Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro ~ Audiobook Review

Title: Private (Private #1)
Author: James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
Genre: Adult, Suspense
Length: 7 hours 3 minutes
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Release Date: June 28, 2010
Source: Purchased
Reviewed by:  Jasmyn

The police can't help you....

Former Marine helicopter pilot Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily - and his staff of investigators uses the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.

The press will destroy you....

Jack is already deep into the investigation of a multi-million dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of 18 schoolgirls when he learns of a horrific murder close to home: his best friend's wife, Jack's former lover, has been killed. It nearly pushes him over the edge. Instead, Jack pushes back and devotes all of Private's resources to tracking down her killer.

Only one place to turn: Private....

But Jack doesn't have to play by the rules. As he closes in on the killer and chooses between revenge and justice, Morgan has to navigate a workplace love affair that threatens to blow the roof off his plans. With a plot that moves at death-defying speeds, Private is James Patterson's sleekest, most exciting thriller ever.

**********

Private was an interesting audio experience. I can now say that I have tried - and don't like - audiobooks with music. It's one thing to have a few seconds between chapters when no one is talking, but music with the talking is just too hard to listen to. 

The story of Private is an exciting and very busy one though. Private investigator Jack Morgan takes on three different very high profile cases throughout the book, which I think was a little much (unless they all intersected, which they don't). I feel like the case of the dead teenagers and the murder of his friend's wife should have been separate stories as they were both very complicated and I hated bouncing away from either one of them. It made the book a little confusing with all the information and clues being found and discussed.

I also really didn't like Jack. He has some legitimate issues of PTSD that he's not actually dealing with. But he also treats the women in his life like crap with a fear of commitment and need for "freedom" that I just wasn't buying into. The worst part was that these women were very intelligent and still fell for it. Unfortunately, I don't see myself continuing this series with a lead character that I just don't like.

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Beneath by Maureen A. Miller ~ Spotlight

This YA fantasy adventure with a touch of romance is the story of what happens when an accident in the Atlantic Ocean brings a fate, no one could imagine. Follow the tour for reviews, excerpts, and enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

Title:  Beneath

Author: Maureen A. Miller

Release Date: March 26, 2018

Publisher: Self-published

Genres: YA

Page Count: 340

Format: Print and digital

Synopsis:

An overnight fishing trip on the Atlantic Ocean…

It was Stella Gullaksen’s final break before starting her freshman year at college. Joining her best friend, Jill, and Jill's family aboard the STARKISSED, Stella wakes to a violent storm that capsizes the boat over a hundred miles off the New Jersey shore.

As the waves haul her under Stella knows that she is going to die. Instead, an unusual current drags her deep into the underwater canyons of the Atlantic Ocean. Powerless against the raging waters, she is suddenly sucked into a ventilated cave. One by one, Jill and her family also emerge in the sunken cavern.

With only a faulty diving flashlight to keep oblivion at bay Stella and her best friend's brother, Colin, search the cave in hope of finding a way back to the surface. What they discover, however, is that they are not alone. There are other survivors in this subterranean grotto–survivors spanning decades of maritime disasters.

Will this discovery prove salvation, or have they all been condemned to the same fate? A grim finale at the bottom of the sea?

On an alliance forged by friendship and attraction, Stella and Colin battle to escape the danger that lies beneath.

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BENEATH Excerpt

Copyright © 2018 Maureen A. Miller

She was going to vomit.

Stella Gullaksen looped her arm through the tuna tower ladder. The LED spotlights cut through the storm, revealing a pool of seawater on the cockpit floor of the sport fishing boat. The brine was creeping up to her calves now. Across from her, Col, her best friend’s brother, wrapped a rope around his arm like a boa constrictor. Dark hair was pasted to his forehead and his eyes were lost in the night, but the bright red coil in his free hand was visible enough. He nodded at her and tossed it.

Stella clawed at the darkness, squinting against the blinding fusion of rain and saltwater. The rope unraveled, winding through the water, eluding her grappling hand. Finally, she latched onto it and read his encouraging nod to secure it around herself. Trembling fingers attempted the task, but another black wave smashed into the hull, cascading against her hip and nearly tossing her over. She clung to the aluminum rigging.

