Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon-a review

Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 25, 2023

Knives Out and Ocean’s 8 meets The Nest in this hilariously twisty novel by award-winning author HelenKay Dimon, about a woman who returns home from prison to her dysfunctional con artist family and tries to get them to go legit.

One day a con man met an heiress, wooed her, married her, had two kids…and kept on conning. Jillian Moorewood is the oldest child from that meet-cute-gone-wrong marriage. The stable one. The sensible and dependable one. The one who protects and fixes. The one who went to prison to save their sorry butts. Now, thirty-nine months later, she’s out and she’s more than a little pissed. Finally home she finds the scheming clan in full family fleecing mode. They all claim they didn’t really agree to Jillian’s previous go-legit-or-else ultimatum before she went away. They viewed it as a “suggestion” then ignored it. So, business as usual. But Jillian is done with the lies and fakery. She demands the whole messed-up crew clean up its act, and this time she’s not kidding—she has the leverage to make it happen.

Problem is, her life is in shambles, but with the help of a great aunt (crooked but loveable), a bodyguard (who is a nice surprise after three years in prison), and a few allies (all working undercover), Jillian starts to put her life back together. She kicks out a few mooching relatives living under her roof, sets limits on everyone’s access to the money, ducks from their various attacks, and sees if that bodyguard is maybe interested in sticking around for a while. For the first time, she’s Jillian Moorewood, her own woman, and she’s ready to figure out who she is.

•••••

REVIEW:  MOOREWOOD FAMILY RULES by HelenKay Dimon is a contemporary, adult, stand alone story of mystery and suspense surrounding the Rhode Island, dysfunctional Moorewood family of grifters, liars, cheaters and thieves-Jillian Moorewood, her sister Emma, their cousins Tenn, Anika and Astrid-their father Jay, and great aunt Patricia.

Approximately thirty-nine months earlier, Jillian Moorewood took the fall for her family in the wake of an FBI investigation into fraudulent claims and financial crimes. The Moorewood family come from a long line of grifters and scammers, and their thieving ways had caught up. Someone in the family turned the blame on our story line heroine, who upon her release, set about to uncover the who and how. Terms are presented, threats are made, and mandates not met as Jillian sets about to reclaim everything she lost but Jillian needs protection, and estate manager Kelby hired Beckett Romer to stand guard over Jillian Moorewood. With Beck at her side, Jillian begins to ferret out the truth, devising a plan to give everyone exactly, what they deserve.

There is a very large and often confusing ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters, few of whom have any redeeming qualities including the aforementioned Moorewood family members: Gregory Paul (jillian’s ex) and Emma’s new boyfriend; Security/bodyguard Beck Romer, family business manager Kelby McAllister, Harry (Anika’s boyfriend), Harry’s mother Beverly Tolson, and Jay’s girlfriend Izzy.

MOOREWOOD FAMILY RULES is a story of power and control, deception and betrayal, and reads like a mix between Clue™ and Knives Out™. The family of grifters are scamming one another, conning their soon to be significant others, and getting conned themselves. Jillian Moorewood’s mandate to stop conning, upon her arrest, only intensified the family’s need to amass a collection that does not belong. The premise is intriguing, interesting and detailed; the romance between Jillian and Beck is subtle, almost a cozy mystery feel; the characters are numerous but most are questionable, misguided, unethical and immorally wrong

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /  Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a…divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

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The Secret She Keeps (Whitaker Island #2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

The Secret She Keeps (Whitaker Island #2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 30, 2019

No matter where you run to…

Connor Rye seeks solace on remote Whitaker Island. When his first quiet evening ends with a blow to the head, it’s clear that nothing—and no one—is as it seems. Still haunted by his sister’s murder, he’s buried himself in work while trying to hold his family together. Now, when he has a minute to breathe, he knows better than to get involved with a stranger, but it might be too late to keep his distance.

Desire will find you…

For years she’s pretended to be someone else, but Maddie Rhine is done living in the shadows. Old habits are hard to kick however, and when her past follows her to Whitaker she’s forced to hide once more. Except with Connor. Effortlessly sexy Connor makes it difficult to ignore him. He sees right through her…and senses her fear.

Someone is watching her. And waiting for the right moment to strike. This time Connor vows to be ready.

•••••••

REVIEW:THE SECRET SHE KEEPS is the second instalment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult WHITAKER ISLAND romantic, suspense series. This is businessman Connor Rye, and Maddie Rhine’s story line. THE SECRET SHE KEEPS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from three third person perspectives including Connor and Maddie, THE SECRET SHE KEEPS follows businessman Connor Rye as he escapes to Whitaker Island for some mandatory R&R, the same island where his brother Hansen (Her Other Secret #1) fell in love with his future wife. But from the outset Connor finds himself targeted by a woman who believes she is being stalked for sins of the past, sins that are about to be exposed on Whitaker Island. Enter Maddie Rhine, the woman with whom Connor will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Maddie and Connor, and the potential fall-out as Maddie’s secrets are about to be revealed.

