Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd

 

Title: Wrong Alibi

Author: Christina Dodd

Series: #1 in the Murder in Alaska series

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: HQN  (December 29, 2020)

Source: NetGalley

Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: WRONG JOB

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Jones lands a job in small-town Alaska, working for a man in his isolated mountain home. But her bright hopes for the future are shattered when Donald White disappears, leaving her to face charges of theft, embezzlement—and a brutal double murder. Her protestations of innocence count for nothing. Convicted, she faces life in prison…until fate sends her on the run.

WRONG NAME

Evelyn’s escape leaves her scarred and in hiding, isolated from her family, working under an alias at a wilderness camp. Bent on vengeance, intent on recovering her life, she bides her time, patiently searching for the man who took everything from her.

WRONG ALIBI

At last, the day comes. Donald White has returned. Evelyn emerges from hiding; the fugitive becomes the hunter. But in her mind, she hears the whisper of other forces at work. Now Evelyn must untangle the threads of evidence before she’s once again found with blood on her hands: the blood of her own family…

My Thoughts: The potential for an amazing suspense filled book was all there but it fell flat in a few ways.

The Good, The Bad, And Everything Else: While I honestly didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted I could be persuaded to read the second book in the series to see where Dodd takes us. The Alaskan setting during the flashback of Petey's first full on dark winter was really interesting and I wished the author would have incorporated that sense of overwhelming fear throughout the book. Petey's  past was interesting particularly her escape and 10 years in hiding. 

Unfortunately I also found the book to have some issues. The book skips from the present to sudden flashbacks making me confused a bit until I realized where in time the story was happening. I also really didn't like any of the characters. Petey/Evelyn is really TSTL....she was a naïve young woman and we're told she becomes quite the badass but we really don't witness any badassery. She does claim to use her long braid as a cutting whip. I don't think this made her seem more kickass but just weird.  The book also tried to be so many things and suffered for it. A romance introduced into the last third of the book was not an asset to the story and just felt wrong considering who they paired Petey up with. We also spent so much time in the past she really didn't feel like an adult to me which made the romance even worse IMO.

In a Nutshell: I'm not sure if I'm willing to give the Murder in Alaska series another try but I definitely will continue to read Dodd.

Bears Behaving Badly by MaryJanice Davidson

 

Title: Bears Behaving Badly

Author: MaryJanice Davidson

Series: #1 in the BeWere My Heart series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (March 31, 2020)

Source: NetGalley

Rating: ☕☕1/2

Synopsis: These social worker bear shifters give the term "mama bear" a whole new meaning! Bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson is back with this brand-new paranormal romance series featuring a foster care system for at-risk shifter babies and teens.

Werebear shifter Annette Garsea is a caseworker for the Interspecies Placement Agency. When a selectively mute and freakishly strong teen werewolf is put in her custody, Annette has to uncover the young girl's secrets if she's to have any hopes of helping her. And not even the growling of a scruffy private investigator can distract her from her mission...

Bear shifter David Auberon appreciates Annette's work with at-risk teen shifters, but he's not sure if her latest charge is so much a vulnerable teen as a predator who should be locked up. All that changes when he, Annette, and her motley band of juveniles find themselves dodging multiple murder attempts and uncovering a trafficking cartel that doesn't just threaten the kids, but risks discovery of the shifters by the wider world of homo sapiens.

My Thoughts: I really really really wanted to love this book. I didn't.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: So, I a long time ago I was in love once. In love with MaryJanice's sense of humor and everything Queen Betsy. Then over the years what was once an amazing love story between a girl and her fictitious besties The Vampire Queen and her consort Sink-Lair became a systematic relationship breakdown. I started to notice Betsy just wasn't who I thought she was. She's not a smart independent strong woman. She's actually quite distracted by shiny things and spends most of her time in her own head with internal rando thoughts. So, you may be asking, what does the Queen Betsy books have to do with the first book in the BeWere My Heart series...technically nothing unless you mistakenly confuse Annette Garsea with Betsy Taylor. 

You'd think a dingbat Vampire Queen wouldn't have anything in common with a professional social worker who takes her charges seriously, right? True story....unless you read this book and see every time Annette opens her mouth to speak, or worse yet witness all of her unsaid thoughts (the many many many internal musings)(in parenthesis)sometimes italicized but mostly occurring in the middle of another person's dialogue. She was freakin' Queen Betsy in a Werebear hybrid body!

The plot itself was fairly interesting....OK not the Annette wanting but not wanting to want David's body plot....which was what I interpreted as the main plot of the book but rather the plot of child shifter trafficking. That plot was actually really interesting but it was a very deep subject matter for such a lighthearted silly book and took a back seat to the sexual attraction between David and Annette.

In a Nutshell: Overall, I'm super disappointed in this book. I was looking for something humorous but better than the Queen Betsy books. I got a Queen Betsy book starring Shifters instead. I'm not sure I'll read the next book...maybe if it's free...even then, maybe not.

Panther's Claim by Eve Langlais

Title: Panther's Claim

Author: Eve Langlais

Narrator: Chandra Skyye

Series: #2 in the Bitten Point series

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Tantor Audio (March 22, 2016 first published March 2nd 2016) 

Source: Audible Escape

Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: 

Cynthia: So I met a man.

Mom: Is he single?

