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The Magnolia Sisters by Michelle Major – Review, Excerpt & Q&A

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The Magnolia Sisters by Michelle Major – Review, Excerpt & Q&A

 

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Description:
An inheritance brought her to Magnolia, but love just might keep her there…

Avery Keller arrives in Magnolia, North Carolina, with one aim: collect her inheritance and quickly put the quirky town in her rearview mirror. But the father who didn’t acknowledge her when he was alive has left Avery a mess to sort through—along with two half sisters she’s never met and a gorgeous single dad living next door. Soon her plan to keep this colorful, close-knit community at a distance gets complicated….

Grayson Atwell has rescued plenty of people in his firefighting career. His work and his little girl, Violet, are his entire world and there’s no time for anything—or anyone—else. But the vulnerability beneath Avery’s prickly facade brings out a fiercely protective side of him. Despite her protests, Gray can see that Avery’s falling under Magnolia’s spell—just like he’s falling for her. Now the only question is: How can he convince her to give them both a chance at forever?

 

 

Review:

The Magnolia Sisters by Michelle Major is a wonderful small-town romance that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I expect this will be a series.   Avery Keller, our heroine, arrives in Magnolia to claim an inheritance from a father she never knew.  Avery is coming off of an emotional breakup with a boyfriend who she didn’t know was married, and upon arrival comes across as embittered and snarky.  All she wants is her money and to leave and start a new life elsewhere.

Grayson (Gray) Atwell, our hero and a firefighter, meets Avery at the local coffee shop and finds her a bit nasty.  Gray does find Avery attractive, despite her attitude, but he has no plans to become involved, as he has a young daughter, Violet, who is his number one priority.

Avery meets the other two women, who also share the inheritance, and who are her half- sisters (Carrie & Meredith) that neither of them knew anything about; but they all have one thing in common…their despair over the deceased father, who kept all those secrets.   They both grew up in Magnolia, though never really friends.  When Avery talks about selling, both of the girls do not want to sell, and will work on Avery to think about changing and fixing things in Magnola, as well as convince her to stay. I loved how in a short time, Avery began to become close to Carrie and Meredith, opening up her battered heart to having a family for the first time in her life.  But convincing her to stay is a difficult proposition, especially when she finds herself falling hard for Gray, and in time his daughter. 

What follows is a wonderful heartwarming story with both Carrie and Meredith becoming very close to Avery, and making such a great team.  They also play a big part in helping Avery face the fact that she has fallen in love with Gray, which also included Violet.  I loved how they all bonded to make sure that Avery knew her life belonged in Magnolia with all of them. 

The Magnolia Sisters was written so very well by Michelle Major, with so many wonderful characters; Avery, Carrie, Meredith, Gray, Violet and many of the townsfolks.  I look forward to the next book in this series, which I expect to be about Carrie.  Cannot wait, as I loved everyone in Magnolia. I suggest you start with series by reading The Magnolia Sisters.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 


The house was one of the oldest in Magnolia, with ten-foot ceilings even on the second floor. That fact gave the room an open feel, despite how crowded it was. But it wasn’t going to make it any easier to get Avery unstuck.
“Gray’s here,” Carrie called, and Gray saw the legs go tense.
“I’m fine.” Avery’s tone was exasperated but he could hear the thread of pain in it. “I don’t need help.”
“Where’s the attic?” he asked Carrie.
She backed out of the bedroom and pointed to an open doorway across from the main staircase. “I warned her not to go up there.”
“This isn’t the time for ‘I told you so,’” Avery shouted.
Carrie gave him a look and lowered her voice. “Get her out, Gray. She’s irritating as hell, but I can’t have her hurt in this mess of a house.”
“She’ll be fine,” he reassured her. “I’m going to try to make this work from above instead of below. I’ll need reinforcements if we’re going to move the furni¬ture. That’ll take too long.”
He climbed the steps, waving a hand in front of his face until the dust that filled the air cleared.
“You sure know how to make your mark on a place,” he said casually as he surveyed the scene.
“I don’t need your help,” she snapped. “Doesn’t Car¬rie have a helpful neighbor she could call?”
“She called me,” he answered simply. He kind of liked Avery Keller’s attitude and admired her calm in the situation, but right now he was all business. “Can you tell if the floor joists around you will hold my weight or are they too damaged?”
“The ones in front of me will give,” she answered. “I’m wedged in here tight and when I try to shift my weight to lift myself up, everything feels like it’s sag¬ging.”
“Then don’t move.”
“Thanks for the tip,” she muttered. “In case you care, I also have a piece of splintered wood lodged in my left arm. So I can only use the right one at the moment.”
His gut tightened at the thought of her in pain. “Do you think anything’s broken?” He stepped gingerly to¬ward her, making sure to test each section of floorboard before he moved. He couldn’t very well help her if he ended up in the same predicament.
“Bruised,” she admitted, “but not broken. Do you think Clark Griswold knew how lucky he was to land on that bunk bed?”
“That’s the Hollywood version of this scenario. This is real life.”
“Does that mean I’m not going to get a happy end¬ing?”
“You’re going to be fine,” he told her, placing his tool bag on the floor and pulling out a small saw.
“You must practice that commanding tone at the fire¬house.” She laughed softly. “It’s weirdly reassuring.”
“My job is rescuing people. I’m good at it.”
“Great.” For the first time since he’d encountered her at the convenience store, Avery sounded defeated.
It bothered him more than he cared to admit.
He began talking her through his plan, mostly mak¬ing it up as he went along. The floor joists behind her seemed to be structurally sound, but he wasn’t going to risk putting the weight of his entire two hundred pounds on them.
“Can you get her out?” Carrie called from below them. “I climbed over the mess in here and I’ve got pil¬lows to cushion a fall just in case.”
“I’m glad I didn’t wear a skirt today,” Avery said through clenched teeth.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” he reassured her, earning a snort.
She shifted to look over her shoulder at him, and the floor around her heaved.
He heard Avery’s gasp, along with Carrie’s worried cry from the bedroom.
“Stay still,” he commanded, then called to Carrie, “Don’t stand directly underneath her.”
“I don’t want to fall,” Avery said, more to herself than to him.
He answered anyway. “You’re not going to fall.”
She drew in a ragged breath. “I might be starting to panic. I don’t usually panic.”
“No reason to.” He bent to his knees, then crawled forward, stretching out to reach her. The ideal way to handle this would be clearing out the spare bedroom and having some of his crew supporting her from below. But there was no guarantee that more of the floor wouldn’t give way while they waited for backup to arrive. Plus she was in pain, and he wanted her safe on solid ground as soon as he could manage it.
“I’m right behind you,” he said as he got closer. “I’m going to cut the piece of wood that’s got you wedged in here.”
“I feel like a chicken skewer.”
One side of his mouth curved, and he inched forward. Narrating his movements for her, he managed to saw through the splintering section of wood.
Avery let out a sigh when it fell away from her arm. She had a deep cut, but it wasn’t bleeding badly at the moment.
“Now I’m going to lift you back toward me. Use your elbows to brace on the joists on either side of you.”
“I can do three pull-ups in my CrossFit class,” she announced. “Who knew all my upper body strength would come in so handy?”
“Exactly,” he agreed, knowing it was fear driving her seemingly casual chatter. “Do you upend tires, too?”
“Sometimes. Mostly it’s a lot of burpees and suicides.”
“I hate burpees.” He positioned his hands under her arms. “You’re strong, Avery. You’ve done a great job holding steady. Just a few more seconds and…” He half lifted, half dragged her up out of the hole, quickly moving both of them away from the water-damaged section of the attic.
“You did it,” Carrie shouted from the bedroom below.
“You did it,” Avery echoed in a hoarse whisper.
“We did it,” he corrected. He had the crazy urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her close, holding her to him until the tremors he felt rippling through her body subsided. The notion was odd and out of character. He’d rescued plenty of people in his years as a firefighter.
Hell, just last week, he’d come to the aid of Kenneth Masminster when he’d locked himself in his tool shed. But a seventy-five-year-old gardener who smelled like menthol and mothballs hadn’t elicited near the emo¬tional reaction that Avery did. Avery, with her shiny hair and manicured nails, and the scent of expensive perfume on her skin that was at odds with the hot, dusty attic. A scent that should put him off. As appealing as it was, what the scent conveyed about the woman who wore it made her all wrong for him.
“Thank you,” she said into the front of his uniform shirt. She seemed as unwilling to let go as he was.


 

 


Michelle Major is the Publishers Weekly best-selling, RITA award winning author of over thirty sexy and sweet contemporary romances. She loves second-chances love stories, smart heroines and strong heroes. A Midwesterner at heart, she’s made the Rocky Mountains her home for nearly half her life and is thrilled to share her books with readers. Connect with her at www.michellemajor.com.

 

 

 

TRC: Hi, Michelle.  Welcome to The Reading Café

Michelle: Thank you for having me. I’m so glad to be here.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Michelle: I grew up in Ohio but have lived in Colorado for over twenty-five years. No matter how long I’m here, I’ll always consider myself a Midwestern girl at heart. I write sweet and sexy contemporary romance and have published over thirty books. I’m so excited about the release of The Magnolia Sisters, which kicks off my first single title series with Harlequin.

TRC:  What inspired you to become a writer?

Michelle: For over a decade I worked in Human Resources and traveled for my job. I had a crazy fear of flying and randomly picked up a romance novel in an airport bookstore (it was a Johanna Lindsey). I loved it so much and realized that the stories I told myself in my head were romance novel plots. That’s when I began to write. It took a lot of years (and getting my two kids through the toddler years) before I got published. It was worth the wait!

TRC: Can you please give us a brief description of The Magnolia Sisters?

Michelle: The Magnolia Sisters is a series that focuses on three women who discover they share the same father after he dies and how they manage to forge a bond in the small town of Magnolia, North Carolina. In the first book we meet Avery, a big city transplant who is starting over and definitely not looking for love (spoiler alert: she finds it with a sexy firefighter). I loved (as always) writing an emotionally charged romance but also having the opportunity to explore the relationship between the three sisters.

TRC: Based on the ending, I am hoping this is a series.  How many books do you plan on writing for this series?

Michelle: Well, I’m so glad you feel that way and, yes, The Magnolia Sisters is currently planned as a three-book series. The second book will be Carrie’s story and the baby sister, Meredith, will be featured in book three. I’m mid-way through Meredith’s book now and still love writing in this world, so fingers crossed readers love it too. You might be seeing even more Magnolia books in the future.

TRC:  What is your writing process?  Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place?  Do you plan your books in advance or let them develop as you write?

Michelle: I’m definitely of the Nora Roberts’ school of puking out the first draft—I plot the major points of the story and take lots of notes as I write the first draft. My normal production for a first draft is 10-15k words a week. Then I do a deep dive edit. When I’m drafting, I love editing. When I’m editing, I love the drafting process. I have an office connected to the house (it’s also the rec room area) but I always write on my laptop and I take it everywhere.

If you saw the layer of dust on my furniture or the sweeping piles of dog hair blowing down the hall, you’d know why I have time to write. I have learned to be fairly disciplined with my schedule, especially with multiple deadlines. Giving the time to my craft is most important to me. Practically, I set word count goals each week and I put my butt in the chair until I meet them.

TRC: Walk us through a day in the life of Michelle Major.

