Review - The Conspiracy

Title:   The Conspiracy

Author:  Kat Martin
Series:  Maximum Security #1

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:  Harlequin

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  368

Date of Publication:  January 22, 2019

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared. Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails in days. When even the Coast Guard can’t find him, Harper is forced to take desperate measures. Which means going to Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend, now the only man she can trust…or so she hopes.

As the successful owner of Maximum Security, Chase has learned to trust his gut. He knows Harper’s father is mixed up in a deadly business, and suspects there’s more to Michael’s disappearance than meets the eye. Getting involved again with the Winstons goes against everything he stands for, yet old loyalties die hard. As the case draws him closer to Harper and deeper into the Winstons’ snarled crime family, he is forced to put everything on the line to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive. 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Harper Winston's brother Michael has disappeared. He was planning to sail the Caribbean but remained in close contact with Harper. After a few days of non-contact, Harper knows something is wrong. However, the Coast Guard cannot find any sign of Michael, so Harper turns to his best friend, Chase Garrett, for help. As Chase is the owner of a firm called Maximum Security, which includes private investigations and the like, he is the perfect man for the job. 

Out of respect for his best friend Michael, Chase agrees to help Harper. Despite being good friends, Chase is convinced that Michael's father is involved in criminal activities. From the outset, however, Chase might have to fight his growing attraction to Harper. Chase knows that in no way could anything good come from this, especially since he and her father are at opposite ends of the law.

The danger might have started off with Michael's disappearance, however, both Harper and Chase are in danger as well. This is for very different reasons. The aforementioned danger, as well as intrigue and jaw-dropping action are all backdrops to a story that also includes the developing romance budding between Chase and Harper.

Beyond that, there is the lovely descriptions of the background while Chase and Harper are searching for Michael. If you enjoy reading incredible dramatic and mysterious stories, filled with things such as nonstop action, with the added benefit of an intense romance, then The Conspiracy is the perfect book for you. This is especially so because the story is full of strong characters. Quite naturally, I was drawn to Chase and Harper, but there were others equally compelling. Something important to mention is that Michael was eventually found, but there was a lot of story yet to be told. 

This is certainly an engaging read, one that most readers will likely grab a hold of with both hands. I find it utterly exciting that this is the first book in a new series. I definitely look forward to reading much more by the extremely talented Kat Martin and cannot wait to see whose story is next.

Many thanks to Harlequin and to Edelweiss for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.

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Review - Neighborly

Title:   Neighborly

Author:  Ellie Monago
Genre:  Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:   Lake Union Publishing

Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:  312

Date of Publication:  March 1, 2018

My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

A not-to-be-missed novel of suspense about the secrets hidden in a young couple’s new neighborhood.

Kat and Doug felt like Aurora Village was the perfect community. Minutes from the city, affluent without pretension, low crime with a friendly vibe—it’s everything Kat never had, and that she’s determined to provide for her infant daughter. Snagging a nice bungalow in this exclusive enclave was worth all the sacrifice. But everything changes overnight when Kat finds a scrawled note outside their front door.

That wasn’t very neighborly of you.

As increasingly sinister and frighteningly personal notes arrive, each one stabs deeper into the heart of Kat’s insecurities, paranoia, and most troubling, her past. When the neighbors who seemed so perfect reveal their open secret, the menace moves beyond mean notes. Someone’s raising the stakes.

As suspicious as she is of every smiling face and as terrified as she’s become of being found out, Kat is still unprepared for the sharp turn that lies just ahead of her on Bayberry Lane. 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Kat and Doug have moved into a new neighborhood called Aurora Village. It is certainly a dream come true, even if it cost them every penny they had. From a threatening note found outside their door to deep, rather disturbing secrets, Kat instantly becomes extremely worried. Also, they are the new parents of Sadie and this brings on challenges of its own, including the distance that has developed between Kat and Doug. More than one thing is off-kilter.

Between meeting the neighbors at a block party in their honor, and Kat's and Doug's time with nights' out with their neighbors, secrets begin to surface. All the while notes continue to appear and they progressively become more sinister. Unfortunately, things move beyond the notes, making them, especially, Kat very uncomfortable, if not rather terrified.

Personally, I am an avid user of spreadsheets in my everyday reviewing life. Well, spreadsheets have a major role in this story. A lot of neighborhoods have associations, well, this one tests the extremes of neighborly love. What will Kat and Doug do? No doubt my shock and surprise paled in comparison to what they must've thought.

