Tag Archives: End Game

End Game (Kings of Campus 1) by Monica Murphy-review tour

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🩷End Game (Kings of Campus 1) by Monica Murphy-review tour🩷

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 17, 2024

In this fun, sexy college romance, a transfer student finds herself living in a house full of football players—and falling for the one she knows she shouldn’t want.

Everleigh

Transferring to UC Santa Mira is supposed to be my ultimate college experience—until housing falls through at the last minute. So when I overhear a group of guys complaining they need another roommate, I jump at the opportunity.

They’re just football players. Even if one of them makes me weak in the knees, it doesn’t mean anything unless I let it. And I won’t.

We want different things. Wanting each other doesn’t change that.

Nico

It’s my senior year and final season with the Santa Mira Dolphins. The last thing I need is a distraction, but that’s exactly what this girl is. Ever is too leggy, too gorgeous, too thoughtful—and a whole lot of too much that gets under my skin.

I guess I get under hers too. I can’t help myself.

We live together. That alone makes it a bad idea…but I never could resist a little trouble.

•••••

REVIEW:END GAME is the first instalment in Monica Murphy’s contemporary, new adult KINGS OF CAMPUS football romance series. This is twenty-two year old Nico Valente, and twenty-one year old Everleigh Olmstead’s story line.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Nico and Everleigh) END GAME covering a few weeks in the lives, follows the building romance and relationship between Nico and Everleigh. Everleigh Olmstead has transferred to UC Santa Mira but in a matter of hours, our heroine is homeless, jobless, a victim of theft, with no place to go. Overhearing a conversation between roommates and college students, Everleigh finds herself the newest member of the household, a household full of football stars (Nico, Frank, Cooper), and the envy of every girl on campus but all is not as it appears to be when jealousy, envy, issues of trust, the requisite mean girl aim to take our heroine down. Nico finds himself pulled into the aura that is Everleigh Olmstead but Nico is not the only roommate to set his sights on our story line heroine.

The world building focuses on the friendships between roommates and teammates, issues of trust, jealousy, and a reputation as a player for our story line hero.

The relationship between Nico and Everleigh is one of immediate attraction but Everleigh believes Nico is out of her league; unworthy of a football star’s attention, and just another proverbial notch in a long line of women. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

We are introduced to several members of the UC Santa Mira Dolphin’s foot ball team: Frank Dollar, Cooper, quarterback Gavin, Cooper’s sister Sienna, and Nico’s former fling Portia. There is something developing between Sienna and Gavin.

END GAME is a story of friendships, relationships, family and love. The premise is captivating but there is limited conflict; anti climactic and the mean girl story line quickly disappears-. The romance is seductive; the characters are determined and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Monica Murphy is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of the One Week Girlfriend series, the Billionaire Bachelors and The Rules series. Her books have been translated in almost a dozen languages and has sold over one million copies worldwide. She is both self-published and published by Random House/Bantam and Harper Collins/Avon. She writes new adult, young adult and contemporary romance.

She is a wife and a mother of three who lives in central California on fourteen acres in the middle of nowhere along with their one dog and too many cats. A self-confessed workaholic, when she’s not writing, she’s reading or hanging out with her husband and kids. She’s a firm believer in happy endings, though she will admit to putting her characters through angst-filled moments before they finally get that hard won HEA.

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Isaac Montgomery Trilogy by Steven Anthony-reviews

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Isaac Montgomery Trilogy by Steven Anthony-reviews

ISAAC MONTGOMERY- For The Love of Beth: Isaac Must Do What Needs to Be Done, His Life Will Depend on It
(Isaac Montgomery Trilogy #1)
by Steven Anthony
Genre: adult, contemporary, fiction

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 23, 2016

The story is about a man’s search for love barren of emotions from almost a parentless child hood to never feeling wanted from such an early age to his life becoming a most successful stock broker with international acclaim to finding out his heritage to the Van Horn dynasty, a house of money. To realising love in his life to becoming a slave to money and a company that would not set him free, a trilogy of many part. Murder, deceit, deception, romance, family, betrayal, revenge, hope and despair. Read as this book twists and whines to a dramatic conclusion. A man’s journey to find happiness plagued by misfortune and a temptation that stalks him to his despair and intrigue. Over the decades to an eventual climax, a cliff hanger literally. Help from a guardian angel as life gives a helping hand. Will his curse be over? Once and for all? Or begin again for Isaac Montgomery.

