I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
The story of professor Corbin Beck and Samantha Alcorn is a sweet, warm romance. Everyone knows from the beginning where the story is headed, but it was so entertaining getting to the end. Of course, there was plenty of conflict between the two of them and drama with toddler Mikey. The story was not totally realistic, but it was a heartfelt story about addiction and the repercussions to your life and that of others. I enjoyed meeting all of the characters, especially Samantha. She was smart, smarter than she gave herself credit for, and so determined to help Mikey fit into Corbin’s life. Corbin was likable, but a little too stubborn and opinionated for me. Samantha had a lot of friends, most notably Hannah, and the promise at the end is that Hannah’s story will be next in the series. I’m looking forward to that one because Hannah is wise beyond her years and has already learned the secret to happiness, i.e. forgiveness. The author devotes about half a chapter to telling about how to be forgiven, but it fits seamlessly into the story, so it’s not like she is proselytizing. I enjoyed the book, found it to be a fast read and really liked how all of the characters flowed together to make one happy town. Fans of clean Christian romance will love this book and become a fan of this series! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
A clean romance that is suitable for all who enjoy love stories with a little conflict and a lot of interactions between the main characters.About LEE TOBIN McCLAIN: USA TODAY bestselling author Lee Tobin McClain watched Dr. Zhivago way too young and developed a lifelong passion for angsty romance. When she’s not writing, she’s probably FaceTiming with her college-age daughter, mediating battles between her goofy goldendoodle and her rescue cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house. For more about Lee, visit her website at www.leetobinmcclain.com.
Debra Webb’s latest suspense thriller is a blockbuster for sure! The story of Detectives Kerri Devlin and Falco is spun quickly into a web of deceit and twists that makes it hard to guess whodunit. Perfect read for fans of mystery and suspense! The thriller part comes in with the fast pace and the crimes that are committed against some of the most powerful and wealthy families in Birmingham, Alabama. I read several books at a time, but I have to say that this one was hard to put down. Kerri has a sub-plot involving her ex-husband and her rebellious teen daughter, so that made her life seem very realistic. The beginning is explosive and twists and turns around to bring you right back to where you started. Masterful plot! There were a lot of bad guys and I wasn’t convinced at times that the detectives would be able to solve the crime sprees and find the killers without getting hurt themselves. The case becomes real and personal to Kerri quickly, and Falco joins her in the quest to find the missing women before they are harmed. I loved this book! Best one yet by Debra Webb, and she really knows how to spin a good story. This one was so complex and well-written that I felt like I was actually in Birmingham and helping Kerri solve the crimes. Fans of mystery, suspense and thrillers will want to read this one and then maybe read it again to find the clues that they missed the first time. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Rated PG-13 for contentAuthor Link: Debra WebbAvailable TODAY!
Dr. Faith Finley is a renowned psychologist and is married to Liam, a famous food critic. Everything is good in her life until it isn’t. On her trip home after a book signing, Faith crashes the car and Liam disappears. The assumption is that she did something to him. Then she starts getting threats herself, photos of a woman bound and gagged with excerpts from her recent book. Faith seeks the help of her former boyfriend Will to protect her and to find out what happened to Liam and what is happening to her. Although this book stretches the realm of imagination, the author is brilliant in her depiction of Faith’s fear and all of the undercurrents of tension going on all at once. I don’t think I have read a book that kept my attention as well as this one did. I soared through the pages, wanting to know where Liam was, why Faith was being threatened and who could be trusted. Although the beginning was slow, the pace picked up quickly and raced to a stunning conclusion. Fans of psychological thrillers and suspense will enjoy this book. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Because of mature topics and references to violence, I would rate this book a strong PGAuthor Bio: Seraphina Nova Glass is a professor and Playwright-in-Residence at the University of Texas-Arlington, where she teaches Film Studies and Playwriting. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and has optioned multiple screenplays to Hallmark and Lifetime. Someone’s Listening is her first novel.