Hitting on the wrong woman finds Daryl regaining consciousness in a motel taped to a chair. Things were looking up--and not just below the belt.

A sexy, cocoa-complexioned veterinarian--with killer curves--wants answers, and he's only too happy to give them to her, for a price, say a kiss, or something more, from those luscious lips. The problem is Cynthia isn't the type to fall for flirty words and panty-dropping smiles. She tempts Daryl into helping her. Teases him into acting. Claims his heart without even trying.

But that was okay because...She's mine...and someone was trying to hurt her.

Hell no.

This kitty isn't afraid to unleash his claws and rescue the woman he wants. An intriguing, hot woman, a mystery, and danger? Sounds like fun, and Daryl is ready to play. He'll do anything to claim Cynthia as his mate. 

My Thoughts: While I really liked the first book in this little series this second book missed the mark a bit.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything in Between: The opening was super fun. It started where book 1 ended, with Daryl being kidnapped. I very much liked the first 1/4 of the book...maybe not quite 25%. While I read the first book on my Kindle, I opted to listen to this one using my Audible Escape (I'm going to miss you AE). I, honestly, thought this was a bad idea as Daryl was coming off as a creepy singles greasy guy trying to hit up women in a bar using super cheesy pick up lines. Had I read the lines it probably wouldn't have been as bad. The attraction between Daryl and Cynthia is off the charts and I sometimes get a little weird when a romance gets a little more into the erotic genre. Erotica isn't my jam but I don't automatically hate all books within the genre. The sexy parts weren't terrible. As a matter of fact I think Langlais does a good job balancing the action with the sex within her books (at least the 2 I've read.) But man! I just couldn't get over the stupid things that were coming out of Daryl's mouth. I think it started with Cynthia's name. She introduced herself and said her friends called her Thea. Daryl immediately said he'd call her Cyn....as in Sin...because her body was so sinful and he wanted to do her. I'd like to say his sexual innuendos got smoother but every single one of them made me cringe.

Honestly, if it weren't for the fabulous connecting plot between the first and second book I may have rated this one lower. I will absolutely continue with this series to find out how the underlying plot will pan out but I may go back and read it rather than listen.

In a Nutshell: Not the best book in the series but nothing I wouldn't tell someone not to read but I'd recommend someone should start with the first one for sure.

The Substitute Millionaire by Susan Mallery

 Title: The Substitute Millionaire 

Author: Susan Mallery

Narrator: Savannah Richards

Series: #1 in the Million Dollar Catch series

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Harlequin (November 7th 2006)

Audio Version: Harlequin Books S.A. (March 16, 2010 )

Source: Audible Escape

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Successful businessman Ryan Bennett had agreed to masquerade as his wealthy cousin for a blind date.

But from the moment Ryan saw Julie Nelson to the moment he should have said good-night, he was captivated and couldn't resist an invitation to share her bed. In the hazy afterglow of their heated lovemaking, Ryan confessed his true identity, claiming the passion between them was real despite his deception, but Julie wasn't buying it. Obviously she considered him the enemy.

Except now she was having the enemy's baby…. 

My Thoughts: Another great older category romance by Susan Mallery.

The Good, The Bad, and Anything Else I Might Want to Mention: I'm always hesitant to read category romances because so many just let me down either because of insta-love or because there is not enough room to create a viable plot. This one was a straight forward contemporary romance with a mistaken identity (on purpose) and a surprise pregnancy (not on purpose). I like that there wasn't a whole lot of added things to detract from Ryan and Julie's budding relationship. The main conflict within the book was Julie and her inability to trust Ryan. She was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop so she could throw it in Ryan's face. I understand why but after awhile it got tiresome.

The whole concept of Grandma coming into the girls' lives after they were adults and trying to control their lives and the lives of her great nephews was a bit odd and although her absence is explained it didn't do much for how controlling she was. Factor in she wasn't in contact with her own daughter for over 20 years because of the rift between her second husband and her daughter...her current controlling behavior doesn't jive well with her inability to stand up for her daughter and with her daughter against her husband back then. This is also explained away as if but the whole thing is just weird.

Despite those things I actually did like the romance even if the love part was quick to come. I enjoyed the banter between Ryan and Julie a lot and the interaction between Julie and her two sisters was enjoyable as well. 

Savannah Richards' narration was great. I'd absolutely listen to another book with her.

In a Nutshell: A nice quick read. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Susan Mallery or enjoys a good category romance.

Testing the Limits by Kira Sinclair

Title: Testing the Limits

Author: Kira Sinclair

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Harlequin (January 1, 2014)

Source: NetGalley

Rating: ☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Wanting him was wrong, but it felt so right…

Social worker Quinn Keller sees the best in people…and the worst. When she rescues a prominent businessman's battered wife, Quinn is targeted by the woman's violent husband. Her only option is to place her safety in the hands of Ranger Jace Hyland—tattooed, scarred, incredibly hot…and the brother of Quinn's deceased fiancé. An entirely different kind of dangerous!

Quinn is the woman Jace has always wanted—and she's strictly hands-off. But keeping her safe means taking her to his small apartment…and his bed. So for one unforgettable night, Jace will give in to the temptation he can no longer resist. One night of forbidden hunger. One night he prays will be enough to satisfy a lifetime of longing….

My Thoughts: Sometimes you really can judge a book by the cover. I've done it and won. Sometimes, like this one, a hot tattooed guy coupled with an intriguing synopsis proves, once again, you shouldn't. 

