Avonna

Book Review: Everything To Lose by Gordon Bickerstaff

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

EVERYTHING TO LOSE (A Lambeth Group Thriller) by Gordon Bickerstaff takes you back to the world of scientist, Gavin Shawlens and the secretive Lambeth Group. This time around Mr. Bickerstaff has Gavin being protected and handled by an SAS Captain, Zoe Tampsin. Zoe is a great addition to this series. She is professional, highly trained, kicks butt, takes no prisoners and does not like to lose.

In this thriller, Gavin is still recuperating and grieving over incidents from “Deadly Secrets” which leave his readiness for this new assignment in question. The Lambeth Group assigns SAS Captain Zoe Tampsin and her small team to go undercover on this assignment with Gavin. Their assignment is the investigation of a sports enhancement liquid which is making impossible claims. The university professors believe they will make billions off of this new product, but are being kept in the dark of the provenance of this drug by the criminals producing it. The athletes who inject the liquid die horrible deaths.

Gavin stirs the pot by letting it be known that he believes he can solve the problem that is killing the athletes who use the drug. When Gavin goes missing, Zoe and her team work to locate him before he becomes the next victim.

Not only are Zoe and her team fighting international drug criminals, but past events in Gavin’s life have made him a target of the U.S. government. Gavin, himself has no idea why and before the English government can turn him over, Zoe’s superior sends Zoe and Gavin underground and on the run.

As I have stated in many previous reviews, I usually do not like cliff-hangers, but this one had me so excited and it really did fit the situation and timing of this story. This thriller combines dangerous and credible science with action and plot twists that just do not stop. Gavin is a wonderfully flawed character that is perfectly paired with the professional and resourceful soldier, Zoe. I absolutely cannot leave them hanging! On to the next book in this series.

Book Review: Wicked Favor by Sawyer Bennett

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

WICKED FAVOR (The Wicked Horse Vegas, #1) by Sawyer Bennett is the start of a new Wicked Horse series set in Las Vegas. This is an erotic contemporary romance series with explicit sex scenes including fetishes and multiple sexual partners.

Jerico Jameson owns both The Wicked Horse, an elite sex club and the Jameson Group, a private security company that does contract work for the CIA. Jerico primarily runs the sex club and never spends more than one night with any of his sexual partners, but he always makes sure they enjoy their time with him.

Trista Barnes shows up at The Wicked Horse, beaten and bruised to ask Jerico to help her out of a financial mess. She is claiming the favor owed to her brother. She does not understand why Jerico hates her brother, but she is desperate and will take his help any way she can get it. Jerico hires her to work at The Wicked Horse and opens her up to a world of sexual freedom.

Jerico shows Trista a world of sexual pleasure with no guilt and no regrets. As Trista becomes more liberated, Jerico becomes more possessive which has never happened to him before and he is no longer sure he can use her for his revenge against her brother.

I enjoyed this story, but I had trouble liking Jerico until after I found out why he was so hot to get revenge on Trista’s brother. Until that point, I felt he was truly just using Trista sexually and that was a problem for me with a romance hero even with the heroine enjoying her liberation. I also had a hard time believing that these two would fall in love within the month time limit. So although Jerico and Trista end well, I have enjoyed other characters written by Ms. Bennett more. I will continue on in this series based on my love of other books by this author.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: David Bowie: A Life by Dylan Jones

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

DAVID BOWIE: A LIFE by Dylan Jones is classified as a biography, but it is not written in the traditional style. The entire life of David Bowie is laid out chronologically, but told in more of an oral history style by people who have been involved in or impacted by Bowie’s life either for a short time or many years.

This book clearly shows that David Bowie was the artist and innovator, while David Jones was the charismatic and flawed human. David Jones was influenced by his schizophrenic older brother and learned at a young age how mental illness can effect a family. He escaped the suburbs of London to live a life of continual self-reinvention, absorption of ideas and a lifelong love of learning and world travel.

The many voices that tell of his life are what make this book different. There are friends who were with him for many years and give their views of what David meant to their lives and careers and there are those voices that feel that they were used for a short time and then discarded. All say that David could turn on his charisma at will and make you feel the center of his world, but he could also cut you to the quick if he was done with you.

The author does not shy away from the sex and drugs of the 60’s and 70’s that were pervasive in the rock and roll culture, but he has people on both sides tell of the abuses and how they perceived them and how some were able to conquer them. It is told in a non-judgmental way. There are personal and professional stories of love for Bowie as well as jealousies. I do wish there were more passages by Bowie himself, but I really believe this book is like his life, it is all about what you experienced and what you personally took away from his music and art.

