Tag Archives: read in 2015

Monday Mini – Surgical by Geoffrey Germann #GeoffreyGermann

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I had reviewed the first book, Prepare, in this superhero series and loved it (see it here), so when Geoffrey Germann sent me Surgical, Book II, I was eager to read more about the superhero, Darren Kiel.

SurgicalGoodreads  /  Amazon

MY REVIEW

Terror from the opening pages.

Darren Kiel is a vigilante, a super hero. Who doesn’t love someone who works undercover saving those unable to save themselves, never needing or wanting credit or acknowledgement?

Darren is an introvert and has been alone for so long, he is craving interaction with another human. He works in disguise so only has fleeting contact and can never let anyone know who he really is. After 200 days a man could lose his mind.

Until…

He becomes part of a superhero, scifi team: Darren has the suit, Faye has the cloak, Walter is the brains and the means, Brigham is the gopher, and Ives is the techie, the inventor. The characters are unique individuals, well developed, flaws and all. I would love to be a part of their team.

It makes me wonder what super heroes are lurking in our world, invisible to us. Could it be your next door neighbor?

The technology is very realistic and who knows what the government keeps secret from us. Maybe some of it is being used today?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Surgical by Geoffrey Germann.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The leader of a lynchpin Eastern Bloc nation has been increasingly erratic, belligerent, destabilizing the entire region. On the cusp of reversing the personal campaign that is destined to bring war, he is assassinated. His death comes with no warning, draws no blood, and leaves no trace; a puppet with its strings cut.

A new assassin, a new terrorist, can kill anyone, anywhere, anytime. He is undetectable, untraceable, unstoppable. He will bring governments, nations, and continents to their knees one leader at a time.

His next target is Walter Rocaena.

To fight this enemy Walter will need extraordinary help, but he hasn’t seen Darren Kiel in over a year. Can Walter find him in time and, even if he does, how can anyone stop an assassin that can kill with a thought without ever being near the target?

Even if it is possible, can they do it before civilization itself unravels?

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One Sentence Review – The Cursed Canoe by Frankie Bow @Frankie_Bow

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Anyone up for a cozy mystery? Watch out for The Cursed Canoe by Frankie Bow.

I love this fun cover and couldn’t say no to it.

The Cursed Canoe (Professor Molly Mysteries, #2)

Goodreads  /  Amazon

MY REVIEW

The Cursed Canoe by Frankie Bow had some good writing and interesting characters, but I wanted more of the mystery and what saved the story for me is that I didn’t guess the ending, which is a huge plus for me, a very good thing.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Cursed Canoe by Frankie Bow.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Professor Molly Barda investigates a mysterious paddling accident near Hawaii’s Mahina State University, and realizes it isn’t just business majors who cheat to get what they want. Whether it’s moving up in the college rankings, getting a seat in the big canoe race, or just looking out for themselves, some people will do whatever it takes-including murder.

My Black Thumb Review

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The Undead Walk Among US in Cloak of Deceit by Gwen Mitchell @Gwen_Mitchell

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I received Cloak of Deceit from Gwen Mitchell some time ago and it got lost in the review pile. This year, I aim to catch up on every review owed, regardless of how long it has been.

Cloak of Deceit (Alex Moore, #1)Goodreads  /  Amazon

MY REVIEW

Alex Moore is a college senior and her whole life had been planned out. Until now.

Her boyfriend broke the rules of the vampire society when he created her and now she is not only a vampire, she is a psychic and has telekinetic powers.  The voices inside her head are the hive, a group of psychics called Gregori. But she is more than that.

She is an impossibility. She is a Gregori, a sworn enemy of the Undead, even though she is one of the Undead also.

I went through the painful, horrifying transformation with her. I heard the voices calling. I ran with her, though it was only in our minds.

Whether she was a violation of the law or a walking bull’s eye, it didn’t matter. Either way she was in deep danger. They all want her dead.

There would be no escape. Without Julian, a Knight of the Cloak, a sexy Undead enforcer, she didn’t stand a chance. Would he stand beside her?

When she talked of drinking the blood and the thickness coating her throat, it almost made me gag.

Tomato juice + cow’s blood = newbie cocktail

I enjoyed this vampire romance novel. Gwen Mitchell did an excellent job with descriptions and details of the fights and emotions of the characters. I loved and hated them and what more can I ask for.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cloak of Deceit by Gwen Mitchell.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

When her latest bad-boy lover accidentally turns her into a vampire, college senior Alex Moore discovers her latent telekinetic ability. Psychic powers mark her as one of the Grigori, the sworn enemies of the Undead. No one has ever been both. Caught in the middle of a war she doesn’t understand, Alex’s only hope for survival is a Knight of the Cloak – a sexy Undead enforcer named Julian. But will he give up his rank and cast aside old loyalties to save her? Can she harness her psychic powers and her Undead instincts while being hunted by both sides? And given her track record, can Alex really trust any man she’s that attracted to?

