Monthly Archives: March 2024

Preacher (Fury Vipers MC Dublin 1) by Brooke Summers-review tour

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Preacher (Fury Vipers MC Dublin 1) by Brooke Summers-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 28, 204

She’s trying to work towards a better future. He’s drowning in his past. Preacher has had a rough go at life. His guilt is ever present—eating him alive. When he finally found his purpose, his son, its taken away from him. Preacher escapes his dark new reality the only way he knows how; running.

Now in Ireland, he’s trying to rebuild his fractured world. That’s when she comes along. Ailbhe Mangan.

Beautiful, smart, and sweet. She’s everything he wants but he’s unwilling to open up that side of himself. Not even for her.
She’s living pay check to pay check to support her family. Her life turned upside down the day her mom walked out. Leaving her to raise five siblings. Buried under a mountain of her father’s debt. Ailbhe’s working at a strip club owned by the Fury Vipers MC to make ends meet while paying off that debt.

The last thing she wanted was a man. She never planned for Preacher. Sometimes, the best laid plans don’t always work out. Now she’s pregnant and trying to figure out what happens next. But with Preacher pushing her away, and the debt she’s in slowly overwhelming her. She can’t see a way out.

Can she find a way to achieve that better future? With or without Preacher.

Can Preacher stop running long enough to protect his future?

••••••

REVIEW: PREACHER is the first instalment in Brooke Summers’ contemporary, adult FURY VIPERS MC: DUBLIN erotic, MC, romance series-a spin off from the author’s FURY VIPERS MC. This is twenty-nine year old Kane ‘Preacher’, and eighteen year old Ailbhe Manghan’s story line. Some of the events of PREACHER run parallel to, and cross over with some of the events of REAPER (Fury Vipers MC 8).

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including graphic violence, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers. If you have not read REAPER, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Preacher and Ailbhe) using present day and memories from the past, PREACHER follows in the wake of devastating news for our story line hero. Leaving everyone and everything behind in America, Preacher escaped to the Dublin Chapter of the Fury Vipers MC where he struggled to make sense of everything he lost. Meeting Ailbhe Manghan did nothing for Preacher but an unexpected pregnancy pushed Ailbhe out of his life. Knowing he screwed up, yet again, Preacher went back to America, only to realize the person he left behind is the woman he loves. What ensues is the building but tempestuous relationship between Ailbhe and Preacher, and the potential fall-out when our heroine is targeted for payment of a debt.

The world building focuses on Preacher’s past-the abuse and neglect, and the ultimate betrayal of a mother and father. We are up close and personal with the nightmare that has become Ailbhe’s life, and in this, our heroine finds a source of income ‘dancing’ for the Fury Vipers MC Dublin when she is forced to pay someone else’s debt.

The relationship between Preacher and Ailbhe is contemptuous at best. Preacher wants nothing to do with a permanent relationship, preferring to find his solace at the bottom of a bottle. Ailbhe quickly discovers that falling for Preacher means going it alone, especially as the father of her child prefers to run, and push away the people he loves the most. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.

The secondary and supporting characters are interesting yet questionable on many levels including several of the original Fury Vipers MC in New York, as well as the introduction of the Fury Vipers MC: Dublin. We are introduced to Ailbhe’s siblings: Mikey, Fiona, Hanna, Evie and Raurie who play a large role in Ailbhe’s life. The requisite evil has many faces.

PREACHER is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, heart break and loss, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, gritty, dramatic and intense; the romance struggles in the face of Preacher’s inability to let go; the characters are broken, desperate but struggling to survive.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

USA Today Bestselling Author Brooke Summers is a Mafia Romance author and is best known for her Made Series.

Brooke was born and raised in South London.   She lives with her daughter and hubby. Brooke has been an avid reader for many years.She’s a huge fan of Colleen Hoover and Kristen Ashley.

