Tag Archives: 5 star reviews

Monday Mini – Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty #LianeMoriarty

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A mind blowing surprise. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty surpassed all my expectations!

I won a print copy and the Blu Ray DVD of the HBO series from Beth Fish Reads and HBO. Thanks so much for the great giveaway.

Big Little Lies

Goodreads  /  Amazon

MY REVIEW

I won a print copy and a Blu Ray DVD of the HBO series of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I haven’t watched the DVD yet, but I can hardly wait.

I was totally blown away by Big Little Lies. I thought I would enjoy reading it, but I had no idea I would laugh my way through my anticipation of who will die and who will be the one who did it.

The characters run the gamut, from overpowering to meek. Their personalities are big, even those who try to stay in the background. The women could be my friends and by the time I got done reading I felt like they were.

Big Little Lies is really about the ladies, and I use that term loosely. I must say that Madeline is my favorite. If you ever need a friend who is loyal and true, Madeline fits the bill. Her mouth is big, but so is her heart, and she backs down to no one.

I was quickly drawn in and flipped the pages as fast as I could read them.

All I can say about Liane Moriarty is…she is now on my radar and I will be looking for more of her work.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads:

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is. This. Possible?).

Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay.

New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

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The doctor is in….and he’s insane – Celeste: Primal by Kristine Mason @KristineMason7

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Kristine Mason has taken the Celeste Files to a new level in Primal.

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY REVIEW

 I have been waiting for Olivia to shine, and Kristine Mason is letting her show her stuff in Celeste: Primal. Olivia is only three years old, but when her mother is abducted, it is up to her to save her. I have read all of Celeste’s stories, and this one tops them all.

Celeste, John, and the kids were heading home to Wissota Falls, Wisconsin, for vacation. She wanted to go home, but, with her memories of the past and the last time she was there, I would have opted for the beach.

Maxine, Celeste’s mentor, has seven failed marriages and a house she shares with some friendly ghosts. Too bad they can’t talk to Maxine, but they use Celeste as a go between. They are funny and helpful, and this time they are talking to Olivia.

When Celeste goes missing, the wrath of CORE, owned by her father, Ian, comes down…There will be hell to pay and no one will stop until she is brought home.

Some CORE secrets will be exposed and I wonder what the repercussions will be.

I always laugh at myself when I come to the part where the action revs up and all the bad begins. I wait, anticipate, and revel in the badness. The darker, the better.

Primal is an apt title for this brutal, savage delving into parapsychology by those with their good and bad reasons for it.

OMG. I think I’m going to puke. OMG, Celeste…I have to wait, collect my thoughts as the horror and true evil of Martha washes over me, making my skin tingle and shivers run up and down my spine. I actually gagged. Through the tears pooling in my eyes, I read to the end.

If you love a breathtakingly beautiful love story and a horrifying supernatural thriller, this is one you will no be able to put down once you start. You will want the to follow the characters through their life, meet their friends, family, and ghosts, struggle through their trials with them, and share in their happiness during the good times.

If you have a ghost in your life, hold tight. You never know what help they can be in your time of need.

I love that Kristine shared the middle finger in the novel and if you want the chuckle I got hearing about letting the bird fly, read this yourself. You won’t regret it. Her writing will leave you wanting more.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Fear the living, not the dead…

John Kain’s wife, Celeste, has been abducted. With little evidence, the CORE investigator enlists the help of their clairvoyant, three-year-old daughter. He attempts to connect with Celeste through his preschooler, but he’s left with more questions than answers, and even more fear. Using psychic visions, his little girl somehow takes him into the paranormal world and shows him the horror his wife is facing—if he doesn’t find Celeste soon, he might never see her alive again.

Celeste has woken to a living nightmare. Thirty-five years ago, a psychiatrist obsessed with the supernatural had kidnapped her psychic mother. Although her mom had survived, the twisted doctor had murdered five other people like her, and thanks to her mom’s testimony, was sentenced to life in prison. Spurred by vengeance, the psychiatrist’s son is determined to continue with his father’s experiments, and he has a special room just for Celeste.