WHEN I WAKE UP, IT’S BLACK AND STILL; I FEEL A light, icy snow that floats rather than falls, and I can’t open my eyes. I don’t know where I am, but it’s so quiet, the silence rings in my ears. My fingertips try to grip the ground, but I feel only a sheet of ice beneath me, splintered with bits of embedded gravel. The air is sharp, and I try to call for him, but I can’t speak. How long have I been here? I drift back out of consciousness. The next time I wake, I hear the crunching of ice under the boots of EMTs who rush around my body. I know where I am. I’m lying in the middle of County Road 6. There has been a crash. There’s a swirling red light, a strobe light in the vast blackness: they tell me not to move. “Where’s my husband?” I whimper. They tell me to try not to talk either. “Liam!” I try to yell for him, but it barely escapes my lips; they’re numb, near frozen, and it comes out in a hoarse whisper. How has this happened? I think of the party and how I hate driving at night, and how I was careful not to drink too much. I nursed a glass or two, stayed in control. Liam had a lot more. It wasn’t like him to get loaded, and I knew it was his way of getting back at me. He was irritated with me, with the position I’d put him in, even though he had never said it in so many words. I wanted to please him because this whole horrible situation was my fault, and I was sorry. When I wake up again I’m in a hospital room, connected to tubes and machines. The IV needle is stuck into a bruised, purple vein in the back of my hand that aches. In the dim light, I sip juice from a tiny plastic cup, and the soft beep of the EKG tries to lull me back to sleep, but I fight it. I want answers. I need to appear stabilized and alert. Another dose of painkiller is released into my IV; the momentary euphoria forces me to heave a sigh. I need to keep my eyes open. I can hear the cops arrive and talk to someone at a desk outside my door. They’ll tell me what happened. There’s a nurse who calls me “sweetie” and changes the subject when I ask about the accident. She gives the cops a sideways look when they come in to talk to me, and tells them they only have a few minutes and that I need to rest. Detective John Sterling greets me with a soft “Hello, ma’am.” I almost forget about my shattered femur and groan after I move too quickly. Another officer lingers by the door, a tall, stern-looking woman with her light hair pulled into a tight bun at the base of her skull. She tells me I’m lucky to be alive, and if it had dropped below freezing, I wouldn’t have lasted those couple hours before a passing car stopped and called 911. I ask where Liam is, but she just looks to Sterling. Something is terribly wrong. “Why won’t anyone tell me what happened to him?” I plead. I watch Detective Sterling as he picks his way through a response. “The nurse tells me that you believe he was in the car with you at the time of the accident,” he says. I can hear the condescension in his voice. He’s speaking to me like I’m a child. “They said ‘I believe’ he was? That’s not a— That’s a fact. We came from a party—a book signing party. Anyone, anyone can tell you that he was with me. Please. Is he hurt?” I look down at my body for the first time and see the jagged stitches holding together the bruised flesh of my right arm. They look exaggerated, like the kind you might draw on with makeup and glue for a Halloween costume. I close my eyes, holding back nausea. I try to walk through the series of events—trying to piece together what happened and when. Liam had been quiet in the car. I knew he’d believed me after the accusations started. I knew he trusted me, but maybe I’d underestimated the seeds of doubt that had been planted in his mind. I tried to lighten the mood when we got in the car by making some joke about the fourteen-dollar domestic beers; he’d given a weak chuckle and rested his head on the passenger window. The detective looks at me with something resembling sympathy but closer to pity. “Do you recall how much you had to drink last night?” he asks accusingly. “What? You think…? No. I drove because he… No! Where is he?” I ask, not recognizing my own voice. It’s haggard and raw. “Do you recall taking anything to help you relax? Anything that might impair your driving?” “No,” I snap, nearly in tears again. “So, you didn’t take any benzodiazepine maybe? Yesterday…at some point?” “No— I— Please.” I choke back tears. “I don’t…” He looks at me pointedly, then scribbles something on his stupid notepad. I didn’t know what to say. Liam must be dead, and they think I’m too fragile to take the news. Why would they ask me this? “Ma’am,” he says, standing. He softens his tone. This is it. He’s going to tell me something I’ll never recover from. “You were the only one in the car when medics got there,” he says, studying me for my response, waiting to detect a lie that he can use against me later. His patronizing look infuriates me. “What?” The blood thumps in my ears. They think I’m crazy; that soft tone isn’t a sympathetic one reserved for delivery of the news that a loved one has died—it’s the careful language chosen when speaking to someone unstable. They think I’m some addict or a drunk. Maybe they think the impact had made me lose the details, but he was there. I swear to God. His cry came too late and there was a crash. It was deafening, and I saw him reach for me, his face distorted in terror. He tried to shield me. He was there. He was next to me, screaming my name when we saw the truck headlights appear only feet in front of us—too late.
