Author: Avonna

Feature Post: Cold Justice Series Books #1-3 by Toni Anderson

  

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

This is one of my favorite Romantic suspense series!

The first three books are in a box set which makes it easy for you to download the start of this great series. Ms. Anderson is already up to book #10 in this series. When you have reading time, this is the series for you to start and fall in love with especially if you love Romantic suspense. Hot, sexy and intelligent heroes and heroines with nonstop suspense plots that will keep you turning the pages. (All of the books can be read as standalones, but there is some character crossover.)

***

A COLD DARK PLACE (Cold Justice, #1) – Mini Review

Mallory Rooney has worked her whole life to become an FBI agent and solve the abduction case of her identical twin from their bedroom when they were 9 years old. She believes in the justice system, not vigilantism. With the execution style death of a serial killer, Mallory begins to suspect a vigilante is using information from inside the FBI. She wants him stopped and jailed.

Alex Parker, former soldier, former CIA, now assassin for The Gateway Project has an agreement to ignore his conscience for three years and eliminate proven serial killers before they kill more victims and destroy more families in exchange for getting him out of a Moroccan Prison.

As the FBI tries to catch a serial killer who is abducting and killing young women from the same area Mallory’s sister was taken 18 years previously,  Alex meets Mallory. At first he is there to make sure she does not identify him as the vigilante, but he soon only wants to protect her as the killer has Mallory in his sites.

So many secrets, not just from Alex, but from everyone around Mallory. The ending was very satisfying. The suspense is nonstop and the romance is hot. I loved this book and cannot wait to continue on in this series.

***

COLD PURSUIT (Cold Justice, #2) – Mini Review

This book starts with an intense mall attack by terrorists while single mom, Vivi Vincent and her son, Michael are shopping and enjoying the holiday season. FBI agent Jeb Brennen is also in the mall with no weapon, while on vacation. A bomb goes off and then the shooting begins.

The plot continues to escalate at a heart-pounding rate. The terrorists find out Michael was hiding in a cabinet in the toy store during the attack and they do not know what he witnessed or heard. The danger continues far after the mall attack.

The characters are all complex, even the terrorists. Ms. Anderson brings to light how very complex the politics are in the Middle East with a surprising twist. The romantic elements are paced and handled realistically. The plot and action start with a bang and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.

***

COLD LIGHT OF DAY (Cold Justice, #3) – Mini Review

Physicist Scarlett Stone’s father is dying in prison and she wants nothing more than to prove this former FBI agent wrongly accused and imprisoned. He was accused of being a spy for the Russians. Using a false identity, Scarlett gains access to the Russian ambassador’s Christmas party and attempts to bug the embassy, but sets the true spies on a deadly path to remain unknown.

Former Navy SEAL, now FBI Special Agent, Matt Lazio is attracted to Scarlett and when he finds out she lied to him about her identity he hunts her down. As agents from her father’s case begin to die, Matt wonders if the FBI still has a traitor and the true spy is still free.

Scarlett and Matt are a sizzling hot couple! The suspense plot keeps intensifying at a fast pace as the real spy fights to remain unknown. I really liked the plot twist at the end.

***

Toni Anderson – NY Times and USA Today international bestselling author.

Ms. Anderson writes dark, gritty Romantic suspense novels that have hit the Amazon and Nook Top 10 and iBooks Top 50.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Before It’s Too Late by Sara Driscoll

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE (FBI K-9 #2) by Sara Driscoll is an edge-of-your-seat FBI K-9 crime thrill ride! I enjoyed the first book in this series and this addition to the series did not let me down. I had to continue turning the pages without stop anxious for the team to catch the killer, but also dreading the next type of asphyxia used on each victim.

As women go missing, their dogs are found with coded messages attached to their leashes all addressed to Special Agent Meg Jennings. As the FBI cryptanalysts decode the messages, Meg and Hawk, as well as the other FBI K-9 team members race to save the women from a horrific death. It is a deadly game in which each woman bears a striking resemblance to Meg.

Meg cannot let these women be substitutes for her any longer. She breaks the FBI rules and brings in her sister, Cara who is talented with codes and puzzles and Clay McCord a reporter who is extremely well versed in Civil War history to solve each clue sooner to give the team more time to rescue the abducted women.

