Love is Murder by Allison Brennan

Title: Love is Murder
Author: Allison Brennan
Series: #0.5 in the Lucy Kincaid series
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 24, 2011)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU . . . DEAD

After a tough breakup with her boyfriend, Lucy Kincaid needs a different kind of break. So she heads west to join her brother, an ex-cop, for a long weekend of skiing in the mountains. At a picturesque lodge tucked high in the Sierra Nevada, Lucy finds just what she’s looking for: a peaceful retreat undisturbed by Internet, television, and cell phone distractions. She also finds an unexpected group of newlyweds seeking their own idyllic getaway.
But finding one of her fellow guests dead wasn’t in the brochure. And neither was the overnight snowstorm that leaves the lodge cut off from the outside world. When Lucy’s brother suspects the honeymooner’s death was foul play, he’s mysteriously stricken ill. Now, to keep him and herself alive, it’s up to aspiring FBI agent Lucy Kincaid to figure out which of the lovebirds trapped in the lodge is really a bird of prey.

My Thoughts: This was a nice introduction to the Lucy Kincaid series but it isn't necessary in the grand scheme of things to read it prior to starting the series.

The Good, The Bad, and Whatever Else I want to Mention: Since this was the first of her series, Lucy is young and not as established as she was in the Max Revere book featuring her and Max. It really was nice to see Lucy as a young woman. Thankfully the issues I had, not necessarily with her but with the way her background was rehashed, in Shattered, were mostly absent from this book. It's been a few months since I read this book because I'm a little behind in my reviews but I recall a vague mention of her past but that was it which I'm grateful for because the constant rehashing that was done in Shattered diminished my enjoyment of that book.

As I mentioned earlier in the overall grand scheme of the series (which I've not yet read but am fairly confident in drawing my conclusions) this novella is a throwaway. For me, this means you could read it or you could skip it. Nothing really happened that would have a tremendous impact on Lucy's character in future books. It was a nice little mystery set in a snowed in ski lodge setting and Lucy and her brother were interesting characters but had I not read this book I would have been A-OK to just jump into book 1 of the Lucy Kincaid series. Also as a side note this was labeled Romantic Suspense but there is no romance in it at all. Lucy is fresh out of a breakup and there is no love interest in the works either.


In a Nutshell: If you have time and enjoy the Lucy Kincaid series I'd recommend you spend an hour or so reading this short novella. If you're looking for a mystery/thriller in the vein of Karin Slaughter or Lisa Gardner I'd skip this one.

Hanover House by Brenda Novak

Title: Hanover House
Author: Brenda Novak
Series: #.5 in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Brenda Novak, Inc. (September 1, 2015)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Welcome to Hanover House….

Psychiatrist Evelyn Talbot has dedicated her life to solving the mysteries of the antisocial mind. Why do psychopaths act as they do? How do they come to be? Why don’t they feel any remorse for the suffering they cause? And are there better ways of spotting and stopping them?

After having been kidnapped, tortured and left for dead when she was just a teenager—by her high school boyfriend—she’s determined to understand how someone she trusted so much could turn on her. So she’s established a revolutionary new medical health center in the remote town of Hilltop, Alaska, where she studies the worst of the worst.

But not everyone in Hilltop is excited to have Hanover House and its many serial killers in the area. Alaskan State Trooper, Sergeant Amarok, is one of them. And yet he can’t help feeling bad about what Evelyn has been through. He’s even attracted to her. Which is partly why he worries.

He knows what could happen if only one little thing goes wrong...

My Thoughts: What a great introduction to Evelyn Talbot and her passion for Hanover House!

The Good: This is more of a novella rather than a full length book but it felt full and complete. I really liked this glimpse into Evelyn Talbot's life leading up to the finishing touches on Hanover House which will be a psychiatric facility for sociopaths in a small Alaskan town. The town folks are not too keen on the idea of this facility coming to their town but couldn't stop the development. Evelyn is a complex character molded by her past as a victim/survivor of a killer who was never caught. She now studies psychopaths and her "baby" Hanover House will help her goals of finding reason behind why killers do what they do. There is a small amount of romance within the story which should develop more during the course of the series. I liked that the romance is taking time (especially based on her past). The suspense was great as well and I can't wait to find out what happens next.  

The Bad: Even though the length of the story felt as if it were enough I couldn't help but want more. This is just my own opinion though and others may not feel the same. I also thought Amarok's character could have been fleshed out more but this should resolve itself in upcoming books.

In a Nutshell: An excellent beginning to the series and I'll definitely move on to the next book!

Rock Point by Carla Neggers

Title: Rock Point
Author: Carla Neggers
Series: #.5 in the Sharpe & Donovan series
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (July 1, 2013)
Source: Purchased/Kindle Freebie
Rating: ☕☕

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers enthralls readers with her suspenseful Sharpe & Donovan series. Read the untold story of one of her most beloved characters in this special prequel novella.

Seven years after suffering an unspeakable loss, Finian Bracken is recently out of seminary and leaving Ireland to serve a small parish in the quaint but struggling fishing village of Rock Point, Maine.

My Thoughts: This short prequel was a nice introduction to Carla Neggers' writing style but for me that was all I really took away from this story.

The Good and The Bad: While I found Neggers' writing style easily engaging I found reading this story first rather than in published order a detriment instead of an asset. This story was published in between books 3 and 4 of this series. Getting the additional information on what drives a specific character and seeing some of their beginnings is normally a cool thing but because Finian is new to me I wasn't fully invested in him as a character so the emotional impact of his back story was a bit lost on me. That factor aside I found what should have been a suspenseful story ended up a bit of a dud. As a romantic suspense it fails in the romance aspect as there was absolutely no romance in the story and the suspense is rather vague, only hinting at some tension with the resolution and climax happening off page.

In a Nutshell: While my experience is less than stellar I wouldn't say this story was a complete dud. I would definitely recommend reading this in published order and not list order. It will help connect readers to the character and give it some much needed reference.

Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer

Title: Elemental
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Elemental #0.5
Genre: YA
Publisher: Kensington Books 2012
Source: Scribd ebook
Rating: ☕☕

Earth, Fire, Air, Water – they are more than you dream.
As an air Elemental, 17-year-old Emily Morgan doesn’t have much power. That’s okay—she knows what happens to kids who do.
Like Michael Merrick. He’s an earth Elemental, one with enough power to level cities. Which makes him sexy, dangerous, and completely off limits. At least according to Emily’s family.
But her summer job puts her in close contact with Michael, and neither of them can help the attraction they feel. When forces of nature like theirs collide, one misstep could get someone killed. Because Emily’s family doesn’t just want her to stay away from him.
They want him dead.

My Thoughts: What started out as an exciting introduction to a new to me series ended with disappointment.

The Good Stuff: Having the power of an element is not a new concept but one I enjoy a lot. I liked that there were varying levels of power amongst the Elementals and the idea that the more powerful they are the more they are ostracized by their own kind. I liked that this short story explained enough of this but didn't waste too many of the precious pages over explaining it which would make it more info dump than part of a story. It was also a sweet boy meets girl story and a  potential star crossed lovers story that was developing nicely.

The Bad Stuff: Not being a fan of novellas it's hard for me to be completely open to them without having preconceived notions that every novella will disappoint me by not being developed enough. I'd love to say this one proved me wrong but it didn't. It, unfortunately, reiterated that point loudly. While happily reading through an exciting scene where our boy and girl have become friends and find themselves running from a bad group of kids the story just stops. Literally. Stops. One minute the two are clasping hands and jumping into the water while the bad gang of kids are almost upon them and then.....nothing. The End. WHAT!?!? You can't end a story that way! Well, Brigid Kemmerer certainly did and I hated it. It was a cliffhanger.......on steroids. 

In a Nutshell: Despite the abrupt ending I didn't throw my hands up and discard the notion of this series. Instead I had the need to move onto the first book in the series. I suppose this was the entire point of this novella. Mission: To suck unsuspecting readers in and brainwash them into continuing on no matter how pissed they are. Well played Kemmerer. Well played.