This was a slow-paced suspense book that had several twists in it that I did not see coming. Daisy is a primary school teacher, Simon is an interior designer and Millie is a happy little ballerina who enjoys her friends at primary school and her dance lessons. They seem like the perfectly blissful unit, but as the title suggests, there are lots of secrets. Simon’s love for a drink after work has turned into alcoholism, a secret that is hardly hidden but Daisy chooses not to address it. Millie, their beloved daughter, becomes a victim of their secrets and lies one night when there is a horrible accident. This is where lots of twists and turns begin in the book and this train raced to the surprising and stunning conclusion. The author did a masterful job of dealing with some really dark topics in the context of the plot, including post-natal depression, sexual violence and addiction. None of the characters were particularly likable, so I didn’t really relate to any of them, but I did sympathize with their plight. At times, I felt like just screaming at the pages of the book, “Talk to each other for heaven’s sake!” That makes lack of communication the theme that ran throughout the book and is the reason for the title. Fans of mystery and suspense will enjoy this book. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I purchased a copy of this book from The Book Depository. I also received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Because of the topics that are central to this novel, I would rate it a hard PG-13.
Author Bio: Adele Parks was born in Teesside, North-East England. Her first novel, Playing Away, was published in 2000 and since then she’s had seventeen international bestsellers, translated into twenty-six languages, including I Invited Her In. She’s been an Ambassador for The Reading Agency and a judge for the Costa. She’s lived in Italy, Botswana and London, and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey, with her husband, teenage son and cat.
Available on August 4th online and at your favorite bookseller.
Simon was six years old when he first tasted beer.
He was bathed and ready for bed wearing soft pyjamas, even though it was light outside; still early. Other kids were in the street, playing on their bikes, kicking a football. He could hear them through the open window, although he couldn’t see them because the blinds were closed. His daddy didn’t like the evening light glaring on the TV screen, his mummy didn’t like the neighbours looking in; keeping the room dark was something they agreed on.
His mummy didn’t like a lot of things: wasted food, messy bedrooms, Daddy driving too fast, his sister throwing a tantrum in public. Mummy liked ‘having standards’. He didn’t know what that meant, exactly. There was a standard-bearer at Cubs; he was a big boy and got to wave the flag at the front of the parade, but his mummy didn’t have a flag, so it was unclear. What was clear was that she didn’t like him to be in the street after six o’clock. She thought it was common. He wasn’t sure what common was either, something to do with having fun. She bathed him straight after tea and made him put on pyjamas, so that he couldn’t sneak outside.
He didn’t know what his daddy didn’t like, just what he did like. His daddy was always thirsty and liked a drink. When he was thirsty he was grumpy and when he had a drink, he laughed a lot. His daddy was an accountant and like to count in lots of different ways: “a swift one’, “a cold one’, and ‘one more for the road’. Sometimes Simon though his daddy was lying when he said he was an accountant; most likely, he was a pirate or a wizard. He said to people, “Pick your poison’, which sounded like something pirates might say, and he liked to drink, “the hair of a dog’ in the morning at the weekends, which was definitely a spell. Simon asked his mummy about it once and she told him to stop being silly and never to say those silly things outside the house.
He had been playing with his Etch A Sketch, which was only two months old and was a birthday present. Having seen it advertised on TV, Simon had begged for it, but it was disappointing. Just two silly knobs making lines that went up and down, side to side. Limited. Boring. He was bored. The furniture in the room was organised so all of it was pointing at the TV which was blaring but not interesting. The news. His parents liked watching the news, but he didn’t. His father was nursing a can of the grown ups’ pop that Simon was never allowed. The pop that smelt like nothing else, fruity and dark and tempting.
“Can I have a sip?” he asked.