Maddie Rhine is in hiding but someone has found our story line heroine, sending letters that are now threatening the man with whom Maddie is falling in love. An unidentified body, and an assault against an elderly neighbor find Maddie face to face with a man who was once responsible for Maddie’s life. Connor Rye has struggled since the death of his sister months before, a struggle that forced his family to intervene for Connor’s mental health but Whitaker Island, for all of its’ quietude, has found itself on the receiving end of too many murders and questionable happenings.

The relationship between Maggie and Connor begins as a case of mistaken identity when Maggie believes Connor is someone from her past. Connor finds himself attracted to a woman whose secrets are dark, secrets that are about to pull Connor into a web of murder and obsession.The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Whitaker Island’s colorful and eccentric residents including the head of the Whitaker Board and lodge owner Sylvia Sussex, old man Paul, Whitaker’s self-appointed guardian Dom, Jenna Hughland, law enforcement officer Ben Clifford, and Maddie’s former handler Evan Williams.

THE SECRET SHE KEEPS is a story of secrets and lies; obsession and betrayal. The premise is intriguing and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic and spirited.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one HER OTHER SECRET

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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HER OTHER SECRET by HelenKay Dimon-a review

HER OTHER SECRET by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 25, 2019

Is it the perfect escape?
Whitaker Island is more than a getaway. For Tessa Jenkins, the remote strip of land in Washington state is a sanctuary. Fleeing from a shattering scandal, she has a new name, a chance at a new beginning, and a breathtaking new view: Hansen Rye. It’s hard not to crush on Whitaker’s hottest handyman. At six-foot-three and all kinds of fine, he’s also intensely private—and the attraction between them soon simmers dangerously out of control.
…or a private trap for two lovers?
After a devastating family tragedy, Hansen finds the pebbled shores of the faraway island to be an ideal refuge. Letting down his guard for the sexy, impulsive Tessa is an unexpected pleasure. But there’s another newcomer to Whitaker. He’s no stranger to Hansen. And when he’s murdered, the crime casts a threatening shadow. As suspicion falls on Hansen, all his secrets are about to collide with Tessa’s. Now the pasts they were determined to outrun are catching up to them. So is a killer who’s putting their love—and their lives—on the line.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: HER OTHER SECRET by HelenKay Dimon is a contemporary, adult story of romantic suspense focusing on  twenty-six year old, manual and guide creator Tessa Jenkins, and handyman Hansen Rye.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Tessa and Hansen) HER OTHER SECRET follows in the wake of a murder on Whitaker Island. The residents of Whitaker Island all have secrets: from political scandals to murders, blackmail to affairs, Whitaker Island is the island of misfit toys. When a well-dressed man mysteriously walks out of the water, only to be found murdered the very next day, all suspicions fall onto our leading hero when he reveals his connection to the people involved. From a badly beaten woman to the murder of the town’s most likable old man, Whitaker Island’s secrets are about to be revealed. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Tessa and Hansen, and the fall-out as our couple find themselves on the receiving end of more attention and accusations than they could have imagined.

Like most of the residents, Hansen Rye moved to Whitaker Island to get away from his past, a past that has now drawn the attention of law enforcement and the political elite. Tessa Jenkins knows what it is like to keep her own dark and dangerous secrets but with the continuing drama, our couple’s individual pasts are about to be exposed.

The relationship between Tessa and Hansen is one of immediate attraction but neither one is in a place for romance or love. When the local ‘law enforcement’ has eyes for our heroine, Hansen steps up to claim Tessa as his own. As one another’s alibis for the on-going investigation, our couple find themselves the target of island gossip, innuendo and talk. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including many local island residents. We are introduced to the island’s lawman, thirty-four year old, former military MP Ben Clifford; council member and island ‘queen’ Ruthie Totttenridge, and her son Doug; lodge owner Sylvia Sussex; vacationers and busy bodies Ellis and Arianna Wells; old man Cliff; brother/sister duo Allen Bernard and Kerrie Ross; as well as Tessa’s father senator Charles Michaelson. I am hoping the author has plans for future stories involving the island residents.

HER OTHER SECRET is a story of power, betrayal, greed and murder; a story of secrets and lies; of romance and love. The premise is entertaining and intriguing; the romance is steamy and hot; the characters are eclectic, charismatic and energetic. HER OTHER SECRET is a thrilling and edgy ride into the world of romantic suspense.

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Protector (Games People Play #4) by HelenKay Dimon-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

THE PROTECTOR (Games People Play #4) by HelenKay Dimon-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

THE PROTECTOR
Games People Play #4
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 31, 2018

Salvation, Pennsylvania. The commune located in the small town was advertised as a modern Utopia: a place to live, share, and learn with other like-minded young people. Cate Pendleton’s sister was one of them. Now she’s dead—and Cate won’t rest until she finds out who killed her. Stonewalled at every turn, she approaches a DC Fixer for help and ends up with Damon Knox, a mysterious man with a secretive past. But Cate soon discovers that she not only needs Damon, she wants him, which isn’t good—for the attraction brewing between them will only lead to complications that can turn into danger . . .