This was to have been a weekend fishing jaunt, a last respite before her freshman year in college. Stella’s best friend, Jill Wexler, was also a freshman at the same college. They met each other as freshmen in high school when Stella moved to Monmouth County from Pennsylvania. They were polar opposites in personality, but somehow it worked, and they had been attached at the hip since.

Jill’s parents owned the STARKISSED, a 32’ Topaz Express saltwater fishing boat. It was a tight squeeze to fit Donald and Anne Wexler, their eighteen-year-old daughter, Jill, their twenty-year-old son, Colin, along with Stella. It was only for a night, though. It took too long to reach the New Jersey underwater canyons, where yellowfin tuna fishing was at its best. They had to spend the night out at sea and were due back into port late tomorrow evening.

Inside the cockpit, she saw Don Wexler hunched over the steering wheel, smacking the radar display. His curses were loud enough to carry over the maelstrom.

“I checked with the Coast Guard. I checked the satellite. The weather was clear!”

The defense seemed lame given their current predicament. Did it matter what the weather report claimed? They were over a hundred miles off the coast of New Jersey in the center of a mean tropical storm. The fact that it was the middle of the night was just a cruel bonus.

Stella cast a frantic look at the cabin hatch now submerged under several inches of water. Jill was down there, along with her mother. Only a few moments ago Stella had been with them. When the storm struck, her stomach was the first to protest. She rushed up to the cockpit in search of air, and instead, emerged into chaos.

About Maureen A. Miller:

USA TODAY bestselling author, Maureen A. Miller worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She crawled around plant floors in a hard hat and safety glasses hooking up computers to behemoth manufacturing machines. The job required extensive travel. The best form of escapism during those lengthy airport layovers became writing. 

Maureen’s first novel, WIDOW'S TALE, earned her a Golden Heart nomination in Romantic Suspense. After that she became hooked to the genre. In fact, she was so hooked she is the founder of the JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE website. 

Recently, Maureen branched out into the Young Adult Science Fiction market with the popular BEYOND Series. To her it was still Romantic Suspense…just on another planet!

Follow Maureen:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub | Instagram

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Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale ~ Review

Title: Everything We Left Behind (Everything #2)

Author: Kerry Lonsdale

Genre: Adult, Suspense

Length: 348 paged

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Release Date: July 4, 2017

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Two months before his wedding, financial executive James Donato chased his trade-laundering brother Phil to Mexico, only to be lost at sea and presumed dead. Six and a half years later, he emerges from a dissociative fugue state to find he’s been living in Oaxaca as artist Carlos Dominguez, widower and father of two sons, with his sister-in-law Natalya Hayes, a retired professional surfer, helping to keep his life afloat. But his fiancée, Aimee Tierney, the love of his life, has moved on. She’s married and has a child of her own.

Devastated, James and his sons return to California. But Phil is scheduled for release from prison, and he’s determined to find James, who witnessed something in Mexico that could land Phil back in confinement. Under mounting family pressure, James flees with his sons to Kauai, seeking refuge with Natalya. As James begins to unravel the mystery of his fractured identity, danger is never far behind, and Natalya may be the only person he can trust.

**********

The ending to Everything We Keep left me wanting so much more! There were knots left all tied up and people on the verge of breakthroughs or breakdowns that I never had a chance to see. Everything We Left Behind picks up with James and tells his totally crazy story.

We start with a whammy - his memory comes back. His real memory. That means the person he has been for the past several years is completely erased. The man with a family, children, friends, and a business are wiped away forever as the original person re-emerges.  I can't even imagine how confused and disbelieving he must have been. But Kerry Lonsdale took me there! It was amazing - not what happened to him - but how I was brought into that situation and those feelings.

Fast forward a little and we have a family quickly becoming dysfunctional. James' memories pick up with him still together with Aimee, who has moved on and is living a new life. Their conversations and interactions were another brilliant look into the lives of these people. We finally find out exactly what happened with Phil and how James almost died in the first book.

There were a few moments that things got confusing. I wasn't sure which part of the timeline I was in as things jump around quite a bit. Just a tad more streamlining and I think this would have been just about perfect.

