Review: Never Smile At Strangers by Jennifer Jaynes

Posted February 7, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 2 Comments

Sleepy Southern towns hold secrets. Long-past history secrets and deadly secrets. But nothing stays buried forever, especially in small, sleepy Southern town.

Title: Never Smile at Strangers
Series:
Author: Jennifer Jaynes
Genre: Mystery
Published: January 27, 2015
Source: NetGalley

Story Blurb:

When nineteen-year-old Tiffany Perron vanishes without a trace, the residents of rural Grand Trespass, Louisiana, launch a desperate search to find her. But few clues are unearthed, and before long another young woman disappears.

As locals continue to vanish, residents begin to discover that they might not know those closest to them as well as they had thought. Lies and insecurities quickly surface, leading everyone to question one another…and their involvement in the disappearances.

Meanwhile, an unstable, twisted killer is hiding quietly in their midst. Ever since his mother’s murder four years earlier, he’s been forced to raise his disturbed teenage sister. He’s terrified of her—and of women in general—and his world revolves around his fear of and obsession over them.

Before you go any further in reading this review. Know right now that in this novel there is mention of implied sexual abuse from the “killer’s” memories. If this type of content bothers you then don’t go any further. This is the only mention of these parts of the novel you will read here – my review centers on the mystery. But know what you may read before picking up this book.

Knowing that – Read on for my thoughts on Never Smile At Strangers. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The End of All Things by Lissa Bryan

Posted February 7, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 4 Comments

How would you survive should a virus wipe out most of humanity? Would you curl up in a corner and wait for the end? Or would you fight every single day for one more hour of life at any cost?

Title: The End of All Things
Series: End of All Things
Author: Lissa Bryan
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian
Published: January 24, 2013
Source: NetGalley

Cover Blurb:

After a terrible virus ravages the planet, Carly Daniels, one of the few survivors, hides in her apartment in Juneau trying to survive the best she can with only occasional forays to gather food. With her is Sam, a wolf puppy she found starving on the streets. He becomes her companion and a reason to continue when giving up sometimes seems like the more attractive option. Still dazed with shock and grief, she hopes for the world to go back to normal soon.

She is discovered by Justin, an ex-soldier who is intent on making his way to Florida before the winter sets in. Justin coaxes her out of her hiding place and convinces her to join him on his journey, because a warmer climate will be their best chance against the extremes of Mother Nature.

Together, they begin a perilous journey through a nation laid to waste by the disaster. Challenges abound along the way. The weather, injury, and shortage of supplies all help to slow them down. In time, they discover that they aren’t the only survivors. Some are friendly but some have had their minds destroyed by the high fever. Then there are those who simply take what they want, leaving Carly and Justin with no choice but to defend what is theirs.

But their journey is not without joy and love. Together, they face every struggle, including an unplanned pregnancy. Despite the perils of bringing a child into a world of chaos, their baby is a new beginning for themselves and a symbol of hope for the other survivors they find along the way.

This is the story of their journey to find a place to begin a new life, and a home in each other.

I am a huge, huge fan of The Walking Dead. While I would never want to live in a zombie filled world, how people survive is a fascinating journey to follow.

*I received an e-ARC of The End of All Things from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange
for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

While The End of All Things does not have zombies – it does have other kinds of monsters. There is no need for rotting flesh to bring out the monster in humans, just a situation where they can flourish.

Read on for my thoughts on The End of All Things. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Posted February 7, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

To be a Seeker was an honorable dream. To right wrongs, defend the innocent and protect the defenseless that was what this is all about — isn’t it?
Title: Seeker
Series:
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Genre: Fantasy
Published: February 10, 2015
Source: NetGalley

The night Quin Kincaid takes her Oath, she will become what she has trained to be her entire life. She will become a Seeker. This is her legacy, and it is an honor.

As a Seeker, Quin will fight beside her two closest companions, Shinobu and John, to protect the weak and the wronged. Together they will stand for light in a shadowy world.

And she’ll be with the boy she loves–who’s also her best friend.

But the night Quin takes her Oath, everything changes.

Being a Seeker is not what she thought. Her family is not what she thought. Even the boy she loves is not who she thought.

And now it’s too late to walk away.

*I received an e-ARC of Seeker from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange
for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.

Can you imagine at the age of 8 to have your future mapped out for you? To know what you will do, must do at such an early age? And by the age of 15 be fully trained to .. change the future?

Read on for my thoughts on Seeker. No true spoilers, promise.