Damon has tried to erase the hellish memories and the evil that happened in Salvation ever since he left a long time ago. Still, he can’t turn his back on Cate. As Damon works with Cate to uncover her sister’s killer, he finds himself drawn to her more and more. But how will she feel about him when she learns about his connection to the place?

Joining forces to uncover the truth, they must stay one step ahead of a cunning killer who’s bent on not being exposed.

•••••

REVIEW: THE PROTECTOR is the fourth full-length instalment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult GAMES PEOPLE PLAY erotic, romantic, suspense series focusing on a tight knit group of life-long friends, known as the Quint Five whose business it is to investigate and ‘fix’ whatever has gone wrong. This is Damon Knox and Cate Pendleton’s story line. THE PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Cate and Damon) THE PROTECTOR follows Damon Knox as his latest assignment working for Levi Wren is to return to a place that all but destroyed his life. Cate Pendleton’s sister ‘died’ under mysterious circumstances while living and learning at the Sullivan Compound in Salvation Pennsylvania, a cult-like compound whose secrets lie hidden behind locked gates and armed guards. Having approached Levi Wren for assistance in uncovering the truth Cate learns she is to work with a man whose own secrets are closely related to the Sullivan Compound where her sister had died. Enter Damon Knox, the man with whom Cate will fall in love. What ensues is the fake relationship between Damon and Cate, and the potential fall-out as Cate and Damon are targeted for sins of the past, sins that wish to remain buried along with the dead.

Cate is desperate to uncover the truth about her sister’s death but years of searching for the truth have the people living and working at the Sullivan Compound worried when our heroine arrives in town with Damon Knox. Damon is a man who is unable to let go of the past but finding himself in Salvation, Pennsylvania stirs up too many memories for himself and the people who remember what happened years before.

The relationship between Cate and Damon begins as a business arrangement that must present as a fake romance in order to get past the people in charge. Damon believes himself empty and cold, unworthy of love having been betrayed by the people from his past. Cate suspects Damon’s inability to let go of the past stems from his need for closure thus facing his demons means facing the man who destroyed his life. A fake relationship with Cate forces Damon to reveal the truth, and in doing so allows our hero to forgive himself for what happened in the past. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Levi Wren, Wren’s second in command Garrett McGrath and Trevor Gault (of the Quint Five); as well as several members of the Sullivan Compound-Leader Steven Sullivan, brothers Roger and Vincent, and Steven’s assistant Liza.

THE PROTECTOR is a story of suspense, romance, betrayal and revenge. The premise is entertaining; the romance is seductive and compelling; the characters are charismatic and dynamic but the lack of any significant background information regarding Cate or Damon was a bit disappointing especially as it concerned Damon and his years spent in the Sullivan Compound; or what it was he actually did for Levi Wren. THE PROTECTOR is an interesting, spicy and intriguing tale of determination and grit.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Fixer
The Enforcer
The Negotiator
The Pretender
The Protector

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

I am not a hero, Cate.” He tried to pull away.
She held on, resting their joined hands against her chest. “Never said you were. You’re a flesh and blood man.”
And this close, she could smell the soap on his skin and see the darker streaks in his green eyes.
“Very much so.” His breath seemed to hiccup.
“So . . .”
When his voice trailed off she got a taste of what it felt like to have someone drop the end of important sentences like she often did. But she didn’t think he tried it or that he was playing games.
“Now you’re the one who should finish the sentence.” Her voice came out in a breathy whisper.
“We’re in a tense situation. Stress sometimes disguises itself as something else.”
The words crashed into her brain, wiping out every other thought. She pulled back a bit, but kept holding his hand. “What are you talking about?”
His gaze traveled over her face now, landing on her mouth. “How much I want to kiss you.”

Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /  Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a…divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider.

To celebrate the release of THE PROTECTOR by HelenKay Dimon, Pure Textuality PR is giving away one paperback copy of the book!

LINK: https://www.subscribepage.com/TheProtector

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open to US shipping addresses only. One winner will receive a paperback copy of the The Protector by HelenKay Dimon. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance.  Giveaway ends 8/14/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Avon Romance will send the winning copies out to the winner directly. Limit one entry per reader and mailing address. Duplicates will be deleted.

 

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Dirty Games (Dirty #2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

DIRTY GAMES (Dirty #2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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

DIRTY GAMES
Dirty #2
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: March 13, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, M/M, romance

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 13, 2018

Sometimes, to get what you want in business or in love, you have to get your hands dirty. Luckily for Finn and Justin, dirty comes naturally.

Finn Drummond is the baby in a family of sharks—which means he’s worked twice as hard to make a name for himself. After learning the tricks of the trade from his brothers, Finn’s just as ruthless and dominant. Out in the field, his appetites are legendary: for success, for money, for women and men. But when supplies from Drummond Charities go missing, Finn has to partner up with the smoldering ex–Army grunt who’s always challenging his authority—or giving him mixed signals.

Justin Miller wanted his attraction to Finn to be mutual, but the cocky brat always had a girlfriend. Who could blame Justin for trying to move on? Despite their history, they’ve got to work together to figure out who’s been derailing their humanitarian work. But after Justin and Finn are thrown together against gunrunners and kidnappers, their simmering chemistry turns explosive. Turns out, Finn knows how to handle himself in a crisis—and in the sack. Justin only hopes that hot sex is enough to persuade this spoiled pretty boy to do the right thing.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY GAMES is the second instalment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult THE DIRTY erotic, M/M romantic suspense series-a spin off from her TOUGH LOVE series. This is billionaire businessman Finn Drummond, and former soldier/ humanitarian Justin Miller’s story line. DIRTY GAMES can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Finn is the brother of Alec Drummond (Dirty Deeds #1).

NOTE: DIRTY GAMES contains graphic scenes of M/M sexual situations, intended only for mature readers.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Finn and Justin) DIRTY GAMES follows Finn Drummond as he embarks on a journey to investigate the Drummond Charities humanitarian work in Morocco, currently administered by the acerbic but sexy Justin Miller. Missing supplies, with a possible connection to local gunrunners finds Justin and Finn targeted in a deadly game against an unknown enemy. What ensues is the building relationship between Justin and Finn, and the potential fall-out as Justin’s mercurial mood swings, and unpredictable temperament force Finn to walk away on more than one occasion.

Six years earlier, Justin Miller met the man who has starred in all of his fantasies but at the time Finn Drummond was in a relationship with a woman. Believing he didn’t have a chance with Finn, Justin embarked on a one-night stand with the closest thing to Finn Drummond, his older brother Alec, a man who suspected he was only a temporary fill-in for Justin’s fantasy. Finn Drummond has struggled to make a name in the Drummond Corporation but his attraction to Justin Miller meant working for Drummond Charities could very well allow him to cross paths with the man with whom he would fall in love.

The relationship between Finn and Justin is one of immediate attraction but Justin tries to keep his distance, failing miserably, as his actions prove unpredictable, erratic and explosive. Finn believes Justin despises the ground upon which he walks but Justin struggles with his attraction to a man he believes to be attraction to women and not to men. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, and intense with graphic M/M text and language.

The world building focuses mainly on the building relationship between Finn and Justin, and Justin’s inability to let go of his heart, but also on the hunt for the people responsible for the missing shipments. Several suspects pose potential threats but only one is desperate enough to kill.

DIRTY GAMES is a sexy, edgy and suspense filled story line. An act of betrayal that threatens the lives of two men, against an impossible situation. The premise is dramatic, energetic and thrilling; the romance is provocative and captivating; the characters are spirited, complex and realistic. DIRTY GAMES is an engaging, imaginative and intriguing story.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one DIRTY DEEDS.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Goodreads /Website/ Twitter/ Facebook

Helenkay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a . . . divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over thirty novels, novellas and shorts to numerous publishers. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. But if you ask her, she’ll tell you the best part of the job is never having to wear pantyhose again.

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The Pretender (Games People Play #3) by HelenKay Dimon-Review and Book Tour

The Pretender (Games People Play #3) by HelenKay Dimon-Review and Book Tour

The Pretender BAnner

THE PRETENDER
Games People Play #3
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: December 26,2017
Genre: adult, contemporary,romantic suspense

The Pretender

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

They say it takes a thief to catch a thief, and Harrison Tate is proof. Once a professional burglar, he now makes a lawful living tracking down stolen art. No one needs to know about his secret sideline, “liberating” artifacts acquired through underhanded methods. At least until one of those jobs sees him walking in on a murder.

Gabrielle Wright has long been estranged from her wealthy family, but she didn’t kill her sister. Trouble is, the only person who can prove it is the sexy, elusive criminal who shouldn’t have been at the island estate on that terrible night. She’s not expecting honor among thieves—or for their mutual attraction to spark into an intense inferno of desire.

Under the guise of evaluating her family’s art, Harris comes back to the estate hoping to clear Gabby’s name. But returning to the scene of the crime has never been riskier, with their hearts and lives on the line.

••••••••••

REVIEW:THE PRETENDER is the third full length instalment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult GAMES PEOPLE PLAY erotic, romance series focusing on a tight knit group of life-long friends, known as the Quint Five, whose business it is to investigate and ‘fix’ whatever has gone wrong for the rich and famous. This is former professional thief Harrison ‘Harris’ Tate, and Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Wright’s story line. THE PRETENDER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Gabby and Harris) THE PRETENDER focuses on the hunt for the truth. Fourteen months earlier, while on ‘assignment’ to procure a missing piece of art Harrison Tate walked into the aftermath of a fatal attack against Tabitha Wright- a woman left for dead by an unknown assailant. Running from the scene of the crime Harrison will come face to face with Gabby Wright, the victim’s sister, and the woman with whom he would fall in love. Fast forward to present day wherein Harrison must return to the Tabitha Island to prevent Gabby’s uncle Stephen from destroying her life, having blamed our heroine for everything that went wrong. What ensues is the building relationship between Gabby and Harrison, as they endeavour to uncover the truth, along with Harrison’s partner Damon Knox, about the death of Tabitha Wright, and the potential fall out when the truth about Harrison’s presence, and his appearance fourteen months earlier, that could have stopped months of grief and accusations against our story line heroine.