Michelle: Most of my days follow the same schedule (at least Monday – Friday). My husband leaves for work early (normally before 5:30) so I wake up then. I usually write in my journal or do a bit of stretching and plan the day. My high schoolers are then up and I like to be with them while they have breakfast and make lunches. They leave by 7:00 and the rest of the day (until 2) is spent writing, working on the business of being an author, procrastinating by doing laundry or other housework (no lie!). I love listening to podcasts and audiobooks, so I keep myself entertained that way. I normally make time for a dog walk as well and feel so blessed to live in Colorado near the mountains. Once my  kids get home, I continue to work but it’s stop and start as they take priority in the afternoon and evening. Unless I’m on deadline, and then the deadline takes all the priorities. I’m a creature of habit so I usually have the same thing for breakfast and lunch most days. When the kids don’t have activities, we always eat as a family. That’s important to both my hubby and me.

TRC:  Can you tell us about what’s coming up next for 2020 & 2021.

Michelle: I’m so excited about The Magnolia Sisters series. In addition to The Magnolia Sisters, the second book in the series, The Merriest Magnolia, will release in October. I also have three books in a new series, Welcome To Starlight, with Harlequin Special Edition so it’s an exciting year for me! 2021 will continue both series and hopefully even more books to come.

TRC: What are hobbies or interests do you have?

Michelle: I love doing anything outside—lots of hiking with my dogs. My kids are teenagers so much of my free time is spent on the sidelines of their activities. And we also foster kittens for a local animal rescue. Pretty much anything with fur, I’m in!

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Michelle: If you’re at all interested in writing, my best advice is “baby steps.” Even now—over 30 books written—sometimes I start the day setting my timer for 15 minutes. Just to start. I feel like I can do anything in small chunks. You can too! ☺

 

 

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The Third to Die by Allison Brennan – a Review

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The Third to Die by Allison Brennan – Review, Excerpt & Q & A

 

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Description:
An edgy female police detective…An ambitious FBI special agent. Together they are at the heart of the ticking-clock investigation for a psychopathic serial killer. The bond they forge in this crucible sets the stage for high-stakes suspense.

Detective Kara Quinn, on leave from the LAPD, is on an early morning jog in her hometown of Liberty Lake when she comes upon the body of a young nurse. The manner of death shows a pattern of highly controlled rage. Meanwhile in DC, FBI special agent Mathias Costa is staffing his newly minted Mobile Response Team. Word reaches Matt that the Liberty Lake murder fits the profile of the compulsive Triple Killer. It will be the first case for the MRT. This time they have a chance to stop this zealous if elusive killer before he strikes again. But only if they can figure out who he is and where he is hiding before he disappears for another three years. The stakes are higher than ever before, because if they fail, one of their own will be next…

 

 

Review:

The Third to Die by Allison Brennan is the 1st book in her new Mobile Response Team thriller series. We meet detective Kara Quinn, our heroine, who is on leave from her job as a cop in Los Angeles.  Kara is staying with her grandmother, until she can go back to her job. She is on her morning jog, when she senses something unusual, and ends up finding the dead body of a local nurse in Liberty Lake, who was brutally murdered.

FBI Agent Matt Costa, has been assigned to lead the brand-new Mobile Response Team, and immediately is sent to investigate this murder.  Matt is shorthanded, as the unit has just begun to being staffed.  He tries to get profiler, Catherine, who is also in seclusion trying to get past some emotionally difficult cases. Catherine will help Matt from a distance, and will offer her thoughts from her home to whatever Matt finds.

What they find is a known killer (The Triple Killer), who murders three people every three years.  Starting on March 3rd to March 9, he will kill using the same patterns, a nurse, a teacher and a police officer; the three-year period has started again, as the body Kara discovers is a nurse. 

What follows is an intense, pulse pounding thriller from start to finish.  The killer is crazed, and seems to be always one step ahead of the police.  Matt is the lead with his Mobile Response Team, and is tries to utilize the local police, as well as bringing in other FBI agents to help stop the killer before he kills again.  I felt that Kara was a great detective, who always manages to come up with clues and ideas as to who and where to search, not to mention that she had a unique ability to spot the possible murderer.  Her and Matt were great together, especially later on when their chemistry flew off the wall; but both were determined to keep their feelings at a distance, as this nightmare case was all that mattered.   When the killer manages to kill the first two victims, as he had years before, it was a race against time to find him before he kills the third (a cop).  It was sad and emotional when one of their own dies at the hands of the killer. 

As we got closer to the climax, the danger escalated in this heart stopping thriller, with the wild crazy killer one step ahead of them, and lives were on the line.  I could not put the book down, holding my breath, as the suspense was amazing.  The Third to Die was so well written by Allison Brennan, that I fully recommend you read this fantastic exciting edge of your seat thriller.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Wednesday, March 3
Liberty Lake, Washington
12:09 a.m.

Warm blood covered him.
His arms, up to his elbows, were slick with it. His clothing splattered with it. The knife—the blade that had taken his retribution—hung in his gloved hand by his side.
It was good. Very good.
He was almost done.
The killer stared at the blackness in front of him, his mind as silent and dark as the night. The water lapped gently at the banks of the lake. A faint swish swish swish as it rolled up and back, up and back, in the lightest of breezes.
He breathed in cold air; he exhaled steam.
Calm. Focused.
As the sounds and chill penetrated his subconscious, he moved into action. Staying here with the body would be foolish, even in the middle of the night.
He placed the knife carefully on a waist-high boulder, then removed his clothes. Jacket. Sweater. Undershirt. He stuffed them into a plastic bag. Took off his shoes. Socks. Pants. Boxers. Added them to the bag. He stood naked except for his gloves.
He tied the top of the plastic, then picked up the knife again and stabbed the bag multiple times. With strength that belied his lean frame, he threw the knife into the water. He couldn’t see where it fell; he barely heard the plunk.
Then he placed the bag in the lake and pushed it under, holding it beneath the surface to let the frigid water seep in. When the bag was saturated, he pulled it out and spun himself around as if he were throwing a shot put. He let go and the bag flew, hitting the water with a loud splash.
Even if the police found it—which he doubted they would— the water would destroy any evidence. He’d bought the clothes and shoes, even his underwear, at a discount store in another city, at another time. He’d never worn them before tonight.
Though he didn’t want DNA evidence in the system, it didn’t scare him if the police found something. He didn’t have a record. He’d killed before, many times, and not one person had spoken to him. He was smart—smarter than the cops, and certainly smarter than the victims he’d carefully selected.
Still, he must be cautious. Meticulous. Being smart meant that he couldn’t assume anything. What did his old man use to say?
Assume makes an ass out of you and me…
The killer scowled. He wasn’t doing any of this for his old man, though his father would get the retribution he deserved. He was doing this for himself. His own retribution. He was this close to finishing the elaborate plan he’d conceived years ago.
He could scarcely wait until six days from now, March 9, when his revenge would be complete.
He was saving the guiltiest of them for last.
Still, he hoped his old man would be pleased. Hadn’t he done what his father was too weak to do? Righted the many wrongs that had been done to them. How many times had the old man said these people should suffer? How many times had his father told him these people were fools?
Still, he hoped his old man would be pleased. Hadn’t he done what his father was too weak to do? Righted the many wrongs that had been done to them. How many times had the old man said these people should suffer? How many times had his father told him these people were fools?
Yet his father just let it happen and did nothing about it! Nothing! Because he was weak. He was weak and pathetic and cruel.
Breathe. Focus. All in good time.
All in good time.
The killer took another, smaller plastic bag from his backpack. He removed his wet gloves, put them inside, added a good-sized rock, tied the bag, then threw it into the lake.
Still naked, he shivered in the cold, still air. He wasn’t done.
Do it quick.
He walked into the lake, the water colder than ice. Still, he took several steps forward, his feet sinking into the rough muck at the bottom. When his knees were submersed, he did a shallow dive. His chest scraped a rock, but he was too numb to feel pain. He broke through the surface with a loud scream. He couldn’t breathe; he couldn’t think. His heart pounded in his chest, aching from the icy water.
But he was alive. He was fucking alive!
He went under once more, rubbed his hands briskly over his arms and face in case any blood remained. He would take a hot shower when he returned home, use soap and a towel to remove anything the lake left behind. But for now, this would do.
Twenty seconds in the water was almost too long. He bolted out, coughed, his body shaking so hard he could scarcely think. But he had planned everything well and operated on autopilot.
He pulled a towel from his backpack and dried off as best he could. Stepped into new sweatpants, sweatshirt, and shoes. Pulled on a new pair of gloves. There might be blood on the ATV, but it wasn’t his blood, so he wasn’t concerned.
He took a moment to stare back at the dark, still lake. Then he took one final look at the body splayed faceup. He felt nothing, because she was nothing. Unimportant. Simply a small pawn in a much bigger game. A pawn easily sacrificed.
He hoped his old man would be proud of his work, but he would probably just criticize his son’s process. He’d complain about how he did the job, then open another bottle of booze.
He hoped his father was burning in hell.
He jumped on the ATV and rode into the night.

Excerpted from The Third to Die by Allison Brennan, Copyright © 2020 by Allison Brennan. Published by MIRA Books.

 

 

 

Q&A with Allison Brennan

Q: Tell us a little about your new release, The Third to Die. What character in the book really spoke to you?

A: THE THIRD TO DIE is the first book in a new series, which is always exciting. I think what I like the most about THE THIRD TO DIE — and the series concept of a mobile FBI task force tackling complex cases in rural and remote areas — is that I can explore some areas that aren’t often written about. With the vast numbers of crime fiction set in New York City, Los Angeles, and the like, I wanted to do something different. (This isn’t to say other authors haven’t — J.A. Jance has a small-town Arizona series and of course Craig Johnson’s Longmire series in Wyoming are two I enjoy.) I like moving the setting from book to book and keeping the core characters — it’s one reason I had Maxine Revere investigate cold cases in places other than where she lived. Because of the nature of the task force, they will be outsiders wherever they go, and need to learn to work together and trust each other.

In THE THIRD TO DIE, a serial killer hits a small community outside Spokane, Washington. The Triple Killer surfaces on March 3rd to take three victims before he disappears for three years. But this time, the FBI is on the case early, and they have the best chance of finding him. If they don’t, a cop will end up dead. The best thing about this story is being able to create an ensemble cast of characters. I love shows like BONES and SVU where you have a lead character or two, but the writers spend a lot of time developing everyone else, so you feel like you’re part of a team. That’s what I’m trying to create with the MRT series.

Matt Costa heads the group, and what I love most about Matt is his ability to be a leader. He’s a workaholic, but he trusts his team to do their job. He’ll listen to everyone, but when he makes a decision he stands by it. Detective Kara Quinn thinks, “He’s an alpha male trying very hard, and failing, to be a beta.”

Dr. Catherine Jones surprised me. I pictured her (somewhat) as a female version of Will Graham from THE RED DRAGON (the book, not the movies!), torn apart by what she’s seen, but unable to leave the job behind even if it destroys her family. Knowing she’s a secondary character in this book, I was surprised that her few scenes had such an impact.

But it was Detective Kara Quinn who really spoke to me. Kara was never supposed to practically take over the book. When I first conceived of the opening, where Kara finds the body, I thought Kara would simply be a witness and that she might investigate on her own and possible even end up a victim herself. But getting into her head, learning about her childhood, watching how she interacts with Matt as well as his team … she intrigued me so much that I hoped she survived (it was iffy there for awhile!) because I wanted to keep writing about her.

