebag with about $100,000 which is much more money than an artist painting landscapes for tourists should have and four nude portraits of older women. More searching also discovers a portrait of Tessa's mother.

Tessa and Logan investigate wondering if the killer is someone from the artist's past or perhaps one of the husbands of the women the artist painted. Meanwhile, Tessa's mother has taken to wandering away. One time, Tessa's friend Cate finds her and brings her back. Another time it takes an organized search before she is found. Tessa doesn't know what she is going to do, but the local Widow's Knitting and Activist group and Logan come up with a plan that will work for now.

The story was suspenseful and fast-paced. The mystery in this episode was solved. The larger mystery begun in the first book of this quartet takes the backburner here. FBI files about their friend's disappearance are located and are surprisingly thin.

I can't wait to read the next two books in this quartet of novellas.

FP/TT: Midsummer Mayhem by Marty Wingate

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:

"I can't do it," Pru whispered as she hid in the dark behind the door to the sitting room. Sounds of conversation and laughter drifted out. A drop of sweat trickled down her forehead, and she whisked it away. "I just can't."

 

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:

Ambrose joined Pru walking across the lawn. "She hates being called Penny," he said quietly. "After all -- Penny Farthing. And I suspect you aren't that fond of Prunella."

Pru shrugged. "I don't mind--although my mother was the only only one to call me that, and when I hear it, I can't help but think I'm in trouble." 

This week I am spotlighting Midsummer Mayhem by Marty Wingate. Here is the description from Amazon:

Shakespeare comes to Hampshire—and Pru Parke is cast into the role of cunning detective gardener once again.

Pru’s friends and neighbors are abuzz with the news of an acting troupe putting on an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And while many are eager to catch a glimpse of famed actor Ambrose Grant, Pru can’t wait to finally see the spectacular gardens of the private estate where the play will be performed. When the estate’s gardener abruptly quits—frustrated with actors trampling his beloved plants—Pru is called upon for her gardening expertise. She throws herself into creating magical woodland forest scenes, and is quickly drawn into the excitement of putting on a play, as she watches the drama on and off the stage. But the play’s suddenly no longer the thing, when one of the actors turns up murdered.

Pru’s husband, Detective Inspector Christopher Pearse, relies on Pru’s knowledge of all the players in this particular intrigue, and Pru finds herself using rehearsals to investigate. But playing the role of private eye could prove perilous for Pru, as she closes in on a murderer who won’t let anyone—least of all the gardener—keep him from stopping the show . . . dead.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Oct. 29, 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...

Time is going so fast! It is hard to believe that it is the last week in October. After a few sunny days, out weather is back to gray, gloomy, and rainy. At least it is not cold enough for the rain to turn to snow.

Once I learned that my health insurance would pay for a gym membership I decided to give Curves a try. I joined a number of years ago so I was familiar with their circuit exercise program. Since the nearest location is less than 2 miles from my home, it seemed like a nice convenient way to both get out of the house most days and do some actual exercise. I have been enjoying the activity and have already gone 4 days this past week.

I felt a need to give myself a break from reading new books and bury myself in my favorite comfort book series this week. It has put me behind on my reading calendar but was a nice palate cleanser from reading so many new things. This coming week I'm back to my calendar with a mix of review books and books from TBR mountain.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes - review book (Nov. 8); cozy mystery. My review will be posted on Nov. 8.
• Fatal Festival Days by Jamie M. Blair - review book (Nov. 8); cozy mystery. My review will be posted on Nov. 14.

• Written in Red by Anne Bishop
• Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

• Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop 
• Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
• Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

Currently

The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi - YA review book (Nov. 20)

Next Week

• Sadie by Courtney Summers - TBR pile
• Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch (Nov. 20)
• Bitten by Noelle Marie - TBR pile

• Deception with an Unlikely Earl by Victoria Alexander (Nov. 20)
• Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo - TBR pile
• Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven - TBR pile

Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:

• Vendetta by Iris Johansen
• Archangel's Prophecy by Nalini Singh

• Wolf Rising by Paige Tyler
• A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:

• Nemesis by Brandon Reichs
• The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
• Virus on Orbis 1 by P. J. Haarsma

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

TBR Pile:

• Wildcard by Marie Lu
• Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Review Stack:

• Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong (Feb. 5)
• Immoral Code by Lillian Clark (Feb. 19)
• How I Became a Spy by Deborah Hopkinson (Feb. 19)

What was your week like?