*I voluntarily received a review copy of this book*

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Everything Series

Everything We Keep

Good As Gone by Amy Gentry ~ Review

Title: Good As Gone
Author: Amy Gentry
Genre: Adult, Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Thirteen-year-old Julie Whitaker was kidnapped from her bedroom in the middle of the night, witnessed only by her younger sister. Her family was shattered, but managed to stick together, hoping against hope that Julie is still alive. And then one night: the doorbell rings. A young woman who appears to be Julie is finally, miraculously, home safe. The family is ecstatic—but Anna, Julie’s mother, has whispers of doubts.  She hates to face them. She cannot avoid them. When she is contacted by a former detective turned private eye, she begins a torturous search for the truth about the woman she desperately hopes is her daughter. 

**********

Good As Gone took me on quite the ride. While it took a few chapters to get used to the forward and backward movement of time - once I settled into the flow I realized it was a brilliant way to tell the story. The story jumps right off to a good start when Julie Whitaker goes missing - and then jumps straight forward to the present when she suddenly shows up on her parent's door years later.

As Julie is welcomed back into her home, millions of questions come to mind. Where has she been? How did she get back? And most importantly, is it really her? Julie's mom has doubts, but she's afraid to pursue them, the rest of the family seems so happy together. But maybe she has a reason to doubt. Small things that just don't seem quite right start adding up, and eventually, she can't ignore them any longer.

Things quickly deteriorate in Julie's family, and through it all, we are slowly walking backward through her life - up to the day a little girl was kidnapped and the events that led up to it. This was an incredible journey. I found myself second-guessing my opinions of Julie and her mother more than once; first convinced of one truth and then another. I was guessing up until the very end, and once I figured it all out, I was desperately hoping the truth would win out.

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A Harvest of Thorns by Corban Addison ~ Review

Title: A Harvest of Thorns
Author: Corban Addison
Genre: Adult, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Source: Amazon Vine
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

A beloved American corporation with an explosive secret. A disgraced former journalist looking for redemption. A corporate executive with nothing left to lose.

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, a garment factory burns to the ground, claiming the lives of hundreds of workers, mostly young women. Amid the rubble, a bystander captures a heart-stopping photograph—a teenage girl lying in the dirt, her body broken by a multi-story fall, and over her mouth a mask of fabric bearing the label of one of America’s largest retailers, Presto Omnishops Corporation.

Eight thousand miles away, at Presto’s headquarters in Virginia, Cameron Alexander, the company’s long-time general counsel, watches the media coverage of the fire in horror, wondering if the damage can be contained. When the photo goes viral, fanning the flames of a decades old controversy about sweatshops, labor rights, and the ethics of globalization, he launches an investigation into the disaster that will reach farther than he could ever imagine - and threaten everything he has left in the world.

A year later, in Washington, D.C., Joshua Griswold, a disgraced former journalist from the Washington Post, receives an anonymous summons from a corporate whistleblower who offers him confidential information about Presto and the fire. For Griswold, the challenge of exposing Presto’s culpability is irresistible, as is the chance, however slight, at redemption. Deploying his old journalistic skills, he builds a historic case against Presto, setting the stage for a war in the courtroom and in the media that Griswold is determined to win—both to salvage his reputation and to provoke a revolution of conscience in Presto’s boardroom that could transform the fashion industry across the globe.

**********

This was quite the exciting story. Corporate intrigue, jornalistic investigations, greed, redemption, death, justice, and so many other things all wrapped up into a very nice package. Based loosely on a true court case, we start at the beginning, with a horrible 'accident' that should have never happened. 

We follow the investigation of journalist Joshua Griswold as he learns to navigate the tricky waters of several foreign countries. With rules drastically different than the US - bribes, favors, and flat out lies are the best way for him to get information. As Joshua uncovers more and more of what really goes on in the garment factories, a sad story of greed unfolds.

I found this story to be incredibly fascinating. The cultured and people shown were brought to life on every page, and there was just enough revealed at every turn to keep me wanting to know more. There were some personal moments woven into the story, and I'm not sure if they were my favorites. While they gave opportunities to learn more about Joshua and the others, they probably my least favorite parts of the story.

