Tag Archives: Romance suspense

Shatter by Joan Swan – a Review

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Shatter by Joan Swan – a Review

 

Shatter
Phoenix Rising series
Book #4
by Joan Swan
Release Date: December 31, 2013

Shatter
Links to order Shatter: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
For seven years, Halina Beloi has been in hiding. But she’s never forgotten Mitch Foster, the long, lean man she had to leave behind. Until, that is, Mitch shows up with a list of questions and a 9mm in his hand.

All Mitch knows is that Halina broke his heart and disappeared. But new information has surfaced implicating her as a player in the deadliest game of Mitch’s life. This time, he’s not letting go without answers. Now terror, danger and heat will fuse them together or shatter the future. . .

 

 Review:

Shatter by Joan Swan is the 4th book in her wonderful Phoenix Rising series.  I have read and reviewed every book in this series from the start, and have loved every moment of this fantastic ride.  I have been a big fan of Joan Swan from the first book, and Phoenix Rising has become one of my favorite series; as it is so well written; and each book has been filled with action, excitement, suspense, super team of friends, awesome couples, and steamy sexual chemistry between them. 

Our hero in Shatter has been one that we have been waiting for from the start.  Mitch is one of our awesome and hot heroes, even though he has not been one of the men/women who developed unique powers due to a chemical explosion years before.  It is Mitch, who is Alyssa’s (heroine of the 1st book) brother, who had the powerful connections & money to help protect and fight the evil enemies from DARPA.   We knew Shatter would be Mitch’s story, as we learned at the end of Rush, about his long lost love, Halina.

We meet Halina early, as she has built herself a new identity, after she left Mitch, 7 years before.  Halina, being a scientist, worked for Schaeffer, our villain, who is behind the threats against our heroes.  When Mitch comes face to face with Halina, his anger is evident, and Halina is shocked that he found her.  Mitch wants the truth about why she left him, and her involvement with Schaeffer; the explosion that affected the members of the Firehouse, who now all have unique powers. Halina tries to escape Mitch a number of times, as she knows that once she is discovered, the enemy will kill him, to get what they want from her.  She has never stopped loving Mitch, and spent these years watching him from afar; staying away just to protect him.  Mitch finds some truths, which angers him even more, as he doesn’t understand or trust Halina, but he knows that he still loves her. 

Once they get to the compound where everyone is staying together, the story becomes even more exciting, with the team learning more about Halina, her powers, as she too was exposed to the chemicals; and her research for Schaeffer that may have some answers.  The action is non stop, and it was just great to see all of our heroes together again, joining hands to fight a common enemy.  I loved loved Dex, Halina’s well trained guard dog, who becomes part of the team.  Most of all, I loved the romance between Mitch and Halina, even though Mitch was a bit rough with her early on, not knowing that Halina was trying to save him.  You knew they both belonged together, as their chemistry was off the wall.

I do not want to give spoilers, since this is an early review.  Shatter is a wonderful addition to Joan Swan’s Phoenix Rising series.  Each of the books in this series have been suspenseful, explosive non stop action, exciting, and tense;  with the added element of Joan’s wonderful blend of steamy sex for each couple.  If you want to read a book that has everything; excellent writing, romance, suspense, steamy sex, then look no further then Shatter.  But start with Fever, the beginning of this fantastic series.  Though there are some characters that can have their story told, Joan does tie up some loose ends, and Shatter could be the finale of this series, but I hope somehow we get to see more of these wonderful characters.  If you have not read this series, what are you waiting for?  When it comes to romance, suspense, with hot sexy couples, Joan Swan is one of the best.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher via NetGalley

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Unbreakable by Stephanie Tyler – a Review

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Unbreakable by Stephanie Tyler – a Review

UnbreakableLinks to order Unbreakable: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
THIS IS SECTION 8.

A cabal of operatives with dangerous pasts teams up to work black ops missions. Their weapon: deception. Can they help one of their own before he goes too far?

