Format: eBook

#BookReview Liar by K.L. Slater @KimLSlater @bookouture

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#BookReview Liar by K.L. Slater @KimLSlater @bookouture Title: Liar

Author: K.L. Slater

Published by: Bookouture on Jun. 16, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 326

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Bookouture, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8/10

How far would you go to protect your family?

Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children alone, with the help of his devoted mother Judi. Life isn’t easy, but Judi’s family means everything to her and together, they manage.

Then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben but Judi isn’t sure … there’s just something about Amber that doesn’t add up.

Ben can’t see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn’t want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children.

The further Judi delves into Amber’s personal life, the closer she gets to shocking secrets that could change everything. And Judi must make a decision that could lead to the most disastrous consequences.

Review:

Menacing, intense and eerie!

This story focuses on the unique relationship between mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws and highlights the friction, discontent, competition, and rivalry that can exist between the two.

It is, ultimately, a story about control, power, manipulation, deception, obsession, and revenge.

The writing is fluid and smooth. The characters are desperate, devious, damaged, and consumed. And the plot, although a little predictable, does a good job of creating tension, suspense and strife as it methodically unravels revealing all the personalities, complex relationships and dark motivations within it.

Overall, this is a compelling, entertaining psychological thriller by Slater with an opening that will make you think twice, a few twists, and a narration style that will have you rooted to your seat from the very first page.

If you haven’t had a chance to read my review for Slater’s previous novel, Safe With Me, 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 and Bookouture for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About K.L. Slater

After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, I went back to university at the age of 40 where I gained a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.

Although I also worked full-time during the five years I studied at university, the courses gave me the time and space to try different writing and increased my confidence and belief in my writing. Before I graduated from my MA, I had secured representation with my agent, Clare Wallace, at the Darley Anderson Literacy, TV and Film Agency and had my first book deal.

My first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’, actually started life as my dissertation on my English & Creative Writing degree in 2010.
I first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. My award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for my MA in Creative Writing in 2012.
I live in Nottingham with my husband, Mac. Between us we have three grown-up kids; Francesca, Nathan and Jake.

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#BookReview The Map that Leads to You by J.P. Monninger @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The Map that Leads to You by J.P. Monninger @StMartinsPress Title: The Map That Leads to You

Author: J.P. Monninger

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jun. 13, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 390

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 7.5/10

A romantic, vivid novel that takes place in the tender time of a young woman’s life: Heather has graduated from college and is traveling around Europe with her two best friends. She’s left school responsibility behind and adult responsibility is looming, but this is her one, ONE last summer to be free. Heather doesn’t expect to even meet Jack, let alone fall in love with him. Jack is an enigmatic Vermonter a few years older than she is, who is following his grandfather’s journal to various cities around Europe. But in the same way that forces are bringing Jack and Heather together, life and duty are pushing them apart. And Jack has a secret that is going to change absolutely everything.

Review:

Poignant, compelling and endearingly romantic!

This is a coming-of-age story about friendship, responsibility, independence, and first love all wrapped up in a beautiful travel guide to some of the most breathtaking historical landmarks, monuments, and cities in Europe.

The characters are young, enthusiastic, and adventurous. The prose is clear and precise. And although the plot in the first half of the novel is a little slow, the second half is definitely much more intense, angsty, emotional, and drama-filled with an ending that will definitely have you shedding a few tears.

Overall, I think this novel will be a big success and really appeal to teens and young adults and even though I think I’m a little older than the target demographic I found it intriguing, unique and wonderfully descriptive.

 

This novel 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 in exchange for an honest review.

 

#BookReview The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown

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#BookReview The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand @elinhilderbrand @littlebrown Title: The Identicals

Author: Elin Hilderbrand

Published by: Little Brown and Company on Jun. 13, 2017

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Little Brown and Company, NetGalley

Book Rating: 10/10

From New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, a summertime story about identical twins who couldn’t be any less alike.

Nantucket is only two and a half hours away from Martha’s Vineyard by ferry. But the two islands might as well be worlds apart for a set of identical twin sisters who have been at odds for years. Just because twins look exactly the same doesn’t mean they’re anything alike–and Tabitha and Harper Frost have spent their whole lives trying to prove this point. When a family crisis forces them to band together–or at least appear to–the twins come to realize that the special bond that they share is more important than the resentments that have driven them apart. A story of new loves, old battles, and a threat that gives a whole new meaning to the term sibling rivalry, THE IDENTICALS is Elin Hilderbrand at her page-turning best.

Review:

Absorbing, enchanting, and absolutely irresistible!

