A Favor for a Favor (All In Book #2) by Helena
Hunting is a contemporary romance that will have you laughing out loud and/or teary
eyed more times than you can count throughout this fun and entertaining read.
This is the second book in the “All In” series featuring alpha professional hockey
jocks from Seattle’s new expansion NHL team, but it is easily read as a standalone
romance.
Stevie Bowman is excited to surprise her boyfriend returning
from her trip early to her and her boyfriend’s new apartment in time for her
birthday. But the surprise is on her when she walks in and finds him in bed
having sex with someone else.
Her brother, Rook helps her out by letting her live in his
team apartment he is not using while she gets back on her feet. As she stumbles
in late at night, she wakes her neighbor, who is not happy to be woken up. Stevie
just wants to hide and get away from this jerk of a neighbor.
Bishop Winslow cannot believe his strait-laced team captain
is keeping a side piece in his apartment. He already hates that Rook was made
team captain instead of him and this makes it even worse. Imagine his surprise
when he finds out the mistress is actually the hot younger sister.
Bishop suffers a severe groin injury in the very first
pre-season game. Stevie offers Bishop a deal. She will assist with his rehab so
he can return to the ice sooner, if he will give her a letter of recommendation
which will help advance her career in sport physiotherapy. Can they keep it
strictly professional?
I absolutely love Bishop and Stevie. They are perfect
examples of “do not judge someone because you don’t know what they are going
through privately.” The underwear war had me laughing out loud.
I am fast becoming a huge fan of Helena Hunting’s romances. The
characters are realistic, full-fleshed and the dialogue is pitch perfect. She
captures the sex appeal and down-and-dirty language and foibles of young
professional male athletes. The women she creates are strong, but surprisingly
quirky and/or have an emotional impediment that I would never think would work as
a match for these men and yet each is the perfect match.
I highly recommend this contemporary romance and author!
***
Author Biography:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Helena Hunting lives on
the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately
intolerant cats. Helena writes everything from contemporary romance with all
the feels to romantic comedies that will have you laughing until you cry.
Today it is my turn on the Toxic Deception Blog Tour. I am excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review for Toxic Deception (A Jordan Reed Mystery Book #1)) by K.C. Gillis, who is a new to me author.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. This is a fast-paced, entertaining start to a new thriller series. Enjoy!
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Book Blurb
Strange symptoms. Bloody secrets. Can one reporter solve a medical mystery before she ends up in a body bag?
Jordan Reed put her world on hold to hunt down corruption. So when the gutsy journalist gets tipped off about blood money changing hands at a pharmaceutical factory, she dives into the story. With an otherwise healthy worker dropping dead of multiple organ failure, Jordan suspects something far more sinister than a simple accident…
Daring to go up against big pharma, she gains an ally on the inside and recruits two friends to join the investigation. But after a string of false leads and tight-lipped witnesses, she ties her case to disturbingly similar evidence in a medical trial on the other side of the globe. And if she doesn’t expose the lethal conspiracy soon, Jordan is terrified she and her team could be the next victims of the lethal cover-up.
Can Jordan take down a greedy corporation before they sacrifice more lives in the drive for profit? Toxic Deception is the first book in the gripping Jordan Reed thriller series. If you like tenacious heroines, underdog stories, and edge-of-your-seat action, then you’ll love K.C. Gillis’s page-turning tale.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
TOXIC DECEPTION by K.C. Gillis is an engrossing new
thriller by a new to me author. A junior staff reporter versus an amoral
biochem/pharmaceutical company and it just picks up in speed and suspense as it
progresses.
Jordan Reed is a staff reporter on the metro beat at a small
newspaper. She returns home one day after her morning swim to find an envelope
taped to her door. It contains an obituary for a young husband and father who
died under mysterious circumstances. Jordan is not a crime reporter, but when
she starts to ask questions, she finds she has a story that may tie the pharmaceutical
company and its COO back to an experimental drug trial that killed her mother.
With help from her ex-fiance, still best-friend Travis and her
friend Charlie Choi who works at the CDC, Jordan fights to learn what the
company is hiding. This lethal conspiracy needs to be uncovered before there
are more victims, including Jordan and her friends.
