THE INHERITANCE (A Port Henry Novel) by Amy Briggs is a contemporary women’s fiction with a mystery subplot. I do not agree with the romantic comedy description.
Riley Maxwell is a reasonably successful freelance writer
and copywriter who does it all from her small New York City apartment. Riley
prefers work over people. Her world is her writing and she only ventures out
into the neighborhood for food.
She is offered the amazing opportunity to write the biography of the wealthy Jamison Prescott from Port Henry, who requires all of Riley’s time and he pays for the privilege. When she is notified that Jamison has died, she is devastated. They respected each other and were friends. What comes as the ultimate surprise is that Jamison has left everything to Riley in his will. He not only leaves Riley all of his wealth, but also his beach house in ritzy Port Henry and his young Great Dane, Scrappy.
Donovan Hunter has succeeded in moving up the social ladder
in Port Henry. He has gone from being the son of the help to the successful veterinarian
to the rich and famous in Port Henry. Good looking and single, he especially
enjoys the summer crowd and the influx of females looking for a summer fling
and nothing more.
When Scrappy gets sick, Riley takes him to Donovan. She is
not interested in anyone or anything in Port Henry and cannot wait to leave it
behind and return to her apartment in the city, but Donovan suddenly finds he
is only interested in the new sassy heir.
Donovan wants Riley to stay and give their relationship a
chance at least for the summer. Riley does not know what she wants to do about
her all new found inheritance, but there is definitely a mystery involved in
why Jamison left everything to her.
This is an O.K. romance read, but I really did not connect
with Riley or Donovan. All the elements were there, but I felt like I was just
reading about two characters, I did not really fall into the story. The author
also left the main characters as boyfriend/girlfriend, not a HEA ending. I did
love Scrappy though and he added some funny moments. As I was progressing
through the story, I kept waiting to find out about Jamison and his connection
to Riley, but you only get a partial answer at the end and then a cliff-hanger
on the mystery. I was disappointed because the description had me believing
this was a standalone, but it is not. Not what I was hoping for, but others
might find it cute and want to continue on for the resolution of the mystery.
I am pleased to share this Feature Post and Book Review for J.S. Scott’s ENAMORED (The Accidental Billionaires Book 3). I loved the hero in this romance! This book is part of a series, but easily read as a standalone.
Below you will find an excerpt from the title, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book. Enjoy and as always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Excerpt
“You
said you’d trade for my services,” I prompted. “But I don’t have much to offer
to a man like you.”
He studied me for a moment, which made me
uncomfortable.
I didn’t want anyone to know me better.
A man like Seth would never understand me.
“You have a hell of a lot to offer any guy,” he considered.
“Not exactly true,” I disagreed. “I was engaged
once, but I was never enough for Nolan Easton,” I muttered, instantly wishing
the name hadn’t left my mouth.
For some odd reason, Seth was easy to talk to,
but I needed to guard my words better.
He whistled softly. “Nolan Easton? Head of
Easton Investment Firms? The very wealthy Nolan Easton?”
“Yes,” I said tightly.
“Even so, I can’t believe he dumped you,” Seth
answered.
“He didn’t,” I admitted. “I finally broke it
off. He didn’t know how to keep it in his pants, and I didn’t want to spend my
entire life being who he wanted me to be.” I coughed nervously. “Now can we get
back to the business at hand?”
“Not yet,” he insisted. “I’m still trying to
get why any guy would want to change a single thing about you. Not that I
exactly love your line of work right now, but you’re passionate about it. You’re beautiful. You’re smart. You
seem to know exactly what you want. Considering our circumstances, I can’t say
I’ve seen your sense of humor, but I’m assuming you have one of those, too.
What the hell else did he want?”
I ignored his question. “I have three older
brothers,” I shared. “I have to have a sense of humor or they’d drive me
crazy.”
He rested his arms on the table and leaned
forward. “You didn’t answer my question, Riley. What else did he want?” His
voice was low and persuasive.
“It’s not important. My engagement has been
over for a while, and I’m happy. I finally found my own home here in Citrus
Beach, and I’m pretty content with being alone. It’s a lot nicer here than San
Diego. Quieter.”
It was a hell of a lot better than being with a
man who made me feel like I was less than nothing.
“When exactly did you move here? And where are
you living now?”
“Almost two years ago,” I ground out, growing
impatient to get back to business. It wasn’t wise to dump a lot about my
personal life to a defendant—no matter how good a listener he might be. “I had
a condo, but I recently purchased your sister’s cottage. I’ve settled there
now. She and Eli have the bigger home next door, so I already knew I’d have
good neighbors.”
