Missing Pieces

Review copy provided via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review

Summary: Missing Pieces

A woman uncovers earth-shattering secrets about her husband's family in this chilling page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf

Sarah Quinlan's husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. The case rocked the small farm town of Penny Gate, Iowa, where Jack was raised, and for years Jack avoided returning home. But when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, hospitalized in a coma, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded.

Upon arriving in Penny Gate, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago—barely a trace of the wounds that had once devastated them all. But as facts about Julia's accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Caught in a flurry of unanswered questions, Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of Jack's past. But the farther in she climbs, the harder it is for her to get out. And soon she is faced with a deadly truth she may not be prepared for.

Review:

I don’t give out many five-star ratings, but this book deserves it, from the bottom of my heart hands down the best murder mystery I’ve ever read… The first one where I didn’t figure out the killer before it was reveled in the story line. It’s also one of those books from the very first paragraph you’re sucked in and can’t quite reading until you’ve finished the book.

You feel each of the emotions going on; you connect with each of the characters not just the main Sarah and Jack, but each one mentioned. The plot is complex and complete; the flow is flawless. I didn’t find any grammatical errors, which drive me crazy.

Conclusion:

Would you recommend this book to others?    YES

Would you read other books written by this Author?   YES

Is this a Novel or Novella?  NOVEL

Is this book priced correctly?  Hardback price is in the range I would pay for a quality book, but the eBook price is over what I’d pay so I say it’s on the very high end… If I’m paying more than seven dollars for a book I want it in hand not on a computer.

Hidden Heat (Brothers of Mayhem #1)

Hidden Heat (Brothers of Mayhem #1)
By Carla Swafford

SUMMARY
Sizzling with passion and suspense, perfect for fans of Joanna Wylde and Julie Ann Walker, the Brothers of Mayhem series revs up as a headstrong beauty faces off against an outlaw motorcycle club—and falls for the bad boy she never saw coming.

Cassidy Ryder refuses to be intimidated by anyone, even the hell-raising, hard-drinking Brothers of Mayhem. The daughter of their former president, she's not above smashing a few heads to keep her teenage brother safe. But when Cassidy's big mouth gets her in trouble, the only thing that saves her is some quick thinking from the Brothers' bartender. He's commanding and strong, and as smooth as the whiskey he pours: the ultimate temptation for a girl who swore she'd never be a biker's plaything.

But Thorn Savalas is no ordinary biker. He's a cop, and he's worked too hard earning the Brothers' trust to blow his cover over a female—even one who rocks a pair of jeans like Cassidy. The only way to protect her is by claiming she's his old lady. Trouble is, Thorn can't just pretend. He wants Cassidy, and every scorching touch tells him she feels the same. But acting on their hottest fantasies could leave them both exposed . . . even if nothing else has ever felt so real. 

REVIEW
This not my best review, but I am angry at this book.  I might come back and add to it later.  I loved it till I got to the end.  Sorry this sucks. 

3.5 stars. I would have given 5 but the ending just sucked. The story was great but then when it came time to wrap it up the author rushed it and changed the female lead into mush. The author had great details and explanations then mailed it in. Gosh I am still mad about it! It was good couldn't put it down then it ended...

Received an ARC from NetGalley for a honest review.

Ask him Why

Review copy provided via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review

Summary: Ask him Why

Ruth and her little brother, Aubrey, are just teenagers when their older brother ships off to Iraq. When Joseph returns, uninjured, only three and a half months later, Ruth is happy he is safe but also deeply worried. How can it be that her courageous big brother has been dishonorably discharged for refusing to go out on duty? Aubrey can’t believe that his hero doesn’t have very good reasons.

Yet as the horrifying details of the incident emerge, Joseph disappears. In their attempts to find him, Ruth and Aubrey discover he has a past far darker than either of them could imagine. But even as they learn more about their brother, important questions remain unanswered—why did he betray his unit, his country, and now his family? Joseph’s refusal to speak ignites a fire in young Aubrey that results in a disastrous, and public, act of rebellion.

The impact of Joseph’s fateful decision one night in Baghdad will echo for years to come, with his siblings caught between their love for him and the media’s engulfing frenzy of judgment. Will their family ever make their way back to each other and find a way to forgive?

Review:

First off, I have to say I tried to hate this book, cause of the story line.  Being a Veteran myself it bothered me that someone would write a book using the story line where a solider would disobey orders, bugged me to no end...  I could only read a little at a time for the first half of the book cause of this. The more I read the more I understood why Catherine Ryan Hyde wrote this story.

You see it wasn’t about Joseph and his disobeying an order; it was about how simple things in our own lives can turn around something bad and make it good. It shows just how human families really are, and how quick we are to judge people before knowing the whole truth. 

This story is a very complex one and it’s not a story you can speed read on and get the full impact of the plot, or fully understand the characters. For a unedited story I didn’t find any grammatical errors, which tells me Catherine and her team do an awesome job getting it ready to be published.

