It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 28, 2022)

 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.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

Despite receiving 12+ inches of snow on Monday and Tuesday, I did manage to get to my medical appointment on Wednesday. Our street is usually one of the last plowed, but a snowplow and a cop came to help a lady get her car unstuck on Tuesday afternoon which got our street plowed ahead of schedule. Getting to Friday's appointment was no problem as the weather cooperated. Both appointments went well and I don't have to repeat them until next year at this time.

This coming week looks like snow again but nothing significant until possibly next weekend. I don't care because I don't have to leave the house. I stocked up on my kind of groceries (i.e. snacks) this past weekend and the piles of books are high enough to keep me busy for years. 

My brother tried to get the snow off the solar panels yesterday since he just got last month's power bill and it was higher than the total of all the 2021 power bills.  He's not a ladder person, and neither am I, so he got what he could reach with the roof rake from the ground. Unfortunately, if the forecast is correct, there will be enough snow this coming week to possibly cover the panels again. Temperatures are supposed to be warmer and he's hoping for some melting along with the new snow. 

I'm disappointed that baseball Spring Training has been delayed by contract negotiations. I really miss seeing baseball games. My television is seldom turned on these days without baseball and a new season for The Voice.

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.)

• Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; Reread) -- The second book in the Sharing Knife series sees Fawn and Dag visiting his home and learning that there is no place for them there. I reviewed this one on April 9, 2019.
• Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; Reread) -- Dag and Fawn travel down to the sea to try to find a place for them to live together. I reviewed this one April 14, 2019.
• Knife Children by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; Reread) -- This novella is set in the Sharing Knife world and tells the story of one of the characters from the series. I wrote a brief review at LibraryThing and Goodreads.

• Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; Reread) -- Having been to the sea, Dag and Fawn travel north again looking for a home and a future. I reviewed this one April 23, 2019.
• Evil in Emerald by A. M. Stuart (Review; March 29) -- Third Harriet Gordon mystery set in Singapore in 1910. I thought the setting and attitudes of the day were well done and the mystery intriguing. My review will be posted on March 22.

• Game On by Janet Evanovich (Mine; Kindle Daily Deal & Audiobook) -- This recent Stephanie Plum mystery was a fun romp. My review will be posted on March 29.
• River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz (Mine; Audiobook from Chirp) -- This is classic Krentz with engaging characters, a nice romance, and a mystery. My review will be posted on March 23.
• Beguiled by Darynda Jones (Mine; Kindle & Audiobook) -- This conclusion to the Betwixt & Between series was a nice combination of suspense and humor with all kinds of paranormal goodies. My review will be posted on March 31.

DNF

• Dig Two Graves by Gretchen McNeil (Review; March 29) -- I read 5% of this one before deciding that I've read too many stories about a smart misfit teen having a mystery to solve. 

Currently

• Summer Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews (Review; March 29)

Next Week

• A Baby's Bones by Rebecca Alexander (Mine; Kindle Daily Deal)
• Pretty Dead by Anne Frasier (Kindle & Audiobook were each $1.99)
• The Art of the Decoy by Trish Esden (Review; April 5)

• Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa (Review; April 26)
• Glass Slippers by Leah Cypess (Review; April 5)
• The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton (Review; April 5)

Reviews Posted

• Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson (Audiobook)
• All Summer Long by Susan Mallery (Audiobook)
• Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery (Audiobook)

• The Fear by Natasha Preston (Review)
• The Night Shift by Alex Finlay (Review)
• A Night to Die For by Lisa Schroeder (Review)

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

Review:

• Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman (May 17)
• For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin (June 28)
• Never Name the Dead by D. M. Rowell (November 8)

Bought:

• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (trade paperback to replace mass market paperback)
• The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (Hardcover to replace mass market paperback)
• The Minotaur Sampler Volume 5 (from NetGalley to preview upcoming mysteries)

What was your week like?