“Don’t be silly, Simon,” his mother interjected. “You’re far too young. Beer is for daddies.” He thought she said ‘daddies’, but she might have said ‘baddies’.
His father put the can to his lips, glared at his mother, cold. A look that said, “Shut up woman, this is man’s business.” His mother had blushed, looked away as though she couldn’t stand to watch, but she held her tongue. Perhaps she thought the bitterness wouldn’t be to his taste, that one sip would put him off. He didn’t like the taste. But he enjoyed the collusion. He didn’t know that word then, but he instinctively understood the thrill. He and his daddy drinking grown ups’ pop! His father had looked satisfied when he swallowed back the first mouthful, then pushed for a second. He looked almost proud. Simon tasted the aluminium can, the snappy biting bitter bubbles and it lit a fuse.
After that, in the mornings, Simon would sometimes get up early, before Mummy or Daddy or his little sister, and he’d dash around the house before school, tidying up. He’d open the curtains, empty the ashtrays, clear away the discarded cans. Invariably his mother went to bed before his father. Perhaps she didn’t want to have to watch him drink himself into a stupor every night, perhaps she hoped denying him an audience might take away some of the fun for him, some of the need. She never saw just how bad the place looked by the time his father staggered upstairs to bed. Simon knew it was important that she didn’t see that particular brand of chaos.
Occasionally there would be a small amount of beer left in one of the cans. Simon would slurp it back. He found he liked the flat, forbidden, taste just as much as the fizzy hit of fresh beer. He’d throw open a window, so the cigarette smoke and the secrets could drift away. When his mother came downstairs, she would smile at him and thank him for tidying up.
“You’re a good boy, Simon,” she’d say with some relief. And no idea.
When there weren’t dregs to be slugged, he sometimes opened a new can. Threw half of it down his throat before eating his breakfast. His father never kept count.
Some people say their favourite smell is freshly baked bread, others say coffee or a campfire. From a very young age, few scents could pop Simon’s nerve endings like the scent of beer.
I did a little happy dance when I was chosen by the publisher and Netgalley to read and review this book. Susan Mallery’s books are always fun trips into the minds of her quirky characters, and this book was no exception. Unity and Ellen have been friends forever and both are single and not seeking anyone in their lives. Unity is a young widow and Ellen is about to be an empty nester when her only son Connor heads to college. Both need change in their lives and their discovery of their need for change is part of the fun of reading the book. Together, the two friends come up with a list, kind of like dares to each other, to complete. Things like sky dive and get a tattoo were more than a little daring for these two homebodies! I really enjoyed getting to know both women and their romantic interests that end up being so much more. Unity meets Thaddeus at the most unlikely place of the retirement village where she hangs out with a friend named Dagmar, who happens to be his aunt. Ellen has known “”Coach” for years, teaching with him and enjoying the camaraderie of having a good friend of the opposite sex. Thrown together on a bus trip to visit colleges, Ellen and Coach discover that maybe friendship isn’t enough for them. The sparks fly, the relationships develop, there is the usual and expected conflict and the happily ever after that Mallery’s readers crave. This book has everything that I needed to forget the reality of life and get caught up in the hilarious romp through the ladies’s attempts to be the first to complete the “friendship list.” I really enjoyed reading the book, but I must admit that the sexual scenes were described with too much detail to keep me comfortable during those parts, so I skimmed them and didn’t feel like I was missing anything other that graphic details that I didn’t want to read. Fans of light romance with many laughs will enjoy this book. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I based my rating on entertainment value and the fact that a lot of what was going to happen could be guessed, but it was a very funny book that made me reflect on what my friendship list would be. Rating: PG-13I was blessed to be chosen to be part of this blog tour. Happy Dance!Information about the author can be found on her website at Susan MalleryStep into this inviting cover on August 4th!