The Good, The Bad, And Everything Else: I rarely read Harlequin Blaze imprints. Mostly because I find many of them tend to have more sex and less character development and sometimes even less fully developed plots. In this case I should have stuck with my original thought pattern and skipped this one but first let's discuss the characters.

Quinn is a social worker and Jace is an MMA fighter and ex-Army Ranger. Honestly the set up couldn't have been better for me to really love these characters. Unfortunately, they are so consumed by guilt over the loss of Quinn's fiancé who happens to also be Jace's brother. The rehashing over and over about Jace taking on added responsibilities that aren't his cross to bear gets tedious. Also, Quinn's nonchalance attitude over an abusive man's threats to her, directly contradicted her characterization of a strong social worker who gives victims second chances at life. 

The plot is overshadowed by the sex within the book mostly because the synopsis clearly defines the book as a romantic suspense which is what I expected. The really great beginning fizzled and really made me scratch my head a bit as the suspenseful part failed to be brought up again until the 30% mark. At that point Jace and Quinn decided she'd be safer at Jace's apartment. This seemed a clunky way to get them to "have" to share a bedroom/bed as I really felt Jace, with his Ranger background, should have been able to protect Quinn in her own home without having to relocate to his apartment. Also, on a side note, if a crazy stalker man casually walks into your home to threaten you just to prove he can do as he likes the right response would be shout out to the hot Army Ranger just outside. You know...the one who was there to protect you??? Of course hot Army Ranger guy really couldn't protect Quinn as the bad guy literally kidnapped her in front of him. Um....I've never read a book with a special ops hero (either currently enlisted or retired) who wasn't capable of taking down a bully who only seems to be able to beat on women. What a rip off. I hope he never got tattooed....you know the Ranger brotherhood ones all special ops men tend to have....if he did he'd have to get it removed because he's a disgrace.

Ok I hated the characters. I equally hated the plot...because...what plot? The Quinn and Jace have sex plot? Since this was the only plot that seemed to have enough pages dedicated to it I have to assume this was the main point of the book. If you follow any of my reviews you should know I'm not all about sex just for the sake of it in my romances. Sex does not equal love no matter what some authors want you to believe. Kira Sinclair did not fall completely into this negative trope but since the footwork of the Quinn/Jace I love you parts happened off the page...we don't necessarily see them fall in love. It's just assumed with their history they've always kind of been there even though at the beginning of the book they admit to sharing semi-regular awkward meals together to keep up appearances of the brother and sister-in-law act. Highlight on the awkward part. 

In a Nutshell: What a stink-a-roo for me. I am not sure I'll pick up another Sinclair book even though some reviewers claim there are better books out there by her. I would stick a label on this book to my friends "Read at Your Own Risk" but may ask them to try it out just as an experiment of sorts. I want to know if I'm all alone in my dislike/hatred. Christina Out.

The Unexpected Millionaire by Susan Mallery

Title: The Unexpected Millionaire

Author: Susan Mallery

Narrator: Catherine Carr

Series: #2 in the Million Dollar Catch series

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Silhouette Desire December 5th 2006 (audio version March 22nd 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.)

Source: Audible Escape

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Millionaire Kane Dennison's first mistake had been carrying an injured Willow Nelson inside his home, which, as a rule, was off-limits. Of course, she'd needed his help, but his one kind gesture had her believing he was a nice man. He wasn't.

His second mistake had been surrendering to passion after warning Willow to run away. Because a woman like her deserved better than a one-night stand. She believed in soul mates. He trusted no one--needed no one. And not even Willow was going to change him!

My Thoughts: What a gem!

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: I loved this book. The heroine was quirky and optimistic. The hero was brooding and emotionally unavailable (until the right woman came along anyway.) The plot was a little thin and a longer book could have developed some of the storylines better (like the family dynamics between Willow, her 2 sisters, her dad, etc.) This is a straight forward contemporary romance with no suspense, no miscommunication, no love triangles....and I liked it so much for not trying to be something it wasn't. Sure it could have been longer. The love could have developed over a longer period or time. Willow's character could potentially grate on some people's nerves as she's quite quirky in her sense of humor. The sex happened very quickly and was pretty explicit (as Silhouette Desires are known for....the Harlequin Temptations were their doppelgänger...all which were replaced by the Harlequin Blaze line...essentially....all of which featured a lot more explicit sex than other category romance imprints.) None of those things took away from my enjoyment. The epiphany of Kane's love did happen almost off page (not quite but it would have been nice had we seen him literally brought to his knees prior to his declaration to Willow.) He groveled but perhaps not nearly enough for me to bump this book up to a 5 star read. Even though this book is practically 14 years old it didn't feel dated at all. Major plus! Just a side note...I really hate this cover.

The narration was done well and I was able to listen to Catherine Carr's voice at 2Xs the speed without difficulty. I would listen to another book narrated by her but I'm not sure I would purposely seek out a book she reads outside my comfort book zone just because of her narration.

In a Nutshell: I honestly find more diamonds with Susan Mallery books than I do coal. I really liked this book and will definitely read the rest of the series. I'd also recommend this book to my friends who like to read the occasional category romance and ones who read them habitually. 