With an interesting resolution, one that I didn't quite see coming, and an unexpected hero, A Harvest of Thorns was a great story.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book**

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Unpredictable Webs by Darlene Quinn - Review

Title: Unpredictable Webs
Author: Darlene Quinn
Genre: Adult, Suspense
Length: 451 Pages
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press
Release Date: April, 16, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Betrayal, rebellion, jealousy, and a kidnapping gone awry are at the core of this fourth novel in Darlene Quinn's ensnaring series. Unpredictable Webs picks up the Webs series five years after Twisted Webs.

About to turn sixteen, Marnie Taylor is rebellious--fighting often with her mother, Ashleigh--and jealous of her more even-tempered and popular twin sister, Callie. Lonely, Marnie finds a compassionate listener in Brad, whom she meets online. Spinning a web of lies to throw her parents off, Marnie arranges an in-person meet-up with Brad. But she realizes too late that she has been targeted in a sinister scheme for ransom.

Quinn's vivid cast of characters returns in this high-tension, stand-alone sequel. Though their actions are plausible, none of them behaves as others might predict in this tale that discloses the darker behaviors people are capable of. Cougar Viviana De Mornay takes Chicago's fashion world and ''Italian Stallion'' Gino Cabello by storm. Tony Wainwright, who has paid his dues for a past crime and appears to have turned his life around, is catapulted to the top of the list of suspects. PI Ross Pocino is on the scene with his surprising insights into criminal behavior, and Paige Toddman's mother, Helen, seems to grow younger every day. While some mothers can unintentionally do unspeakable harm to their children, Ashleigh's steel-magnolia efforts to wrest her daughter from her captor redeem the sacredness of that role.

Ashleigh once again finds herself in the middle of a horrible situation. Having already survived through a kidnapping/attack and one of her twins being kidnapped, now the other one is. This may sound like a bit much at first, but Darlene Quinn writes in such a way that all you feel is grief and suspense as this new chapter in her life unfolds.

Once again all the players seem to overlap in strange and surprising ways. Ways that will be very important as things come together in the end and work themselves out. I really enjoy how the reader is allowed to see both sides of the story as it all unfolds. Instead of "giving away" too much and ruining the suspense element, it only adds to it. Seeing things from everyone's perspective really adds a nice touch and quite a bit of atmosphere to the story as well.

Another great addition to this tale of the retail giants, I'm glad that Darlene Quinn moved into a more personal look into their lives instead of focusing on the business aspects. While the business is interesting, seeing into their lives at a more personal level really brings the characters to life and I become fully invested in their stories and lives.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Previous Reviews for the Series:

Webs of Power

Twisted Webs
Webs of Fate

Webs of Fate by Darlene Quinn - Review

Title: Webs of Fate
Author: Darlene Quinn
Genre: Adult, Suspense
Length: 517 pages
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group
Release Date: January 1, 2011
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

In the high-fashion world of the mid-'80s, Ashleigh McDowell falls victim to a painful betrayal by Danielle Norman, a naive and vulnerable young buyer who is fighting to save her plummeting career. How high a price will both women pay in their battle over a grave secret? Each step Ashleigh takes to uncover the truth about Danielle's actions--and her whereabouts--unwittingly exposes her to a criminal mastermind who feels events spinning out of his control. Unexpectedly, Ashleigh discovers an ally in her hunt for Danielle--the handsome Conrad Taylor. But is he the man who will steal her heart or break it?

In a race against both time and the emotions that haunt her, Ashleigh ultimately finds what fate holds for her.

From international award-winning author Darlene Quinn, Webs of Fate is a tension-filled work of fiction that creates the background for the personalities and motivations that drive the stories in Webs of Power and Twisted Webs.

This is the best so far in this series. Going back in time to visit Ashleigh and experience some of the events that are briefly mentioned and referenced in the first two books. There are three distinct crimes that happen in this book, and each has its own unique and special twist. They all revolve around a missing buyer from Bentleys Royale, Danielle. Ashleigh and Danielle have quite the history together, and she just knows that Danielle would never just disappear - she loved her job too much and would never risk doing anything to lose it.

There were a few slow spots in the book that kept it from getting a full 5 star rating. These spots delved more into the retail personnel that really didn't seem to play a part in the story - perhaps they have more to do in future stories.