Gabby Wright has struggled to come to terms with the brutal murder of her sister but as the primary suspect our heroine is no closer to proving her innocence in light of the truth. As her uncle Stephen continues to accuse our heroine of killing Tabitha, an investigator /auditor is called in to itemize the contents of the house on Tabitha Island, and find evidence that will prove Gabby is guilty of the heinous crime. Harrison Tate, a man whose guilt about that day fourteen months earlier, found our hero on the run, in the hopes that his identity would not be revealed but Harrison’s friend and ‘fixer’ Wren forces Harrison to face the woman in an attempt to prevent further harm or accusations thrown her way. As Gabby, Damon and Harrison search for the truth, a series of break-in, fires and threat aimed at our heroine begin to take their toll.

The relationship between Harris and Gabby is one of mutual and immediate attraction but Gabby suspects Harris is lying about his true reasons for coming to the island. Their physical relationship begins soon after Harrison arrives on the island, a relationship that could be destroyed by the truth. The $ex scenes are intimate, seductive and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a small ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Gabby’s uncle Stephen, estate groundskeepers Burton Kramer and his son Ted, ferry service owner Craig Pak; as well as Harrison’s friends Damon Knox, Garrett McGrath, Levi ‘Wren’ and Emery Finn (The Fixer). Damon’s story line is next in THE PROTECTOR.

THE PRETENDER is a story of romance and suspense; of mystery and betrayal; of forgiveness and falling in love. The premise is entertaining and engaging; the characters are edgy and tragic; the romance is energetic and passionate. My only complaint is the lack of background information about our leading hero. THE PRETENDER is a provocative, moving and intriguing story line.

Reading order and previous reviews
The Fixer
The Enforcer
The Negotiator
The Pretender

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

About the author

HelenKay DimonGoodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /

Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a…divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

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The Negotiator (Games People Play 2.5) by HelenKay Dimon-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

THE NEGOTIATOR (Games People Play 2.5) by HelenKay Dimon-Review ,Excerpt and Giveaway Tour

The Negotiator Banner

THE NEGOTIATOR
Games People Play 2.5
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: November 14, 2017
Genre: adult,contemporary, romantic, suspense

The Negotiator

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2017

Lauren Gallagher’s life changed almost three years ago. After her husband disappeared at sea, she was left with a failing pleasure boat company and more than a few secrets. Now, after years spent rebuilding the business and paying off the pile of debts, she finally feels in control. But when she finds her husband, actually dead, on the floor, she becomes the leading suspect in his murder investigation.

Garrett McGrath wants Lauren in his bed, not his heart. He doesn’t do emotions, but every time he sees her, holding himself back gets harder and harder. When Lauren comes under suspicion for killing her previously presumed-dead husband, he knows he has to help her, any way he can.

But as the danger becomes more intense and Garret and Lauren grow closer than either planned, they’re in danger of losing everything…including their hearts.

••••••

REVIEW: THE NEGOTIATOR is instalment 2.5 in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult GAMES PEOPLE PLAY romantic, suspense series. This is former government Black Ops and professional negotiator Garrett McGrath, and pleasure boat operator Lauren Gallagher’s story line. THE NEGOTIATOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Lauren and Garrett) THE NEGOTIATOR follows in the aftermath of Lauren’s discovery that her husband Carl, a man declared missing and dead, has returned to the living claiming he wants a second chance with our story line heroine. Knowing that the man before has never been capable of telling the truth Lauren contacts the only person she knows who might be able to get the answers she so desperately needs. Enter professional negotiator and investigator Garrett McGrath, and the man with whom Lauren will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between our leading couple, and the fall out when Carl is found dead in our heroine’s home, and she becomes the prime suspect in her ex-husband’s murder.