Brooke has been dreaming of writing for such a long time. When she was little, she would make up stories just for fun. Seems as though she was destined to become an author.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://www.brookesummersbooks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrookeSummersAuthor
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Newsletter: https://www.brookesummersbooks.com/newsletter
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/brookesummers
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brookesummersauthor

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Wild Ride (Rookie Rebels 9) by Kate Meader -review tour

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Wild Ride (Rookie Rebels 9) by Kate Meader -review tour

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Add to your Goodreads TBR ➩ https://bit.ly/3vnaF0y

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 26, 2024

Chicago Rebels hockey player Dex O’Malley has been a naughty boy … again.

Only his latest stunt isn’t quite like when he was caught with his pants down at a nightclub or was cited for drag-racing on Lake Shore Drive or even that time he said a few critical things about his teammates on a hockey podcast. Oops. This time, Dex is in real trouble, the kind that could get him kicked off the team and out of the league. And that cannot happen. Hockey is the only thing he’s ever been good at. The only thing he cares about. He’ll do whatever it takes to rehab his rep, even if it means cleaning up dog poop and suffering the steely-eyed disapproval of his new no-nonsense “boss” at the animal shelter, Ashley Adams.

Ashley has enough on her plate between her low-paying job, her high-maintenance family, and a love life she’s trying to resurrect after her divorce. She’s already mom to an amazing nine-year-old; the last thing she needs is mothering a celebrity volunteer with more money than sense. But the troublemaking f-boy needs Ashley to sign off on his good deeds so he can get back to what he does best: lighting up lamps both on and off the ice. And while a guy like that could never interest her mind, it seems her body is not on the same page. Sure, Dex O’Malley is too young, too hot, too flighty for Ashley to take seriously, but maybe a brief ride on the wild side might fit the bill …

Only that’s not enough for Dex. What happens when this notorious player decides the older, single mom is the hottest woman he’s ever met and that he wants to light her lamp … forever?

•••••••

REVIEW: WILD RIDE is the eight instalment in Kate Meader’s contemporary, adult ROOKIE REBELS erotic, hockey romance series- a spin off from the author’s CHICAGO REBELS series. This is twenty-five year old hockey player Dex O’Malley, and thirty year old single mother/ animal shelter manager Ashley Adam’s story line. WILD RIDE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Ashley and Dex) WILD RIDE follows in the wake of a PR nightmare for Dex O’Malley, and the Chicago Rebels. Dex O’Malley is the proverbial bad boy and his latest stunt has landed him with a suspension, an injury and possible jail time but ‘volunteering’ at a local no-kill shelter finds Dex up close and personal with his future in the guise of single mother Ashley Adams. Ashley is the manager of the local animal shelter and wants nothing to do with Dex and his reputation both on and off the ice but as Dex slowly winds his way around Ashley’s heart, their mutual issues of trust and low self-esteem begin to take a toll on their growing relationship. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Dex and Ashley, and the potential fall-out when Dex struggles with Ashley’s attempts to uncover the truth about his past.

The world building focuses on issues from the past; Dex’s career and probable jail time for assault, and the growing love Dex has for Ashley, and her daughter Willa.

The relationship between Dex and Ashley begins acrimoniously as Dex is forced to volunteer in an effort to clean up his reputation. Falling for Ashley was never in the equation but Dex finds himself falling for a woman that will break his heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and antagonizing secondary and supporting characters including several of the previous story line couples, management and friends. We are introduced to Ashley’s ex husband Greg, and their daughter Willa.

WILD RIDE is a story of secrets and lies, struggle and betrayal, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The premise is intriguing and captivating; the slow building romance is seductive and energetic; the characters are broken, determined and charismatic.

Previous reviews
Good Guy
Instacrush
Man Down
Fore Player
Dear Roomie
Rebel Yule
Jock Wanted
Superstar Rookie

 

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Reader’s Group | Bookbub | Goodreads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Profile

Kate Meader

Originally from Ireland, USA Today bestselling author Kate Meader cut her romance reader teeth on Maeve Binchy and Jilly Cooper novels, with some Harlequins thrown in for variety. Give her tales about brooding mill owners, oversexed equestrians, and men who can rock an apron or a fire hose, and she’s there. Now based in Chicago, she writes sexy contemporary romance with alpha heroes and strong heroines who can match their men quip for quip.