With the help of the dead, Celeste is doing everything possible to save herself from being tortured. But she’s running out of time. Her kidnapper believes he can enhance her psychic gift through brain surgery. The doctor is in….and he’s insane.

ABOUT KRISTINE MASON
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AuthorPhoto_PerfectlyToxicKristine Mason is the bestselling author of the popular romantic suspense trilogies, C.O.R.E. Shadow, and Ultimate C.O.R.E. She is currently working on her next trilogy, C.O.R.E. Above the Law, along with a series of Psychic C.O.R.E. novellas.

Although Kristine has published a few contemporary romance novels, she focuses most of her energy on her romantic suspense stories, which she loves for their blend of dark mystery/suspense and sexy romance. She is fascinated with what makes people afraid, and is famous for her depraved villains whose crimes present massive obstacles for her heroes and heroines to overcome.

Kristine has a degree in journalism from Ohio State University and lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband, four kids, and two dogs. If she’s not writing, she’s chauffeuring kids, gardening, or collecting gnomes. Oh, and she makes a mean chocolate chip cookie!Connect with Kristine on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kristinemasonauthor, Twitter https://twitter.com/KristineMason7 or email her at authorkristinemason@gmail.com. You can also find out more about Kristine’s books at http://www.kristinemason.net

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MY REVIEWS FOR KRISTINE MASON’S NOVELS

One Sentence Reviews for 3 Pembroke Sinclair Novels @PembrokeSinclai

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I won this awesome package some time ago from Pembroke Sinclair and Laura @ fuonlyknew. All the books were signed…YAY!

I didn’t purposely wait so long to post my review, but you know how it goes.

Now seemed the perfect time to share my reviews.

I read all three books in one day, unable to stop!!

Now…I really need a Bloody Mary.

2014-05-18-04-07-00

My Review for Life After the Undead, Book I by Pembroke Sinclair

I bonded with Krista quickly because of her curiosity, the need to know why the zombies do what they do and  we head to Florida, traveling through the grisly horror with the excellent writing and storyline, including a laugh or two along the way.

Amazon  /  Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB:  Seventeen-year-old Krista must quickly figure out how she’s going to survive in the zombie-destroyed world. The one advantage humans have is that the zombies hate humid environments, so they’re migrating west to escape its deteriorating effects. The survivors plan to construct a wall at North Platte to keep the undead out, and Krista has come to Nebraska to start a new life.

Zombies aren’t the only creatures she has to be cautious of—the other survivors have a dark side. Krista must fight not only to live but also to defend everything she holds dear—her country, her freedom, and ultimately, those she loves.

Join Krista in her quest to survive in this thrilling apocalyptic novel by Pembroke Sinclair.

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My Review for Death to the Undead, Book II by Pembroke Sinclair

Pembroke Sinclair keeps the twist and turns coming and the seed that was planted in my mind in Book I, Life After The Undead, comes to life, yet they battle the depths of depravity that are so far out there my mind has a hard time wrapping around the fight that seems futile, battling zombies and humans alike because, “What are the options?”

Amazon  /  Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB:  Seventeen-year-old Krista has already proven she can survive the zombie hordes.

After moving to North Platte with her distant cousin General Liet to help build a wall that will keep the zombies in the West, it becomes apparent that the zombies aren’t the biggest threat—some survivors are far more dangerous than Krista had ever imagined.

With the help of Quinn, a survivor and fighter from the zombie-infested wildlands of the West, they free the garrison at North Platte from the power-hungry Liet. But there is a bigger battle to fight.

The Families who rule Florida and use intimidation and the threat of the zombie horde to coerce their territory want Krista and Quinn captured, the zombies want to devour them, and other survivors want them dead. Caught between powerful forces, will they survive long enough to devise a new plan and put it into action? Or will they self-destruct?

Find out in book two of this thrilling apocalyptic series by author Pembroke Sinclair.

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My Review for Finding Eden by Pembroke Sinclair

This original and thought provoking novel of zombies, angels and God gave me lots of food for thought as each person told their story while driving through a horde of zombies with body parts flying willy nilly and I was not able to quit thinking about the story long after I put the book down.