Feature & Follow #4

Posted February 6, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 22 Comments

FeatureFollowParaAlison The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

This week’s feature blog is: My Bookish Itinerary

Today’s Question up for discussion is:

Do you read more than 1 book at a time, and if so, how, like a certain amount of pages per book before moving on to the next one in the queue? – via Words I Write Crazy

My Answer: I usually have 3 books going. One on my Kindle, which is usually e-ARCs. One on my Kindle App for the PC because I have tons of Kindle free books on that app that thankfully did not load over on my new Kindle…gotta get that TBR of Kindle books cleared up. And I always have one book, real physical book to hold and read. They are never the same genre though. I love so many different styles of novels. So I will have a Contemporary on one, a Historical on another and a Paranormal/Fantasy/YA on the other. How much do I read of each? It totally depends on my mood (or a review deadline). I might start out in old time London, spinning through a young woman’s First Season and in the evening be deep in the darkest night with a vampire hunter hot on my trail. Mood reading is my downfall.

Now it’s time to get following – hope you find awesome new blogs today.

Because this blog cannot use GFC – I prefer Bloglovin’ please.

Review: Echo Lake by Carla Neggers

Posted February 6, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

I fell in love with Rohan, let’s call it “puppy love”.

Title: Echo Lake
Series: Swift River Valley
Author: Carla Neggers
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: January 27, 2015
Source: NetGalley

In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner…

Heather Sloan has landed her dream job—the renovation of Vic Scarlatti’s stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It’s the perfect project for the family business, but for once, Heather is in charge.

Diplomatic Security Service agent Brody Hancock left Knights Bridge at eighteen, a few steps ahead of arrest and the wrath of Heather’s older brothers. Though Brody had never planned to return, Vic, a retired diplomat and friend, needs his help.

Staying at Vic’s guest house makes it impossible to avoid running into a Sloan at every turn—especially Heather. Seeing her again has affected Brody more than he wants to admit. But Heather is wary of Brody’s sudden interest in her, and she suspects there’s more to his homecoming than he’s letting on….

Set against the scenic backdrop of a New England winter, Echo Lake is a captivating tale of family, friends and the possibility of new love…

It’s hard not to fall in love with Rohan right at the first page. Really. Who can resist a frisky Golden Retriever puppy leading humans on a merry chase through the snow?

*I received an e-ARC of Echo Lake from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange
for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Read on for my thoughts on Echo Lake. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Highlander’s Folly By Barbara Longley

Posted February 5, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

The Highlander’s Folly is book 3 of The Novels of Loch Moigh series

Title: The Highlander’s Folly
Series: The Novels of Loch Moigh series
Author: Barbara Longley
Genre: Paranormal, Time-Travel, Historical
Published: February 3, 2015
Source: NetGalley

A brave fifteenth-century Highlander fiercely devoted to his foster family, Hunter of clan MacKintosh can defeat any man in battle. Thanks to his fae gifts, he can read the intent of his opponents and guess their next moves. But when the faerie Madame Giselle sends Hunter to the present day, he stumbles into a staged battle and rescues a young knight—only to discover that the knight is a woman, and she’s anything but a damsel in distress.

Meghan McGladrey learned martial arts and sword fighting from her father, a time-traveling Highlander himself. To Hunter’s surprise, Meghan is as skilled as any knight. When both of them are pulled back to the fifteenth century, Meghan becomes desperate to return to her time. Hunter, who is pledged to another, begins to fall for the beautiful, brave warrior as they fight side by side against a common enemy. Now, he must decide which matters more: his honor, or following his heart.

Exciting battles and intoxicating passion reunite in the third Novel of Loch Moigh from award-winning author Barbara Longley.

*I received an e-ARC of The Highlander’s Folly from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

A fierce Highlander from the fifteenth-century, a faerie’s plot and a modern day time-traveling maiden. What’s not to love in that combination?

Read on for my thoughts on The Highlander’s Folly. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Fool’s Paradise by Jo Ann Ferguson

Posted February 5, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

A Lady Priscilla Flanders Mystery

Title: Fool’s Paradise
Series: A Lady Priscilla Flanders Mystery
Author: Jo Ann Ferguson
Genre: Historical
Published: January 2, 2015
Source: NetGalley

Something is rotten in the Lake District . . . and the Prince Regent has asked Lord Neville Hathaway to investigate. But in order to ensure success, he asks his wife—and intrepid partner in crime-solving—Lady Priscilla, to join him.
When they learn that a young woman of the Beau Monde has vanished in the area, they can’t help wondering if that disappearance is connected to tales of a strange new settlement being created by a half-mad lord. Drawn into the madness against their wills, Priscilla and Neville go undercover as willing citizens in Novum Arce, the utopian recreation of Roman Britain, but it quickly becomes obvious that the person behind the kidnapping and insanity may have a very real ulterior motive—one that could change the future of the war against Napoleon.
Now they have to do more than save a missing lady—they have to stop an invasion! And there’s even more at stake! Priscilla has just discovered she’s going to have a child. And Neville has to decide: just how much is he willing to sacrifice for King and country?

