THE BAD DAUGHTER is a mystery about a dysfunctional family. Robin has left home and established her own life as a therapist. Melanie has stayed in Red Bluff because she became the caretaker for their mother when she got cancer and she also had an autistic son to care for. Melanie seemed to need whatever little support their father provided for her. Their brother Alec left home and has not returned, even when a home invasion leaves his stepmother dead, his father on the brink of death and his stepsister Cassidy clinging to life. Of course, he has a good reason to be angry with his father since his dad married the woman he was engaged to. Talk about dysfunctional families! Melanie shoots barbed insults at Robin constantly, and it was somewhat irritating that Robin never stood up for herself. As a therapist, Robin should have known that the insults would only escalate until she said something to stop them; instead, Robin continued to retreat and have panic attacks. Although the plot was slow-moving at times, the book kept me interested because I wanted to find out all of the secrets of the family, and they were revealed methodically throughout the book. This book is a mystery in that you don’t find out until the end of the novel who attacked the family and why. There are a lot of suspicions, but I, for one, could not figure it out and was surprised at the end, but in a way that I kind of said to myself, “Oh, yeah, that makes sense!” The novel is well-written, with characters that are appropriately developed and realistic. Some characters are more likable than others, but all are sympathetic characters once their past is revealed. The only character that I really did not understand why he was there other than as a foil was Landon, Melanie’s autistic son who falls under suspicion just because he is a loner. All in all, the book was enjoyable and I look forward to the next twisty mystery from this talented author.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Available April 10, 2018 from your favorite bookseller, but you can pre-order it now!

This thriller is set in Great Britain where falconer and technology genius Roman Ardelean and his brother Radu have begun their plan to control the internet and the world with their Radulov software and their army of drones. From the beginning of the book, you know who the bad guy is, but you quickly realize that he will not be easy to stop, if it is possible at all. Entwined in the story is the tale of a lost Voynivich manuscript, something that is mysterious and can only be understood by certain people, notably Romanians in this twisted tale. Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are tasked with finding and stopping Ardelean. Add in the fact that he uses his falcons as weapons and his drones as fly in instruments of death, you have enough twists and turns and action to keep you reading long into the night. This was the first book that i have read in the series, but I have now purchased others to read because this was so good! I have a stack of TBR books, but this one moved to the top of my list because of its captivating story that seems all too real and possible…and scary!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

The premise of this book is that four friends in a regular American neighborhood each have a secret. When assumptions are made, a tale of twisted secrets becomes murder. Alison, Sarah, Julie and Heather meet for coffee and share their daily lives. When one of them notices that Heather is bruised, they all make the assumption that she is being abused and try to do an intervention. Unfortunately, Heather is not the one who dies and the book gets really twisted from there. The book is a real page-turner, but with each chapter dealing with a different character’s point of view, it was a little difficult to keep them straight. In the end, it was an enjoyable read that was thought-provoking and left me with the thought, What would I do?

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

This is the first Hope Harbor book that I have read and I absolutely loved it! With enough suspense to keep me reading and lots of romance, Irene Hannon’s latest book is a must-read for fans of clean reads. Army doctor Ben Garrison is in Hope Harbor to settle the estate of his beloved grandfather. But a lighthouse becomes an issue because Ben wants to sell it, and the town wants to save it. The editor and owner of the local paper, Marci Weber, decides to launch a campaign to save the lighthouse. She is supposed to be a foe of Ben, but when they are together sparks fly! There is also the sub-plot of a hero who was badly injured in the war and cannot fulfill his dreams to be a good father firefighter, so he is depressed and seems to be beyond the reach of his loving wife Rachel. The storyline is well done and captivating, with realistic characters and conflict that is believable, charming and memorable. Now I need to go back and find the other three books in this series to read!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

I just have to say that this book was LONG and not as interesting as all of the hype about it. I started the book seven months ago, and it took me months to actually read enough to get interested in it. I kept reading, hoping that it would get better. After over 200 pages, it finally did improve. The book’s general plot is a girt named Beth attends an eclipse rally, gets raped there and Laura who witnesses part of the rape goes to court to testify for her against the wealthy and powerful James Balcombe. Kit, Laura’s husband, tries to dissuade her from testifying, but to no avail. The result of her testimony is what most of the book is really about. The problem is that the book goes from 1999 to 2015, back and forth, back and forth, so you really have to pay attention to the dates and that is very off-putting. The other problem with the book is that the plot drags. It could have definitely been a much shorter book, told the same story with the same conflicts with the characters and might have actually been a good book that was worth reading. As it was, I cannot recommend it because in the end, it was just another tale about rape and the aftermath, with a lot of fluff thrown in about eclipses. Ho-hum!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Available on June 26, 2018 from your favorite local bookseller