•••••••••

REVIEW: ISAAC MONTGOMERY For The Love of Beth: Isaac Must Do What Needs to Be Done, His Life Will Depend on It is the first instalment in Steven Anthony’s contemporary, adult ISAAC MONTGOMERY trilogy focusing on investment banker and stockbroker Isaac Montgomery.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Isaac and Beth) ISAAC MONTGOMERY: For the Love of Beth follows investment banker and stockbroker Isaac Montgomery as he struggles for a direction in life. A self-made billionaire, investment banker Isaac Montgomery wants something more from life: a wife, a home, a happy family and fears he won’t find what he is looking for in the bustling city of London, England. Putting his career on hold, Isaac walks away from everything he owns landing in the Scottish village of Corngurn, where he will find love and his future in the guise of a young widow, Beth McCoogan. An insta-lust to love romance will blossom but not before Isaac is called back to London, England where his life as he once knew it will forever be changed. What ensues is the quick building relationship and profession of love between Isaac and Beth, as Isaac begins a dangerous journey on the next stage of his life.

ISAAC MONTGOMERY- For The Love of Beth: Isaac Must Do What Needs to Be Done, His Life Will Depend on It introduces the people, the places and the backstory of Isaac Montgomery, a thirty year old successful businessman whose life is about to spiral out of control. From the death of his mother, to the betrayal and deception he has lived through most of his life, Isaac will confront the who, how and why as his future plans will be derailed, threatened and disproportionately maligned.

There are some structural flaws in the book including formatting issues, run-on sentences, text organization, as well as multiple speakers in a single paragraph-a professional editor is required to correct the errors, sentence structure, and issues of grammar. At times, the story line was bogged down in unnecessary description (or amplification) lending a meandering feel to an already slow building tale but such is the writer’s voice that often differs from author to author (note the book title). ISAAC MONTGOMERY- For The Love of Beth: Isaac Must Do What Needs to Be Done, His Life Will Depend on It is a thought provoking, passionate and cautionary tale of power, greed, family and love.

Own a copy

___________

NEMESIS (Isaac Montgomery Trilogy #2)
by Steven Anthony

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 16, 2018

Isaac meets his nemesis Eleanor Clause the secret weapon of Clause industries; she is beautiful, intelligent and vibrant and can utterly control men with a strength that cannot be broken.

Her sights are now set on the destruction by any means of Isaac Montgomery but Isaac although fascinated and intrigued by her himself had been a womaniser for many years, so will he see through her elusion or be enticed into her web of deceit as she peruses him with her agenda of destruction… For Eleanor will do whatever it takes to bring her nemesis down to his knees and bring him under her control, or will the tables turn as Isaac is her equal in so many ways, as games can change within a moment, a sure thing can sometimes become a sure route to their demise, games will always be played and there has to be a winner and a loser in the battle for domination.

••••••••••••

REVIEW:  NEMESIS is the second instalment in Steven Anthony’s contemporary, adult ISAAC MONTGOMERY series focusing on billionaire investment banker Isaac Montgomery. NEMEIS should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up six months after the events of book one wherein Isaac Montgomery discovers the deep-buried secrets that will change his life. NEMESIS covers ten years in the life of Isaac Montgomery.

NOTE: If you have not read book one ISAAC MONTGOMERY: For the Love of Beth, there may be some spoilers in my review.

Told from third person perspective (Isaac) NEMESIS follows billionaire investment banker Isaac Montgomery as he begins to traverse the landscape that has become his destiny. His mother’s deathbed confessions have pushed Isaac Montgomery towards unwanted status and unethical practices for a family dynasty of which he will one day control. From betrayal and seduction, threats and revenge, power and control Isaac is pulled back into a world he thought he left behind. Having to assimilate himself into the business acumen of the Van Horn Empire, Isaac will become the very thing he despises in life-an elite member of the capitalist class. Seizing the proverbial ‘bull by the horns’ Isaac is tasked with taking the Van Horn Empire back to the top. The implied threats by the power elite, and our hero’s dual roles (both personal and professional) will force Isaac to separate himself from the people he loves.