The suspense was incredible. There were times I thought for sure that someone wasn't going to be saved, they weren't going to find the bad guys, and it would all just fall apart. But then something would happen or be discovered and the chase was on again. I loved it!

Getting to know Conrad, Ashleigh, Vivian, and Mitchell in a different light was very entertaining as well - especially since I had read the books and knew where they were all going to end up. I'm enjoying this series more and more with each book.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Webs of Power

Twisted Webs

Review: Ruby Hill by Sarah Ballance

Title: Ruby Hill
Author: Sarah Ballance
Source: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Suspense
Release Date: September 30, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

From her earliest memories, Ashley Pearce has been drawn to Ruby Hill Lunatic Asylum, and she's not the only one. Decades after the abandoned hospital ended its institutional reign of torture and neglect, something lurks in the shadows. Since she’s a paranormal investigator, it's Ashley's job to find out what.

Crime scene expert Corbin Malone doesn't believe in ghosts. A born skeptic, he has no interest in entertaining the hype surrounding the mysterious deaths at Ruby Hill, but he won't turn his back while more women die. He agrees to an overnight investigation, never expecting his first encounter would be with the woman he pushed away a year ago. But when he discovers Ashley is a target, he learns his greatest fear isn't living with his own demons, but losing her for good.

Ruby Hill got off to a fantastic start.  Mysterious deaths at an old derelict lunatic asylum - the perfect start for a ghost story.  It gets better from there as Ashley, a paranormal expert, and Corbin, a crime scene expert, show up to try and find answers - each in their own way.  With lots of mysterious bumps and very disturbing spirits lurking around, I was just settling into the story when ... it suddenly ended.

Yes, it ended far too soon and without a clear resolution to the ghost story.  Now the secondary story line, the romance between Ashley and Corbin, really never takes center stage.  It lingers in the background waiting for its turn, which never seems to quite get here.  I really hate saying that I wish a novella was longer (I know they are short) but this one really did need more to flesh out the story and give it a little more closure.

Purchase Links:

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Cover Reveal: Adrenaline Rush by Cindy M. Hogan

Designed by Steven Novak

Adrenaline Rush by Cindy M. Hogan
Publication date: October 2013
Genres: Suspense, Young Adult

A madman with a mission is kidnapping groups of thrill-seeking high school seniors across the country, and it’s up to Christy to stop him.

To do so, she must take on a fearless alter ego and infiltrate a group of adrenaline junkies bent on pushing life to the limit. Death-defying stunts are only the beginning: two groups fit the profile, and Christy must discover the real target before it’s too late.

If she chooses the wrong group, more people will disappear. But choosing right puts her as the prime target—with no guarantee that she’ll get out alive.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18302520-adrenaline-rush?ac=1

Pre-Order Links

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AUTHOR BIO

Cindy M. Hogan graduated with a secondary education teaching degree and enjoys spending time with unpredictable teenagers. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she's not reading or writing, you'll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. She loves to bake, garden and be outdoors doing a myriad of activities.


Author links:

Blog: http://cindymhogan.blogspot.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/watched1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4858618.Cindy_M_Hogan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Watched-The-Book-By-Cindy-M-Hogan/185737298139932

Review: Mercy by Jan Coffey

Title: Mercy
Author: Jan Coffey
Genre: Suspense
Source: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: September 30, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Julia Klein’s life has begun to unravel—her daughter Amy has been suspended from school, Julia is about to lose her job, and her boyfriend Garrett is being transferred thousands of miles away. Overwhelmed, she and Amy leave for a weekend at a rambling old colonial inn. Julia never suspects that Garrett, desperate to find a way to keep Julia in his life, has decided to surprise her by joining them. Nor does she expect her daughter to befriend a mischievous ghost...or that she herself would be possessed by the malevolent spirit of a long-dead mother. 

As a dark secret emerges, Julia, Amy, and Garrett find themselves pitted in a fight for survival against a savage presence that intends to resurrect/repeat/relive a horrible crime committed two centuries ago. And this time, Amy and Julia will be the victims.

