Review - The Amish Christmas Gift

Title:  The Amish Christmas Gift

Author:   Laura V. Hilton

Series:   Hidden Springs #2

Publisher:   Forever

Genre:   Inspirational Romance

Format:   Kindle ARC

No. of pages:   320
Date of Publication:  October 27, 2020

Rating:  4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Past relationships and close quarters stir up old emotions, making Christmas the perfect time for a magical connection in this heartwarming second chance Amish romance.

Elsie Miller has witnessed -- and experienced -- Levi Wyse's forgetfulness too many times to count. But even after they broke things off, Elsie never forgot the handsome Amish toymaker or her love for him. So when Levi's sister asks her to help keep him organized for the busy Christmas season, Elsie agrees. But she didn't expect working alongside Levi to reignite those old feelings.


Secretly, Levi's heart will always belong to Elsie. But she deserves a better man, one who isn't so absentminded . . . or responsible for a terrible tragedy. Now, she's at his workshop every day and as Christmas draws near, his reasons for staying away become harder and harder to remember. Will the spirit of Christmas heal past hurts and give Elsie and Levi the greatest gift of all: a future together?

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

Elsie Miller and Levi Wyse are clearly in love and have been for years. However, they broke up according to a misunderstanding a couple of years ago. Previously, Levi's sister Abigail had been hurt, and needs some assistance. Elsie is the best person for the job, even if this creates a form of torture between her and Levi. He had done a fine job of avoiding her for quite some time, but now that they will be seeing more than a lot of each other, feelings, and even desire, are bound to get in the way.

It is the Christmas season and Levi is gifted at making toys. Can he continue to work, see Elsie everyday and put past hurts and guilt behind him enough to grasp ahold of the love and joy that she still feels for him?

What a touching story of love, guilt, family and faith! I do wish that communication would have been more at play in this story, but at the same time I could understand Levi's reticence. The Amish Christmas Gift is the second book in the Hidden Springs series. Although I hadn't read the first book, this story did not have anything at all missing, making it easy to follow along. I do wish to follow further books in this series because I do enjoy Laura V. Hilton's writing. The next book in the series is The Amish Secret Wish, is set for release April, 2021.

Many thanks to Forever and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as the Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Birdhouse. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series. Laura is contracted for another three book Amish series set in the Jamesport area, with the first book, The Amish Firefighter, planned for April 2016.

She has self-published a Christmas novella, Christmas Mittens.

Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer and blogs for Putting on the New and Seriously Write.

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BLOG TOUR - Dead Perfect

DESCRIPTION:

A murdered woman…

When the body of a young woman is found in a local park, DC Maggie Jamieson knows she’s dealing with no ordinary killer. The murder victim has been disfigured; her outfit changed to resemble someone else. Someone Maggie knows all too well…her close friend Dr Kate Moloney.

A determined detective…

Maggie is determined to keep her friend safe, but with Kate already struggling with a threatening stalker, Maggie now fears Kate’s life is in real danger. Who else would want to harm Kate and why else would the killer be turning his victims into exact replicas – his living dolls?

Can Maggie find the depraved killer? Or will Kate become his next living doll?

Link to purchase the book

Title:  Dead Perfect
Author:  Noelle Holten
Series:  DC Maggie Jamieson #3

Genre:   Mystery/Thrillers

Publisher:  Harper Impulse Killer Reads

Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   350 Pages

Date of Publication:  October 16, 2020
My Rating:  5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS:

DC Maggie Jamieson is frantic when approaching a crime scene. As she tries to get a hold of herself, Maggie tries to prepare for the fact that the body might be someone she really cares about, her close friend Dr. Kate Moloney. Is the body Kate's? What of the stalker Kate has had for awhile now? Maggie thinks that the stalker has finally made his mark.

Instead, as the body is turned over from her back, Maggie is more than relieved but a bit confused when she discovers that the body is not Kate's. Why does she resemble her? When Maggie does reach Kate, she tries not to scare her, but tells her that the stalker is almost definitely a murder. It certainly cannot be coincidence that the staged body resembles Kate.

Living dolls. That is how the police - and the killer - are referring to the victims. And, yes, I say victims in plural because more dead bodies abound, and Maggie does her darnedest to stop the killer  and to keep Kate safe. Meanwhile, Maggie must contend for her growing feeling for Kate.

Well! 5 Stars go to this fantastic book by Noelle Holten!! Just read it in one sitting. The tension level is incredibly high as Maggie and her team race against time to find the killer. Meanwhile, Maggie has some issues she is facing, and that does well to help to understand her as a character. Since I read the first two books in the series, and will be reading all future books, I love being able to feel for a character. 