 Q: You write about some interesting and complex characters in your books. From Investigative reporter Maxine Revere to the Rogan/Kincaid families. What is your favorite type of character to write about?

A: This is a hard question! I like exploring a wide variety of characters, both heroes and villains. I love complex and conflicted characters, like Detective Kara Quinn, who has many strengths and a few weaknesses. I love writing villains and trying to figure out why they do what they do. To me, every great hero has a fatal flaw and every evil villain has a redeeming quality.

 Q: How long did it take you to get your rough draft finished on your latest release?

 A: Generally, a rough draft — which is usually pretty clean because I edit as I go — takes me 10-12 weeks to write. Because I wrote THE THIRD TO DIE “on spec” — meaning, it wasn’t contracted by a publisher — I had to write between other projects that had deadlines. I wrote three complete books while also writing this book, so it took me a little over a year to finish the rough draft. But it wasn’t really “rough” — because I had to step away for weeks at a time, in order to get back into the story, I re-read and edited what I’d written, then wrote the next few chapters.

Q: For readers who haven’t tried your books yet, how do you think your editor or loyal readers would describe your books?

A: My editor usually tells me that my characters are compelling and I know how to increase the tension through to the climax. My long-time readers usually tell me that they feel like they know my characters and that they can’t put the book down because they have to find out what happens. Most readers say my books are suspenseful. I also hear that my books are “intricately plotted” which makes me chuckle because I don’t plot.

 Q: When writing, how do you keep track of timelines, ideas, inspiration and such? By notes on the computer, a notebook perhaps?

A: I’ve tried every method of note-keeping, but little works for me. When I’m writing, I write notes directly into the manuscript either using the comment function or just typing in the text *** NOTE *** so I can easily search the asterisks. During revisions I have a notepad next to me with the key points my editor commented on, so I can keep those in mind while fixing problem scenes. For ideas I have a computer file called IDEAS (original, I know!) that I add to from time to time, but I rarely have used any of the thoughts I’ve jotted here.

Q: In The Third to Die, were there any characters that started off as supporting characters, but then developed into a more prominent character?

A: Detective Kara Quinn, who ended up being my favorite character once I was done writing, I’d intended to be a supporting character but as I got into her head, I liked her so much I kept wanting to go back to her. She became much more important to the story — and, ultimately, the series. Detective Andy Knolls, who was a strong supporting character throughout, was originally supposed to be a much more minor character — just the local cop my FBI agents could tap into for whatever they needed. But once he walked out of the autopsy because he thought he would puke, I realized he was a terrific character and I wanted to explore the character of a small-town cop facing a violent crime he was ill-prepared for.

Q: What advantages or challenges does a writer in your genre face in today’s fiction market?

A: I think all writers, regardless of genre, face an overwhelming marketplace for stories. There are so many books being published today–both traditionally and independently–that standing out can be a challenge. But there are clear advantages to writing mysteries and thrillers — I’ve talked to several bookstore owners and they tell me the genre has been selling much better over the last couple of years. Recently, one bookseller told me, “We used to sell tons of romances. Now, everyone wants mysteries.” There is always a market for good stories well told, and genre fiction is always in demand.

Q: The Third to Die is the first in a new series from you, called the Mobile Response Team. What made you decide to branch out into another series set in the world of the FBI?

A: I had this idea more than a decade ago. When I participated in the FBI Citizens Academy in 2008, I learned about the Evidence Response Team and how they work within the FBI — basically, they are agents from different squads in one jurisdiction who come together because they have specialized training in order to process and investigate specific types of crimes. One example locally was the Yosemite murders that terrified northern California in 1999, investigated by the Sacramento FBI with crime scenes investigated by the Sacramento ERT.  But ERT agents also have their own cases, they’re only pulled together in extraordinary circumstances. So I mentioned an idea to the public information officer about having an ERT unit that worked around the country (rather than in one limited jurisdiction) and he said he didn’t see how it would practically work. I shelved it, but it nagged at me from time to time. Fast forward ten years and the PIO had since retired. He and I were chatting about another book of mine (I call him regularly for research!) and I talked to him again about my idea, but I had tweaked it. I had the concept of a Mobile Response Team to focus on rural and underserved communities, based on reading about some FBI offices that had huge territories and more limited resources (because of size, location, etc.) He thought about it, and said, yeah, he could buy into it, especially since the FBI is working hard on improving its image. So while it’s not an actual FBI task force, it was plausible. So I ran with it.

I love writing crime thrillers. I’m very comfortable writing in the FBI world, maybe because of all the research I’ve done and maybe because I’m interested in the cases they investigate. Because the MRT team moves around, I can explore a multitude of crimes that interest me. With an ensemble cast of characters, I can focus on different characters in each book, hopefully to make them more real to my readers. Matt and Kara will likely lead each book, but like Catherine was a pivotal character in this book, and Michael Harris will be a pivotal character in the second book, I hope to also go deeper into Ryder, Jim, and the rest of the team.

 Q: I really enjoy the complex story lines and cases you have in your Lucy Kincaid and Max Revere Books. How much research goes into your stories and is there a particular ‘right from the news headlines’ that catches your interest for a possible storyline?

A: I love research! I read widely and have more than 50 research books on my shelf — forensics, true crime, military, criminal profiling, psychology, police procedures, and more. I have contacts in many professions who I can ask questions. Before I start writing, I have to make sure the set-up works. After that, I research as I write. I participate in “generic” research whenever I have the opportunity–talking to people in interesting professions or going on “field trips” (such as to the morgue to view an autopsy or a ride along with the sheriff’s department)–just to keep my general knowledge about law enforcement up-to-date.

Because I read widely, and keep up-to-date on crime related news, many ‘right from the headlines’ stories catch my eye, but I rarely write about them. It’s usually a couple stories that I see together that give me an idea. Such as reading about a storm that unearths bones might interest me, but then I’ll read an article about a missing person or a mortgage fraud scheme and twist all the articles into one idea that’s completely different from the original stories. I’ve read a lot about human trafficking, and my second MRT book touches on that based very loosely on an article I read about how coyotes go back and forth across the border and the cost to their victims (financial, emotional, physical) coupled with another article I read about an abandoned camp that may or may not have been used for criminal activity, on top of a conversation I had with my brother-in-law, a wildlife biologist, about birds.

 Q: What do readers have to look forward to in the future from you?

A: After THE THIRD TO DIE, the next Lucy Kincaid book will be out on March 31, where Maxine Revere gets to join Lucy in San Antonio — but with a twist. In CUT AND RUN, Lucy is investigating the cold case and Max is investigating the recent murder. I’m almost done writing the Lucy book that follows — COLD AS ICE (10.27.20) as well as finishing the revisions of the second MRT book (currently untitled) coming out in the spring of 2021. I also have an idea for a trilogy about a female private investigator that I’m super excited about, and I’ll be starting the first draft of the third MRT book this spring. Oh — and there will be two Lucy Kincaid novellas coming this summer!

 Q: What advice do you have for someone working on their first book?

A: Create good habits. Write regularly–create a schedule that fits into your life and stick to it, whether it’s an hour every morning before the kids get up, two hours at night when you used to watch television, or every Sunday afternoon. You need to make sacrifices to find the time to write, but if it’s important, you’ll do it. (For example, when I was working full-time out of the house AND had three young kids, I gave up television for three years and wrote every night from 9 to midnight.) Also, learn how to discern constructive criticism–some advice is good, some isn’t. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to take and what to leave, but it’s important. Generally, advice that is constructive will help you see your flaws while also motivating you to keep writing; advice that is destructive will make you feel like a failure. Don’t listen to the destructive advice.

Q: What is the hardest part about writing for you?

A: Procrastinating. I get easily distracted, especially when I’m just starting a book. So I guess that means the beginning is hard, hahaha. Once I am deep into the story — somewhere between 100-150 pages — something clicks and then I can’t write fast enough. In fact, I’ve often said that it takes me twice as long to write the first 100 pages than it does to write the last 300 pages!

Q: Do you have a set schedule for writing or do you work writing into your existing schedule?

A: Before my first book came out in 2006, I worked full-time and I only had nights to write. I wrote every night when the kids went to bed, from 9 to midnight. Now I write full time, and I treat it as a full-time job — I start after the kids go to school (about 8 am) and generally wrap up before dinner (about 6 pm). Not all those hours are spent writing — I’ll research, read, spend time on social media — and sometimes I’ll write at night, especially if I have to take a day off for errands or I have an imminent deadline or if I’m super excited about the scene I’m writing. Because my time is flexible, I can go watch my daughter’s softball games or take a day to research on-site (like a ride-along.) I also write on the weekends, but only if we don’t have family things planned (or a softball tournament!)

Q: What is your favorite line from your book?

A: I don’t have a favorite line, per se. I have a couple favorite scenes. When Matt first comes to town and he and Kara walk through the crime scene. Matt’s conversations with Ryder Kim, his jack-of-all-trades analyst. Kara’s scenes with her grandmother. The climax was hugely fun to write, and needed a lot of choreographing on my part to make sure it made sense! There’s a scene from a child’s POV that was very emotional to write and stuck with me for a long time. I think Kara has most of the best lines, to be honest, and one of the best exchanges between her and Matt was after a press conference Matt gave with the Spokane PD, when Kara was in the audience trying to figure out if the killer was watching the speech. Matt was irritated because he hadn’t seen her, and Kara decided to have fun with him. At the end, as she’s about to leave the room:

Kara smiled and handed Matt his wallet. “You were too easy.”

Matt took his wallet, looking both surprised and angry, but also impressed. “You stole my wallet?”

“You gave me shit because you thought I’d bailed on you–I was just having fun. Don’t take it personally. I’ve been picking pockets since I was a little kid.”

 

Allison Brennan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of three dozen thrillers and numerous short stories. She was nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers, has had multiple nominations and two Daphne du Maurier Awards, and is a five-time RITA finalist for Best Romantic Suspense. Allison believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five kids. Allison and her family live in Arizona. Visit her at allisonbrennan.com

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Facebook: @AllisonBrennan
Twitter: @Allison_Brennan
Instagram: @abwrites
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Bound for Glory by Tess LeSue – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Bound for Glory by Tess LeSue – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
An unwilling legend and the woman who made him one face off in this epic conclusion to the Frontiers of the Heart series.

He has many names. They call him Deathrider, White Wolf, The Plague of the West. He’s the ice-eyed killer of the plains; the ghost of the trail; the restless spirit who haunts the frontier from California to Missouri, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. They say he seeks vengeance for his murdered people; they say he never sleeps; they say he moves silently through the night and changes form to run with the wolves. And that he is as beautiful as Lucifer.

At least, so they say. Ava Archer wouldn’t know; she’s never seen him. But that doesn’t stop her from writing about him. The Plague of the West is her bread and butter, and after more than a dozen dime novels, she thinks she probably knows Deathrider better than he knows himself, even if she wouldn’t recognize him on the street. If only rumors of his death would stop getting in the way of a good story….

Those damn stories make Nathaniel Rides With Death’s life an absolute misery. Thanks to his unwanted notoriety, he’s hunted like an animal by an endless stream of gunslingers looking to make a name for themselves. When someone close to Nate is shot by one of the gunslingers, Nate decides it’s time to hunt down the novelist at the root of all his troubles. He has a plan to end this farce once and for all….