Book & Audio Review: Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery

Just One Kiss
Author: Susan Mallery
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 10)
Publication: HQN; Original edition (May 28, 2013); Brilliance Audio (May 28, 2013)
Length: 379 p.; 9 hours and 21 minutes

Description: He won’t hesitate to put his life on the line...but will he ever risk his heart?

Falling for Justice Garrett was a high point in Patience McGraw’s otherwise awkward adolescence. Even after he disappeared, Patience never forgot the boy who captured her heart. Now, he’s back in Fool’s Gold, California, and her passion for him is as strong as ever. But how can she trust that he won’t abandon her again - and her daughter, too?

When bodyguard Justice Garrett was a young man, witness protection brought him to this idyllic town and he never forgot its warmth, or the sweet beauty of his childhood friend. He’s returned to open a defense academy, and the Patience he once knew is all grown up. He can’t resist her smile, or her curves. But Justice’s past doesn’t make him husband, or father, material.

Patience and Justice think they’ll succumb to just one kiss.... Then one more.... Okay, just one night together. But they might learn that falling in love is beyond anyone’s control.

My Thoughts: Patience McGraw fell in love with Justice Garrett when she was sixteen. When he disappeared on day, her heart was broken. 

Justice Garrett was eighteen when he entered the Witness Protection program because his career criminal father had vowed to kill him. Posing as two years younger than he was, he made friends in Fool's Gold including Patience. When his father was spotted nearby, he was moved.

Justice joined the military and served in the Special Forces. After leaving the Service, he became a bodyguard. Now he and some military friends are coming to Fool's Gold to open their bodyguard school. 

Justice and Patience, who married, had a daughter, and divorced, reconnect. They both remember the friendship and are heading to a romance. But Justice is afraid that he is too like his father and wouldn't be a good bet as a husband.

Patience is building a new business after an unexpected inheritance from a great aunt and Justice is building his business too. But the past isn't finished with them. Patience's daughter Lillie's grandfather wants to get to know her. Although he abandoned his family like his son abandoned Patience and Lillie, he says he's a changed man. But can Patience trust him with her daughter? And maybe Justice's father isn't as dead as he was believed to be.

This was a great story with intriguing characters and a wonderful cast of supporting characters. Tanya Eby did a wonderful job narrating. 

Favorite Quote:

Somehow dreaming was a whole lot easier than facing the possibility of trying and failing.

I got the paperback from Paperback Book Swap in December 2013. I recently added the Kindle and Audiobook. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is 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:

Fifteen years ago...

Patience McGraw couldn't breathe. She placed her hand of top of her chest and wondered if it was possible to have a heart attack and die from fear. Or maybe anticipation. Her mind raced and her throat was tight and here she was, on possibly the most significant day of her life, and she couldn't catch her breath. Talk about lame. 

Friday 56:

"Justice?"

Justice turned at the sound of his name. Patience stood on the other side of the street, waving at him.

The sight of her - worn jeans hugging curves, a T-shirt featuring a white cat with a martini in one paw, long, wavy hair fluttering in the light breeze - hit him in the gut. And lower.

This week I am spotlighting Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery. I got the Kindle and audiobook January 17, 2022 even though I've had the paperback since December 2013. Here is the description from Amazon:

He won’t hesitate to put his life on the line…but will he ever risk his heart?

Falling for Justice Garrett was a high point in Patience McGraw’s otherwise awkward adolescence. Even after he disappeared, Patience never forgot the boy who captured her heart. Now, he’s back in Fool’s Gold, California, and her passion for him is as strong as ever. But how can she trust that he won’t abandon her again—and her daughter, too?

When bodyguard Justice Garrett was a young man, witness protection brought him to this idyllic town and he never forgot its warmth, or the sweet beauty of his childhood friend. He’s returned to open a defense academy, and the Patience he once knew is all grown up. He can’t resist her smile, or her curves. But Justice’s past doesn’t make him husband, or father, material.

Patience and Justice think they’ll succumb to just one kiss… Then one more… Okay, just one night together. But they might learn that falling in love is beyond anyone’s control.