When Cara and another woman are abducted, Meg is told by the killer she cannot use any law enforcement to help. Can she save her sister in time? Will she have to let another die in her place? These games have to end and it is time to unmask this killer who keeps killing Meg over and over again.

Meg and Hawk are such an interesting team. If you love dogs added to your stories, this is the series to follow. This is a suspense/thriller series with just a hint at romance for the future. It was great to follow all of the team again, but this book also goes more in depth into Meg and Cara’s private lives. This story is full of action, thrills and chilling methods used by the killer. (The first death is a primal fear of so many, including me.) I am looking forward to reading more of this series in the future!

Feature Post: Burning Up by Jennifer Blackwood

I am very excited to be sharing this feature post from Jennifer Blackwood.

Below you will find a message from the hero of Burning Up, an excerpt from the book and a Rafflecopter giveaway. This looks to be the start of sizzling hot firefighter romance series!

 

 

Message From Jake Bennett, Hero from Burning Up

Hey, everyone. I’m Jake Bennett. I’m thirty-two and live in Portland, Oregon (Jesus, this sounds like I’m creating a dating profile, which I am definitely not). I’m a firefighter and single parent. Firefighting just came naturally as a career choice. My grandfather was a firefighter. Loved to take me to the station when I was a kid, and I haven’t wanted to do anything else ever since my four-year-old self held a hose. And why would I? I get to help people in need and my day is never boring when I get to spend it with my best buddies. Besides my job, my twelve-year-old daughter Bailey keeps me on my toes. I’ve Googled and YouTubed more than I’d care to admit to keep current on her latest obsessions (seriously, I know way too much about winged eyeliner and HTML coding).

It’s been me and Bailey for over a decade and we’re not looking to add to the family. See, after her mom skipped town on us when she was a baby, I’ve had a tough time trusting people. There are a few people I do trust, which include my firefighter brothers and my best friend’s little sister, Erin Jenkins. She’s back in town for the summer, and after ten years of not seeing her, she’s not the girl next door I remember. She has curves for days, blonde hair I want to sink my fingers into, and a mouth that drives me absolutely mad. She’s off limits and yet somehow, I decided it’d be a good idea to ask her as my date to my sister’s wedding (I claim sleep deprivation and a temporary loss of sanity).

And once we get to the wedding, we’re stuck in the same hotel room together.

Someone upstairs must be tempting me, because Erin is everything that I could ever want in a woman. Smart, sexy, and irresistible. But right now, I need to focus on being a parent. I made a promise to myself and Bailey that she’d be my number one until she went off to college. There’s also the fact that Erin is leaving at the end of the summer. It’d be stupid to contemplate something that already has an expiration date. Right?

Burning Up Excerpt

“Jake, honey, can you get more ice?” Jake’s mom called from down the table.

Without as much as a glance, his chair scratched against the hardwood floor as he backed away from the table. “Sure.”

Erin caught his hand before he could make it past. “Mind if I come, too?” The thought of sitting at the table and making small talk was enough to give her hives. Plus, she’d get this weirdness all out in the open because she wasn’t going to spend all weekend with him if he was going to act like a spooked horse.

Jake looked from the hallway back to the table, clearly debating his strategy. After a few moments, he nodded.

“I think it’s in the storage room over here,” he said. It was to the point where he wasn’t even looking at her now. What the hell had she done?

Before he could disappear into the room, she grabbed his arm again.

“Jake.”

He swiveled to face her, his eyes nearly melting her into a puddle of goo. Girl. Get ahold of yourself. It’s just a freaking man. Her body and mind were obviously on different terms. “Yeah?”

“Listen, this is just getting weird. Right? It’s not just me?”

He quirked a brow. “Weird how?”

“Don’t you play it off like it’s all me.” Erin did have a knack for making situations awkward, but there was no way she was the only one experiencing this level of discomfort. She put her hands on her hips. He had to feel this, too. One minute they were laughing like old times, the next, she was subject zero of an infectious disease. “It’s like I have the plague or something.”

“Do you have the plague?” he asked, clearly amused.

“No.” Copious amounts of hand sanitizer ensured that. “But you’re treating me like I do.”

“I’m not treating you like you have the plague.”

