Sunday, November 30, 2014

Vanished by Elizabeth Heiter

Although I have not read the first book in this series, I did read Disarming Detective which is somewhat connected to this series. I loved it and enjoyed reading another book about profilers. The story was creepy and wonderfully convoluted. Evelyn get a chance to finally track down the killer who kidnapped her best friend as a child and left her behind. She throws herself into the investigation, but her tendency to go off half cocked, so to speak, gets her in trouble. Kyle, an agent in a different FBI division, has been interested in Evelyn for a while but only recently made that interest known. Kyle is temporarily on another assignment in the same town as Evelyn. He ends up stepping in on occasion for physical and emotional support. I tend to need a touch of romance in my suspense, and the relationship between Kyle and Evelyn did the trick. It was certainly no hot and steamy type of thing, but more deeply emotional. The main focus of the book was the mystery and the suspense surrounding it. I had my villains pegged pretty early in the story and ended up half right and half wrong. It was nice to be wrong. I love when things are a bit unpredictable. This was definitely a well plotted and interesting mystery. I can't wait to read the next book and see what direction Evelyn takes.

Net Galley provided a copy of this novel for honest review:-)

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Disarming Detective by Elizabeth Heiter

I really enjoyed my first book by this author. I expected a quick easy read but got something a lot more in depth than I planned. Ella was a profiler with the BAU in Virginia. Logan was a detective in a small town police force in rural Florida. Their attraction begins a slow burn as soon as Ella agrees to come to Florida to work on what Logan believes is a serial killer case and Ella believes is a case connected to her friend's rape years ago. There is some police/FBI procedural type action and plenty of mystery. The book gets betty suspenseful toward the end, and I really had no ideas about the killer's identity. The characters were well developed, and secondary characters were introduced who will likely feature in future books.

An advance copy was provided by Net Galley for honest review.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Deadly Fallout by Katie Reus

I really enjoy this series. The books are slightly shorter in length than what I typically read, but the storylines are always complete and never leave me feeling cheated. As always in this series, the hero was a super hot alpha with over protective tendencies which, of course, paid off in the end. Zoe was a woman who knew her own mind and wasn't afraid to act on it. She also wasn't afraid to ask for and accept help when she needed it...in the form of Sawyer. Their chemistry was off the charts from the beginning. As for the suspense, it was stalker on top of stalker. The hits kept coming. It was a quick but exciting read.

ARC courtesy of Net Galley :-)

Beyond Limits by Laura Griffin

I love this series and have read all the Tracers books. Though this one didn't have as much of a tie to the Delphi Center, it did play a role. We also got to briefly reconnect with a few of its favorite employees. The main story of this book was a possible terrorist threat in Texas. Derek's SEAL team uncovers the Intel during a raid in Afghanistan. When he returns to the states, Liz has been recruited to the FBI team tracking the threat. Neither Derek or Liz has forgotten each other since their meeting in a previous book. ( Don't worry, you won't be lost if you haven't read the other books.) Derek wants to be involved in the investigation...and with Liz, but he is officially not allowed to be. Both he and Liz defy regulations to work together for the greater good. The suspense kept me tied in to the storyline and trying to figure out who was really behind everything. On the romance end, the chemistry was good between the couple. I thought Derek started out a bit shallow but redeemed himself by the end. The couple had some issues to overcome, but both took risks to make it work.

I'm really glad I had the opportunity to check out an advance copy of this book from Net Galley for review!

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Possess by Laura Marie Altom

Talk about a roller coaster, this book took Ella and Liam through the wringer! It was emotional and up and down and back and forth. Nothing is ever easy for this couple, not in the first book and certainly not in this one. Both Ella and Liam have fallen hard, but now wonder how much they really know about each other. Will things ever settle down and be normal? Not a chance! Unfortunately, that is just what Liam thought had happened, resulting in a lax security despite Ella's warnings about her husband. I don't want to be a spoiler, but I bet you can guess who showed up and rocked their world. It was obvious in the first book that he was depraved, but this book clearly defined just how bad it could get.

I totally have to recommend only reading this story after reading Shamed, the first book. I appreciate Net Galley providing an opportunity to read and review this book.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Lethal Consequences by Elisabeth Naughton

I loved the first book in this series, and I was very excited when Net Galley gave me an advance copy of this book to review. I absolutely loved it. For me, it was even better than the first book since Olivia proved to be a bit more likable than her sister, Eve. The action in this book starts right off the bat and doesn't stop until the very end. I love the characters in this series, and I will be so disappointed if there are not several more books to make sure we know what happens to all our favorite secondary characters. I really want to know what the deal is with Ryder and Marley. I totally love them! Back to Olivia and Landon, they were great together. He was the only person who seemed to realize how strong Olivia actually was. She was the only person who saw inside to know who Landon really wanted to be. Their chemistry was super hot together, and their love for each other was obvious. I can't wait for more of this series!