Book & Audio Review: Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson

Dorsai!
Author: Gordon R. Dickson
Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki
Series: Childe Cycle
Publication: TOR Science Fiction (March 15, 1993); Audible Studios (October 12, 2010)
Length: 288 p.; 6 hours and 40 minutes

Description: Throughout the Fourteen Worlds of humanity, no race is as feared and respected as the Dorsai. The ultimate warriors, they are known for their deadly rages, unbreakable honor, and fierce independence. No man rules the Dorsai, but their mastery of the art of war has made them the most valuable mercenaries in the known universe.

Donal Graeme is Dorsai, taller and harder than any ordinary man. But he is different as well, with talents that amaze even his fellow Dorsai. And once he ventures out into the stars, the future will never be the same....

My Thoughts: This science fiction story was written in 1959 when men were men and women were cardboard cut-outs. It tells about the early career of Donal Greame who is a very unusual Dorsai.

Humanity has spread to fourteen worlds held together by contracts but diverging in many other ways. Donal, as a Dorsai, is a mercenary soldier from a planet that has few other exports. Dorsai are super soldiers known both for their rages and their honor. But Donal is something more; he has a unique intuition that leads him to see the big picture of human life.

His adversary is William of Ceta who has his own plans for humanity which Donal opposes and out maneuvers. The story follows his growing career from his first post as a mercenary to Secretary of Defense for all the human planets. 

The story includes the battles he fought, the strategies he used, and the people he gathered to himself along the way. 

It is the first book in the Child Cycle - Dickson's epic set of connected stories about the future of humanity. The Child Cycle was never completed but did encompass ten books written by Dickson from 1959 until 1994 with an eleventh volume completed in 2007 by Dickson's assistant David W. Wixon.

It was an intriguing story about an imagined future and the people who will live in it. 

Favorite Quote:

Anea, alone, would know without needing to understand, what he was; it is Woman's ancient heritage to appreciate without the need to know. Sayona, William, and a few such would half-recognize, but never understand. The rest of the race would never know. 

I bought this audiobook recently. I've had the paperback for many years. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Night Shift by Alex Finlay

The Night Shift
Author: Alex Finlay
Publication: Minotaur Books (March 1, 2022)

Description: From the author of the breakout thriller Every Last Fear, comes Alex Finlay's electrifying next novel The Night Shift, about a pair of small-town murders fifteen years apart―and the ties that bind them.

“The night was expected to bring tragedy.” So begins one of the most highly-anticipated thrillers in recent years.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.

In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights―stirring up memories of teen love and lies―to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.

Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Finlay as one of the new leading voices in the world of thrillers.

My Thoughts: This excellent thriller begins on New Year's Eve 1999 when someone comes into a Blockbuster video store and murders the manager and three of the teenaged employees, leaving only one badly injured survivor.

The story leaps ahead fifteen years and we learn that the survivor Ella has turned into a therapist who takes too many drugs and has sexual encounters with strangers. Clearly, she hasn't put those past events behind her. 

Then she is called by Dale Steadman, who was a mentor for her when she was a student and who is now the high school principal, asking for her help because someone walked into an ice cream shop and murdered three young women leaving only a single survivor who refuses to talk to the authorities. Jesse Duvall is in foster care, is a budding journalist, and has a strong interest in the Blockbuster killings.

Eight-and-a-half-month pregnant FBI Agent Sara Keller is also called in because of the possible connections to the Blockbuster killings because the prime suspect was let out of jail on parole and disappeared. There is a federal warrant out for him. Vince Whitaker was identified through an anonymous phone tip as being at the Blockbuster that evening. After he disappears, the murder weapon is found in his school locker. 

Another viewpoint character is Chris Ford who is a lawyer and a public defender. He was taken from his abusive father's home after his brother Vince disappeared. He was adopted by a loving couple, grew up, and became a lawyer. He has never given up searching for his brother because he can't believe Vince would have killed anyone.

The story weaves its way among the various viewpoint characters who are all well-rounded and interesting people. The clues to what really happened fifteen years ago at the Blockbuster and what happened now at the ice cream shop are gradually revealed.

