The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong @minotaurbooks #bookreview #minotaurinfluencers

Overview

In The Boy Who Cried Bear, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong keeps readers on the edge of their seats while detective Casey Duncan tries to locate the threat before it’s too late. . . 

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren’t allowed to wander off alone.

When Max, the town’s youngest resident—taught to track animals by Eric—fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.

Review

Haven’s Rock is a new settlement in the Yukon. There are certain rules everyone needs to abide by. So, when ten year old Max goes missing, strange occurrences start happening and lots of people become suspect.

I have read the first in this series, Murder at Haven’s Rock. I don’t believe it is necessary to read this one first. But it does provide some background that is not in this second book.

As with the first book, I loved the setting of Alaska and, of course, I love Casey and her husband, Duncan. These two have a lot on their plate with this new settlement in the Yukon.

This story has a lot of twists and turns and definitely keeps the reader on their toes!

Need a good thriller with a great setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Guest by B.A. Paris @macmillanaudio @stmartinspress #audiobookreview #bookreview #smpinfluencers

Overview

New York Times bestselling author B. A. Paris captivated psychological thriller fans everywhere with Behind Closed Doors. Now she invites you into another home full of heart-pounding secrets, in The Guest.

Some secrets never leave.

Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and again: sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ clothes, even rearranging the furniture.

Laure has walked out on her husband—and their good friend—Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure’s mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.

Iris and Gabriel’s only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past.

Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

Review

Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a holiday to find their good friend, Laure, in their house. She has left her husband, Pierre. He has had an affair and Laure has discovered he had a child from this affair.

“What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” is quote that comes to mind when I think about this book. Secrets, lies and more lies are rampant.

If your are familiar with this author, you know her books are slow burns. This one moves a bit slow, but y’all…I gasped at the ending. And I am going to have to be very careful and not give anything away. This is definitely worth the read…just for the ending! Just keep in mind…everything is not as it seems!

The narrator, Emily Joyce, is wonderful! She has been on my radar for a while and this book has moved her into the top 10 of my favorite narrators.

Need a good read with a surprising ending…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Audible

Amazon

Bookbub

Chirp

Posted in Audible books, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Diabolical by David Putnam #bookreview #thriller @oceanviewpub

Overview

Bruno Johnson is a wanted fugitive—and unless he helps the Costa Rican police, they’re turning him in

Ex-cop, ex-con Bruno Johnson is hiding from US law enforcement in Costa Rica with his wife, Marie, and the twelve children they rescued from toxic homes in south central Los Angeles. Bruno works at the Lido Cabana Bar at the Punta Bandera Hotel, and his friend, Karl Drago, is getting married on the beach right outside. After the festivities, Bruno and Marie go skinny dipping in the ocean, but they’re quickly interrupted by a visit from law enforcement.

A shooting has just occurred at El Gato Gordo nightclub, and the victim is a prominent local figure and Bruno’s close friend. The chief of police asks Bruno to help investigate, but the stakes are higher than ever—if Bruno doesn’t find the shooter, the chief will turn him over to US authorities.

Everything is complicated further when Bruno becomes a victim of a crime himself, realizing that someone else may be after him. Bruno has to juggle the police investigation with figuring out who’s targeting him—if he drops the ball, it might be the last thing he ever does.

Review

Bruno and his family are living in Costa Rica. Bruno is a fugitive running from the law in America. He has a job as a bartender at a hotel. But when his close friend is shot at a local club, Bruno realizes his own life, and that of his family, may be in severe danger.

I have reviewed another in this series, The Scorned. And I rated it three stars as well. I think this series is just not for me. I like Bruno. But, this story is just a bit choppy and complicated. It just doesn’t not seem to fit well together. Now, this is rated very high among other readers. So, that is why I say this series is just not for me. Y’all give it a shot and let me know what you think.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Karma: My Autobiography by Boy George @dreamscapeaudio #audiobook #bookreview

Overview

Nothing short of an amazing story, Karma is the long-anticipated celebrity memoir from Boy George. The memoir delivers a searingly honest and captivating account of his extraordinary life. Take a front-row seat to the highs and lows of a life lived in the spotlight.

Boy George’s compelling storytelling shines a light on his encounters with legendary figures like David Bowie, Prince, and Madonna, providing an intimate peek into the music industry’s glittering world. Humor, sarcasm, and signature style are brought to this explosive and honest account of Boy George’s life as a child growing up in sixties London and coming out to his Irish Catholic family. Hear his account of his exploration of his sexuality through the hedonism of the seventies (the glam rock and punk rock revolution that birthed Culture Club), his recollections of the heydays of the nineties, and his ultimately embracing the man and artist that he is today.