A note to readers of this book and series. While this book could be read as a standalone novel, it begins exactly where the previous book, Dead Wrong, left off, which continued where the first book in the series, Dead Inside, left off. Thus, this book, Dead Perfect, leaving readers with a hanging scene, will no doubt leave readers for the fourth book in the series. Well done!

Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk. She is the PR & Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK, and worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering a variety of risk cases as well as working in a multi agency setting. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy, Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in Criminology. Noelle’s hobbies include reading, attending as many book festivals as she can afford and sharing the booklove via her blog.

Dead Inside – her debut novel with One More Chapter/Harper Collins UK is an international kindle bestseller and the start of a new series featuring DC Maggie Jamieson.

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Bookbub Author page : https://bit.ly/2LkT4LB 

 

BLOG TOUR - The Girl She Wanted

DESCRIPTION:

What if my sister is unstable and everyone can see it but me? What was she really doing standing over Florence’s cot in the middle of the night?

Alexa has always looked up to her older sister Carrie. Carrie lives in Alexa’s family home, and adores her one-year-old niece Florence. Alexa doesn’t know how they would cope without her. So when Carrie is suspended from her job as a senior nurse, accused of the most terrible crime, Alexa reels in disbelief. Alexa knows how caring Carrie is, and as she watches Florence gurgling and cooing whenever Carrie is around, she knows her little girl is in safe hands.

Alexa’s husband doesn’t trust Carrie. He wants her out of the house, unable to ignore what people are saying about her. But when he suggests that Carrie could be a danger to their daughter, Alexa shuts him out. Nobody will ever come between her and her sister.

Then Florence is hurt while in Carrie’s care and Alexa at last starts to wonder. Alexa has always wanted to protect Carrie from the past they have hidden. But does Alexa know what Carrie wants? And will the secret that has kept the sisters together now destroy her little girl?

A completely gripping rollercoaster of a read about the darkness families hide behind closed doors. Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be hooked on The Girl She Wanted.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/2SPTbTv
Apple: https://apple.co/3dmG4mg
Kobo: https://bit.ly/33TpWWg
Google: https://bit.ly/2WH5kML

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   The Girl She Wanted

Author:  K. L. Slater

Publisher:  Bookouture

Genre:   Psychological Thriller

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   319

Date of Publication:   October 22, 2020

My Rating:   4 Stars

Alexa and her husband Perry are having some problems and it seems that their primary difficulties is that Alexa are due to the fact that Alexa is supporting her troubled older sister Carrie above all else. If Perry had his way he would insist that Carrie leave their home. Instead, after Carrie's marriage ended, Alexa invited Carrie to stay with them and their toddler daughter Florence. Alexa loves the bond that Carrie and Florence shares. Furthermore, Perry works away from home for weeks at a time on an oil rig, so Alexa enjoys having extra help with the baby.

However, one day the police arrive and they take Carrie away for questioning. Alexa is quite concerned, but so relieved that Perry is currently away. She knows that if he knew Carrie had any issues that concerned the police, she would have no choice but to ask Carrie to leave. Alexa is utterly shocked when she learns that Carrie might have been involved in the death of two patients. Carrie is a senior nurse at a nearby hospital and the deaths proved to be unusual. Carrie is not charged, but she is suspended from her job. Alexa is very concerned as to how to tell Perry, all while trying to figure out a way to get information and to help Carrie.

When Florence is hurt under Carrie's care, Alexa begins to wonder, and she knows she must inform Perry as to what is going on. Could Carrie have indeed been responsible for the deaths at the hospital? Could the fact that Florence was hurt be due to Carrie's actions? Then there is the fact that there is a hidden secret between Alexa and Carrie, and if the truth came out, so much could be lost, and at the very least, the safety of Florence.

I love the way that this book was written. I wanted to believe Carrie guilty of wrongdoing from the very start, so I love the winding trail that this book took to get my feelings so involved. I was captivated from beginning to end, even to the point that Perry began to raise doubts with me. When an author can keep me on my toes and invested in the characters, then I count it as a win for me. Actually, every book I have read by K. L. Slater has managed to evoke strong feelings in me while reading, and this book is right up there with the ones I've read previously by her. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.

https://www.facebook.com/KimLSlaterAuthor/
https://twitter.com/KimLSlater

BLOG TOUR - Saving Grace

 Saving Grace

A Psychological Thriller

by D.M. Barr

on Tour October 12 - November 13, 2020

Synopsis:

Grace Pierrepoint Rendell, the only child of an ailing billionaire, has been treated for paranoia since childhood. When she secretly quits her meds, she begins to suspect that once her father passes, her husband will murder her for her inheritance. Realizing that no one will believe the ravings of a supposed psychotic, she devises a creative way to save herself – she will write herself out of danger, authoring a novel with the heroine in exactly the same circumstances, thus subtly exposing her husband's scheme to the world. She hires acclaimed author Lynn Andrews to help edit her literary insurance policy, but when Lynn is murdered, Grace is discovered standing over the bloody remains. The clock is ticking: can she write and publish her manuscript before she is strapped into a straitjacket, accused of homicide, or lowered six feet under?

