Survivors by Toni V. Sweeney

When the chips are down. . . look to family

 About the Book: Rob Chambers and his half-brother, Josh Edenfield, have succeeded in destroying the portal that links Land’s End Island to the dimension of the Other Gods. Expecting to die in the process, both are surprised when they discover they’ve survived and are now stranded in a hostile dimension where the laws of physics don’t apply and the ocean and sky blend in an eye-blinding scarlet.

     There’s a chance of escape if they can find another portal back to Earth. All the brothers have to do is find it while avoiding the giant tentacles in the ocean and the amorphous creatures roaming the sky.

 Our Review: Faced with very real dangers, this is a story of two siblings learning to depend on each other—and therefore themselves—to survive, then return to those who love them most. Toni V. Sweeney at her best.

 Based on a scale of 1-5, Survivors merits a 5.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews 

Running to Daylight by Kim Janine Ligon

 Evil dies in the light. Don’t stop running.

 About the Book:  After ten years in witness protection, Morgan Tucker can no longer remain hidden. Evil hasn’t been thwarted by a name change or a move to a small Wisconsin town.

Mark Trask, veteran of Lansdale’s police force, returns from vacation to find his reclusive housemate, Phil Hughes, missing. After the driver of a black pickup truck stalks Mark and nearly kills him, Mark begins to wonder if he is the target—or if it’s related to Phil’s mysterious disappearance.

Elsie Dennis, who lives with her older brother, Hubert, and operates Knitting Pretty in downtown Lansdale. As unexpected danger begins to plague the siblings, they can’t help but wonder now—as well who is behind all this evil.

Mark and Elsie are thrown together to solve the mysteries, trying to determine if they are related to a ten-year-old murder, and encounter evil at every turn as together they find their way toward the daylight.                                                 

Our Review: Author Ligon, known for her sweet, small-town oriented stories does it again with this mystery which will keep the reader on the edge of their seat to suss out the ‘bad guy’ then see if Elsie and Mark will have their relationship blossom. Do not miss this one; it’s another winner from this talented author.  

 Based on a scale of 1-5, Running to Daylight merits a 5.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

 

Scion by Toni V. Sweeney

 About the Book: Accompanied by his sister, an adult Robbie Chambers returns to Georgia to claim the inheritance left him by Drexl von Dorff. Rob has no idea of his heritage, nor why a stranger left him a fortune, an island, and a deserted mansion. A meeting with Joshua Edenfield brings both clarity as well as more confusion when he learns Joshua is not only his half-brother but of the supernatural heritage both young men possess.

     As Rob learns more about the von Dorffs, he’s bombarded by eerie dreams and frightening waking nightmares that interfere with his growing attraction to Josh’s sister, Anna. Soon he realizes he’ll be unable to stop the Other Gods from returning unless someone takes drastic and terminal steps.  

     Rob has no choice but to enlist his half-brother’s aid in preventing trans-dimensional beings from returning to Land’s End Island.

 Our Review: Author Toni V. Sweeney has always demonstrated a talent for suspending disbelief in her readers. Scion proves it, then moves above and beyond. This plot moves at a breath taking speed, drawing the reader in immediately, grabbing them by the throat, and not letting go until the edge of the seat conclusion. Well done! 

 Based on a scale of 1-5, Scion merits a 7.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

Cabana Bay by Ruben D. Gonzales

Solving a mystery is like cleaning a toilet, only easier.

About the Book:  Moli Soto and her three-year-old son relocate from Los Angeles to Florida’s Gulf Coast, taking refuge with her Uncle Manny, a retired ex-cop who is revitalizing a run-down Florida motel. There, mother and son share the spare room with a one-hundred-pound Bordeaux Mastiff, “the Dude”.

While earning her keep by cleaning toilets, making beds and running the check-in/check-out desk, Moli finds a semi-comatose guest in Cottage Fourteen and realizes her everyday routine will be turned on its head. After the local police threaten to close the motel down, Moli has to solve the mystery in the sun, sand, and salt of Cabana Bay, before the new place is forced to close, her uncle loses his retirement savings, and she is homeless.

Our Review: Fans of cozy mysteries will glom onto this fun, entertaining story. All is not what it’s cracked up to be in the retirement communities of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The sun can be brutal, the heat sticky and oppressive—and relaxation is at a premium. The diverse characters are well written, own their own set of mysterious histories, and sparkle with sharp, crisp dialogue. Best of all is “the Dude”, the best au pair in the biz. Author Ruben Gonzales has a bright future ahead of him in this genre. 