New Adult Urban Fantasy Romance
Rated 17+ for language and sexual situations.

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Monday Mini – Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet by Adam Howe @Adam_G_Howe

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Oh man, I don’t know what to say about Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet by Adam Howe.

From Adam Howe, winner of Stephen King’s On Writing contest, come three original novellas of hardboiled crime, graphic horror and pitch-black gallows humor.

Die Dog or Eat the HatchetGoodreads  /  Amazon US  /  Amazon UK  /  Amazon CA

My Review for Damn Dirty Apes

Adam Howe’s writing kept me laughing through the horrific twists and turns that is so ‘sick’. A weird and wacky horror story had me laughing in disgust. The mix of humor, horror and horniness shared some despicable characters and I loved to hate them. They hunt and fight their way through blackmail, kidnap and violence.

My Review for Die Dog or Eat The Hatchet

A psychopath reveling in the memories of the brutal and grotesque murders he committed. When is the death penalty appropriate. When you meet Hingle and delve into his perverted and twisted mind. The horror and savagery is impossible for me to imagine on my own, so Adam Howe brings it to life for me. Wickedly good ending.

My Review for Gator Bait

Gator Bait is available by itself and I have already reviewed it. I will share a bite and you can check it out for yourself HERE.

OMG! The ending blew me away and I couldn’t help but laugh. I never could have seen ALL that coming and I love it. The best laid plans often go awry and boy, oh boy, do they.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet by Adam Howe.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos  5 Stars all the way for each and every novella.

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Friday 56 #146 – Vostok by Steve Alten @meg82159

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

OMG. Such a fabulous cover of Vostok by Steve Alten, a Meg(a) Hit. There is no way I will ever pass on the chance to read one of his novels.

You can see my 5 star review here.

Vostok

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY 56

At one point she interrupted the conversation to remind me that Willy’s nanny was due to leave soon and that we really needed to get back to our room

And then she winked!

That was all the prompting I needed.

(Pages 56 in hardcover published in 2015)

GOODREADS BLURB

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to steve

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.”

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One Sentence Review – Eclipse Lake by Mae Clair @maeclair1

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.Eclipse LakeGoodreads  /  Amazon US  /  Amazon UK  /  Amazon CA

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

Eclipse Lake is a fully developed story with complex characters and detailed descriptions of a small town called Onyx, that is character driven, with romance the spotlight and suspense being the dot on the I, making me believe in second chances.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Small towns hold the darkest secrets.

Fifteen years after leaving his criminal past and estranged brother behind, widower Dane Carlisle returns to his hometown on the banks of sleepy Eclipse Lake. Now, a successful businessman, he has kept his troubled past a secret from most everyone, including his seventeen-year-old son.

But memories in small towns are bitter and long.

Ellie Sullivan, a nature photographer for a national magazine, has a habit of ping-ponging across the map. Her latest assignment leads her to Eclipse Lake where she becomes caught up in the enmity between Dane, his brother Jonah, and a vengeful town sheriff. When freshly-discovered skeletal remains are linked to an unsolved murder and Dane’s past, Ellie is left questioning her growing attraction for a man who harbors long-buried secrets.

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Friday 56 # 145 – Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich @seevanovich

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

Big Girl Panties is my first novel by Stephanie Evanovich and I had many chuckles while reading it. I gave it a 3 star rating on Goodreads and would recommend it, especially if you need a change of pace and some light reading.

Big Girl Panties

Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY 56

(Pages 56 in paperback published in 2013)

GOODREADS BLURB

They say that big girls don’t cry. But when the chips are down and the dip is gone, what can you do? Pull up your BIG GIRL PANTIES and change your life.

Holly Brennan didn’t expect to be a widow at thirty-two. She also didn’t expect to be so big. Through her husband Bruce’s diagnosis and death, food was the one thing she could always count on. Now, those extra pounds make flying coach more than a little mortifying-especially since she’s sitting next to Adonis himself, aka Logan Montgomery, a personal trainer to the country’s most famous pro athletes.

Though Holly doesn’t make the grade on his first-impression meter, Logan finds himself intrigued by her sharp wit and keen insight-a welcome change from the beautiful bubble-headed dolls he usually dates-and impulsively offers to get her back in shape. Ready to make at least one positive change in her life, Holly agrees.

To Logan’s (and her own) surprise, Holly turns out to be a natural in the gym. Throwing herself into exercise, the red head with the blazing wit and welcoming smile slims down into a bonafide looker with killer curves-and a new kind of hunger. Soon, the easy intimacy and playful banter of their training sessions lead Logan and Holly into the bedroom where they share their most intense and steamy workouts yet.

But can a man whose whole life depends on looks commit himself to a woman who doesn’t fit his image? Now that Holly’s turning other men’s heads, does she even need Logan anymore? Are they a couple built to last . . . or is this sizzling affair going to burn out fast?

Big Girl Panties Big Girl Panties Big Girl Panties

Which cover do you like best?