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Forewarned (Fated Love 1) by Chantal Fernando-review

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Forewarned (Fated Love 1) by Chantal Fernando-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 26, 2024

The fae spend their entire lives searching for their true mate.
But me? I know who my mine is.
And I don’t want him.
My name is Astrid. I’m a fae, a seer and a healer.
Not much scares me. But him?
That’s the darkness I’m never going to let catch me.

•••••

REVIEW:FOREWARNED is the first instalment in Chantal Fernando’s adult FATED LOVE erotic, paranormal/fantasy romance series. This is thirty-five year old, Fae Prince Rave, and Fae healer /seer Astrid’ story line.

Told from first person perspectives (Astrid) FOREWARNED follows in the wake of Astrid discovering her fated mate. Astrid wants nothing to do with the Shadow Prince Rave but something about Rave draws her life a moth to a flame. Having spent much of her life with her best friend August, Astrid knows they will remain only friends but having seen and felt her fated mate, Astrid struggles with the discovery of Prince Rave, and the possibility that life as she knows it is coming to an end. There is a supernatural war on the horizon, the vampires are determined to take back what doesn’t belong, and in doing so set into motion a war between the supernatural powers, exposing our heroine for her true nature and power.

The world building is detailed, focusing on the fated mates, blood lines and betrayal, secrets and lies. Raven’s questionable behavior precedes his introduction to our story line heroine but the truth of his behavior may go deeper than Astrid could have ever imagined.

The relationship between Rave and Astrid is one of fated mates but all is not well when all four Fae princes claim Astrid as their own. Rave is determined to claim the woman that calls to his heart, a woman whose powers may be stronger than his. The $ex scenes are passionate and provocative.

We are introduced to several supernatural species including vampires, witches, succubii and shifters including Rave’s brothers Cove, Nico and Elios, their father the King,as well as Rave’s right had man Sore, several supernatural royalty and the requisite jealousy and betrayal.

FOREWARNED is a magical story of power and control; secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, jealousy and love. The premise is intriguing and twisted; the characters are animated and charismatic; the romance is seductive and fated. FOREWARNED ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

New York Times, Amazon & USA Today Bestselling Author Chantal Fernando is thirty years old and lives in Western Australia.

Lover of all things romance, Chantal is the author of the best selling books Dragon’s Lair, Maybe This Time and many more.

When not reading, writing or daydreaming she can be found enjoying life with her three sons and family.

Chantal loves to hear from readers.

Follow Chantal: Website/ Facebook/ Twitter/ Goodreads

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The Good The Bad and The Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto – a Review

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The Good The Bad and The Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto – a Review

 

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Description:
After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt’s shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts—he’s determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.
 
His grand gesture goes awry however, when it’s discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans—one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course the Aunties agree that it’s only right to return the gift—after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta’s most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it’s up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all.  Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission—but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible…

 

 

Review:

The Good, The Bad, and the Aunties is the 3rd third and final book in the Aunties series.  Meddy Chan and her husband, Nathan finished their romantic honeymoon across Europe, and decide to spend the Chinese New Year with their family in Jakarta. They are happily greeted by Meddy’s mom and aunties, as well as so many of their Jakarta relatives. During the celebration, a surprise visitor shows up at the party, bringing gifts for the children. Abraham Lincoln is a former beau of Second Aunt, and is determined to rekindle their romance, with the gifts his way of resuming his courtship.

Things will take a nasty turn, on the day after the party, when Abraham realizes that one of the gifts was erroneously given out. He explains that one of the gifts that was handed out was actually a deed to some property that he had promised to Julia Child. Meddy and the aunties learn that Abraham is one of the three crime lords, with Julia and Kristofer Kolumbes being the other two in Jakarta.  Now they are desperate to find the gift, in order for Abraham to make peace with Julia.