Mercy is a fantastic little novella that is perfect for a rainy night in bed.  While it seems to be a simply ghost story at first, things take a deadly twist when Julia is possessed by a very unhappy spirit.  There is a lot more to the spirit than first meets the eyes though.  Garrett, Julia's boyfriend uncovers some of the unhappy story while doing research on a haunting that he believes to be real, but the real key to the story is Amy, Julia's daughter.  But Amy hasn't spoken a word in years, and she may not have the courage to speak up now.

A very quick read that was a perfect start to October and the Halloween season.  Just scary enough to get the pulse going a little, but not enough that I couldn't get to sleep.  Garret and Julia are very lovable characters, and the way they treat Amy is so touching.  You can see how much the family loves each other, which makes the ending even better.

Purchase Links

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Review: Maggie's Man by Alicia Scott

Title: Maggie's Man (Family Secrets #1)
Author: Lisa Gardner writing as Alicia Scott
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Source: FirstReads
Release Date: August 6, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Three siblings searching for the truth about their family are about to find more than they bargained for.

When shy and reserved Maggie Ferringer was called for jury duty, she never expected to be kidnapped by an escaped convict. But when Cain Cannon, disguised as a prison guard, pulls a gun, she has no choice but to be taken hostage. Cain claims that he’s innocent of killing his girlfriend six years ago and now he wants revenge on the people who put him behind bars.

Soon, Maggie becomes more than just a hostage to Cain. As they slowly begin to share the secrets of their respective pasts, Maggie discovers that she wants to fight for Cain’s freedom—because he just might be the kind of man she could love.

Unfortunately I didn't connect well with Maggie - she was far, far too "good".  Constantly lecturing Cain (the escaped murderer) about morals and how he should treat people, there were times I wished she would do something mean or wrong just to make her more human.  Cain on the other hand, was the perfect tortured hero, falsely accused and wanting to make things right, knowing that it might mean hurting people to get it done.

Cain's part of the story was great.  I loved his character as well as his backstory.  They both combined to lead him down the path he is on, taking Maggie along with him for the ride.  I was surprised at how quickly they fell for each other, and sometimes it seemed like they both forgot Maggie was a hostage.  I think a little more realistic heroine would have made this book fantastic.

Barnes & Noble: Maggie's Man: A Family Secrets Novel
Book Depository: Maggie's Man: A Family Secrets Novel

Review: Once Upon a Wallflower by Wendy Lyn Watson

Title: Once Upon a Wallflower
Author: Wendy Lyn Watson
Genre: Historical Romance - Suspense
Source: Publisher Request - Entangled Publishing
Release Date: August 12, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

A Perennial Wallflower…

When Mira Fitzhenry’s guardian arranges her engagement to one of the most scandalous, yet devastatingly handsome lords to ever grace the peerage, all of society is abuzz. After all, the man has left a trio of dead young women in his wake, including his first fiancée. 

A Gothic Villain…

Expecting to scare the chit away within five minutes of meeting him, scarred and brooding Nicholas, the Viscount Ashfield, is intrigued by the unfashionably lovely Mira, but his family’s dark secret means he must fight his attractions. No matter what his heart wants.

As the wedding approaches, Nicholas and Mira grow ever closer, yet so does the very real danger. Will the truth bring Nicholas and Mira together or tear their love apart?

Once Upon a Wallflower is a beautiful story of love and suspense.  When Mira finds that she has been engaged to a man everyone believes is responsible for murder, she is quite naturally afraid and hopes to find a way to call it all off.  Nicholas, a misunderstood man everyone believes killed his last fiance, is just as determined to break the engagement - he has no need to get married.  But of course, if things worked out that way we wouldn't have a very good romance.

While the book started out just a little slow, it picked up the pace once Mira and her family travel to the Blackwell country estate to stay until the two can marry.  Once there, the clues are laid out nice and thick for anyone caring to go and find them - Mira is just that person, even if Nicholas seems to not see the need to clear his name.  The best part of this was trying to figure out who did it.  With only 30 pages left, I had it narrowed down to three people, but still wasn't sure which it was.  This was a brilliant job at keeping me interested in the mystery.  The reveal of who was responsible was fantastic as well, and I still wasn't 100% sure until the characters figured it out as well.  Again...brilliant.

