Everyone has a price.
Property
developer, Jackson Frost, wanted to spend Christmas on a beach, instead, he’s
home in snowy Redford Falls dressed in a Santa suit. However, the temptation of
delectable chocolate—in any form—as well as a second chance at lasting love, might
lure him to stay.
A group of retired CIA operatives, living in the small Maine town of Purity, are drawn into intrigue, death, and memories sooner forgotten.
Our Review: Readers who ‘grew up on’ political thrillers by Robert
Ludlum, John R. Maxim, Alan Drury et al, Tess Gerritsen’s The Spy Coast, book 1
in her new thriller series, The Martini Club, will glom onto this book and
relish each word, every phrase right to the last page. Maggie Bird and her
spook pals bring back the old days of reading about the cold war machinations
and how the operatives coped with some of the things they were compelled to do
in the name of patriotism—or greed. If you do nothing else, this one will make
you sit back, smile and nod. “oh,
boy, this is the one.”
Will she shed the ugly duckling and emerge into a swan—or conform to the wishes of others?
When Zach Morrison was dumped at the altar, Dani was
there to help him pick up the pieces. A year later, he comes to her needing
help. Will she pose as his girlfriend to help him fend off the unwanted
advances of the former dumper-fiancé?
The two play their roles too well and make believe rapidly
morphs into reality. In the face of ‘maybe this is the one for me’, old hurts,
old wounds and unanswered questions collaborate to sabotage this couple’s
finding a forever life.
Author Richards shows her skill for delving into long
standing and repeated hurts and humiliations—and the effect they wreak on a
person’s decision making. Dani is a proud woman, super loyal to family and
friends, often to her detriment. She keeps her secrets and promises—often to great
personal loss. Her refusal to betray a friend’s most personal secret causes
Zach, whose repeated misuse and abuse by the spoiled, selfish former fiancé, to
doubt her and break things off.
But the story doesn’t end there. Just
as it looks like these two might have their acts together, Dani’s most
important secret rears its head, and is sure to strike a personal chord in many
readers. Watching her battle the mis-guided and mis-informed opinions of those
who matter the most, demonstrates loud and clear that our own peace of mind and
personal approval is what deserves attention. This is a beautiful piece of
writing and should not be missed.
Based on a scale
of 1-5, Always a Bridesmaid merits an 8.
Who is this intriguing, enigmatic man?
In an effort to uncover his past and how he came to
have amnesia, the two travel to Perth—there to be drawn into a bizarre as well
as dangerous situation. Is Joe the person Jodie believes him to be—or is this
some alter ego he’s developed as a survival skill?
Before Jodie can trust this relationship is the forever kind, she deserves to know the truth about an enigma.
Our Review: Author Meryl Brown Tobin is a master at creating
suspense—as well as writing characters tortured with unknowns at several
levels. Adding interesting bits of historical fact into the touristy Broome
adds a delicious flavor to the action. For those readers who glom onto
romantic-suspense novels, along with a dash of adventure tossed in for spice,
this is the book for you!
Now, Tony’s back in town and they’re
forced to work together. Though sparks still fly between them, Olivia’s not
sure she should or can trust him again. Besides, she’s engaged to someone else.
Though the fiancé doesn’t light her up the way Tony did and still does, there’s
no way she’ll humiliate him in the same manner.
In order to forge a future, Tony and
Live need to resolve their past—or this time will Tony be the one who’s left at
the altar.
Our Review: “…she enjoyed making him squirm…” After being dumped at the altar, in front of God and
everyone, who wouldn’t feel this way, even years later, when confronted with
the ‘dumper’?
Author Richards’ ability to create honest, human reactions—such
as the bridal party turning on the groom for his ‘dumper’ behavior—to the
family dinners where sibling rivalry never fails to run amok—lets the reader
know they should settle in and enjoy the ride. The humor hits gut-busting
level; the emotions are real and valid. This beauty of a story speaks to the author's talent, imagination and creativity.
Based on a scale
of 1-5, There Goes the Groom merits a 7.
About the Book: After banishing Ifrit, an evil djinn, Baxter—Bax—Allen’s
life has returned to normal—sort of. He knows the guilt-fueled nightmares he
suffers from will never relent until he musters the courage to return the
djinn’s artifact to its rightful location, finally laying the demon to rest.
But nothing in the universe of djinn is easy.
Someone has
summoned Ifrit back into the real world, placing Bax and friends Ashley, Jason,
Scarlett and Warren at the center of a swirling darkness while the djinn
fulfills his new master’s wishes. As Ifrit’s attacks grow more deadly, the
quartet of adventurers must first uncover the identity of Ifrit’s new
master then convince them to banish the evil spirit.
One roadblock: with
the powerful lunar eclipse not due another one hundred-fifty years, banishment
might be impossible.
Our Review: In this modernized version of Aladdin and his magic lamp, our first impression that From Brick & Darkness, Book 1 in author J.L. Sullivan’s series, headed the list for YA perfection. It’s successor, From Ash & Darkness, has knocked it from the top spot. With cleverly composed and individualized dialogue, non-stop pacing and crucial motivation, this one hits all the right items on our priority list for excellence in good writing. This one’s a beauty. Do not miss.
Based on a scale of 1-5, From Ash & Darkness merits an 8.
Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
Sometimes, life is completely unfair.
About the
Book: Spoiled teenager Jenny Halpen's parents were
against her going on a cruise, but her doting uncle didn't see it that way. He
thought it a fine graduation gift for his favorite—and only--niece.
Unfortunately,
before Jenny has a chance to enjoy the voyage, the Cassandra collides
with a meteor shower, and her escape pod is separated from the others.
Landing on
an uninhabited world might not be so bad if Jenny's pod-mates were human, but
they're not. They're poodles...all three of them...and not just your
garden-variety poodles, either. They're the telepathic royal family of Canaris,
and they're of the opinion that Jenny is now their servant, existing only to
protect and serve them.
Robinson
Crusoe had it easy!
Our
Review: This energetic Young Adult Space Fantasy, sub-titled A Teen’s
Guide to Being Spacewrecked, shows off the coming of age of a spoiled
teenager, throwing one obstacle after another in her path to survival, and
showing how she grows and matures into a responsible young adult. The dialogue
is inventive and snappy; the three dogs play their roles to a tee. Young
readers are sure to enjoy this one.