For close to six months Garrett McGrath has desperately tried to convince Lauren to go with him but our heroine has steadfastly denied any attraction or feelings for the man in question preferring to rebuild the business that her husband’s disappearance singlehandedly destroyed. Garrett and Lauren’s attraction to one another is palpable; their sexual energy is seductive and provocative. The $ex scenes are intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Wren and Emery (The Fixer #1), and Matthias and Kayla (The Enforcer #2) return for some familiarity and cohesion. We are introduced to Carl’s brother Jake; his business partner Bob, and his latest girlfriend Maryanne

THE NEGOTIATOR is a quick read; a sexy friends to lovers romance that focuses on the search for the truth when a man once thought lost at sea, dies not once but twice with a long line of questionable business decisions, as well as series of long running affairs. The premise is edgy and energetic; the romance is spirited and captivating; the characters are animated and passionate.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Fixer
The Enforcer
The Negotiator
The Pretender (December 2017)

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

Games People Play series

The Fixer

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The Enforcer

Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Google Play | Kobo | Avon Digital

The Pretender

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excerpt

He rose from the dead.
Lauren Gallagher couldn’t come up with any other explanation. Her once-dead husband was very much alive and standing on the other side of her front door…and she felt nothing but numbness spreading inside her.
For a man who supposedly washed overboard in the middle of a violent storm, he looked pretty healthy. Big smile. Bright white teeth. Khaki pants and deck shoes. She forgot how much she hated the deck shoes.
The wattage on his super smile dimmed a bit as he shifted his weight from foot-to-foot and rubbed his hands up and down his arms. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”
Her mind went blank. The world literally flipped sideways on her and her stomach rolled. The whole time she could hear him talking but the words didn’t make sense. None of this made sense. She opened her mouth but nothing came out but a tiny whirling gasping sound. That’s all she could muster as she blinked, trying to process what she was seeing.
“Lauren? Why are you just standing there? Open this door.”
An order. The sharp smack in his voice sounded far too familiar. That fast it brought her crashing back to reality.
She really wanted to say no to his command. Not that she hadn’t mourned him. Even with the dysfunctional state of their faltering marriage at the time he disappeared, she had. She’d grieved for what could have been and dreams that fizzled out early in their time together. She grieved for his loss as she would an old friend, not as a person she viewed as her soulmate, if there even was such a thing.
That was less than three years ago. The police arrived and she dropped to her knees feeling sick and hollow at the idea of Carl gasping for breath as the water he loved so much overtook him.
Months had passed slowly after that. She’d been locked in a perpetual state of shock, topped off with a wallop of guilt because she’d visited a divorce attorney for the first time just before he disappeared. With him gone she’d found about the lies. His hidden debts and how he’d taken their business to the brink of bankruptcy, all while showing her fake bank statements he’d manufactured. He’d gone to a lot of trouble to carry on the ruse of pretending their finances were fine.
And then things had gotten even worse. All those whispers about Maryanne, the girlfriend who seemed to be an open secret to everyone except Lauren. The one who, unlike Lauren, did not have any debts or an unpaid mortgage or a business and house on the verge of bankruptcy. Maryanne Lightwood, the same woman who mysteriously walked out on her rent and left town right as Carl’s boat disappeared.
Lauren prided herself on being practical. She was skeptical of coincidences and not stupid, so confusion had turned to fury in record time. As the cool December wind blew in the front door of the small cottage now she realized the fury still simmered inside her.
She lived far enough from the water that the breeze wasn’t frigid, but it carried a bite. For the past few years early winter in Annapolis, Maryland meant an unwelcome amount of snow. This year had been mild. As someone who ran a pleasure boat and fishing tour business and depended on tourists, she thought she might get lucky this year and only have to survive a short off-season.
Apparently her luck had just run out.
“Lauren, honey?” Carl pulled on the handle of the screen door. When it didn’t immediately open, he shook it, rattling it on the doorframe. Still, it didn’t move.
She’d never been so grateful for her lock-the-door paranoia. He should be happy, too, because the thin screen might be all that was saving his sorry lying ass right now.
Under the numbness and shock lurked a layer of bubbling resentment and rage. She’d kept up the outward farce of being fine for so long that she’d started to believe it. Now the mask slipped. She wanted to throw open the door and pound on his chest and make him apologize for every wrong.
But Carl had never taken responsibility for anything in his life. Even now he had the nerve to stand there with a stupid look on his stupid face, as if she were the unreasonable one in not welcoming him home with a big hug. So, yeah, the door stayed closed for his protection because she knew once she unleashed she would not stop.
“Hey, what is this?” Carl’s hand dropped to his side as he frowned at her through the mesh screen. “Honey, I’m back.”
Honey? What kind of man checked out of his life for almost three years and expected to step right back in it, no questions asked? It’s as if he were empty inside, without a conscience. And he was so close to getting a kick in his junk.
“Yeah, I can see that.” She tried to swallow but couldn’t choke down the lump of anger racing up her throat. “Tell me where have you’ve been.”
“Lauren, Jesus. It’s freezing out here. Let me in.” He pulled on the handle again as if he expected a different result than last time. The door made a thumping sound as it hit against the frame. “What’s wrong with you? Snap out of it.”
He kept up that tone. Short, dismissive, demanding. The only time he hadn’t been obnoxious was during the years when she thought he was dead. Even then…
That’s all it took. Something inside her snapped and wave after wave of uncontrolled, boiling hot rage raced through her. He wasn’t the only one filled with attitude who possessed an I’m-done tone. “Where the hell have you been, Carl? You don’t contact me at all and then you just stroll up to my door. You rip my life, my work – my everything – apart and now act as if you’ve only been gone for an afternoon. What is wrong with you? What happened?”