Available on August 4th, but you can pre-order today! Here are the buy links:
This is a domestic drama with some hints of psychological thriller and suspense, but the latter two elements never really got there for me. The domestic drama was well-written with a narrator who is self-centered and who tells the story from her own point of view, without noticing her own weaknesses. Marie, Camilla, Charlie and Nina go on vacation together and one of them dies there. That’s the beginning of the mystery, but it really isn’t one for long as Marie tells us quickly what she surmises had happened. Marie is extremely jealous of Nina and her life as a mom with a perfect family. That obsession is the foundation of the story. I really didn’t sympathize with any of the characters unless it was the children who had to put up with such nonsense from the adults. Nevertheless, the plot was cleverly written with just enough twists to keep me reading. Fans of domestic drama with a hint of mystery and thriller will enjoy this new book by Karen Hamilton. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
I would consider this book for mature audiences only because of its subject matter and content.
Author Bio:
Karen Hamilton spent her childhood in Angola, Zimbabwe, Belgium and Italy and worked as a flight attendant for many years. Karen is a recent graduate of the Faber Academy and, having now put down roots in Hampshire to raise her young family with her husband, she satisfies her wanderlust by exploring the world through her writing. She is also the author of the international bestseller The Perfect Girlfriend.
I loved this book! I really enjoy police procedurals and this one with Detective A.L. McKittredge and his partner Rena Morgan is one of the best that I have ever read. The story is a compelling one since five year old Emma is missing from her daycare. Her grandmother insists that she dropped her off with her teacher. Her teacher denies ever seeing her that day. Her mom is late to pick her up, so she is missing all day without anyone’s ever noticing. The clues are there, but there are also the red herrings that kept me guessing. The ending was unpredictable for me which added to my enjoyment of the book and led to the five-star rating. The bonus in the book was learning more about the private lives of the investigators, with details that flowed into the main story line. This is an outstanding police procedural with a fast-paced, relatable plot and characters that were well-developed. By the end of the story, I felt like I knew A.L. and Rena well and I was rooting for them to find the little asthmatic girl before it was too late. This is the second book in the series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. With themes of family drama, lies and lack of communication, I highly recommend this book to fans of gripping police procedurals. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
My rating is based onthe entertainment value that I found in the book, but it is not a clean read since there are multiple expletives used in the content.
EXCERPT:
One
With a week’s worth of mail in one hand, A.L. McKittridge unlocked his apartment door with the other. Then he dragged his carry-on suitcase inside, almost tripping over Felix, who had uncharacteristically left his spot by the window where the late afternoon sun poured in. He tossed the collection of envelopes and free weekly newspapers onto his kitchen table and bent down to scratch his cat. “You must have missed me,” he said. “Wasn’t Rena nice to you?” His partner had sent a text every day. Always a picture. Felix eating. Felix taking a dump. Felix giving himself a bath. No messages. Just visual confirmation that all was well while he was off in sunny California, taking a vacation for the first time in four years. I can take care of your damn cat, she’d insisted. And while he hadn’t wanted to bother her because she’d have plenty to do picking up the slack at work, she was the only one he felt he could ask. His ex-wife Jacqui would have said no. His just turned seventeen-year-old daughter, Traci, would have been willing but he hadn’t liked the idea of her coming round to an empty apartment on her own. Baywood, Wisconsin—population fifty thousand and change—was generally pretty safe but he didn’t believe in taking chances. Not with Traci’s safety. She’d been back in school for just a week. Her senior year. How the hell was that even possible? College was less than a year away. No wonder his knees ached. He was getting old. Or maybe it was flying coach for four hours. But the trip had been worth it. Tess had wanted to see the ocean. Wanted to face her nemesis, she’d claimed. And she’d been a champ. Had stood on the beach where less than a year earlier, she’d almost died after a shark had ripped off a sizable portion of her left arm. Had lifted her pretty face to the wind and stared out into the vast Pacific. She hadn’t surfed. Said she wasn’t ready for that yet. But he was pretty confident that she’d gotten the closure that she’d been looking for. She’d slept almost the entire flight home, her head resting on A.L.’s shoulder. On the hour-plus drive from Madison to Baywood, she’d been awake but quiet. When he’d dropped her off at her house, she hadn’t asked him in. He wasn’t offended. He’d