With a cast of secondary characters whose challenges mirror Grace's own, Saving Grace is, at it's core, an allegory for the struggle of the marginalized to be heard and live life on their own terms.

"A psychological thriller with more than enough twists, turns, and misdirection to keep even the most jaded reader turning pages all night long."

–Lori Robbins, author of the Silver Falchion Award-winning novel, Lesson Plan for Murder

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Domestic Suspense
Published by: Black Rose Writing
Publication Date: October 15th 2020
Number of Pages: 255
ISBN: 978-1684335565

My rating: 4 Stars

Purchase Links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BlackRose Writing | Goodreads

My thoughts:

From when she was a child, Grace Pierrepoint Rendell was deemed mentally unfit. Her diagnoses included paranoia and psychosis. This was by her father and this action was continued by her husband. Grace managed to break away from her father as a young adult when she went away to collage. However, it did not take her very long to meet the man who would soon become her husband. Although Grace managed to develop a career, becoming the mother of two boys sidelined her more than she would have liked. Throughout her life, however, one thing did not change, and that was her lifelong psychological treatment and a host of medications.

At some point, Grace decided to take her destiny into her own hands. She managed to fool her psychiatrist and husband. When visiting her ailing father, her deception did not come as easy. While reading this book - whether it was Grace's father, or her husband - I kept getting vibes of the classic movie Gaslight. Grace often questioned her own sanity, even during moments of obvious clarity. That is how good the ploys used against her were.

Once Grace's father's health became extremely serious, Grace knew that the likelihood of her becoming beneficiary of his multi-million dollar estate might not happen for her. In fact, she began to wonder if indeed her husband would "get rid of her" in order to collect said millions. So, Grace develops a scheme that will save her very life as well as her future. This plan included penning a fictional yet literal account that, if published, would inform any and all of the plans being made against her. 

Despite her industriousness regarding writing her manuscript, things began happening that began to spiral out of her control, thus bringing her ever closer to danger. In this thrilling book there is a race against time that Grace has to manage. Fortunately she finds friends who are willing to stand by her. Will the manuscript be written in time to save her? With the connection I felt to Grace, some of the supporting characters, and the aforementioned movie, I found this book to be quite an entertaining read. 

Many thanks to Black Rose Writing for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Read an excerpt:

One felony was all it took to convince Andrea Lin she was better suited to committing crime on paper than in person. As renowned mystery author Lynn Andrews, she understood conflict equaled good drama. Like her readers, she should have expected the hiccups, even relished them. What she hadn’t counted on was the accompanying agita, especially while sitting in her Bergen County kitchen, far from the action at the Bitcoin Teller Machine.

Her one job had been to place a single phone call when the money hit and tell the hacker to lift the encryption on Grace’s computer. Trouble was, her dozen calls remained unanswered until a few minutes ago, throwing their meticulous plan off schedule.

Andrea stroked the blue-gray Nebulung purring on her lap and tried to ignore the churning in her stomach. “Denver, the next time I consider helping a sibling with some crazy scheme, you have my permission to use my leg as a scratching post until I come to my senses. Agreed?”

Denver looked up, his green eyes filled with innocence, and answered with a single meow before leaping onto the table toward her plate of shortbread cookies.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She sipped her tea, willing the sugar to sweeten the acrid taste in her mouth. The phone interrupted her meditation. No doubt a check-in from her brother, the extorter-in-chief.

“I figured you’d have called by now. Everything on track?” Joe’s strained voice conveyed his own jangled nerves. They’d agreed to be vague when communicating. In these days of Siri and Alexa, anyone could be listening.

“Finally. Took forever to get through to our friend, but she said she’d take care of ‘our project’ as soon as her meetings wrapped up. From here on out though, I’m sticking to fiction. Real-life intrigue is too stressful.”

Andrea missed Joe’s response, instead perplexed by her cats’ sudden change of behavior. Denver had tilted his head and leapt from the table; Vail and Aspen sat frozen, ears perked, staring toward the foyer. Then she heard it too, the sound of papers shuffling in the living room. She leaned forward, muscles taut, hackles raised, ready to pounce. “Joe, hold on a sec. I think someone’s in the house. I’ll call you back later.”