That is the first half of the story. What happens thereafter in Neighborly is equivalent to a sharp right turn on a curvy road. The story shifts directions and touches on many issues, including Kat's childhood trauma. Not only that the person behind the notes steps up and that scenario is detailed through another perspective. The danger Kat faces is suddenly life-threatening.

How did I read this book in one sitting when I couldn't stand Kat? Granted she had a lot on her plate, but as this story was mostly old in her first-person perspective, readers got to get inside of her head. This left me just a bit nonplussed. But, the author certainly knows how to develop a finely-tuned balance. The story is full of twists and turns, no doubt about that. The conclusion, though...wow! Ellie Monago definitely has a knack for telling stories. As I just read her second book, Confidential, All I can say is that I am duly impressed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ellie Monago (not her real name) is the author of the bestselling novel Neighborly. She is also an acclaimed novelist—under her given name—and a practicing therapist. As well as being a wife and mother, Ellie is an avid tennis fan, a passionate reader of both fiction and nonfiction—especially memoirs (because nothing’s as juicy as the truth)—and a firm believer in the restorative value of a good craft cocktail.

BLOG TOUR - Finding Grace

Today is my day on the Blog Tour for Finding Grace by K.L. Slater.

Buy Links: 
AMZ: https://geni.us/B07L5G4M5RSocial
iBookstore: http://ow.ly/gF7C30nGuLj
Kobo: http://ow.ly/S3MW30nGuNs
Googleplay: http://ow.ly/K1rJ30nGuJ0

DESCRIPTION:

This morning, my daughter sat right here, munching her breakfast, too excited to finish it. Now, she is missing.

The day after her ninth birthday, Lucie and Blake Sullivan agree, for the very first time, to let their daughter, Grace, make the four-minute walk back home alone from a friend’s house just down the street. 

They joke with friends about hiding behind bushes to ensure she is safe. But the joke turns sour when Grace does not appear. 

Despite the best efforts of the police and local community, Grace seems to have vanished into thin air. With hope fading fast, Lucie knows she can rely on her husband to support her through such dark times. That is until the day she makes a shocking discovery, hidden in Blake’s desk, and suddenly she begins to doubt everything she knew about the man she married. 

But Lucie harbours a terrible secret of her own. One that she has never shared with anyone, even Blake … 

And as the search for Grace reaches fever pitch, Lucie receives a terrifying message. If she is ever to see Grace again, Lucie has no choice but to face the past she tried hard to bury forever. And she must do it alone. 

The most gripping psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the bestselling author K.L. Slater.

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   Finding Grace

Author:  K.L. Slater

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Publisher:   Bookouture

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  253

Date of Publication:  February 14, 2019

My Rating:  4 Stars

Grace Sullivan just turned nine and has been begging her parents, Lucie and Blake Sullivan, for independence. She begs to walk home from a friend's house. Both Blake and the friend's father agree to each watch her walk partway. It is just down the street, but it is a chance the parents finally agree to take. The one time they allow it, Grace simply disappears.

How tragic! The police find no clues and every search comes up empty. Lucie feels her and Blake are in it together and that he can help keep her strong. She also has the help of her father, especially when it comes to helping to care for her infant during the ordeal. However, Blake seems untrustworthy to Lucie after she finds something huge in his desk. What is he hiding. Is he in any way responsible for Grace's disappearance?

Blake is not the only one with a secret he is dreadfully unwilling to share. Lucie has a secret of her own. A huge one. This could cost her everything. But, she tries to put those terrible concerns aside in the vigorous attempt to discover whatever could have happened to Grace.

Suddenly, Lucie receives a terrifying message. If she does not agree to face her past, she might never see Grace alive again. While hopeful, the past is something that petrifies her. Who can she confide in?

Finding Grace is an engaging book, one that I devoured in one sitting. I found it impossible to put down. I was torn between wanting to know about Grace's whereabouts and Lucie's secrets. The ending was a bit of a surprise and I would never have been able to guess the culprit. I enjoy K.L. Slater and look forward to reaching much more from her. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kim is the million-copy bestselling author of seven psychological crime thrillers. FINDING GRACE published 14th February 2019 is her eighth thriller.

Kim's titles are also published in paperback by Sphere in the UK and Grand Central in the USA.