On a scale of 1-5, Cabana Bay merits a 7.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews 

Whistle While You Lurk by Judith Sterling

 Listen for the whistler . . .

 About the Book: In this time-travel/cozy mystery, PhD student Gwyneth Camm discovers a gothic romance novel on the foyer floor of her centuries old home—and understands immediately her deceased Aunt Ethel is at it again: Gwyn is to enter the story and stand in for its 1970s heroine.

          While traveling abroad, Gwyn tours the historic home of an English baronet and notes her uncanny resemblance to a supposed seventeenth-century witch in a family portrait. Something of an expert in the history of witch trials, she soon becomes the baronet’s guest—as well as the target of the malevolent force known as “the whistler.”

Gwyn must face the danger head-on, for solving the mystery is the only way she’ll get back home.

 Our Review: this vastly entertaining story offers fans of gothic romances, cozy mysteries, a bit of history and—for this reviewer—flashbacks to the 1970s one real treat. This is the perfect beach read—or maybe cozied up in your favorite lounge chair at the edge of a sunny perennial garden. As in previous Gothic Gwyn mysteries, our heroine is not to be deflected in her designated mission: exposing the truth behind the mystery. The secondary characters are especially well drawn, adding color and humor to the mix. An added attraction—again for cozy fans—is the inclusion into what will come in the next Gwen adventure.

 Based on a scale of 1-5, Whistle While You Lurk merits a 5.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

 

 

 

 

The Case of the Kona Curse by Emily Karmazin

 Every secret has a deadly price.

About the Book: The idyllic beaches of Hawaii hide a dark secret. Best friends Lexi and Zelda's tropical escape turns into a nightmare when they stumble upon a murder. The victim? A charming tourist with a hidden agenda. The stolen artifact? A legendary treasure whispered to grant eternal life. The suspects? Everyone from a disgruntled billionaire to a seemingly helpful tour guide. As Lexi and Zelda race to uncover the truth, they find themselves caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, where trust is a luxury and paradise becomes a trap. With their lives on the line, they must unravel the mystery and expose the killer before they become the next victims.

Our Review: In this outrageously funny cozy mystery, Lexi and Zelda, best friends since for-ev-ver, take a much-deserved vacation to Hawaii’s Kona Coast—and encounter a few life altering moments while they each recover from events found in Book One of this series The Case of the Filthy Beast. Author Emily Karmazin always amazes and never disappoints, making us wonder what this generation’s Laverne and Shirley will have up their sleeves in their next adventure.

Based on a scale of 1-5, The Case of the Kona Curse merits a 6.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews

Through the Red Door, Book Nirvana Series

Two good men vie to heal a widow’s heart—but it only holds room for one. Come to Book Nirvana for chosen family, laughter and tears, sizzling passion, and a love triangle for the ages.

About the Book:

Clara:  Unless I find a lifeline, my bookstore will close its doors forever. My best shot at saving Book Nirvana is my late husband’s collection of rare, racy books, but I’m not ready to open that red door and face the flood of memories. And I’m not ready to open my heart again, even if the two new men in my life tempt me to try.   

Nick: I came to Book Nirvana in search of antique bawdy books and fell hard for lovely, lonely Clara. As a widower, I understand her skittishness, but the spark between us is undeniable. My academic connections could rebuild her clientele, but if she discovers my secret scandal, her fragile trust will shatter.  

Dalton: I’m over the moon for beautiful, bookish Clara, but how can a teacher like me compete with a suave professor like Nick? Clara and I have so much in common, and our sweet friendship could bloom into something deeper if it weren’t for my rival’s grip on the vulnerable widow. I don’t trust him, and neither should she.

 

Our Review: This is the one that started it all—a romantic triangle for the ages featuring a grieving widow, a college professor trying to find a niche for himself on the West Coast, and a recently divorced high school teacher who is looking for a love that will last longer than the twelfth of never. Through the Red Door has everything a second chance at love devotee longs for: relatable characters who are the first to admit they are not perfect and who work at fun and sexy jobs, and family system of the heart who populate the eclectic art scene of the Pacific Northwest.

Come to Book Nirvana for stories that will stick with you.  

 Based on a scale of 1-5, Through the Red Door merits a 6.

 Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews