Harlen Coben’s latest novel did not mesmerize me as his previous books have, probably because there was so much backstory to the real story that I got lost somewhere at the beginning and did not really figure out what was going on until I was about halfway through the book.  Don’t get me wrong; it was a good book and worth reading, but be prepared to get through about 50-75 pages before you are drawn into the intricate plot.  There are a lot of characters to keep track of, too, so that doesn’t help the reading flow.  However, the author does eventually draw you into the story and you really want to finish it so you find out the conclusion.  There are the regular twists that Coben always includes in his books, and there is an intensity of feeling as you get to the satisfying conclusion.  I would give this book a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the next novel from this talented author.

Kinsey Milhone’s 25th adventure involves teens who made some really big mistakes in their youth and are paying for it now with blackmail and murders. Kinsey has to track down the blackmailer and the murderer and has some help from an injured lady in a wheelchair and a dog named Killer. There are lots of subplots, like the one with Ned Lowe who is still stalking Kinsey and is determined to kill her. It was a good read, but dragged in places. Looking forward to letter Z.  I give this book a solid 4 stars.

With much appreciation to Netgalley and publisher Howard Books for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

I have loved butterflies since I was a young bride, so when I saw this book on Netgalley, I just had to read it. Wow! I was blessed beyond measure by this book and all of the simple truths that it held. Roma Downey’s subtitle, “Discovering the Unexpected Blessings All Around Us” really describes the entire book. It is chapter after… chapter of descriptions of blessings and love that the Heavenly Father has given us and continues to give us daily. Ms. Downey presents a beautiful word picture of the Lord’s love for us, no matter what we may be going through. I loved all of the chapters of the book, but the ones on Love, Stillness and Gratitude particularly spoke to me.. Ms. Downey encourages the reader to look for God in the small things and we will see Him at work in our lives, every day and in every way. The illustrations are absolutely stunning, and the poems and quotations throughout the book add to its inspirational tone. I cannot say enough about how great this book is, and I encourage everyone to buy a copy, read it and cherish its truths in your heart.

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 sincerely appreciate Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Iris Johansen’s latest book MIND GAME features Jane MacGuire as the main character. Jane is off to Scotland to help MacDuff with his unceasing quest for Cira’s gold, but her attentions are diverted by a relationship with Seth Caleb, the talented and mysterious young man who can kill people by manipulating their blood flow. Lisa, Seth’s sister is in danger and has psychically contacted Jane for help. Jane approaches Seth and the adventure between the two of them heats up dramatically. Seth needs to save his sister and Jane from a nefarious plot by foster parents, and at the same time try to actually not kill someone in the process. Eve and Joe end up showing up in Scotland too, with a surprising announcement of their own. Fans of Iris Johansen’s Eve Duncan series will not be disappointed with this latest offering and all of the details revealed about the elusive Seth Caleb as well as the normally retiring and artistic Jane.  I would give this book 5 Stars out of 5 for the way the author draws the reader into the story of Jane, Seth and Lisa.

Penny Rushmore writes books and has a nice life with her dog Tigger and occasional visits from her beloved granddaughter Rosie. Then, the unthinkable happens. Rosie’s mother Crystal takes her away, and the rest of the book is dedicated to finding and rescuing Rosie. Penny is one very determined grandmother, and she has the help of a rogue police detective, who also happens to be very attractive. Her sister Stephanie is also an author and provokes Penny to greater feats of daring, while her women’ s club meets to encourage her to just keep working on her book and to start a relationship with Rick, the neighboring police detective who is so “hot.” When Penny finds out where Rosie is, wild horses will not stop her from doing everything possible to get her safely home again. The adventure is believable and entertaining, although there are a lot of characters who do not seem necessary and detract from the flow of the story. All in all, the book was enjoyable with a lot of humor, some suspense and fun characters. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like to laugh out loud and cheer for the recovery of the kidnapped child.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book for me to review!

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”

Dani Pettrey knocks it out of the park once again with her third novel in her Chesapeake Valor series.  The main characters in this romantic suspense novel are Declan Grey and Tanner Shaw.  Both are working hard to find the terrorist ring and their target before they can cause destruction in the U.S.  The romance in the book is definitely present, but it is overshadowed by the evil that they are desperately trying to thwart.  There is also a sub-plot, involving a former coach named Haywood who wants Griffin to find out who is skimming money from his clients and making it look like he is the one doing it.  This sub-plot involves the subterfuge of various characters as well as a murder and not a little mayhem.  And in this third book, Luke, an agent who has been missing for seven years, reappears and has his own mysterious part to play in catching the terrorists.  This was a great clean read and very pleasurable entertainment.  I am looking forward to book #4 that will focus on the story of Luke.

