Romantic Suspense

#BookReview Mind Games by Nora Roberts @smpromance @StMartinsPress #MindGamesNovel #NoraRoberts #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Mind Games by Nora Roberts @smpromance @StMartinsPress #MindGamesNovel #NoraRoberts #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Mind Games

Author: Nora Roberts

Published by: St. Martin's Press on May 21, 2024

Genres: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 422

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Identity presents a suspenseful new novel of tragedy and trauma, love and family, and the evil that awaits.

As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.

Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.

The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse—because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them—and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…

Review:

Intricate, thrilling, and intense!

Mind Games is a complex, creepy thriller that takes us into the lives of the Fox family, especially Thea, as they continue to struggle with the actions, scars, repercussions, and tragedy caused by a serial killer with continual evil thoughts and intentions that are disturbingly readable by some members of the family.

The writing is brisk and tight. The characters are troubled, special, and vulnerable. And the plot unfolds and unravels quickly into a compelling tale of twists, turns, secrets, obsession, jealousy, vengeance, family, friendship, childhood trauma, unique talents, romance, and a dab of the supernatural.

Overall, Mind Games is another engrossing, heartwarming, suspenseful tale by one of my favourite authors that once again showcases her exceptional ability to delve into not only the psychological and behavioural actions of the most depraved of society but also those of the victims who have suffered or been permanently damaged by them.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Come Sundown, The Obsession, The Liar, and coming in December 2017, Year One -- the first book in The Chronicles of The One. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Twisted Secrets by Katee Robert @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2023 #KateeRobert #TwistedSecrets #TheOMalleysSeries

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Twisted Secrets by Katee Robert @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2023 #KateeRobert #TwistedSecrets #TheOMalleysSeries Title: Twisted Secrets

Author: Katee Robert

Series: The O'Malleys #3

Published by: Forever on Sep. 19, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert continues her smoking-hot series about the O’Malleys-wealthy, powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets.

Greed. Ambition. Violence. Those are the “values” Olivia Rashidi learned from her Russian mob family-and the values she must leave behind for the sake of her daughter. When she meets Cillian O’Malley, she recognizes the red flag of his family name . . . yet she still can’t stop herself from seeing the smoldering, tortured man. To save her family, Olivia sets out to discover Cillian’s own secrets, but the real revelation is how fast-and how hard-she’s falling for him.

Plagued by a violent past, Cillian is more vulnerable than anyone realizes. Anyone except Olivia, whose beauty, compassion, and pride have him at “hello,” even if she’s more inclined to say good-bye to an O’Malley. While his proposal of sex with no strings seems simple, what he feels for her isn’t, especially after he learns that she belongs to a rival crime family. Cillian knows that there is no escape from the life, but Olivia may be worth trying-and dying-for . . .

Previously published as The Indecent Proposal.

Review:

Steamy, charged, and action-packed!

Twisted Secrets is a dramatic, spicy tale that features the independent Olivia Rashidi, who, after growing up as the illegitimate child of Russian mob boss Andrei Romanov, is determined to do whatever it takes to keep her daughter away from the family business, even if it means having to ask for help from the sexy, broody Cillian O’Malley who is not only part of a prominent crime family himself but more than capable of breaking her heart while protecting her life.

The writing is sultry and intense. The characters are troubled, hesitant, and driven. And the plot is a tight, tantalizing tale full of desire, temptation, chemistry, uncertainty, danger, deception, violence, sizzling romance, familial drama, secrets, and organized crime.

Overall, Twisted Secrets is a hot, edgy, suspenseful addition to the O’Malleys series by Robert that has all the elements I’ve come to know and love in her novels, including a fierce heroine, an attentive alpha male, and a fast-paced, seductive, can’t-get-enough-of storyline.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

     

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Katee Robert

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown @sandrabrown_NYT @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #SandraBrown #OutofNowhere #GrandCentralPub #HBGCanada

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown @sandrabrown_NYT @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #SandraBrown #OutofNowhere #GrandCentralPub #HBGCanada Title: Out of Nowhere

Author: Sandra Brown

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Aug. 1, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 417

Format: Hardcover

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 10/10

#1  New York Times  bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a fast-paced, emotional thriller where the lives of a young mother and a high-rolling consultant collide under devastating circumstances—culminating in a desperate manhunt that will change their futures forever.
 
