Thursday, August 8, 2024

Giveaway: 5 Thriller/Mystery/Paranormal/Romance Books!

 As usual I have more books than shelves, so I have a new giveaway I'm running! 


Rules of Engagement by Selena Montgomery/Stacey Abrams-Hardcover
People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle-Hardcover
Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright-Paperback
Storm Warning by David Bell-Paperback
Village in the Dark by Iris Yamashita-Paperback ARC Copy

Giveaway is open to US Residents only. Fill out rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway






Saturday, August 3, 2024

Sunday Post #259

 


The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Last weekend Peanut injured his ear and we ended up taking him to the emergency vet because it was filled with pus and swollen. Needless to say it was not a fun day for Peanut or us. I felt so awful for him because he already freaks out about going to the vet. Way more than any other cat I've had, so to have an IV, be sedated and kept most of the day I was really anxious for him. Thankfully, after getting it all cleaned out and an antibiotic shot he bounced right back!

Peanut!
Peanut taking his afternoon nap
 
We are grandparents again! Our fourth grandchild (a boy) was born yesterday (Friday). Mom and baby are healthy and happy! We're traveling down to Southern California to meet him on Thursday.

My mouth is finally not hurting so much after dental surgery two weeks ago. I've had constant headaches, jaw pain and pain where they took the tissue graft from the roof of my mouth. 

It's been a long time since I watched a movie, but The Fall Guy looked good and I love Emily Blunt. The movie was fun but not as good as I thought it would be. The best part to me was seeing the stunts in the credits at the end. Has anyone seen the new Ghostbusters movie? I was thinking of watching that next.

Garden flowers!

Rose: Peace


Read:

This is two weeks worth of reading. 

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)



15 Summers Later by RaeAnne Thayne: 4.5 Stars
The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos: 5 Stars
Mud Season by Sarah Stewart Taylor: 3.5 Stars



Received/Library Lend:



Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Berkley, Minotaur Books, Bookoutour, Bethany House and Austen Prose!


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How was your week?





Review: The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

 

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
Publication Date: July 2nd 2024 by Berkley
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher 
Rating: ½
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
After choking on a burger, Delphie finds herself in a strange afterlife waiting room where she meets Jonah, a man she thinks is her soulmate. However, Jonah is there by mistake and sent back to Earth. Delphie is given the chance to get her life back if she can find Jonah and make a connection in ten days. Trouble is she doesn’t know his last name and London is a big place!
 
Before dying Delphie led purposefully closed off life after suffering from bullying in high school and abandonment by her father and then mother. You can’t be hurt if you don’t let anyone in, but in her mission to find Jonah she must ask for help and open herself up once again. In her quest she finds new wonderful friends, quirky and fun! She also gets some closure on the past. I rooted for Delphine every step of the way!

The Love of My Afterlife was a unique setup and the story pulled me in right away!  It had some heartbreaking moments, but was tempered with fun, clever humor, and a surprisingly sexy romance, enemies-to-lovers variety. I absolutely loved it!

4.5 Stars



Book Description: 

A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on earth before ten days are up…

If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, but now she’s standing in her ‘shine like a star’ nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her.

As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is until someone comes running out of a door, yelling something about a huge mistake, and sends the dreamy stranger back down to earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife.

When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to earth and reconnect with the mysterious man, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start. But in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind…


About the Author
Kirsty Greenwood is an internationally bestselling author of funny, fearless romantic comedies about extraordinary love. When she’s not writing books she composes musicals and explores London where she lives with her husband. 


Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Audiobook Review: Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews

 

Sanctuary (Roman's Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews
Publication Date: July 30th 2024 by NYLA
Pages: 152
Audio Book Length: 4hrs 27min
Narrator: Chris Brinkley
Source: Publisher
Rating: ½
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Roman is grumpy, back from a task assigned by his Slavic god, Chernobog, still not complete, but he has the Koliada, the Winter Festival off. All he wants is to rest, sip eggnog and eat cookies, but things change when a teenage boy and his puppy (cue heart eyes!) shows up on his property and asks for sanctuary.
 