This was a real page-turner. I couldn't put it down until I reached the very last page whereupon I heaved a sigh of relief. 

Favorite Quote:

She said there's a saying, "The sheep spends its life worrying about the wolf, only to be eaten by the farmer."

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

ARC Review: A Night to Die For by Lisa Schroeder

A Night to Die For
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Publication: Underlined (March 1, 2022)

Description: When a boy finds a girl's body in the ditch on prom night...he becomes the primary suspect in her murder.

Prom dreams. Prom Screams.

Mario Woods is looking forward to one normal night before he graduates. He's spent most of high school riding solo. But when fate lands him a date for prom, he figures this might be his chance to be less of a loner.

Only, prom turns out to be a disaster. Just when Mario thought the night couldn’t get any worse, he sees something on the side of the road while driving home. That something is Prom Queen Maribelle Starr—murdered and left for dead.

All Mario wanted was to go to prom...but somehow, he ended up in hell.

My Thoughts: This story is told from multiple viewpoints. It includes social media posts and newspaper articles. It tells about the murder of Prom Queen Mirabelle Starr.

Mario begins the story when he comes upon Mirabelle's body in a ditch. His date Elana is passed out in the passenger seat. The cops arrive really fast and first arrest Mario for contributing to the delinquency of a minor because his date had obviously had too much to drink.

We also hear from Parker who was Mirabelle's boyfriend except she broke up with him on prom night which led him to hit his grandparents' liquor cabinet. He wonders if he might have done something to Mirabelle and not remember. But he was sad not mad.

We hear from Mirabelle's brother Josh who knows some things about his sister that he isn't sharing with the cops. And we hear from Lucas who is Mario's best friend and begins his own investigation when he comes to believe that the police are so fixated on Mario that they aren't looking for the real murderer.

There are other viewpoints too - Mario's mom, Elana's, Zain's (the secret boyfriend0, the head detective's. All come together to gradually uncover what really happened to Mirabelle on prom night. It doesn't help the reader at all when it comes out that some of the characters are lying.

This was a nicely twisty thriller that will keep teens turning the pages to find the answers.

Favorite Quote:

Cell. Criminal. Court appearance.

Somehow, I went to prom and ended up in hell.

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

Book & Audio Review: All Summer Long by Susan Mallery

All Summer Long
Author: Susan Mallery

Narrator: Tanya Eby
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 9)
Publication: HQN; Original edition (July 31, 2012); Brilliance Audio (July 31, 2012)

Length: 379 p.; 9 hours and 29 minutes

Description: Can a summer fling turn into love that lasts a lifetime?

Former underwear model turned entrepreneur Clay Stryker has loved, tragically lost and vowed that he’ll never risk his heart again. After making his fortune, the youngest of the rugged Stryker brothers returns to Fool’s Gold, California, to put down roots on a ranch of his own. But he’s frustrated to discover that even in his hometown, people see him only for his world-famous…assets.

Firefighter Chantal (Charlie) Dixon grew up an ugly duckling beside her delicately beautiful mother, a feeling reinforced long ago by a man who left soul-deep scars. Now she has good friends, a solid job and the itch to start a family—yet she can’t move toward the future while she’s haunted by painful memories.

Clay finds an unexpected ally, and unexpected temptation, in tomboyish Charlie, the only person who sees beyond his dazzling good looks to the real man beneath. But when Charlie comes to him with an indecent proposal, will they be able to overcome their pasts and find a love that lasts beyond one incredible summer?

My Thoughts: Firefighter Charlie Dixon is watching all of her friends falling love and having babies. She wants to have a baby too. But a rape when she was a freshman in college has left unhealed trauma. She hasn't had a relationship with a man since then.

Clay Stryker has come home to Fool's Gold after a successful career as a model and movie butt double. He wants to start a farm and run Haycations to let city folk see what it is like to live on a farm. He also wants to be a volunteer for the local fire department.