For those seeking books on self-acceptance and recovery from addiction, Karma stands as an example of the transformative power of embracing one’s true self.

Review

Boy George is flamboyant, eccentric, talented and unique! His personality comes out in this memoir and I was hooked from the very first sentence.

Being a GenXer, this book brought back tons of memories. I love how honest and truthful Boy George is. From his arrest, to his drug use and beyond, he tells it like it is…or was!

I love when the author narrates their own book. And Boy George is amazing. I love when he laughs at his own jokes and at himself. This always put a grin on my face!

Need a good, honest memoir…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Audible

Amazon

BookBub

Chirp

Posted in Audible books, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday #bookreview #romance @grandcentralpub

Overview

Fate brings together a ballet teacher and a hockey player in this big-hearted novel about second chances and taking risks by the bestselling author Entertainment Weekly calls the “master of witty banter.”

Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can’t go to prom. I’m going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn’t like she was ever going to see him again…

Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders—souvenirs from her failed ballet career—when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter. Mike’s honesty about his struggles with widowhood helps Aurora confront some of her own demons, and the two forge an unlikely friendship. There’s just one problem: Mike is the boy she spent years pretending was her “Canadian boyfriend.”

The longer she keeps her secret, the more she knows it will shatter the trust between them. But to have the life she wants, she needs to tackle the most important thing of all—believing in herself.

Review

Aurora is teaching dance classes and fighting a panic disorder. Enter pro hockey player, Mike Martin with his daughter. She is taking dance classes from Aurora. Could it be…could this be her pretend Canadian boyfriend!

Aurora and Mike have a unique relationship. She met Mike years ago, when she was very young. She started an imaginary boyfriend from this encounter. I found YOUNG Aurora, so adorable. I enjoyed this fantasy to real life trope. It is a very unique story line.

This is more of a 3.5 star read…you round up right?!?! I love the characters and their interactions. But there are places this story is a bit wishy washy, or however you would describe it. Like, for instance, Mike does not like to be lied to. It is very important to him. But yet, he himself, turns around and lies Aurora. Just a bit too human I guess 😂😂😂.

Need a story to get lost in…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Wild and Heavenly Place by Robin Oliveira @putnambooks #bookreview #historicalfiction #romance

Overview

Hailey MacIntyre seems conjured from the depths of Samuel Fiddes’s loneliness. Caring for his young sister in the tenements of Glasgow, Scotland, Samuel has known only hunger, while Hailey has never known want. Yet, when Samuel saves Hailey’s brother from a runaway carriage, their connection is undeniable.

Through secret meetings and stolen moments, their improbable love grows. But then the City of Glasgow Bank fails, and Hailey’s bankrupt father impulsively moves their family across the globe to Seattle, a city rumored to have coal in its hills and easy money for anyone willing to work for it.

Samuel is haunted by Hailey’s parting words: Remember, Washington Territory. Armed only with his wits, he determines to follow her, leaving behind everything he has ever known in search of Hailey and the chance of a better life for his sister. But the fledgling town barely cut out of the wilderness holds its own secrets and will test them all in ways unimaginable.

Poignant and lyrical, A Wild and Heavenly Place is an ode to the Pacific Northwest, to those courageous enough to chase the American Dream, and to a love so powerful it endures beyond distance, beyond hope.

Review

Hailey and her family are very rich and live in Glasgow, Scotland. Samuel is very poor and struggling to feed himself and his sister. When he saves Hailey’s little brother from a runaway carriage. His world changes. He falls head over heels for Hailey. He knows she is out of his league. But not long after that fateful day, Hailey’s father loses it all. She and her family move to America. But this does not stop Samuel. He follows her!

I cannot think of a better day to post about star-crossed lovers than on February 14. Life just keeps getting in the way of these two. But, you just can’t help but keep rooting for them!

I enjoyed a great deal about this novel. The setting, the characters and the story just reeled me in. The tragedy that follow both of these characters just break your heart but you just can’t stop reading!

Need a heartbreaking, captivating, star-crossed lovers tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz @macmillanaudio @minotaurbooks #minotaurinfluencers #audiobookreview #orphanx

Overview

This program is read by multi-award-winning narrator Scott Brick.