ARC Review: A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews

A True Cowboy Christmas
Author: Caitlin Crews
Series: Cold River Ranch (Book 1)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (October 30, 2018)

Description: From USA Today bestselling author Caitlin Crews comes A True Cowboy Christmas, the first in a sensational series debut about a cowboy, a farm girl, and the greatest gift of all. . .

Gray Everett has a heart of gold but that doesn’t mean he believes in the magic of Christmas. He’s got plenty else to worry about this holiday season, what with keeping his cattle ranch in the family and out of the hands of hungry real-estate investors looking to make a down-and-dirty deal. That, plus being a parent to his young and motherless daughter, equals a man who will not rest until he achieves his mission. Now, all Gray needs is the help of his lifelong neighbor. . .who happens to have grown into a lovely, spirited woman.

For Abby Douglas, the chance to join forces with Gray is nothing less than a Christmas miracle. Much as the down-to-earth farmer’s daughter has tried to deny it, Abby’s been in love with stern, smoking-hot Gray her whole life. So when Gray proposes a marriage of convenience as a way to combine land―and work together toward a common cause―Abby can’t refuse. But how can she convince Gray that sometimes life offers a man a second chance for a reason. . .and that their growing trust and mutual passion may be leading to true and lasting love?

My Thoughts: This was an interesting romance. Gray Everett has just buried his father - the father who made life hell for himself, his daughter, and his brothers. He looks across the gravesite to see Abby Douglas and decides that he wants to marry her. She a down-to-earth farmer's daughter - much different than the first wife who betrayed him with many lovers and died on the way to see one of them.

Abby has had a crush on Gray since she was a small child. She's never looked at anyone else or given anyone else a chance to engage her heart. Of course, after years of verbal abuse by a mother who drifts in and out of her life at whim, Abby is convinced that no one could possibly be interested in her.

Gray's proposal comes out of the blue for Abby. He just drops by one day and suggests that they get married. Abby certainly has mixed feelings about accepting his proposal. She loves him but knows that he doesn't love her. She believes that she is just the most convenient woman for him to ask.

Abby takes a risk and accepts his proposal. Now they have to build their marriage and get to know each other.

Personally, I felt that all the main characters - Gray, Abby, Gray's daughter Becca, and Gray's brothers Ty and Brady - could have all used some time with a family therapist. All of them were variously abused by people who were supposed to love them. Gray's father was absolutely toxic and it took quite a while for Gray to understand how his life and relationships had been shaped by him. Abby's mother was also a toxic character. Abby realizes that most of her life choices were made so that she could just be the opposite of her mother. Luckily, Abby was raised by her grandmother who did provide her with unconditional love and a strong sense of values. Gray didn't have that sort of role model in his life.

I liked the story, but it certainly wasn't the usual fluffy romance.

Favorite Quote:

"The first time you told me you were going to marry Gray Everett was in the second grade."

"I also wanted to be a princess in the second grade. And an astronaut. Simultaneously, if possible."

"Second grade, Abby. And it's not as if your feelings on him have wavered since."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews

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.

Beginning:

Everetts had been going to their eternal rest in the same remote plot of land with its breathtaking view of the same range of gorgeously unforgiving Colorado mountains for at least three generations. And counting.

Friday 56:

She wanted to help him, she did. She prided herself on being helpful and hadn't she married him to be useful? But she couldn't seem to move, and she knew he understood that when he laughed.

This week I am spotlighting A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews. Here is the description from Amazon:

From USA Today bestselling author Caitlin Crews comes A True Cowboy Christmas, the first in a sensational series debut about a cowboy, a farm girl, and the greatest gift of all. . .

Gray Everett has a heart of gold but that doesn’t mean he believes in the magic of Christmas. He’s got plenty else to worry about this holiday season, what with keeping his cattle ranch in the family and out of the hands of hungry real-estate investors looking to make a down-and-dirty deal. That, plus being a parent to his young and motherless daughter, equals a man who will not rest until he achieves his mission. Now, all Gray needs is the help of his lifelong neighbor. . .who happens to have grown into a lovely, spirited woman.