This leads Meddy and her meddling aunties to being caught up eventually with all three crime lords, in their decades-long war. There was a lot of hilarious action throughout, especially with the aunties their sass and constant meddling.  The fourth aunt was always the strongest one, always meddling, but all of them were totally a riot. To get out of this mess, Meddy would be the one to save the day. 

What follows is a wild, hilarious, roller coaster ride, with the aunts totally over the top with their crazy antics. Meddy was a great heroine, and I loved Nathan.  The aunts/mom (sisters) were always entertaining and humorous, though at times a bit ridiculous. The Good, the Bad and the Aunties was a fun story, that was also weird and insane.  The Good the Bad and The Aunties was well written by Jesse Q Sutanto, which was entertaining and humorous.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Teasing You (The Donovans: Sweetbriar Ridge 2) by Samantha Chase

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Teasing You (The Donovans: Sweetbriar Ridge 2) by Samantha Chase

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Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3RNuzc2

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 26, 2024

Ashlynn Donovan’s life just hit rock bottom. She lost her job, there are no prospects on the horizon, and she just unknowingly flashed the hot new firefighter in town. This isn’t the first time she’s embarrassed herself in front of him, but she was prepared to react the same way she did years ago – by running away. But Reid’s persistent and isn’t ready to let her get away a second time.

Reid Baylor always hoped to return to Sweetbriar Ridge—the only place he’s felt a connection to after a lifetime spent moving from place to place. When he learns of an opening in the fire department, he jumps at the chance to return to the small town he wants to call home again. And just when he thinks life can’t get any better, he runs into the one girl he’s never been able to forget. But reminding Ashlynn of their embarrassing first meeting might not have been the best move, especially when he wants to prove that he’s the man for her.

When Ashlynn is suspected of arson for the fire at her former workplace, Reid’s dream of becoming a fire inspector is on the line—and so is any chance he had with Ashlynn. Will his chance at getting both his dream job and the girl of his dreams go up in flames?

••••••

REVIEW:TEASING YOU is the second instalment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult THE DONOVANS: SWEETBRIAR RIDGE romance series-a spin off from the author’s THE DONOVANS series. This is hair stylist Ashlyn Donovan, and firefighter Reid Baylor’s story line. TEASING YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information form the previous story line or series is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Reid and Ashlyn) TEASING YOU follows the building relationship between our story line couple. Reid Baylor has crushed on Ashlyn Donovan for as long as he can remember but when he family moved away from Sweetbriar Ridge, Reid never expected to see Ashlyn again. Fast forward to present day, Reid is returning Sweetbriar Ridge as a firefighter but a friend’s engagement brings Reid up close and personal with our story line heroine. Ashlyn Donovan is struggling in the wake of losing her job but a suspicious fire at her former place of employment points a finger at Ashlyn Donovan, and a new relationship with Reid Baylor threatens any and all hopes for a unbiased investigation. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Reid and Ashlyn, and the potential fall-out as the investigation into the fire pushes Reid out of Ashlyn’s life, as Ashlyn struggles to prove she is not the guilty party.

The world building focuses on second-chances, of a sort. Reid and Ashley’s high school friendship was tumultuous at best, and his return to Sweetbriar Ridge only adds insult to injury when everything begins to spiral out of control. Someone is pointing fingers at our story line heroine, and her relationship with Reid is collapsing in response. There are no $ex scenes-everything is implied.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of familiar secondary and supporting characters including many of whom we met in the previous series. We are introduced to Ashlyn’s twin Chloe, their old sister Billie, as well as the return of their brother Levi and his girlfriend Jade.

TEASING YOU is a story of betrayal, jealousy and vengeance, secrets and lies, family and friendships, relationships and love. The premise is spirited ; the characters re animated and determined; the romance is passionate.

click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one LOVING YOU

Copy supplied by

Reviewed by Sandy

 

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Twitter / Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Bookbub /

Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance that’s hotter than sweet, sweeter than hot. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than seventy titles under her belt – including THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE which was a Hallmark Christmas movie in 2017! She’s a Disney enthusiast who still happily listens to 80’s rock. When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 30 years and their two sons in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

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How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin – a Review

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How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin – a Review

 

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Description:
It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.
 