On a personal note: I saw David Bowie perform on his “Serious Moonlight” tour when he came to the Richfield Coliseum for my birthday many years ago. It was an amazing show with the most charismatic singer I have ever seen in concert. I have followed him through every incarnation and have always loved his voice, lyrics, fashion and smile.

Thanks very much to Crown Publishing and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for and honest review.

Book Review: Burn by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BURN (Underground Encounters Book 4) by Lisa Carlisle is another sizzling addition to the VAMPS paranormal romance series. When you sit down to read about Devon and Layla, clear your schedule because you are going to want read this one from start to finish.

Layla flees London for her immortal life. She has been framed for a theft from a master vampire, who does not believe in her innocence. She returns to America and reinvents herself as “Angelica”, the new lead singer for an 80’s heavy metal cover band.

Devon St. Clair has a reputation as one of the best bounty hunters for hire. Ruthless and relentless, he always gets his man or woman. Aided by his years in Royal Special Forces, he is also a shifter. He can shift into any animal form and every one of them hates vampires. When he catches up to Layla at VAMPS, he is entranced by her and her voice, but he cannot let that get in the way of his job, can he?

This series just keeps pulling me in and I have to say that I especially loved Layla and Devon! Layla is petite and yet mighty, in character and physical strength. Devon is all hot, tough shifter and yet has softer, vulnerable moments that appear for Layla. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and steaming. The plot is not unique, but Ms. Carlisle puts some interesting twists into this world of paranormal creatures that makes them unique. This book can easily be read as a standalone in this series, but I bet if you love paranormal romances as I do, you will want to read them all.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

BETTER DEAD (A B&B Spirits Mystery #1) by Pamela Kopfler is the first book in a new cozy mystery series set in a Louisiana B&B. The spirit in this book adds a touch of the paranormal and I can only assume that since this series is called a B&B Spirits Mystery there will be others in future books.

Holly Davis owns Holly Grove plantation turned B&B. It has been in her family for several generations and she especially needs to make it a success and profitable now that her cheating husband is dead. Killed in a plane wreck before Holly could divorce him, Burl nearly bankrupt the B&B and was involved with drug smuggling on the property.

As Holly drinks to celebrate her untimely freedom, Burl shows up as a spirit with unfinished business. Burl needs Holly’s help to move on. Holly needs Burl’s help to make Holly Grove a truly haunted plantation that will draw in guests to pay the bills.

Jake McCann, Holly’s former high school sweetheart, returns to town to help with the town’s paper while the owner is on vacation. He works out an agreement with Holly to stay at the B&B, but is that the only reason he has returned?

This was a fast read and had some laugh out loud scenes especially when you read about Gold Member and some of Holly’s disasters. The interaction between Holly, her ex’s spirit and Jake was also well written.

I was disappointed that Holly made so many bad decisions that placed her in jeopardy. One or two is fine, but I prefer a smarter heroine. I am not sure if it was done for screwball comedy sake, but it was just too many times. For me, Holly’s long-time housekeeper and cook was more of a caricature than I was comfortable with. I also would have preferred Jake to become more romantically involved further into future books. It felt rushed at the end of this book.

Overall, this is an entertaining cozy, but not sure if I will continue with the series.

Book Review: Bones Don’t Lie by Melinda Leigh

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BONES DON’T LIE (Morgan Dane #3) by Melinda Leigh is another thrilling addition to this series!

One mystery that has influenced Lance Kruger’s life for the past twenty-three years was the disappearance of his father, Victor Kruger when he was just a boy. His mother’s mental instability completely collapsed and he took on more responsibility than any child should.

Lincoln Sharp, Lance’s current partner in their P.I. firm has always carried the burden of the unsolved case from his years as the detective assigned the case. He took the fatherless Lance under his wing and helped with his mother. Sharp is called to the scene of a car being pulled from the bottom of Grey Lake. It is identified as belonging to Lance’s father. They do not find Vic, but they do find a female skeleton locked in the trunk.

For Lance, this development causes more questions than answers and also has Lance questioning if his memory of his father is accurate. As Sharp, Lance and Morgan all work to find the truth of what happened all those years ago, some witnesses are being caught in lies and others are being killed for the information they have. To add to the suspense, Morgan is also receiving threats from an unknown source.

Ms. Leigh keeps making this series a must read for me. The plotting is fast paced and the dialogue is realistic. The warmth and love between all of the characters makes you want to keep returning to check up on them. The emotional growth and love between Morgan and Lance is wonderfully satisfying and heart-warming. I was completely surprised by the killer, which makes this book even more fun for me. I am looking forward to many more books in this series to come.

Thanks very much to Montlake Romance and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. I love this series!