For Abby Douglas, the chance to join forces with Gray is nothing less than a Christmas miracle. Much as the down-to-earth farmer’s daughter has tried to deny it, Abby’s been in love with stern, smoking-hot Gray her whole life. So when Gray proposes a marriage of convenience as a way to combine land―and work together toward a common cause―Abby can’t refuse. But how can she convince Gray that sometimes life offers a man a second chance for a reason. . .and that their growing trust and mutual passion may be leading to true and lasting love?

ARC Review: Wolf Rising by Paige Dixon

Wolf Rising
Author: Paige Tyler
Series: SWAT (Book 8)
Publication: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 30, 2018)

Description: Just when he's found The One...he might lose her.

SWAT Officer Jayden Brooks doesn't believe there's a soul mate out there for him—The One. But when he saves high school teacher Selena Rosa from a hostage situation, he knows he's in big trouble. Her scent is irresistible.

Selena finds the big cop irresistible, too. In fact, the buttoned-up teacher gets a little carried away—during a steamy make-out session, she bites him. Turns out, the traumatizing events at the school triggered her werewolf gene. Fangs and claws are appearing and her aggression is out of control. The change is happening, and Selena doesn't understand.

It's going to take everything Brooks has to pull her back from the edge...and ultimately win her heart.

My Thoughts: In this episode of the SWAT series, Officer Jayden Brooks finds The One when he rescues a teacher from a gangbanger who has entered her classroom to recruit one of her students for the gang. Selena Rosa has grown up around gangs. They cost her her parents and older brother. There is no way she's going to let them claim one of her students.

Selena has some weird effects after she's rescued. Her blood pressure is soaring as is her heartbeat. She's running a fever. However, she also feels the best she's ever felt in her life. After she gets out of the hospital, she wants to find Jayden and thank him.

Jayden is intrigued by Selena but couldn't immediately follow up because the SWAT team is busy with a police chief who is interested in photo ops that will help his campaign for mayor, a gang of hunters who has come to town and threatened a number of members of the team, a new gang leader who is consolidating all the local gangs, and a new drug in energy drinks that is causing users to OD.

What Selena doesn't know, and what Jayden doesn't know how to tell her, is that the trauma related to her classroom invasion has triggered her genetic change to werewolf. What neither understands is why the change is happening so fast. It usually takes two or three weeks before changes are visible. Selena's is taking only three days.

Selena and Jayden's romance is a whirlwind. There immediate attraction leads to lots of spicy love scenes. But their romance is almost derailed by Selena's changing since she is confused and panicking about what is happening to her.

Their romance deepens as the multiple story lines converge. This was a fast-paced, sexy romantic suspense novel that will be devoured by those who have been reading the series. New readers can pop in here too because, while some background would be nice, the story is tightly focused on Jayden and Selena's relationship.

Favorite Quote:

"Are you good in the kitchen?"

Selena gave him a look that suggested she knew exactly what she was doing to him. "I'm good in every room of my place."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Archangel's Prophecy by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Prophecy
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: A Guild Hunter Novel (Book 11)
Publication: Berkley (October 30, 2018)

Description: Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, is thrust center stage into an eons-old prophecy…

Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.

This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.

My Thoughts: This episode in the Guild Hunter series (book 11) is more intimate than the last few. Lijuan is supposed to be in Sleep, though there is some question about how deep her Sleep is and if she is still influencing events in China. Favashi, who took over China when Lijuan left, is doing some things that don't seem like her, including massing an army on her border.

The angels are also still dealing with the various Cascades which have been causing new, and probably dangerous, talents to appear. The Cascades are also causing physical things to happen like a volcanic sinkhole in a place that never had volcanic activity before and torrential rains in the Sahara desert.

The Cascade also seems to be affecting Elena. She seems to be regressing; her wings are drooping and feathers are falling out; she's constantly hungry yet still losing weight; she's losing her ability to talk mind-to-mind with Raphael. While this is all going on and the doctors are baffled, she is also dealing with an attack on her vampire brother-in-law and the recent deaths of other vampires in the Quarter.