I enjoyed this introduction to Jordan and her friends from
K.C. Gillis. The thriller plot is an interesting investigation into the biochem/pharmaceutical
industry and the massive amounts of money that corrupt the entire system. Jordan
makes an interesting new journalist protagonist to follow, but she is at times
a little too naïve to believe for her position. That said, she will hopefully
be a little more careful in her decisions in future books. She is inquisitive
and caring and I do not want those qualities to change. The secondary
characters are well fleshed out and I hope to read more about Travis in future Jordan
Reed books.
I recommend this thriller for a fast-paced, entertaining
read.
***
About the Author:
K.C. (Kevin) Gillis is the author of the Jordan Reed mystery series.
Despite being a lifelong lover of stories and books, writing took a distant
back seat as his professional career travelled through the Canadian Air Force,
a decade as a chemist, followed by a long and continuing run in corporate
America. With writing no longer in the back seat (but not quite yet in the
front seat), Kevin has the initial novels (plus one novella) in the Jordan Reed
series well under way. His personal interests focus on endurance and water
sports, and obviously a lot of reading!. Having grown up in the Canadian
Maritimes, he now lives in the US northeast.
Today, it is my turn on the San Diego Dead Blog Tour. I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for San Diego Dead (Jake Wolfe Book #4) by Mark Nolan. This is the first book I read in this series and I cannot wait to go back and read the previous books after falling in love with Jake and Cody.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and an about the author with social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Blurb
Danger awaits Marine-turned-lawyer Jake
Wolfe on his vacation to sunny San Diego and Cabo San Lucas. There he finds
sugary white sand beaches, warm turquoise water, boat trips among gray whales,
and … cold blooded murder.
It was meant to be a relaxing holiday
for Jake and his adopted war dog, Cody, but violence erupts when he crosses
paths with a criminal cartel urgently seeking to reclaim a deadly package.
Jake learns the missing item is a threat
to US citizens and vows to stop the cartel from possessing it, no matter what
vigilante justice actions he might have to take.
Time is running out and thousands of
innocent lives are at risk. Will the two combat veterans be able to retrieve
the dangerous item before the killers do? The clock is ticking, but Jake hopes
that if anybody can help find the package, it has to be his highly-trained and
ultra-intelligent dog, Cody.
Find out what happens next. Start reading the latest Jake and Cody thriller right now and enjoy another fast-paced stand-alone story by author Mark Nolan.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
San Diego Dead (Jake Wolfe Book #4) by Mark Nolan is a
fast-paced action thriller featuring Jake Wolfe and his retired war dog, Cody. This
is my first time to read a book in this series. The plot lends itself to be
easily read as a standalone, but multiple characters seem to be carried over
from previous books. That said, I loved it so much that I bought the first
three books in a bundle pack.
Jake Wolfe is a veteran Marine turned lawyer, but he is also
part of a secret covert operation team. He and his retired war-dog, Cody live
on a borrowed yacht. Jake’s Marine training, love of country and the strong
moral code have him fighting against national security threats and assisting
his many friends and brothers-in-arms.
Jake is on vacation with his girlfriend, Sarah and Cody in
Cabo San Lucas to relax and whale watch with a fellow veteran and friend, Pez. Pez
is hiding secrets that put Jake, Cody and Sarah in the crosshairs of a ruthless
Mexican cartel leader, who will do anything to retrieve a stolen package.
Until Jake can unravel the mystery of the package with help
from his friends, they are all in mortal danger. And when they discover what the
package contains, it becomes a threat to national security. The clock is
ticking as Jake and Cody work to destroy the cartel, secure vengeance for his
friend and neutralize the threat to the country.
This is an extremely fast-paced and exciting, easy-to-read
thriller. The plot is packed full of action, danger, a ruthless cartel,
terrorism and human trafficking that does not slow down. Jake is an alpha hero and
with his war-dog Cody, they work together to slip out of some very tight
situations. There is a large ensemble of secondary characters that work with Jake
and Cody that make the story feel more realistic than just a lone hero taking
on the world. I really love that Mr. Nolan gives Cody a unique personality and he
gives his own third person perspective on his pack leader occasionally. I read
this book all in one sitting and I am looking forward to reading the previous
books in this series, too.
I recommend this fast-paced thrill ride of an adventure.
***
About Mark Nolan:
Mark Nolan has spent much of his life
near the seashore. He loves dogs and has often been called a “dog whisperer.”
