Format: eBook, ARC

#BookReview Cover Up by L.A. Witt @GallagherWitt @SMPRomance

Published on by ZoeLeave a comment
#BookReview Cover Up by L.A. Witt @GallagherWitt @SMPRomance Title: Cover Up

Author: L.A. Witt

Series: Skin Deep Inc. #3

Published by: Swerve on Oct. 3, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 251

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7/10

After ten years of blissful marriage, Navy Pilot Nate Chandler is divorcing his cheating husband. Single for the first time in years, Nate is numb to all emotion and kisses any chance of another relationship goodbye.

Not only is Nate struggling to get through this divorce, but his body is branded with a permanent reminder of his failed marriage: a matching tattoo with his ex. Searching for a place to cover up his old tattoo, Nate finds himself at the Skin Deep, Inc., where he meets the young and charming cover-up tattoo apprentice, Lucas Brandt.

From just flirty glances to steamy hot encounters, Nate and Lucas dive headfirst into a fling of hookups. But worried that he’ll forever be Nate’s “cover up” rebound relationship, Lucas fears that their love won’t be anything more than just skin deep. What was once just a casual attraction, Lucas now hopes to turn into a real relationship. But will he be able to convince the still tender-hearted Nate to fall in love again?

Third installment of L.A. Witt’s Skin Deep romance series, COVER UP is a story of passion, pleasure, and happily ever after.

Review:

Salacious, flirty, and ardent!

Cover Up, the latest novel in the Skin Deep Inc. series is a passionate, steamy tale involving the betrayed, resentful Nate who is struggling to come to terms with the end of his marriage and Lucas the young, hardworking tattoo artist with little self-confidence but huge talent.

The writing is crisp and clear. The characters are handsome, diligent, and likable. And the plot, although a little repetitive, has lots of dirty talk, chemistry, lust, sex, emotion, and love. 

Cover Up is the third novel in the “Skin Deep Inc.” series and even though I was really looking forward to reading Nate’s tale, I have to admit I would have liked just a little bit more depth to the storyline. However, saying that, Witt is still one of my favourite authors of this genre and you can be sure that her next release will once again be on my TBR list.

If you haven’t already had a chance to read my review for Pounding Skin, Skin Deep Inc. #2, be sure to check it out here:

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

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

 

About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn't lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies.

She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don't tell Lauren. And definitely don't tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut...

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

#BookReview Hello Again by Brenda Novak @Brenda_Novak @StMartinsPress

Published on by ZoeLeave a comment
#BookReview Hello Again by Brenda Novak @Brenda_Novak @StMartinsPress Title: Hello Again

Author: Brenda Novak

Series: The Evelyn Talbot Chronicles #2

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Oct. 3, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

SHE CAN MAKE SENSE OF A COMPLEX CRIMINAL MIND.
Evelyn Talbot, a psychiatrist at a maximum-security prison in Alaska, studies some of the world’s worst serial killers. But she’s about to meet her most elusive patient at Hanover House yet: Dr. Lyman Bishop, AKA the Zombie Maker given his fondness for performing ice-pick lobotomies on his victims. A brilliant cancer researcher, Bishop is either the most cunning psychopath Evelyn has ever encountered–or he is wrongly convicted.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CRIMINAL CAN SEE INTO HER OWN?
When a new ice-pick fatality occurs, it seems Bishop really was wrongly convicted. Except…Evelyn has a personal connection to the victim and that suggests the killer may be someone from her own past: Jasper Moore, her high school boyfriend who tortured her and left her for dead when she was only sixteen. Jasper also murdered three of her friends–and was never caught. Is he trying to send a message with this copycat crime? The only thing Evelyn knows for sure is that if Jasper is on her trail, she might not be able to escape again . . .

Review:

Riveting, dark, and spine-chillingly eerie!

In this second book in the Evelyn Talbot Chronicles, we head back to Alaska and the isolated Hanover House where some of the most depraved serial killers are housed and studied, and danger seems to be lurking inside and out.