NEMESIS is an intriguing tale of power and greed; family and expectations; trust and uncertainty. The premise is engaging and inviting with energetic and colorful characters.

Once again, there are some structural flaws in the book including issues of grammar, spelling, punctuation, text and terminology. The writing style is simple; the narrative is uncomplicated but struggles with the aforementioned intrinsic problems.

Copy supplied for review

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END GAME (Isaac Montgomery Trilogy #3)
by Steven Anthony

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. uk /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 24, 2018

Eleanor Clause a woman groomed through life by an evil man; her grandfather Ludvik Clause. From a young age taken from her family through blackmail and contempt, pushed through private schools to high education and finally finishing school. Through her grandfather’s indulgence and mentoring to one day join Clause industries her job was simple, with her intelligence and women’s wiles, to take down the men of power that could threaten the Clause heritage and to find and meet the one man she would truly love but she could not break. A formidable woman in every sense of the word but if she could not have Isaac Montgomery in her mind no one would.

A cliffhanger to the end to one more final secret unleashed on an unsuspecting Isaac as life hangs in the balance. Who will live and who will die, or will both not survive this final encounter?

••••••••

REVIEW: END GAME is the third and final instalment in Steven Anthony’s contemporary, adult ISAAC MONTGOMERY trilogy focusing on billionaire investor Isaac Montgomery. END GAME should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up following the events of book two-Nemesis.

Told from several third person perspectives including Isaac Montgomery END GAME continues to focus on Isaac Montgomery, and the business that had become his lifestyle- no longer a job but a part of his life. As heir to the Van Horn Empire, Isaac struggles between duty to the company, and needing time to spend with family and friends. Months ( years) will pass as Isaac struggles to keep Van Horn on top, a position that will soon push Isaac over the edge, into a spiral he is unable to stop.

END GAME takes the reader on a journey into the past revealing some of the events and backstory of the secondary characters as Isaac remembered conversations, or reminisced with old friends and acquaintances- information that wasn’t necessary to the overall premise but more filler than substance.

There continues to be a number of structural flaws (as per the previous instalments) including issues of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and text, as well as very long paragraphs with multiple view points, buried dialogue and first person thoughts overlapping third person perspectives. The writing style continues in the same vein as he previous instalments.

Steven Anthony’s ISAAC MONTGOMERY trilogy is a story of power, greed, money and betrayal. Our hero, wanted nothing more than to get married, raise a family, living a quiet, life in the Scottish countryside but his ascribed status as heir to the Van Horn Empire made Isaac Montgomery a target, and a shell of his former self. Money doesn’t buy happiness, and for Isaac Montgomery, nothing could have been truer.

Copy supplied for review

Reviews by Sandy

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End Game (Dirty Money #4) by Lisa Renee Jones-a review

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END GAME (Dirty Money #4) by Lisa Renee Jones -a review

End Game

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 2, 2018

How deep can you love?

Passion and danger collide in the explosive finale to Emily and Shane’s story.

After tragedy strikes, Shane hovers on the edge of being consumed by darkness. He will fight for the woman he loves. He will destroy his enemy. He will not back down. As shocking twists, dark secrets, and explosive betrayals within the Brandon family come to the light, Shane must fight harder than ever before.

Every thread weaves a dangerous web. Emily and Derek. Brandon Senior. Maggie and her affair. The leader of the dangerous cartel who’s wedged itself inside the Brandon Empire. It all comes to a head in the shattering conclusion to the Dirty Money series.

••••••••••

REVIEW:END GAME is the fourth (and final) instalment in Lisa Renee Jones’ contemporary, adult DIRTY MONEY romantic, suspense series focusing on attorney and businessman Shane Brandon, and attorney/PA Emily Stevens. Their continuing story focuses on their struggle to be free of a potent enemy with designs on Brandon Pharmaceuticals, and the aftermath of a shooting that will change the Brandon family dynamics-once and for all. END GAME should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff-hanger of book three-BAD DEEDS.