 

 

Review:

Bound for Glory by Tess LeSue is the 4th and final book in her western historical romance Frontiers of the Heart series. We meet our heroine, Ava Archer, who is a famous author, who writes about the wicked west and her tales of the infamous, Deathrider or Plague of the West.  Ava has written many tales in her books about the dangerous Deathrider, who kills at will, and even rapes women along the way.  But Ava bases her stories on the gossip of others, and has never really met him.  Deathrider (Nathaniel), whose life is a mess, based on the untrue stories written by a woman who has ruined his life, with her false stories about him; constantly running from those hunting him.  

Ava finds herself in the middle of a hunt, that will bring all the criminals to win a large monetary prize, if they bring back the real Deathrider. Ava is pushed to also join the hunt, especially when a true evil man, Kennedy Voss, wants her.  As she tries to avoid him, she comes across a naked man, who is in bad shape and blind.  Despite her need to move on, Ava agrees to help the desperate man to get him to the next town.   Unbeknown to both of them, they will be surprised when their true identities is revealed.  The injured man is Deathrider, whom Ava thinks is an apache, and Nathaniel, has no idea she is the woman who has caused all his grief.   When Kennedy Voss catches up with them, he forces Ava to join hands with him and pretend that ‘apache” is Deathrider (which he truly is), and they can claim the prize.   There were many comical parts during this adventure, especially when they both discover who the other is. 

What follows is a fun adventure with some danger, excitement and the humorous banter between Nathanial and Ava.   I really liked them together, even though we did not think they could their relationship would ever work.  Will Deathrider ever be able to forgive Ava?  

I do not want to give spoilers, as it is a fun sotry that you need to read.  It was a very exciting and intense but satisfying conclusion.  Bound for Glory was a sweet fun historical western that was adventurous, romantic and humorous, with a great couple. The adventure was not only wild crazy, but a lot of humor along the way.   When they meet dangerous criminals during their travels, the situation becomes tense, and they manage to escape.  Though their relationship grows, Nathaniel discovers more about Ava that threatens to ruin any possibility of them being together.  But Tess LeSue writes a wonderful conclusion, also giving us a glimpse at the previous books couples.    Very well done.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

There was a naked man in the desert.
Ava Archer knew trouble when she saw it, and this was trouble with a capital T. She was alone in the desert, her horse was played out, her canteen was bone-dry, and she was out of bullets. This was no time to be running into natives. Even a solitary one. If she had any sense at all, she would turn right around and run in the other direction . . . but Kennedy Voss was in the other direction, and Kennedy Voss was a mean son of a bitch. Besides, she was desperate for water, and maybe this Indian had some.
She’d thought she’d known thirst before—but this was something else again. She felt made of grit and sand, her every pore a desert in miniature, her tongue thick and swollen in her cottony mouth; even her eyes and nose had dried out. And every thud of her horse’s hooves on the ground made a drumbeat: Water. Water. Water. Water.
So Ava kept on toward the man, pulled by the hope of water. As she plodded closer, she reassured herself that at least there was only one of him, and from what she could see, he was in bad shape: he was squatting under the screamingly bright September sun, naked from the waist up, his body a patchwork of bruises, and both of his eyes swollen shut. Ava doubted he could see her. But he knew she was there, because he rose to his feet at the sound of her tired horse dragging his way.
Oh dear. He wasn’t mostly naked, she saw as he stood: he was completely naked. He was also tall, wide, and terrifyingly powerful. A warrior. He was the color of rosewood, his muscles as hard as if he’d been carved from a tree. And he was covered in tattoos, including a sprawling, intricate pattern in the shape of a bird, which stretched its wings the breadth of his thickly muscled chest. His hair was long, loose, and coated in dust; it fell down his back in tangles to his shoulder blades. He was bruised all over, she realized as her gaze drifted down, wincing as she took in the black blotches on his legs. There was a particularly nasty one on his hip, right next to . . .
Ava tore her gaze away. Hell. She was alone in the desert with a naked man. A big, powerful, wounded naked man. And she was heat struck and ill with thirst, barely able to think straight.
She couldn’t have stumbled onto a little old lady instead? Or a nice family, with a pack of kids? A pack of kids and an icy-cold barrel of water . . .
Ava rubbed her hand across her dry mouth. She felt skin flakes come away on her fingers and winced. She needed to get hold of herself. She was growing delirious. This here was just an injured man. Probably an Apache, considering she was somewhere near the Apacheria. Probably. Maybe. Who knew where the hell she was, to be honest. Purgatory seemed likely. Little old ladies and nice families didn’t go wandering around Purgatory—this was the best she could hope for. She should have been grateful that he was just one beat-up Apache and not a whole party. And at least he wasn’t Kennedy Voss. Without even realizing she was doing it, she glanced over her shoulder, as though thinking about Voss might summon him. That man gave her the willies. Voss was likely to be somewhere nearby (she hadn’t had that much of a head start on him), and here she was about to die of thirst right in his path. She didn’t have time to be distracted by naked strangers.


 

 

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A COWBOY LIKE YOU (Heart of Texas #4) by Donna Grant-Review

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A COWBOY LIKE YOU (Heart of Texas #4) by Donna Grant–Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

A COWBOY LIKE YOU
Heart of Texas #4
by Donna Grant
Release Date: November 26, 2019
Genre: adult ,contemporary, romantic, suspense

 

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 26, 2019.

In the Heart of Texas, a heartthrob cowboy may get his second chance at love…

Danny Oldman, the handsome Lone Star sheriff, is still single. He tells himself, and anyone who asks, that he is married to his job―and what matters most is keeping the people of his beloved Texas hometown safe. The truth? Danny still hasn’t gotten over his high school crush. She moved away after graduation and took Danny’s heart with her.

Skylar Long never thought she would have to flee Houston and return home―where it all began for her. But that’s what happened after the man of her dreams turned out to be an actual nightmare. Now, Skylar is desperate to escape her obsessive boyfriend. Nothing shocks her more than seeing Danny again and realizing that their long-ago attraction is more powerful than ever. But can she and Danny find a way to fight against Skylar’s wealthy, powerful ex who is dead set on tearing them apart?

••••••••••••

REVIEW: A COWBOY LIKE YOU is the fourth instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult HEART OF TEXAS romantics suspense series . This is Lone Star sheriff Danny Oldman, and Skylar Long’s story line. A COWBOY LIKE YOU can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from several third person perspectives including Danny and Skylar A COWBOY LIKE YOU follows the building relationship between Lone Star sheriff Danny Oldman, and Skylar Long. Years earlier Skylar had fallen for her high school crush Danny Oldman but Skylar believed Danny never knew Skylar existed. Fast forward to present day wherein Skylar has returned to her hometown in an effort to escape her abusive past. A parking lot confrontation with her ex Matt Gaudet finds Sheriff Danny Oldman rescuing our heroine, a woman he has not been unable to get out of his mind. What ensues is the building relationship between Skylar and Danny, and the potential fall-out as Skylar’s past is determined to destroy the man with whom our heroine has fallen in love.

Danny Oldman has never forgotten about Skylar Long. With her return home, Danny finds himself looking forward to something more with our story line heroine but Skylar’s past is seeking revenge for perceived sins, rejection and embarrassment, revenge that pulls Danny into a world out of his control. Skylar is desperate to escape the abuse of her most recent ex but Matt Gaudet has a reputation buried by his family’s money, a reputation that is dangerous and dark.

The relationship between Danny and Skylar is a high school friends to lovers; a relationship based on mutual attraction and the fear of rejection. Danny is desperate to start a romance with our story line heroine but struggles with the threats against her life, and the people she loves. 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 Navy SEAL Clayton East and Abby Harper (The Christmas Cowboy Hero #1), Brice Harper (Cowboy Cross My Heart #2), former Green Beret Caleb Harper and veterinarian Audrey Martinez (My Favorite Cowboy #3); Jace Wilder; Cooper Owens; Skylar’s ex Matt Gaudet, his brother Spencer as well as the indulgent parents.

A COWBOY LIKE YOU is a story of abuse, power and control; of vengeance and betrayal; of love and happily ever after. The premise is exciting and engaging; the characters are energetic and colorful; the romance is seductive and sexy. A COWBOY LIKE YOU is a wonderfully spirited addition to the author’s Heart of Texas series.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Christmas Cowboy Hero
Cowboy, Cross My Heart
My Favorite Cowboy

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Of all the people Danny had thought he might run into, he’d never in a million years expected to see Skylar Long again. If he believed in destiny, he’d almost accept that his thinking of her earlier had brought her straight to him.
One of the things he remembered about her was how she’d wanted to get out of their town and move to a big city. Her sights had been set on Houston or even Dallas. She had wanted to get lost in all the people.
Many of his classmates had spoken about leaving their little town, but few did. And many who left eventually returned. Not Skylar. She’d gotten out, and he’d figured she would stay gone forever. After all, her parents had moved about ten years ago, which meant there was no reason for her to return.
Yet, here she was. And more stunning than ever.
She had been Danny’s crush from the time they were in grade school. Skylar had always been a free spirit. She had confidence that most girls her age lacked. It wasn’t arrogance, simply a belief in herself that came through in everything she did.
While beautiful, she had been a little reserved. She had run with the popular crowd, but she didn’t wield that social level to degrade anyone or use it to her benefit like others had. She had been kind, and she wore her heart on her sleeve.
He and Skylar had been able to talk about anything. She was always open and engaging, but Danny had never pursued her as his girlfriend. He’d never thought he was good enough for her, not when so many of his other friends had wooed her.
Danny looked at her. The harsh light of the streetlamp above them couldn’t diminish her beauty. Her golden blond hair was pulled up haphazardly with strands falling around her face and neck. But her large, azure eyes still held more shock and fear than he liked.
She was on the petite side with curves in all the right places. Her lips were full, pouty even, and they made his blood heat just looking at them. Her skin had the dewy glow of a healthy lifestyle that made him want to reach out and run the pads of his fingers down her cheek to see if her skin was as velvety as it appeared.
Hearing her story earlier made him want to go find Matt and punch him a few times. Danny had never been so happy to be in the right place at the right time. He gave himself an inward shake to get back to the matter at hand. “And what happened tonight?” Danny asked to get the final piece of the puzzle.
Skylar shrugged. “It was Matt’s night out with friends. I made sure to keep to my same schedule, not doing anything that would alert him that I planned to leave. I waited an hour after he left before I grabbed an overnight bag and threw a few things in. I just wanted to get out. I didn’t care about the rest of my stuff. I figured I could get it back later or replace it.”
“It was a good decision. Things can be replaced. Your life can’t. So, how did he figure out that you left?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Concern clouded her face. “He was gone, I know it. I even drove by the bar to make sure his car was there. Then I headed straight out of town.”
This wasn’t the first time Danny had dealt with a domestic situation like this, but he didn’t like that he knew one of the parties involved. Mainly because he knew the odds of how such circumstances turned out.
Danny ran a hand down his face, his gut churning. “If he was gone from the house and at the bar, then he had to know you left somehow. Are there cameras in the residence?”
Her eyes widened, and her lips parted in shock. “I . . . I don’t know. There could be. It sounds like something he’d do. He was adamant about me moving into his place. It was bigger than mine, even though mine was in a better location, so I agreed.”
“What about tracking your car?”
She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders at the same time. “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“Does he always know what’s going on in your life?
People you’ve talked to, places you’ve been?” “Yes.”
“What about phone calls and texts? Does he ask you specifics about them?”
She frowned as she thought about his question. “He used to, but not anymore.”
Danny figured as much.
Skylar’s gaze sharpened on him. “Why? Do you think he installed some kind of spyware on my phone? Oh, God. He installed spyware on my phone.”
“We’ll get you a new one, and I’ll have my guys look over your car to see if there’s any kind of device.”
Her eyes filled with tears that she hastily blinked away. “How did I get into such a situation?”
“It doesn’t matter. What counts is that you’re getting out of it. If that’s what you want.”
Her head bobbed up and down rapidly. “Yes. I knew I was getting away from him tonight, one way or another.”
Danny recalled that she had said she had a handgun in her car. Not that he could blame her for having it, but he was happy she hadn’t had to use it. “I’m glad you pulled in here.”
“I wasn’t going to. As soon as I thought the headlights were from a car like his, I thought it was just my imagination, that I was just scared and seeing things. Then something told me to pull in here and see if the vehicle followed. As soon as it did, I knew it was Matt. Why were you here?”
Danny lifted one shoulder and twisted his lips. “Eating dinner.”
She blinked and looked around. “At a rest stop?” “Yeah. Where were you headed?” he asked to change the subject. He didn’t want to discuss his lack of a life, not when her situation was more important.
Skylar blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I just got on the road and drove. I didn’t even realize I was here until I saw the county sign five miles back.”
“Is there anyone in town you can stay with?”
Her gaze dropped to the ground. “I didn’t keep up with anyone here. I can stay at a hotel.”
“That’s the first place Matt will look for you when he gets out of jail. I could post a deputy to keep watch, but that’s a temporary fix.”
“I understand.” Her gaze lifted to his, and she forced a smile that didn’t reach her blue eyes. “You’ve been a great help tonight, but you’ve done enough. I’ll figure something out.”
Danny took a step toward her. “If you think I’m going to walk away, then you don’t remember me at all.”
“Oh, I remember you,” she said. This time, the smile was the one he remembered from years earlier.
“Then let me help.”
Worry crossed her face once more. “Matt is the kind that won’t give up, isn’t he?”
“Let’s just say that I don’t want to take any chances with him. I know the perfect place you can stay. It’s a fortress unto itself. There’s no way Matt can get anywhere near you there.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Her relief was so great that her shoulders drooped with it. “I can follow you there.”
“Your car is staying here. I’ll have it towed to the station to be looked over. Get whatever you need. I’ll drive you.” 