*I received an e-ARC of Fool’s Paradise by Jo Ann Ferguson from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

This was the first of the ongoing series “A Lady Priscilla Flanders Mystery” that I have read. While it might have helped to have a bit more background – the opening chapters filled me in on the basics enough to dive right into the story with comfort.

Read on for my thoughts on Fool’s Paradise. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Magic Found by Misha McKenzie

Posted February 5, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

What would you do if a towel suddenly appeared outside of your shower? And no one is holding it!

Title: Magic Found
Series: The Magic of the Heart (book 1)
Author: Misha McKenzie
Genre: Paranormal
Published: January 24, 2015
Source: NetGalley

Marissa Spencer’s world has been turned upside down since waking up one morning with magical powers. She has no idea where they came from and controlling them has not been easy. To make matters worse, these new abilities seem to have brought with them a mysterious evil force that torments her dreams and tracks her down dark alleys. With the help of her sexy PI boss, Jack Slade—whom Marissa has always had a crush on—she will have to fight a battle for power that began before she was born. Along the way, she’ll discover a family she didn’t know she had, an inheritance she may not want, a strength she never knew was within her, and a love she’d only dreamed of.

The premise of this novel drew me in. I mean, really, who wouldn’t be just a bit freaked out to find out they suddenly had magical powers? Especially when you know you hadn’t had a single drink the night before!

Read on for my thoughts on Magic Found. No true spoilers, promise.

**I received an e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of Magic Found. This in no way changes what I thought of the book.**

Review: Loving Cara by Kristen Proby

Posted February 4, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

Anyone looking for a love story? Just a love story without any magic or fangs or space warps – a love story. If so, I offer you the first novel in Krisen Proby’s series Love Under the Big Sky.

Title: Loving Cara
Series: Love Under the Big Sky #1
Author: Kristen Porby
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: January 21, 2014
Source: own

Josh King is an expert at running his family’s multi-million dollar ranch in Montana. (And all that outside manual labor has done wonders for sculpting his six-foot-three body, too.) But as sure footed as he is when it comes to the ranch, Josh doesn’t know anything about how to deal with an adolescent boy—so when his twelve-year-old nephew, Seth, is dropped off on his doorstep, looking scared and acting surly as hell, Josh knows he needs help in straightening him out.

Cara Donovan loves her quiet life as a teacher in her sleepy hometown, so she jumps at the chance to make a little money over the summer as a tutor. But when she learns she’ll be teaching Josh King’s nephew, Cara’s sweet summer job gets a little bit hotter. Cara tries to focus all her attention on tutoring Seth, but Josh proves to be a delicious distraction, while Josh’s memories of the shy girl he once teased in high school are nothing like the beautiful woman he’s facing now. Can he persuade her that there’s more between them than a summer fling?

Catch your interest? Then read on for my thoughts on Loving Cara. No true spoilers, promise. 🙂

Waiting on Wednesday #3

Posted February 4, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 4 Comments

“Waiting on” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is from a favorite author and is part of a long series:

A Pirate’s Wife For Me #11 in the Governess Brides series

Caitlin MacLeod of Scotland is proud to announce her graduation from The Distinguished Academy of Governesses. She specializes in the womanly arts of housekeeping, picking locks, and overthrowing ruthless dictators, and is looking for a position wherein she can utilize these skills. No dashing, dastardly pirates or faithless, former lovers need seek her services.