When Gunner agreed to help Section 8, he didn’t realize he’d be pulled back into the shadowy world he thought he’d escaped forever. The son of double agents, he was initiated at a young age into the cold world of espionage when his father forced him to work for international smuggler Drew Landon. And when Gunner’s past with Landon threatens the other mercenaries, and, most important, Avery, he makes an impossible choice…and disappears.

Avery’s not willing to give up on Gunner. The attraction between them has been there from the start, and she rallies Section 8 to help him. She knows there’s only one way to keep Gunner safe: fake his death and take him off the grid. But when she finally locates him, Gunner is a changed man, harder, more desperate, and on the edge of self-destruction. And only Avery can find a way to free him from Landon—and from the demons of his past—before it’s too late.

 

Review:

Unbreakable by Stephanie Tyler is her 2nd book in her Section 8 series.  I discovered Tyler when I had read and reviewed the 1st book of the series, Surrender. I loved the book, and noted that I would be adding it to my must buy list.  When Unbreakable was sent to be for an honest review, I was looking forward to see if Tyler can keep this storyline going, and I am thrilled to say…..she does.  Unbreakable, which is romance suspense, was a fantastic story, with many of the characters from the first book playing major parts in this story. 

Our heroine in Unbreakable is Avery, who is Dare’s sister (our hero in the first book), and the person who will help run Section 8.   Gunner is the hero in this storyline, and there is no question that both Avery and Gunner love each other very much, but in this case, nothing is easy.

Unbreakable starts a short time after Surrender left off, with Avery trying to put the pieces of Section 8 back together.  Many of the others were sent to take a vacation break, with Avery, Gunner and Jem hanging back.  Gunner leaves to go back to work for an old boss, Drew Landon, as he feels he is not good enough for Avery, not to mention  putting her life in danger.  But Avery is determined to get Gunner back, and with the help of Jem, she succeeds to kidnap him and bring him home.  What Avery doesn’t realize is that Landon will go to extreme lengths to bring Gunner back to him, including hurting Avery very badly.  At this point, we meet up with a new character, a female doctor named Drea.  I loved this new addition to the group, as she fit in so well.   The team is called back together, while Avery recovers, to plan some way to stop a powerful villain like Drew Landon. 

What follows is an exciting and suspenseful adventure that was a thrilling ride all the way to the electrifying climax.  A few surprises and twists will create a very exciting, and volatile situation at the end.   Though the storyline come to a satisfying conclusion, there is something that is left open ended, and we know who book three will be about.  Darn…I cannot wait for the next book.  Tyler does such a great job with her fabulous characters, such as Avery, Gunner, Dare, Grace, Jem, Key and now Drea.  I guarantee you will love them as much as I did.

If you like adventure, danger, suspense, hot mercenaries, strong women, steamy sex, and a nasty villain, then this series is perfect for you. Even though this is the 2nd book of a series, it can be read as a standalone.  But because of these wonderful characters, I wholly recommend you start with the 1st book to meet them all, and understand more of the storyline and background.  Stephanie Tyler is one of the best authors writing romance/suspense. If you have not read this series, go buy Surrender now, and then read Unbreakable. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by publisher

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Armed with Steele by Kyra Jacobs – a Review

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Armed with Steele by Kyra Jacobs – a Review

Armed with SteeleLinks to order Armed with Steele: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
What happens undercover, stays under covers. 

Jessica Hartley is looking for answers surrounding the mysterious car accident that nearly claimed the life of her best friend. She’s willing to risk it all, even her fledgling business, to find the person responsible and bring them to justice. Nate Steele is more than willing to help Jessica, but for reasons all his own. He’s been watching the infamous Maxwell Office Solutions for some time now, convinced thereis more going on than meets the eye. When his chief issues a cease and desist order yet again, Nate has no choice but to accept inexperienced Jessica as an undercover partner outside the letter of the law. 

Will Jessica and Nate be able to flush out Maxwell’s elusive villain, or will their growing attraction for each other sabotage their undercover ploy? Motives aren’t always what they seem when Jessica finds herself armed with Steele. 