With a Hitch by RC Boldt

Title: With a Hitch

Author: RC Boldt

Narrator: Jennifer Mack and JF Harding

Series: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: RC Boldt Publishing LLC (March 19, 2019)

AudioBook Published: Audible Studios (May 7, 2019) 

Source: Audible Escapes subsription

Rating: ☕☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Amazon bestselling author RC Boldt brings us a smart, sexy new standalone about a matchmaker/dating coach who's faced with the challenge of finding Mrs. Right for the city's beloved NFL wide receiver...

———————————————————

She’s playing it safe. He’s playing for keeps.

DARCY

Growing up in the foster system, I learned the hard way that lasting love doesn't always come easy. Dating in the modern era can be daunting; the bar scene and dating apps leave you wondering if there's any hope in sight.

That's where I come in. Helping you break the “swipe-right” cycle, I’m dedicated to matching you with the love of your life.

Finding Mrs. Right for Dax Kendrick should be a piece of cake. Except nothing about this man is simple.

DAX

The NFL has given me more than I ever imagined—a roof over my head, food on the table, and a chance to provide for the family who sacrificed everything while I chased my dreams.

Maintaining a squeaky-clean image for my sponsors when my paycheck and the fruits of my endorsements are all women want is a hefty challenge.

I’d nearly given up when I hired Darcy Cole. Yet the more I’m around her, the less I care about finding my perfect match.

Because it might be right in front of me. 

My Thoughts: A surprisingly good friends to lovers romance from a new to me author. 

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: Being so character driven it's not surprising how I was completely sucked in by Dax. He is everything a book boyfriend could be. When Darcy has menstrual cramps he baked her turmeric muffins and went over to her house to watch chick flicks with her. He started a fundraiser for Gainesville Florida after a natural disaster that raised millions which he matched. Oh did I mention he's a hawt football player with a multimillion dollar contract and endorsement deals? Book Boyfriend people....Book Boyfriend. Darcy was a little harder to like because she's ruled by fear when it comes to accepting a relationship with Dax. Yet.... she proved herself by trying to protect him from harm showing she really did care for him. She's driven and a smart business woman who came from nothing to make something of herself. I ended up liking her more than I thought I would. The secondary characters were notable and I really need to read more about them especially his teammate Kyler.

The plot is fairly simple as far as the friends to lovers part goes but it did add an added layer when a nefarious character is introduced and ultimately a #MeToo additional storyline came into play. I couldn't be more please with this. I thought it was tastefully done even if it was wrapped up with the best possible outcome, which isn't always reality....thus the reason for the movement and it's importance. Overall, despite the sunshine and rainbows outcome of the storyline I am happy to have it included in a book that could have just been all fluff.

Towards the middle of the book begins the sexy times (remember it's friends to lovers and Boldt did a great job of creating the foundation for an amazing and believable friendship.) The steamy parts were pretty hot and I'd go as far as to say almost erotica in nature (minus all the over the top 50 Shades fetish sex.) Darcy and Dax have great chemistry despite both stating neither one is their typical type.

The audio was done well and the dual narration of JF Harding and Jennifer Mack helped make Dax and Darcy come alive. Both narrators are new to me and I'd absolutely listen to another book by either one or both again.

In a Nutshell: I picked this book up to satisfy a reading challenge I'm doing. These random books can be hit or miss and I'm happy this was an absolute hit for me. I'm 100% going to read more by this author. Just an FYI While this book is touted as a standalone there is a book written prior to this one that involves Darcy's sister and one of Dax's ex-teammates.

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

Title: The Last Letter
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Amara (February 26, 2019)
Audio version Published: Audible Studios (April 23, 2019)
Source: Audible Escape
Rating: ☕☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan

My Thoughts: Did I love this book? Maybe. Did ugly cry during it? Absolutely.

The Good, The Bad, and Whatever Else I Want to Say: The longer I listened to this book the longer it felt. The longer it felt the more I was irritated by, Ella, the heroine. So, why was I going back and forth between rating this book 4 Stars or 5? Because it had two adorable kids, a dog, a military man, and it made me cry...more than once.

First off, Ella...she has major trust issues and it really started to get on my nerves because she couldn't trust Beckett because she just knew he'd be like all the other men in her life and leave. Through the whole book she was just waiting for Beckett to prove he wasn't trustworthy so she could say "I knew it." Yet I didn't hate her. I actually liked her a lot. She was actually a really great character and Yarros did an amazing job of fleshing her (and the other characters) out.

Colt and Maisy, Ella's twins, are adorable. I think they stole the scenes they were in every time. They acted and talked more like little adults rather than the 6 year old's they were but I still liked them a lot anyway. Beckett Gentry was also fleshed out well and despite his keeping part of his identity a secret from Ella he was very upfront with his intentions and thoughts. I liked him a lot. Are you seeing a pattern here?

The supporting characters are just background noise and not that remarkable but with everything going on with the storyline their additional input wasn't necessary. Speaking of the storyline...how much should one person have to go through? Honestly it was too much. Bad things happen to good people. It's a fact. Also, just because a person goes through one really bad thing doesn't mean they are exempt from more bad things from happening in their life. This sucks but true as well. With that said, I've decided this book is a standalone because everything that could have possibly taken place in a sequel took place in this book. There is nothing left that could happen to these characters but good gravy WHY? Because Rebecca Yarros wanted to make us cry. It's the only thing that makes sense in my mind. She wanted to make her readers sob to the point of red puffy eyes and lots of snot....AKA ugly cry. Yet I still liked this book a lot.