Ship’s captain (and prince in disguise) Taran Tamson is by coincidence in need of the best lockpick in the land; he needs the reckless auburn-haired beauty to retrieve the papers that will help him leave behind his swashbuckling ways and win his island kingdom of Cenorina. He assures said lady that he will honor her demand for a proper, chaste relationship for as long as she desires it, then use his every sensual wile to make sure she desires only one thing — him…

I have enjoyed Christina Dodd’s Historical novels for years – (I love her paranormal The Chosen Ones series as well). This is one Historical I cannot wait to get my hands on. 🙂

How about you? What are you waiting for this week? Is it just me or do those eyes remind you of a certain swashbuckling pirate of movie fame ? *wink*

Review: Riding The Odds by Lynda K. Scott

Posted February 4, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 0 Comments

Title: Riding The Odds
Series:
Author: Lynda K. Scott
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: February 2, 2015
Source: NetGalley

Book Blurb:

Spaceship captain Tara Rowan has her secrets. One is her Rider, Zie. Zie is an organic symbiote—like a living tattoo—that enhances Tara’s physical abilities, including superhuman strength and reflexes. The other is the past she’s tried so hard to leave behind her. But it’s not until oh-so-sexy Trace Munroe decides to blackmail Tara that she realizes her secrets aren’t so secret after all…

Trace is a Holy Knight who does everything by the book. Desperate to find a missing princess, he’ll do whatever it takes to rescue her and bring her kidnappers to justice. Including blackmail. Yet something about the feisty ship captain draws Trace in and stirs his desire—even if she is a wanted criminal. Because the last thing he needs is any complications…especially when he has his own secrets to hide.

**disclaimer: I received an e-ARC copy of Riding the Odds from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The fact that I did not pay for this novel does not change what I thought of it.**

Riding the Odds is sci-fi at its best. We have a female spaceship captain (an Independent so she’s on her own out there in the void of space) – a feisty, charming symbiote who steals not only hearts but the story – and a Holy Knight, who is deep undercover in his search for his missing sister, a kidnapped princess.

Read on for my thought on Riding the Odds. No true spoilers, promise.

Teaser Tuesday #3

Posted February 3, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 30 Comments

teaser tuesday One of the fun parts of taking part in blog hops (aside from getting to visit new to me blogs) is finding great ways to interact with other book lovers. This is one:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“I love your body, I love every curve on you, how soft you are, how smooth your skin is.” He’s seducing me with his soft words, and if we weren’t standing so close, the mountain breeze would have blown the sound away.

“But the sexiest curve on your body is your sweet smile.” ~Loving Cara by Kristen Proby 45% in Kindle edition

Finished Loving Cara in the wee hours of this morning. One word? Yum. 😉

Loving Cara KP

Are You Ready For Mr. Grey?

Posted February 2, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 2 Comments

Valentine’s Day isn’t that far away. And neither is the premiere of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Are you ready?

Will you brave the theater?

Or wait for the chance to view Fifty Shades of Grey in the privacy of your own home, later?

I’m curious. Aren’t you?

Review: Seducing Lauren by Kristen Proby

Posted February 2, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance / 2 Comments

A sexy, contemporary love story

Title: Seducing Lauren
Series: Love Under The Big Sky (book 2)
Author: Kristen Proby
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: August 19, 2014
Source: owned paperback

Book Blurb:

Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?

How can you not just fall in love with a hot, sexy man who will always protect the women in his life – no matter what they face? I certainly cannot.

Read on to see my thoughts on Tyler and Lauren story. No true spoilers, promise.

The Series That Never Ends Challenge

Posted February 1, 2015 by Marsha in This one's a Keeper / 4 Comments

The-Series-that-Never-Ends-Challenge We all know those series that just keep on going. For me it’s the GhostWalkers series by Christine Feehan or the In Death series by J. D. Robb or even the Dark series by Christine Feehan (again). The series just takes on a life of its own.

There is a very interesting Challenge going on over at Delighted Reader – The Series that… Never Ends Challenge. The signup page, rules and information can be found by clicking on the graphic or on the written link above.

This is a very specific Challenge, the number of books read from a series matters a lot, so please head on over to the signup page and look it over before you decide what to do with this.

I own a lot of novels in ongoing series. But they do not count for this Challenge because I’ve read them already. This idea is to read a new to you series, or get caught up on one you started – as I said, very specific rules here.

I gave it a lot of thought – visited many author websites to find something that I hadn’t read, but could see myself finishing the series before the end of 2015.

I finally decided on Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series. It has 12 novels in it, at the moment plus a couple novellas. I’ve read Ms. Macombers works before, enjoy them but for some reason I have never read anything in that ongoing series.

I created a sub-page under Challenges to track my progress on this one. It’s located HERE. It’s a bit different than the others though. I have all the novels in the Cedar Cove series already listed on that page in order to quickly know which novel I’m looking for next in line. I will link each title as I read and review it for this blog.

Sound like something you might be interested in? Then head on over to Delighted Reader and check it out for yourself. 🙂