Elena is also hearing a voice in her head that is spouting prophecy and that says she will have to die so that another can live. As the other things the voice has prophesied begin coming true Elena is determined to fight for her own destiny and not the one foretold in the misty past. She and Raphael are going to fight this together with all the resources they have.

This was a very exciting entry into the Guild Hunter series. I loved the relationship between Elena and Raphael. The story was emotionally intense. I couldn't put it down. The ending has me begging for the next Guild Hunter book.

Favorite Quote:

His hands were rough with need, with fear.

Her fingernails were claws as she fought to cling onto their future.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Vendetta by Iris Johansen

Vendetta
Author: Iris Johansen
Series: Eve Duncan (Book 24)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (October 23, 2018)

Description: With his dying breath, Carl Venable, head of the CIA task force on terrorism and Jude Brandon’s final link to terrorist ringleader Max Huber, gives Brandon a mandate: keep his daughter, Rachel, safe at any cost. But Rachel Venable has a shocking, twisted past of her own, one that comes rushing back after her medical clinic in Guyana is attacked by Huber―the same man who murdered her father and kept her imprisoned for months.

Brandon and Catherine Ling, Rachel’s longtime ally and fierce protector, are determined to keep Rachel out of danger, but she knows that it’s impossible to stay hidden when Max Huber wants you dead.

As Rachel and Brandon race against the clock to bring Huber down before he can orchestrate a disaster that will lay waste to half the country, they also fight a growing attraction to each other – an attraction that could prove just as dangerous as Huber himself.

In this gripping, fast-paced novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen, one thing is clear: everyone has a vendetta, and no one will rest until they get their revenge.

My Thoughts: This was a fast-paced thriller with a fantasy feel. Carl Venable enlists Jude Brandon to protect his daughter Rachel from terrorist Max Huber when Brandon attempts to rescue Venable. Unfortunately, he too late. But Venable tells Brandon that his daughter has a secret about Huber that makes her a target.

Rachel Venable is a doctor who is with a humanitarian organization and is currently working in Guyana. She is estranged from her father and has a complicated relationship with him. Venable has been a CIA agent all of Rachel's life which means, to Rachel, that he has always put the needs of the country about the needs of his family.

When Rachel was fifteen, she was captured by the Taliban in the same accident that killed her mother and brother. Venable was responsible for negotiating to get Rachel out of the Taliban's hands. It took him five months. During those months Rachel was being tortured and raped and each time her father was being blamed. In Venable's defense, his informant in the prison was telling him that Rachel was being well-treated.

Rachel was finally gotten out of the prison by Hu Chang, a mysterious figure in the espionage world, who taught her how to heal and how to concoct many untraceable poisons. As a doctor, she is secretly using her talents to concoct medicines that cure.

Brandon rescues Rachel just ahead of Huber's men. He wants to protect Rachel but he also wants to bring down Huber before he can successfully execute a "bigger than 9/11" terrorist event in San Francisco. Huber is responsible for killing Brandon's father and he wants revenge for that too.

Also involved in protecting San Francisco is Catherine Ling who is also a protegee of Hu Chang's and one of Rachel's best friends. Trailing her is Richard Cameron who brings in the paranormal element. Cameron is using his mental abilities to create a utopia. He and Catherine have a complex relationship. They are intensely physically attracted but have very different philosophies.

Besides being a fast-paced thriller this story had tons of emotional intensity. Rachel is so conflicted about her relationship with her father and so conflicted about using her skills as an apothecary to harm as well as heal.

Fans of Johansen's work won't want to miss this story. It is a real page-turner.

Favorite Quote:

He muttered a curse. "I'm not Venable, Rachel, and I don't appreciate your comparing me to him. He told me before he died that he had regrets about the way he treated you. Let me make mistakes of my own and not have to shoulder Venable's. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

FP/TT: Wolf Rising by Paige Dixon

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:

Gulfport, Mississippi, 2013

Sheriff's Deputy Jayden Brooks had just driven past Bayou High School when the call about a suspicious person came across the radio. Someone had reported a big man lurking around the school's gym with a knife. Mill Road was deserted at this time of night, so he pulled a U-turn across the median and raced back in the other direction, flipping on his lights as he called his response in to dispatch.