This story is set on the picturesque islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard and gives us a glimpse into small-island living, complete with alluring beaches, endless sun, infinite gossip, and competitive rivalry. It is told from three different perspectives; Harper, a free spirit who is fun and kind but often impulsive and reckless; Tabitha, Harper’s mature, responsible, workaholic identical twin who struggles with underlying grief; and Ainsley, Tabitha’s teenage daughter who is popular, spoilt and in desperate need of some additional parenting.

The writing is flawless. The plot is a perfect blend of heart, hope, angst, and drama. And the characterization is well-developed with a wonderful cast of characters, including three generations of strong, determined women who learn to embrace the future and let go of the past. 

This is, ultimately, a story about family dynamics, sister relationships, heartbreak, secrets, expectations, loss, grief, forgiveness, dreams, love, discovering one’s true self and the undeniable special bonds between twins. It is the perfect summer read. It sweeps you away to another place, gives you some tears, gives you some smiles and I absolutely adored it.

This novel 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.

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#BookReview Find Her by Lisa Gardner @LisaGarnderBks @DuttonBooks

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#BookReview Find Her by Lisa Gardner @LisaGarnderBks @DuttonBooks Title: Find Her

Author: Lisa Gardner

Series: Detective D.D. Warren #8

Published by: Dutton Books on Oct. 18, 2016

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 464

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Penguin Random House, NetGalley

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Flora Dane is a victim.

Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure.

Flora Dane is a survivor.

Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has spent the past five years reacquainting herself with the rhythms of normal life, working with her FBI victim advocate, Samuel Keynes. She has a mother who’s never stopped loving her, a brother who is scared of the person she’s become, and a bedroom wall covered with photos of other girls who’ve never made it home.

Flora Dane is reckless.

. . . or is she? When Boston detective D. D. Warren is called to the scene of a crime—a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him—she learns that Flora has tangled with three other suspects since her return to society. Is Flora a victim or a vigilante? And with her firsthand knowledge of criminal behavior, could she hold the key to rescuing a missing college student whose abduction has rocked Boston? When Flora herself disappears, D.D. realizes a far more sinister predator is out there. One who’s determined that this time, Flora Dane will never escape. And now it is all up to D. D. Warren to find her.

Review:

Thrilling, dark, and downright spine-chilling!

This is a gritty, police procedural that takes us on a hunt for a sadist and highlights the enduring psychological effects experienced by those who manage to survive.

The writing is fluid. The characterization is well done with the usual gang back including the stubborn, resilient, determined D. D. Warren whose greatest struggle is accepting and adhering to restricted duty when the clock is ticking and two women are missing. And the plot is an adrenaline-rushing mixture of disturbing violence, gruesome murder as well as some nice twists and turns that definitely keep you guessing.

Once again, Gardner has written a gripping, highly entertaining novel that showcases her exceptional ability to not only delve into the psychological and behavioural actions of the most depraved of society but also those of the victims who suffer by their hands.

 

This book is available now in Trade Paperback

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

                                           

 

 

Thank you to Dutton Books (Penguin Random House) for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lisa Gardner

New York Times bestselling crime novelist Lisa Gardner began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of eleven bestselling suspense novels.

Lisa lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family, as well as two highly spoiled dogs and one extremely neurotic three-legged cat. Lisa graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in international relations.

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#BookReview The Idea of You by Robinne Lee @robinnelee @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The Idea of You by Robinne Lee @robinnelee @StMartinsPress Title: The Idea of You

Author: Robinne Lee

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Jun. 13, 2017

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 372

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

When Solène Marchand, the thirty-nine-year-old owner of a prestigious art gallery in Los Angeles, takes her daughter, Isabelle, to meet her favorite boy band, she does so reluctantly and at her ex-husband’s request. The last thing she expects is to make a connection with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon. But Hayes Campbell is clever, winning, confident, and posh, and the attraction is immediate. That he is all of twenty years old further complicates things.

What begins as a series of clandestine trysts quickly evolves into a passionate relationship. It is a journey that spans continents as Solène and Hayes navigate each other’s disparate worlds: from stadium tours to international art fairs to secluded hideaways. And for Solène, it is as much a reclaiming of self, as it is a rediscovery of happiness and love. When their romance becomes a viral sensation, and both she and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and an insatiable media, Solène must face how her new status has impacted not only her life, but the lives of those closest to her.

Review:

Sophisticated, alluring, and extremely passionate! 

This is a thought-provoking, intriguing novel that reminds us that women can be confident, powerful, intelligent, attractive, sexual beings at any age and that being famous often has many drawbacks.

