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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Revenge, death, deception... These
are the things Cyrus Dodd has to overcome if he is to give Ruth the
life he's promised her. The problem is he's got a prideful nature and
when a seemingly innocuous argument leads to a bitter feud with his
neighbor, his life changes forever. The plans he has falls by the
wayside and before he finds a way to fix it, he comes to understand the
meaning of regret.
In this early twentieth century family saga, two
men come up against each other--both are iron-willed and stubborn. One
will lose his farm; the other will lose his family. In a tale of
betrayal, murder and revenge two West Virginia farmers will discover
that being right does not necessarily mean being happy.
Believing he
has lost everything Cyrus Dodd is forced to start over. He promises Ruth
that this time it will be better, but the truth is he doesn't know if
it's a promise he can keep.
Review: I was given a copy of The Regrets if Cyrus Dodd for an honest review and this is my review.
This
book was a very good book about two very bull headed men whose bull
headedness and obsession with a feud over a pig almost destroyed one's
life and pretty much ruined the other's happiness.
Truthfully, I did
not like either men. I thought they were both acting like entitled
children and I would have been happy if they both would have been
miserable because to me they both were both acting like toddlers, but
that is not how the story was told. Cyrus had to give up his beloved
farm and in this book had all these regrets for what he did and what he
had to give up but he brought it all upon himself for not listening to
everyone and doing what he had to do to fix the problem that he caused.
As for Virgil he is nothing but a bully and he enjoys hurting people and
enjoys the power that he has over others so he brings the things that
happens to him on himself. No one likes bullies even back then and the
underdog will take his shots when he can even when he knows he going to
go down.
This book is about regrets, redemption and doing what you feel is right at all cost. I am giving it five out of five stars.