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Aliens Vacation on Earth – Trespassers by Todd & Tim Wynn @WynnBrothers

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Earth is a resort destination for aliens in Trespassers by Todd and Tim Wynn.

TrespassersGoodreads  /  Amazon US  /  Amazon UK  /  Amazon CA

MY REVIEW

Hop aboard for an alien adventure in this scifi tale  of mystery, intrigue, romance and intergalactic travel.

I love their description of us humans, but you will need to check out the book for yourself to learn it.

Denokin was an abductor of earthlings. It had become ho hum for him. Until…

Stewart and Mindy worked at the division that regulated alien traffic on earth and were responsible for their presence being kept a secret. For all we know, one could be sitting right beside us, right now. Look to your left, look to your right. Could they be an alien?

It was Bruner’s job to prove of the aliens existence. The poor guy is being duped and used by his own government.

When confiscating Denokin’s ship, Stewart failed to secure all the aliens on the ship, so Earth has some unexpected visitors…Trespassers.

The aliens lives mirror ours, in some ways. They have families, they go to school, they get married, they take vacations…

I couldn’t help but laugh when Mindy realized she was attracted to Stewart, as if seeing him for the very first time…and he’s HOT. I don’t feel this is a spoiler, because, come on, we all know its gonna happen.

There are many different types of aliens and Earth is considered a resort stop for them. Seeing Earth through their eyes makes me appreciate our world even more, reminding me of its beauty. I prefer to think of it as a resort destination, like them, and wonder at the marvels before me…water, nature, hills and valleys. 

Trespassers by Tim & Todd Wynn is a science fiction fantasy unlike others I have read. The writing is serious, but not dark. The characters had me in their grasp, as I decided which I liked and which I didn’t like. Some were just doing their job, but I still didn’t like it. There were no villains, in my mind. Just human beings trying to do the right thing. We are primitive, they are so much more advanced than us.

All in all, a fun read with entertaining characters and, maybe, there is even a lesson to be learned through fiction. So, hop aboard and meet the Trespassers.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

B.R.A.G. Medallion Winner 2015

When four alien visitors arrive on Earth and disappear into the cornfields of Indiana, it is Stewart Faulkner’s job to find them. Who they are, where they’re headed, and what’s important enough to make them jump from a moving spaceship are all questions that Stewart must uncover. And he will have to do it all while

1) training a new team member named Mindy—who is developing a crush on him;
2) flying under the radar of his boss to make sure he’s not removed from the case; and
3) staying one step ahead of a government agent named Karl Bruner, who is determined to expose the presence of aliens on Earth.

Website  /  Twitter

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One Sentence Review – The Point of Death by Roslyn Woods

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.The Point of Death: An Austin, Texas Art Mystery (Michelle Hodge,#0)

Goodreads  /  Amazon US  /  Amazon UK  /  Amazon CA

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

I did enjoy The Point of Death by Roslyn Woods that reads like a character study of the good and the bad people do, how they perform in dangerous situations, under pressure, as the gals draw in their small circle of close friends and put the pieces of the mystery together.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Point of Death by Roslyn Woods.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos 3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

This is a prequel to the Michelle Hodge Series: Twenty-four year old Shell Hodge is in the final stretch of her quest for a master’s degree in art history when tragedy strikes at her art co-op near the University of Texas at Austin. She finds the body of beautiful and charismatic Dr. Leone, her art teacher from UT, and she is forced to endure a long and aggressive interview by the police. Believing that the approach of the detectives–targeting the students who cared most about their teacher–is unlikely to result in the capture of the real murderer, Shell embarks on her own search for answers. A strange circle of clues leads back to her best friend’s ex, Jeremy. Meanwhile, that same best friend, Margie–an aspiring chef and a successful baker–has some ideas of her own about Jeremy, one of them being that she wants to keep her little dog and herself as far away from him as possible. Enlisting the help of a handsome psychologist seems like a good idea at first, but learning that he also has a secret and that it, too, leads back to the murder victim, puts Margie on an emotional rollercoaster while Shell winds up at the point of death when she finds herself facing a killer.

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Friday 56 #144 – Kill and Run by Lauren Carr @TheMysteryLadie

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The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.

Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.

~~~

I have been a huge fan of Lauren Carr for a long time. I love her fun writing style.

You can see my 4 star review Here.

Kill and Run (Thorny Rose Mysteries, #1)Amazon  /  Goodreads

MY 56

Murphy was skeptical. “That’s what they always say when an attractive man gets onn the fast track anywhere.”

“I don’t think General Graham is all the attractive, do you?”

“Buttercup, I don’t think any man is attractive.”

Pressing her long, elegant index finger against his chest, she narrowed her eyes until there were violet slits framed in lush long eyelashes. “You were the one who called him attractive, Honey Buns.”

(Pages 56 in paperback published in 2015)

GOODREADS BLURB

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

Before long, the case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?

 

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