In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?
 
As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

 

 

Review:

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin is the 1st book in her new Castle Knoll Files series.  The story starts off in 1965 when 3 teenage friends visit a fortune teller at the Castle Knoll Country Fair, when Francis is given a bad prediction that she will be murdered.  Francis spent most of her life fixated on that message, always trying to avoid her death.  The story revolves around two POV’s 1965 with a teenage Frances and present time (60 years later), with the perspective of Annie, Frances’s great niece.  Frances is now making a will, and summons her niece, Annie, as well as other family/friends. Annie, who writes mystery stories, heads to Castle Knoll, to discuss changes to her aunt’s will, and meets Frances’ lawyer, Walter Gordon, his son, Oliver, and Saxton and his wife, Elva. Others working within the lands and mansion are also in attendance.   When they arrive at the mansion to meet with Francis to review the will, she is found dead. Was the prophecy true? Was she murdered?

During the reading of the actual will, everyone learns that both her and Saxton will have to compete to uncover the truth about her murder with the person who resolves it, receiving the entire estate.  If neither solves the crime, the house will be sold and broken down. Detective Crane notifies everyone that further examination proves that Francis was indeed murdered.

Annie is determined to find the killer and with an old diary belonging to Frances, she learns more about the past.  Francis, Rose and Emily were best friends back in the 60’s. The past POV has a lot of information about their friendship, and the mysterious disappearance of Emily. The diary gives Annie an immediate connection the past, and how it effects the present.  We switch seamlessly between Annie’s perspective in the present and Frances’ diary entries from the past, creating intrigue and suspense.  Someone in the past knows the secrets, which will put Annie possibly threaten by a dangerous killer.

What follows is a captivating and intriguing small-town mystery, with a number of suspects, including the one who disappeared 60 years ago. I really liked most of the characters, with Annie being the lead.  To say too much more, will ruin it for you. You need to read this book from start to finish.

How to Solve Your Own Murder turns into a wild gripping ride that will have you unable to put the book down. The plot was extremely well done, with a number of surprising twists.  This was a very exciting masterpiece of a thriller.  How to Solve Your Own Murder was very well written by Kristen Perrin.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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Cheater by Karen Rose – Review and Excerpt

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Cheater by Karen Rose – Review and Excerpt

 

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Description:
Death is not an unfamiliar visitor to Shady Oaks Retirement Village, which provides San Diego with premier elderly support from independent retiree housing to full-time hospice care. But when a resident’s body is found brutally stabbed and his apartment ransacked, it’s clear there’s someone deadly in their community. Detective Katherine “Kit” McKittrick quickly discovers that Shady Oaks is full of skeleton-riddled closets, and most tenants prefer to keep their doors firmly closed to the SDPD.

A longtime volunteer at the retirement facility, Dr. Sam Reeves honors his late grandfather’s memory by playing the piano for the residents regularly. So it shouldn’t be such a surprise when Kit crosses paths with him during her investigation, after she’d avoided the criminal psychologist—and the emotions he evokes—for the last six months.

Sam’s rapport within the retirement village proves vital to the case, and the pair find themselves working together once again—much to Kit’s dismay. But she is determined to apprehend the shadow of death lurking around Shady Oaks…and equally determined to ignore the feelings she’s developing for a certain psychologist.

 

 

Review:

Cheater by Karen Rose is the 2nd book in her The San Diego Case Files series. The story takes place at Shady Oaks Retirement Village, which provides elderly support from independent housing to hospice care.  When a resident’s body is found stabbed to death, Detective Kit McKittrick is on the scene, with her partner, Connor; as they are both homicide detectives. In a short time, there are another two deaths, with three bodies all connected to the retirement home.  It is clear someone deadly is in the home.

