Avonna

Book Review: The Black Fox by Gordon Bickerstaff

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE BLACK FOX (Lambeth Group Thriller Series #3) by Gordon Bickerstaff is a nonstop thriller that has hairpin plot twists, action-packed scenes that keep you turning the pages and characters that are complex, intense and memorable beyond the pages.

Zoe Tampsin has been ordered to take Dr. Gavin Shawlens into hiding.

The United States has deemed Gavin a national security threat of the highest order and are willing to send the CIA and Special Forces onto English soil to find and eliminate him if the English will not hand him over. The British government wants to hand him over, but to also find out what Gavin knows that is worth billions and an international incident. Zoe is a highly decorated and trained British Special Forces captain. She is tasked with keeping Gavin alive and hidden until he can remember what memories are so important to the Americans.

On the run, Zoe displays why she was code named the “Black Fox” in Bosnia. Friends old and new come to her and Gavin’s aid. The run to the climax is filled with ingenious tricks and strategic brilliance on Zoe’s part that just keep ramping up the suspense to a climax that gave me chills.

Mr. Bickerstaff has demonstrated his ability once again to write a thriller that grabs your attention and imagination. This is a fast paced read that surprised me many times with situational plot twists that I did not see how Zoe and Gavin could survive and a climatic secret that had me stunned. Zoe is brilliant, in deeds, action and character. Gavin is also brilliant, but in a very different way which makes the pairing work and these two characters fascinating. This book can be read as a standalone on-the-run thriller, but the depth of the characters is better appreciated by reading at least the previous book, Everything to Lose.

The Black Fox needs to be a “Must Read” on your TBR thriller list!

Book Review: Wicked Envy by Sawyer Bennett

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

WICKED ENVY (The Wicked Horse Vegas, #3) by Sawyer Bennett should be read using oven mitts! This is a menage-between-friends scorcher with a sizzling romance story and the extra benefit of mind-blowing sex throughout. This is definitely a keeper to read over and over on cold winter nights, or rainy spring nights, or in an air-conditioned summer bedroom at night, or on a crisp fall night with a cool breeze blowing in the windows.

Dane Hawthorne is a brilliant entrepreneur. After being raised in the foster care system, he starts his own biotech company that is worth millions and is on the brink of an invention that will change medical testing forever. In college, he met his two best friends, Avril and Andrew. The three are inseparable. Dane brings Avril into his company as the CFO and Andrew as the head of scientific development. Seventeen years after meeting, with all of life’s ups and downs, they are still together.

Avril Carrigan walks in on her finance with another woman in their bed. After listening in on Dane, who is a long time member at The Wicked Horse trying to get Andrew to the club, Avril decides that that is just what she needs to get over her anger and hurt. She wants to let loose and The Wicked Horse sounds like the perfect place.

As the three experience the debauchery at The Wicked Horse individually, they soon realize they want to experience it with each other, but that is crossing a huge line that could affect their long standing friendships forever.

I love that this story is told in all three POVs because each friend brings a different personal reality to the relationship. The friends have a strong bond that changes and matures as the sexual and romantic relationships grow. Ms. Bennett surprised me with the two that become a romantic couple. She handled the other friend’s leaving the sexual menage with compassion and wisdom on his part. The sex in this book is explicit, kinky and frank. This is my favorite Wicked Horse Vegas book to date and I am looking forward to many more.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Murder Notes by Lisa Renee Jones

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

NOOOOOOO!!!

One of the best starts this year to a new Romantic Suspense series with fantastic characters and Lisa left me hanging!

MURDER NOTES (Lilah Love, #1) by Lisa Renee Jones had me quickly turning the pages and falling into the story to the exclusion of all else. Lilah Love is an FBI profiler with an extremely abrasive personality, foul mouth and a secret that could destroy her career. Also, she loves, but refuses to allow it, the gorgeous head of a multinational conglomerate, Kane Mendez, that when run by his father was more of an illegal Mexican cartel than corporation.

When Lilah starts looking into a series of murders, which she believes are assassinations, they lead her back to her hometown in the Hamptons. What becomes apparent to Lilah is that all the murders lead to a secret from her past that she believes was only between herself and Kane Mendez, her former lover. As the body count increases, so do taunting notes from the person who has been hiring the assassin. Lilah has to work this case without exposing her past, while catching a killer who may be from her own family or circle of friends.

Lilah Love, who calls herself “Murder Girl” is the type of character that I love to follow. An FBI profiler, but with a secret in her past that could destroy her future. She loves the “F” word and is confrontational, but she also loves to be a woman who dresses in designer clothes and loves her family. The sexual heat that flies between Lilah and Kane could spark a wild fire in a snow storm. I cannot wait to get the next book in this series! You need to read this book yourself and get ready for the next one, too.

Thanks very much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for allowing me to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I am anxiously awaiting more!

Book Review: Roll the Dice by Wayne Avrashow

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

ROLL THE DICE by Wayne Avrashow is a political novel that is entertaining and intriguing. A fictional story of an aging rock star who throws himself into the knockdown, drag-out political race for a U.S. Senate seat from Nevada.