The Audible experience was a good one. Teddy Hamilton (who I've listened to before) and Jennifer Stark dual narrate which is always a great way to listen to dual POVs within a book. Teddy's voice is great for Beckett and Ok for Ella....this is pretty typical in audiobooks. Men are great narrators but when it comes to their women voices they all come out a bit weird to me. Jennifer's voice was new to me but I thought she did a good job. I was able to listen to the book at 2X the speed easily and would pick up another book narrated by her.

In a Nutshell: I picked up this book because it fit into a reading challenge I'm doing. I've never read a book by Rebecca Yarros before and even though I overall really really liked this book I'm not sure if I'd pick up another book by her any time soon. I love a book that can run my feelings from warm and tingly to sad and crying and back again but this book was just too much. I don't like to ugly cry.

The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Title: The Beautiful Ashes
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Series: #1 in the Broken Destiny series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Blackstone Audio (August 26, 2014 )
Source: Purchased/ Kindle Freebie
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: In a world of shadows, anything is possible - except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse - her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate, no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: That every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other - and nothing but ashes in between.

My Thoughts: For a character who is 20 years old she acted like a teenager in lust rather than a mature adult. What a shame.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: This book was, unfortunately, bogged down with an immature heroine, inst-love, and too many "really?" moments to be a great book. So many people have labeled this a YA novel but with a 20 year old heroine it is more in lines with a New Adult rather than it's younger counterpart. The best part of this book was Frost's world building. Sure the angels and demons trope has been done repeatedly but I really liked the spin she put on it.

I think the biggest flaw of this book is the hero. He is a typical anti-hero in statue and attitude. He refuses to communicate with Ivy yet expects her to be forthcoming. He kidnaps her...at which she bats her eyelashes at him and thinks about his good looks and how she should be worried about being kidnapped but he is soooo handsome. Barf. Ok so he's not the biggest flaw...they both are.

I chose to listen to this book on audio and Tavia Gilbert did an Ok job. I was able to listen at a faster speed than normal but not quite my usual of 2x because she gets a little chipmunkie.

Besides the world building, the action was really good and nonstop. Oh and the gargoyle was amazing.

In a Nutshell: Even with Jeaniene Frost's wonderful world building and action I'm way too character driven to really like this book. Eventually I'll finish the trilogy but I'm not in a hurry to do so. Even though I purchased the first one...because it's Frost after all, I will look towards my local library for the rest.

A Merciful Truth by Kendra Elliot

Title: A Merciful Truth
Author: Kendra Elliot
Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt
Series: #2 in the Mercy Kilpatrick series
Genre: Mystery, Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Audible Audio (June 6 ,2017)
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Raised by a family of survivalists, FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick can take on any challenge—even the hostile reception to her homecoming. But she’s not the only one causing chaos in the rural community of Eagle’s Nest, Oregon. At first believed to be teenage pranks, a series of fires takes a deadly turn with the murder of two sheriff’s deputies. Now, along with Police Chief Truman Daly,
Mercy is on the hunt for an arsonist turned killer.

Still shunned by her family and members of the community, Mercy must keep her ear close to the ground to pick up any leads. And it’s not long before she hears rumors of the area’s growing antigovernment militia movement. If the arsonist is among their ranks, Mercy is determined to smoke the culprit out. But when her investigation uncovers a shocking secret, will this hunt for a madman turn into her own trial by fire?

My Thoughts: While I think the first book was a little better I'm enjoying reading about Mercy Kilpatrick and think Kendra Elliot is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine.


The Good, the Bad, and Everything in Between: So, I liked this book a lot but the plot didn't work as well for me as the one in the first book. In this book we not only have preppers, who were the subject of the first book, but we also have militia members. In my head the mindset of the preppers in the first book were a similar to the militia in the second book. There are fundamental differences between the two and the author did a good job of covering them but even from the beginning of book one I thought the preppers were a bit cultish and some of them were even extreme which reminded me of militia. A while back I read Die Trying by Lee Child which was a great book featuring a militia. The reason I bring this up is because that book outlined a leader far superior to the leader of the militia in Elliot's book. He was recruiting but there was no focus on training the recruits. This group would have been doomed from the beginning because the leader wasn't as strong of a leader as the one Lee Child developed. This, of course, is just my opinion and if you've read both books I'd love to hear from you.

In addition I found the identity of the militia leader a bit of a stretch as no one recognized him, not even his own family. There are arguments to be made on why his own family might not have recognized him and I agree there are some possibilities on the lack of identifying, primarily he hadn't seen his family since 1980-ish. I get it, but with the combination of his identity and his questionable leadership, just the idea of him pulling off what he did made this book not quite as good for me as the first.

The progress of Mercy and Truman's relationship is still slowly growing. While I think this is a good thing because I really hate insta-love, it feels as if Truman is a lot more invested in their relationship than Mercy. She continues to hold back, refusing to give everything she can to Truman to support their relationship. Although this drives me nuts it does show Mercy's vulnerability. Her long estrangement from her family and the difficult interactions between them when she finally came home  put her in a delicate emotional state. She longs for her family connections but her loner existence for so much of her life made her reliant on only herself. Trust comes slowly for her and this is where the relationship between her and Truman flounder a bit.