Kit is surprised to see Dr. Sam Reeves at Shady Oaks (last book Kit walked away from a relationship with Sam).  Sam volunteers at the retirement home playing the piano, as well as offer help to the elderly.  Sam is a psychologist, knowing a lot about Shady Oaks, and will play a big part of the investigation, helping the SDPD.  Sam was close to some of the residents, especially Frankie (who was killed), a former cop; to his shock, Frankie’s best friend, Benny died the following day. 

Kit and Connor begin their interviews with staff and some residents, and when the Shady Oaks security officer is missing, they learn he too was murdered; as well as discovering that Benny did not die a normal death.  Shady Oaks is an expensive place to reside, and with a number of residents being wealthy.  Kit begins to suspect that some of the staff is stealing from residents; with Connor, her colleagues at SDPD, they will need unravel the case, which includes wealthy items stolen.  Besides the three deaths, other staff are part of the thefts; however, they need to discover who is behind the actual murders. 

I really liked Kit and Connor together as partners, as they made a great team.  Some of the residents were terrific, such as Georgia and Eloise, who were very close to Frank and Benny.  I also enjoyed Kit’s family, and how they opened their arms to help young teenagers who need to have homes.  Of course, I liked Sam, who was a great guy. He strongly cared about Kit, but he knew she needed to open her heart.

Cheater was an exciting, intense and fantastic thriller; with Kit being a fabulous detective. As we reached the last quarter of the book, there were a number twists and turns, with the murderer willing to kill anyone trying to stop them.  Cheater was so very well written by Karen Rose, who always writes fantastic mystery thrillers.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 


                CHEATER by Karen Rose
           Berkley Hardcover | On sale March 26, 2024
                                  Excerpt

                                 Chapter One

Shady Oaks Retirement Village
Scripps Ranch, San Diego, California
Monday, November 7, 11:20 a.m.

Kit McKittrick allowed herself a moment to feel pity as she stood over the body of the elderly man lying dead on his apartment floor in the Shady Oaks Retirement Village. Then she squared her shoulders and proceeded to do her job.

The mood in the dead man’s living room was subdued. The ME was examining the body while CSU took photos and Latent dusted for prints, but there was little of the normal scene-of-the-crime chatter to which Kit had become accustomed in the four and a half years she’d been in Homicide.

Everyone spoke in hushed whispers, like they were in church. Because it kind of felt like they were. Haunting melancholy music from a single piano was coming from the speaker mounted on the victim’s living room wall. The music wasn’t loud, but it was overwhelming nonetheless. Kit wanted to turn it off, because the music was so sad that it made her chest hurt and her eyes burn.

But neither the speaker nor its volume controls had been dusted for prints, so she couldn’t touch it yet. Until then, she could only square her shoulders, ignore the music, and focus on getting justice for Mr. Franklin Delano Flynn.

The cause of death of the eighty-five-year-old white male was most likely the butcher knife still embedded in his chest. But she’d learned long ago not to assume. Still, a butcher knife to the chest was never good. It was a long wound, the gash in the man’s white button-up shirt extending from his sternum to his navel. Whoever had killed him had to have had a lot of strength to create such a wound.

The victim had been dead long enough for his blood to dry, both the blood that had soaked the front of his shirt and the blood that had pooled on the floor around his torso.

His eyes, filmy in death, stared sightlessly up at the ceiling. His arms lay at his sides, his hands slightly curved. Not quite flat, but not quite fists, either. It wasn’t a natural pose for the victim of a homicide who’d fallen after being stabbed. She wondered if his killer had repositioned his arms.

Mr. Flynn had been a hardy man, broad-shouldered, tall, and still muscular. Not in bad shape for eighty-five, she thought. He wore dark trousers, the pockets turned out, as if he’d been searched.

His shoes were black oxfords, buffed to such a shine that she could nearly see her own reflection. She wondered if he’d come home, surprising his attacker, or if he’d welcomed his killer into his home.

His living room had been ransacked, books knocked off shelves, knickknacks strewn on the floor. The sofa cushions had been slashed open, foam stuffing on the floor as well. The man’s bedroom was in a similar state. The drawers in the kitchen had been opened and emptied, their contents dumped on the counters. Flour and sugar containers had been dumped on the kitchen’s tiled floor. Someone had been looking for something and had left a terrible mess.