The writing is seamless and taut. The characterization is spot on with some of the usual gang back including the hardworking, determined Evelyn and the patient, sexy Amarok. And the skillfully-crafted, well-paced plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with twists, turns, violence, murder and a cliffhanger ending that will undoubtedly leave you eager for more.

Hello Again is a clever, gritty and incredibly captivating tale that not only has all the elements you look for in a romantic suspense novel but proves Novak is still one of the best in the genre.

If you haven’t already had a chance to read my review for the first novel in the series, Her Darkest Nightmare, be sure to check it out here:

 

 

This book is available now.

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

                                         

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Brenda Novak

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak's career as a bestselling author--she caught her day-care provider drugging her children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day. That was when Brenda decided she needed to quit her job as a loan officer and help make a living from home.

"When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book," Brenda says. But she sold that book, and the rest is history. Her novels have made the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists and won many awards, including five Rita nominations, the Book Buyer's Best, the Book Seller's Best and the National Reader's Choice Award.

Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are proud parents of five children--three girls and two boys. When she's not spending time with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising funds for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). So far, Brenda has raised $2.6 million. Please visit http://www.brendanovakforthecure.org to see how you can help.

Website | Facebook | Bookbub

#BookReview & #BlogTour The Watcher by Monika Jephcott Thomas @Authoright

Published on by Zoe2 Comments
#BookReview & #BlogTour The Watcher by Monika Jephcott Thomas @Authoright Title: The Watcher

Author: Monika Jephcott Thomas

Published by: Clink Street Publishing on Oct. 10, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 214

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Authoright

Book Rating: 8/10

It’s 1949 when Netta’s father Max is released from a Siberian POW camp and returns to his home in occupied Germany. But he is not the man the little girl is expecting – the brave, handsome doctor her mother Erika told her stories of. Erika too struggles to reconcile this withdrawn, volatile figure with the husband she knew and loved before, and, as she strives to break through the wall Max has built around himself, Netta is both frightened and jealous of this interloper in the previously cosy household she shared with her mother and doting grandparents. Now, if family life isn’t tough enough, it is about to get even tougher, when a murder sparks a police investigation, which begins to unearth dark secrets they all hoped had been forgotten.

Review:

Tragic, mysterious, and heartbreaking!

The Watcher is a moving tale that picks up where “Fifteen Words” left off, taking us back into the Portner household where the physical and psychological horrors of war still resonate, and the process of survival and healing remains a daily struggle.

The prose is somber and descriptive. The characters are wounded, secretive, and raw. And the plot is a poignant ride about life, loss, family dynamics, PTSD, suspicion, desperation, deception, jealousy, grief, and murder.

Overall, The Watcher is a well-written followup for Jephcott Thomas that does an exceptional job of highlighting the importance of trust, honesty, support, and intimacy in moving forward and rebuilding what’s been lost.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Monika Jephcott Thomas

Monika Jephcott Thomas grew up in Dortmund Mengede, north-west Germany. She moved to the UK in 1966, enjoying a thirty year career in education before retraining as a therapist. Along with her partner Jeff she established the Academy of Play & Child Psychotherapy in order to support the twenty per cent of children who have emotional, behavioural, social and mental health problems by using play and the creative Arts. A founder member of Play Therapy UK, Jephcott Thomas was elected President of Play Therapy International in 2002. In 2016 her first book Fifteen Words was published.

Website

 

 

#BookReview The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain @D_Chamberlain @StMartinsPress

Published on by ZoeLeave a comment
#BookReview The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain @D_Chamberlain @StMartinsPress Title: The Stolen Marriage

Author: Diane Chamberlain

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Oct. 3, 2017

Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

From perennial bestseller Diane Chamberlain, a compelling new novel

In 1944, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly ends her engagement to the love of her life when she marries a mysterious stranger and moves to Hickory, North Carolina, a small town struggling with racial tension and the hardships imposed by World War II. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows no interest in making love. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.