“I’m right down the beach from there,” Seth
said, sounding surprised. “I’ve never seen you.”
“Like I said. It’s recent. I just moved in.”
I was squirming in my chair. I didn’t care for
the feeling of being interrogated. I was usually the one asking the questions.
He shot me a playful grin that made my heart
trip. “Welcome to the neighborhood,” he said jokingly.
“Thanks,” I said uncomfortably. “Now tell me
what you want from me to leave that piece of property alone.”
He took his time answering, and the silence
seemed to stretch out forever.
I gulped down the last of my tea while I waited
for him to answer.
Was he playing with me?
Or did he actually have some kind of
proposition?
Probably the former—since I really didn’t have
much to offer him in the way of services. I could guarantee that Eli Stone had
set Seth up with his gaggle of business attorneys. Why in the hell would he
need an environmental attorney?
“If you’re playing with me, this encounter ends
right now,” I said tersely.
“I’m not,” he said emphatically. “I’m just
wondering how to explain what I want.”
“If it’s acceptable, I’ll write up the contract
today,” I offered.
“It’s not exactly the contract I’m thinking
about,” he said thoughtfully.
God, I was jittery, and I wasn’t used to
feeling that way. I was pretty certain that it wasn’t the extra-large chai I’d
just consumed, either.
It was him.
Maybe it was the way he studied me.
Or the way his steely gray eyes never left my
face.
I couldn’t read him, and that completely pissed me off. As an attorney, I’d gotten
very good at judging exactly where a defendant’s mind might be, and what their
motives were.
“Just name your terms,” I said irritably. “I’ll
work out the details.”
I forced myself to meet his eyes in what I thought would be a battle of
wills, and then was sorry that I had even glanced his direction.
My breath hitched as I fell into a stormy gaze
that wouldn’t let me go.
I was stunned at the possessive way he eyed me.
I was confused about the emotions I saw there.
And I was mesmerized by the carnal desire that
flared up in his steely irises like a bolt of lightning as he held me still
with a single look, unable to rip myself away from his fixed stare that was
holding me in place.
I knew I was blushing like a damn teenage girl
with her first major crush. My brain was begging my body not to react, but my
stupid body wasn’t listening.
His voice was hoarse and beguiling when he
finally said, “I need a woman, Riley. And that woman has to be you.”
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
ENAMORED (The Accidental Billionaires Book 3) by J.S. Scott is the new contemporary romance in this series. It features an absolutely swoon worthy alpha male hero and a heroine who needs to learn she is worthy of unconditional love. The Accidental Billionaires series are all contemporary romances that follow a family of brothers and sisters who go from blue-collar to billionaire overnight. They have some family cross-over, but they can all be easily read as standalone HEA romances.
Seth Sinclair has taken his share of the family win-fall and
invested in his own property and construction company. It has been quite a
change to go from construction worker to head of his own company, but he has
made it work and prosper. Just one problem, the beach front he wants to develop
is a nesting site of an endangered bird and a beautiful and stubborn environmental
attorney is fighting Seth every step of the way. Even as he considers giving in
for his sister’s sake, he does not want to quit his sparring with Riley.
Riley Montgomery wants the beach front property for a
wildlife sanctuary. She has been battling Seth for months and has suddenly
received a proposition from Seth. If she will pretend to be his girlfriend and
help him at society functions for two months, he will hand over the land. As
apprehensive as she is, she wants that land and agrees with certain conditions
and one of those is absolutely NO sex.
Seth is not happy with Riley’s conditions, but he is willing
to play along for now. As the sexual tension builds, Seth wants nothing more
than to prove to Riley he will always be there for her unconditionally. Riley has
a secret from her past though that she feels makes her unworthy of Seth and his
love.
This is such an emotionally charged romance. Seth is BBF swoon
worthy. (I want one of those!) Riley is so strong to have survived her past,
grown out of the need to be a part of her old social circle and be willing to
allow Seth in and tell him the truth. Seth is absolutely perfect for Riley. The
sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous. I felt they were well written and
take into account Riley’s history. This is the type of billionaire romance I
like. Rags to riches, but not letting the money change who and what you are.
Family, true friends and love is still the core of the Sinclair family values.
Ms. Scott has written an entertaining, steamy and healing romance that I can highly recommend. I now need to catch up on the previous books as I wait for the next which I hope will be Noah’s story.