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected an impressive stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating in 2012, she gained literary agent representation and a book deal. As Kim says, ‘it was a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer. She has one daughter, two stepsons and lives with her husband in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

Publishers: Bookouture, Sphere, Grand Central, Audible

Agent: Camilla Bolton at Darley Anderson 

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Review - The Duke Buys a Bride

Title:   The Duke Buys a Bride

Author:  Sophie Jordan
Series:  The Rogue Files #3

Genre:   Historical Romance

Publisher:   Avon

Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:  368

Date of Publication:  July 24, 2018

My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

A bride wasn’t in his plans . . .

The last thing Marcus, the Duke of Autenberry, expects to see after sleeping off a night’s drunken shenanigans is a woman being auctioned in the village square. Before he can think about the ramifications, he buys her, thinking he’s winning the girl her freedom. Instead, he discovers he’s bought a wife.

A duke wasn’t in hers . . .

Alyse Bell is almost rid of the shackles that bound her in a name-only marriage, but the day her friend promised to purchase her in a wife auction, he vanishes, leaving her to face a mob of unsavory bachelors intent on owning her body and soul. But the appearance of a wicked, wealthy stranger changes her path forever.

The road to ruin . . .

Marcus doesn’t know what to do with the impertinent chit who clearly isn’t duchess material! Insisting their marriage isn’t legitimate, they leave for his estate in Scotland, hoping to devise a plan to get rid of each other. However, on a journey fraught with misadventure, their attraction grows and Marcus realizes he’ll do anything to keep this fiery woman for his own. 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

All Marcus, the Duke of Autenberry, wanted to do was to sleep of his latest drunken night. While traveling and seeking a night's rest, he sees a woman being auctioned in a village. He sees the travesty and just cannot let things be. Before he knows it, he buys her. Not as a bride, but to protect he. Perhaps she can serve as a maid in one of his estates. Before he can get her established, however, they must travel a long distance together.

Alyse Bell has just ended a name-only marriage. This was due to a contract made by her father before his passing. The circumstances were unique and her current husband can get rid of her by selling her. She made plans for her friend to do the purchase, as she at least feels safe with him. However, he simply disappears, leaving her in the clutches of whoever decides to follow through. When a scruffy stranger buys her, she is truly dismayed. Where will her life go from here?

While traveling, Alyse realizes the man that bought her is a fine man indeed - he was just in need of a bath and a shave. She eventually discovers that Marcus is a Duke. All the while, they become drawn to one another and it seems like they might indeed be a love match. However, complications arise and what they've built is challenged. As it is, Alyse is entranced, but Marcus strives to maintain distance. However will the two find a future together?

Readers of the Rogue Files series will no doubt remember Marcus from the previous two books in the series. His story was definitely looked forward to. Alyse was captivating and definitely a fighter. Marcus remained difficult throughout, but at least readers got to see him find his soulmate.

The Duke Buys a Bride is the third book in The Rogue Files series, preceded by While the Duke Was Sleeping (2016) and The Scandal of it All (2017). This Scot of Mine will be released in March, 2019.

Review for While the Duke Was Sleeping -

https://www.robinlovesreading.com/2019/01/review-while-duke-was-sleeping.html

Review for  The Scandal of it All - 

https://www.robinlovesreading.com/2019/02/review-scandal-of-it-all.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History.

A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed a natural choice. After several years teaching high school students to love ANTIGONE, Sophie decided it was time to pursue her long-held dream of writing. Two years later, she landed her first publishing contract.

Her first book, ONCE UPON A WEDDING NIGHT, was a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical. Her second novel, TOO WICKED TO TAME, released in March 2007 with a bang - landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List. A few books later marked her first appearance on the New York Times bestseller list with the release of IN SCANDAL THEY WED.

And as if she's not busy enough, Sophie writes young adult fiction for HarperTeen and contemporary paranormals for Pocket. Sophie resides in Houston with her family and loves to hear from readers. To learn the latest information about Sophie and her books, follow her on facebook and twitter.

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Review - To Love a Duchess

Title:   To Love a Duchess

Author:  Karen Ranney
Series:  All For Love #1

Genre:   Historical Romance

Publisher:   Avon

Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:  384

Date of Publication:  July 31, 2018

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

From New York Times Bestselling Author Karen Ranney comes the first book in a royally romantic and deeply emotional new series about taking risks and allowing the power to love satisfy the questions of the heart...

Undercover as a majordomo, spy Adam Drummond has infiltrated Marsley House with one purpose only—to plunder its mysteries and gather proof that the late Duke of Marsley was an unforgivable traitor to his country. At the same time, Adam is drawn to a more beguiling puzzle: the young and still-grieving duchess—a beauty with impenetrable secrets of her own. For Drummond, uncovering them without exposing his masquerade will require the most challenging and tender moves of his career.