Once again I listened to the audio version of this book through my Kindle Unlimited subscription. Teri Schnaubelt continues to narrate and as I mentioned in my review of A Merciful Death she does an Ok job. Not wonderful but not terrible. I find these books easy enough to listen to so I'm going to continue the series on audio but will no longer mention my thoughts on the audio itself going forward.

In a Nutshell: While many of my points seem negative the actual tension and suspense of this book was top notch and Elliot's writing is really engaging and I'd encourage someone who likes Rom/Susp or even just mysteries (as the romance is not as prominent as the mystery aspect) to pick this series up.

Kneaded to Death by Winnie Archer

Title: Kneaded to Death
Author: Winnie Archer
Series: #1 in The Bread Shop Mystery series
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington (February 28, 2017)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: Everyone swears by Yeast of Eden, the Mexican bread shop in town. But tonight, the only thing on the menu is la muerte . . .

Struggling photographer Ivy Culpepper has lots of soul-searching to do since returning to seaside Santa Sofia, California. That is, until the thirty-one-year-old enters a bread making class at Yeast of Eden. Whether it’s the aroma of fresh conchas in the oven, or her instant connection with owner Olaya Dias and her sisters, Ivy just knows the missing ingredients in her life are hidden among the secrets of Olaya’s bakery . . .

But Ivy’s spirits crumble when a missing classmate is suddenly discovered dead in her car, riddled with stab wounds. Even more devastating, the prime suspects are the Dias sisters themselves.

Doubting the women could commit such a crime, Ivy embarks on a murder investigation of her own to prove their innocence and seize the real killer. As she follows a deadly trail of crumbs around town, Ivy must trust her gut like never before—or someone else could be toast!

My Thoughts: I started this book with the expectation of a book with a bakery as the main setting and the protagonist being a baker. I was surprised this was and wasn't true...

The Good and The Bad: Ivy Culpepper, the main protagonist, is a photographer. This, of course, is mentioned in the synopsis. It would have been super clear...had I read the synopsis....which I didn't. Yes this book has a main setting in a bakery but the proprietor is not the protagonist. It's a little different but not terrible. Just a little weird. I am looking forward to seeing Ivy grow within this series. In this book she's consumed with grief and the decisions she makes are all influenced by her mental state. She only really committed the TSTL sin one time...well one glaringly obvious time. So I didn't hate her but I didn't quite get her either. She jumped to conclusion about murder when there didn't seem to be any tangible evidence. At one point someone mentioned she was maneuvering the clues to fit her theory rather than letting the clues lead to a theory...or something like that.

I loved the bread making parts of this book and the owner of said bread bakery so much but the photography details were lost on me. I have no idea what f/5 means in regards to cameras but I can appreciate the art of photography. If there had been more than a few specific camera details that went way over my head than there were I might have found myself irritated a bit. Nothing irritates me more than a whole lot of technical verbiage on a subject I know nothing about because I never wanted to know anything about said subject.

As far as the mystery aspect of this book I enjoyed watching Ivy trying to solve things with the help from her elderly friend, Penelope. Towards the end I was a little lost when things were revealed because I wasn't paying enough attention to the secondary characters within the book. Of course, this book did take me almost a month to finish this book and I've read many other books start to finish while pushing this one aside. For some reason it just didn't hold my attention but I seem to be in the minority with my opinion.


In a Nutshell: I am going to read the next book in this series because I'm interested in seeing what Ivy is like when not grieving. Also, I really liked the bread making process and am wanting to try some of the recipes.

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly

Title: He Said/She Said
Author: Erin Kelly
Narrators: Jonathan Broadbent and Helen Johns
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Macmillan Audio (June 6, 2017 )
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: The path of every eclipse can be predicted from now until the end of time.

Kit and Laura, young and in love, pledge to travel the globe and see as many as possible together. They have no idea of the darkness that will follow.

At a festival in Cornwall, in the hushed moments after the first eclipse they share, Laura interrupts a man and a woman. She knows she saw something terrible. But the man denies it. Later, in a panic, Laura tells a little white lie - which changes four lives irreparably.

When the victim turns up on their doorstep, the truth seems to vanish ever further into shadow. As gratitude spills into dangerous obsession, Kit and Laura simply have to run.

But they can't hide forever. With another eclipse on the horizon, the past is closing in on them again.
Telling Kit the truth will cost Laura her marriage. But keeping the secret could cost them both their lives.

And the person they fear the most knows exactly where they'll be...

My Thoughts: Remember that time when I thought this book had been recommended to me by a friend on GoodReads and then I read it and borderline hated it only to realize in no way did any friend of mine on GoodReads actually say I should read this book? Yeah.....so that happened.

The Good, The Bad, The Really Bad, and Everything Else: First and foremost I couldn't get over the super slow pace of this book. Nothing happened forever. Finally something would happen and peak my interest only to revert back to the slow pacing again. I also was annoyed with the constant back and forth the narration took. It jumped back and forth in time and also jumped between points of view. It is told between Kit's and Laura's points of views and they would also bop between the year 2000 and then 2015. At one point I think there was even an earlier POV with Kit but I was too bored to really notice. I just really wanted the book to get to the point.

The last 10% or so got really twisty and I approved. However, there was yet another twist at the very end I felt did nothing to add to the story and without it the book would have been just fine. I really wish the twistiness would have happened way sooner. I literally had to check this book out from the library three times in order to get to the end because I found other things to do rather than listen to this book.