 

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

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Leopard’s Wrath (Leopards #11) by Christine Feehan-Review & Giveaway

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Leopard’s Wrath (Leopards #11) by Christine Feehan-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

LEOPARD’S WRATH
Leopard Series #11
by Christine Feehan
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, paranormal, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 5, 2019

He’s a man used to getting what he wants, but she’s not the type of woman to take things lying down….

Born into a life of crime, Mitya Amurov has had a hard life, and his leopard has developed into a feral beast to protect him. It’s constantly trying to claw its way to the surface—until a chance encounter with a stranger instantly calms the predator inside him. While Mitya wants Ania desperately, it’s only a matter of time before his past catches up with him, and he’d rather die than put her in danger. But Ania is dealing with dangers of her own….

Considering her family’s history, Ania Dover should know better than to get mixed up with a criminal like Mitya, but she just can’t stay away. Something wild in her responds to his presence. A need so strong it scares her. But she’s not sure she can accept what he’s offering. Ania has always been an independent woman, and Mitya expects to be obeyed in all things.

Even with her body calling out for his, Ania won’t let anything stop her from settling a deadly score years in the making—not even the man who wants to claim her as his mate.

•••••••••

REVIEW:LEOPARD’S WRATH is the eleventh instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult LEOPARDS paranormal, erotic, romance series focusing on a group of Leopard shifters. This is Russian leopard shifter and businessman Mitya Amurov, and Anja Dover’s story line. LEOPARD’S WRATH can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory, history and cohesion.

NOTE: LEOPARD’S WRATH contains scenes of graphic violence and implied abuse, including memories and retelling of events as well as spanking and discipline, that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Ania and Mitya) LEOPARD’S WRATH follows the building relationship between Russian leopard shifter Mitya Amurov, and Anja Dover. MItya Amurov found Ania Dover stranded on the side of the road not realizing that Ania was his intended mate, a female leopard shifter who lived on the neighboring estate. About to enter into the Han Vol Dan, the female leopard shifter’s first fertile period, Ania is caught unaware as she struggles with her father’s declining health, and staying one step ahead of the people who have targeted her and her family for execution. But all is not well in the world of the Leopard shifter, as more than one family has been targeted by someone intent on destroying them all. What ensues is the building relationship between Ania and Mitya, and the potential fall-out as secrets and lies, and the struggle for power threaten everyone in Ania and Mitya’s circles.

Ania Dover comes from a long line of leopard shifters who have worked on the periphery of organized crime. A car enthusiast and lover of speed, Ania is more than capable of holding her own when it comes to getting out of harm’s way but Ania is unprepared for the emotional and physical needs of her leopard, and finds herself in situations where she has very little control. Mitya Amurov never thought he would find someone to love especially in the wake of his violent lifestyle and the abuse he suffered as a child but meeting Ania Dover meant the possibility of his own happily ever after if not for the threats against his life by the leopard that is his sire.

The relationship between Ania and Mitya is one of immediate attraction fated by DNA, need and the Han Vol Dan. Mitya Amurov, like all male leopard shifters, is a possessive and controlling man, and is aware that Ania is about to enter into her time of need, a time when every male shifter will target the woman he loves, to make her their own. Ania will become the recipient of many offers as she approaches the Han Vol Dan. Ania struggles with her attraction to Mitya, a man she knows to be dangerous and dark but her father’s rapid decline in health meant Mitya is the man to step up and help the dying shifter in his final hours. The $ex scenes are passionate, erotic, and intense. There are some scenes of spanking and discipline .

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of strong secondary and supporting characters including Mitya’s cousins and their mates: Evangeline and Fyodor Amurov (Leopard’s Blood #8), Timur and Ashe Amurov (Leopard’s Run #10), as well as Jake Bannaconni, Drake Donovan, Joshua Tegre, Elijah Lospostos, Eli Perez, Mitya’s right hand man Sevastyan, and shifters Vikenti and Zinoviy, Miron, Kiriil and Matvei, Mitya’s father Lazar; Ania’s father Antosha, as well as numerous leopard shifters from various crime families.

LEOPARD’S WRATH is a story of family, betrayal, power and revenge; a story of grief, loss, threats and control. The action packed premise is entertaining, engaging and emotional; the characters are colorful, energetic and dynamic; the romance is spicy, sensual and hot. LEOPARD’S WRATH and the Leopard Series will open up your imagination to the wonders of the paranormal.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Wild Rain
Burning Wild
Wild Fire
Savage Nature
Leopard’s Prey
Cat’s Lair
Wild Cat
Leopard’s Fury
Leopard’s Blood
Leopard’s Run
Leopard’s Wrath

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 70 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series and Torpedo Ink. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.

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The Reading Cafe and Christine’s Feehan’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of LEOPARD’S WRATH to ONE lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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Wrapped Up in You by Jill Shalvis – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Wrapped Up in You by Jill Shalvis – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
It’s love. Trust me.

After a lifetime on the move, Ivy Snow is an expert in all things temporary—schools, friends, and way too many Mr. Wrongs. Now that she owns a successful taco truck in San Francisco and an apartment to call home, Ivy’s reinvented life is on solid ground. And she’s guarded against anything that can rock it. Like the realities of a past she’s worked hard to cover up. And especially Kel O’Donnell. Too hot not to set off alarms, he screams temporary. If only his whispers weren’t so delightfully naughty and irresistible.

Kel, an Idaho sheriff and ranch owner, is on vacay, but Ivy’s a spicy reason to give his short-terms plans a second thought. Best of all, she’s a tonic for his untrusting heart, burned once and still in repair. But when Ivy’s past intrudes on a perfect romance, Kel fears that everything she’s told him has been a perfect lie. Now, if only Ivy’s willing to share, Kel will fight for a true love story.

 

 

Review:

Wrapped Up in You by Jill Shalvis is the 8th book in her wonderful Heartbreaker Bay series.  Having read all the books in this series, I could not wait to get my hands on this one, which I always expect from Jill Shalvis to be a fun wonderful read. Wrapped in You reads very well as a standalone, but why miss out on meeting the wonderful heroes/heroines that make this series so much fun; you should start at the beginning.

We met Ivy Snow, our heroine, in earlier books, but she was more of a background character, but now in Wrapped in You, she is the main character.  Ivy is very close friends with Sadie (last book heroine), and she runs a successful Taco Truck, which puts her into this fabulous group of friends we have come to love over the previous books.  Ivy has always been a loner, keeping secrets about her childhood, and her errant brother; but she is finally happy with her fun friends, her food truck, and moving into a new condo and finally finding a place to stay.

Kel O’Donnell, our hero, is Caleb’s cousin and new to this series.  Kel is on leave from his job as Sheriff in Idaho, as he was hurt and betrayed by one of his co-workers.  Kel meets Ivy when they guys were out for a run, and stopped at the Taco truck (where they always go); and he finds himself surprisingly attracted to Ivy, especially after she gives him a mouth burning hot taco. 

Kel has his own family issues, as he has not gotten over his mom leaving him and his sister when they were very young, with them having to move to live with their grandparents.   When Kel visits his sister, she tries to tell him that his mom lives in the area; but he refuses to see or forgive her.  When he and Ivy begin to spend more time with each other, they both know there will be no future, as Kel plans to go back to Idaho.  Ivy tries to convince Kel to give his mother a chance to explain, but he is very stubborn, which leads to occasional disagreements between them, especially since Ivy’s brother turns out to be bad and causing her grief.    

I really loved Ivy, who was a wonderful strong, independent heroine, and enjoyed watching her open herself to trust her friends and a possible relationship with Kel.   When she finally feels comfortable with Kel, the return of her bad brother puts her in a bad light, and Kel, who already has trust issues, causes them to break up.  Will they get back to together?

What follows is a heartwarming and emotional romance, with both Kel and Ivy each having difficult pasts.  Just when you think that Kel will prove to Ivy how much he cares for her; things will blow up to threaten their relationship.   This is a wonderful story of two flawed people, who find a way to each other, but both must rise above the past.