***

“Wait, what? Andrea??” Silence. The connection was dead.

After twenty minutes of weaving in and out of rush-hour traffic to travel one mile, Joe “Hack” Hackford pulled up outside his sister’s Ridgewood home. Adrenaline pumping on overdrive, he jumped from his car and sprinted toward the house. Door wide open—not an encouraging sign. He steeled his nerves and hastened inside. The living room looked like a hurricane’s aftermath, with furniture overturned and papers littering the carpets and floor.

“Andrea? Are you here?” He rushed into the kitchen, which lacked any signs of their celebratory dinner—no spaghetti boiling on the stove, no cake rising in the oven. Only the door to the backyard ajar and a shriek emanating from the next room, piercing the eerie silence. Hair stiffening at the back of his neck, he raced into the dining room where a redheaded woman stood frozen, staring across the room.

“Who the hell are you?” he growled.

The stranger remained wide-eyed and unresponsive. He followed her gaze to the floor, where he witnessed the unthinkable. His beloved sister lay in the corner, surrounded by a pool of blood, a kitchen knife stuck in her chest. Her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling. A trio of feline guards circled her lifeless body.

Hack’s knees turned to jelly, and he grabbed onto a chair for support, forcing back the remains of the snack he’d consumed only minutes earlier. Once the initial shock waned, he reverted his attention back to the intruder. At second glance, she did look somewhat familiar, though the woman he’d met a few weeks back—the missing heiress whose computer they’d just hacked—was brunette. Had she uncovered their con? With a bolt of fury, he reached forward and pulled the wig from her head. A thousand questions zigzagged in his brain, but only one forced its way past his lips:

“Oh my God. Grace. Oh my God. What the hell have you done?”

***

Excerpt from Saving Grace by D.M. Barr. Copyright 2020 by D.M. Barr. Reproduced with permission from D.M. Barr. All rights reserved.

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Enter To Win!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for D.M. Barr. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on October 12, 2020 and runs through November 15, 2020. Void where prohibited.

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 Author Bio:

By day, a mild-mannered salesperson, wife, mother, rescuer of senior shelter dogs, competitive trivia player and author groupie, happily living just north of New York City. By night, an author of sex, suspense and satire.

My background includes stints in travel marketing, travel journalism, meeting planning, public relations and real estate. I was, for a long and happy time, an award-winning magazine writer and editor. Then kids happened. And I needed to actually make money. Now they're off doing whatever it is they do (of which I have no idea since they won't friend me on Facebook) and I can spend my spare time weaving tales of debauchery and whatever else tickles my fancy.

The main thing to remember about my work is that I am NOT one of my characters. For example, as a real estate broker, I've never played Bondage Bingo in one of my empty listings or offed anyone at my local diet clinic. And I haven't run away from home in fear that my husband was planning to off me.

But that's not to say that I haven't wanted to…

Catch Up With Our Author On:

www.DMBarr.com, Goodreads, BookBub, 

Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

BLOG TOUR - The Light at Wyndcliff

The Light at Wyndcliff by Sarah E. Ladd

Publication Date: October 13, 2020

Thomas Nelson

Paperback & eBook; 352 Pages

Series: The Cornwall Novels, Book 3

Genre: Historical Romance/Regency/Christian

Set in 1820s Cornwall, this Regency romance evokes the captivating worlds and delicious dramas of Jane Austen, Daphne DuMaurier, and Winston Graham.

Raised on the sprawling and rugged Wyndcliff Estate near the dangerous coast of South Cornwall, Evelyn Bray lives with her grandfather, a once-wealthy man reduced to the post of steward. Evelyn is still grieving her father’s death and her mother’s abandonment when a passing ship is dashed against the rocks. The only survivors, a little girl and her injured mother, are rescued and brought to Wyndcliff Hall.

Liam Twethewey is just twenty-two when he inherits Wyndcliff Estate from his great uncle. His optimistic plans to open a china clay pit to employ the estate’s tenants meets unexpected resistance, and the rumors of smuggling and illegal activity challenge his new-found authority. Though wise beyond his years, young Liam quickly finds himself out of his depth in this land where long-held secrets and high-stakes agendas make no room for newcomers.

Brought together by troubling questions surrounding the shipwreck, Evelyn and Liam uncover even darker mysteries shrouding the estate. But as they untangle truths from deceptions, their loyalties separate them—and their budding love might not be strong enough to overcome the distance.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   The Light at Wyndcliff

Author:  Sarah E. Ladd

Series:  Cornwall #3
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

Genre:   Historical Fiction

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   320

Date of Publication:   October 13, 2020

My Rating:    4 Stars

Liam Twethewey has taken on the unenviable task as the inheritor of Wyndcliff Hall in Corwall. While he is struggling to honor his great-uncle's dream of restoring the Hall, he runs into problems at the estate, but also from another source involving a current shipwreck.

Evelyn Bray lives there at the Hall, having lived there with her grandfather after he lost everything, which played into her mother leaving. Now steward, his attitude toward the new owner and Evelyn are ripe with issues. Meanwhile a shipwreck leaves a woman and her young daughter without hope, thus keeping Evelyn quite busy. The shipwreck seems to be only the tip of the iceberg for the reality of what is actually going on.

Protecting the estate - and the two survivors - brings Liam and Evelyn together. Not only must the pair cope with growing feelings, problems on a grand scale are beginning to be revealed. 

As I hadn't read the first two books in the series, I was concerned that I would not be able to gel with this story. However, this story fully held up well, allowing me to feel connected to the characters, the plot and the resulting drama as it was unfolding. The regency time period is one I enjoy, and the further drama of pirates, thievery, lies and secrets all kept me riveted to the story, capturing my attention throughout. 

Not only was the drama between Liam and Evelyn of great interest, her connection to her grandfather and to her mother was of great interest to me. It was both a wonderful and beautiful story, with enough excitement to be more than interesting, and with a conclusion that tied things together nicely. I love that this book was a blend between historical fiction and romance, and that the romance was different than many I read in the genre. Sarah E. Ladd is is a new author to me, but I am glad that I read this book and look forward to reading more by her. 

Many thanks to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, October 13
Review at Hallie Reads
Feature at Momfluenster

Wednesday, October 14
Review at McCombs on Main
Review at Gwendalyn's Books
Review at Probably at the Library

Thursday, October 15
Review at Jessica Belmont

Friday, October 16
Review at Bitch Bookshelf
Review & Excerpt at Bookworlder
Review at View from the Birdhouse

Sunday, October 18
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Monday, October 19
Review at Book Bustle

Tuesday, October 20
Review at Books and Zebras
Review at Robin Loves Reading
Review at Into the Hall of Books

Wednesday, October 21
Review at The Lit Bitch

Thursday, October 22
Review at Faery Tales Are Real
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Friday, October 23
Review at Lu Reviews Books

Saturday, October 24
Review & Excerpt at Nursebookie

Monday, October 26
Review at The Caffeinated Bibliophile
Review at Chicks, Rogues, and Scandals

Tuesday, October 27
Review at Captivated Reading

Wednesday, October 28
Review at Heidi Reads

Thursday, October 29
Review at YA, it's Lit

Friday, October 30
Review at A Darn Good Read
Review at Read Review Rejoice

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away 5 copies of The Light at Wyndcliff! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 30th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

The Light at Wyndcliff 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah E. Ladd has always loved the Regency period — the clothes, the music, the literature and the art. A college trip to England and Scotland confirmed her interest in the time period and gave her idea of what life would’ve looked like in era. It wasn’t until 2010 that Ladd began writing seriously. Shortly after, Ladd released the first book in the Whispers on the Moors series. Book one of the series, The Heiress of Winterwood, was the recipient of the 2011 ACFW Genesis Award for historical romance. Ladd also has more than ten years of marketing experience. She holds degrees in public relations and marketing and lives in Indiana with her family and spunky Golden Retriever.

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BLOG TOUR - The Mirror Man

DESCRIPTION:

The offer is too tempting: be part of a scientific breakthrough, step out of his life for a year, and be paid hugely for it. When ViGen Pharmaceuticals asks Jeremiah to be part of an illegal cloning experiment, he sees it as a break from an existence he feels disconnected from. No one will know he’s been replaced—not the son who ignores him, not his increasingly distant wife—since a revolutionary drug called Meld can transfer his consciousness and memories to his copy.

From a luxurious apartment, he watches the clone navigate his day-to-day life. But soon Jeremiah discovers that examining himself from an outsider’s perspective isn’t what he thought it would be, and he watches in horror as “his” life spirals out of control. ViGen needs the experiment to succeed—they won’t call it off, and are prepared to remove any obstacle. With his family in danger, Jeremiah needs to finally find the courage to face himself head-on.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | IndieBound  

Books-A-Million | Kobo | AppleBooks | Google Play

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:   The Mirror Man

Author:  Jane Gilmarten

Publisher:  MIRA

Genre:   Science Fiction / Suspense

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:   352

Date of Publication:  October 20, 2020 

My Rating:   5 Stars

Would you trade your life for a year for ten million dollars? That is the decision that Jeremiah Adams had to make and that is exactly what he did. He agreed to be cloned for a year. His clone would live his life. Go to his place of employment. Live and interact with his wife and teenage son. However, this was a cloning experiment, one not even legal. What is more is that Jeremiah would have to watch the clone for several hours each day as the experiment would continue. The duration was a year. Would Jeremiah be able to live silently away from his life and family for the entire time?