 

Review:

I totally loved Armed with Steele by Kyra Jacobs. It’s a great murder mystery, with a few really hot kisses thrown in for good measure 😉 The characters are well written, and I immediately took to them. The nerdy computer genius meets the gorgeous cop, what more does a girl need 😉 
It had a few twists and turns, and one person that I didn’t expect was in on it :-O 

Jessica is devastated to find out her best friend and room mate Grace, has been in a serious car crash, (Jessica blames herself, as she was dodging her friend’s calls about a double date). This brings her to meeting the gorgeous officer Nate Steele, who is investigating the crash. 

These characters had me cringing, and laughing at the most odd moments (And those hot kisses, damn, almost melted my Kindle ). Then Nate tells Jessica that the state is closing the case, he drops into their conversation that he is part owner an investigating agency, and they have been following this case.  He suggests Jessica work with him to crack the case. 
                     
Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone who wants a little romance and suspense in their lives.

 

Reviewed by Julie B.

 

Copy provided by Author
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Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

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Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

thankless in death

Links to order Thankless in Death:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble/ Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
In the latest suspense thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, the year 2060 is drawing to a close in New York City and loved ones are coming together for Thanksgiving. But sometimes the deepest hatreds seethe within the closest relationships, and blood flows faster than water…

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has plenty to be grateful for this season. Hosting Roarke’s big Irish family for the holiday may be challenging, but it’s a joyful improvement on her own dark childhood.

Other couples aren’t as lucky as Eve and Roarke. The Reinholds, for example, are lying in their home stabbed and bludgeoned almost beyond recognition. Those who knew them are stunned—and heartbroken by the evidence that they were murdered by their own son. Twenty-six-year-old Jerry hadn’t made a great impression on the bosses who fired him or the girlfriend who dumped him—but they didn’t think he was capable of this.

Turns out Jerry is not only capable of brutality but taking a liking to it. With the money he’s stolen from his parents and a long list of grievances, he intends to finally make his mark on the world. Eve and her team already know the who, how, and why of this murder. What they need to pinpoint is where Jerry’s going to strike next

 

Review:

Thankless in Death is the 37th book in J.D. Robb’s fantastic In Death series.  This does not include all the novellas over the years.  One thing is sure, you will never be disappointed by anything written by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts), as this series has the best couple, as far as I’m concerned, in the literary world, in Eve & Roarke.  Just to spend time with Eve, Roarke, and all their great secondary characters, such Peabody, Mira, Summerset, just a name a few makes this series so highly enjoyable & anticipated. 

The villain in TID is Jerald Reinhold, a 26 year old bitter and lazy young man, who does nothing in his life, but expect others to serve him.  When his mother continues to nag him to get a job, Jerry goes out of control & turns psycho, killing her with many stab wounds, similar to the infamous Lizzie Borden.  He then goes on to kill his father, using a baseball bat. The bad thing is Jerry has finally found himself, he is happy and wants to keep on torturing those he feels maligned him. 

Eve and Peabody are assigned to this case, as they view the bloody mess they find at the Reinholds.  Right from the start, Eve figures out fast that Jerry is the murderer, but the hardest part, is finding him, since he has so many people he felt wronged him, it was hard to figure his next move. 

I found that Jerry was a sick & nasty villain, and though this series has many violent murders, he is one of the worst, and I truly hated what he did to his victims.   But Eve is a murder cop, the best, and she has a great team that respects and are totally loyal to her.  We have come to expect the horrible villains. You know in time they will find the killer, but the question is how long and how many horrible deaths will it take before our Eve gets him. 

In between this exciting, but violent case, we get a few wonderful added moments.  We met Roarke’s Irish family a few books back, and since this is Thanksgiving time, we get to see them all again.  It is truly a pleasure to see them, and fun to watch.  We also got to see many of those super secondary characters, whom we have come to care about throughout all the 40 plus stories.  Some of my favorites include the previously mentioned Peabody, Mira, Summerset, but also Nadine, Morris, Mavis, McNabb, Feeney, Baxter, Charles, Louise,  and the rest of her team.  We also got to see Eve and Roarke receive accolades for their always great work, and also see some wonderful characters from the past.  Eve may stand for the dead, but in this book, her friends, co-workers, family, and those she helped stand for Eve.  There were quite a few emotional moments that are rare for Eve.