“The winning combination of Gregg Hurwitz and Scott Brick returns for another action-packed listen featuring Evan Smoak…. Brick is so convincing at embodying Smoak that listeners will be forgiven for thinking they too could take on four bad guys to protect a good guy in need of help.” —AudioFile on Prodigal Son

Once a black ops government assassin known as Orphan X, Evan Smoak left the Program, went deep underground, and reinvented himself as someone who will go anywhere and risk everything to help the truly desperate who have nowhere else to turn. Since then, Evan has fought international crime syndicates and drug cartels, faced down the most powerful people in the world and even brought down a President. Now struggling with an unexpected personal crisis, Evan goes back to the very basics of his mission—and this time, the truly desperate is a little girl who wants him to find her missing dog.

Not his usual mission, and not one Evan embraces with enthusiasm, but this unlikely, tiny job quickly explodes into his biggest mission yet, one that finds him battered between twisted AI technocrat billionaires, a mysterious female assassin who seems a mirror of himself, and personal stakes so gut-wrenching he can scarcely make sense of them.

Evan’s mission pushes him to his limit—he must find and take down the assassin known only as the Wolf, before she succeeds in completing her mission and killing the people who can identify her—a teenaged daughter of her last target, and Evan himself. Matched skill for skill, instinct for instinct, Evan must outwit an opponent who will literally stop at nothing if he is to survive.

Review

Evan Smoak, once a black ops assassin, is now a person who helps anyone in trouble. But this mission is not like any other he has ever taken part in. He is helping to find a dog. You heard me, a lost dog. But this dog leads to an unusual murder and Evan may have finally met his match with this assassin.

Orphan X is truly one of the best characters on the market. He is a cross between Jack Reacher and Batman.

I loved finding out about Evan’s family in this one and how it affected him! Makes me see a whole new side of this character!

Now, this is part of a series. I have read them all. They are stand alone. However, this one did not really explain his past. And it is a good, strange, weird past. So, read this but go back and pick up all of them. You won’t be sorry!

I just love Orphan X. And there cannot be a better narrator than Scott Brick. He is the best ever! He makes Orphan X come alive.

Need a great, action packed series…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Audible

Amazon

Bookbub

Chirp

Posted in Audible books, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

When Grumpy met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein #smpinfluencers #romance #bookreview @stmartinspress

Overview

A steamy, opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and very sunshine-y ghostwriter. 

When grumpy ex-footballer Alfie Harding gets badgered into selling his memoirs, he knows he’s never going to be able to write them. He hates revealing a single thing about himself, is allergic to most emotions, and can’t imagine doing a good job of putting pen to paper.

And so in walks curvy, cheery, cute as heck ghostwriter Mabel Willicker, who knows just how to sunshine and sass her way into getting every little detail out of Alfie. They banter and bicker their way to writing his life story, both of them sure they’ll never be anything other than at odds.

But after their business arrangement is mistaken for a budding romance, the pair have to pretend to be an item for a public who’s ravenous for more of this Cinderella story. Or at least, it feels like it’s pretend—until each slow burn step in their fake relationship sparks a heat neither can control. Now they just have to decide: is this sizzling chemistry just for show? Or something so real it might just give them their fairytale ending?

Review

Alfie, a hot, ex-football player, has been badgered into selling his memoirs. The publisher has hired a ghost writer, Mabel. Mabel is full figured and cute as a button. So, the world is shocked when these two are seen around town together. They just don’t seem to fit.

This is almost like two books in one. The first half of the book is adorable. These two characters have a cute banter and are just getting to know each other. The second half of the book is nothing but $€x…almost no plot. It’s not bad, the story just seemed to change directions all of a sudden.

I did enjoy the way the author plays these two characters’ differences. Alfie is the world’s most eligible bachelor. He dates hot models and actresses. So, when Mabel is brought into the scene, the world loses their minds. But, Alfie is oblivious and he falls hard for Mabel! The author totally ROCKED THIS!

Need an opposite-attracts romance…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Amazon

Bookbub

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Queens of London by Heather Webb @tallpoppywriter @mrsheatherwebb #historicalfiction @recordedbooks @sourcebooks

Overview

MAYBE WOMEN CAN HAVE IT ALL. AS LONG AS THEY’RE WILLING TO STEAL IT.

1925. LONDON. When Alice Diamond, a.k.a. “Diamond Annie,” is elected the queen of the Forty Elephants, she’s determined to take the all-girl gang to new heights. She’s ambitious, tough as nails, and a brilliant mastermind with a plan to create a dynasty the likes of which no one has ever seen. Alice demands absolute loyalty from her “family”—it’s how she’s always kept the cops in line. Too bad she’s now the target for one of Britain’s first policewomen.