However, the experience is not only secret, it is nefarious. Would Jeremiah and anyone else connected one way or another be able to see the danger in time? How separated would Jeremiah be from his clone and from how long? It may take a while but Jeremiah starts to see cracks forming in the plan. The challenges now facing him might cost him everything.

I thought The Mirror Man was a well-written, intriguing story. Cloning is something that is pretty much far-fetched, but who knows where the scientific world will lead. However, this is fiction, and I thought it was quite good. What made this even more thrilling than the science fiction aspect of the story was the mystery that threaded between the pages, especially when danger was an all-time high. 

Then, the conclusion! I couldn't tap my Kindle fast enough as things were happening at a breakneck pace. I didn't worry about the morality of cloning, especially where danger was concerned. What I wanted and got was a good story that kept me riveted to my device from beginning to end.

Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy the following excerpt:

Charles Scott glared down at him with a glint in his green eyes that felt like a warning, and Jeremiah replayed in his head the man’s ambiguous threat during their first meeting several weeks before. “You now know as much about this project as anyone else involved,” he’d said. “It wouldn’t do to have too many people walking around with this kind of information. Our investors have a tendency to get nervous.” Although Scott had quickly followed that remark with the matter of Jeremiah’s substantial compensation, there was no mistaking the implication: the moment he’d been told about the cloning project Jeremiah was already in. That first meeting hadn’t been an invitation so much as an orientation, and the contract he’d later signed had been a formality, at best. And the entire thing had done nothing but gain momentum from that moment on. Dr. Pike continued to affix the wires to Jeremiah’s head. Jeremiah focused on the man’s gleaming black hair and the deep brown of his sure, professional hands, and he struggled to remember the allure of the $10 million payout he’d get at the end of the whole thing. That kind of money could fix a lot of problems. It would change things. The prospect of that fortune had been enough to make him turn away from principles he thought were unshakable. Every man has his price, he supposed. Somewhere in the back of his mind he also acknowledged the real temptation of a twelve-month sabbatical from his own life. It had seduced him every bit as much as the money had. Maybe more. Between a job that had already begun to make him question his own morals, and a marriage that felt increasingly more like a lie, stress was eating him alive. And into his lap fell a chance to just walk away from all of it—without consequence and without blame. A free pass. He could simply walk away without anyone even knowing he was gone. There isn’t a man alive, he told himself, who would have refused. Despite the ethical question, despite that human cloning was illegal the world over, it would have tempted anyone. Dr. Pike injected the clone with Meld and then turned wordlessly to Jeremiah with the second syringe poised above his left shoulder. Jeremiah closed his eyes and rolled up his sleeve. After the initial stab of the needle, he felt nothing. Which is not to say he didn’t feel anything; he literally felt nothing. Seconds after the injection, he became aware of a total emptiness, like a towering black wave that threatened to sink him into an immeasurable void. The experience was unlike anything he’d ever known. He imagined an astronaut suddenly untethered from his ship, floating helplessly into unending darkness. Without thinking, he immediately felt his body recoil. His mind screamed against it. I’m dying! From impossibly far away, he heard Dr. Pike say something about a heart rate and felt the slight pressure of a hand on his shoulder. He couldn’t see anything of the hospital room anymore. He was drowning in the blackness. His chest felt suddenly constricted. He fought just to find his breath. “This is all perfectly normal, Mr. Adams. You have nothing to worry about. Concentrate on the sound of my voice. Nod if you can hear me.” With considerable effort, Jeremiah managed what he hoped was a nod of his head. He was suddenly gripped by the alarming certainty that if he couldn’t communicate somehow, he’d be lost—swept away forever. “Good. Good. Listen to my voice. It will keep you grounded.” Pike still sounded far away, but Jeremiah nodded again and struggled to focus. “What you are experiencing is to be expected. Do you remember when you took the Meld with Dr. Young? Do you remember the way you could feel her thoughts for the first few minutes?” He nodded. It had been an unnerving thing to perceive her consciousness mixing with his like that. Flashes from her mind—odd, alien things like the feel of a blister on the back of her right heel, the familiar gleam in the eye of an old man he’d never seen—had swirled into the very structure of his own mind and fought for a place to settle. He had railed against that, too, and she had grounded him by flashing a penlight in his face, making him focus on that while the Meld took effect. Afterward, once he had sunk in, it had been easier. “This is no different than what you experienced then,” Pike said. “This time, though, you are connected to an empty mind. There’s nothing there. But the more you resist, the longer this will