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others? YES

Would I read other books by this Author? YES and I have Pay It Forward, this is why I requested to review this book.

Is this book a Novel or Novella? Nice length Novel.

Is this book priced correctly? Yes on all counts hardback, paperback, and ebook.

Tough Justice: Exposed

Review copy provided via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

A new job. A new case. A new criminal…?

Special Agent Lara Grant will do anything to get her mark—until her last undercover case, infiltrating the notorious Moretti crime ring, forced her to get close to the top. Way. Too. Close…

Now starting a new job in New York City, all Lara wants is to leave the ghosts of her past behind. Until a dramatic sniper, attack leaves Lara's face – and real name – all over the media. In the blink of an eye, her cover is blown, her identity exposed.

Then a woman's body is found, branded with the ritual Moretti tattoo. Someone knows who Lara is…and exactly how to make her pay…

Review:

This is one of those book, which sucks you in from the very first page, and you can’t stop until it’s through. It’s a very well written Novella; characters are likeable as well as believable.  I really enjoyed the flow and pace of the story line, which you can tell was well thought out and thoroughly projected onto the pages.

I didn’t find any grammatical or punctuation errors, which not finding any enhances the overall flow and read of the book.

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes

Would I read other books by this Author? Yes

Is this book a Novel or Novella? Novella, with continuing story line.

Is this book priced correctly? Yes I feel the price is very fare for a Novella.

A Beautiful Blue Death

Review copy provided via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review

Summary: A Beautiful Blue Death

On any given day in London, all Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, wants to do is relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist another chance to unravel a mystery, even if it means trudging through the snow to her townhouse next door.
One of Jane’s former servants, Prudence Smith, is dead – an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison. The house where the girl worked is full of suspects, and though Prudence dabbled with the hearts of more than a few men, Lenox is baffled by an elusive lack of motive in the girl’s death. When another body turns up during the London season’s most fashionable ball, Lenox must untangle a web of loyalties and animosities. Was it jealousy that killed Prudence? Or was it something else entirely, something that Lenox alone can uncover before the killer strikes again – disturbingly close to home?

Review:

I have to start out saying over all this is a well written story, with characters, whom you fall in love with. Charles is very believable as is Lady Jane and many other characters, which become an intricate part of the plot. The story flow is nicely paced and you don’t feel anything is left out.

Here’s the problem this story is supposed to take place in the 1800’s during the Victorian era, but the language used isn’t even Queen’s English its American English, which takes away from the story.  

Conclusion:

Would I recommend this book to others? NO

Would I read other books by this author? Yes as long as they don’t take place in a different era or country.  I like his over all style and flow of the plot line.

Is this a Novel or Novella? Novel

Is this book priced correctly? Over priced for paperback and ebook…… I’m a budget buyer and I wouldn’t have paid these prices.

Prince: Legacy of Darkness

Review copy provided via NetGallery in exchange for an honest review

Summary: Prince: Legacy of Darkness

Before earth there was light.

Before light there was darkness.

Join the world's first vampire, as he narrates a tale that starts before the universe was created, and into a future that might bring forth the end of days.

Prince: Legacy of Darkness is a fast-paced thriller that will leave readers spellbound to a world filled with vampires, witches, werewolves, dragons, angels and demons in a freshly imagined beginning to a story never told. A classic in the making!

Review:

This book is a DNF, I couldn’t connect with the story line, which I find weird since this is my favorite genre. I’ve spent eight days trying to connect with this book, but couldn’t even get past the first chapter.

Summary:

Would you recommend this book to others? NO, because if I couldn’t connect with it I doubt any of my friends could.

Would I read other books by this author? Unsure

Is this book a novel or novella? Nice length Novel

Is this book priced correctly? Way over priced I’d never pay that kind of money for a paperback book.

Lost in his eyes

Review copy provided via Reading Alley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Lost in his eyes

Harlee Wagner didn’t expect to fall in the well when drawing water, and she certainly never expected to be rescued only to find her entire family gone. Logan Carruthers, her handsome hero, insists she rest up before she starts searching and then leads her on a trail consisting of hints and guesses. Will she find her family, or will she discover love? There’s something about his gorgeous blue eyes and broad shoulders that makes her heart flutter.

Review:

Logan who comes from a rich family who has been in Oklahoma for a while and has an established ranch, is asked from his dad to go and check out the ranch which they had just heard was now vacant wanting to expand their operation, he is thirsty so drops the buck into the well to draw some water, and it hits Harlee on the head.

This leads them on an adventure to find out what happened to her family and why they left her. At the same time, they fell in love, so when they do find her family Logan asks if he can marry Harlee.

I didn’t find any grammatical errors, which makes the reading so much more enjoyable.

Summary:

Would I recommend this Novella to other? YES

Would I read other books written from this Author? YES

Is this story a Novel or Novella? Novella

Is this story priced correctly? It’s on the top end of what I’d pay for a Novella, but it’s worth the price.