The prose is genuine and raw. The characters are authentic, honest, multi-layered, and appealing. And the plot sweeps you away into an engaging saga about motherhood, independence, responsibility, age disparity, stardom, art, seduction, desire, lust, love and unquenchable chemistry.

This a wonderful debut for Lee. It’s an exquisite love story with palpable emotion, strong narration and an ending, which I logically understand but still wish was different, that will resonate with you long after you finish the final page. 

This novel is due to be published on June 13, 2017.

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

                                           

 

 

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

 

About Robinne Lee

ROBINNE LEE is an actor, writer and producer. A graduate of Yale University and Columbia Law School, Robinne was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. Robinne has numerous acting credits in both television and film, most notably opposite Will Smith in both Hitch and Seven Pounds. She recently completed shooting Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, playing Ros Bailey. Robinne currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two children. The Idea of You is her first novel.

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#BookReview Practicing Normal by Cara Sue Achterberg @CaraAchterberg

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#BookReview Practicing Normal by Cara Sue Achterberg @CaraAchterberg Title: Practicing Normal

Author: Cara Sue Achterberg

Published by: Story Plant on Jun. 6, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 336

Format: eBook

Source: Cara Sue Achterberg

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The houses in Pine Estates are beautiful McMansions filled with high-achieving parents, children on the fast track to top colleges, all of the comforts of modern living, and the best security systems money can buy. Welcome to normal upper-middle-class suburbia. The Turners know in their hearts that they’re anything but normal. Jenna is a high-schooler dressed in black who is fascinated with breaking into her neighbors’ homes, security systems be damned. Everett genuinely believes he loves his wife . . . he just loves having a continuing stream of mistresses more. JT is a genius kid with Asperger’s who moves from one obsession to the next. And Kate tries to manage her family, manage her mother (who lives down the street), and avoid wondering why her life is passing her by. And now everything is changing for them. Jenna suddenly finds herself in a boy-next-door romance she never could have predicted. Everett’s secrets are beginning to unravel on him. JT is getting his first taste of success at navigating the world. And Kate is facing truths about her husband, her mother, and her father that she might have preferred not to face. Life on Pine Road has never been more challenging for the Turners. That’s what happens when you’re practicing normal. Combining her trademark combination of wit, insight, and tremendous empathy for her characters, Cara Sue Achterberg has written a novel that is at once familiar and startlingly fresh.

Review:

Authentic, heartwarming, and intriguing!

This is a thought-provoking novel that reminds us that life is unpredictable and that when it comes to “normal” perspective is everything.

The story is told from three different points of view; Kate, a mother, wife and daughter who spends all her time and energy taking care of those around her; Jenna, a teenager struggling with hormones, individuality and new love; and Everett, a husband and father who is impatient, selfish, and too wrapped up in his own wants and needs to appreciate what’s right in front of him.

The prose is reflective and sincere. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are complex, strong, and endearing. And the plot is a compelling tale full of familial dynamics, friendship, infidelity, secrets, coming-of-age, honesty, humour, love, as well as an in-depth look into the stereotypical mentality, difficulties and extraordinary abilities that those with Asperger’s experience.

This is the second novel I’ve read by Achterberg and once again she has blown me away with this well-crafted, touching story that gives us a real, raw look into a contemporary multi-generational family.

 

This novel is available now.

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

           

 

Thank you to Cara Sue Achterberg for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Cara Sue Achterberg

Cara Sue Achterberg is a blogger and novelist who lives on a hillside farm in South Central, Pennsylvania.

Cara’s novels, I’m Not Her (August 2015, The Story Plant) and Girls’ Weekend (May 2016, Story Plant) are both works of women’s fiction. Her upcoming novel, Practicing Normal, will be published June 2017 by The Story Plant.

Cara is also the author of Live Intentionally, a nonfiction book based on ten years of trying to shop, cook, eat, and live intentionally with kids in tow. It’s a guidebook for the organic life.

Cara is a prolific blogger and currently posts regularly two blogs which can be accessed through her website, CaraWrites.com.

Cara teaches creative writing and her essays and articles have been published in numerous anthologies, national magazines, websites, and blogs, in addition to local media.

Cara grew up in Hockessin, Delaware (and still considers Delaware the best state of all).

Cara is passionate about organic food, clean air, productive gardens, uncluttered lives, and real relationships. She is also passionate about adopting rescue dogs and currently fosters dogs and puppies for the all-breed rescue, Operation Paws for Homes.

Cara’s next project is a memoir about fostering her first fifty dogs.