have said no anyway. After a week together, they could probably both benefit from a little space. Their relationship was just months old and while the sex was great and the conversation even better, neither of them wanted to screw it up by jumping in too fast or too deep. Now he had groceries to buy and laundry to do. It was back to work tomorrow. He grabbed the handle of his suitcase and was halfway down the hall when his cell rang. He looked at the number. Rena. Probably wanted to make sure he was home and Felix-watch was over. “McKittridge,” he answered. “Where are you?” “Home.” “Oh, thank God.” He let go of his suitcase handle. Something was wrong. “What’s up?” he asked. “We’ve got a missing kid. Five-year-old female. Lakeside Learning Center.” Missing kid. Fuck. He glanced at his watch. Just after 6:00. That meant they had less than two hours of daylight left. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
The Lakeside Learning Center on Oak Avenue had a fancier name than building. It was a two-story building with brown clapboard siding on the first floor and tan vinyl siding on the second. There wasn’t a lake in sight. The backyard was fenced with something a bit nicer than chain link but not much. Inside the fence was standard playground equipment: several small plastic playhouses, a sandbox on legs and a swing set. The building was located at the end of the block in a mixed-use zone. Across from the front door and on the left were single-person homes. To the right, directly across Wacker Avenue, was a sandwich shop, and kitty-corner was a psychic who could only see the future on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A.L. took all this in as he beached his SUV in a no parking zone. Stepped over the yellow tape and made a quick stop to sign in with the cop who was at the door. everybody who entered and exited the crime scene. Once he was inside, his first impression was that the inside was much better than the outside. The interior had been gutted, erasing all signs that this had once been the downstairs of a 1960s two-story home. There was a large open space to his right. On the far wall hung a big-screen television and on the wall directly opposite the front door were rows of shelves, four high, stacked with books, games and small toys. It was painted in a cheery yellow and white and the floor was a light gray tile. There was plenty of natural light coming through the front windows. The hallway he was standing in ran the entire length of the building and ended in a back door. There was a small office area to his left. The door was open and there was a desk with a couple guest chairs. The space looked no bigger than ten feet by ten feet and was currently empty. He sent Rena a text. Here. A door at the far end of the hallway opened and Rena and a woman, middle-aged and white, dressed in khaki pants and a dark green button-down shirt, appeared. Rena waved at him and led the woman in his direction. “This is my partner, Detective McKittridge,” she said to the woman. She looked at A.L. “Alice Quest. Owner and director of Lakeside Learning Center.” A.L. extended a hand to the woman. She shook it without saying anything. “If you can excuse us,” Rena said to the woman. “I’d like to take a minute and bring Detective McKittridge up to speed.” Alice nodded and stepped into the office. She pulled the door shut but not all the way. Rena motioned for A.L. to follow her. She crossed the big room and stopped under the television. “What do we have?” he asked. “Emma Whitman is a five-year-old female who has attended Lakeside Learning Center for the last two years. Her grandmother, Elaine Broadstreet, drops her off on Mondays and Wednesdays between 7:15 and 7:30.” Today was Wednesday. “Did that happen today?” “I have this secondhand, via her son-in-law who spoke to her minutes before I got here. It did.” The hair on the back of A.L.’s neck stood up. When Traci had been little, she’d gone to day care. Not at Lakeside Learning Center. Her place had been bigger. “How many kids are here?” he asked. “Forty. No one younger than three. No one older than five. They have two rooms, twenty kids to a room. Threes and early fours in one room. Older fours and fives in the other. Two staff members in each room. So four teachers. And a cook who works a few hours midday. And then there’s Alice. She fills in when a staff member needs a break or if someone is ill.” Small operation. That didn’t mean bad. “Where are the other staff?” “Majority of the kids get picked up by 5:30. According to Alice, she covers the center by herself from 5:30 to 6:00 most days to save on payroll costs. Emma Whitman is generally one of the last ones to be picked up. Everybody else was gone tonight and she’d already locked the outside door around 5:45 when the father pulled up and pounded on the door. At first, she assumed that somebody else had already picked up Emma. But once Troy called his wife and the grandmother, the only other people allowed to pick her up, she called Kara Wiese, one of Emma’s teachers, who said that Emma hadn’t been there all day. That was the first time Alice had thought about the fact that the parents had not reported an absence. She’d been covering for an ill staff member in the classroom that Emma is not assigned to.” Perfect fucking storm.