The people of Hickory love and respect Henry and see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain, especially after one of the town’s prominent citizens dies in a terrible accident and Tess is blamed. Tess suspects people are talking about her, plotting behind her back, and following her as she walks around town. What does everyone know about Henry that she does not? Feeling alone and adrift, Tess turns to the one person who seems to understand her, a local medium who gives her hope but seems to know more than he’s letting on.

When a sudden polio epidemic strikes the town, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess, who has a nursing degree, bucks Henry’s wishes and begins to work at the hospital, finding meaning in nursing the young victims. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle her husband’s mysterious behavior and save her own life?

Review:

Poignant, candid, and insightful!

The Stolen Marriage is predominantly set in North Carolina during WWII and is the story of Tess, a young woman who finds her life unexpectedly turned upside down after one night of irresponsibility and the choices and sacrifices she must then make to survive and ultimately find fulfillment, happiness, and unconditional love.

The writing is precise, captivating and fluid. The characters are multi-faceted, genuine, and endearing. And the plot is a sweeping saga filed with family, loss, secrets, determination, self-discovery, faith, discrimination, racial segregation, as well as an in-depth look at the devastating polio epidemic of the 1940s.

The Stolen Marriage is a wonderfully written novel by Chamberlain that grabs you from the very start and does an exceptional job of blending historical facts, suspense, and a little paranormal into an incredibly fascinating story.

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

Thank you to St. Martins Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Diane Chamberlain

Diane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 25 novels published in more than twenty languages. Some of her most popular books include Necessary Lies, The Silent Sister, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and The Keeper of the Light Trilogy. Diane likes to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of her books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, her stories usually feature a combination of drama, mystery, secrets and intrigue. Diane's background in psychology has given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create her realistic characters.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore. She also lived for many years in San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her bachelor's and master's degrees in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, Diane worked in hospitals in San Diego and Washington, D.C. before opening a private psychotherapy practice in Alexandria Virginia specializing in adolescents. All the while Diane was writing on the side. Her first book, Private Relations was published in 1989 and it earned the RITA award for Best Single Title Contemporary Novel.
Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her sheltie, Cole. She has three stepdaughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. She's currently at work on her next novel.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

#BookReview Bad Reputation by Nicole Edwards @NicoleEAuthor @readloveswept

Published on by ZoeLeave a comment
#BookReview Bad Reputation by Nicole Edwards @NicoleEAuthor @readloveswept Title: Bad Reputation

Author: Nicole Edwards

Series: Bad Boys of Sports #1

Published by: Loveswept on Oct. 3, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 273

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Loveswept, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

Meet the most wanted players in sports . . . one ridiculously hot alpha male at a time.

Chase: With a nickname like “Sin,” it’s no wonder they call me the bad boy of hockey. Opponents curse me. Fans scream my name—in the arena and in other, much more private places. Penalties or not, I’m not afraid to dish out a little pain. But pleasure? That’s my weakness. And no one knows it better than my best friend, Cassie Desrosiers. I’d have to be blind not to notice her rocking body and teasing grin. So when she invites me along on a trip to Vegas, my curiosity isn’t the only thing that’s aroused.

Cassie: Chase Barrett is a world-class A-hole. As his best friend, I’m allowed to call him on his BS. Who else is going to do it? Certainly not the puck bunnies swooning at every flex of his biceps. Everyone knows that Chase is the love-’em-and-leave-’em type. There’s no such thing as commitment for the king of casual hookups. So why should I care? Maybe because all work and no play makes me a sexually frustrated girl. It’s time to put the hockey stud at my beck and call to good use . . . but after a week in Vegas with Chase, I might never want to go back to the real world.

Review:

Witty, sexy, and delightfully romantic!

Bad Reputation is a passionate friends-to-more rom-com about the sinfully, delicious Chase, who finds it harder and harder to keep his attraction for his best friend a secret, and the focused and determined Cassie who realizes that sometimes things happen for a reason, and everything she’s ever wanted may be standing right in front of her.

The writing is crisp. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are fun-loving, charismatic, and lovable. And the plot is a perfect blend of emotion, drama, heat, sassy dialogue, hilarious hijinks, sporty action, unconditional friendship and true love. 