**Trigger Warning: The heroine has survived and discusses her childhood sexual abuse.
***
About the Book
Title: Enamored
Author: J.S. Scott
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary
Like his
brothers and sisters, Seth Sinclair went from blue-collar to billionaire
overnight, and he’s decided to invest in what he knows best: construction.
There’s only one thing in his way—the endangered birds nesting on a piece of
prime beachfront real estate. And fighting for the birds is Riley Montgomery, a
stubborn, pain-in-the-ass, drop-dead-gorgeous environmental lawyer.
The worst part? Seth will do anything to keep her around—even if it means
hiring her to be his fake girlfriend.
With a cause to fight for, Riley agrees to Seth’s scheme. If she keeps the
superficial women away from Seth, then he’ll leave the wildlife sanctuary
alone. But pretending to be his girlfriend comes with ground rules: No ass
grabbing. And absolutely no sex. Ever. The problem? The sexual
tension sizzles when they’re together.
Seth isn’t so keen on Riley’s rules, but he’ll keep his word, at least
until she decides otherwise. But bringing Riley into his circle has
brought her past back to haunt her in ways that neither of them expected. Now
it’s less about broken rules and more about broken hearts, and Seth will do
whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves.
***
Author Biography
J.S.
“Jan” Scott is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling
author of numerous contemporary and paranormal romances, including the
Sinclairs and the Accidental Billionaires series. She’s an avid reader of all
types of books and literature, but romance has always been her genre of
choice—so she writes what she loves to read: stories that are almost always
steamy, generally feature an alpha male, and have a happily ever after, because
she just can’t seem to write them any other way! Jan loves to connect with
readers. Visit her website at www.authorjsscott.com.
Today I am happy to share this Feature Post and Book Review for Helena Hunting’s new contemporary romance A LIE FOR A LIE (All In Book 1). While set in the world of professional hockey, this story focuses on the second chance romance and some not-so-little lies.
Below you will find a guest post from the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy and as always good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Guest Post: Lainey vs. Puck Bunnies
A Lie for a Lie is a heartwarming, sexy, emotional romantic comedy. It’s a second chance romance, filled with secrets and there are definitely some exciting, fun twists. It’s also a story of empowerment, self-discovery, and independence.
Rook Bowman, aka RJ or Rookie as he has been known as previously, has recently taken on the role as captain of Chicago’s NHL team, and with that role comes big responsibility and more fame than he sometimes knows how to handle. As with any professional sport, the NHL lifestyle can often be full of excess and decadence; money, fame and an endless stream of women who will do just about anything to get into bed with them, and it’s not always easy to avoid that kind of temptation.
When we meet Rook in A Lie for a Lie we learn that he has a less than shiny past when it comes to the excess and the puck bunnies (hockey groupies). NHL players are often drafted quite young—just watch a game and you’ll notice that the rookies can often barely grown peach fuzz, let alone a full beard. They’re still teenagers when they start their careers, and Rook was no different. Having grown up on an alpaca farm in rural New York, his focus was mainly hockey and the family farm, but once he hit the pros he found himself surrounded by women who literally threw themselves at him. And being young, attractive and full of testosterone, he fell headfirst down that rabbit hole. At least until the drama found him in the form of a fake pregnancy and a social media firestorm. Because of that, and the impact it had on his relationship with his family, Rook swears off the bunnies and refocuses on his career, rather than extracurricular activities.
He meets Lainey on the way to Alaska, where he’s gone every summer since he was a teenager with his dad and his brother. He lost his father a few years earlier, but kept the tradition with his brother because he craves the escape from the demands of his life as an NHL superstar. Lainey encapsulates everything he misses about being a “normal guy.” She doesn’t recognize him or seem to even know anything about hockey, and that makes her even more alluring. For once, he can just be himself. He doesn’t have to worry about ulterior motives or being used. Lainey is refreshingly innocent, incredibly smart, genuine and overwhelmingly sweet and Rook finds himself enamored with her sense of adventure. As they get to know each other, Rook learns about her traumatic past and realizes that despite the challenges she’s faced, Lainey possesses a quiet strength and resilience. Add some insane chemistry and you’ve got a recipe for love.
Unfortunately for Rook, he built their entire fragile relationship on lie he can’t take back.
***
Excerpt:
When Lainey excuses
herself to the bathroom, I rush upstairs and throw on a T-shirt. I know she
said whatever makes me comfortable, but sitting around shirtless is such a
douche move.
I make it back to the
kitchen and pour her a fresh drink before she returns from the bathroom.
