Archives for May 13, 2024

* Review * CINDERELLA AND THE TYCOON NEXT DOOR by Kandy Shepherd

May 13, 2024 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * CINDERELLA AND THE TYCOON NEXT DOOR by Kandy Shepherd

Cinderella and the Tycoon Next Door by Kandy Shepherd
Series: One Year to Wed #3
Published by Harlequin Romance on May 21, 2024
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THE KEY TO CINDERELLA’S INHERITANCE…

When Anastasia finds herself in need of a husband, she turns to her best friend, millionaire tycoon Connor. She’s always carried a torch for the guy from next door, but anything romantic is completely off-limits. The relationship might be faux, but once she’s wearing Connor’s ring, Ana’s very real desire for him becomes impossible to hide any longer… Especially when his “I do” kiss feels anything but fake!

The friends to lovers trope always tugs on my heartstrings! Kandy Shepherd is up third in the One Year to Wed series with Ana’s story. I haven’t read the previous books in the series but it was easy to catch up on the past happenings and pick up with Ana and Connor. The characters are easy to like and the premise of the series is dramatic and sure to bring out the angst. I loved that Ana and Connor were the best of friends, but it did lead to a fast progression of their relationship a little more so than if they had to get to know each other from the start. I enjoyed them together.

Ana was my favorite sister because she was able to love with no resentment in her heart even though she was held apart from her sisters for so long. I liked her kind heart.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys when friendship turns to love with lots of tension and mishaps along the way.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * END GAME by Tracey Devlyn

May 13, 2024 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

End Game by Tracey Devlyn
Series: Steele Ridge: The Blackwells #5
Published by Steele Ridge Publishing on May 20, 2024
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An FBI agent assigned to investigate a meddlesome lobbyist for her role in a possible pay-to-play scheme discovers a secret political organization willing to destroy everything to attain ultimate power—including the woman he loves.

In this highly anticipated, fifth and final installment of the Steele Ridge: The Blackwells series, Tracey Devlyn thrusts readers into the murky world of high-stakes politics and complex family relationships, wrapped in a sizzling enemies-to-lovers story.

As a savvy and successful lobbyist, Kayla Krowne knows all about deception. Each day, she swims in a vast tank of opportunistic sharks. But nothing prepares her for the downward spiral her life takes after witnessing the assassination of a high-profile public official. When the police suggest she may have been the true target, her only hope of rooting out the murderer lies with the one Blackwell brother she’s never been able to win over. The one she’s held a secret longing for since their first meeting two years earlier.

Special Agent Asher Cameron Blackwell’s day started off bad and ended worse. Not only is he drowning in a swamp of paperwork, he now has two investigations involving none other than Kayla-effing-Krowne. One is a presumed assassination case and the other one he’s compelled to keep from her because of a promise he made to his semi-estranged brother, Zeke.

Forced into close proximity, Ash and Kayla finally give in to the passion they can no longer hide, forging an unstoppable union as they navigate an intricate maze of lies and betrayals, and uncovering a heartbreaking conspiracy that leads them to Kayla’s doorstep. It’s a life-and-death battle that they dare not lose.

The Blackwells are going out in style with unputdownable intrigue and drama galore! The fifth and final book in the Steel Ridge: The Blackwells series did not disappoint. We’ve known all along that there was going to be some tension and back story to Ash’s story and bringing Kayla Krowne into the picture as his leading lady only added to the dazzle. I was hooked from the very start of their story and kept turning page after page as the drama kept getting more and more suspect. I really enjoyed them as a whole and felt like they were easy to connect with. I’m sad to see this series and family overall come to an end, and I highly recommend you go back to the start if you haven’t fallen in love with the Steele Ridge town and extended family yet. Well developed characters, a great core family to rely on and lots of mystery and intrigue along the way.

Filed Under: Book Reviews

* Review * FIERCE MONARCH by MJ Crouch

May 13, 2024 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Fierce Monarch by MJ Crouch
Series: Gilded Empire #3
Published by Calamittie Jane Publishing on May 17, 2024
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Mari Marcosa has been betrayed by a person she let inside her life in every possible way.

The pain is unbearable, not just because of what he means—meant—to her, but because now she's got a huge damn target on her back.

Almost as big as the hole in her heart.

Every mafia leader in the city sees this betrayal as a sign of Mari's weakness and they can’t wait to use it to their advantage.

Her back is to a wall that is crumbling more every second and the men she needs most are struggling just to stay alive.

She'll have to align with the unthinkable to survive—as secrets she thought were buried deep start rising to the surface.

And it turns out the truth she thought she knew...might not be true at all.

•••••
Author’s note: Fierce Monarch is the third book in the Gilded Empire series and should be read in order. This is a "Why Choose?" romance with violence, dark themes, and ruthlessly possessive—and protective—men.

Dramatic and addictive! The third book in the Gilded Empire quartet by MJ Crouch picks up where book two left us on a cliffhanger of betrayal. We’re quickly thrust back into the angst of Mari’s realm and taken along for the ride as more danger than ever before threatens her every turn. Just when she thought she had uncovered all of the secrets, she stumbles into even more than she could have ever imagined. I can’t wait to see what the finale holds in store for us! Looking forward to book four!

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* Review * HER DYING SECRET by Lisa Regan

May 13, 2024 Leave a Comment

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

* Review * HER DYING SECRET by Lisa Regan

Her Dying Secret by Lisa Regan
Series: Detective Josie Quinn #20
Published by Bookouture on May 14, 2024
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She gently opens the woman’s tightly clenched fist, uncurling each finger to reveal a square of folded paper hidden in her palm. Scrawled in thick crayon, beside a child’s crooked drawing of a red flower, is one word that sends a shiver through the evening mist: HELP

It was supposed to be a routine road accident recovery, but the moment Detective Josie Quinn sees the passenger—pale and painfully thin, a sharp tool lodged in her stomach—it’s clear she was the victim of something far more sinister, and likely dead before the crash. Watching the driver taken away in an ambulance, questions spin through Josie’s mind. Where were these two women going? Was the driver trying to save a life, or hide a body? And—most heartbreaking of all—is there a child in danger, crying out for help with no reply?

Josie quickly identifies the crash survivor as Mira Summers, a singleton and animal-lover on her way home from nearby stables. Mira swears she doesn’t know who the woman in the car beside her is, or how she was injured. And when she’s diagnosed with concussion and memory loss, Josie is forced to back down.

But the discovery of Mira’s prints on the child’s drawing is all the proof Josie needs that Mira knows more than she’s letting on, and a witness saw Mira meeting with a man with a gnarled diamond-shaped tattoo at the stables. In a race against the clock to track down this elusive man, Josie faces danger from the most unexpected places. Pushed to her limit, can she stay alive long enough to catch the killer and save the life of an innocent child?

Always a joy to reconnect with Detective Josie Quinn! Lisa Regan is keeping Josie fresh with the 20th book in her beloved series as she dives into a brand new case full of mystery. The intrigue in this particular story was good, but I wasn’t nearly as invested along the way as I usually am. I feel like the team connection is suffering a lot with many not even being mentioned more than in passing, and the same goes for Josie’s family and friends. I want to see a bit more oomph brought back into her personal interactions again in addition to the work stress. This new detective is yet to show his true colors as well. I’m looking forward to the drama to come from that.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a detective who always solves her case and has a lot of human interest in her own life and past along the way. The joy of this series is feeling like they are old friends who we get to dive into a new case with as each new book arrives.

Filed Under: Book Reviews