One thing is constant, Eve & Roarke are such a great couple, each with their own unhappy childhoods, and their flawed past, but their love for one another is so real & true; when they are together, your heart just warms up.  There is nothing finer then watching our gorgeous & rich hunk, Roarke making sure his cop gets to eat, rest, dress well, and have a little sex in between.  I guess you can tell I love Eve & Roarke.

Throughout this non-stop violent wild ride, we got to see Jerry’s POV, which showed how dangerous and sick his mind was.  Even to the very end, Jerry thought he was in his right, and nothing was his fault.  Always a pleasure to watch Eve & Roarke narrow down the clues, work closely with her team to stop a vicious murderer.  What stops this from being just a violent book, is the joy and fun you get watching all of them interact with one another. 

The epilogue which was such a nice touch, was very emotional, as it brought back Nixie, one the youngsters Eve helped from the past cases.  With the theme of Thanksgiving, I am thankful to be able to read at least two books a year and a novella, which helps feed my addiction to Eve , Roarke, Peabody and all the wonderful secondary characters.  Thankless in Death is another winner for J.D. Robb, and I can’t wait for the next one.

Reviewed by Barb

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Bad Nights by Rebecca York – a Review

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Bad Nights by Rebecca York – a Review

Bad NightsLinks to order Bad Nights: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
You Only Get a Second Chance…

Private operative and former Navy SEAL Jack Brandt barely escaped a disastrous undercover assignment, thanks to the most intriguing woman he’s ever met. When his enemies track him to her doorstep, he’ll do anything to protect Morgan from the danger closing in on them both…

If You Stay Alive…

Since her husband’s death, Morgan Rains has only been going through the motions. She didn’t think anything could shock her–until she finds a gorgeous man stumbling naked and injured through the woods behind her house. He’s mysterious, intimidating–and undeniably compelling.

Thrown together into a pressure cooker of danger and intrigue, Jack and Morgan are finding in each other a reason to live–if they can survive

 

Review:

Bad Nights by Rebecca York is the first book in her Rockfort Security series.  We meet our heroine, Morgan Rains, as she is on vacation in her cabin.  Morgan is a professor, and has been running on empty for a year since she lost her husband, who was killed by a burglar.

One night, she hears something outside, and sees a naked man running, or shall we say stumbling, until he collapses.  Morgan goes to his rescue, and though he was somewhat violent before he passed out, she manages to drag him into the cabin.  Jack Brandt is our hero, a former Navy Seal, who was on assignment for his security firm, Rockfort Security.  He wakes up confused, and sees Morgan treating his wounds. After at first not trusting her, or she him; he knew she was in danger because those who hurt him would come looking for him.  He explains that he was doing undercover work and was discovered.  He managed to escape, but not before he was badly tortured. 

What follows is that Morgan and Jack are brought together to run for their lives, as the people trying to kill Jack, will stop at nothing to find him, which includes killing Morgan also.  The time period is only a matter of days, as they do what is necessary to keep themselves from being found.  Jack’s partners eventually will show up to help them and bring them to a safe house. 

Morgan at first wanted nothing more then to go back to her quiet sad life, but since she was in danger, Jack and his partners refused to let her leave, as it was too dangerous.  Morgan finds herself becoming very attracted to Jack.  It’s been a long time that she has even looked at any man.  Morgan herself got hurt a bit during their escape, and Jack has helped treat her.  He too begins to find himself attracted to Morgan.  It doesn’t take long before they act on their sexual desires. 

Sure enough though, the bad people find them and a battle ensues.  A suspenseful exciting last ¼ of the book, as Morgan’s life is in danger.  There are some twists, surprises and betrayals along the way. 