Wrapped Up in You was a fun, heartwarming, sexy, enjoyable read, with an outstanding cast of characters. It is always such a pleasure to spend time with all or our Heartbreaker Bay family.  If you love pure romance, friendships, a sexy couple, and are not reading Jill Shalvis, it is time for you to do so. Don’t start just with this book, as why miss out on the earlier wonderful fun heroes/heroines that make this series so much fun; you need to start at the beginning.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Chapter 1
Dig Deep
“Stay down.”
No, she would not stay down. Mostly because Ivy Snow didn’t know the meaning of the words. Not once in her hard-knock, scrappy life had she ever ‘stayed down.’ So she popped back up, using a spin and a roundhouse kick to level her opponent.
Her kickboxing partner and friend hit the mat and grinned from flat on her back. “That’s gotta be worth at least a donut. You’re buying.”
“Can’t,” Ivy said, eyeing the time. “I’ve gotta get to work.”
“Well, damn.” Sadie sat up and yawned. “I’ve still got a whole hour and a half before I have to do the same, which means I’m going back to bed. And if I’m lucky, Caleb’ll still be in it.”
Caleb was Sadie’s fiancé. Ignoring the little spurt of envy at the thought of having someone waiting in bed for her, Ivy hit the locker room to shower and change.
Fifteen minutes later, suitably beaten up by their four times a week kickboxing session, she left the gym. It was six a.m., her very least favorite time of the day, and she shivered unhappily. It was two weeks before Christmas, which for San Francisco meant it could be any weather at all. Today it was forty-five degrees and she’d forgotten her jacket. She was on a budget, a tight one, but it wasn’t worth freezing to death for a couple of bucks so she decided to forgo walking and hopped on a bus rather than turn into a human popsicle.
A guy in a suit, sneakers, and holding a huge energy drink took the seat next to her, giving her a not-so-discreet onceover. “’Morning,” he said with a charming smile.
And yes, she’d just felt a little wistful about not having anyone waiting for her in her bed, but that was fantasy, and Ivy was nothing if not grounded in reality. These days she prided herself on her sharply honed survivor skills, but in the past, she’d definitely failed herself in the man department. This was in good part thanks to a wanderlust lifestyle and a weakness for sexy grins that promised – and usually delivered – trouble.
Like this guy’s.
But that was all behind her now. She’d promised herself. So she gave him a vague, not-interested smile and turned away to look out the window. Rude? Probably. But she was calloused, and — as every guy she’d ever let in too close had complained — a tough nut to crack. The words cold and scary had also been thrown around.
She didn’t mind. She actually liked it, even if the image went completely against her Disney princess-like moniker, Ivy Snow. Maybe especially because it did. Her name had been a bone of contention for a long time, but it wasn’t like she’d named herself. Her mother had done that, reportedly on some good prescription meds at the time.
At her stop, she exited the bus and walked the last two blocks to work, getting a little happier with each step because one, exercise was over for the day, and two, she loved her job.
For as long as she could remember, her entire life had been transient. This was mostly thanks to a dad who’d taken off and a lounge singer mom who changed jobs like other women changed nail polish. As a result, Ivy had gone to a bunch of different schools, managing to slip through a whole bunch of cracks while she was at it. Luckily, she had been insanely curious and loved reading, and had taught herself most of the time. As a result, she was a pro chameleon and excelled at temporary. Temporary friends, temporary jobs, temporary life. It had suited her for a long time.
Until it hadn’t.
She’d woken up one day about a year ago and had realized she’d changed. Moving around no longer suited her and she was over living out of a backpack. So at the dubiously mature age of twenty-eight, she was trying a new lane. She’d settled in the Cow Hollow District of San Francisco, running a thing called The Taco Truck and living in an apartment that had her name on the lease.
Roots. After a lifetime of running, being invisible, and just barely getting by, she was growing roots. She was going for a life that until now had only existed for her on TV and in the movies, meaning friends and family, real family who’d stick with her through thick and thin. And maybe … maybe even someone to love.
Unnerving that she was actively working towards the very things that had terrified her for most of her life, but she’d decided she’d rather be scared shitless than live with regrets. So she’d learned to put a smile on her face, because everyone knew you had to fake it to make it, right?
The Taco Truck was parked in the alley of the Pacific Pier Building. She kept it there at night thanks to the fact that the owner of the building, Spence Baldwin, loved her food. And his grandpa, Old Man Eddie, who lived in the alley – by choice — had spent most of last year acting as a guard dog for her.
But just before winter had hit this year, Spence had finally talked his grandpa into taking an apartment in the building, so he no longer had eyes on her truck. Still, it felt safe here, and she trusted the space.
On work days, she pulled the truck out to the street at the entrance to the courtyard, always a gamble because her city permit hadn’t yet come through. Permits were incredibly difficult to come by, but she’d been told she was finally going to get one, and hopefully that was true.
Just looking at the truck had put a smile on her face – a real one. She moved the truck and had just parked for the day when her day’s deliveries arrived. She received her pre-ordered inventory and eyed the time. Six thirty. She opened at seven sharp, so she got started chopping ingredients, frying up meats, arranging the makings for the day’s menu. Her menu. She liked the work. Actually, she loved the work, and her boss wasn’t bad either. She smiled at that as she worked because she was the boss. She owned the truck.
Okay, so she was making payments on it, but she was actually in the black these days. Everything about that thought improved her day on the spot. Today she wasn’t going to worry about bills or permits. She was going to enjoy herself, her food, and her new goals.
She was comfortable here in her small but mighty space of seventy-five square feet, working her magic, making what she liked to think were the most delicious tacos in the bay area. It wasn’t an easy job. She spent just as much time prepping and being a mechanic as she did being a chef. And then there was the ordering and buying of all the necessary supplies, not to mention the bookkeeping, which often kept her up late into the night.
Her work was never done, but she was good with that. Hell, she was great with that. After spending most of her life at the mercy of others, she thrived on being independent and having no one tell her what to do or when to do it.
She was still prepping when she heard voices outside. She handled breakfast and lunch on her own, her two biggest meals. After that, her part time helper Jenny came in the afternoons to handle the much thinner dinner crowd and closing. For now, Ivy still had her CLOSED sign up, but the voices stopped right outside her truck. Men, at least two of them, possibly three. With a sigh, she opened the serving window and stuck her head out.
A trio of extremely hot guys dressed in running gear and looking hungry as hell glanced up from the menu board posted on the side of her truck. Ivy knew two of them, Caleb and Jake, both currently off the market, so she felt free to give them her flirtiest smile. “Sorry, guys, not open for another twenty minutes.”
Jake returned her flirty smile from his wheelchair while upping it another factor, which she knew was just a ploy to get his way.
“But you make the best food in the city,” he said sweetly, as if Ivy could be swayed by sweet. “And we’ve all gotta be at work by seven.”
Caleb stood at his side, and was a friend of Ivy’s, and also a savior as he’d helped her navigate the purchase of her truck when dealing with the previous owner had gotten tricky. “I’m pretty sure you said you owed me a favor,” he reminded her, always the negotiator.
Knowing the venture capitalist could talk anyone into just about anything, she laughed and gave in. “Fine. Figure out what you want and make it quick. But then we’re even, Caleb.”
They weren’t even. She owed him much more than an early breakfast, and they both knew it. But having gotten his way as he always did, he smiled. “The usual for me.”
“Me too,” Jake said.
Ivy nodded and turned her attention to the third man.
She’d never seen him before, she most certainly would have remembered. Like the others, he was in running gear that fit his leanly muscled bod, which he held in a way that suggested military or cop. And just like that, the always-on-alert scared little kid she’d once been sent an automatic danger warning to her brain.
But she was no longer helpless, she reminded herself. She no longer had to pretend to be tough and brave. She was tough and brave. So she kept her smile in place, forcing herself to relax. She had nothing to hide. Everything she did these days was on the up and up, she’d made sure of it.
And it wasn’t exactly a hardship to look at him. His smile certainly was heart-stopping as he added his charm to both Caleb and Jake’s. And there was considerable charm. He had dark eyes and dark hair cut short, and in spite of his smile, when those eyes met hers, they gave away nothing of his thoughts.
Yep. Cop, she thought, which was a damn shame.
#
Kel O’Donnell stood there in front of The Taco Truck, starving and aching like a son-of-a-bitch. Pushing his body on a five mile full out run hadn’t been the smartest of ideas after what he’d been through. But his more immediate problem was that if he didn’t get food and fast, his stomach was going to eat itself.
The woman inside the truck looked to him for his order. “And you?” she asked, her voice slightly amused, as if life wasn’t to be taken too seriously, especially while ordering tacos.
But he was taking this very seriously, as his hunger felt soul deep. “What do you suggest?”
This caused twin groans from his cousin Caleb and their longtime friend Jake, which Kel ignored.
Not his server though. She quirked a single brow, the small gesture making him feel more than he had in months. Certainly since his life had detonated several months ago when he’d chased after a suspect on foot, only to be hit by the getaway car, getting himself punted a good fifteen feet into the air. That had hurt. But what had hurt more was his perp turning out to be a dirty cop. And not any dirty cop, but a long time friend, which had nearly cost him life and career.
But hell, at least neither were on the line this time. It was just a pretty woman giving him some cute, sexy ‘tude while waiting on him to decide between an avocado and bacon tacos, or spicy green eggs and ham tacos.
“You’re going to have to excuse my dumbass cousin, Ivy,” Caleb said. “Kel hasn’t lived in San Francisco for a long time and doesn’t know that you’ve got the best food truck in all of Cow Hollow. Hell, in the whole bay area.”
“It’s true,” Jake said and nudged Kel, and with Jake in the wheelchair, he got the nudge right in the back of the knee and just about went down.
“Everything on the menu,” Jake said, “and I do mean everything is gold. Trust me, it’ll melt in your mouth and make you want to drop to your knees and beg Ivy here to marry you.”
Ivy sent Jake the sweetest smile Kel had ever seen. Then those compelling eyes were back on him, the sweet completely gone. She leaned out her serving window a little bit, bracing her weight on her elbows. Her hair was the color of fire, a stunning pile of red held back by an elf headband, which left a few strands falling around her face, framing it. Her apron read: I don’t wanna taco ‘bout it. “What do I suggest?” she repeated.
“Yeah.” Just looking at her, he could feel himself relax for the first time in … way too long. Something about her did that to him. Instant chemistry. He hadn’t felt it often in his life and it always ended up a train wreck, so why the hell he felt relaxed, he had no idea. But it had him flashing another smile. “How about you pick for me.”
Her lips quirked at that. “Fair warning — I like things hot.”
“I love things hot,” he said.
Jake just grinned. “Aw man, she’s gonna eat you up and spit you out. I’m so happy.”
“Shh,” Caleb said. “I don’t want to miss him getting his ass handed to him.”
Ivy just cocked her head at Kel. “Think you can handle the heat?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Five minutes.” And she shut the window on them.
They moved to one of the two picnic tables at the entrance to the courtyard in front of them, where they sat to wait for their food. Caleb looked at Kel and shook his head. “Man, as much as I enjoy seeing you get your ego squashed, I feel duty bound to warn you. Whatever’s making you smile, it’s never going to happen. Ivy’s not the girl you have fun with and walk away from. And plus, she hates cops.”
“Agreed,” Jake said. “You’ve got a better shot at stealing Sadie away from Caleb. And good luck with that. Your cousin’s woman is batshit crazy over him, God knows why.”
Caleb just smiled, apparently not feeling the need to defend his relationship.
Kel was happy for him. Very happy. Caleb hadn’t given his heart away … ever. And for good reasons, which Kel had hated for him. “About time you found someone who deserves you.”
Caleb was quiet a moment. “I like having you here,” he said, kind enough to leave out the tone of recrimination. It’d been a long time, too long, which had been all Kel’s doing. He’d spent the first ten years of his life here in the city, he and his sister and his parents. They’d lived next door to his aunt and her kids, including Caleb. Kel hadn’t realized at the time, but they’d all been poor as dirt, even though his parents had always managed to make it seem like they’d had everything they’d needed.
Then his mom had destroyed that happy illusion with a single, shattering mistake, creating a huge rift none of them had recovered from. Two years later had come yet another blow. His dad had died, and Kel and his older sister Remy had gone to Idaho to be raised by their grandparents.
It’d sucked.
“You see Remy yet?” Caleb asked.
Kel’s sister had moved back here to San Francisco after getting married last year. And no, he hadn’t seen her yet. And yes, he was stalling.
“Okay … how about your mom?” Caleb asked.
Kel slid him a look.
Caleb raised his hands. “Hey, just asking.”
“Uh huh. Do you ask all your employees such personal questions?”
“No, just my brother.”
“I’m your cousin.”
“You’re my brother,” Caleb said with meaning.
Kel sighed and looked over at Jake.
Jake shrugged. “He likes to adjust facts to suit him. But you knew that already.”
Ivy came out of the truck with three baskets. She served Jake first, then Caleb, and finally Kel. She handed him his basket and stood there at his side, a tiny pixie of a woman in that sassy apron, elf headband, and painted on jeans faded to a buttery softness. Her boots were serious and kickass, and because he was a very sick man, they turned him on.
Since she was clearly going nowhere until he tried her food, he took a bite of what looked like the most amazing breakfast taco he’d ever seen and … almost died. Spicy was an understatement. Holy hell hot was an understatement. But it was also the best thing he’d ever tasted, even if his tongue was numb.
Ivy smiled at him. “Still think you can handle the heat?”
Jake and Caleb were doubled over laughing, the asses. “I’m not a cop,” he managed to wheeze, holding her gaze while he took another bite. And another. No doubt, he was going to eat her food the entire three weeks he was here. If he lived that long.
“He’s a sheriff and ranch owner in Idaho,” Caleb said. “So … kind of a cop.”
“Also kind of a cowboy,” Jake added ever so helpfully.
Kel rolled his still watering eyes. His grandparents had left him and Remy their ranch, which he oversaw, but had employees handling the day to day operations since his day job was more like a 24/7 job. “I’m just a guy on vacay,” he croaked out. The more accurate term would have been assigned slash medical leave, but hell if he was going to share that. Or the fact that his still healing broken ribs ached like a bitch, as did the deep bone bruising he’d suffered down the entire right side of his body from being pitched into the air by a moving vehicle.
Caleb snorted. “You don’t do vacay. As evidenced by the fact you agreed to work for me for the entire two weeks you’re here. I needed him,” he said to Ivy. “He’s got serious skills. He’s going to manage security on several large projects, including my most recently acquired building, the one being renovated into condos.” He looked at Kel. “Ivy’s going to buy one with her brother, who’s an antiquities specialist. It’s a great investment,” he said like a proud parent, even though at thirty-two, he couldn’t have been more than five years or so older than Ivy.
“Actually, it might just be me investing,” Ivy said. “Brandon just got into a deal on the east coast I was telling you about.”
“The auction house job.”
“Yes, and it’s going to keep him busy for a while, so…” She shrugged. “I told him I’d go after this myself.”
“That’s too bad,” Caleb said. “Was looking forward to meeting him.”
Kel stopped chewing because something in Ivy’s tone had just set off his bullshit radar. She was either lying or stretching the truth, but his eyes were still watering and his throat was burning or he might’ve joined the conversation.
Ivy reached out as if to take away his basket, but he held firm to it and kept eating. He was starting to sweat and he couldn’t feel his lips, but he also couldn’t get enough.
“Okay, Cowboy, it’s your funeral,” she said, and he couldn’t tell if she was impressed or horrified.
A few more people were milling around her truck now, and she eyed her watch.
“They start lining up earlier every day,” Caleb said.
“Hey, Ivy,” one of the guys who was waiting called out. “The fuzz! They’re coming around the corner!”
“Crap!” Ivy ran towards her truck, yelling to the people standing in line, “I’ll be back in ten minutes. If you wait and save my spot, I’ll give you a discount!” And then she slapped the window and door closed and roared off down the street.
A minute later a cop drove by slowly, but didn’t stop. When he was gone, the group of people who’d been lining up for tacos stepped into the empty parking spot Ivy had left.
Not ten seconds later, a car came along and honked at the people standing in the spot. “Get out of my way,” the driver yelled.
No one budged.
The car window lowered and a hand emerged, flipping everyone the bird.
This didn’t make anyone move either, and finally the guy swore and drove off in a huff.
“What the hell?” Kel asked.
“She’s not supposed to be on the street before seven,” Jake said.
“I’m working on getting her a city permit,” Caleb said. “They’re extremely hard to get.”
Kel was boggled. “But … those people are blocking the street. They could get a ticket.”
“Thought you weren’t a cop,” Caleb said, looking amused.
Kel shook his head and went back to his tacos, and for a guy who believed in the law, when the incredible burst of flavors once again hit his tongue, he thought maybe he could understand the flagrant disregard of it in this one case.