Amazon  /  Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB:  Drunk womanizer Duke, spends his life selfishly taking care of himself and screw the rest of the world. After one particular black-out alcoholic binge, he wakes to find the world changed—the dead are rising from their graves.

Lonely, guilt-ridden Hank is someone who minds his own business, and sympathetic but strong-willed Lana is on the receiving end of harassment by other students.

Forced together for survival, the three misfits must confront their world gone strange. God said the people of Earth would be punished for their sins, and so the end has come.

Duke, Hank, and Lana must walk their own paths to salvation, but they also must depend on each other. Will their salvation lie in Finding Eden? A Zombie story with inspirational elements.

All the books received the same rating:

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

Isn’t he cute?

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Jeff Gunhus has another hit with Killer Pursuit – Giveaway & Review

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Jeff Gunhus writes some amazing stories and Killer Pursuit is another winner!

KillerPursuitTourBanner

I love covers and this one shows there is more going on than meets the eye.

KP

Killer Pursuit by Jeff Gunhus
(Allison McNeil)
Publication date: January 10th 2016
Genres: Adult, Thriller
Cover:  Extended Imagery
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MY REVIEW

The cover for Jeff Gunhus’ Killer Pursuit alludes to the intrigue inside. I love thrillers and suspense novels and this is my first foray into the Allison McNeil adventures. She is a favorite of Jeff’s and now she is a favorite of mine. An amazing and riveting suspense with moments of pacing that took the last quarter of the book into hyperdrive!

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Special Agent Allison McNeil is a loner. Some people think it’s by choice, but a nightmare from her past makes it difficult for her to open herself up to vulnerability. She will buck the system, doing what she knows to be right at whatever cost may come due. sAllison is a pro at entering the minds of some of the most dangerous people known to man. I love villains that are the epitome of evil. I want to know how they think and function, hiding their true nature. I want to dig and dwell in the mind of the most vicious, depraved people, trying to understand them…I don’t think I ever will, but I am not them.
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Politics…Jeff does tell it like it is – corruption, cover ups, intrigue and personal agendas abound. I think Jeff encompasses every down and dirty political machination known.
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Summerhayes is a character I love to hate. He wants to be President. A huge ego, greed and sex will take him down a long and ugly road. I would think politicians would learn that there are no secrets. But…they feel entitled, invincible. Power…what will they do to have it? Lying…it is a profession. Politicians make strange bedfellows and that is putting it mildly in Killer Pursuit.
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Jeff’s writing makes my emotions rise to the surface, roiling and boiling as I read along.
It flows so smoothly, full of surprises that I am drawn deep into the mystery and suspense that is doled out in such a way that I must read the next page…and the next…and the next. The details walked me through Allison’s research as she looked for the answers.
There is a romance and that makes the story even more believable. After all, love is a big part of all our lives. The sexual banter and flirtation came through loud and clear in the dialogue. It brought the complex characters to life.
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I followed the hints trying to solve the mystery before I reached the conclusion, but…I am TICKED OFF good when the killer is exposed and what happened next was a huge surprise. I knew it was coming, but Jeff, you kept me hoping I was wrong. OMG…I am blown away. It makes perfect sense, but I wanted it would be something else. Jeff, you manged to put a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. The story ends on a realistic “normal” family note.
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I received a copy of Killer Pursuit by Jeff Gunhus in return for an honest review and I am on pins and needles waiting for another Allison McNeil adventure.
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Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars
SYNOPSIS

When a high-society call girl is murdered in her Georgetown home, investigators find two cameras hidden in the walls of her bedroom. One has its memory erased, presumably by the murderer. The second is connected to the Internet through an encrypted connection…and no-one knows who’s on the other end.

Special Agent Allison McNeil is asked by beleaguered FBI Director Clarence Mason to run an off-the-record investigation of the murder. The most direct path to apprehending the killer is to find the videos, but with rumors that the victim’s client list may have included Mason’s political enemies, Allison worries about the director’s motives. As she starts her investigation, she quickly discovers that she’s not the only one pursuing the videos. In fact, the most aggressive person racing against her might be the murderer himself.