“How can I help with
dinner?” Lainey drapes her sweater over the back of a chair.
And my mouth goes dry.
Like I ate an entire sleeve of saltines and chased it with a tablespoon of
salt. So far I’ve only seen Lainey in a giant parka or an oversize sweater.
Under all that bulky fabric is one hell of a body. She’s wearing a simple white
waffle shirt that conforms to her curves. A pair of dark-wash skinny jeans
encase her toned legs.
I’m used to bunnies
throwing themselves at me, often in questionable states of undress. I stopped
getting excited about miniskirts and revealing tops a long time ago. There’s
something infinitely sexier about a woman who can show off her body without
actually showing it off at all.
Lainey tips her head to
the side. Her teeth press into her full bottom lip. I want to do that. Suck
that pouty, full lip between my teeth and bite it. I want to do a lot of other,
far more explicit things than that, but a kiss seems like a good place to
start.
“RJ? Is everything okay?”
Her eyes dip down to my chest. I’m wearing a shirt from one of my endorsement
campaigns. It afforded me the extensive renovations on this cabin a few years
ago.
“Huh?” I give my head a
shake. “Oh. Yeah. Everything’s good. Sorry, zoned out there for a second.”
She smiles and pushes up
on her toes, her eyes twinkling—like, they legit light up, and her excitement
makes her entire body vibrate. It also makes her boobs jiggle. I try to keep my
eyes glued to her face. It’s not easy, though.
“I do that all the time!
Sometimes my brain is busy with so many thoughts I miss entire conversations.
Does that happen to you too?”
I grin. I love that she
seems to say whatever is on her mind. “All the time.”
“It’s actually a helpful
skill when you’re being lectured, because I can sort through stuff in my head,
but it’s not so great when your supervising professor is telling you what’s
wrong with your thesis.” She pulls her hair over her shoulder and finger combs
it.
“I take it that’s happened
to you.”
“It did. Thankfully he
also emailed all his criticisms, so missing out on it the first time wasn’t
that big of a deal.” She divides her hair into three sections and deftly braids
it without looking at what she’s doing even once. It’s pretty damn impressive.
I almost want to pull it apart so I can watch her do it all over again.
“Anyway, enough about that. Let’s get started on dinner!” She nudges me out of
the way so she can wash her hands. She dries them on her jeans and moves over
to the fridge, opening it to check out the contents.
I kind of like that she
makes herself at home. I’m used to women who expect to be catered to. It’s
refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t want me to pander to her.
I start pulling things out
of the fridge as she starts naming items she’ll need and set them on the
counter. I manage to locate most of what she asks for.
“What about garlic? Do you
have any of that?” She leans over, peering into the fridge beside me. Her braid
slips over her shoulder, skimming my arm.
“Uh, maybe we could forgo
the garlic?”
“Are you allergic? My
oldest brother gets bloated when he eats it. It took us forever to figure out
what was causing it. Sometimes I’ll still put some in when he’s coming for
dinner, because it’s funny to see him look like he’s expecting.” She tips her
head to the side. “Or you just don’t like garlic?”
“I like it sometimes, but
it depends.”
Her brows pinch together.
“On what?”
“Who I’m eating with. I
mean, if I’m going out with buddies, you bet I’m gonna order the honey garlic
wings, or the cheesy garlic bread, or the pasta Alfredo. But if I’m eating
dinner with a pretty girl, I’m gonna pass on the garlic.”
“Oh.” She twists the end
of her braid around her finger.
I hope I’m not reading
things wrong and making her uncomfortable.
“Does that mean you think
I’m pretty?”
That she sounds genuinely
curious as to my answer is unexpected. “You see yourself in the mirror every day—what
do you think?”
She averts her gaze, still
playing with the end of her braid. “My eyes are too big, so I always look like
I’m surprised. My nose is small, and my lips are too full, so my mouth doesn’t
really fit the rest of my face.”
“Wow. I think you need a
new mirror, because all I see is a whole lot of gorgeous.”
She snorts a laugh and
waves me off. “Once, I took a portrait class, and we learned all about
proportion and symmetry of the face. Those are just my flaws based on what I
was taught.”
“Well, I’m a big fan of
all your flaws, and I think they make you more beautiful, not less.”
“Thanks. I think you’re
beautiful too.” She cringes. “I mean handsome. You’re very nice to look at,
with or without a shirt on. When I fell in your lap on the airplane, I remember
thinking, At least I fell on someone nice looking.”
“Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm.” She opens a
drawer, maybe to avoid looking at me. “And as much as I was mortified when you
sat beside me on the Cessna, I couldn’t complain about the view, inside or
outside of the plane. That you turned out to be really nice, and just so
helpful, was a great bonus.” She hands me a roll of foil. “Why don’t you wrap
the potatoes? They take the longest, so we should get started on those first.”
I put the potatoes on the
barbecue and let Lainey order me around. She definitely knows her way around a
kitchen. When I was growing up, my mom did most of the cooking, but my dad
could make a mean Saturday-morning brunch. He also made great bread, which I
miss a lot.
An hour later we’re seated
at the table, plates full of steak, twice-baked potatoes, and crispy brussels
sprouts cooked in bacon fat. I open a bottle of red wine and offer Lainey a
glass.
“Just a little bit? I’m
not sure I like red wine.”
“Maybe you just haven’t
had the right red wine.” I pour a little into her glass.
She picks it up and gives
it a swirl, then sniffs it. “I’ve seen people do this in the movies, but I
don’t really know what the point is,” she admits, then tips the glass back and
takes a tentative sip. Her expression turns thoughtful; then she takes another,
slightly more robust sip. “This is actually really nice. I like it. Maybe the
red wine I had before was bad.”
“Maybe. Some of the cheap
stuff tastes pretty awful.” I pour more into her glass before filling mine. I
hold up my glass and wait for her to raise hers.
“To chance meetings.”
“To new adventures and
great company to share them with.” We toast and take a sip, each smiling behind
the rim.
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
A LIE FOR A LIE (All In Book 1) by Helena Hunting is
a new contemporary romance that combines the romance tropes of second chance
romance and secret baby into an endearing story with realistic main characters.
This is a spin-off of Ms. Hunting’s “Pucked series” which revolves around the
world of professional hockey players and the women they find their HEAs with.
Lainey is completing her third Master degree and needs time
away to finish her thesis and get away from her over protective parents. She is
looking forward to being on her own on the remote island after surviving a traumatic
incident. Then she lands in the lap of a handsome stranger.
Rook (RJ) Bowman is looking forward to his yearly getaway to
Kodiak Island with his brother for weeks of fishing and relaxing before the
pressure of the new hockey season. When his brother cancels, Rook decides to go
on his own. On the flight to Alaska, a beautiful woman falls right into his
lap. Besides being beautiful, she is intelligent, anxious, quirky and has no
idea who he is.
Rook is so tired of the puck bunnies and the press so just
the fact Lainey does not know who he is intrigues him and turns him on. The two
spend several weeks together in seclusion and feelings begin to grow and it
turns into more than just a summer fling. Everything is perfect until his brother calls
him away on a family emergency. As he hastily leaves, he has no idea his lie of
using his family nickname instead of his real name will have unforeseen consequences.
A year later, a chance encounter brings Rook and Lainey back
together, but has Rook’s lie destroyed his chance at HEA? And Lainey now has a
secret of her own.
This is such a wonderful romance. Lainey’s transformation
and growth felt realistic and heartfelt. She found out how strong she could be.
Rook learned some hard lessons before he met Lainey and the man he is when he
meets her is swoon worthy. Ms. Hunting writes the progression of the romance
after their reunion perfectly for me. The dialogue is at times funny but also
poignant. The sex scenes are explicit and well placed as the two work to
reunite and trust each other again. This romance has a lot of love not only
between the H/h, but also the families and Rook’s teammates. All the secondary
characters are fully flesh-out out and not just placeholders or caricatures.
I highly recommend this contemporary romance and I am
looking forward to reading more in this series.
***
About the Book:
Title: A Lie for a Lie
Author: Helena Hunting
Release Date: October 15, 2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary:
Sometimes I need an escape from the demands, the puck bunnies, and the notoriety that come with being an NHL team captain. I just want to be a normal guy for a few weeks. So when I leave Chicago for some peace and quiet, the last thing I expect is for a gorgeous woman to literally fall into my lap on a flight to Alaska. Even better, she has absolutely no idea who I am.
Lainey is the perfect escape from my life. My plan for seclusion becomes a month long sex fest punctuated with domestic bliss. But it ends just as abruptly as it began. When I’m called away on a family emergency, I realize too late that I have no way to contact Lainey.
A year later, a chance encounter throws Lainey and me together again. But I still have a lie hanging over my head, and Lainey’s keeping secrets of her own. With more than lust at stake, the truth may be our game changer.
***
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.