People in town have trouble seeing past Clay's past and accepting him for himself despite his physical attractiveness. Charlie is the exception and the two become friends.

When Charlie is looking for a man to help her get over her intimacy issues, she asks Clay to help her. Since Clay is still a heartbroken widower who hasn't gotten over the death of his wife Diane, he agrees never thinking that he could fall in love with Charlie. After all, he fell in love with Diane at first sight. 

As the two get to know each other and get Charlie used to the idea of intimacy, they fall in love. But it is a sneaky thing that neither expects nor really wants. Clay is busy trying to get his new business off the ground and seeming to suffer setback after setback. And Charlie is dealing with the reappearance in her life of her mother, the famous ballerina, who has decided she now wants a relationship with Charlie.

This was an engaging and entertaining romance. Tanya Eby did an excellent job with the narration. She's great at male voices. She also did a great job portraying all the emotions that filled this story.

Favorite Quote:

Sometimes a person simply had to sit with the pain and deal. That was probably healthier than what she'd done, which was try to pretend it had never happened.

I bought got the paperback December 27, 2013, from Paperback Book Swap. The Kindle and Audible copies are recent purchases. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Revew: The Fear by Natasha Preston

The Fear
Author: Natasha Preston
Publication: Delacorte Press (March 1, 2022)

Description: Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestsellers The Twin and The Lake, the undisputed queen of YA thrillers is back.

Don't be afraid. Be terrified.

It’s just a stupid meme that’s going around their small fishing town in the dead of winter—people reposting and sharing their biggest fear. But when her classmates start turning up dead—dying in the way that they said scared them the most—Izzy knows it’s no joke.

With each death hitting closer to home, Izzy sets out to try to stop the killer. Could her older sister’s friend Tristan have something to do with the deaths? He’s given her some strange vibes. Or what about his brooding cousin, Axel? But he’s in her classes at school. He’s not a murderer . . . is he? Izzie’s soon on a path that will lead her right to the killer . . . and her own worst nightmare.

My Thoughts: It all starts with a stupid meme: post your greatest fear. It's winter in this small fishing village and the meme spreads like wildfire. Izzy sees it but she isn't going to post her fear and gets mad when her cousin and best friend post theirs. 

Izzy's right because then her classmates start dying in ways that echo their greatest fears. The first victims are Debbie and Kason - members of the school's in-group. Izzy is the one who discovers Debbie's body. She's driving home with her friends after being at a party and is going slowly because there is a snowstorm when she sees something that makes her stop. 

When the police interview her, she says she says Debbie had left the party earlier. No one was too concerned since Debbie is known as a mean Drama Queen. Izzy is greatly upset by being the one who discovers Debbie's body. Then the next day hockey player Kason's body is found and tensions rise in the town.

Izzy is determined to find out what happened to her two fellow students. After all, she's the one who found Debbie's body. She's also observant and smart. But suspicions and bodies begin to pile up. She has an overabundance of suspects. It is Justin who is her secret crush? He and Kason were rivals on the hockey team and he dated Debbie. Is it Axel the quiet loner who is Izzy's partner for an English project? Is it Tristan? He seems to show up frequently in odd places. He's also her sister Lia's friend that she hasn't seen often since Lia went off to college. 

Most of the chapters are told from Izzy's point of view but a few are told from Fear's point of view. Unfortunately, the clues Fear drops in his chapters don't help us readers eliminate any of Izzy's suspects.

The story was creepy and filled with tension. However, Izzy borders on being Too Stupid To Live as she ventures off on her investigations with little regard for her own safety and wavers between trusting and suspecting many characters.

Then, there is the ending which was both ambiguous and extremely frustrating. Teens will likely enjoy the twisty plot and intrepid heroine.

Favorite Quote:

"Who do you think it is?" I ask.

"You're better off asking the cops that," he says, repeating my words with a smirk.

"I have asked but they won't tell me anything."

"They won't consult with a teenage girl about a murder investigation? Strange."