Rebecca York has written a nice romance suspense story. I do feel though that some things were a bit off.  I felt the romance between Jack and Morgan was good, but did not have the spark, or overall sexual chemistry.  Perhaps it was the short time period (days) that they fell in love, which didn’t really give us anytime on building the romance aspect.  I also thought that though the story was exciting, some was redundant, especially during escape and the villains pov.  I did like the men of Rockfort Security, and feel this has excellent potential for a great series.  

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Rush by Joan Swan – a Review

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Rush by Joan Swan – a Review

 

Rush

Links to order Rush: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
Jessica Fury, Washington lobbyist, has money, connections, and her own firm. But five years ago she had something better: happiness. Her firefighter husband, Quaid, was handsome, courageous, and crazy about her. Then one day he walked into a chemical inferno—and never walked out. Jessica has been through hell to get back on her feet. And then a rumor surfaces that could bring a miracle or shatter her world – again.

Q has been a prisoner forever. He’s honed his mind and body into weapons. He’s developed abilities no one else understands. But he’s still at the mercy of a cabal of ruthless men, who blank his memory, test him like a lab rat, and tell him lies. Although his past has been erased and his future looks grim, instinct tells him he has a woman to live for. What his mind can’t remember, his body can’t forget



Review:

Rush is the 3rd book in Joan Swan’s Phoenix Rising series.  I have read every book, and each one was a wonderful read, and yet Swan manages to make the newest one better then the last.  I loved Rush. 

Rush was a roller coaster of a ride from start to finish.  Swan manages to pull all kinds of emotions from us throughout the book.  What I find amazing in this series is that each main couple that are featured in each of the books are totally awesome.  Swan creates such great characters, you find yourself loving them all.  Our heroes in Rush, Jessica and Quaid are no different.  Another thing I absolutely love about this series is that all the main & secondary characters play major parts in the books, as they have become part of our family.  We get to see the entire team throughout in this magnificent adventure, and they are wonderful together.

The story picks up after Blaze, as we meet our heroine Jessica Fury.  We learn early on, that 5 years have passed since the explosion that gave our heroes their unique paranormal powers.  Jessica is now working as a lobbyist in the political field, privately trying to find a way to destroy one of the men behind the government conspiracy that have tried to hurt her friends, including secret experiments being done.  Jessica was married to Quaid before the explosion killed him.  Having lost the love of her life, Jessica succumbed to drugs and encounters with other men to drown in her grief.  She managed to bring herself back, but she still has anxiety attacks. 

The scenes when they go back 5 years showing the love between Quaid and Jessica, and the rest of the members of that firehouse team were awesome, as they were a fun close knit family.  You can feel the love between them. 

Then Teague and Keira come to visit Jessica to explain about Cash (who was rescued in Blaze) and his friend (still captive).  They carefully try to tell a fragile Jessica that they think the man called Q, is in fact Quaid still alive and held captive all these years.   What follows is an exciting action filled adventure with the entire team helping to rescue Q. 

But rescuing Q is only the beginning.  Is he Quiad?  He has no memory of his past, having been tortured, brainwashed & made into a mercenary for the government conspiracy that the team has been fighting from the start.  It is the scenes between Q and Jessica; the love they had for each other before; the memories of the past; the friendships of the entire team; that totally tears you apart emotionally, as Q tries to remember who he is and who he was.  What is real?   This was a heart wrenching, tense, edge of your seat story, and I could not put this book down.

Joan Swan has outdone herself, as I felt each emotional pull; whether it was sadness, laughter, nerve wracking tension, or the heat of their sexual chemistry.  I love all the members of this team, and cannot get enough of them.  Do I love the Phoenix Rising series, you bet I do.  If you have not read Joan Swan or this series, what are you waiting for?  This is an awesome series, with everything, suspense, action, friendships, and very steamy sexual scenes.  I suggest you start with the first book in this series, Fever, as you do not want to miss any of these wonderful characters.