These interests are reflected in his novels where the main character lives on a
boat with his highly intelligent former war dog.
Today, I am excited to be on The Mentor Book Tour. This Feature Post and Book Review is for an intense new thriller – THE MENTOR by Andrew Lee Goldberg.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb
Kyle
Broder has achieved his lifelong dream and is an editor at a major publishing
house.
When
Kyle is contacted by his favorite college professor, William Lansing, Kyle
couldn’t be happier. Kyle has his mentor over for dinner to catch up and
introduce him to his girlfriend, Jamie, and the three have a great time. When
William mentions that he’s been writing a novel, Kyle is overjoyed. He would
love to read the opus his mentor has toiled over.
Until
the novel turns out to be not only horribly written, but the most depraved
story Kyle has read.
After
Kyle politely rejects the novel, William becomes obsessed, causing trouble
between Kyle and Jamie, threatening Kyle’s career, and even his life. As Kyle
delves into more of this psychopath’s work, it begins to resemble a cold case
from his college town, when a girl went missing. William’s work is looking
increasingly like a true crime confession.
Lee Matthew Goldberg’s The Mentor is a twisty, nail-biting thriller that explores how the love of words can lead to a deadly obsession with the fate of all those connected and hanging in the balance.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
THE MENTOR by Lee Matthew Goldberg is an intense
psychological thriller. Literary references, a cynical look into the book
publishing industry and a college literary professor who dreams of immortal
fame. A twisted and dark page-turner. (This thriller is not for the squeamish.)
Kyle Broder is a young New York house editor who has a new
deal with a debut author that has put him in the limelight. The publicity is
noticed by college professor, William Lansing who was Kyle’s mentor in college
and assisted him in straightening out his life. William gets in touch and lets
Kyle know he is writing a novel. Kyle is more than happy to read his mentor’s
opus.
Kyle cannot believe not only the poor writing, but the story
is depraved. He finds himself trying to let his mentor down gently with his
rejection, but William obsessively injects himself into Kyle’s life and
threatens his career.
Kyle learns that there is no way to separate himself from
William’s story and he must finish reading the manuscript to discover the fate
of all the people tangled up in this psychopath’s story.
I feel this will be one of those books everyone will have
very differing responses to. It was a riveting, hard-to-put-down thriller that
has an escalating cat-and-mouse game going on between Kyle and William. It is
also quite graphic in descriptions of cannibalistic behavior and thoughts. That
said, it has a twisted, psychological plot that pulled me in and had me continuing
to read until the end just as Kyle did inside the story. I also enjoyed the
dark twist after the climax at the end of the book.
I recommend this for dark psychological thriller lovers.
***
Author Bio
Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels THE DESIRE CARD, THE MENTOR, and SLOW DOWN. He has been published in multiple languages and nominated for the 2018 Prix du Polar. The second book in the Desire Card series, PREY NO MORE, is forthcoming in 2020, along with his first Sci-Fi novel ORANGE CITY.
His new endeavor will be as the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Fringe Press and Fringe Digital, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s outside-of-the-box. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests.
After graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in the anthology DIRTY BOULEVARD, The Millions, Cagibi, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City. Follow him at leematthewgoldberg.com.
Today is my first share on the Anna Blanc Myseries Audiobook Series Blog Tour. This Feature Post and Audiobook Review is for THE SECRET LIFE OF ANNA BLANC (The Anna Blanc Mysteries Book #1) by Jennifer Kincheloe.
Below you will find a book synopsis, my audiobook review, an author interview Q&A, the author and narrator’s info and social media links and a giveaway. Enjoy!
***
About Audiobook #1
Author: Jennifer Kincheloe
Narrator: Moira Quirk
Length: 12 hours 45 minutes
Publisher: Jennifer Kincheloe⎮2016
Genre: Historical Fiction Mystery
Series: Anna Blanc Mysteries, Book 1Release date: Nov. 14, 2016
***
Book Synopsis:
It’s 1907 Los Angeles.
Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc is the kind of young woman who devours purloined crime novels, but must disguise them behind covers of more domestically-appropriate reading. She could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals.
Determined to break free of the era’s rigid social roles, Anna buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are unwilling to investigate. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself. If the police find out, she’ll get fired; if her father finds out, he’ll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he’ll cancel the wedding.