“Poisonous warts? Dengue fever? Halitosis? Take your pick,” she said.

He moved closer to her, his scent, a mix of cologne, beer, and mint encasing her. She’d like to say she didn’t inhale it creepily, but she was still Erin Jenkins.

“None of the above.” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple climbing his throat.

“Then what is it?” She was at the point she almost wished she hadn’t come. At least then, she could live in her delusional bubble of reminiscing about the way things used to be, when he actually hung out with her.

Perfectly straight teeth raked across his bottom lip. “Being around you just brings back a lot of memories.”

“Hopefully not embarrassing ones.”

“Those are the best kind.”

“I see.” That was not an answer she’d been expecting. Play it cool. Yeah, she was never good at listening to her inner chi.

“Erin, as gorgeous as you are in that unfairly tight dress, you are my best friend’s sister. I work with Reece. I don’t want to lose my kneecaps because of something stupid I’d do.”

“You want to do something stupid?”

He grinned, his eyes lighting up into the dangerous glint he used to have when he was younger and about to do something that he’d absolutely regret. The one that always made Erin’s knees wobble like jelly. “Yes. Insanely stupid.”

His fingers brushed against her cheek, scorching a trail down her jawline.

“Tell me, Erin. Do people still use the word ravish?”

Damn it. So he had heard her earlier. When she thought she’d kept her thoughts in her head—where they belonged. She fought back a cringe and squared her shoulders. She was a grown woman and would own up to it.

“Those who read material other than Firefighters Monthly, yes.”

“A lesser man might be offended.” He took a step forward, and she parroted the move, taking a step back, her back hitting the wall. His arms bracketed her head, caging her in. “Feel free to peruse my science fiction selection anytime you want.”

She rolled her eyes. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d call that for what it is—the worst pickup line in existence.”

“Trust me, Erin, even if I dropped my best pickup line on you, it wouldn’t work.” He closed his eyes and took a steadying breath.

“Is that so?” Little did he know that he could use single-word commands, and she’d be playing her own version of “What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar?” Except instead of ice cream, her prize would be in the form of licking other things.

***

About the Book

Title: Burning Up

Author: Jennifer Blackwood

Release Date: May 8, 2018

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Series: Flirting with Fire, #1

Summary

Unemployed schoolteacher Erin Jenkins is back in Portland, the town she hasn’t called home for more than a decade. It’s not the way she wants to spend her last days of summer: in between jobs and avoiding her mother’s snooping by escaping to the ice-cream aisle. But when the opportunity arises for her to accompany her brother’s best friend—her lifetime crush—to a wedding, summer gets a whole lot more interesting.

Firefighter and single dad Jake Bennett has built a nice, safe wall around his heart—no romance, no getting burned. That doesn’t mean he’s ruling out a fling. Considering Erin’s visit is temporary, they’re the perfect fit for a scorching no-strings one-night stand. Or two. Or five. Until the worst thing happens: Erin and Jake are feeling more. Damn that four-letter word.

Now their hearts are on the line, and when their smoldering summer comes to a close, it’s going to be harder than ever to put out the fire.

 

Author Biography

Jennifer Blackwood is the USA Today bestselling author of the Rule Breakers, Drexler University, and Snowpocalypse series. Aside from writing contemporary romance, Blackwood teaches English in Oregon, where she lives with her husband, son, and unruly black Lab puppy. When she isn’t writing or teaching, you can find her binge-watching some of her favorite TV shows, such as Supernatural and Gilmore Girls.

Social Media Links

Website: www.jenniferblackwood.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferBlackwood

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jen_blackwood

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8532549.Jennifer_Blackwood

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Feature Post: Her Last Word by Mary Burton

I am very excited to be sharing this feature post from Mary Burton.

Below you will find a message from the author, an excerpt from Her Last Word and a Rafflecopter giveaway. (My personal review of this book will follow soon.)

 

Message From Author Mary Burton

My latest Romantic Suspense, HER LAST WORD is set in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia and features homicide detective John Adler, university teacher Kaitlin Roe and, not to be forgotten, a vengeful killer. HER LAST WORD has its roots in Kaitlin Roe’s obsession to solve the cold case of her missing cousin, Gina Mason, who vanished fourteen years ago. They were walking along the deserted road that snakes along the James River. Both were drunk. When a man attacked them, Kaitlin got away. By the time she found help, Gina was gone.