Reading order:
1. Fever
2. Blaze
3. Rush
4. Shatter

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

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First Temptation by Joan Swan – a Review

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First Temptation by Joan Swan – a Review

First Temptation

Links to order First Temptation(part of Wicked Firsts anthology):
 Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Counterterrorist agent Taft Walker knows the Mexican cartel smuggling game. But posing as part owner of an adult store to ferret out the newest tunnel into the US is a first. So is Zoe Brooks, his partner, new to undercover and a sex-toy virgin. Taft’s up for the sexy challenge. At least until he sees the real Zoe beneath her tough façade and realizes, for the first time in his life, he’ll have to risk his heart to win.

After the death of a teammate, Border Patrol Agent Zoe Brooks is ready to get off the front lines. She’s willing to tolerate a swaggering partner like Taft for a chance to work investigations with ICE. But she’s not prepared for the way he understands her deepest, sexiest desires. Or the fact that she’ll have to break her own rules to grab hold of the passion she’s always wanted.

 

Review:

First Temptation by Joan Swan is a novella, which is part of her Covert Affairs series. The first book in this series, Intimate Enemies was great, a true romance suspense thriller, as well as having steamy sex scenes.  First Temptation, though a novella, is also romance suspense, but this book took the steamy sex to the next level.  The difference between the two, perhaps because it is a novella, but in First Temptation, I felt the suspense story was totally overshadowed by the hot steamy sex scenes, with sex toys.  I enjoy steamy sex in  books I read, but I do prefer when its part of the story, not when it is the main theme.   

However, that being said, Joan Swan knows how to write a story with super characters.  I loved Taft and Zoe, as our couple in this book.  Zoe is a Border Patrol Agent, and a tough as nails leader, but she wants to move onto something different; especially after having lost one of her men while back.  She has an interview with ICED leader Rio, and he has the perfect job for her, then she meets Taft, who is to be her partner in this sting; the two of them get off on the wrong foot. 

Taft is an experienced Counterterrorism Agent, and he looks down upon Zoe.  Since they have to act like a married couple in an Adult Only Store, he feels she can’t handle it.  It doesn’t take too long for her to change his mind, as she puts on a show for him.  Zoe also has a lot of experience with the Mexican drug cartel, as being a Border Patrol Agent, she has been responsible to bringing down many of them.  When they begin working together, Taft finds himself totally falling for Zoe, but she holds back, as she does not believe in becoming involved with someone she works with, having had a very bad experience.  Needless to say, in a very short time, their sexual chemistry is so hot, neither can avoid each other.  At first when I met Taft, I wasn’t crazy about his macho attitude, but that changed quickly.  He turned out to be a fabulous hero; sexy hot, wonderful sense of humor, and his charm won Zoe over.  I loved Zoe, as she was a great heroine, and her and Taft were totally smoking hot together.

The suspense part of the story was good, but I would have liked more attention on this, though the end was exciting, with Zoe being in danger, as her identity was compromised.  There were some surprises and twists at the end that was done very well. 

I am a fan of Joan Swan, especially her Phoenix Rising series, and First Temptation was a  very good read, especially for a novella.  If you are a fan of romance suspense, with a hot steamy couple, Joan is one of the best.  If you like an erotica element added to your romance, and Joan knows how to push all the buttons in this one, then First Temptation is a must for you.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Netgalley

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Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts – a Review

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Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts – a Review

whiskey beach

Links to order Whiskey Beach: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
For more than three hundred years, Bluff House has sat above Whiskey Beach, guarding its shore—and its secrets. But to Eli Landon, it’s home…

A Boston lawyer, Eli has weathered an intense year of public scrutiny and police investigations after being accused of—but never arrested for—the murder of his soon-to-be-ex wife.