New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

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Love at First Bark by Debbie Burns – Review,Excerpt & Giveaway

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Love at First Bark by Debbie Burns – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Animal portrait painter Mia Chambers and architect Ben Thomas have volunteered at the High Grove Animal Shelter for years, and they share a complicated history. Ben has secretly loved Mia all this time, but she was married to his best friend. Now she’s newly widowed, with a young son, and Ben doesn’t know how to tell her what’s in his heart. All he can do is stay close, help her as much as she’ll let him, and watch for the right moment to bare his soul.

When a dozen adorable border collies get dumped in St. Louis’ biggest park, everyone at the shelter mobilizes for a large-scale rescue. Rushing to the park to round up the frisky collies, Ben and Mia unexpectedly plunge into a new phase of their entangled lives. Who knew that opening their hearts and homes—to animals in need and to each other—would lead to so many upheavals…and new beginnings…?

Rescue Me Series:
A New Leash on Love (Book 1)
Sit, Stay, Love (Book 2)
My Forever Home (Book 3)
Love at First Bark (Book 4)

 

 

Review:

Love at First Bark by Debbie Burns is the 4th book in her Rescue Me series. We return to High Grove Animal Shelter, revisiting many people we met in the previous books.   Mia Chambers, our heroine, works at the shelter and also paints animal pictures.  Mia is recently widowed (though she was in the middle of a divorce) and has an adorable 7 year old son, Ollie.

Ben Thomas, our hero, has always been in love with Mia, but she was married to his best friend.   Ben does everything he can to help Mia and her son, as well as participate in events for the shelter; but he awaits the right moment to let Mia know about his true feelings. 

I was great to see Megan, Patrick, Tess and all the others from the shelter, as well as all the cats and dogs, especially those that we know.  Mia’s mother makes a surprise visit, and she pushes Mia to open her eyes to Ben’s love for her.  Mia also must deal with her in-laws, who are not keen on Mia becoming involved with anyone.   But Mia will stand up to them, noting that she was in the middle of finalizing a divorce. 

When someone dumps a dozen border collies in a park, everyone bands together to rescue them. I really enjoyed Ben, Mia and Ollie bringing two dogs (mother and puppy) home to foster and eventually adopt them.  Very cute.   The hunt to find and place the border collies, brings Ben and Mia closer, with both acknowledging their feelings for each other.

What follows is a wonderful sweet romance between Ben and Mia, with added the  element of Ollie.  I love this series, which spends much of the time with the shelter and the wonderful dogs and cats.  Love at First Bark is a wonderful delightful, heartwarming read, with some great characters, sweet dogs and cats, and wonderful romance.  

In Love at First Bark, Debbie Burns gives us another well written, sweet heartwarming story that kept us entertained from beginning to end. If you love animals, with a romance in the background, you need to read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Mia stepped out from Ollie’s room to find the main cabin empty. A single lamp was on, and the dwindling fire still glowed in the fireplace. Neither Ben nor Turbo around, and Mia wondered if Ben was done for the night too. A rush of disappointment swept over her at the thought of not getting to say good night to him.
Swallowing it down, she headed to the door with the dogs. The snow boots were all lined up beside the door on two long, thick rugs that were wet from the clumps of ice and snow that had been clinging to the boots when they’d come inside. The cold, wet patches stung Mia’s bare feet as she slipped into hers. She grabbed her coat from the closet and snaked it up one arm, transferred the puppy, then snaked it up the other.
When Mia moved to open the door and realized it was unlocked, she looked closer at the row of boots. Ben’s were missing. Her heart skittered in her chest. She opened the door with bated breath, but he was nowhere in sight.
Feeling the rush of cold air, Sam gave a determined shake of his head. His muscles tensed against her as if he was getting ready to leap. Sadie trotted backward several feet from the door as if to say “No thanks.”
Holding it open wider, Mia encouraged her. “Come on, girl. It’ll be a quick one, promise.”
Sadie whined but reluctantly followed Mia outside to the porch. Blue-white moonlight poured over the yard, bright enough to create shadows from the trees on the snow, and thousands of stars dotted the sky. The puppy squirmed in her arms as she stepped out deeper into the yard, crunching snow under her boots, until she set him down and zipped her coat.
Ben and Turbo were nowhere to be seen. She headed out into the yard, unable to entice Sadie off the snow-cleared porch. Sam trotted along, creating his own path, diving underneath windswept mounds, burying himself completely, then popping up and shaking himself off.
Mia was laughing at his antics when Sadie tore off the porch at something she’d spotted, barking and racing away into the darkness at the side of the cabin. Mia tensed, waiting, squinting to make out something in the darkness while trying to will Sadie back. “Ben?”
“Thank God,” she said when he called out into the night that it was him. She felt a rush of hesitation as he neared. “I thought the dogs might need to get outside another time before I put them in their crates.”
“Ollie’s asleep already?”
“As soon as his head hit the pillow.”
“Fresh air will do that to you.” Ben fell into step beside her as they headed toward the house.
Mia’s throat grew tight, and there was no denying why. They needed to talk. For hours into the night. There was so much to discuss. The only problem was Mia didn’t want to waste another minute of it not kissing him.
She swallowed hard. “Thanks for everything. For coming and all. For being so good to him.”
“I love him.”
She did her best to snip through the strings of connection drawing her to him. She was at a loss for words again, and Ben wasn’t helping them come any easier. She sat a squirmy and excited Sam back onto the ground. They were both quiet as they watched Sam leap and jump in a patch of untampered snow.
“Are you ready to go in? It’s freezing.”
“Mia, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the baby.”
They’d each spoken at exactly the same time. Mia bit her lip. “I can see why you didn’t, I guess. Would you have? Eventually.”
“Yeah, definitely. I was trying to find the right time.”
She nodded, conscious of her beating heart and the deep breaths she was taking. “I forgive you. Today’s a day for forgiveness, it seems.”
He shifted Turbo’s leash from one hand to the other. “About the other night…do you remember what you meant by ‘Et tu, Brute’? You texted that.”
Sam trotted off from them and up to the porch, snuggling against his mom, ready to go inside and get warm. Turbo looked off into the woods, not seeming to notice the cold.
Somehow, Mia knew if she told the truth, nothing was going to be the same. A tiny, nearly incoherent fear-filled voice inside her was screaming that she needed to stop this. But even if she couldn’t put it into words, she knew what she was doing. Suddenly her throat loosened, and the words spilled out. “The night Ollie was born, after the accident, you were there. You held my hand because Brad couldn’t. And not just that night. So many other times too. Sometimes I swear you’re the only person in the world who really sees me. When I figured out it was you Stacey was talking about in the letter, it wasn’t just that you knew and didn’t tell me, learning that made me doubt… I don’t know…everything.”
She could see the pain her words caused, and that more than anything was why she let herself step in and press her lips against his. He was four or five inches taller, but on the tips of her toes, she could just reach his lips. And just like before, she liked it. She liked everything about it.
She closed her bare, cold hands over the sides of his face and opened her mouth fully to his. He had strong lips, and she could feel the stubble from one day’s growth of beard against her skin.
He smelled like the Minnesota woods, cedar and pine, and he tasted like the s’mores they’d had in front of the fire. She could taste the sugar and chocolate on his lips and tongue. Her head began to swim, and she wondered if it was a flashback to drunkenly kissing him, or if she wasn’t breathing. Light-headed or not, she couldn’t pull away. She needed his kiss like she needed air, and he was going to have to be the one to stop it.
Only he didn’t. His hands slipped into her hair, and he lowered his face to hers so that she didn’t have to stand on her tiptoes. His tongue met hers, and he pulled closer as if he needed her the same way she needed him.
If he never pulled away, if he’d stand out here kissing her till they froze, Mia wouldn’t complain. Kissing Ben felt more than just good. It felt right. Like she’d been traveling a long time and had finally landed exactly where she should have been all along. It was as if she could feel broken pieces of herself mending together, halves becoming whole.
And somehow, even though she couldn’t explain it, she knew he felt the same way.