I would have to say that this is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year. I loved the story, I loved the chemistry, and I loved the characters. It had everything I look for in a light-hearted rom-com and more.

Bad Reputation is a fantastic start to the new Bad Boys of Sports series by Edwards, and now I will have to patiently wait for the next novel in the series, Bad Business, not due to be published until March 2018.

This book is available now.

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

             

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Random House – Loveswept, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Nicole Edwards

New York Times bestselling author Nicole Edwards launched her professional writing career in July of 2012. Having been an avid reader all of her life and a huge fan of creative writing, it seemed the likely path for her to take. Since then, she has released more than forty books and has no plans to stop. As her full-time career/hobby, Nicole writes steamy contemporary and erotic romances.

Nicole is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who was born and raised in Texas. Married with three kids and four dogs, she has plenty of interaction to keep her imagination brewing. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s Happy Ever After segment as well as Indie Reader’s best seller list. She has forged her way as an independent author.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Google+ | YouTube

#BookReview Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler @AuthorLizLawler @BonnierZaffre @twenty7books

Published on by Zoe1 Comment
#BookReview Don’t Wake Up by Liz Lawler @AuthorLizLawler @BonnierZaffre @twenty7books Title: Don't Wake Up

Author: Liz Lawler

Published by: Bonnier Zaffre on May 25, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Bonnier Zaffre, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Alex Taylor wakes up tied to an operating table.

The man who stands over her isn’t a doctor.

The offer he makes her is utterly unspeakable.

But when Alex re-awakens, she’s unharmed – and no one believes her horrifying story. Ostracised by her colleagues, her family and her partner, she begins to wonder if she really is losing her mind.

And then she meets the next victim.

Review:

Fast-paced, gritty, and disturbingly creepy!

Don’t Wake Up is a character-driven psychological thriller that highlights how fragile the mind truly is and how easily someone’s behaviour can be questioned, misinterpreted, manipulated, and used against them.

It is, ultimately, a story about jealousy, revenge, hatred, violence, and murder.

The characters are multilayered, vulnerable, and at times believably unreliable.  The writing is well done. And the plot unfolds rapidly and has a nice balance of suspense, tension, suspects, and surprises.

Overall Don’t Wake Up is a compelling, well-written debut for Lawler that once started will keep you intrigued and entertained until the very end.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Bonnier Zaffre – Twenty7 for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Liz Lawler

Liz Lawler had a 20-year career as a nurse before becoming a general manager of a five star hotel. She found it an easy transition as she used the same greeting to both patient and hotel guest 'Good morning. did you sleep well?' she loves books and all things bookish!

Goodreads

#BookReview Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown

Published on by Zoe1 Comment
#BookReview Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown Title: Winter Solstice

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Series: Winter #4

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Oct. 3, 2017

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 262

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Little Brown and Company, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

Raise one last glass with the Quinn Family at the Winter Street Inn.

It’s been too long since the entire Quinn family has been able to celebrate the holidays under the same roof, but that’s about to change. With Bart back safe and sound from Afghanistan, the Quinns are preparing for a holiday more joyous than any they’ve experienced in years. And Bart’s safe return isn’t the family’s only good news: Kevin is enjoying married life with Isabelle; Patrick is getting back on his feet after paying his debt to society; Ava thinks she’s finally found the love of her life; and Kelly is thrilled to see his family reunited at last. But it just wouldn’t be a Quinn family gathering if things went smoothly. A celebration of everything we love–and some of the things we endure–about the holidays, WINTER SOLSTICE is Elin Hilderbrand at her festive best.

Review:

Affecting, heartwarming, and romantic!

Winter Solstice is a sweet, unexpected surprise that gives us one last chance to check in with the Quinns and savour their special moments, new loves, old loves, and heartbreaking losses.

The prose is clean and crisp. The characters are lovable, engaging, and genuine. And the plot is a compelling tale about life, love, family, acceptance, loss, sorrow, friendship, growing up, growing old, and moving on.

Winter Solstice is ultimately an emotional ending to a charming series that will make you laugh, make you smile, and at times even make you cry. A true wintry delight!