take. You need to relax, Mr. Adams. Give in to it.” Jeremiah nodded again and then shook his head with as much grit as he could muster. How does one give in to this? He didn’t think he could do it. “Once your thoughts begin transferring into the mind of the clone it will be easier for you,” Pike urged. “Focus on a memory, as I suggested. Something vivid. It will help to fill that void you’re experiencing now. It will give you something to hang on to.” Without the benefit of his full faculties, Jeremiah had little choice but to grab the last thing he’d been thinking about—his initial conversation with Charles Scott, the day all of this began. He’d been surprised when he’d received an invitation to lunch from ViMed’s head of Engineering. The man was an icon in the science world, and although he’d quoted him a hundred times for the company, Jeremiah had never actually met him. He’d been intrigued enough to accept the invitation, especially when Scott had told him it involved a “proposition that could make him a very wealthy man.” Flashes of that encounter and snatches of conversation now flitted through his mind like so many fireflies. He fought to catch them. “We’ve been watching you, Mr. Adams.” “All we ask is one year of your life. Isn’t that worth $10 million?” “We can do this. The science exists. And with Meld, the clone will even share your thought patterns… Your own mother won’t know the difference.” “This is sanctioned by powerful people—we have millions in secret federal backing. There are billions more in eventual funding… There’s no need to be so suspicious, Mr. Adams.” From somewhere far away, Jeremiah heard Dr. Pike repeating his name. He had been so engulfed in his efforts to hold on to the memory that he’d almost forgotten where he was. As soon as he realized it, the void loomed again in his mind. “Mr. Adams,” Pike said, “you’ve got to listen to me. The clone cannot pick up on any memory of the experiment. What you’re thinking about is not going to help. You need to think about something else, some memory that won’t be filtered. His mind is still empty.” Jeremiah panicked. He couldn’t think. And now that he wasn’t focused on anything, the blackness began to take over again, creeping closer and threatening to swallow him. He fought for breath. “Relax, Mr. Adams,” Pike said. “Think about your job here at ViMed. Remember something the clone can actually use. Something he’ll need to know.” He felt a dull jab at his shoulder. “This should help. I’ve given you a mild sedative. Take a few deep breaths. Concentrate on your breathing.” With everything in him, Jeremiah tried to turn his mind away from the void that seemed to be all around him. He inhaled deeply and tried to focus on the rise of his own chest. Exhaled, and he felt his chest fall. “Very good, Mr. Adams. Very good. Pulse is returning to normal. Deep breaths. Now, think about a typical day at work. Something ordinary and mundane.” Inhale. Exhale. After a moment, Jeremiah began to relax and, as the sedative took hold, he found he could let his mind wander without the frantic thought that he’d never get it back. An oddly comforting fog seemed to expand in front of him, pushing the blackness away slightly, and Jeremiah retreated into it. He began to think about the morning of the Meld fiasco—the day the New Jersey housewife had killed herself. The press had been circling. He’d arrived at his office with a terse mandate from his superiors to “get these fuckers off our back” and no idea how to accomplish that. It hadn’t been lost on him that not a single soul seemed bothered enough to stop and feel sorry about it, and he’d taken a quick moment behind his office door to offer silent condolences. It wasn’t thirty seconds before someone had come knocking, pushing him to get something done. Weeks before, he’d heard talk of Meld being used to detect brain activity in a sixteen-year-old football player who had been comatose for nearly six months. Time to cash in. He tracked down the doctor somewhere in Delaware and the man started gushing about Meld, calling it “magical,” “a godsend” and “the most important medical advance of a generation.” “After so many weeks,” he said, “the parents were hopeless.” Meld was a last resort before pulling the plug, and it gave them the first clear signs of neural activity in the boy. “Not only was he aware and awake in there, but he was cognizant of everything that was going on around him—including the fact that his parents were losing hope. He even heard them talking about funeral arrangements at one point. The kid was scared, terrified. He was begging for his life in there. That’s what I saw when I took the Meld with him. Meld absolutely saved his life. There is no doubt in my mind.” Jeremiah had almost smiled. It was pure gold. A few hours later, the story was in the hands of every major news outlet, and that doctor was spending his fifteen minutes of fame touting Meld as “a medical miracle.” Jeremiah focused on that now. Maybe Meld did have some silver lining, after all, he thought. Maybe it was miraculous.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jane Gilmartin has been a news reporter and editor for several small-town weekly papers and enjoyed a brief but exciting stint as a rock music journalist. A bucket list review just before she turned 50 set her on the path to fiction writing. Also checked off that list: an accidental singing career, attending a Star Trek convention, and getting a hug from David Bowie. She lives in her hometown of Hingham, Massachusetts.