He finds sanctuary at Bluff House, even though his beloved grandmother is in Boston recuperating from a nasty fall. Abra Walsh is always there, though. Whiskey Beach’s resident housekeeper, yoga instructor, jewelry maker, and massage therapist, Abra is a woman of many talents—including helping Eli take control of his life and clear his name. But as they become entangled in each other, they find themselves caught in a net that stretches back for centuries—one that has ensnared a man intent on reaping the rewards of destroying Eli Landon once and for all…

 

Review:

Nora Roberts has done it yet again with her newest standalone novel Whiskey Beach.  It had everything I look for in a Nora Roberts book, from suspense and intrigue, to a classic case of who done it, with a sweet and sexy romance that weaves seamlessly throughout the story. To top it all off, she even had the setting of the story take place in a small coastal town called Whiskey Beach.  There’s just something about a novel that takes place in a coastal town for me. It just seems to add an air of mystery, and provides beautiful scenery for the story.  I must admit, I do love a good mystery thrown into a romance every now and then, and Nora always delivers for me. Even though Nora is classified a romance writer, she does an amazing job of creating her mystery, setting up the backstory, weaving it seamlessly into her romance, and bringing it full circle by the end of the book.  I can never figure out who the culprit is until the very end, and even then there are times when I’m sitting there with my mouth hanging open, going, no way, I never saw that one coming.  In Whiskey Beach Nora creates a suspenseful and sexy story that centers around the hero this time, Eli Landon. 

As the book blurb states, Eli Landon recently moves back into his family home in Whiskey Beach to escape the past year of his life and try to find some sort of normalcy.  I really liked Eli from the start. He’s not your typical hero in a romance story.  He’s not big and brawny, over the top alpha, taking control of the heroine’s life.  Instead, Eli is more of your normal everyday type guy who’s currently going through some issues of his own and just wants to be left alone. Yes he’s brooding to a point, because of what’s happened to him, but it never got on my nerves. It’s just enough of a brood that allows Nora to pull the reader in, drawing you to Eli’s side, making you want to be his savior and help him overcome the past year of his life.  You can’t help but want to see him find that special someone who will change everything for him, while at the same time, finally putting the past to rest.  As the story progressed I found myself liking Eli more and more, and wanted desperately to find out who exactly was after him and why. I enjoyed the Landon family lore that we learn about through Eli’s research and bringing with it stories of pirates and buried treasure.  See what I mean about a novel set in a coastal town, that air of mystery with endless storylines, sorry I digress, back on track now.  With all this Landon lore, Nora weaves a good old fashioned mystery that surrounds our hero and grabs the reader by the throat and doesn’t let you go till the very end.

Along with the mystery that surrounds Eli and his family, our heroine of the book is quickly pulled into this mess.  Abra Walsh has known Eli’s grandmother for a long time and has become good friends with her.  Abra, like Eli is not your typical heroine.  She’s not the type of women who is fragile, needs protecting and an over the top alpha male to jump in and take control of her life.  We learn that Abra had her own issues and learned how to take care of herself from them.  She’s a real free spirit type girl and to me was a breath of fresh air.  I really liked the bit of role reversal Nora created with Abra and Eli.  It was Abra taking care of Eli and helping him sort through the past year of his life.  When Eli decides it’s time to set the trap for whoever is after him, Abra is quick to jump in and want to be a part of it, loved that about her.  She had me giggling a few times at the things she had poor Eli do throughout the book to help improve his spirit.  The massages and bringing him a pet/security dog were especially cute scenes. Along with fixing him meals and leaving him little reminder notes to eat it. This role reversal worked well and it made both Abra and Eli more endearing to me as a couple as the story progressed

As I said earlier, Nora does a wonderful job of setting the stage for her mystery that surrounds Eli and his family’s legacy.  The mystery and romance in the story are beautifully tied to together to form a cohesive storyline and keep the reader on the edge of their seat wondering who done it right up to the very end.  Reversing the hero/heroine roles was a nice touch and breath of fresh air in this particular story.  It was nice to see the female take care of her male for a change.  Abra was just what Eli needed and Nora couldn’t have written a better heroine for him. They made for a perfect match and balanced each other nicely.  I especially enjoyed watching Eli try to figure out Abra, to taking on a pet/security dog, researching his family’s history to find answers to his troubles, and re-opening the murder case against him.  Nora once again proves why she’s a number one romance writer with Whiskey Beach.  For any Nora fan, or even a non-Nora fan for that matter, I highly recommend Whiskey Beach. I promise you won’t be disappointed. 

Until next time, Happy Reading

Reviewed by Marcie

 

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