***
Excerpted from Love at First Bark by Debbie Burns. © 2019 by Debbie Burns. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

 


Debbie Burns’ writing commendations include a Booklist Top 10 Romance Debut of 2017, a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, and a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews, as well as first-place awards for short stories, flash fiction, and longer selections. She lives in St. Louis with her family, two phenomenal rescue dogs, and a somewhat tetchy Maine coon cat who everyone loves anyway. Visit her online at her website: www.authordebbieburns.com/

 

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Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne-Reviews, Excerpt & Giveaway

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PASSION ON PARK AVENUE (Central Park Pact #1) by Lauren Layne-Dual Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE
Central Park Pact #1
by Lauren Layne
Release Date: May 25, 2019
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 25, 2019.

the first in a sizzling new series following the unlikely friendship of three Upper East Side women as they struggle to achieve their dreams and find true love and happiness in the city that never sleeps.

For as long as she can remember, Bronx-born Naomi Powell has had one goal: to prove her worth among the Upper East Side elite—the same people for which her mom worked as a housekeeper. Now, as the strongminded, sassy CEO of one of the biggest jewelry empires in the country, Naomi finally has exactly what she wants—but it’s going to take more than just the right address to make Manhattan’s upper class stop treating her like an outsider.

The worst offender is her new neighbor, Oliver Cunningham—the grown son of the very family Naomi’s mother used to work for. Oliver used to torment Naomi when they were children, and as a ridiculously attractive adult, he’s tormenting her in entirely different ways. Now they find themselves engaged in a battle-of-wills that will either consume or destroy them…

Filled with charm and heart and plenty of sex and snark, this entertaining series will hook you from the very first page.

•••••••••••••••••

Sandy’s REVIEW:

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE is the first instalment in Lauren Layne’s contemporary, adult CENTRAL PARK PACT romance series focusing on three friends: Naomi Powell, Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes-three woman who would discover there were all in a relationship with the same man. This is thirty year olds, successful business-woman Naomi Powell, and architect Oliver Cunningham’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives ( Naomi and Oliver) PASSION ON PARK AVENUE follows Naomi Powell days after the death of Braydon Hayes, a man whose infidelities would bring three strangers together, forming a friendship that would push them closer together. Six months after the death of her mother Danica Fields, millionaire business woman Naomi Powell would be invited to join one of the wealthiest apartment units on Park Avenue-the caveat- it is the same apartment building where her life had spiralled out of control twenty years earlier, when her mother was caught having an affair with the man that she worked for. Fast forward twenty years, wherein, Naomi will come face to face with her past in the guise of thirty year old Oliver Cunningham, the son of the man that destroyed her mother’s life. What ensues is the enemies to lovers relationship between Naomi and Oliver, and the potential fall-out as Naomi is reluctant to reveal the source of her animosity towards Oliver and the Cunningham family, a reluctance that is about to blow up in her face.

Naomi Powell wanted retribution for her mother. Six months after her mother’s death, Naomi would discover that Danica Fields put into motion Naomi’s path for revenge, revenge that would stutter when Naomi comes face to face with her childhood nemesis. Oliver Cunningham has no idea why his new neighbor despises the ground upon which he walks. With her unwillingness to reveal the source of her animosity, Oliver can only presume that the woman with whom he is falling in love has suffered greatly at the hands of a previous love.

The relationship between Oliver and Naomi is a frenemies to lovers romance wherein Naomi battles between head and heart knowing that torment and loss her mother suffered at the hands of the Cunningham family. Oliver’s attraction to Naomi is instant but our heroine tries to keep her distance from the man with whom she will fall in love. The lone $ex scene fades to black and is mostly implied.

We are introduced to Audrey Tate and Claire Hayes; Naomi’s assistant Deena; Audrey’s best friend Clarke West; Oliver’s father Walter Cunningham; his caretaker Janice; Oliver’s friend and fellow architect Scott Turner. Claire and Scott’s story line is next in LOVE ON LEXINGTON AVENUE.

PASSION ON PARK AVENUE is a story of betrayal; of vengeance; of broken memories, heart break and loss; secrets and lies; forgiveness, romance and falling in love. The premise is captivating and emotional; the slow building romance is sweet; the characters are energetic, colorful and lost.

 

Barb’s Review

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is the 1st book in her new Central Park Pact series.   We meet our heroine, Naomi Powell, as she attends the funeral of her now deceased boyfriend.  What Naomi finds is that her ex was married, something she did not know.  When she decides to leave the funeral parlor, she ends up in a park and meets two other women; one the wife and the other a mistress.  From that point on, the three ladies will become friends, to help each from making another grave mistake in choosing another ‘bad boy’, and to be there for each other.   I really did enjoy the concept of the three women who actually got past the cheating husband/boyfriend, and turned out to be fabulous friends supporting each other.

Naomi, who is now a very successful entrepreneur, plans on moving to a new fashionable condo, but is offered a different and older condo that has a past that she cannot forget.  Seems Naomi’s mom was a housekeeper for the Cunningham’s a number of years ago, and when it is discovered that she was sleeping with the patriarch, the mother was let go.  They had to struggle for a number of years, and Naomi has never forgotten.   When she decides to move to the Park Avenue condo, she meets her childhood nemesis, Oliver Cunningham (our hero) and the Cunningham father, who now has Alzheimer’s. 

Oliver and Naomi get off the wrong foot, as she keeps her secret who she really is, and he cannot understand why she hates him so much.

Naomi’s coldness to Oliver and his father will slowly evaporate, as she begins to have sympathy for the father, who remembers nothing of when her mother was kicked out.  I did like Naomi, who as a tough, smart and savvy business woman who was determined to rise above the poverty they suffered during her childhood; however, at times I thought she was a bit hard on Oliver, but that changed. I loved her friendship with Claire and Audrey, which was a lot of fun and their camaraderie.   I really did like Oliver, as he was someone who was her equal in being smart and savvy, not to mention sexy. Slowly Naomi’s walls come crumbling down, as she realizes she is falling hard for Oliver, as he is not the 10 year old boy who tormented her.  The sins of the father no longer mattered, especially with his mind gone.

What follows is a slow built enemy to lover’s romance, that will have some hardships along the way.  What will Oliver do when he finds out who Naomi really is?  The story was very well written by Lauren Layne, as she also created some wonderful characters, which makes me want to see more of the other ladies in the future books; which I hear will be Claire’s book. Passion on Park Avenue was a fun story, with lots of charisma. I suggest you start this series.

 

Copy supplied by the publisher

The first thing Naomi had done after the shock of reading that Brayden Hayes was freaking married was to google the crap out of his wife, desperate for an indication that the Times had been wrong about his marital status. That it was a misprint or he was divorced. The paper hadn’t been wrong. There really was a Mrs. Brayden Hayes.
And she, too, had chosen Central Park over Brayden’s funeral.
Nearly even with Claire Hayes now, and with the sunglasses still providing Naomi anonymity, she dared to sneak a look at the other woman out of the corner of her eye.
Brayden’s widow looked pretty much like the picture Naomi had rummaged up online: a thirty-something Upper East Side WASP. Like Naomi, she wore oversize sunglasses, the Chanel logo glinting in a stray ray of sunshine. Naomi’s trained eye pegged the basic black sheath as St. John, and the basic black pumps Louboutins—identical to Naomi’s.
But unlike Naomi, Claire had a genteel poise about her. Like she’d never said darn, much less dropped an f-bomb. Naomi would bet serious money that Claire Hayes didn’t eat Kraft Macaroni & Cheese straight out of the pan when she was stressed and that Claire had never been so poor that she’d actually once considered taking home a neighbor’s discarded mattress, bedbugs be damned, simply because it was free.
Claire’s placid expression betrayed nothing as Naomi passed her, the glasses too large to reveal any emotion on her face. For that matter, Naomi wondered if women like her experienced emotion at all. It didn’t seem it. The woman was the picture of calm, except for . . .
Her hands.
Brayden’s widow’s hands were clenched tightly in her lap, the fingers of her right hand white-knuckled around the fist of her left hand. But it wasn’t the subdued pink manicure that captured Naomi’s attention. It was the bright red crescent moons beneath the nails.
Naomi had a lifelong bad habit of acting before thinking, and she did so now, crossing to the other woman and sitting beside her on the park bench.
“That’s enough now,” Naomi said, using her CEO voice, calm and commanding.
Claire didn’t move. Naomi wasn’t even sure the other woman heard her.
Naomi hesitated only for a moment before slowly reaching over and prying the nails of Claire’s right hand away from her left hand. Little streaks of blood were left in the wake.
Claire looked down in confusion, as though just now registering the pain.
“Does that Givenchy have any Kleenex?” Naomi asked, nodding toward Claire’s clutch on the bench.
Claire didn’t move for a long moment, then taking a deep breath, she calmly reached for her purse, pulling out a travel-size package of tissue.
“We’re wearing the same shoes. Same dress, too,” Claire said, dabbing at the blood on the back of her hand with a tissue, using the same casual indifference of one dabbing up a drop of spilled water.
Naomi nodded in agreement, though Claire’s St. John was a knee-length mock turtleneck, and Naomi’s Chloé was a boatneck that hit at midthigh.
For a long moment, neither said anything.
“I’m supposed to be at a funeral,” Claire said, balling up the tissue and dropping her hands back into her lap.
“Why aren’t you?”
Naomi was genuinely curious. She knew why she wasn’t at that funeral. But the widow being a no-show . . . that was some serious Page Six–worthy gossip right there.
Claire opened her mouth to respond but shut it when a pretty young woman with dark brown hair walked past them. Naomi waited for the other woman to pass and, when she gave the brunette a closer look, realized the other woman was walking a bit too slowly, as though tempted to approach. She looked vaguely familiar. Naomi was fairly sure they’d crossed paths at a couple of events, though Naomi couldn’t put a name with the face.
Brayden’s widow, however, could. Claire went rigid beside Naomi, even as she called out to the other woman, “Audrey.”
Unlike Claire and Naomi, the brunette wasn’t wearing sunglasses, and Naomi saw her round eyes go even wider. “You know who I am?”
“You’re Audrey Tate. I did a little digging after you called the house that night,” Claire said quietly. “I know you were sleeping with my husband.”
Naomi’s head whipped around in surprise, and then surprise escalated to shock as she realized Claire wasn’t talking to her.

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Lauren Layne is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen romantic comedies.

A former e-commerce and web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated to New York City in 2011 to pursue a full-time writing career.

She lives in midtown Manhattan with her high-school sweetheart, where she writes smart romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush. In LL’s ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.

Lauren Layne and Simon and Schuster is graciously offering a paper copy of PASSION ON PARK AVENUE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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