I’ve done quite bit of research over the years on police procedure and have attended events such as Sisters in Crime’s Forensic University, Writers Police Academy and my local citizen police academies. I’ve interviewed detectives and I have a library of books that cover everything from true crime stories, courtroom procedures to forensic evidence collection. Having a basic understanding of police procedure was a great jumping off point for this novel.

But with this story, I wanted to dig a little deeper, so I started listening to crime podcasts. Initially, I was searching for new police procedural twists and turns. I especially liked listening to podcasts featuring cops describing investigative techniques and their take on the criminals they hunted. As I listened, I found myself writing backstory scenes as if they were for a podcast. I found the style crisp and fun, and I was enamored with the idea of building the plot around a podcast.

As much as I enjoy this storytelling technique, I knew I couldn’t ignore my main protagonists. Let’s face it. We keep turning the pages to learn what’s happening to characters we care about. In this case, I knew the focus had to stay on Kaitlin and John. Plus, I love pairing opposites and those two fit that bill immediately. Both come from very different backgrounds, and it would be easy to assume they’d never be right for each other. But if you dig past John’s affluent background and Kaitlin’s less stable upbringing, you find two people who each carry a deep sense of guilt. It’s the losses they suffered that have changed them both, making them far more similar than anyone would imagine. The two are drawn to each other at the first spark of sexual tension. Both soon discover the other is honorable and values friends and family above everything, including personal safety.

And of course, I can’t forget the villain, the character I consider the most important in any suspense novel. Without the villain, there’d be no story. To me, one of the most entertaining bad guys I’ve ever written is in HER LAST WORD. He’s got a quirky sense of humor that under normal circumstances might be charming. His quips and jokes about cold blooded murder are hard to forget. Though I balanced several points of view in the book, slipping into the skin of one of my most chilling villains yet was fascinating and fun.

HER LAST WORD is not only told in a podcast style of writing, but it weaves together suspense with romance with a cast of characters that are truly some of my favorite.

***

Her Last Word Excerpt

Kaitlin had not revisited the spot by the river since she left Richmond fourteen years ago. Returning now was harder than she’d imagined. Her chest tightened and her hands trembled as she stood on the narrow road hugging the river just under Mrs. Hayward’s house.

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow on the rippling water lazily drifting past large rocks. The warmth of the sun took the edge off the cold and blustery air as she walked toward the outcropping of boulders that would be packed with sunbathers in only a few months. It looked so peaceful. So innocent.

She closed her eyes. The soothing sounds of nature grew silent in the wake of Gina’s screams. Her cries. And when she opened her eyes, for a brief second, she saw the menacing clown mask.

Every fiber in her demanded she run now.

Run, Kaitlin. Run.

Her fingers curled into fists.

Breathless, she retraced the same path she had walked with Gina. She hugged the shoulder of the narrow road, remembering as an occasional car came flying by full of kids not paying attention. With each step, she felt the pull of the past.

Kaitlin was now a half mile from Pony Pasture and standing at the spot. Her heart pounded as fragmented memories rushed her from all sides.

The knife to Gina’s throat and then her ear. Gina’s screams. The blood. The seconds when she didn’t remember but must have stood in shock and utter denial that this could be happening. A memory of those missing moments reached out and teased her, but it quickly drifted away. Why couldn’t she remember?

A car drove by, and she sidestepped into a line of trees separating the river from the road. To steady herself on the sloping bank, she placed her hand on one of the trees. Its broken branch scratched her palm, and in an instant a memory emerged.

It was Gina’s abductor. “I told you I’d come for you, Gina.”

She closed her eyes and replayed the words that until now had remained locked in her subconscious. She focused, trying to trigger more memories. She waited. Listened. But instead, the sounds of the river and wind in the trees came back.

Frustrated, she headed back to her car. “I’ll make this right, Gina.”