At a Texas county fair, amidst carousels and a bustling midway, children’s book author Elle Portman is enjoying a rare night out with her favorite her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they’re about to head home, the unthinkable a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them.

Also caught in the melee was corporate consultant Calder Hudson. Arrogant, self-centered, and high off his latest career win, he’s frustrated and confused when he wakes up in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on his arm.  The doctor tells him that he was lucky—that as far as gunshot wounds go, he pulled through remarkably well.  Others weren’t so lucky, which instills in Calder a furious determination to get justice . . . a goal shared by Elle.

Their chance encounter at the police station leads to a surprising and inexplicable gravitation to one another, but even as the attraction grows, Elle and Calder can’t help but wonder if the unimaginable tragedy that brought them together is too painful and too complicated to sustain—especially while the shooter remains at large.

Review:

Adrenaline-pumping, riveting, and twisty!

Out of Nowhere is a well-executed, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Elle Portman, a hardworking, single mother who, after her worst nightmare comes true, finds herself consistently in the company of the handsome, successful Calder Hudson when it quickly becomes apparent they’re both still in the crosshairs of a relentless, highly motivated killer.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are vulnerable, resilient, and resourceful. And the plot is a cat-and-mouse game full of twists, turns, friendship, deception, desire, temptation, attraction, dangerous situations, red herrings, suspicious personalities, romance, violence, and murder.

Overall, Out of Nowhere is another action-packed, sinister, highly satisfying page-turner by Brown that had the perfect amount of suspense and romance to not only keep me invested, engaged, guessing, and entertained from start to finish but also more than happy to devour it in only one sitting.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-nine New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 Seeing Red. There are over eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. She lives in Texas.

 

Photograph courtesy of grandcentralpublishing.com.

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#BookReview Identity by Nora Roberts @smpromance @StMartinsPress #IdentityNovel #NoraRoberts #SMPRomance #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Identity by Nora Roberts @smpromance @StMartinsPress #IdentityNovel #NoraRoberts #SMPRomance #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Identity

Author: Nora Roberts

Published by: St. Martin's Press on May 23, 2023

Genres: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 437

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

A new thriller about one man’s ice-cold malice, and one woman’s fight to reclaim her life.

Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan’s job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who’d been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. “Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn’t his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan’s nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother’s home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn’t flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn’t forgotten the one who got away.

Review:

Tense, twisty, and suspenseful!

Identity is a well-executed, sinister tale that takes you into the life of Morgan Albright, a hardworking, driven young woman who, after her roommate is murdered, her life is in tatters, and her money is all gone, moves home to Vermont to start over once again only to discover that the cold, calculating con artist and serial killer with a penchant for young, slender blondes with androgynous names is still on her trail and determined more than ever to finally capture the only one that’s ever gotten away.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are vulnerable, secretive, cunning, and tenacious. And the plot is a cat-and-mouse game full of twists, turns, friendship, deception, desire, temptation, attraction, danger, romance, violence, and murder.

Overall, Identity is another adrenaline-pumping, unnerving, highly satisfying page-turner by Roberts that has the perfect amount of suspense and romance to keep you guessing, engaged, invested, and entertained from start to finish while also doing an eerily brilliant job of highlighting just how utterly devastating identity theft can truly be.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Come Sundown, The Obsession, The Liar, and coming in December 2017, Year One -- the first book in The Chronicles of The One. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview Dark Succession by Katee Robert @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2023 #KateeRobert #DarkSuccession #TheOMalleysSeries

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Dark Succession by Katee Robert @readforeverpub @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForever2023 #KateeRobert #DarkSuccession #TheOMalleysSeries Title: Dark Succession

Author: Katee Robert

Series: The O'Malleys #1

Published by: Forever on May 9, 2023

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Forever

Book Rating: 8/10

The New York Timesbestselling author of Radiant Sin delivers a smoking hot series about the O’Malley family—wealthy, powerful, dangerous and seething with scandal.

Teague O’Malley hates everything associated with his family’s name. And when his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a “business” alliance, Teague’s ready to cut ties once and for all. But then Teague actually meets Callista, sees the bruises on her neck and the trauma in her eyes and vows he will do everything in his power to avenge her.

Everyone knows the O’Malleys are dangerous. But Callie wasn’t prepared for his brand of lethal grace and coiled power. His slightest touch scorches through her. But the closer they get, the more trouble they’re in. Because Callie’s keeping a dark secret—and what Teague doesn’t know could get him killed.

Previously published as The Marriage Contract.

Review:

Menacing, sultry, and romantic!

Dark Succession is a provocative, edgy tale that takes you into the lives of two main characters, Callista Sheridan, a young woman with little to say in who she will marry when her father is determined to use his last living heir to form a strong alliance with one of the other more powerful Boston families, and the handsome, intelligent Teague who would be more than happy to have absolutely nothing to do with any of his families illegal and nefarious underworld activities.

The writing is crisp and taut. The characters are relentless, committed, and powerful. And the story starts with a bang and never lets up as it takes you on a suspenseful thrill ride full of twists, turns, deception, familial drama, tender moments, red-hot chemistry, violence, and mafia rivalry.

Overall, Dark Succession is a dark, action-packed, passionate tale by Robert that kept me on my toes, packed a good punch of spice, and ultimately left me intrigued for a little more O’Malleys.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

     

 

 

Thank you to Forever & Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Katee Robert

Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over a million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones @Darynda @smpromance @StMartinsPress #AHardDayForAHangover #DaryndaJones #SunshineVicram #StMartinsPress #smpinfluencer

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones @Darynda @smpromance @StMartinsPress #AHardDayForAHangover #DaryndaJones #SunshineVicram #StMartinsPress #smpinfluencer Title: A Hard Day for a Hangover

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: Sunshine Vicram #3

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Dec. 6, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.

Like we said, the new day can take a hike.

Review:

Lighthearted, quirky, and highly entertaining!

A Hard Day for a Hangover is a playful, engaging, suspenseful tale that takes us back to Del Sol, New Mexico, one last time and into the life of Sunshine Vicram, police chief extraordinaire, as she once again has her hands full with robberies, assaults, murders, an escaped convict, a town flasher, a pregnant racoon, a daughter indulging in first love, and a childhood sweetheart she may finally get to settle down with.

The writing is witty and sweet. The characters are sharp, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is an enticing mix of friendship, family, danger, drama, tension, attraction, community, intrigue, violence, spirited mishaps, romance, and a little heat.

Overall, A Hard Day for a Hangover is the third and final story in the Sunshine Vicram series, and even though it’s more than a little bittersweet to say goodbye to this amazing gang of characters I’ve come to know and love over these past three novels, it is nevertheless a superb ending to a fabulous series that I highly recommend and will undoubtedly miss.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following links.

               

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Darynda Jones

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin's Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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#BookReview Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney @ThomasAllenLTD @AmazonPub #OntheEdge #BuriedDeception #AmandaMcKinney #Montlake

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney @ThomasAllenLTD @AmazonPub #OntheEdge #BuriedDeception #AmandaMcKinney #Montlake Title: Buried Deception

Author: Amanda McKinney

Series: On the Edge #1

Published by: Montlake Romance on Sep. 20, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 348

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8.5/10

In the pulse-racing first installment of the On the Edge series, a criminal psychologist teams up with a former marine on a deadly wildland mission. Not even their hearts can stay out of harm’s way.

In the swamps of East Texas, alligators aren’t the only danger lurking in the shadows.

After a young woman is brutally attacked on a popular hiking trail, the evidence points to the notorious Black Cat Stalker. The town of Skull Hollow enlists Dr. Mia Frost to provide a psychological profile and assist in the investigation.

When another person goes missing, Mia partners with Easton Crew, former marine and current CEO of a tactical tracking company. Both Mia and Easton are stubborn, strong-willed, and independent, but neither can deny the smoldering attraction between them.

As professional lines blur, Easton starts to question Mia’s motives and worries she’s getting too close to the investigation. The mystery begins to unravel, but so does Mia’s mental health as the clues dredge up her own haunted past.

It soon becomes evident that things aren’t as they seem … and people aren’t always who they say they are.

Review:

Sinister, intricate, and intense!

In this compelling first instalment in the On the Edge series, Buried Deception, McKinney has written a tortuous whodunit that sees Dr. Mia Frost reluctantly relying on former marine Easton Crew when the past and present collide, everyone seems to be hiding something, suspects are in abundance, and danger lurks around every corner.

The writing is menacing and tight. The characters are consumed, persistent, and dependable. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat as it submerges you, page after page, into a world of murder, abduction, arrogance, rape, violence, terror, deception, palpable chemistry, and a side of steamy romance.

Overall, Buried Deception is an addictive, engrossing, thrilling start to what may just become a must-read series for me with its flawed characters, great pace, and consistent sense of urgency.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Amanda McKinney

Amanda McKinney is the bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than fifteen romantic suspense and mystery novels. Her latest book, Rattlesnake Road, was named one of POPSUGAR's 12 Best Romance Books to Have a Spring Fling With, and was featured on the Today Show. The fifth book in her Steele Shadows series, Jagger (Steele Shadows Investigations), was recently nominated for the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Amanda wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY in 2017, after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Her books include the bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series, BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES, and many more to come.

Set in small, Southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries peppered with steamy romance. She lives in Arkansas with her handsome husband, two beautiful boys, and three obnoxious dogs.

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#BookReview The Revenge by Tijan @TijansBooks @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheRevenge #Tijan #TheInsidersTrilogy #smpromance #smpinfluencers

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Romantic Suspense, Young Adult
#BookReview The Revenge by Tijan @TijansBooks @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheRevenge #Tijan #TheInsidersTrilogy #smpromance #smpinfluencers Title: The Revenge

Author: Tijan

Series: The Insiders #3

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Sep. 13, 2022

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Young Adult

Pages: 400

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

The Revenge is the taut, edgy, sexy, explosive conclusion to The Insiders trilogy by New York Times and USA Today bestseller Tijan!

Bailey and Kash were used to living in the shadows. Now they are thrust into the public eye. Together, they can do anything, but undeniable danger and seemingly insurmountable challenges threaten the love and passion that binds them.

1. Bailey is reeling from the greatest loss she has ever suffered.

2. Enemies are closing in.

3. Even bigger secrets and twists are coming to light.

Win or lose, for Bailey and Kash, everything is on the line.

Review:

Charged, crafty, and alluring!

The Revenge is a captivating, action-packed tale that picks up right where The Damaged left off, with Bailey continuing to struggle with her grief over the sudden, tragic loss of her mother and Kash continuing his relentless pursuit of the one man consumed with taking him down, his cold, calculated maternal grandfather.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are suffering, committed, and determined. And the plot is an enticing mix of friendship, family, danger, drama, heartbreak, revenge, support, desire, and love.

Overall, The Revenge is the third and final story in The Insiders Trilogy, and even though it’s a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the characters I’ve come to know and love over these past three novels, it is nevertheless a satisfying ending to an entertaining series that I highly recommend and will undoubtedly miss.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links. 

          

 

 

Thank you to SMP Romance – St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Tijan

Tijan is a New York Times bestselling author who writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She's written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the Fallen Crest Series, and Ryan's Bed among others. She is currently writing to her heart's content in north Minnesota with an English Cocker Spaniel she adores.

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#BookReview Overkill by Sandra Brown @sandrabrown_NYT @GrandCentralPub #SandraBrown #Overkill #GrandCentralPub #GCPInsider

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Overkill by Sandra Brown @sandrabrown_NYT @GrandCentralPub #SandraBrown #Overkill #GrandCentralPub #GCPInsider Title: Overkill

Author: Sandra Brown

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Aug. 16, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller in which a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.
 
Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca’s parents have the final say.
 
