Review – Her Final Breath by Carolyn Arnold #HerFinalBreath #NetGalley @Carolyn_Arnold @bookouture

Posted on February 21, 2023 by fundinmental

Anyone that has been hanging around fundinmental knows that I am a huge fan of Carolyn Arnold and her police procedurals. She always has great covers to go with the wonderful stories inside.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture fot the advance copy.

Releases tomorrow: 2.17.23, but you can preorder your copy HERE.

Amazon / Apple / Kobo / Google / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Her Final Breath is Carolyn Arnold’s seventh book in the Amanda Steele series. I love this strong female protagonist. She has a big heart and when Zoe’s parents were murdered, Amanda was on the case. She fell in love with the young girl and took her into her home. Amanda does work a lot, but she has a great support system and Zoe is a very happy young lady. Now, what about her love life? Well…we shall see. She is not in any hurry, though she has a couple guys hanging around. I know who I want, but, like I said, we shall see.

A mother and her daughter were found curled up in a park and the girl’s toy elephant hit a little close to home for Amanda, seeing her daughter had one just like it. Putting that aside, Amanda does not waver when it comes to finding the murderer, especially when another grave is found and another mother and daughter are missing.

Domestic abusers can fall through the cracks and those they are abusing pay the price. I find in real life, this is all too familiar. Our military may come home hurting, needing help, unable to adjust to our world after combat.

The ending was a bit different from the usual fare I get from Carolyn Arnold, but I am always up for something different and it works for the story.

Carolyn Arnold writes fantastic police procedurals, law enforcement acknowledging her accuracy with the details. She is a must read author for me, keeping me glued to the pages of her books for hours on end.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Her Final Breath by Carolyn Arnold.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Faint sunlight dapples the two figures lying on the ground. The mother cradles her daughter close to her side, a stuffed toy elephant next to them. Leaves from the tall trees fall onto their faces, but neither moves to brush them off.

When a dog walker in a local Virginia park finds the bodies of a mother and daughter, Detective Amanda Steele is first on the scene. Her own daughter has a toy just like the girl’s elephant and seeing the child like this is her worst nightmare come true. Heartbroken, she vows to get justice.

They quickly get an ID—Jill Archer and six-year-old Charlotte were reported missing last week, but interviewing Jill’s husband, Roy, Amanda’s gut tells her he is hiding something. When the autopsy reveals a terrible pattern of bruises, she’s certain that a domestic argument escalated out of control, and tiny Charlotte got caught in the crossfire. But just as Amanda is about to arrest Roy, another grave is found, containing another mother and daughter.

Desperate for a lead, she goes to every place the women could have been targeted, and learns from a concerned ER nurse about Leanne Reilly and her young daughter, Gracie, who haven’t been heard from in a week. Amanda hopes that Leanne has simply left her deadbeat husband, but she’s gripped by the fear that they are the killer’s latest victims. Now every second counts for Amanda to find the family and stop a little girl’s nightmare before it ends in tragedy…

ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from police procedurals, hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Website: https://carolynarnold.net/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcarolynarnold/
Bookouture Email Sign Up: https://www.bookouture.com/carolyn-arnold

MY REVIEWS FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD

In The Line Of Duty (Madison Knight)
Power Struggle (Madison Knight)
Shades of Justice (Madison Knight)
What We Bury (Madison Knight)
Girl On The Run (Madison Knight)
City of Gold (Matthew Connor Adventure)
The Secret of the Last Pharaoh (Matthew Connor Adventure)
The Legend of Gasparilla and his Treasure (Matthew Connor Adventure)
Eleven (Brandon Fisher FBI)
Silent Graves (Brandon Fisher FBI)
Remnants (Brandon Fisher FBI)
On The Count of Three (Brandon Fisher FBI)
Past Deeds (Brandon Fisher FBI)
One More Kill (Brandon Fisher FBI)
Halloween Is Murder
Exercise is Murder
The Little Grave (Detective Amanda Steele)
Stolen Daughters (Detective Amanda Steele)
The Silent Witness (Detective Amanda Steele)
Black Orchid Girls (Detective Amanda Steele)
Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele)
Last Seen Alive (Detective Amanda Steele)
Midlife Psychic

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Free Book & Giveaway – In Too Deep by L K Shaw @xpressotours

Posted on February 21, 2023 by fundinmental

In Too Deep
L.K. Shaw
(To Love and Protect Series, #1)
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

In search of my missing brother, I cross paths with a sexy, but dangerous man. Everywhere I go, he watches me with a heated gaze that sets my body on fire. I’m helpless against the forbidden attraction.