Tyler Sloan is a rock and roll celebrity who has decided to run for office. He has led a rock and roll life full of sex, drugs, rehab and privilege, but he has also matured and runs a multi-million dollar fund. He is no stranger to politics. His father was the governor of California and just barely lost in his bid for President of the United States.

Tyler funds his campaign himself and will only accept the help of small, personal contributions. He refuses the campaign contributions of special interest groups and lobbyists. He runs as an independent and campaigns outside of the two major political machines. As past indiscretions come back to haunt him and his campaign, new intrigues can also threaten his run for office.

This was a great look behind the scenes of a major political campaign. Even written as a fictional account of a campaign, you get the feeling that all of these situations could happen today in real life. Tyler was a believable main character, strengths and flaws included, with secondary characters that were perfectly placed. This is a great fictional read for a political junkie like me, but it is advertised as a thriller. Not so much. A fast paced read, campaign and some political intrigue behind the scenes, but not what I would personally call a thriller.

Thanks very much to Fiery Seas and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Wicked Wish by Sawyer Bennett

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

WICKED WISH (The Wicked Horse Vegas, #2) by Sawyer Bennett is a brother’s-best-friend contemporary erotic romance which is a little light on romantic plot, but heavy on sexual interaction and content. Ms. Bennett pushes me outside of my comfort zone and yet I am always pulled into her stories from the start.

Jorinda “Jori” Pearce is thrown out of her home and told by her husband that she is lacking in the bedroom. Jori returns to her hometown and her best friend, Elena to lick her wounds and re-evaluate her life. Elena and Jori decide a trip to The Wicked Horse for their masquerade night is just what Jori needs.

Walsh Brooks has it all. He owns a profitable casino, he is gorgeous and has his pick of any woman he wants. During the masquerade, Walsh sees a beauty with a feathered headdress that he wants to ride on a new machine in the club designed by his best friend, Micah. The experience is more than either could hope for until Walsh sees two scars on his feathered mystery woman.

Walsh is having the experience of his life with his best friend’s little sister. Though both have years of shared experiences, sex has always been considered off limits. Their secret relationship can only end in heartbreak or can it be more?

The writing and pacing are well done. This story does have explicit sex scenes which will make you squirm in your seat, especially the scenes with the mechanical machine in the club. I loved Walsh, but I felt Jori had little to no backbone. I prefer my heroines to stand up for themselves far more than happened in this story.

A hot button issue for some will be the fact that Jori is still married and not to the hero, even though her husband threw her out of their home. I do not mind that she was not divorced, HE THREW HER OUT, but I do wish she would not have made some of the relationship decisions she did with her ex.

A steamy addition to The Wicked Horse Vegas series!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Feature Post: “What Would Your Heroine Do?” Blog Tour

WELCOME to the “What Would Your Heroine Do?” Blog Tour

I am very happy to share this blog tour post on Avonna Loves Genres!

Three great Romantic Suspense authors, Melinda Leigh, Lisa Renee Jones and Elisabeth Naughton have new books out and have answered some questions regarding “What Would Your Heroine Do?” Also included is a short bio for each author and a Rafflecopter Giveaway. ENJOY!

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What Would These Romantic Suspense Heroines Do With Lisa Renee Jones, Melinda Leigh, and Elisabeth Naughton

This month bestselling authors Lisa Renee Jones, Elisabeth Naughton, and Melinda Leigh are each releasing thrilling romantic suspense novels. But while they write in the same genre, you can expect very different stories.

Lisa kicks off her new Lilah Love series with a bang in Murder Notes. When copycat murders plague her hometown, FBI profiler Lilah Love is sent to investigate. But she returns to find hidden secrets from her past aren’t staying hidden and the danger swirling around her is just beginning.

Elisabeth continues her RITA award Deadly Secrets series with Protected. Fashion designer Kelsey McClane rolls her eyes when her overprotective brothers saddle her with a bodyguard while she is on a press tour, however, she’s more than thankful to have former Army Ranger Hunter O’Donnell on her side when a deadly explosion hits too close to home.

Morgan Dane is back in Melinda Leigh’s unforgettable new story Bone’s Don’t Lie. In this outing Morgan stands by her man as Lance attempts to unearth the secrets of his father’s decades old murder. Morgan quickly realizes that just because the case is cold, doesn’t mean the original killer isn’t out for more blood.

Interested in learning more about these books? Continue reading as the Lisa, Elisabeth, and Melinda play a not-always-nice game of “What Would Your Heroine Do?” that will give you an inside look at their characters and enter the giveaway to win copies of the authors’ full series.

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What would your heroine do if she feels like someone is following her, yet she can’t prove it?

Lisa: Well funnily enough in the first book of my Lilah Love series, Murder Notes, Lilah is being followed, but she can prove it as her stalker is quite blatant and goading with their practices. However, if Lilah couldn’t prove it, she would probably cuss a blue streak, as she’s prone to do, and make herself bait in order to lure her stalker out. She’s definitely not afraid of any danger, she is an FBI agent after all, and she loves nothing more than to best someone at their own game.