Tom and Karen Krupps are a happily married couple who live in a nice neighborhood and seem genuinely in love. But Karen has a secret and it leads to problems in their marriage and in her life. Without divulging her secret, I will say that she ends up being suspected of murder and Tom loses his job because of it. They have a nosy neighbor who wants Tom for her very own. So, what is her part in Karen’s arrest? Brigid is demanding and unstable psychologically, so who knows what she may or may not have done? Certainly not the reader until the end of the book. The author keeps the suspense and secrecy going for the entire book and does a really good job of exposing the secrets gradually, keeping the reader intensely interested in finishing the book.

I got this book digitally from the local library and it was well worth waiting for!

My favorite character in all of the books that James Patterson authors is Michael Bennett.  I think I love him because he is so real, with a huge family of lovable kids that he has adopted and a caregiver named Mary Catherine who is calm and focused.  In the latest book, Bennett goes on vacation to a huge house in Maine, and as a police officer who is supposedly off duty, he certainly attracts trouble.  He left to get away from drugs and violence in NYC and encounters the same in rural Linewiler, Maine.  There he finds an old friend, Sandy, who is a police officer there trying to maintain the peace and security there with lots of bad guys who make her life difficult, most notably the drug dealer who just kills the people who get in his way and doesn’t hesitate to threaten the local constabulary since he feels that he is beyond the reach of law enforcement.  Dell Streeter sets his sights on Michael Bennett, much to his chagrin since Bennett has been deputized by Sandy and is not into allowing drug dealers to ruin the small community.  I really loved the character of Sadie in this book.  She is a homeless orphan whose mother succumbed to the drugs from Dell Streeter and her help in bringing him to justice is intense and suspenseful.  Since all of the Michael Bennett books have a happy ending, I wasn’t too concerned during the tense scenes, but the happy ending in this one even has a surprise to it.  This was a seriously good and entertaining read; I would give it four stars just because multiple scenes are predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Revell Publishing who gave me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

In Irene Hannon’s latest romantic suspense, DANGEROUS ILLUSIONS, the reader has to be ready for a lot of surprises in the plot. Trish Bailey is an art teacher who recently lost her father and husband in a car accident. Now she is taking care of her mother who had a stroke and trying to help her mother maintain the family’s charitable foundation. Matthew Parker, the accountant who takes care of the foundation’s business has a romantic interest in Trish and is there to comfort her when her mother suddenly dies. The police are called in to investigate the death since it happened at home and there were suspicious circumstances. Now Trish has to wonder if she had something to do with her mom’s sudden death and she feels like she has no one to turn to. Police detective Colin Flynn, one of the investigators, is also interested in getting to know Trish better but has to maintain a professional distance while he investigates. This is where the plot gets very complicated, with the disappearance of a manicurist, the Russian mafia involved and what seems to be a dual personality in the bookkeeper. The tale is very well-told and keeps the reader interested in reading to find out exactly what is going on and who will survive in the end. An excellent Christian read with the author’s faith clearly shown in the reactions of the characters to life’s tragedies.

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”

Merry Knight is working very hard for a temp agency so she can earn enough money to go back to college when her mom and brother Patrick decide to sign her up for the dating site Mix and Mingle. She is having a little trouble with her curmudgeonly boss who wants to follow all of the rules exactly to the letter. Jayson Bright catches her working and eating lunch at her desk one day and quotes the rule book that says she is not allowed to do that. Merry continues to work cheerfully for him because it is not in her nature to hold a grudge, but she really doesn’t like him much. She does look forward to going home each evening and going online to communicate with her new friend Jay who is kind and thoughtful and seems to be made for her. Of course, everyone can guess where this is going. Jay is none other than Jayson Bright, and he is not so enthused about the girl that he has met online is none other than the office temp. Will it work out in the end? If you have read Macomber’s books before, you can guess the ending, but you have to read it to find out exactly how it works out. This is an excellent, fun and quick read for the holidays and I highly recommend it!

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”