I am very excited to be sharing this Feature Post and Book Review for Mary Burton’s new release I SEE YOU (Criminal Profiler Book 2). I highly recommend this romantic suspense, which can be easily read as a standalone.
Below you will find a guest post from the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, a book summary, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy and as always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
An Affair (and
a Murder) To Remember with Author Mary Burton
I SEE YOU, my latest romantic suspense, features
two of my very favorite characters: Homicide Detective William Vaughan and FBI
Special Agent Zoe Spencer.
Zoe Spencer is a member of an FBI criminal profiling team dedicated to finding
the most violent and prolific killers. Zoe, a talented artist and agent,
specializes in forensic reconstruction. She skillfully merges her interview
skills with pencil and paper to create stunning likenesses. And when only bones
remain, she molds clay over bone to recreate the faces of the lost.
Zoe’s work generates a high case-closure rate, which draws the attention of the
law enforcement community. Her lectures at the FBI headquarters at Quantico are
often standing room only. Among those interested in her work is Homicide Detective
William Vaughan.
Detective Vaughan, divorced and raising a college bound teenager, is a man of few words and when he does comment, his observations are always thoughtful and insightful. He not only hears what is said and but sees what is communicated via body language.
The more time Vaughan spends with Zoe, the greater his desire to breach her cool demeanor. He draws upon all his powers of observation, practiced detective skills and his somewhat rusty charm to win her. Though they begin an affair, she still remains elusive.
When a charred skull is found in Vaughan’s jurisdiction of Alexandria, Virginia, he turns to Zoe. Zoe recreates a stunning clay bust that leads to the identification of a girl who has been missing for fifteen years.
As Vaughan and Zoe dig deeper, the cold case heats up when several more women,
similar to their victim, are discovered brutally murdered. This killer, who has
avoided capture for so many years, is still hunting women. It becomes a race
against time to catch a madman who shifts his sights to his next victim: Zoe
Spencer.
I hope you enjoy I SEE YOU and this magnetic couple who I’ve pitted against one of my most chilling villains so far.
***
Excerpt
The
instant Vaughan woke, he knew she was gone. He should not have been surprised.
She never stayed long, but he’d thought last night would be different.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and
instantly spotted the note on the mirror. It was written on the back of the
fast-food receipt in fluid and graceful handwriting.
Called a car. Didn’t want to wake you.
Spencer. He knew how to make that woman’s body
tighten with desire and how to make her moan in a way that told him she was
fully attuned to his body. But beyond that, she was still a complete stranger.
He flicked the edge of the note, surprised he
had not awoken. Since he had become a cop and father, he had turned into a
light sleeper. Both incarnations, like a doctor on call, were summoned at all
times of the day and night. His ability to shake off sleep in seconds and then
think clearly was well honed. But yesterday had been long, even for him.
He laid the note on his dresser as he glanced
at the pillow that still held the impression of her head. It was not like him
to be sentimental, but he was sorry he likely would not see her for a while.
He showered, and fifteen minutes later he was
dressed, his badge and sidearm on his belt. As the coffee brewed, he scrambled
five eggs before he realized Nate was gone. He toasted a bagel and ate alone at
the kitchen table.
He filled a travel mug with more coffee and was
on the road by six o’clock. Moonlight mingled with the lights looming over
I-395 as he looped around the beltway and headed north toward his exit. The
traffic was already building, and soon it would slow to a snail’s pace.
With luck, the first wave of files from the
Prince case would be in his office. He had been warned that there were a dozen
file boxes, but he did not care. He also had the autopsy of the Jane Doe
stabbed to death in the motel room to attend. It was going to be another long
day.
Fifteen minutes later, he had parked and was in
the break room, refilling his coffee. When he flipped on the lights of his
office, there were six file boxes stacked in front of his desk. A green sticky
note read More to come.
It was too early to call the medical examiner
about his Jane Doe from the motel room, so he set his cup down and flipped
through the first set of files.
He spent the next hour and a half reading
through the detectives’ notes. At the time of Marsha’s disappearance, the
detectives had exhausted every lead and tip that had come into the station, but
in the end came up with nothing.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars
I SEE YOU (Criminal Profiler Book 2) by Mary Burton
is the second romantic suspense in the Criminal Profiler series. This book focuses
on two suspense plots, a cold case and a present day serial killer case while
still managing to give you a believable romance intertwined with the
investigations.
FBI Special Agent Zoe Spencer is a profiler and a forensic
artist who can use skeletal remains or eye- witness testimony to build or draw a
visual representation for law enforcement. As she works on the reconstruction
of a recently found skull, she brings back the face of a missing teenage girl from
19 years ago.