***

About the Book

Title: Her Last Word

Author: Mary Burton

Release Date: May 8, 2018

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Fourteen years ago, Kaitlin Roe was the lone witness to the abduction of her cousin Gina. She still remembers that lonely Virginia road. She can still see the masked stranger and hear Gina’s screams. And she still suffers the guilt of running away in fear and resents being interrogated as a suspect in the immediate aftermath. Now Kaitlin has only one way to assuage the pain and nightmares—by interviewing everyone associated with the unsolved crime for a podcast that could finally bring closure to a case gone cold.

But when a woman Kaitlin questions is later found stabbed to death, she fears that she’s drawn a killer out of hiding. It’s Detective John Adler’s fear that the murders have only just begun. Now his job is to keep Kaitlin safe.

As a bond between Kaitlin and Adler builds, the past closes in just as fast—and it’s darker than Kaitlin remembers. Soon, her wish will come true. She’s going to find out exactly what happened to Gina. Someone has been dying to tell her.

Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-eight published romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Author Social Media Links

Website: http://www.maryburton.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maryburtonfanpage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryBurtonBooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15020.Mary_Burton

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Book Review: No Darker Place by Debra Webb

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NO DARKER PLACE (Shades of Death #1) by Debra Webb is an intense, psychological thriller with a sadistic serial killer who had me checking my own doors before bed. This is an edge of your seat read. (Please Be Aware: This book does contain graphic violence. I would also suggest that you read the prequel, The Blackest Crimson first.)

Detective Bobbie Gentry has recovered physically and returned to duty after her escape from the notorious serial killer, The Storyteller. Mentally, she has only one goal, find and kill the killer who destroyed her family.

Nick Shade understands Bobbie’s desire for vengeance. He has a secret past of his own. He is on the hunt for The Storyteller and he knows his best chance of catching him is to stay close to Bobbie, the only person to survive The Storyteller. Nick is finding it difficult to stay emotionally uninvolved as Bobbie becomes more and more reckless as people she knows become victims.

Will Nick protect Bobbie from herself even if his target gets away? Bobbie has to decide if she can trust this stranger, who can read her so well. Can both of these broken people come together to stop The Storyteller from finishing Bobbie’s story?

This thriller has so many psychological twists and turns in all of the characters, not just the serial killer. At times it can be almost too intense and yet, I could not put it down. Bobbie’s backstory is heart wrenching. Nick’s backstory is being revealed gradually throughout the book and I was continually surprised. The Storyteller is terrifying.

I am really looking forward to reading more in this series to see how Bobbie and Nick proceed forward with their lives.

Book Review: Scandalous in a Kilt by Anna Durand

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

SCANDALOUS IN A KILT (Hot Scots #3) by Anna Durand is the third book in this contemporary romance series that had my emotions all over the place and that is what I always hope for when reading a romance. I was happy, sad, understanding, mad, frustrated and completely satisfied right along with each main character. Ms. Durand made Rory and Emery come to life!

Emery Granger has been downsized. As a last hoorah before she has to make decisions regarding her future, she takes off to New Orleans to forget her problems for a weekend. Sitting at the hotel bar, fresh off the plane, Emery is approached by a gorgeous, hot Scot in a kilt with a proposition.

Rory MacTaggart is in New Orleans on business. A successful Scottish solicitor by day, he has had no luck at love. After surviving three failed marriages, he no longer believes in love. Seeing his brothers’ wedded bliss with their American wives, he decides after his night with Emery to offer her a contracted marriage with many rules, but no emotions.

As free-spirited Emery adjusts to her new life in Scotland, her new husband and all of his rules, she begins to discover the true Rory hidden behind the hardened shell of hurt around his heart. Their relationship is passionate, but can she break through and help Rory to love again?

The premise of this romance is not new, but Emery and Rory make it exceptional. I love how Emery knows herself and what is truly of value in life. Even as she takes some emotional knocks at she tries to get through to Rory, she is not a doormat. Rory is successful, hot and so lonely. I believe Ms. Durand very successfully portrayed a man hurt to the extreme, but who is willing to slowly learn to love and trust again with the right person.

As in all of this series, the sex is explicit and smokin’ hot, but I did not feel it was gratuitous. The relationship rules and breakdown of those rules fit into their growing relationship realistically. This book can be read as a standalone, but I feel you will want to read about the other two brothers and their American wives, too. I have enjoyed this whole series, but Emery and Rory have stolen my heart and are now my favorites!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.