Mira and Nicholas are both social outcasts for different reasons and they seem to bond over that.  Throw in the fact that Nicholas likes his women to be intelligent, and Mira becomes quite the catch once he gets to know her.  Theirs was a sweet romance, but clouded with doubt over Nicholas's innocence throughout the story - the driving force behind Mira trying to clear his name.  If the book had started off just a tad bit better - moving the story along more from the very beginning this would have received 5 stars.

Barnes & Noble: Once Upon a Wallflower

Review: Risky Surrender by Robin Bielman

Title: Risky Surrender (Take a Risk #2)
Author: Robin Bielman
Genre: Romance, Suspense
Source: Publisher Request - Entangled
Release Date: August 26, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Archeologist Lucy Davenport made a promise to retrieve an elusive piece of history buried in the walls of an iconic Indian village. But when she draws unwanted attention that interferes with her secret plans, she's forced to risk it all with a man who threatens not only her goal, but the walls she's carefully constructed around her heart. 

Keats McCall is an environmental preservationist navigating the globe on behalf of heritage protection. When he catches Lucy at his latest project, he suspects she's up to something. She's secretive, sexy as hell—and has trouble written all over her. He devises a plan to keep her close so he can keep an eye on her. But what he isn’t prepared for is just how close he wants to get.

I didn't even realize this was a series until I went to write my review - so it's safe to say this can be read as a complete stand-alone.

I grew up loving archaeology and historical sites, so this book seemed like it would be right up my alley.  Lucy is a bit of a tomb raider type - only not nearly as destructive.  She prides herself on getting in and getting out with the artifact without being caught or causing any damage.  Keats prides himself on restoring sites and keeping everything where it belongs - which is not in Lucy's hands.  They first meet as she gets away with an artifact on his boat and when she shows up again at another preservation site, he knows he's in trouble.

Sparks flew for Keats the moment he first met Lucy, he just didn't know who she was or how to find her (and the ring she stole).  He's determined to show her that her skills can be put to a more legal use and her life should be spent with him.  Lucy isn't so sure.  She's used to being on her own and has quite a bit of personal baggage she carries around with her. 

I loved their chemistry and how their interests were so similar, but still kept them in different worlds.  Their relationship was a hard one to get started, and you're never quite sure if it really will succeed until the very end.  With a couple outside characters that help breathe some life and humor into the story, as well as a great atmosphere  this was a very enjoyable read.

Barnes & Noble:  Risky Surrender (Take a Risk)

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Epiphany by Christina Jean Michaels

Epiphany by Christina Jean Michaels
Publication date: July, 2013
Genre: NA/17+ Romantic Suspense

“I had my first psychic dream when I was nine. Psychic implied power, and powerful wasn’t a word I’d use to describe myself. I couldn’t foretell the future or conjure visions at will, but I couldn’t think of a more fitting word to describe what I sometimes saw in my dreams.” 

For 23-year-old Mackenzie Hill, tossing her life down the garbage disposal is easy after a painful incident shatters her life. Her heart is bleeding, and moving to Watcher’s Point is a chance to start anew, only she isn’t prepared for the guy who walks out of her dreams and into the flesh. Literally . . . because she’s been dreaming about this sexy stranger for years.

Mackenzie is even less prepared to face the dark nature of her dreams. They’ve turned disturbingly gruesome, full of blood and murder, and when they begin to coincide with the media’s headlines, she and Aidan realize her visions might be the key to stopping a madman from killing again.

Only Aidan has painful secrets of his own, and perhaps the biggest danger of all is falling for him.

Author Bio:

Christina Jean Michaels was born in Paradise, California, but she has found the true home of her heart in Eugene, Oregon where she finds plenty of inspiration for storytelling.

When she was young, her mother said she hated words. Now she can't imagine not writing. She became an avid reader when she was thirteen and discovered the world of Sweet Valley High. About a year later she realized she could play God and write about her own characters. She has been writing in some form ever since.

She lives with her husband and their four children—three rambunctious UFC/wrestling-loving boys and one girl who steals everyone’s attention.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17924035-epiphany?ac=1

Purchase link not available yet but will be found here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Christina%20Jean%20Michaels%20epiphany

LINKS:

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