You’d think Roman, a Dark Volhv serving an evil god wouldn’t be a big-hearted softy, but “evil” in this story isn’t defined in the traditional sense. Soon after taking the boy in, a band of mercenaries show up determined to take the boy and the dog, but they have another thing coming if they think Roman’s just going to give him up. It was fun to see them underestimate Roman and his rag-tag bunch of strange and lethal creatures, adorable in their own odd way!
 
I’m a big fan of Ilona Andrews! It was fun to have Roman fleshed out, as I’ve liked him in the Kate Daniels series. Sanctuary was a fun, fast read, action-packed and infused with Andrews’ signature humor! Things wrapped up, but there were paths left open and I’m eager for more stories! A possible romance a-brewing? I’m all in!
 
I listened to the audio version with Chris Brinkley, a narrator I’ve enjoyed in the past, performing. His pronunciation of what seemed to be to me, difficult words (gods, mythology, etc.) was smooth and well done! I thoroughly enjoyed his performance! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4.5 Stars


Book Description:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews comes a novella featuring Roman, our favorite Volhv wizard in the always intriguing, colorful, volatile Kate Daniels world.

It’s not easy serving Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death…especially during the holidays; and especially when you’re out of eggnog and one of your pesky, freeloading mythic creatures has eaten your last cookie.

Roman would like nothing more than to be left alone, but when a wounded boy stumbles into his yard and begs for sanctuary, Roman takes him in. Now elite mercenaries are camped out on his property, combat mages are dousing the house with fire, and strange priests are unleashing arcane magic. They thought Roman was easy pickings, just a hermit in the woods, but they chose the wrong dark priest to annoy. For while Roman might be patient, he is the Black Volhv, filled with the love of his terrible god. For his adversaries, it's a fight to the death, but for him, it's just another day in the neighborhood.


Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Review: Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos

 

Shades of Mercy (Porter Beck #2) by Bruce Borgos
Publication Date: July 16th 2024 by Minotaur Books 
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher 
Rating: ½
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Porter Beck, the sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada has his hands full policing his large territory, even with the small population that resides there. His is a small department. Beck is called out when his high school friend, Cash, hooked on pain meds after an old football injury, overdoses on a nasty concoction of Fentanyl that’s been making its way through his county.
 
Also, the government arrives to retrieve a part of an aircraft that fell off in testing at Jesse James Roy’s Ranch, another high school friend of Beck’s. Beck hadn’t seen Jesse in years and is surprised to see how prosperous his ranch has become. It raises questions.
 
Beck’s investigations intersect and the government involvement adds an extra layer of difficulty as their motives are purposely unclear.
 
Shades of Mercy is the second installment in the Porter Beck mystery series and though it has a mystery that’s introduced and solved here, I recommend starting with the first book as it establishes Beck’s history. Also, because it’s sooo good!
 
This was another action-packed mystery with Beck coming head-to-head with some very bad people. I was on the edge of my seat in spots! Beck’s sharpshooter sister, Brinley, his police team and other allies were aiding along the way. Plus, Beck has a sweet new addition to his crew: Frank Columbo, a dog! Loved Frank and he was very helpful! 

4.5 Stars


Book Description:

In the usually quiet high desert of Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck faces one of his greatest challenges—a series of unlikely, disturbing and increasingly deadly events of unknown origins.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, doing the same lawman's job his father once did now that he's returned home after decades away. With his twelve person department, they cover a large area that is usually very quiet, but not of late. One childhood friend is the latest to succumb to a new wave of particularly strong illegal opioids, another childhood friend—now an enormously successful rancher—is targeted by a military drone, hacked and commandeered by an unknown source. The hacker is apparently local—local enough to call out Beck by name—and that means they are Beck's problem.

Beck's investigation leads him to Mercy Vaughn, the one known hacker in the area. The problem is that she's a teenager, locked up with no computer access at the secure juvenile detention center. But there's something Mercy that doesn't sit quite right with Beck. But when Mercy disappears, Beck understands that she's in danger and time is running out for all of them.

