Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Repressed (Deadly Secrets #1) by Elisabeth Naughton

Hidden Falls is exactly as Samantha Parker left it—small, insular, and prone to gossip. Eighteen years have passed since she witnessed her brother’s murder, but she’s still the talk of the town. Until a handsome child psychologist with haunting memories of his own arrives.
Dr. Ethan McClane isn’t exactly a newcomer. If it weren’t for his latest case, he’d never set foot back in Hidden Falls. Thankfully, no one seems to recognize him as the troubled teen from years past. Not even Sam, the delightfully sharp and sexy high school chemistry teacher he can’t stop thinking about.
When Sam and Ethan work together to help one of her students, sparks ignite. But Sam’s hazy memories of a long-ago night concern Ethan, and unlocking the repressed images reveals a dark connection between them. As the horrors of the past finally come to light, their relationship isn’t the only thing in danger. A killer will strike again to keep an ugly secret hidden, and this time no one will be safe.

Review: I was given an ARC of Repressed from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
I can honestly say Repressed is one of the best books I have read so far this summer. This book was the total package. It was full of romance and suspense and if it is the first in a new series I can't wait until the next one hits the self.
Both Samantha and Ethan were interesting characters with secrets that could impact their relationship when they are revealed. How will they deal with it when Samantha's memories come back and when Ethan reveals his true identity to her? Or will Sam even live long enough to remember that night eighteen years ago or will she be silenced for good?
Repressed is a book full of twist and turns and even though you, as the reader, know who most of the players in the game are throughout the book there are a few surprises towards the end to keep you on your toes. I also enjoyed the matching between Samantha, who saw herself as broken, and Ethan, the therapist who liked to help those that needed to be fixed. It was intriguing watching how frustrating Samantha was for Ethan. This was a very entertaining book in all aspects.
I am definitely giving Repressed five out of five stars.
 

Dark Whispers (Faces of Evil: Private Eyes #1) by Debra Webb

Former homicide detective Clint Hayes has his first client as a private investigator: a fragile beauty he isn't sure he can trust. An injury has left Natalie Drummond with gaps in her memory, and she sees and hears things that aren't there. But she's sure she shot an intruder in her Birmingham mansion. So where's the body, the gun, the evidence? When it's clear someone is trying to kill his vulnerable client, Clint appoints himself her protector, working overtime not to fall for her. But someone is dead set that Natalie never regains her memories—or makes new ones with Clint.

Review: I was given an ARC of Dark Whispers from the author for an honest review and this is my review.
It was great having a new Faces of Evil book even if it was completely different from what we are use too and what we have grown to love from this series.
This is the new new Faces of Evil. Everyone has moved on in their jobs, a number of the team members have gotten married and have had children and now here we are with Jess and Buddy opening up a PI firm together, I mean who would have thought that?
Their first case has Clint who has also left the police force with Jess trying to help a woman, Natalie, prove that she actually shot an intruder in her home. Needless to say the first case for Clint as a PI is full of twist and turns and a bit of romance for this tough lawman who has sworn off commitment.
It was great seeing old faces from this beloved series but sort of bitter sweet with all the time that was missed and a few hookups that were also mentioned in this book that us dedicated readers did not get to enjoy unfolding in our books.
I am giving this book five out of five stars.

The Secrets She Kept (Fairham Island #2) by Brenda Novak

The rich and powerful Josephine Lazarow, matriarch of Fairham Island, is dead. The police say it's suicide, but Keith, her estranged son, doesn't believe it. 
Keith bears scars—both physical and emotional—from his childhood, but he's worked hard to overcome the past. After walking away from his mother and her controlling ways five years ago, he's built a new life in LA. He's also accumulated a fortune of his own. But as soon as he learns of his mother's death, he returns to Fairham. He feels he owes it to his grandfather to put the family empire together again—and he's determined to find his mother's killer. 
Problem is…coming home to Fairham puts him back in contact with Nancy Dellinger, the woman he hurt so badly when he left before. And digging that deep into his mother's final days and hours entails a very real risk. 
Because the person who killed her could be someone he loves…

Review: I was given an ARC of The Secrets She Kept from the author for an honest review and this is my review.
The first thing I want to say is I am so excited that Brenda Novak is writing romantic suspense again. That is the area I found her in years ago and became a fan of hers and this is the area I love reading her best in still today.
With a that being said I really enjoyed The Secrets She Kept and at the same time am so glad I was not raised in that family. With a mother like theirs I think being raised by a wolf may have been better. But, I did love Keith's loyalty to his mom even after everything she put him through and his steadfast belief that she would not take her own life under any circumstances. I also was endeared by Nancy's devotion to Keith even after all the not so nice things he put her through in the past. She was a tender hearted character that really made this book shine.
The storyline was excellent and it was nice how the characters from The Secret Sister were woven in so well and played such huge parts in this book. (I would highly recommend you read that book first due to major spoilers in this one). The ending was a bit of a surprise so that was a plus and the romance between Keith and Nancy was written exceptionally well.
I am giving The Secrets She Kept five out of five stars.

Thursday, July 7, 2016

The Goodbyes by Leslie Welch

The girl who inspired his songs may only have hours to live. A snow storm and two hundred miles separate a rock star from his chance to say goodbye. 
The Goodbyes is a moving and realistic account of the strength of an unbreakable bond, the anguish of unrequited feelings, and the wisdom attained through the highs and lows of triumph and tragedy. Told through the unique prose of debut author Leslie Welch, this story aims for the core of our emotions. 
Webb Turner grew up in a seemingly idyllic Pennsylvania town, tortured by a troubled household. His young life is turned upside down by the exciting, magnetic, and wild girl next door, Bree. They keep each other at arm's length their whole lives, however, dancing around the issue of their unresolved feelings while Bree's life steadily spirals out of control. 
In the meantime, Webb's life is on a different trajectory. He escapes the small town to become a globetrotting rock music sensation, with a new romantic interest on his mind and the past left in the rear-view mirror—until he hears that Bree is dying. This shocking news unleashes a torrent of unresolved angst that won't be dammed until Webb drops everything and everybody mid-tour to undertake a dangerous drive through a blizzard to be by Bree's side, just for one last chance to say his final farewell.

 

Review: I was given an ARC of The Goodbyes from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This book was was excellent. I really enjoyed the book from start to finish.
I can honestly say that I had mixed feelings about the characters in the book. There were times when I really wanted to slap Webb for being Bree's doormat and as for Bree that girl needed to be put in her place because she used her sexuality way to much to get her way and to play with that poor boy's head. I was so annoyed that Webb could not see her for what she really was.
The only problem I had with the book was the end. I was very pleased with how things turned out for Webb (I will not share due to spoilers) but I do wish the author would have given us a bit more then she did but I am greedy like that.
I am giving The Goodbyes five out of five stars.

Night and Day (Eve Duncan #21) by Iris Johansen

Iris Johansen's third book in her latest explosive trilogy starring forensic sculptor Eve Duncan takes readers on a high-energy adventure with Eve fighting to overcome the odds. Protecting Cara Delaney from the enemies who want her dead leads Eve to be their target. It will take everything she has to rescue Cara, and doing so will put that which is dearest to her at risk. Night and Day is the pulse-pounding race to a conclusion that will have readers on the edge of their seats.

 Review: I was given an ARC of Night and Day from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This was the the third book in this trilogy and I can honestly say as a whole I did not like it at all. I usually really like the Eve Duncan books but these three I really had trouble getting into and this one was no exception.
I felt a total disconnect with all the characters this time and that happened for the first time in an Eve Duncan book for me. I did not like the location nor did I like the idea of looking for the lost treasure. However, I did enjoy Eve's pregnancy and how hard the team fought to rescue Cara. I thought she was a though little girl who in some ways made me think of what Bonnie might have been like if she lived.
Overall, this book was just okay for me that is why I can only give it three out of five stars.

In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch

Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea’s fortieth birthday.
But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts—but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that’s all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn’t have to face the truth about her own empty reality.
Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

 Review: I was given a copy of In Twenty Years from NetGalley for an honest review and this is my review.
This book was a very good book that looked at the lives of six college friends and how their last lives changed when one of them died and request them to return to where they lived together in college twenty years after their college graduation and what would have been her fortieth birthday. This is an emotional look at how friendships change over the years because of betrayals and how even if you think your friendship bonds are as strong as family ties they can be tested and sometimes they need a help to bring everything that really matters back into focus.
I am giving this book five out of five stars.