As far as the characters go, not one could be considered likable and their secrets made me even more against them than I probably should have been. At one point Kit made some comment about lying snowballs into more lies. Yet the entire book is centered around concealing lies and what it does to a person. At least the sun eclipse information was interesting.

So what else did I like about this book to make it an average rather than a stinker? Well, I can't fault the writing of Erin Kelly. It flowed well, if you haven't decided you're over the dual POV narration anyway, and I'm pretty sure listening was a way better way of reading this book than had I read it myself. Of course, this is only supposition on my part, but I know my reading patterns and instead of week after week to get to the end of this book it would have been month after month.

The narration being split between a male and a female POV lent to a dual narration for the audio very well. Helen Johns and Jonathan Broadbent did an OK job. I was able to listen to the book at my normal 1.8X's the speed without the story sounding garbled. So all in all I neither was wowed nor did I dislike the listening experience so I would pick up another audio book narrated by either/or these performers.

In a Nutshell: Since I didn't full on hate this book I'm not against reading another book by Erin Kelly. I'm hoping the slow pacing of this book is just a one off and not her typical style.

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

Title: The Governess Game
Author: Tessa Dare
Narrator: Mary Jane Wells
Series: #2 in the Girl Meets Duke series
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: HarperAudio (August 28, 2018 )
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: He’s been a bad, bad rake—and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson

The accidental governess

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart . . . without risking her own.

The infamous rake

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling . . . and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

My Thoughts: After a couple days I still am having trouble putting all my thoughts into words...well better words than Wow and Amazing anyway.

The Good, The Bad, And Everything Else: I love witty banter and humorous dialogue and Tessa Dare mastered that in this book. The interactions between Chase and Alex are funny and I loved every minute of them but what stole the show was the many different ways the youngest ward, Daisy, came up with for her doll, Millicent, to die. Once Millicent succumbed to dysentery, or consumption, or a bowel obstruction, or a dozen other things Daisy and her sister insist Chase participate in the funeral for the deceased with Chase presenting the eulogy. At which point I was so sad I opted to listen to this book on audio instead of e-book because I would have been highlighting the crap out of some really great moments.

The super sexy parts were quite steamy and I did enjoy them even though Alex's thoughts on sex without the sanctity of marriage is very forward thinking. I kind of thought they were a bit too modern but not enough for me to enjoy this book any less.

The character of Chase was a bit over the top because he is 4th in line for Dukedom and through one tragedy after another puts him as the number one heir rather than a distant spare. He never thought he'd be a Duke so his attitude was that of the "Spare". Drinking. Gambling. Womanizing. He does it all with a grin and a lackadaisical attitude. You'd think he wouldn't be likable but he is. He truly is.

I listened to the audio version of this book and Mary Jane Wells is a new to me reader. I felt she did a pretty good job but I did have to slow my normal speed down because I found with the British accent her voice didn't really chipmunk out but I had a hard time understanding all the words. I slowed it down from 1.8X's to 1.4X's. I felt this was a good speed for her voice. I do have the first book in this series waiting for me from the library on audio and I'm looking forward to getting to it. Yes I "read" this series out of order.

In a Nutshell: I am such a fan of this author and can't wait to read more in this series. Reading out of order was not a deterrent so if you can't get the first one but have this one just jump in! It'll be fine. I promise.

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

Title: A Bad Day For Sunshine
Author: Darynda Jones
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #1 in the Sunshine Vicram series
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (April 7, 2020)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.
Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff--an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it's reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.

Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.

My Thoughts: I love Darynda Jones and her humor so much and to have another series by her makes me fan girl squeal!

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: This was a good start to a new mystery series by one of my favorite authors. Chock full of her trademark humor despite some serious topics. I was a little apprehensive of a new character and I'm a little on the fence of if she fully pulled it off. Please don't interpret that as me saying Sunshine was a bad character. She wasn't but she was a little too much like Charley Davidson in personality. She's a wise cracking smart ass with constant comebacks and the banter between her and pretty much everyone is very Charley. There are some major differences though #1 being this is not an Urban Fantasy. Sunshine isn't supernatural. There are no supernatural people in this book. I just wish Sunshine would have been a complete different character but I guess if you take away the humor you just wouldn't have a Darynda Jones book.

There was an interesting amount of sexual tension between Sunshine and her childhood crush Levi. There is a huge backstory between these two and I have suspicions on what's going on. I'm really looking forward to learning more and absolutely HATE I'm going to have to wait for, like, a year to read more. I need to know now!

In this book Sunshine has to find a missing teenage girl who looks an awful lot like her own daughter, Ari. I thought the investigation part was good but I'm not sure there were enough clues for us readers to figure it out. I'm not upset by this as I would never really read a Darynda Jones book for the mysterious plots. There are quite a few sub-plots peppered throughout the book as well. It didn't overwhelm the main plot at all and I enjoyed the side mysteries of the missing rooster and the missing deputy.

The audio book was narrated by Lorelei King who seems to do all of Darynda Jones' books. I like her so much but I'm up to my elbows in books all being narrated by her and the characters are blurring even though some of the series are so completely different. If I only did one series at a time this would never be a problem but I get most of my audios from the library so when I get them I listen.