Author Bio: Beverly Long’s writing career has spanned more than two decades and twenty novels, including TEN DAYS GONE, the first book of her A.L. McKittridge series. She writes romantic suspense with sexy heroes and smart heroines. She can often be found with her laptop in a coffee shop with a cafe au lait and anything made with dark chocolate by her side.
Dani Pettrey exhibits her signature style and gift of creating ordinary characters doing extraordinary things. In the second book of her Coast Guard series, the setting is an oil rig that seems to be cursed. Two members of the CGIS team are sent to investigate and end up endangering themselves in their dogged quest for the truth. The book was well-researched and I received a lot of knowledge about how the investigative team works as well as what the crew of an oil rig does. The vivid descriptions placed me mentally right into the scene, with the ocean rolling and the storms rushing in. I loved how the author created a suspenseful and intricate plot that kept me enthralled as I read. The most remarkable part of the book, in my opinion, was the effective and strong characterization. The relationship between Mason and Rissi is a stunning and emotionally charged trip into an exploration of young and tentative love. Each character had a special role in the book, with all of them contributing to a phenomenal picture of the service and private lives of those who are willing to risk their lives to save others. Noah, my favorite character and the leader of the team, displays a unique ability to perceive what the strengths are of each member of his team. Noah is also dealing with his own awakening of romantic feelings for a young woman, and I was genuinely pleased with his final acceptance that his feelings were real and should be pursued. The author’s sharp, perceptive look at members of the investigative team was riveting. The action was intense and intriguing, and I was compelled to continue to read long into the night by the absorbing story of the ill-fated oil rig. I found the entire book exceptionally well-written, with a stunning glimpse into the dangerous and sacrificial world of members of the U.S. Coast Guard. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
This is a completely clean Christian romantic suspense.
Available on June 30, 2020, but you can pre-order it today!
With the magical and flowery prose that is the signature of Center, this book explores relationships, love, loss, honesty, grief and self-discovery. Samantha Casey fled California from a love interest that didn’t reciprocate and ended up in Galveston, Texas. She is the librarian at a small private school there and is loving it. Max Kempner, the co-founder and principal of the Kempner School, encouraged curiosity, investigation and artistic freedom there, and Sam is in her element. When Max suddenly dies, everyone is grieving but determined to find a good principal to carry on his legacy. When Duncan Carpenter arrives, Sam remembers him from California and expects him to be fun and charismatic, much like Max. But Duncan seems to be the antithesis of Max, demanding changes in the entire atmosphere and physical appearance of the school, all in the name of safety and security. Although Sam knew Duncan in California, she was not at all ready for this new form of him who has lost his hope and love of life. The scene is thus set for conflict, lots of emotions and plenty of cheering for one side or the other. Should Duncan be fired or should he be allowed to continue his reign at Kempner? As a former teacher and a rules person, I was kind of on Duncan’s side, but I did think he went too far in some of his demands and was expecting an explosive reaction from the faculty who were all more used to laid-back Max. Duncan seemed determined to get rid of freedom of expression at the school, and Sam was equally determined to save it. I really liked both characters, because Center is a master at strong characterization, creating a siren’s call for me to an emotional connection with her characters. I think that this book had a slower start for me that her other books, but about a third of the way into the book, I was captured and the magnetic pull of the charm and intrigue in the book just wouldn’t let go until I had finished it. Fans of Center will really love this book and I encourage fans of romance with multiple themes interwoven to try it. I love to feel happy after I read a book, and that is always how I feel after a Center book. This one also made me think about what I really want in life and what I am willing to do to grab it. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
This book has some mature content so it is not suitable for all readers.
Available on July 14, 2020, but you can pre-order it now. Purchase links:
This is a predictable but a really fun-tastic read because it’s light, humorous at times and romantic. Meredith Price and her precocious six year old have moved to Blackberry Bay for a new start after the death of her beloved husband two years before. There she meets her new workaholic neighbor Cam Maguire and the sparks begin. Meredith isn’t sure that she is ready for a new relationship and Cam is certain that he doesn’t. Nevertheless, the antics of little Sophie keeps pulling the two together, along with the fact that his cat loves to tease her dog. Meredith goes from wanting to build a fence to being amenable to sharing his hammock. The journey from reluctance to love is a light-hearted one that is filled with romantic moments and just what you would expect from a lovely story like this one. Fans of romance will enjoy this new book in a new series. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions 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 Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
About Shannon Stacey:New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and off-roading with her friends and family. You can contact Shannon through her website, http://www.shannonstacey.com, as well as sign up for her newsletter.