Walking on Her Grave by Melinda Leigh

Finally, all the loose ends are tied up, and the couples get their resolution. While I have to admit that I enjoy Stevie's stories a bit more than Carly's, I did like Carly a bit more in this book. It seemed like she made more of an effort to give Seth a chance. I especially appreciated how she acted on her renewed trust of him at the end. Without giving any spoilers, I will say that I was pleased with how things resolved and wasn't completely sure who the killer was until the end.

Net Galley provided a copy of this book for review.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock

I have been a fan of Terri Blackstock for a very long time. I loved her Newpointe 911 series and her SunCoast Chronicles series especially. I couldn't really get into her Restorations series, so it had been a long time since I had read anything by her. This particular book is part of a series. While I think having read the previous books would have definitely allowed me to have had a better connection to some of the characters,I had no trouble getting right into this story. Holly and Creed read as very young characters. They had both made many mistakes in their pats and were still trying to win back the trust of their families. When baby Lily is thrown into the mix, things are even more complicated. As Creed tries to turn over a new leaf, the people he was running with turn on him and frame him for a murder. He sees Holly as his only hope and draws her into all of the trouble. This story had many different subplots going on at the same time and is really all about family, loyalty, and faith. Terri Blackstock has a was of unrepentantly but seamlessly weaving faith into the characters'everyday lives without trying to ignore the fact that they are flawed despite their faith. The characters come across very real and honest. I enjoyed getting back into this author.

Net Galley provided a copy of this book for honest review:-)

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

A Love of Vengeance by Nancy Haviland

If I could give this book 10 stars, I totally would. I have been looking for a book that would absolutely suck me in and make me wish I could do nothing but read all day. This was that book! I was drawn to it because the cover caught my eye. The blurb sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try. The story begins when Eva's mother is killed in what she believes to be an accident. Her father has never been in her life, so she is left alone. Without her knowledge, her father, who is a Russian mob boss, arranges protection for her with his close friend, Gabriel, the heir to an Italian crime family who has gone legitimate. Gabriel or one of his men shadow Eva for weeks. As he watches her, Gabe begins to develop a forbidden attraction to Eva, despite her position as his powerful friend's daughter. When he actually meets Eva in person, the chemistry is immediate on both sides. Even though he has his hands full protecting Eva from danger on a couple of different sides, he still manages to make time to act on his attraction. Unfortunately, Eva is still in the dark in many ways. Eventually, the you know what hits the fan and all manner of chaos ensues.

This story featured an amazingly sexy, protective, caring but alpha anti-hero and an intelligent feisty loyal heroine. I almost couldn't bear to put this story down. The secondary characters were also well rounded and absolutely engrossing (lots of sexy Russian and Italian mob men and super hot bikers). I cannot wait for more of this series!

I am so excited Net Galley provided an advance copy of this book for review!

Monday, November 3, 2014

Shattered Witness by Angela DeStefano

First, I want to mention that I love the cover for this book. Also, although amnesia books can sometimes be a bit "soap opera" (for lack of a better term), I did not find that to be the case with this story. Shaw was the CEO of her family's company. When she realizes illegal and treasonous activity is occurring within her company, she decides to catch the perpetrator on her own. Unfortunately, her actions backfire and leave her without her memories and without her courage and confidence. She hides out on the orders of the Marshall service and struggles too try to regain her memories. In the meantime, Cole gets himself assigned as her out of sight protection. He was in love with her years ago, and despite his feeling that she betrayed him, he still wants to clear her name. His presence is revealed when Shaw leaves the house in the throes of a panic attack and Cole can't help but intervene. As Shaw's memories resurface, she begins to draw closer to Cole, the one person she can now really remember. The more memories return, the more dangerous Shaw is to the criminal set to destroy her company and her life. In the end, Shaw and Cole both have to be ready to sacrifice everything in order to save what really matters.

Net Galley provided a copy of this book for honest review:-)

Her Grave Secrets by Kendra Elliott

First of all, this is definitely a true series and must be read in order for optimal understanding. I have personally enjoyed this collaboration between two of my favorite authors. This addition takes us back into the relationship between Stevie and Zane. Some time has passed, and the couple had begun considering taking steps to make their relationship more permanent. The new designer drug is still on the streets, and people are still dying. Someone close to both Stevie and Zane is found murdered, and the results come back from the testing of Stevie's late father's tissue samples. So much is going on in this story, but the characters remain primary. Equal parts suspense and romance make this a nice addition to the series.

Net Galley provided a copy of this book for honest review:-)

Saturday, November 1, 2014

The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

Although I haven't read any of the other books in this series, I decided to give this one a try. Thankfully, I was not lost or behind at all. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Nick and Jake. The mixture of so many diverse personalities coming together for an epic con job was both amusing and ingenious. I found myself smiling a lot. Though this is nothing like Evanovich's other series I've read, I feel sure I will also become attached to this one. I'm glad Net Galley gave me the opportunity to try this series for honest review.