When not writing or weeding (which can sometimes be one and the same), Cara enjoys running, hiking, reading, visiting Virginia wineries, and trying not to fall off her favorite horse, True.

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#BookReview Our Little Secret by Roz Nay @roznay1 @SimonSchusterCA

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#BookReview Our Little Secret by Roz Nay @roznay1 @SimonSchusterCA Title: Our Little Secret

Author: Roz Nay

Published by: Simon & Schuster on Jun. 6, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 256

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

For fans of In a Dark, Dark Wood and All the Missing Girls comes Our Little Secret, a compulsive and thrilling debut about a missing woman, a tangled love triangle, the secrets we keep and the secrets we share.

The detective wants to know what happened to Saskia, as if I could just skip to the ending and all would be well. But stories begin at the beginning and some secrets have to be earned.

Angela is being held in a police interrogation room. Her ex’s wife has gone missing and Detective Novak is sure Angela knows something, despite her claim that she’s not involved.

At Novak’s prodding, Angela tells a story going back ten years, explaining how she met and fell in love with her high school friend HP. But as her past unfolds, she reveals a disconcerting love triangle and a dark, tangled web of betrayals. Is Angela a scorned ex-lover with criminal intent? Or a pawn in someone else’s revenge scheme? Who is she protecting? And why?

Twisty and suspenseful, Our Little Secret is an intense cat-and-mouse game and a riveting thriller about the lies we tell others—and ourselves.

Review:

Mesmerizing, dark, and brilliantly clever!

This is a character-driven psychological thriller that illustrates just how fine the line between love and obsession can truly be and reminds us that every choice, good or bad, has a consequence.

The writing is crisp, polished and fluid. The characterization is spot on with a multitude of characters that are multi-faceted, insecure and vulnerable. And the plot is an intricately interwoven tale that unravels piece-by-piece creating tension, unease, and suspicion as it subtly reveals all the personalities, relationships, motivations and actions within it.

This is, ultimately, a story about deception, danger, competition, desperation, dependence, loneliness, manipulation and the fragility of young love and it’s hard to believe this is Nay’s debut novel. It’s sophisticated, highly entertaining, and a must-read that I guarantee you won’t be able to put down.

This novel is available now.

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

                                          

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Roz Nay

Roz Nay grew up in England and studied at Oxford University. She has been published in The Antigonish Review and the anthology Refuge. Roz has worked as an underwater fish counter in Africa, a snowboard videographer in Vermont, and a high school teacher in both the UK and Australia. She now lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and two children. Our Little Secret is her first novel.

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#BookReview The Gypsy Moth Summer by Julia Fierro @JuliaFierro @StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The Gypsy Moth Summer by Julia Fierro @JuliaFierro @StMartinsPress Title: The Gypsy Moth Summer

Author: Julia Fierro

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jun. 6, 2017

Genres: General Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 6.5/10

It is the summer of 1992 and a gypsy moth invasion blankets Avalon Island, an islet off the coast of Long Island. Leslie Day Marshall—only daughter of Avalon’s most prominent family—returns to live in “The Castle,” the island’s grandest 

estate. Leslie’s husband Jules is African-American, and their children biracial, and islanders from both sides of the tracks form fast and dangerous opinions about the new arrivals. 

Maddie Pencott LaRosa straddles those tracks: a teen queen with roots in the tony precincts of East Avalon and the crowded working class corner of West Avalon, home to Grudder Aviation factory, the island’s bread-and-butter. Maddie falls in love with Brooks, Leslie’s and Jules’ son, and that love feels as urgent to Maddie as the questions about the new and deadly cancers showing up across the island. 

Her upbringing on economically segregated Long Island and her fascination-followed by-heavy research into gypsy moths inspired this novel, translating her acute observations into a literary meditation on race, politics, and community. In incorporating the political tensions of the 1992 presidential election, Fierro makes powerful parallels to the 2016 presidential Clinton campaign. 

Vivid with young lovers, gangs of anxious outsiders; a plotting aged matriarch, a demented military patriarch; and a troubled young boy, THE GYPSY MOTH SUMMER is about love, gaps in understanding, and the struggle to connect: within families; among friends; between neighbors and entire generations. 

Review:

Pensive, poignant and undeniably tragic!

In this latest novel by Fierro, she transports us to Avalon Island, an islet infested by not only the gypsy moth but small-town, small-minded politics, economics, and environmental consciousness.