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (February 21, 2022)

 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.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

After a week that seemed to alternate days of snow and days without, it looks like Monday and Tuesday will be bringing SNOW again - somewhere between 8 and 16 inches if the forecast comes through.

Unfortunately, this week also brings a couple of medical appointments. I have my annual mammogram scheduled for Wednesday mid-morning and my annual wellness visit on Friday bright and early. Depending on when my street gets plowed, Wednesday's appointment might be impossible. I don't have to drive since my brother said he'd drive me to both appointments. But that won't do any good if he can't get off our street onto plowed roads. 

We'll have to wait and see. As I'm writing this Sunday morning, the sun is shining brightly through a hazy sky and the temperature is about 28 degrees F. 

I had a good reading week and also vaguely planned my April calendar of reading. Then I caught up on posting my February reviews to Amazon. I usually only post reviews for the books I get as review books to Amazon. I used to post all my reviews there but have been slacking off for quite a while now. I don't see much value in adding a review if there are already hundreds for the book or if the book was released a number of years ago.

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 Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery (Review; March 15) -- Nice story that is Women's Fiction and romance. Filled with engaging characters, My review will be posted on March 10.
• The Prey by Allison Brennan (Mine since 2008) -- Nice romantic suspense title. My review will be posted on March 12.
• Jovah's Angel by Sharon Shinn (Audiobook) -- Reread of a religious fantasy that I read many years ago. My review will be posted on March 22.

• The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman (Kindle & Audiobook) -- On my TBR pile since 2019, this fantasy is set in the world of His Dark Materials. Great audiobook packed with action. My review will be posted on March 19.
• Night Scents by Carla Neggers (Audiobook from Audible Plus) -- Entertaining Romantic Suspense story. My review will be posted on March 24.
• Thankless in Death by J. D. Robb (Mine; Kindle & Audiobook) -- Reread of a favorite In Death title. I reviewed this one in 2013.

• Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh (Mine since 2020) -- Nice contemporary romance. My review will be posted on March 17.
• Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian (Review; March 22) -- Twisty Cozy Mystery that starts a new series. My review will be posted on March 16.
• Beguilement (The Sharing Knife, Book 1) by Lois McMaster Bujold (Mine; Audiobook) -- This is a reread of a favorite author's version of epic fantasy. I reviewed this one in 2019.

Currently

• Evil in Emerald by A. M. Stuart (Review; March 29)
• Legacy (The Sharing Knife, Book 2) by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)

Next Week

• Dig Two Graves by Gretchen McNeil (Review; March 29)
• Summer Nights with a Cowboy by Caitlin Crews (Review; March 29)
• The Art of the Decoy by Trish Esden (Review; April 5)

• Beguiled by Darynda Jones (Kindle & Audiobook)
• The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley (Kindle & Audiobook)
• A Baby's Bones by Rebecca Alexander (Kindle)

Reviews Posted

• The Body Keeper by Anne Frasier
• A Sense of Danger by Jennifer Estep

• Play Dead by Anne Frasier
• Summer Nights by Susan Mallery
• Batten Down the Belfry by Diane Kelly

• A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery
• Deadly Justice by William Bernhardt

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

Review:

• When She Dreams by Amanda Quick (May 3)

Audiobooks:

• The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman (Audiobook)
• The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman (Kindle & Audiobook)
• The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben (Kindle & Audiobook)

• Briarheart by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook)
• Game On by Janet Evanovich (Kindle & Audiobook)
• A Justified Murder by Jude Deveraux (Kindle Daily Deal & Audiobook)

• River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz (Chirp Deal Audiobook)
• Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audible Plus)
• Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audible Plus)

• Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook)
• Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook)
• The Silent Witness by Carolyn Arnold (BookBub Deal & Audiobook)

What was your week like?

Book & Audio Review: A Sense of Danger by Jennifer Estep

A Sense of Danger
Author: Jennifer Estep
Narrator: Helen Laser, Grant Cartwright
Publication: Jennifer Estep (November 16, 2021); Audible Originals (November 12, 2020
Length: 367 p.; 11 hours and 4 minutes

Description: Bestselling author Jennifer Estep serves up a stand-alone urban fantasy adventure filled with secrets, lies, and super spies with amazing magical abilities. Perfect for fans of Alias, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Nikita, and Netflix’s Bodyguard.