Midway into her investigation, the police chief’s son, Joe Singer, learns her true identity, and shortly thereafter she learns about blackmail. Anna must choose – either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.
The Secret Life of Anna Blanc (Anna Blanc Mysteries Book #1)
by Jennifer Kincheloe is the first book in a historical mystery series set in
1907 Los Angeles featuring young socialite Anna Blanc. I listened to this audiobook
and was entertained by the narrator’s performance.
Young socialite Anna Blanc feels caged by her overprotective
father and societal rules. After several failed attempts to change her life
which only managed to tarnish her reputation, Anna finally has a plan that can
work. She has a new chaperone she bribes for her freedom and she uses an alias
to obtain a job as a police matron for the Los Angeles PD.
Anna discovers there are a string of brothel murders the
police are covering up. Anna has always dreamed of being a police detective and
this is her chance to solve a crime and prove herself, but the consequences for
failure and/or exposure are high.
I hope the listener will give this audiobook/book a chance to get going. At first Anna’s personality is that of a spoiled, sheltered and self-centered debutante, BUT she evolves and learns as her circumstances change. I do feel the author makes you feel the restrictions of that time for women as well as Anna’s frustrations very well. Anna is inquisitive and intelligent, not just a young female character who lucks into the resolution. While the crime itself is serious, there are many lighter moments throughout. I would have given this book a higher rating, but it took too long to get to the mystery plot and for Anna to begin to mature. Once the storyline progressed though, I enjoyed it more.
I look forward to listening to more of Anna’s adventures. Moira
Quirk does a wonderful job of narrating this book and brought Anna to life for
me.
***
Author Interview Q&A:
1. How did you select your narrator?
An Anna Blanc fan who is also a fan of Moira’s knew I was auditioning narrators because I posted it on Twitter. She tweeted me and said, “You need to hire Moira Quirk.” So, I checked Moira out. While I loved her work, I initially dismissed the idea because Moira is English and Anna Blanc is American. I didn’t yet realize that Moira can do anything. She’s won a million awards. Anyway, the book is hard to narrate because you have to get the delicate mix of humor and darkness right. I auditioned some 30 narrators, and they had many strengths, but no one had everything I wanted. I finally approached Moira and asked, “Can you do an American accent?” Her audition was perfect.
2. How closely did you work with your narrator before and during the recording process? Did you give them any pronunciation tips or special insight into the characters?
Moira instinctively gets Anna. Also, she’s a perfectionist and committed to excellence. I like her artistic choices. She might ask how to pronounce a word, but she doesn’t need me at all.
3. Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing?
Yes. I got my storylines straight from the 1900s newspapers. A 19-year-old white missionary woman was found dead and stuffed in the trunk in her Chinese American lover’s apartment in New York’s Chinatown. I moved the story to Los Angeles, but lots of things are the same, right down to tiny details. After you’ve listened to the audiobook, Google Elsie Sigel and Leon Ling. The B plot in the novel is about two singsong girls–Chinese sex slaves–who were stolen away from their “owner,” a tong president. It almost led to a gang war. The LAPD were hunting the singsong girls to give them back to their “owner” so the LAPD could collect a $1,000 reward and avert violence.
4. Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
I LOVE audiobooks. I listen to 20 audiobooks for every one paper book I read. The narrator is everything to me, which is why I’m so thrilled with Moira Quirk.
5. If you had the power to time travel, would you use it? If yes, when and where would you go?
Definitely 1900s Los Angeles! I’d go everywhere that Anna would go–fancy hotels, cheap brothels, Joe Singer’s apartment.
6. What do you say to those who view listening to audiobooks as “cheating” or as inferior to “real reading”?
Nonsense.
7. How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
I need to work on that celebration thing.
8. In your opinion, what are the pros and cons of writing a stand-alone novel vs. writing a series?
I liken it to a movie vs. a TV series. You simply have more time to develop the characters. You know them so well.You also have the challenge of making them grow or change in every book. Sustaining the romance is a trick, but I love how Elizabeth Peters did it in the Amelia Peabody series. It never got old. The audiobooks of that series are seriously the best I’ve ever heard (after Moira). They relate the adventures of a woman Egyptologist in the late 19th and early 20th century. Start with CROCODILE ON THE SANDBANK. You’ll thank me.