Social Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JANEGILMARTIN3

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imadj123/

BLOG TOUR - First Date

 

DESCRIPTION:

    

She’s been waiting her whole life to meet a man like Alex. But he’s been waiting too. And once he has her, he’ll never let her go…

Hannah has done everything to make sure her life is safe and secure. A long way from her unstable childhood growing up in foster care, she’s content with her sweet, little, messy apartment and her satisfying job as a social worker. She quietly worries that, aged 36, she might never fall in love. But otherwise her life is where she wants it to be.

Until, encouraged by her best friend to join a dating app, she meets Alex. He’s irresistibly handsome. He loves the same music as her. The same food as well. They both dream of travelling the world but agree they’d be equally happy escaping to a cottage by the beach in Devon. Both of them would love to own a Labrador one day. It’s like he’s made for her. It’s like he’s too good to be true.

Hannah’s friends aren’t so sure about him. But Hannah thinks he’s perfect.

Which is good. Because Alex knows she’s perfect for him too. In fact, she’s exactly the girl he’s been looking for…

And nothing Hannah’s done to make her life safe will ever be enough.

A gripping and suspenseful psychological thriller about dark obsession and internet dating. Fans of The Wife Between Us, Friend Request and Gone Girl will adore this unputdownable twisted love story.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3iFPlXs
Apple: https://apple.co/30CT0zP
Kobo: https://bit.ly/2F0FUny
Google: https://bit.ly/3klF2Kw

MY THOUGHTS:

Title:  First Date
Author:  Sue Watson

Genre:  Psychological Thriller

Publisher:  Bookouture 

Format:  Kindle ARC

Date of Publication:  October 16, 2020

No. of Pages:  328

My Rating:  5 Stars

It was the perfect First Date, as Sue Watson's latest thriller indicates. Hannah took a chance with online dating. The profile for someone named Alex that she liked not only showed quite a handsome guy, but he matched her almost completely. When they have that first date, he checks even more boxes. Things couldn't be going any better for Hannah when she begins dating Alex. Coming from a difficult past as a foster child, Hannah often wondered if she would ever find stability. She need look no further - Alex is the perfect date, the perfect man. 

A busy social worker who has seen far too many broken families, Hannah would rather exercise caution in her dating life. However, she soon throws caution to the wind when it looks like Alex is the man she will fall in love with, perhaps even finding her forever happiness. 

Hannah may be happy as to how things are progressing with Alex, but her friends and coworkers, Jas and Harry, aren't as keen to what they see. As much as they would like for Hannah to slow down and to show caution, she just can't. He. Is. The. One.

Alex knows what he wants and pulls out all of the stops for Hannah, easily matching her needs at every turn. This begs the question: Are things too good to be true? Hannah doesn't want to believe that, and Alex goes the extra mile to remove any doubts she might have. However, along the way, things begin to take on an air of uncertainty, especially as Alex's true colors begin to shine through.

What a thrilling book! Now, as a reader, knowing going in that this is a psychological thriller, well, we know that things are not always as they seem. In this engrossing read I was kept on the edge of my seat because I knew something was going to happen. All along I sensed a "creep" factor with Alex and I love how Sue Watson led us down the twisty road to see his true nature, all while hoping against hope that Hannah would see the light.

I love the draw I had to Hannah. I wanted to take her by the hand and pull her away from Alex. That proved my investment in this incredibly well-written book. We as the reader could see his controlling nature, and why she couldn't was frustrating. Lastly, as if watching all of this drama unfold, it was truly exciting to find myself fully drawn to this book, especially with the final twist. I never saw it coming and can only say: Very well done. 

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion. 

About the author:

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.

 
Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written fifteen novels - many involving cake - which have been translated into several languages and involved tough 'cake research.' Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, THE EMPTY NEST and THE SISTER-IN-LAW. Writing in this new genre doesn't involve the deep research of baked goods and Sue's hoping the change in direction will be reflected on the weighing scales.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her husband and teenage daughter in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing - okay, procrastinating, eating and watching 'My 600lb Life,' on the sofa.

more info visit Sue's website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/
Sue would love to meet you on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/suewatsonbooks
Follow Sue on Twitter @suewatsonwriter