A SPY . . .

My name is Charlotte Locke, and I’m an analyst for Section 47, a secret government agency that tracks terrorists, criminals, and other paramortal bad guys who want to unleash their abilities on an unsuspecting mortal world. I have a magical form of synesthesia that senses danger and uncovers lies—making me a stealthy operative.

I’m trudging through another day when one of Section’s cleaners—assassins—takes an interest in me. I don’t need my synesthesia to realize that he is extremely dangerous and that he will do anything to achieve his goals—even if it means putting me in the line of fire.

. . . AND AN ASSASSIN

I’m Desmond Percy, one of Section 47’s most lethal cleaners. I’m also a man on a mission, and I need Charlotte Locke’s skills to help me keep a promise, settle a score, and kill some extremely bad people.

Charlotte might not like me, but we’re stuck together until my mission is over. Still, the more time we spend together, the more I’m drawn to her. But at Section 47, you never know who you can trust—or who might want you dead.

My Thoughts: Charlotte Locke works for Section 47, a secret government agency that tracks down paramortals who break the law. She is an analyst and a Legacy since her father and grandmother worked for the agency too. She is also deeply in debt because of medical bill from her grandmother's cancer and from her father's adventures in South America where ransom was demanded and Section 47 refused to pay. 

Desmond Percy is another Legacy. He's a cleaner, otherwise known as an assassin. Since he is the sole survivor of a trap that killed his best friend and partner and a number of other agents, Desmond is determined to track down the man he sees as responsible. Charlotte is the foremost expert on one of that man's associates and Desmond needs her help to track him down.

Someone obviously thinks that Charlotte knows more than she thinks she knows because she is suddenly under attack from rogue cleaners. Desmond appoints himself her bodyguard. Together the two need to track down and eliminate the bad guys and find the mole in Section 47.

The action was fast-paced and furious. I also liked that both Charlotte and Desmond have paramortal powers that help in their investigation and help to keep them alive.

This was an entertaining new urban fantasy title and, hopefully, the first book in a series. It had an intriguing and unique system of magic. The characters were interesting people too. I liked the banter between them and the romance that happened as they got to know each other. 

Favorite Quote:

My inner voice might have whispered danger-danger-danger when faced with Rosalita and her men, but as soon as Desmond had appeared, that voice had risen to a shrieking scream, and DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! pounded in my mind over and over again, matching the pulses of pain ripping through my body.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: A Sense of Danger by Jennifer Estep

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is 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:

You could always tell the assassins by their suits.

Friday 56:

I stared at the crystal dish on his desk again, pretending that all that candy and sticks of gum were puzzle pieces in this dangerous game I was playing. If I put this piece here...then that would happen. If I slid another piece over there...then something else would happen.

This week I am spotlighting A Sense of Danger by Jennifer Estep which is a recent addition to my stack of audiobooks. Here is the description from Amazon:

A spy...

My name is Charlotte Locke, and I’m an analyst for Section 47, a secret government agency that tracks terrorists, criminals, and other paramortal bad guys who want to unleash their abilities on an unsuspecting mortal world. I have a magical form of synesthesia that senses danger and uncovers lies - making me a stealthy operative.

I’m trudging through another day when one of Section’s cleaners - assassins - takes an interest in me. I don’t need my synesthesia to realize that he is extremely dangerous and that he will do anything to achieve his goals - even if it means putting me in the line of fire.

...and an assassin

I’m Desmond Percy, one of Section 47’s most lethal cleaners. I’m also a man on a mission, and I need Charlotte Locke’s skills to help me keep a promise, settle a score, and kill some extremely bad people.

Charlotte might not like me, but we’re stuck together until my mission is over. Still, the more time we spend together, the more I’m drawn to her. But at Section 47, you never know who you can trust - or who might want you dead.