Alexandria homicide detective William Vaughan has been
called to the scene of a brutally murdered teenage sex worker. Just as he
begins investigating, he gets a call to assist on Zoe’s cold case. He is
interested in the case and is happy to once again work with his on-again,
off-again lover.
As William and Zoe reconnect with the sister of the cold
case victim, they are shocked to get a call that the sister’s husband has been
stabbed and the sister and her daughter have been abducted. There are deep
secrets in this family and as the investigation heats up, more bodies are being
found. Can William and Zoe find out who and what connects the past with the present
and if they are connected stop the killing spree?
I love all the layers in these suspense plots from the past
and present and how they were tied together. Ms. Burton kept me guessing and
changing my mind on who was guilty with an ending that satisfies, but also
leaves a scary question mark for the future. William is a steady, strong hero
who does not overshadow Zoe, who is a very strong heroine on her own. The
romance was believable because they were both at a point in their lives where
they were both ready to move on. The sex scenes are steamy and intimate, but
not gratuitous.
I highly recommend this romantic suspense and author. Ms.
Burton always gives me intriguing cases to solve, strong and intelligent heroes
and heroines and a romantic HEA.
***
About the Book
Title: I See You
Author: Mary Burton
Release Date: October 8, 2019
Publisher: Montlake
Summary
FBI special agent Zoe Spencer uses skeletal remains to recreate
the faces of murder victims through sculpture. Though highly scientific, the
process is also sensitive and intimate; she becomes attached to the individuals
she identifies, desperate to find justice for each.
As Zoe examines old remains, she sees a teenage girl looking back at her—the
victim in a cold case from over a decade ago. Zoe wants nothing more than to
tell this young woman’s story and to bring her killer to justice.
Zoe’s case leads her to the victim’s hometown and to homicide detective William
Vaughan, Zoe’s on-again, off-again lover. As the two become more involved in
the case, they quickly realize that it isn’t as cold as they first believed:
someone’s still out there hunting women. And with more women gone missing,
time’s running out. Can they work together and stop this madman before he kills
again?
***
Author Biography
New York Times and USA Today bestselling
novelist Mary Burton is the popular author of thirty-five romance and suspense
novels as well as five novellas. She currently lives in Virginia with her
husband and three miniature dachshunds. Visit her at www.maryburton.com.
DON’T GAME ME (The Game Lords Book 2) by Zoe Forward
is the second romantic suspense in The Game Lords series. I have been anxiously
waiting to see what Symphis would do next to try to destroy NJ Legacy and its
owners and I was not disappointed. The characters are all involved in the world
of video gaming, creating and programming video games and I am not, but the
romance and suspense plot are the focus of the story and kept me intrigued and turning
the pages.
Becca Harrison is a brilliant programmer. She took a job in
California to separate herself from her brother, Noah and his best friend, Jake
who created NJ Legacy together and made it one of the premier gaming companies.
When Becca becomes involved with an illegal gaming consortium, they blackmail
her into using her new spy program to steal financial information from her
brother’s company.
Becca is to return home to attend Noah and Tori’s wedding
and Symphis has demanded she do anything necessary to get close to her brother’s
business partner, Jake to get the financial information she needs to destroy NJ
Legacy. Becca has always secretly wanted Jake, but if she does what Symphis
wants she knows she will only have one night with Jake.
Jake Allen has a reputation. He is a rich, brilliant
businessman, but he only does one-night stands with beautiful women. When Becca
returns home and asks Jake to be her wedding hook-up, he does not know what to
do. He has secretly always wanted Becca, but he has been afraid of his past and
of losing his best friend and the rest of the Harrison family if he crossed the
line with Becca.
Becca and Jake have an attraction that neither can ignore,
but Becca’s plans to protect her family leave no room for a future with Jake.
I enjoyed this second story in the series as much as the first. I felt the threat level was heightened even more in this book and the surprise twist involving Symphis in the end made me even more anxious for the next book in the series. Becca and Jake’s romance is hot and intense as they learn to trust in each other and reveal their secrets and fears. The sex scenes were explicit and yet tender as Jake was especially responsive to Becca’s insecurities. I did feel a bit irritated at times when Becca held too much back from Jake (and the reader) in regards to her actual actions and plans with the NSA and FBI and they were only revealed after the fact. It was great to reconnect with the characters from book 1 and it is best to read the books in order to follow the overall story arc that ties them all together.