Maggie is living clandestinely in a little town called Devon that is more like a resort town than a neighborhood. She works as the make-up artist at The Inn, where many of the rich and famous come to vacation. She is actually in hiding from her real self, a mother who ran a stop sign and killed her young daughter in the accident. The resulting publicity destroyed her marriage to Edward Cooper, so she has changed her name and run to Devon as her haven. The action increases when Edward comes to Devon, intent on starting a new business there and running The Inn, since he has become the new owner. This is the main story line. There are many others, like the mom who won’t tell her son who his father is and the son who is subsequently arrested for hacking. The whole story has one theme, that of reconciliation. I had to keep reading to find out what happens with Maggie and Edward; it was such a great and satisfying book! The ending was a surprise, one that you won’t see coming. The events of the story were so realistic and soul-stirring that it made me want to make sure that all of my relationships are straight and that there is nothing between me and those I love.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Available now at your favorite local bookseller

Dana, Tawny and Harper return to the lake where they spent a month of summer each year as they were growing up. They are there because the death of their beloved Grannie Annie has drawn them there. Each young woman returns home reluctantly and with a lot of secrets that they don’t really want to share. The secrets are a center of the story, but the author does such a good job of writing about the characters and the current action that it does not take away from the real story, which is one of reconciliation and love between siblings. I loved each character and how well they were portrayed, but my absolutely favorite character was Zed. Having spent most of his life with Grannie Annie, he still speaks her wisdom and in many ways represents her. She is the main character who has died but is still present, in the restaurant and cabins and store that she started, in the quotes that the sisters keep being reminded of, and especially in the quotes that they sisters keep being reminded of. This is a heart-warming story of reconciliation and the conquest of bitterness.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Available at your favorite bookseller on April 9, 2018!

The newest thriller by Debra Webb will have you speechless and ready to go back and read the book again, to look for all of the clues that you missed the first time. Detective Olivia Newhouse and her partner, Detective Walter Duncan have settled into a routine and know each other pretty well, or at least they think they do. Both have secrets, terrible secrets that they don’t dare share until the time is right. And when will that be? Meanwhile, they are seeking the whereabouts of pedophile Joseph Fanning, a felon who is now out of prison and who has disappeared. Following all of the clues and questioning all of his previous victims, the two persistent detectives are determined to find out what happened to the evil man who once terrorized children. Is he now a victim himself? The action is non-stop and the revelation of the truth is mind-blowing! Debra Webb never disappoints, and although the theme of this book is a dark one, it will capture and hold you from the beginning to the very satisfying end.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Calla is a hard-working file clerk for whom everything seems to be going wrong. Her beloved father has died, her wicked stepmother has run up debt using Calla’s name, her car has just quit on her. Then she meets Ian, one of the executives at the Dixon Contracting firm where she clerks. Due to a mixup, she ends up sending him flowers, and the romance begins. Neither Calla nor Ian totally trusts themselves to love someone else, so their falling in love is slow and easy. My favorite scene was Thanksgiving dinner with Annabelle, Ian’s grandmother. I also loved that they went on missions trips for holidays instead of buying a lot of gifts or other traditions that are normally followed. It is in Haiti that Calla really finds herself and a part of her life that she knows she wants. Without giving away what happens, there is a lot of conflict between the two, and it looks a lot like they may not be able to overcome it. This was a really delightful, short novel!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Olivia is a psychologist who treats veterans with PTSD. One of her vets seems to be afraid for his life, and then just after talking to her ends up dead. When a special FBI team is called in, Olivia knows that this is a lot more than an ordinary mugging, but she doesn’’t have the necessary security clearance for them to tell her what’s going on. Later, when someone takes a shot at her, Rick and his team know that she is now a target and has to put her in a safe space so that they can continue to investigate. The heated feelings between Olivia and Rick simmer just below the surface throughout this fascinating book. The action is non-stop and the investigation itself has enough details to be very believable. Good, clean read!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”