That a servant can arouse such passion in her is too shocking for Suzanne Whitcomb, Duchess of Marsley, to consider. Yet nothing quickens her pulse like Drummond's touch. It's been two years since the duke lost his life in a tragic accident—and even longer since she's been treated like a woman. But when Drummond's real mission is revealed, and the truth behind Suzanne's grief comes to light, every secret conspired to tear them apart is nothing compared to the love that can hold them together.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Adam Drummond is a spy and his latest assignment is the Marsley House as it is thought that the late Duke of Marsley was a traitor. He is acting as majordomo in the house and his objective is to gather as much information as possible. Adam is distracted rather quickly, however, as he has more than one run-in with the widow, who is still a young woman. The thing is that she is heavily-grieving, even after two years. As time progresses, Adam realizes that the duchess, Suzanne Whitcomb has secrets of her own and this is concerning to Adam.

Suzanne may be drawn to Adam, man in charge of her house, but she is also a bit annoyed, and for more than one reason. For starters, he is a servant, and she is a duchess. More importantly, she is still devasted by her losses. However, there is just something about Adam that makes Suzanne wonder more than once. Both Suzanne and Adam receive equal shock eventually. Adam because he learns the true reason for her grief. Suzanne because she learns his true purpose.

While Adam is working hard, Suzanne has her own battles to fight. Not only does she have to deal with her controlling father, but she is also dealing with a recalcitrant maid. This could definitely lead to her undoing. But, she doesn't see that. All she can see is her pain and getting through each day, even if she is not really living. I so love when she wakes up!

To Love a Duchess is the first book in the All for Love series, and I think this is a terrific start. I found this to be a very emotional read, especially where Suzanne’s grief originated. It certainly was very touching, especially when I got to read Adam’s reaction to this, and how he shared his own past with her. With Adam’s role as a spy, there was a measure of mystery in the book. The more clues that Adam unraveled, the more difficult things became. This added a very nice layer to an otherwise engaging romance. 

I look forward to continuing this series this week, with To Wed an Heiress, scheduled for publication March 26, 2019. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Odds and Ends
My name is pronounced Rain-ey, not Ran-ney. I know, odd, hmm? It’s a married name, but my real one.

Who I am
I read something the other day that moved me. It was a comment that people want what you do not because of what it is, but who you are. So I decided to tell you who I am, in as succinct a way as possible:

I believe that you can accomplish almost anything if you believe it and add your actions to your thoughts.
I believe that there are more nice people than there are ugly ones, and you should ignore the ones that bring you misery.
I believe in the magnificence of the human spirit, in the kindness and love of which we’re all capable.
I believe that character is what you do when no one is looking.
I believe that we are judged by how we treat those of us who need help, how we care for the innocents among us and the animals in our world.
I believe in the transformative power of love.

My story
When I was five years old, I decided I was going to be a writer.

I used to carry around this really big blue book, holding it in my arms much like I would a doll. I can still feel how heavy it was and recall the marks it made on my arms. I remember sitting on the front steps in Sherman, Texas with the book beside me. Sometimes I would sit with it in my lap and open it up, my fingers sliding on top of all those words. I’d try to match the ones I already knew to the ones in that magical book.

“I’m going to be a writer,” I told my mother. And she, in the way of most mothers, smiled and said, “That’s nice, honey.”

Little did I know it would take me a few years.

My oddities as a writer
I’m one of those writers who writes regardless of circumstances.  If there’s a hurricane, a flood, a death, an illness, I write through the experience.  It’s how I cope.  I can point to each one of my books and tell you if I was undergoing some trauma at the time.  The book itself has become a catharsis, and consequently, I feel a special bond to it.  Those books are Tapestry, My Beloved, After the Kiss, and The Scottish Companion.

But that’s not to say they’re my favorites.  I don’t have one. Or perhaps my favorite is the one on which I’m working.

I like throwing my characters into the deep end.  Conflict is one of those components of a novel that I adore. Just think about how much conflict we have in our daily lives.

I also tend to write books about people who are flawed, but not whiners.  The women don’t expect a man to rescue them and the men don’t blame women for everything wrong in their lives.

Hopefully, my characters always have a deep core of beliefs, but they do not always act in perfect ways.  In other words, they’re like real people.

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Review - What Doesn't Kill Her

Title:  What Doesn't Kill Her
Author:  Christina Dodd
Series:  Cape Charade #2

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:   HQN Books

Format:  Kindle
No. of Pages:  384

Date of Publication:  February 1, 2019

My Rating:  4.5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

One secret, one nightmare, one lie. You guess which is which.

1. I have the scar of a gunshot on my forehead.
2. I have willfully misrepresented my identity to the US military.
3. I'm the new mother of a seven-year-old girl.

Kellen Adams suffers from a yearlong gap in her memory. A bullet to the brain will cause that. But she's discovering the truth, and what she learns changes her life, her confidence, her very self. She finds herself in the wilderness, on the run, unprepared, her enemies unknown--and she is carrying a priceless burden she must protect at all costs. The consequences of failure would break her. And Kellen Adams does not break.

What doesn't kill her...had better start running.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

As this Cape Charade series has progressed, Kellen Adams is still coping with a memory gap from a year of her life due to a bullet in her brain. It is now years later. She has recently discovered that during that trauma she actually gave birth and recently met her 7-year-old daughter Rae. She learned that the man she fell in love with after escaping the clutches of her terrifying and brutal husband, Max, fathered her daughter. It was while pregnant that Kellen was actually shot in the head. At one point, Kellen left the hospital, and this was after being in a coma, and fell off the grid.

Max has found her, but it didn't mean that the three would be able to become a happy little family. During Kellen's time away, she joined the Army and hasn't quite become herself. As a matter of fact, she really doesn't know who she could possibly be in life. In the previous novels, we learned that after her husband attempted to kill her, she assumed her cousin's identity, thus changing her name to Kellen. At some point, she met Max. Now, seven years later, Kellen has to come to grips with even new changes in her life. How can she become a loving mother to a little girl she never knew?

After learning about Rae, in a state of utter shock, Kellen takes off and ends up in the wilderness and the path is borne for her to start over. However, danger follows closely on her tail and it seems that the running that she started might never come to an end. Someone is still trying to kill her and one might wonder how many lives this one woman has.

What Doesn't Kill Her is a thrilling tale of suspense and mystery, with romance and family seamlessly blended in. Just as each book before, we are left hanging with another cliffhanger. I cannot imagine what is now in store for Kellen. Other books in this series are Hard to Kill, Dead Girl Running and Families and Other Enemies, all available now. To follow later this year are Hidden Truths and Strangers She Knows.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Readers become writers, and Christina Dodd has always been a reader. She reads everything, but because she loves humor, she likes romance best.

A woman wants things like world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants things like a Craftsman router with attachments, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will miraculously make his bald spot disappear. So when Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to quit work and write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?

Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before her first novel, CANDLE IN THE WINDOW, was published. In the twenty-six years since, her novels have been translated into 25 languages, won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards and been called the year’s best by Library Journal and Booklist. Christina Dodd herself has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle (11/18/05, # 13 Down: Romance Novelist named Christina.) Her mother was thrilled! With more than 15 million of her books in print, Booklist praises her, “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd.”

In 2018, Christina began her Virtue Falls spin-off suspense series, Cape Charade, with DEAD GIRL RUNNING, out now. The first lines are:

I have three confessions:
I’ve got the scar of a gunshot on my forehead.
I don’t remember an entire year of my life.
My name is Kellen Adams … and that’s half a lie.

Listen to a free DEAD GIRL RUNNING audio book chapter and read an excerpt here. Booklist, says, “Dodd is at her most wildly entertaining, wickedly witty best.”  

Out now, the short story, HARD TO KILL, introduces you to Kellen Adams, and on January 29, 2018, WHAT DOESN’T KILL HER (had better start running) continues Kellen’s adventures.

Christina Dodd is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools. They have been married since the earth’s crust cooled.

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Review - Families and Other Enemies

Title:  Families and Other Enemies
Author:  Christina Dodd
Series:  Cape Charade #1.5

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:   HQN Books

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  82

Date of Publication:  January 1, 2019

My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

I don’t remember an entire year of my life.…
I still don’t remember, but I know what happened now.
I had a baby, and that changes everything.

Kellen Adams has fought battles, saved lives, earned the respect of her colleagues and the love of her friends. But now, can she triumph against the greatest challenge of her life — her family?

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

At the end of Dead Girl Running, the first book in the Cape Charade series, Kellen Adams received life-changing news, she had a baby seven years ago. Yes, this is news to her. As this series has revealed, Kellen has suffered memory loss. Well, she still cannot remember, but facts are facts. Max, the man she fell in love with after escaping her brutal husband is indeed the father of a little girl who is most definitely her daughter.

In this book, Families and Other Enemies, Kellen is now faced with this new truth in her life. A challenge to be sure. Needing to work things out, she takes off, and meets with someone from her past, and this gives her the time needed to sort out her future. Kellen takes on a new job and this brings her into contact with people she just has to help. 

This brief novella sets the stage for the next book in the series, What Doesn't Kill Her. The previous books in this series are Hard to Kill and Dead Girl Running. The next books in the series are Hidden Truths and Strangers She Knows, both set for release later in 2019.  

Many thanks to HQN Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Readers become writers, and Christina Dodd has always been a reader. She reads everything, but because she loves humor, she likes romance best.

A woman wants things like world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants things like a Craftsman router with attachments, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will miraculously make his bald spot disappear. So when Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to quit work and write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?

Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before her first novel, CANDLE IN THE WINDOW, was published. In the twenty-six years since, her novels have been translated into 25 languages, won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart and RITA Awards and been called the year’s best by Library Journal and Booklist. Christina Dodd herself has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle (11/18/05, # 13 Down: Romance Novelist named Christina.) Her mother was thrilled! With more than 15 million of her books in print, Booklist praises her, “brilliantly etched characters, polished writing, and unexpected flashes of sharp humor that are pure Dodd.”

In 2018, Christina began her Virtue Falls spin-off suspense series, Cape Charade, with DEAD GIRL RUNNING, out now. The first lines are:

I have three confessions:
I’ve got the scar of a gunshot on my forehead.
I don’t remember an entire year of my life.
My name is Kellen Adams … and that’s half a lie.

Listen to a free DEAD GIRL RUNNING audio book chapter and read an excerpt here. Booklist, says, “Dodd is at her most wildly entertaining, wickedly witty best.”  

Out now, the short story, HARD TO KILL, introduces you to Kellen Adams, and on January 29, 2018, WHAT DOESN’T KILL HER (had better start running) continues Kellen’s adventures.

Christina Dodd is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools. They have been married since the earth’s crust cooled.

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Review - Her Pretty Bones

Title:   Her Pretty Bones

Author:  Carla Kovach

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Publisher:   Bookouture

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:  330

Date of Publication:  January 17, 2019

My Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

THE UNPUTDOWNABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE NEXT GIRL 

She’s just the girl he’s looking for… 

A young woman falls from a van speeding down a quiet road. Battered and bruised, she turns her head to the person who comes to her aid. ‘Help her’, she whispers before her eyes close. 

Days later, the body of another young girl is found in a shallow grave just a few miles away. The similarities between the two girls are startling – same age, same frail body, same shocking red hair. 

As the town fears there’s a serial killer living amongst them, Detective Gina Harte must put aside her own struggles at home, and catch the killer before he finds another perfect girl. 

AN ABSOLUTELY HEART-STOPPING CRIME THRILLER FROM CARLA KOVACH – if you like Lisa Gardner, Robert Bryndza or Clare Mackintosh, Her Pretty Bones will have you hooked. 

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

How is it, in a matter of days, two women are found under very similar circumstances. The first is found running from a speeding van and is almost hit. She says to the driver that comes to her aid, "Help her." Then, the other woman's body is found in a shallow grave. There are striking similarities and Detective Gina Harte must take the case, ignoring serious issues in her personal life.

Why were these two girls targeted? Is another girl in danger? And danger is the name of the game. This is especially so as we get varying points of view entailing how the girls were connected, the things done to them, and whether or not Gina would be able to get to the bottom of it.

Her Pretty Bones is the third in the Detective Gina Harte series, and as I have not had the opportunity to read the previous books, there were a few characters that have key roles that I was not familiar with. Even so, I found this book easy to follow because attention was riveted on the action in this story.  

The varying timelines between the then and now help a lot in working things out, but there are twists and turns along the way to keep the reader's attention. This was an exceptional mystery and drew me in from the outset. I look forward to continuing to follow this series. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. Author of supernatural drama 'Flame,' psychological thriller 'To Let,' crime thriller 'Whispers Beneath the Pines, and romantic comedy 'Meet Me at Marmaris Castle.' Carla also writes stage and screen plays, some of which have been produced in the Worcestershire area. 

Her new novel 'The Next Girl,' is available for preorder now. 

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