Elisabeth: This actually happens in Protected! I don’t want to give too much away, but Kelsey would definitely turn to someone she trusts for help. In this case…Hunter O’Donnell…the hero of Protected.

Melinda: The first thing Morgan would do is determine if she was actually being followed. She’d make some turns then see if the car was still behind her. If it was, she would never drive home and lead a potential stalker to her family. Instead, she’d head somewhere public and call PI Lance Kruger. Together, they’d try to trap whoever was following her.

What would your heroine do if the man in her life was injured and in the hospital?

Elisabeth: Freak out. LOL Actually I think her reaction is dependent on how and when he was injured and whether she thinks she’s somehow responsible.

Lisa: Lilah’s man, Kane, is forbidden fruit. He brings out her dark side. He’s on the wrong side of the law. He helped her do something very bad and she wants to blame him, but really blames herself. She can’t really be with him but she loves him. If he were hurt, she’d try to play it cool. She would put on a strong face at first, but she would go to Kane and the minute he catches her showing that she cares, he’d point it out. He’d make her admit it. She’d, in turn, deny her feelings and tell him in no uncertain terms that he’s screwed with her schedule and he better not f-ing do it again. She’d tell him she hates him for making her worry but that means she loves him, and he knows it, too. She’d try to go after his enemy, and Kane, would go after her.

Melinda: Since, Lance frequently gets himself into trouble, Morgan has some experience with this. She is protective and loyal and always wants to be by his side.

What would your heroine do if she receives an anonymous text accusing her of committing a heinous crime?

Elisabeth: Kelsey would be shocked first. Then become angry and want to track down the sender of the text.

Melinda: Having been stalked in the past, Morgan takes threats seriously. She would want to find out who sent her this text. She would try to trace the phone number, enlisting the help of experienced investigator Lincoln Sharp or computer whiz Jenny Kruger if necessary. In the meantime, she’d be extra vigilant — and so would Lance.

Lisa: In the opening Duet that launches the Lilah Love Series, Lilah isn’t getting text messages, but rather notes, left for her. They are very “I Know What You Did Last Summer” since she really did something bad. She isn’t one to be played with though, so Lilah goes on the attack, seeking out her note writer.

What would your heroine do if she wins a surprise trip to a faraway tropical island?

Melinda: Single mom Morgan has not had a vacation in ages. She’d talk her sister into babysitting her three kids and pack her bags! Or… could she save the trip as a potential future honeymoon?

Lisa: I don’t think I can picture Lilah on a vacation, she’s such a workaholic! But as far as her response to winning it, she’d probably say she has far too many dead bodies to deal with and then handoff the winnings to someone else.

Elisabeth: Kelsey is skeptical of everything so I’m pretty sure she’d assume the surprise trip was a scam.

What would your heroine do if she has the choice to confront someone threatening her?

Elisabeth: The answer to this really depends on whether this confrontation happens at the before Protected or after. Kelsey’s journey through the book is really one of empowerment. At the start of Protected I don’t see her being confrontational with someone threatening her, but by the end she really comes into her own. She’s never going to be a kick-ass heroine like some of my other heroines, but she can definitely take care of herself.

Melinda: Morgan comes from a law enforcement family. Her father and grandfather, both former cops, taught her to defend herself when she was young. She would rather not get into a physical altercation unless it was absolutely unavoidable. She prefers to talk her way out of trouble. That said, she carries a gun and knows how to use it.

Lisa: Lilah does this on a daily, if not hourly basis. She sometimes even provokes the threat, so her response would be colorful, as are all of her responses, with a hint of condescending humor and her own threat in return.

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About the Authors

Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Her books have been nominated for some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, such as the RITA and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Readers Award, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home. Protected is the third book in her Deadly Secrets series, following Gone and Repressed, which was a 2017 RITA winner in romantic suspense. Learn more about Elisabeth at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.

Lisa Renee Jones is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the highly acclaimed Inside Out series; the Dirty Money series; the White Lies duet; the Tall, Dark, and Deadly series; and The Secret Life of Amy Benson series. Murder Notes is the first book in the Lilah Love series. Visit her at www.lisareneejones.com.

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A lifelong lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity when her youngest child entered first grade. During the next few years, she joined Romance Writers of America, learned a few things about writing a novel, and decided the process was way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, She Can Run, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She’s also garnered Golden Leaf and Silver Falchion awards, along with nominations for a RITA and three Daphne du Maurier Awards. Her other novels include She Can Tell, She Can Scream, She Can Hide, She Can Kill, Midnight Exposure, Midnight Sacrifice, Midnight Betrayal, Midnight Obsession, Hour of Need, Minutes to Kill, Seconds to Live, Say You’re Sorry, and Her Last Goodbye. She holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate; teaches women’s self-defense; and lives in a messy house with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs, and two rescue cats. You can learn more about the author at http://melindaleigh.com.

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