“I was left for dead.” His surfer boy good looks faded a bit as his eyes narrowed. “Thanks in part to you.” Wherever he was he must have forgotten how locks worked because he rattled the door one more time. “Now open this.”
He was blaming her. Of course he was. She likely was as fault for the fact his hair wasn’t the same sunny blond it once was and he now had a few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He was forty-one, having celebrated two birthdays while he was gone. She doubted he was taking the transition out of his thirties all that well.
She’d been thirty-three and inching very close to thirty-four when he went missing and already back then he’d mentioned “hip spread” to her more than once. Hers, of course. Not his. She’d expected him to battle aging as fiercely as he’d fought to be the only one in charge of handling the bills. Now she knew why…because he hadn’t bothered to actually pay any debt with her name on it.
“You disappeared.” Right there, in that moment, she kind of wished he’d do it again and had to push back a wave of guilt that came with that realization. She’d had no idea how much hate festered inside her until he popped up again. The frowning, his ridiculous summer shoes in winter, that voice – it all worked on her nerves and it had been less than ten minutes.
“A wave hit the boat. It tipped and I went overboard.” He shrugged. “Are you satisfied now?”
Not even close. A hundred questions filled her head. “Who could be satisfied with that? What’s the rest of the story?”
His body language and easy dismissal of how his terrible choices impacted her life only made her more determined to understand what his days looked like during the last few years. Then maybe she’d let him in, but probably no.
He waved her off. “None of that matters now.”
“It does to me.” His short non-answers ticked her off even more, and she wouldn’t have said that was possible. “I deserve an explanation. A real one. All of the facts, not just pieces.”
He leaned in closer as his jaw tightened. “I said later.”
Wariness surged through her. She wasn’t afraid. No, scared wasn’t the right word. Carl had never been violent, never raised a hand or threatened her. But near the end he’d been distant and that had turned into flashes of meanness. Snide comments about how he’d married a woman but got stuck with a fisherman. Sneak attacks of blaming her that they didn’t make more money in the boating business.
So much confusion swirled around him and his stories and all that deception. She’d convinced herself he ran off with his girlfriend. Not that she ever admitted that to anyone or said the words out loud. No, there had been too much at risk.
To save her house and business she’d needed the insurance and a final judgment from the court about Carl’s fate. A confirmation that he was legally dead. She had to pretend to believe it. It had taken her almost two years to persuade the court and wrestle the business and house away from the legal No Man’s Land it landed in when he disappeared. The insurance company still had refused to pay on the claim. That meant she’d had to salvage what she could with him gone.
Now he was back, and as much as she hated it, they needed to talk. She tried even though as her brain screamed for her to slam the door. “I think we should–”
“I can’t believe you’re being a pain in the ass.”
Her head snapped back at the fury lacing through his voice. “Me?”
“Jake warned me you’d gone from grieving to stone cold in a matter of months.” Carl shook his head. “I didn’t believe it. Not after everything we’d been through.”
She lost the thread of the conversation as soon as Carl mentioned his brother. “Jake?”
“That’s where I’ll be. At his house.” Carl started to shift away from the door. “But get your act together and do it fast, Lauren. I plan on being in this house and back at work by Christmas.”
“That’s two weeks away.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow.” He made a face that suggested he was sick of her again already. “Be over your shock and ready to talk by then.”
Lauren watched Carl walk back down the path to the car parked on the street. She recognized the dark sedan. It belonged to Carl’s brother, which meant Carl went there first.
Her mind spun with questions about where he’d been and why he was back. She had no idea how he planned to explain and argue his way out of this…or why he thought he could walk back into her life now without any real explanation or sign of remorse.
A gust of cold air got her moving. She slammed the front door closed and rested her palm on it. Tried to breathe in, to think.
Her usual calm detachment abandoned her. Jumbled thoughts crashed into her brain. Panic rose in her chest, threatening to swamp her. Finding a lost husband should be a good thing. For her, it amounted to a nightmare. Her world tilted and all she wanted was to tip it right again.
Help. She never asked anyone for help. Not ever. She’d learned long ago that needing someone, depending on them, lead to heartache and disappointment. But Garrett McGrath’s face kept flashing in her mind. Sarcastic, charming, sinfully handsome Garrett. They’d met in the summer and he’d been asking her out for two months. Hanging around, texting, insisting he’d wait for her to be ready to date again.
The guy honed his Tall, Dark and Smoldering look and for some reason he’d decided to aim it full force at her. Probably had something to do with the thrill of the chase. That was the only answer she could come up with. Because once he knew her, really knew her, he’d back off. Any sane person would.
But right now, as the walls closed in and she struggled to hold onto a coherent thought, all she could do was think of his face. The dark brown hair and those big green eyes. That firm chin…and his uncanny ability to solve complex problems while making a joke and without breaking a sweat.
She glanced around her cottage. It had a beachy vibe with weathered white beadboard walls overstuffed blue furniture. It consisted of two small bedrooms, a bathroom and a joint living and eating area. Her refuge. The place she rented when she lost everything else. The same place Carl for some reason thought he had a right to live in.
She grabbed her cell off the couch and dialed the number Garrett had put in there when they first met. The phone rang and his deep voice came on the line. Voicemail.
She waited a few minutes. Gave herself a bit of a pep talk and mentally insisted she could handle this, just like she handled everything else.
Instead of leaving a message she texted him. She tried to think of the right thing to say. She went with the only words that made sense to her… You were right. Carl is not dead.