Officer Lilian Wyles isn’t merely one of the first female detectives at Scotland Yard, she’s one of the best detectives on the force. Even so, she’ll have to crack a major case to break free from the “women’s work” she’s been assigned. When she hears about the large-scale heist in the works to fund Alice’s new dynasty, she realizes she has the chance she’s been looking for—and the added bonus of putting Diamond Annie out of business permanently.

A tale of dark glamour and sisterhood, Queens of London is a look at Britain’s first female crime syndicate, the ever-shifting meaning of justice, and the way women claim their power by any means necessary.

“Looting, lying, and the letter of the law: Queens of London delivers a rollicking ride through the criminal underbelly of post-WWI London. Gritty at times and tender at others, Queens of London unmasks the most lawless—and likable—gang of women you’ve never heard of.”—SARAH PENNER, bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

Review

Hira is a young girl living with her uncle in London. Her parents have passed away and he is threatening to send her to an orphanage. Hira runs away and ends up on the streets. She finds a wonderful dog that she names Biscuit. But she also finds Alice. Alice, the queen of the streets and leader of a crime syndicate, takes Hira in and trains her. But Hira knows she can’t keep this lifestyle up.

Wow! What a great read! So different and unique! I love a story that teaches me a thing or two! I had no idea about a gang of women in London, the first female crime syndicate. Not only that. this story also covers female detectives during this time period.

This is a well researched and absolutely captivating tale. I was hooked in the very first chapter. I love all the layers, time period and characters! Do not miss this one!

The narrator, Amy Scanlon, is extremely talented and did the child’s voice perfectly. That is a big turnoff for me. But this narrator nailed it!

Need a fantastic, engrossing tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Purchase Here

Audible

Amazon

Bookbub

Chirp

Posted in Audible books, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara Ackerman @harlequinbooks #bookreview #historicalfiction

Book Summary:

This extraordinary novel, inspired by real events, tells the story of a female aviator who defies the odds to embark on a daring air race across the Pacific.

 

1927. Olivia “Livy” West is a fearless young pilot with a love of adventure. She yearns to cross oceans and travel the skies. When she learns of the Dole Air Race—a high-stakes contest to be the first to make the 2,400 mile Pacific crossing from the West Coast to Hawai’i—she sets her sights on qualifying. But it soon becomes clear that only men will make the cut. In a last-ditch effort to take part, Livy manages to be picked as a navigator for one of the pilots, before setting out on a harrowing journey that some will not survive.

 

1987. Wren Summers is down to her last dime when she learns she has inherited a remote piece of land on the Big Island with nothing on it but a dilapidated barn and an overgrown mac nut grove. She plans on selling it and using the money to live on, but she is drawn in by the mysterious objects kept in the barn by her late great-uncle—clues to a tragic piece of aviation history lost to time. Determined to find out what really happened all those years ago, Wren enlists the help of residents at a nearby retirement home to uncover Olivia’s story piece by piece. What she discovers is more earth-shattering, and closer to home, than she could have ever imagined.

Review

Emma has just had a bad breakup, been kicked out of her apartment and she just doesn’t know what she wants to do in her life. However, she just learned she has inherited a piece of land from her uncle. So, maybe her luck is changing.

In 1927 Olivia Jones is a woman in a man’s world. She is determined to fly airplanes. When she hears of the Dole race, she jumps at the chance to fly from the coast of California to the Hawaiian Islands. Things do not go quite as planned.

These two ladies are so intriguing! I love Livy for her tenacity and her goals! And Emma, well Emma is struggling. But my heart went out to her on so many occasions!

I enjoyed everything about this tale. This is told in two different time lines, 1927 and 1987. And now that it has marinated a little in my brain, I think I liked the 1987 part just a tad better. I enjoyed Emma’s search for herself and her past.

Need a captivating, historical novel…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Buy Links:

BookShop.org

Harlequin 

Barnes & Noble

Books A Million

Amazon

Social Links:

Author Website

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

Author Bio:



Sara Ackerman is the Hawai’i born, bestselling author of The Codebreaker’s Secret, Radar Girls, Red Sky Over Hawaii, The Lieutenant’s Nurse, and Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers.

 Sara’s books have been labeled “unforgettable” by Apple Books, “empowering & deliciously visceral” by Book Riot, and New York Times bestselling authors Kate Quinn and Madeline Martin have praised Sara’s novels as “fresh and delightful” and “brilliantly written.” Amazon chose Radar Girls as a best book of the month, and ALA Booklist gave The Codebreaker’s Secret a starred review.

Find out more about Sara and her books atwww.ackermanbooks.com and follow her on Instagram @saraackermanbooks and on FB @ackermanbooks. 

 

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment