Archives for September 20, 2016

4 STARS!

Season 2, Episode 1 is chock full of drama as we rush to catch up with what has happened since the fallout from all of the secrets coming to light last season.

Tate Johnson sets out to find himself again after his brother’s betrayal and as he signs on to start his political aspirations.  His Dad is familiar with his own brother drama as his long lost brother Chase comes back to town unexpectedly.

Bryce Daniels and his family still struggle with how to handle his son’s special needs while his sister still succumbs to her temptation of loving Travis Salt even though he still hasn’t followed through with leaving his wife to be with her.

ARC received via InkSlinger PR

4 STARS!

An exciting new series by Kimberly Kincaid!  This book took me a bit by surprise because I was expecting a lot of firefighter action, but it actually was more about a police investigation.  It was good, and kept us on our toes throughout wondering if they were going to catch the bad guys, I just wanted a bit more on the sexy firemen front!

Firefighter Kellan Walker has a lot of demons in his past that he works hard to beat down.  Intense focus on his job keeps the turmoil at bay, but when he stumbles across some possible evidence to a crime at the scene of a fire they fought, he’s drawn into more drama then he ever would have thought possible!

Detective Isabella Moreno isn’t one of Kellan’s favorite people.  They have some history going back a few months and he still holds a major grudge against her for her part in placing his sister in danger during an investigation.  When she’s the one who shows up to investigate what he has found, he puts aside his animosity to walk her through the scene.

What starts as an innocent reporting of info turns into more than Kellan bargained for when he and Isabella wind up reluctantly teaming up to find the bad guy and find the evidence to bring him to justice.  Will they be able to keep their hearts in tact as they fight their attraction to each other?

ARC received via NetGalley

4 STARS!

Two broken souls drifting through life until their hearts collide and allow them to heal each other.

Past demons and regrets have led Dr. Joe Braden to seek redemption by helping others who are less fortunate.  He’s currently on a remote Fijian island with an old army buddy providing medical services.  When Dr. Emily Clifford comes to visit and provide her services for a couple of weeks, he can’t resist the pull to get to know her.

Emily is fighting her own memories and demons and trying to find a way to move on with her life.  Seeing the simpler life in a remote culture like this is eye opening.  She enjoys getting to know the people and helping them with the medical care they have been lacking.  The added bonus of a smoking hot doctor working alongside her is nothing to complain about either … especially one that allows her to see her true beauty for the first time.

Can these two lost people find their place beside each other?  Will they be willing to bury their fear and take the chance on each other?

ARC received via the Author/VA

On Tour with Prism Book Tours.

EXCERPT:

CHAPTER ONE, PART VI

Many times Harriet would carry a sleeping Amanda home in her arms, except for those nights when Eloise would demand that “little Amanda” sleep in her room with her. At Lord Kent’s instruction, Amanda was allowed to study with the tutor along with his three children. Amanda learned to read, write, and cipher. She had almost a photographic memory and could remember the names of nearly every guest who’d ever called at Kent Manor. She could ride as well as Eloise but not as well as Jonathon, which bothered her tremendously, for Amanda had always believed she could do anything as well as anyone else if she only tried long enough and hard enough. This belief was a cornerstone of Lord Kent’s preaching to his children. Amanda seemed the only one to have heard him.

Life had been nearly idyllic for Amanda until she was ten. With no warning, Lady Kent fired Harriet, stating that the “efficiency in the household had dropped.” To this day, Amanda never understood how her mother could have failed, since Lady Barbara had never been able to find anyone to replace Harriet. However, nearly daily, the walls of Kent Manor echoed with Lady Barbara’s voice as she demanded “efficiency” from the staff.

Shortly after Harriet’s dismissal, Burt Granger died. At the time, Amanda was too young to realize that Burt’s alcoholism had destroyed his liver and pancreas. She also felt no remorse as she stared down at his lifeless body lying in the plain, cheap wooden box.

To Amanda, her father had been a cold, self-centered, mean man. Fortunately for Amanda, she wasn’t exposed to him all that much during the week. But on the weekends, their apartment at Number 8 Shelton Street was a living hell. Often he would come home late on Saturday night after being to the pubs and start an argument with his wife. To this day, Amanda could hear her mother’s screams of pain as he beat her. Amanda, powerless to defend her, prayed to God or the Devil, whichever would take him first, to kill Burt on the spot. Finally, when Amanda reached the age of ten, one of them had listened to her.

Life on Shelton Street improved—for awhile. With no income for Harriet other than what she earned shelling peas near the cathedral, and the absence of Burt’s income, Harriet went back to Lady Kent to plead for her job. She was turned down, but she did manage to get Amanda a job as lady’s maid to Emily and Eloise for five shillings a week.

Five years later, Amanda was making over ten shillings a week, two shillings more than the neighborhood girls, who worked at the garment factories or as telephone operators. Hers was not a difficult job. She was responsible for both the care and the acquisition of wardrobes for both girls, their personal care, their social schedules, and their studies. Eloise was just as disciplined as Amanda. Emily, however, was lazy and always looked for the easiest courses. But Emily was fun and full of pranks, and when her mischief wasn’t getting her into trouble, it was difficult for Amanda not to like Emily.

Amanda finished ironing the dress, stuffed it with tissue, and re-padded the bustle. Quickly, she carried the dress upstairs.

Eloise was bathing when Amanda entered the room. She knocked on the door.

“We’re running late, Eloise. Hurry!”