Four years later, Rebecca’s attacker, Eban—the scion of a wealthy family in Atlanta—gets an early release from prison. The ludicrous miscarriage of justice reeks of favoritism, and Kate Lennon, a brilliant state prosecutor, is determined to put him back behind bars. Rebecca’s parents have kept her alive all these years, but if her condition were to change—if she were to die—Eban could be retried on a new charge: murder.
 
It isn’t lost on Zach that in order for Eban to be charged with Rebecca’s murder, Zach must actually be the one to kill her. He rejects Kate’s legal standpoint but can’t resist their ill-timed attraction to each other. Eban, having realized the jeopardy he’s in, plots to make certain that neither Zach nor Kate lives to see the death of Rebecca—and the end of his freedom.

Review:

Tight, ominous, and action-packed!

Overkill is a suspenseful, twisty tale that features the handsome, troubled former NFL quarterback, Jack Bridger who, after learning that the narcissistic predator who left his ex-wife in a vegetative state after a night of dangerous sex play has been released from prison after only four years due to good behaviour, joins together with the feisty state prosecutor Kate Lennon to do whatever it takes, even finally take Rebecca off life support, to put her attacker behind bars for good.

The writing is brisk and intense. The characters are persistent, driven, and multilayered. And the plot is an eerie, riveting tale full of twists, turns, violence, desire, attraction, deception, danger, romance, and murder.

Overall, Overkill is a menacing, alluring, edgy tale by Brown that has all the elements I’ve come to know and love in her romantic suspense novels, including a fierce heroine, a sexy hero, and a fast-paced, highly entertaining storyline that I can happily say I devoured in one sitting.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-nine New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 Seeing Red. There are over eighty million copies of her books in print worldwide, and her work has been translated into thirty-four languages. She lives in Texas.

 

Photograph courtesy of grandcentralpublishing.com.

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#BookReview Her Darkest Secret by Jessica R. Patch @jessicarpatch @HarlequinBooks #HerDarkestSecret #JessicaRPatch #LoveInspired #HarlequinBooks

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense
#BookReview Her Darkest Secret by Jessica R. Patch @jessicarpatch @HarlequinBooks #HerDarkestSecret #JessicaRPatch #LoveInspired #HarlequinBooks Title: Her Darkest Secret

Author: Jessica R. Patch

Published by: Love Inspired on Jun. 28, 2022

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Harlequin Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

When a cold-case serial killer returns, FBI special agent Fiona Kelly has one last chance to stop him before he claims the prize he’s always wanted—her.

The sight of a goose feather at a murder scene modeled after a children’s poem is enough to make FBI special agent Fiona Kelly’s blood turn to ice. Almost two decades ago, a feather was left with her sister’s body—and with every subsequent victim of the Nursery Rhyme Killer. Now he’s back. Only this time, his latest gruesome murder is a message to the only one who ever got away: Fiona.

Finding “Rhyme” is an obsession that’s fueled Fiona’s career—and destroyed her marriage to fellow FBI agent Asa Kodiak. Now Fiona and Asa have to put their past tensions aside and work together one last time. But Rhyme is watching, and catching this killer may force Fiona to reveal her biggest, darkest secret…the one only he knows.

Review:

Relentless, intricate, and addictive!

Her Darkest Secret is a sinister, action-packed thrill ride featuring the tenacious FBI special agent Fiona Kelly and the volatile FBI agent Asa Kodiak as they join forces to hunt the cold, calculating serial killer with a penchant for reenacting nursery rhymes that Fiona once, almost two decades ago, was the victim of herself.

The writing is taut and intense. The characters are meticulous, tormented, and persistent. And the plot is a suspenseful, engrossing whodunit full of twists, turns, lies, deception, revelations, familial drama, obsession, depravity, spirituality, violence, and murder.

Overall, Her Darkest Secret is an eerie, tortuous, fast-paced tale by Patch that was so much better than I ever expected, and one that did an exceptional job of highlighting that evil can live easily amongst us, often simply hidden behind masks of normality.

 

This book is available June 28, 2022.

Preorder a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to Harlequin Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jessica R. Patch

Publishers Weekly Bestselling author Jessica R. Patch is known for her dry wit and signature twists. When she's not hunched over her laptop, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by her favorite authors, watching movies with her family, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she'll probably never cook.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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