Kit wondered if they’d found what they’d been looking for. She wondered if Mr. Flynn had fought back.

Kit crouched on the victim’s right side, leaning in so that she could better examine his hands. The knuckles of his right hand were scraped and bruised, but his fingernails were what caught her attention. They were mostly gone, clipped way past the quick, down into the nail bed.

That he’d fought back was a decent assumption, then. His killer hadn’t wanted any evidence to be found under the man’s nails.

Excerpted from Cheater by Karen Rose Copyright © 2024 by Karen Rose. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.


 

 

 

 

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Reckless: Sins of the Father (Evil Dead MC 4) by Nicole James

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Reckless: Sins of the Father (Evil Dead MC: Second Generation 4) by Nicole James-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 25, 2024

Harley Jean—

The pounding in my head wakes me— that and the fact that I have to pee. Must have been one hell of a bachelorette party last night. Resting on my side, I crack one eye open and see the lights of the Las Vegas Strip out the floor to ceiling windows. Opening both eyes, I blink. That’s not right. My hotel room doesn’t have windows like those. The heat at my back registers at the same time the weight across my waist does. I lift my head, staring at the muscular arm covered with colorful ink. I can’t make out any of the tattoos, but the work is exquisite. Then a sparkle catches my eyes, and they widen.

The diamond on my ring finger shocks the hell out of me, but not as much as the wedding band nestled right beside it. Holy crap on a cracker. I do the only thing I can think to do— I run. When my ” husband ” shows up in town, I have to hide our relationship from my family. He’s my dirty little secret, and he’s determined to hold that over my head and use it to get his what he wants. And what he wants is me.

•••••••

REVIEW:RECKLESS : Sins of the Father is the fourth instalment in Nicole James’ contemporary, adult EVIL DEAD MC: SECOND GENERATION erotic, MC romance series. This is property renovator Ian MacLeod, and accountant Harley’s story line. RECKLESS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives ( Ian and Harley) RECKLESS follows in the wake of the drunken marriage between our story line couple. Harley and her friends are in Las Vegas to celebrate her best friend’s bachelorette party but our heroine finds herself celebrating with someone else. Waking up next to her one-night stand reveals a wedding she does not remember, and a husband of whom she is trying to escape but once back home in California, Harley will quickly discover not all is well in the world of the MC, and the Evil Dead may be going to war. With the surprise arrival of the man that she married, Harley is desperate to keep this bit of information on the down low but an attack against our couple forces Harley to reveal the truth to save the man with whom she is falling in love. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Harley and Ian, and the potential fall-out when the MC war comes to their front door

The world building focuses on a secret marriage, a growing relationship, and the Evil Dead MC’s potential for war with the Devil Kings MC. The club has been targeted by a possible rogue, and in doing so, set their sights on our story line couple. Ian McLeod is hoping for something more, a future with the woman he married in Las Vegas but Harley suspects Ian’s place in her life Is only a temporary affair.

The relationship between Ian and Harley is a ‘woke up married in Vegas’ affair in which Harley struggles with what happened and why. Our heroine doesn’t remember her drunk Vegas wedding but a large diamond ring, and an album of photos proves there is more to her weekend in Vegas than she could have ever imagined. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including all of the previous story line couples, and several members of the Evil Dead MC OG.

RECKLESS is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, family and friendship, relationships and love. The character driven premise is enticing and edgy ; the characters are flirty, animated and sassy; the romance is spicy and impulsive

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Marcus
Billy
TJ

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Nicole James is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who loves writing about hot alpha men who’ll do anything for the women they love! Her stories are filled with struggle, conflict and real human emotion. She is the author of the Evil Dead MC series, the Brothers Ink Tattoo series and more.

Nicole loves to hear from her readers! You can contact her via e-mail, her website contact form or on her social media accounts.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authornicolejames
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