Overall, this is another fast-paced, suspense filled romance
in The Game Lords series and I will be waiting to see if Michael is the next
Harrison pulled into Symphis’ nefarious plan.
Today I am sharing a Feature Post and Book Review for the new gritty noir DARK RETRIBUTION: SMITTY’S CALLING CARD (Dark Retribution Book 1) by B.R. Stateham for my turn on the Dark Retribution Book Tour.
There have been short stories featuring this character by this author, but this is the first full length novel featuring the mysterious Smitty. Noir is a genre of crime film or fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism and moral ambiguity and this book has it all. I enjoyed this first book and will definitely be following Smitty on his future adventures!
***
My Book Review:
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
DARK RETRIBUTION: SMITTY’S CALLING CARD (Dark
Retribution Book 1) by B.R. Stateham is a suspense/noir crime fiction book
featuring Smitty, a mysterious P.I./hitman/fixer/spook with his own moral code
and an almost paranormal ability to appear and disappear. There are several
short stories featuring this character, but this is his first full length story
and it is easily read as a standalone.
A modern-day Jack the Ripper is brutally killing prostitutes
without leaving even the smallest of clues. One of the police officers working
the case, Artie Jones knows the women being killed and are related on the job to
his sister-in-law who is the leader of this group of working girls. To protect
his sister-in-law, Artie decides to request the help of the mysterious Smitty.
Smitty is as much a mystery man as the killer. There is speculation
and rumor about whether he is a P.I., a security consultant, a mob hitman or
fixer, but no matter which is correct it is an absolute truth that he is a
killing machine who never leaves any evidence behind.
As Smitty works the case, the killer becomes aware that he
is now the hunted and he looks forward to a showdown with Smitty.
This is a fast-paced suspense crime read with a very intriguing new-to-me main character. I enjoy reading about a character that is as morally ambiguous as Smitty. A dark angel or knight is sometimes needed to fight evil. The plot moves at an increasingly fast pace to a climax that satisfies. This is a noir crime genre book with some stereotypes that may seem out-of-date, but can and should be expected in this type of genre book. I do wish that Mr. Stateham had not given Smitty’s elderly black snitch colloquial dialogue; it was not necessary in my opinion.
Overall, it is a great introduction to Smitty for readers
and an interesting crime read. I will be looking for more stories about Smitty
from this author in the future.
***
Short Biography:
B.R. Stateham is a fourteen-year-old boy trapped in a
seventy-year-old body. But his enthusiasm and boyish delight in anything
mysterious and/or unknown continue.
Writing novels, especially detectives, is just the avenue of
escape which keeps the author’s mind sharp and inquisitive. He’s
published a ton of short stories in online magazines like Crooked, Darkest
Before the Dawn, Abandoned Towers, Pulp Metal Magazine, Suspense Magazine,
Spinetingler Magazine, Near to The Knuckle, A Twist of Noir, Angie’s Diary,
Power Burn Flash, and Eastern Standard Crime. He writes both
detective/mysteries, as well as science-fiction and fantasy.
In 2008 the first book in the series featuring homicide detectives
Turner Hahn and Frank Morales came out, called Murderous Passions.
Also, in 2008 he self-published a fantasy novel entitled, Roland
of the High Crags: Evil Arises.
In 2009 he created a character named Smitty. So far
twenty-eight short stories and two novellas have been written about this dark
eyed, unusually complex hit man.
In 2012 Untreed Reads published book two of the Turner Hahn/Frank
Morales series A Taste of Old Revenge.
In 2015 NumberThirteen Press published a Smitty novella entitled, A
Killing Kiss.
In 2017 a British indie publisher, Endeavour Media, re-issued A
Taste of Old Revenge, and soon followed by a second Turner Hahn/Frank
Morales novel entitled, There Are No Innocents.
In 2018 Endeavour Media published a third novel of mine, the first
in a 1st Century Roman detective series, entitled While the
Emperor Slept.
Also in 2018, NumberThirteen Press merged with another famous
British indie, Fahrenheit Press. Soon afterwards, Fahrenheit Press re-issued an
old novel of mine entitled, Death of a Young Lieutenant.
Now, after all of this apparent success, you would think Fame and
Fortune would have sailed into my harbor, making me the delight of the
hard-core genre world. Ah but contraire, mon ami! Fame and Fortune are two
devious little wraths who pick and chooses the poor souls they wish to bedevil.
I remain in complete anonymity and am just as bereft of fortune as I have
always been. And apparently will continue to be for a long time to come.