9. What bits of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write for yourself. Not for money, critics, or glory. Only write for yourself
10. What’s next for you?
I have a contract for book three in the Anna Blanc mystery series, which I’ve tentatively titled GRIFFITH PARK. It’s hard to describe the plot because there’s a twist in the beginning and I’m not sure how much to reveal, but it’s more Anna and Joe, more adventures, more LA history straight from the papers.
***
About the Author: Jennifer Kincheloe
Jennifer has been a block layer, a nurse’s aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. A native of Southern California, she now lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers. She’s currently writing book three in the Anna Blanc Mystery series. Book two, THE WOMAN IN THE CAMPHOR TRUNK, is coming out in Fall of 2017 from Seventh Street Books.
Moira grew up in teeny-tiny Rutland, England’s smallest county, which is fitting as she never managed to make it past five feet herself. Moira’s work spans the pantheon of the voiceover world: plays for BBC radio, plays for NPR, video games, commercials, television promos, podcasts, cartoons, movies and award winning audiobooks. She’s won Multiple Audie Awards, Earphone Awards, as well as Audible’s prestigious Book-of-the-Year Award. She has lately set foot in front of the camera again, appearing in “Pretty: the Series” and the Emmy-winning “Dirty Work.”
Today is my turn on the Going Rogue Blog Tour! I am very excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review for GOING ROGUE ( A Tom Novak Thriller Book #2) by Neil Lancaster. In just two books this has become a must read series for me. I love Tom Novak for action and suspense.
Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. You are going to love this. Enjoy!
***
Book Blurb
Tom Novak is back.
When a spate of deadly terrorist attacks hit the streets of London, Tom finds himself thrust into the middle of a fight for the survival of all he holds dear.
When the attackers hit closer to home than he could ever imagine, Tom is forced to make a choice between his duty or his conscience. In doing so, he enters a series of increasingly dangerous worlds, in the darkest corners of humanity.
Can Tom and his colleagues get to the bottom of a plot which threatens the very fabric of society?
Will they stop the terrorists before it’s too late?
When faced with the ultimate choice, which way will Tom go?
After all, as Cameron always says: “Always do right, boy…”
Going Rogue is the follow-up to the hugely successful thriller, Going Dark: the book that introduced Tom Novak as the hero who, in the words of best-selling author Tony Parsons, “makes Jason Bourne look like a vegan Pilates teacher”.
Get Going Rogue today, and start a rollercoaster ride of a thriller that you won’t ever want to put down.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
GOING ROGUE (A Tom Novak Thriller Book #2) by Neil
Lancaster is the latest thriller featuring Tom Novak. This book can be easily
read as a standalone, but there is some character overlap and it adds to your
enjoyment when you read both. I read them both in order and fell in love with
this protagonist and author!
Tom Novak was a child refugee, a Royal Marine and an
undercover member of an elite army force. He was raised with a strong moral
compass and sense of justice. He is highly skilled physically and mentally.
After his exploits in Going Dark, he is now a member of the Covert Policing
Advice Unit known as “the team”. They specialize in undercover work to disrupt
those with power in the military, judiciary and/or civil service who use their
positions corruptly.
This story starts with a domestic terrorist attack in
London. A mosque is targeted on the Eid to maximize deaths and destruction.
DS Tom Novak is briefed that the bomber was captured and
refused to talk, but he did turn over a prepared statement. He is an ex-British
soldier living on disability and claims to be a member of the Aryan Defense
Force. He states that the group will not stop until all Muslims are expelled
from Britain.
As Tom and the team begin to investigate, they find there is
missing Semtex and their best option to finding it is to get someone into prison
with the bomber. Tom has to move into darker and more dangerous territory for
answers. Will Tom and the team be able to stop these terrorists before it is
too late?
I am so excited to have another fabulous protagonist and thriller
series to follow. Mr. Lancaster had me at book one, Going Dark and now in book
two, Going Rogue, I have added this series to my must reads list. Tom Novak,
all his team members and his colleagues add up to a great cast of characters. Mr.
Lancaster has written a fast-paced thriller that builds in intensity and
tension throughout.
I highly recommend this thrill ride!
***
Author Bio
Neil was born in Liverpool in the 1960s. He recently left the Metropolitan Police where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.
Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.
Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he mixes freelance investigations with writing.