About The Author

HelenKay DimonGoodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /

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HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a…divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

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Dirty Deeds (The Dirty Series #1) by HelenKay Dimon-Review & Giveaway

DIRTY DEEDS (The Dirty #1) by HelenKay Dimon-Review and Giveaway

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DIRTY DEEDS
The Dirty Series #1
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: August 8, 2017
Genre: adult,contemporary, M/M, erotic, romantic suspense

Dirty Deeds

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 8, 2017

No dirty deed goes unnoticed in a seductive game of cat and mouse. But for Alec and Gaige, the wrong move could get them killed.

Alec Drummond didn’t make his billions by playing nice—or by playing much at all. When it comes to pleasure, Alec only has time for whatever’s quick and easy, which is exactly what he gets from his company’s hot new computer genius. But Gaige Owens isn’t some pushover. He pushes back, and it’s giving Alec a rush. The question is, could Gaige be the one who’s leaking trade secrets? Just to be safe, Alec keeps him close at hand . . . night and day.

Gaige never thought he’d roll over for a man like Alec again, but who could resist sex this mind-blowing? Then there’s the draw of Alec’s mysterious side: his cutthroat ambition, his covert CIA connections, and the murder in his past. For Gaige, a deeper look proves an irresistible temptation. But when Gaige and Alec are stripped of their defenses by an unseen danger, everything they don’t know could bring them closer together—or tear them apart. Only one thing is certain: Before it’s all over, someone’s going down.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY DEEDS is the first installment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult THE DIRTY erotic, M/M romantic suspense series-a spin off from her TOUGH LOVE series. This is former CIA operative Gaige Owens, and billionaire businessman Alex Drummond’s story line. DIRTY DEEDS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty-any important information from the previous series is revealed where necessary. Alec is first introduced in Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love #3)

NOTE: DIRTY DEEDS contains graphic scenes of M/M sexual situations, intended for mature readers only.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Gaige and Alec) DIRTY DEEDS follows the search for the truth. Gaige Owens finds himself ‘tied’ to the CIA, and repaying his debt comes with a dangerous mission to Germany, and the man with whom he would fall in love. Enter Alec Drummond, billionaire businessman and civilian security specialist with high ranking government contacts, whose off hour business shipments to Svalbard, the ‘Doomsday Vault’ in Norway, have caught the attention of the CIA. What ensues is the building relationship between Gaige and Alec, and the struggle to uncover the who, what and why behind the ‘mysterious’ cargo entering the secret vaults meant to preserve the world’s food supplies.

Gaige Owens is an IT specialist but his latest ‘assignment’ has him coming face to face with a man who wants nothing to do with Gaige or the reasons behind the CIA’s involvement. Gaige is working undercover at Drummond Industries, and Alec has a difficult time trusting the man with whom he will fall in love. Both burned in the past by people they once loved Gaige and Alec’s attraction to one another is both palpable and immediate. But someone is desperate to keep both Gaige and Alec from uncovering the truth-our couple are targeted at home and at work. The $ex scenes are numerous, intimate and erotic. Alec battles both his heart and his head knowing there is an end date when the mission is complete.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Alec’s second in command Tony, as well as Tony’s girlfriend, former military personnel Caroline; Alex’s PA Pam Masters (Caroline’s sister); CIA Special Activities Division Agent (SAD) Seth Lang (Guarding Mr. Fine#3); Doomsday vault head of security Daniel Berg, and supervisor Astrid Larsen.

The world building continues to focus on the secret military operations, and Black Ops missions; the people, the places, and the threats to world safety and security, and the men whose mission it is to go undercover-in more ways than one.

DIRTY DEEDS is an intriguing and suspense filled story line focusing on the potential destruction of the world’s food supply. The premise is original, engaging and entertaining; the characters are colorful, edgy and animated; the romance is seductive and intense. DIRTY DEEDS is a sensual and passionate story of two men thrown together in the face of impending disaster.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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About the author

HelenKay DimonGoodreads /Website/ Twitter/ Facebook

Helenkay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a . . . divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over thirty novels, novellas and shorts to numerous publishers. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. But if you ask her, she’ll tell you the best part of the job is never having to wear pantyhose again.

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HelenKay Dimon’s publisher is graciously offering an ebook copy of DIRTY DEEDS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway runs from August 8-11, 2017

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