Told from first person perspective (Shane Brandon) with a few concluding chapters by Emily Stevens END GAME is the culmination of an emotional war between father and sons wherein death comes calling but not for the man, at one time, in charge. Lisa Renee Jones pulls the reader into a roller coaster of events leading towards a final showdown that warrants a celebration for a job well done but in the end felt a little rushed, and a little under-whelming. Conflict resolved, the story lost some of its’ momentum and excitement as the main focus followed our leading couple as they made plans for the future both in Denver and New York.

END GAME is a story of family and blood; power and personality; retribution and revenge. There are a number of open-ended story lines that the author may address in future books and series including a look at Shane’s right hand man Seth Cage-former CIA and head of security at Brandon Enterprises; and Cody Rodriguez whose fascination with Shane’s PA Jessica is another relationship looming on the horizon. The premise is entertaining, engaging and suspenseful; the romance is seductive and passionate; the characters are charismatic and intense. END GAME is a well-written, impassioned and riveting story line about one man’s battle to affect change in direction for a company and family that was losing its’ way.

READING ORDER and PREVIOUS REVIEWS
Hard Rules
Damage Control
Bad Deeds
End Game

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

about the author

Lisa Renee JonesNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her through her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

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End Game by David Baldacci – a Review

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End Game by David Baldacci – a Review

 

End GameAmazon / B&N / Kobo / BAM / Book Depository

Description:
Will Robie and Jessica Reel are two of the most lethal people alive. They’re the ones the government calls in when the utmost secrecy is required to take out those who plot violence and mass destruction against the United States. And through every mission, one man has always had their backs: their handler, code-named Blue Man.

But now, Blue Man is missing.

Last seen in rural Colorado, Blue Man had taken a rare vacation to go fly fishing in his hometown when he disappeared off the grid. With no communications since, the team can’t help but fear the worst.

Sent to investigate, Robie and Reel arrive in the small town of Grand to discover that it has its own share of problems. A stagnant local economy and a woefully understaffed police force have made this small community a magnet for crime, drugs, and a growing number of militant fringe groups.

But lying in wait in Grand is an even more insidious and sweeping threat, one that may shake the very foundations of America. And when Robie and Reel find themselves up against an adversary with superior firepower and a home-court advantage, they’ll be lucky if they make it out alive, with or without Blue Man…

 

Review:

End Game by David Baldacci is the 5th book in his Will Robie series, and another of one his fantastic suspense thrillers.  End Game picks up a few months after The Guilty left off.  Will Robie returns from a successful mission stopping a terrorist attack in London, and he is asked to go to Colorado to find his missing superior, Blue Man (Roger Walton).  Jessica Reel, also returns from a dangerous mission in Iraq, which left her somewhat disturbed, as she lost most of her team.  When we last saw Will and Jessica, it seemed like they would finally take the next step and become a couple.  But Will, despite his unanswered attempts to contact Jessica, has not seen her for 6 months.  Now they are both assigned to work together to find Blue Man.

When they arrive in Grand, Colorado (Roger Walton’s hometown), they not only discover that Walton was in town, but has vanished; tey also discover that a number of other people have also vanished.  Robie and Reel will work with the understaffed police, sheriff (Molloy) and deputy.  What they will also find is that the area has a number of right wing compounds such as Kings Apostles and White Supremacist groups.  Will and Jessica are not your normal government agents, and this book just proves that they are the best lethal assassins, and despite each horrific situation they find themselves in, they will find a way to turn the tables and survive. Will they find Blue Man alive? Will they survive against all the powerful enemies they must face?

What follows is a tense, suspenseful, edge of your seat thriller, with nonstop action from the first page to the end.   I could not put this book down, as there were also so many surprising twists and turns; I did not want to miss a thing.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin this for you. End Game is an amazing story that will leave you breathless.  Will Robie and Jessica Reel are such an awesome team; even if they are hardened killers, we can’t help but marvel at them.  I love them together

Once again, David Baldacci gives us another fabulous thriller in End Game, which is something we have all come to expect from him.  He is a masterful storyteller, with in depth wonderful characters, and he holds you at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. If you think you know what will happen, trust me, you will never see what is coming, as Baldacci continually pulls surprises and twists. You need to read this series, but then again you should be reading everything by David Baldacci.

Reviewed by Barb

 

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