 

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:

The principal jumped to her feet, her dark eyes filled with fear. "There has to be another way. Going in there could get those students killed."

Gage pinned her with a hard look. "And not going in there could get them killed, too. Our goal is to make sure no one ends up that way today." He looked at Brooks. "Go."

This week I am spotlighting Wolf Rising by Paige Dixon. This is the 8th in her paranormal romantic suspense series. Here is the description from Amazon:

Just when he's found The One...he might lose her.

SWAT Officer Jayden Brooks doesn't believe there's a soul mate out there for him—The One. But when he saves high school teacher Selena Rosa from a hostage situation, he knows he's in big trouble. Her scent is irresistible.

Selena finds the big cop irresistible, too. In fact, the buttoned-up teacher gets a little carried away—during a steamy make-out session, she bites him. Turns out, the traumatizing events at the school triggered her werewolf gene. Fangs and claws are appearing and her aggression is out of control. The change is happening, and Selena doesn't understand.

It's going to take everything Brooks has to pull her back from the edge...and ultimately win her heart.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Oct. 22, 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 a week of changeable weather. It snowed twice but nothing stayed on the ground. The sun finally came out after hiding for weeks. It was warm enough one day for my brother to mow the lawn one more time. We also put away the grill and the lawn chairs for the winter. The tree service guys came this week to chip up the fallen trees and grind the stumps. I still have some shrub trimming to do before the snow falls in earnest.

I had a meeting this week to decide about my supplemental health insurance for the year. I found that I was paying way too much for too little service with my old provider. Next year will be cheaper and will also include some dental. I also found out that my health insurance - both the new one and the old one - will pay for a basic membership at over 16,000 fitness clubs in the US. I find that there is one less than two miles from my home that I need to check out really soon now.

I'm still watching baseball. Tonight (Saturday) will determine which National League Club will meet the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. I'm pulling for Milwaukee since they are nearer to my home than Los Angeles. But either team will be fine and should have quite a challenge ahead of them.

Read Last Week

If you can't wait until the review shows up on my blog, reviews are posted to LibraryThing and Goodreads as soon as I write them (usually right after I finish reading a book.)

• The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal - TBR pile; science fiction/alternate history. My review will be posted on Dec. 6.
• Those Who Go By Night by Andrew Gaddess - Review stack; historical mystery. My review will be posted on Nov. 10.
• Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter - YA TBR pile; thriller/romance. My review will be posted on Nov. 9

• Warcross by Marie Lu - Science Fiction thriller from YA TBR pile. My review will be posted on Nov. 12.
• In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon - Review stack cozy mystery (Nov. 13) - My review will be posted on Nov. 15.

This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson (Nov. 13) was a DNF. I got to about 40% on my Kindle before I decided to give up on this book that I found incredibly slow paced. I think it suffered partially by being a science fiction story the followed the excellent The Fated Sky. It had an interesting premise but at 40% nothing other than the main character's indecisiveness had happened.

Currently

A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes (Nov. 8)

Next Week

• The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi (Nov. 20)
• Fatal Festival Days by Jamie M. Blair (Nov. 8)
• Deception with an Unlikely Earl by Victoria Alexander (Nov. 20)

• Sadie by Courtney Summers - TBR pile
• Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch (Nov. 20)
• Bitten by Noelle Marie - TBR pile since May 8, 2018

Reviews Posted

On Inside of a Dog:

• Six Cats A Slayin' by Miranda James
• The Lies We Told by Camilla Way
• Leverage in Death by J. D. Robb

On Ms. Martin Teaches Media:

• The Stone Demon by Karen Mahoney
• Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter
• The Shapeshifter's Secret by Heather Ostler

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

TBR Pile:

• West Winds' Fool by Laura Anne Gilman
• Betrayal on Orbis 2 by P. J. Haarsma
• Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal

• Catwoman: Soul Stealer by Sarah J. Maas
• Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu
• Silver Linings by Jayne Ann Krentz

Review Stack:

• A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes (Nov. 8)
• Fatal Festival Days by Jamie M. Blair (Nov. 8)
• Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch (Nov. 20)

What was your week like?