Excerpt, MORE THAN NEIGHBORS by Shannon Stacey (Harlequin Special Edition)
“So you’re staying for the summer, you said? Where do you usually live?”
“New York City, actually.”
Her hazel eyes widened. “Wow. That’s quite a change in pace.”
“It is, but I was ready to get away for a while.” “What do you do in the city?”
“I work for my dad,” he said, which wasn’t technically a lie, but wasn’t entirely accurate, either. “A lot of accounting and paperwork and boring stuff like that.”
She was cute when she wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a fan of boring math-related paperwork.”
A yelp from across the yard caught her attention and she turned to see Elinor swipe at the white puff-ball. Sophie was frowning and picked the dog up, turning her body so the cat couldn’t see him any-more.
“Your cat appears to be bullying my dog.”
“She’s not my cat. And you’re embarrassing your dog by even making that claim right now.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “If you don’t think cats can bully dogs, you don’t spend a lot of time on the internet.”
“She just wants the dog to know who’s boss, I guess.”
“It’s his yard,” she pointed out.
“She’s a cat.”
“Point taken.” A genuine smile lit up her face and made her eyes crinkle. “They’ll get used to each other. And speaking of that, now that I know you’re going to be my neighbor for a while, I should prob-ably introduce myself properly. I’m Meredith Price, and that’s Sophie and Oscar.”
“Calvin Maguire,” he said, extending his hand. “But everybody calls me Cam.”
As she shook his hand, he noted how soft the skin was and had to resist rubbing his thumb over it.
She tilted her head as she smoothly pulled her hand away from his. “How do you get Cam from Calvin?”
“My initials. Calvin Anthony Maguire.” His mouth twisted in a wry smile. “The fourth.”
“Interesting.”
“It was a better alternative than being Little Cal for my entire life.” He didn’t really want to open him-self up to more questions about his family, since they were the last thing he wanted to talk about. “Since Oscar’s from California, let me guess. Oscar de la Renta?”
She laughed. “Oscar the Grouch.”
“You’re kidding.” He looked at the dog again, who looked like the kind they put on the packaging of fancy dog food. “I don’t really see the resemblance, but maybe it’s a personality thing.”
“He’s actually named after Sophie’s favorite book at the time, and trust me, we spent days explaining to her why we couldn’t make his hair green.”
“He doesn’t bark a lot, does he?”
“I wouldn’t say he barks a lot.” She glanced at the dog before giving him a sheepish look. “It’s more like a really high-pitched yip.”
“That’ll be fun while I’m reading over spread-sheets,” he said, picturing spending his summer being harassed by a stubborn cat and a high-strung dog. “Maybe I should have packed my noise- canceling headphones.”
She looked startled for a second and then her eyes narrowed. “I have a child and a dog, so I guess you’ll just have to figure out how to make it work.”
“Maybe a muzzle?” he asked, but he wasn’t re-ally serious. Yipping dogs weren’t his favorite, but he wasn’t a total jerk.
She stared at him for a long moment before giving him an arch look. “I don’t know if I can find one in your size, but I can try.”
Cam chuckled, appreciating her comeback, but she didn’t even crack a smile. Maybe she hadn’t been joking. And maybe she’d thought he wasn’t, either.
“If you’ll excuse me, we just arrived and I have a lot to do.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said as she walked, and she held up her hand in what looked more like a dis-missive gesture than a wave.
That was fine. If she wanted to play that game, she’d find out he didn’t really care that much. She and her yipping dog could stay in her yard and he’d stay in his.
He had better things to do, anyway. Like learning more about Carolina Archambault, and figuring out how to convince her cat he was the boss.
I highly recommend this fun and happy trip to Blackberry Bay! Available now!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 