AUTHOR BIO
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JeffJeff Gunhus is the author of thriller and horror novels for adults and the middle grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His books for adults have reached the Top 100 on Amazon and have been Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Finalists.

After his experience with his son, he is passionate about helping parents reach young reluctant readers and is active in child literacy issues. As a father of five, he leads an active lifestyle in Maryland with his wife Nicole by trying to constantly keep up with their kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel.

Author links:
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GIVEAWAY
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Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)
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FREE THRILLER: Missing by Susan Fleet

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I am a fan of Susan Fleet and her Frank Renzi series. All of them can stand alone, but if you are just beginning, why not start with the first one.

Here is the latest thriller coming our way, Missing by Frank Renzi.

Get your copy now for FREE through December 5, 2015.

Add me to Goodreads

The blurb: Donna and Hunter Gates appear to be the perfect power couple. He’s a wealthy City Councilman. She’s a popular news anchor for a local TV station. One night when Hunter comes home, Donna and their two small children are gone. He asks NOPD Detective Frank Renzi to find them. But Renzi discovers that Donna and Hunter have dark secrets, secrets they will do anything to hide. A ransom demand raises more questions. Is this a kidnapping? A cover-up for murder? Payback for past misdeeds? When one hostage is found brutally murdered, Renzi must unravel the Gates family secrets and find the killer before it’s too late.

Here are my reviews for some of Susan’s other novels

5 Star Review – Dark Deeds by Susan Fleet

5 Star Review – Is Winning the Lottery a Curse or a Blessing – Jackpot by Susan Fleet

5 Star Review – Diva by Susan Fleet plus a Free Thriller

5 Star Review – Absolution by Susan Fleet

5 Star Review – Dragon Lady Step Aside For Natalie

The books are listed in the order written and linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.

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Teaser Tuesday #38 ~ Just Evil by Vickie McKeehan

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Just Evil by Vickie McKeehan
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This was the very first review I ever did on my blog back on July 23, 2012.
I fell for this authors writing style and went on to read the other two books in the Evil Secrets Trilogy. All the books can stand alone, but if you love Romantic Suspense, I would recommend starting with the first. My review links are below if you wish to check them out further.
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I love all her books covers. They are amazing and beautiful.

Add Me to Goodreads now.

MY TEASE

As soon as her bare feet hit the tiled entryway, an image of Boyd popped into her head. So did fear. Before she ever reached the front door, she yelled at the person on the other side,” I’m armed. I have a vicious attack dog and I’ve just called the police.”
(page 196 of paperback)

SYNOPSIS

For forty years the double murder of an elderly couple in the Hollywood Hills remained unsolved and all but forgotten. No one cared. But a stranger, bent on revenge, is out to change all that.

Kit Griffin has finally overcome a painful childhood at the hands of her mother, former actress Alana Stevens. No longer living in the grasp of the cold, tyrannical woman, Kit has found a new life tucked away in little San Madrid, California, running a business she loves, surrounded by friends she considers family. For the first time her life is on track. That is, until Alana is found brutally murdered on Mother’s Day, pulling Kit back in to the dark horrors of her past. To make matters worse, the police consider her the prime suspect.

Jake Boston, an old family friend and the man Kit has loved since she was a teen, is fighting his own demons as a suspect in his wife’s murder two years earlier. Despite his past, he’s determined to win Kit over once and for all. But before that can happen they need to convince the police there’s a killer working his way down a list with cold-hearted vengeance in mind.

Forced to delve into Alana’s dark past, it becomes clear someone is out to settle a score. When Jake and Kit uncover a forty year old double murder that leads them straight to the door of a legal dynasty, they soon find out just how far the heirs will go to keep the past buried and eliminate all the loose ends to protect their empire. Will Jake and Kit become the next victims or will they find an unexpected guardian angel?

My Review of Just Evil

My Review of Deeper Evil

My Review of Ending Evil

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To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

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