Monday, July 29, 2024

Review: The Best Lies by David Ellis

 

The Best Lies by David Ellis
Publication Date: July 23rd 2024 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 373
Source: Publisher 
Rating: 
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Libro.fm | Goodreads

My Thoughts:
I was a little hesitant to pick this up when I read Leo was a pathological liar, which was a label stuck on him that may or may not have fit. Not a fan of someone who lies all the time, but if/when he lied it was for the best of reasons and I loved how Leo’s clever manipulations of the truth kept him one step ahead of the bad guys! So many things were not as they seemed. I completely rooted for Leo, especially after that backstory.

I hit the 40% mark, and the story really took off, surprising twist and revelation at every turn! I stayed up into the wee hours to finish and see how it all turned out. The Best Lies was so good!

4 Stars


Book Description:

Bestselling and award-winning author David Ellis delivers a fast-paced, twisty thriller that will surprise readers at every turn.

Leo Balanoff is a diagnosed pathological liar with unthinkable skeletons in his family's closet. He's also a crusading attorney who seeks justice at all costs. When a ruthless drug dealer is found dead and Leo’s fingerprints show up on the murder weapon, no one believes a word he says. But he might be the FBI’s only shot at taking down the dealer’s brutal syndicate.

Risk his life going undercover for the feds or head straight to prison for murder? Leo accepts the FBI’s offer—but it comes with a price, including a collision course with his ex, Andi Piotrowski, a former cop and “the one who got away.” Forced to walk a tightrope between an ambitious FBI agent and a cruel, calculating crime boss, Leo’s trapped in a corner. But he has more secrets than anyone realizes, and a few more cards left to play.

AUTHOR BIODavid Ellis is a judge and a #1 New York Times-bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author of eleven novels of crime fiction, as well as nine books co-authored with James Patterson. In December 2014, Ellis was sworn in as the youngest-serving Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court for the First District. He lives outside Chicago with his wife and three children.




Thursday, July 25, 2024

Review: Until Next Summer by Ali Brady

 

Until Next Summer by Ali Brady
Publication Date: July 9th 2024 by Berkley
Pages: 448
Source: Publisher 
Rating: 

My Thoughts:
Old besties Jessie and Hillary reunite after years apart as Camp Chickawah, the place they met and bonded at is about to be sold and close for good. They mend fences over wonderful memories and unite to save the camp, each finding romance with past campers, Luke, the broody author, and Cooper the camp chef.

Until Next Summer was full of nostalgia, looking back at the good times of summer, even if you didn’t do camp as a youngster. The story makes me remember summer vacations by the lake, swimming, boating, campfires, smores, and fun getting away from it all! I enjoyed both Jessie and Hillary’s journey back to friends and sorting out their lives along the way! This is the perfect feel-good, summer read!
 
4 Stars


Book Description:

Two former best friends each find love at an adults-only summer camp in this romantic and nostalgic novel that proves “once a camp person, always a camp person.”

Growing up, Jessie and Hillary lived for summer, when they’d be reunited at Camp Chickawah. The best friends vowed to become counselors together someday, but they drifted apart after Hillary broke her promise and only Jessie stuck to their plan, working her way up to become the camp director. 

When Jessie learns that the camp will be sold, she decides to plan one last hurrah, inviting past campers—including Hillary—to a nostalgic “adult summer camp” before closing for good. Jessie and Hillary rebuild their friendship as they relive the best time of their lives—only now there are adult beverages, skinny dipping, and romantic entanglements. Straitlaced Hillary agrees to a “no strings attached” summer fling with the camp chef, while outgoing Jessie is drawn to a moody, reclusive writer who’s rented a cabin to work on his novel.

The friends soon realize this doesn’t have to be the last summer. They’ll team up and work together, just like the old days. But if they can’t save their beloved camp, will they be able to take the happiness of this summer away with them?