 

This book is available now.

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

                                        

 

 

Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Elin Hilderbrand

Elin Hilderbrand is a mother of three, an avid runner, reader, and traveler, and the author of twenty-three novels. She grew up outside Philadelphia, and has lived on Nantucket for more than twenty years.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

#BookReview Rank & File by L.A. Witt @GallagherWitt @RiptideBooks

Published on by ZoeLeave a comment
#BookReview Rank & File by L.A. Witt @GallagherWitt @RiptideBooks Title: Rank & File

Author: L.A. Witt

Series: Anchor Point #4

Published by: Riptide Publishing on Sep. 25, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 272

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Riptide Publishing, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7/10

Senior Chief Will Curtis is as straitlaced as they come. While his fellow Sailors have partied their way through their enlistments, he’s had his eye on the prize—making master chief and retiring after thirty years of service.

Lieutenant Brent Jameson is a Navy brat turned Annapolis grad. He’s lived and breathed the military his whole life, and he knows he’s destined for great things—once he’s done paying his dues at the bottom of the ladder.

When their paths cross, both men know better than to give in to temptation, but that doesn’t stop them. It also doesn’t keep them from coming back for more, even though being discovered would sink their careers. Something has to give—Will can retire, Brent can resign, or they’ll both face court-martial.

But there’s also the option neither wants to acknowledge: jump ship and walk away from each other instead of ending their careers over a fledgling relationship. And they should probably decide before they fall in love.

Except—too late.

Review:

Explicit, smoldering, and racy!

In this fourth novel in the Anchor Point series, Rank & File, Witt gives us a story that focuses on the struggles and hardships of falling in love in the military, including fraternization, responsibility, pressure, reputation, and work schedules.

The writing is exceptionally steamy. The characters are brave, bold, and determined. And the plot even though it’s not extremely deep, angsty, or emotional is certainly titillating, sultry, and fervent.

Overall, even though Rank & File wasn’t my favourite novel in the series if you’re looking for a book with lots of dirty talk, sexual tension, and heat with a happy-ever-after ending this one won’t disappoint.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Riptide Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn't lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies.

She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don't tell Lauren. And definitely don't tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut...

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

#BookReview Cold Blood by Robert Bryndza @RobertBryndza @bookouture

Published on by ZoeLeave a comment
#BookReview Cold Blood by Robert Bryndza @RobertBryndza @bookouture Title: Cold Blood

Author: Robert Bryndza

Series: Detective Erika Foster #5

Published by: Bookouture on Sep. 20, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 356

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Bookouture, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

She fell in love with a killer, now she’s one too.

The suitcase was badly rusted, and took Erika several attempts, but it yielded and sagged open as she unzipped it. Nothing could prepare her for what she would find inside…

When a battered suitcase containing the dismembered body of a young man washes up on the shore of the river Thames, Detective Erika Foster is shocked. She’s worked on some terrifying cases but never seen anything like this before.

As Erika and her team set to work, she makes the link with another victim – the body of a young woman dumped in an identical suitcase two weeks ago.

Erika quickly realises she’s on the trail of a serial killer who’s already made their next move. Yet just as Erika starts to make headway with the investigation, she is the victim of a brutal attack.

But nothing will stop Erika. As the body count rises, the twin daughters of her colleague Commander Marsh are abducted, and the stakes are higher than ever before. Can Erika save the lives of two innocent children before it’s too late? She’s running out of time and about to make a disturbing discovery…there’s more than one killer.

Review:

Intricate, riveting, and creepy!

Cold Blood is an engrossing, chilling police procedural that highlights just how easily some people can be swayed and manipulated into doing the most horrific things and reminds us that desperate people will do almost anything, at any cost to protect themselves.

The writing is bold and crisp. The characters are resilient, impulsive, and troubled. And the plot, told from differing points-of-view, keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish as it whips you through well-timed twists, unforeseen surprises, deception, abuse, violence, corruption, and murder.

Overall, Cold Blood is a gripping, highly entertaining, harrowing thriller that proves once again Bryndza is a talented, natural storyteller with a vivid imagination.

Cold Blood is the fifth novel in the Erika Foster series and all I can say is if you’re not already reading this series, you should be!

This book is available now.

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

                                         

 

 

Thank you to Bookouture and Robert Bryndza for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Robert Bryndza

Robert Bryndza is an international bestselling author, best known for his page-turning crime and thriller novels, which have sold over four million copies in the English language.

His crime debut, The Girl in the Ice was released in February 2016, introducing Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster. Within five months it sold one million copies, reaching number one in the Amazon UK, USA and Australian charts. To date, The Girl in the Ice has sold over 1.5 million copies in the English language and has been sold into translation in 29 countries. It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller (2016), the Grand prix des lectrices de Elle in France (2018), and it won two reader voted awards, The Thrillzone Awards best debut thriller in The Netherlands (2018) and The Dead Good Papercut Award for best page turner at the Harrogate Crime Festival (2016).

Robert has released a further five novels in the Erika Foster series, The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath, Cold Blood and Deadly Secrets, all of which have been global bestsellers, and in 2017 Last Breath was a Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Mystery and Thriller.

Most recently, Robert created a new crime thriller series based around the central character Kate Marshall, a police officer turned private detective. The first book, Nine Elms, was an Amazon USA #1 bestseller and an Amazon UK top five bestseller, and the series has been sold into translation in 18 countries. The second book in the series is the global bestselling, Shadow Sands and the third book, Darkness Falls, has just been published.

Robert was born in Lowestoft, on the east coast of England. He studied at Aberystwyth University, and the Guildford School of Acting, and was an actor for several years, but didn’t find success until he took a play he’d written to the Edinburgh Festival. This led to the decision to change career and start writing. He self-published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels, before switching to writing crime. Robert lives with his husband in Slovakia, and is lucky enough to write full-time.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

#BookReview The Last Move by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer

Published on by ZoeLeave a comment
#BookReview The Last Move by Mary Burton @MaryBurtonBooks @JoanSchulhafer Title: The Last Move

Author: Mary Burton

Published by: Montlake Romance on Sep. 19, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 338

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Mary Burton, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

In this gripping stand-alone from bestselling author Mary Burton, an FBI agent must catch a copycat killer. The only difference this time: she’s the final victim.

Catching monsters helps FBI agent Kate Hayden keep her nightmares at bay. Now an urgent call brings her back to San Antonio, the scene of her violent past. A brutal new murder shows hallmarks of a serial killer nicknamed the Samaritan. Tricky part is, Kate already caught him.

Either Kate made a deadly error, or she’s got a copycat on her hands. Paired with homicide detective Theo Mazur, she quickly realizes this murder is more twisted than it first appeared. Then a second body is found, the mode of death identical to a different case that Kate thought she’d put behind her.

Now Kate and Detective Mazur aren’t just working a homicide; the investigative pair is facing a formidable enemy who knows Kate intimately. While Mazur is personally trying to protect Kate, the closer they are drawn to the killer, the clearer it becomes that in this terrifying game, there is only one rule: don’t believe everything you see…

Review:

Disturbing, engrossing, and adrenaline pumping!

The Last Move, the latest novel by Burton, is a well-paced thrill ride featuring the tenacious and tough FBI agent, Kate, and the intelligent, patient homicide detective, Theo, as they join forces to hunt a serial killer with a penchant for reenacting the most heinous of crimes.

The writing is taut and tight. The characterization is well done. And the plot is a captivating police procedural with twists, turns, red herrings, family drama, deception, vengeance, depravity, murder and a smidgen of romance.

I have yet to pick up a Mary Burton book that wasn’t an entertaining, eerie, romantic mystery with exceptionally intriguing characters and The Last Move is no exception. And even though this novel is being billed as a standalone I sure hope we get to see Hayden and Mazur on another case sometime down the road.

This book is available now.

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

             

 

 

Thank you to Mary Burton and Joan Schulhafer Publishing for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Mary Burton

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Website | Facebook