In a Nutshell: I'm super excited for this new series and can't wait for the next one!

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Title: River Marked
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #6 in the Mercy Thompson series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group (March 1, 2011)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…

My Thoughts: I really wanted to like this more than I did.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything in the Middle: So there were some really good things about this book. I complained (just a tad) about the lack of progression in Mercy and Adam's relationship so I'm really happy there was a wedding in this one and a honeymoon in this one. The wedding was over pretty quickly but it was so sweet and then the honeymoon starts. Where else would a werewolf take a coyote walker for a honeymoon but camping. I thought this was perfect but then I have a love of camper camping (don't give me a sleeping bag and a tent Hells no).

Of course Mercy finds trouble while camping...or rather trouble finds her. I loved the setting as they visited Multnomah Falls which I was lucky enough to visit in the 90's and would love to go back. It's so beautiful and seeing recognizable landmarks is fun as well.

Multnomah Falls

Despite the forward movement in the romance I'm just really surprised all the sexy parts happened behind closed doors. Is this new to the series or has it always been this way and I just never noticed until I powered through the Kate Daniels book and witnessed an amazingly passionate relationship? I am not one for sex scene after sex scene but I need more than just talking about their passion. I want to see it too.

I think the highlight of this book was our learning about Mercy's heritage and the American Indian lore. Sure we all knew she was part Native American but we got to meet her father, Coyote, and also meet several new characters to the series all deeply rooted in the Native lore. I really liked this but much of it was explained in dialogue I had a hard time keeping it straight. At one point Coyote was her father but yet he wasn't and in the past he was Joe Coyote but wasn't as well. Even Mercy had a tough time keeping up.

Although the pack was all but missing through this whole book, not to mention Zee, Gabriel, Samuel, etc., I did like the addition of Stephan's plot at the beginning and the end because I kind of like him...a lot. There will be more of him and Coyote because there is history there folks!

I listened to this book on audio and once again Lorelei King was a great narrator. I love everything she does but I'm currently knee deep in 2 UF series she narrates with 2 completely different protagonists. And to complicate that I just finished  the first book in a new series by Darynda Jones which Lorelei also reads. She's Mercy. She's Charley Davidson. She's Stephanie Plum. And now she's Sunshine Vicram but that is for another post.....

In a Nutshell: I'm so far invested into this series to give it up now. I'm hoping they get back to giving me some major book love like I had when I started this series. If you're new to this series don't start with this one....go back and pick up Moon Called and go from there.

Special Forces: The Recruit by Cindy Dees

Title: Special Forces: The Recruit
Author: Cindy Dees
Series: #1 in the Mission Medusa series
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin Romantic Suspense (May 1, 2019)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis:  Meet the do-or-die warriors who’ll do anything for justice

Introducing the Mission Medusa series

Years of intense training have prepared Tessa Wilkes to become a Medusa—part of an elite, women-only Special Forces team. But all the mental prep and physical training in the world can’t prepare her fully to take on one of the world’s most dangerous men. The ultimate operative, Tessa teams with trainer Beau Lambert to track her target, but even if she survives, will her heart?

My Thoughts: This is a spin off series of the Silhouette Bombshell series which started back in 2005. I loved the Bombshell imprint and hated when they discontinued them. This book was almost a resurrection of that series.

The Good: Back when Silhouette created the Bombshell line of romance books I was hooked. They were all about independent and strong women as the hero and the men they loved were their sidekicks. Ok maybe not exactly sidekicks but definitely in a supporting role. With this book Dees brings back the Medusas, an elite special ops military team of women reminiscent of Navy SEALs or Army's Green Berets.

I very much loved Tess and her determination to break into the boys club of Special Ops and felt for her when it looked like she was losing her chance. I liked Tessa being Latin-American. Even though she is only half Venezuelan the representation is there and I appreciate the diversity. I also really liked the time spent training her for the Medusa team. In turn it lent for a longer period of time to develop the romance as well.

The Bad: What I didn't like about the book is the mention of the two previous Medusa teams. The first, having served for a decade or so and then retired from the active military. The second all perished a few months before this book started. There is no clues or reasons given as to why this happened and it was left hanging. I also really didn't like Beau. He didn't feel women should be in Special Ops and was working on training Tessa and then planning on failing her out of the training. I felt he was a bit misogynistic as his thought process repeatedly included how women were not able to do the dangerous missions Special Ops did. Luckily it was ultimately not up to him. I also didn't like the ending. Super saccharine laced I Love You's and a complete about face in terms of what Beau was willing to do to be with Tessa.

The Stuff in the Middle: The action of the book was pretty good as there are a couple incidents that was a bit thrilling during the book but the main goal of Tessa getting on a mission happened at the end of the book and concluded very quickly. The sex part was a bit hinky because Beau had specifically explained it would be very bad for females to be part of the teams because sex would happen and then cause major issues within the team. So they don't even try to NOT have sex. The sex scenes themselves were Ok but the last scene Dees made a point of them using a condom and how they are regularly tested etcetera etcetera. I don't recall them ever talking about protection during the sex scenes prior to this one. Weird.

In a Nutshell: I felt the goods and the bads evened out in this book to be an Ok book. I will absolutely read more in this series because...Badass women YES! I'm also going to hunt down more in this series and see if I can find the old Medusa books from the Bombshell line. If you've never read any of those I'd recommend them.