But a vicious crime lord wants us both dead, and soon we’re in a fight for our lives. When the battle ends, secrets are revealed, and I discover the man I’m falling in love with isn’t who he says he is. Will I ever be able to trust him again?

Goodreads / Amazon

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IN TOO DEEP EXCERPT:

“Will you stay with me tonight? I don’t think I can be alone.” My words were barely above a whisper.

Tomás’ look was pained. He shook his head. “It’s not a good idea, Ines.”

I clasped his hand between mine and squeezed it against my chest. “Please.”

He warred with indecision, but I knew the moment he made his choice. He took the keys from my hand and led me inside, closing and locking the door behind us. I flipped on the light and removed my hat, laying it on the side table. Next, I slipped out of my heels, leaving them at the door. I padded barefoot across the living room until I reached the kitchen, my body humming with awareness of the man following behind me. Tension radiated off him, and I could hear his soft footsteps. I grabbed two beers out of the fridge and popped the top off both before turning and handing him one.

Our eyes connected, and neither of us broke contact. Tomás continued his white-knuckled hold on his at the same time I took a long pull from mine. My body thrummed, and my core pulsed. A spark lit my fingers when he slipped the bottle from them, our skin grazing, and set both mine and his on the counter. In one long stride, he was almost pressed up against me. We were so close, we practically breathed in each other’s air. My nipples hardened with arousal, and when he reached up and brushed a strand of hair off my face, tucking it behind my ear, my breath hitched.

“You’re so beautiful and far too good for me.” Tomás’ voice was husky.

Slowly, he backed me up until I ran up against the counter, out of room, his arms caging my body. Not that I wanted to go anywhere. With infinite care, like he was waiting for me to stop him, Tomás dipped his head, our gazes still colliding, and brushed a kiss across my lips. His touch was featherlight, and I wanted more.

Author Bio:

LK Shaw is the bestselling author of the sexy, sinful suspense. She resides in South Carolina with her high maintenance beagle mix dog, Miss P. An avid reader since childhood, she became hooked on historical romance novels in high school. She now reads, and loves, all romance sub-genres, with dark romance and romantic suspense being her favorite. LK enjoys traveling and chocolate. Her books feature hot alpha heroes and the strong women they love.

Want a FREE short story? Be sure to sign up for her newsletter and download your copy of A Birthday Spanking, a short story set in the Doms of Club Eden world! http://bit.ly/LKShawNewsletter

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub / Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Giveaway – Cowboys and Chaos by Elizabeth Pantley @partnersincr1me

Posted on February 21, 2023 by fundinmental

Cowboys and Chaos

Magical Mystery Book Club #3

by Elizabeth Pantley

February 21, 2023 Book Blast

Synopsis:

This is no ordinary book club! When the group chooses a book, they are whisked away from reality to find themselves totally immersed in the story. The characters, the setting, and the murder all come to life. In order to exit the book, they’ll need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

This time, the club chooses a mystery that takes place in a quaint western town – in the old Wild West. That sounds like great fun, until they arrive in the dusty old town in the Arizona desert, among cowboys and saloons. They discover that the outhouse isn’t the worse thing about this trip.

The good news is that Paige, Glo, Zell, Frank, and the other members of the club discover plenty of surprises here, and they have a great time visiting a piece of history. They’ll get to live through many exciting moments as they unravel this cozy mystery story.

Book Details:

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Published by: Better Beginnings, Inc.
Publication Date: November 2022
Number of Pages: 250
ASIN: B0BB1HS7XL
Series: Magical Mystery Book Club #3
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt from Chapter 2 of Cowboys and Chaos:

“Hey,” said Forrest. “Who’s that guy in the backyard?”

Everyone shuffled over to the window. A man was roaming around the property with what appeared to be a metal detector in his hands.

He removed his brown fedora, and his wild brown hair joined his golden scarf to blow wildly in the wind. He methodically ran the device back and forth over the lawn. Every few minutes he would stop and kneel on the grass, leaving wet spots on the knees of his khaki cargo pants. He’d put his ear to the ground, then pop up with a gleeful look on his face and continue scanning the lawn. He reached into one of the pockets of his brown safari jacket and pulled out a pair of binoculars. He aimed them around the yard and then up into the sky.

I opened the back door and stepped outside.

“Hello? Excuse me?” I called. “Can I help you?”

The man walked briskly over to us. He thrust out his hand toward me. “Dr. Atticus Papadopoulos. A pleasure.”

“Paige Erickson. Nice to meet you.” Even in shock, my manners prevailed.

The group had followed me outside and were standing in a circle gawking at him. The man put down his device and efficiently went from person to person. He reached out and shook each person’s hand. He looked each one in the eye and listened intently to their name as if he were memorizing it. He even reached down and shook Frank’s paw.

Frank looked him up and down and examined his archaeological professor-like outfit. “Hello Dr. Jones. Welcome to the Snapdragon Inn.”

“Ah! Wonderful, wonderful. The cat speaks! Marvelous!” He clapped his hands. “Actually, it’s Dr. Papadopoulos, but you can call me Atticus,” he said, totally missing Frank’s reference to Dr. Indiana Jones from Raiders of the Lost Ark. “Your ability to communicate is one more sign that the crossover exists at this point! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!”

When he completed the circle, he verified my suspicion that he’d been memorizing our names by pointing at each person in turn. “Paige. Glo. Zell, Sebastian, Vee, Moonbeam, Forrest. And of course, the fascinating, remarkable Frank.”

The cat stood taller, and I could just about see his head growing in size. Exactly what we needed, a person to boost Frank’s already bursting ego.

“Sooo, Atticus. What are you doing here?” Glo asked as she came to stand beside me, hands on her hips, looking the stranger in the eye.

“Yeah,” said Zell, charging to the front of the group and standing nearly toe to toe with him. She looked up into his face, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. With her diminutive size and cotton ball-like hair she looked anything but intimidating. “And what’s with the metal detector? Looking for buried treasure?”

“Ah, good question, Zell. This is not a meager metal detector. It alerts me to points of extraterrestrial energy.”

“Are you a kook, then?”

Atticus threw back his head and laughed, his wild hair flopping back and forth with the movement. “No, madam, not a kook. I am a doctor of astrobiology; my major area of interest is extraterrestrial technology and travel.”

“What the heck is astrobiology?” Zell squinted her eyes at him.

“A woman with a curious mind. I like it.” He nodded in approval.

I glanced at Glo and rolled my eyes. Great. Now another ego being stroked. Zell and Frank were already impossible to live with, this would boost their annoy-ability level.

“Astrobiology is the academic field that studies the origins of life on our Earth and the existence of life elsewhere in our universe. The study of extraterrestrial visits is my main area of interest. Your inn happens to be at a key crossover point for a confluence of energy.” He put his hands in his pockets and leaned back on his heels looking pleased with his discovery.

Zell had an abnormally studious look on her face. “What do you mean by a confluence of energy, Doctor?”

Glo and I chuckled, since Zell’s normal response to him would have been, “Huh? Whatcha talking about?”

“Excellent question, again.” He pointed at Zell with a snappy movement. “Energy encircles our planet both horizontally and vertically.” His arms flailed about as he demonstrated the circles, then he crossed his arms, one atop the other. “At certain points the lines join and there is a high level of intra-space energy. These locations are an ideal landing spot for extraterrestrials, or for the creation of a time/space portal. This inn sits directly atop a high energy confluence crossover point.”

“Well, that’s not a surprise,” said Zell. “We do have an enchanted library with magical books that take us inside them for adventures.”

“Zell!” We all yelled as one.

“Yes! I knew it!” Atticus pumped his arm. “I want in. Can you take me on one of your adventures?”

***

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Pantley says that writing her Mystery and Magic book series is the most fun she’s ever had at work. Fans of the series say her joy is evident through the engaging stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, a beautiful inspiration for her enchanted worlds.