The prose is vivid and exquisitely descriptive. The characters are destructive, materialistic and damaged. And the plot, which is ultimately about love, life, loss, cruelty, deception, familial dynamics, and vengeance has too many subplots and tackles too many issues, including industrial pollution, social and class division and strife, abuse, racism and emerging sexuality to not get a little bogged down and awkward.

I have to admit this was a really hard one for me. There is no doubt that Fierro can write and write well and some readers will love the dark, somber feel of this story, but for me, I couldn’t quite connect with the characters and the story had too much misery and not enough redemption.

 

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 providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Julia Fierro

JULIA FIERRO is the author of the novels The Gypsy Moth Summer and Cutting Teeth. Her work has been published in Buzzfeed, Glamour, The Millions, Poets & Writers, Time Out New York, and other publications. A graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop, Julia founded The Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop in 2002, a creative home to more than 3,500 writers in NYC, Los Angeles and Online.

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#BookReview On Point by Annabeth Albert @AnnabethAlbert @CarinaPress

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#BookReview On Point by Annabeth Albert @AnnabethAlbert @CarinaPress Title: On Point

Author: Annabeth Albert

Series: Out of Uniform #3

Published by: Carina Press on Jun. 5, 2017

Genres: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA

Pages: 320

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Carina Press, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

Never fall for your best friend…

Pushing thirty, with his reenlistment looming, decorated navy sniper Maddox Horvat is taking a long look at what he really wants in life. And what he wants is Ben Tovey. It isn’t smart, falling for his best friend and fellow SEAL, but ten years with Ben has forged a bond so intimate Maddox can’t ignore it. He needs Ben by his side forever—heart and soul.

Ben admits he likes what he’s seen—his friend’s full lower lip and the perfect muscles of his ass have proved distracting more than once. But Ben’s still reeling from a relationship gone to hell, and he’s not about to screw up his friendship with Maddox, too.

Until their next mission throws Ben and Maddox closer together than ever before, with only each other to depend on.

Now, in the lonely, desperate hours awaiting rescue, the real challenge—confronting themselves, their future and their desires—begins. Man to man, friend to friend, lover to lover.

Review:

Heartfelt, engrossing, and red-hot!

This is a friends-to-more romance that is told from two different points of view. Maddox, a sweet, handsome Seal who prefers the simple life outside the military, including spending quality time with friends and baking yummy treats. And Ben, a fun, flirty Seal who loves nothing more than the adrenaline and action of the Navy and hooking up as much as possible. But like most of Albert’s characters there’s a lot more to these men than meets the eye and something deliciously scorching is definitely smouldering below the surface.

The writing is impassioned and intense. The characters are multi-faceted, flawed and sexy. And the plot starts off with a bang and then continues steadily building, peeling back layer-by-layer all the history, feelings and emotions to create a steamy, passionate story about life, love, friendship, undeniable chemistry, and self-discovery.

I have to admit this is my favourite book in the “Out of Uniform” series so far. I couldn’t wait to read about these two characters and I wasn’t disappointed.

This is the third novel in the “Out of Uniform” series. Be sure to check out my review for Off Base (Out of Uniform #1) and At Attention (Out of Uniform #2).

         

This book is available now.

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

            

 

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Carina Press, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Annabeth Albert

Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

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#BookReview Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski @ConcreteKraken @OrendaBooks

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#BookReview Six Stories by Matt Wesolowski @ConcreteKraken @OrendaBooks Title: Six Stories

Author: Matt Wesolowski

Published by: Orenda Books on Jun. 1, 2017

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 225

Format: eBook, ARC

Source: Orenda Books, NetGalley

Book Rating: 9/10

1997. Scarclaw Fell. The body of teenager Tom Jeffries is found at an Outward Bound center. Verdict? Misadventure. But not everyone is convinced. And the truth of what happened in the beautiful but eerie fell is locked in the memories of the tight-knit group of friends who embarked on that fateful trip, and the flimsy testimony of those living nearby. 2017. Enter elusive investigative journalist Scott King, whose podcast examinations of complicated cases have rivaled the success of Serial, with his concealed identity making him a cult internet figure. In a series of six interviews, King attempts to work out how the dynamics of a group of idle teenagers conspired with the sinister legends surrounding the fell to result in Jeffries’ mysterious death. As every interview unveils a new revelation, you’ll be forced to work out for yourself how Tom Jeffries died, and who is telling the truth.

Review:

Creative, unique and unforgettably absorbing!

This a brilliantly crafted, character-driven thriller that takes us on a journey to solve a 20-year-old murder and spotlights the physical and psychological effects and consequences of bullying.

The writing style is unconventional, with the narration being told completely through true-crime podcasts and internal musings. And the characterization is raw with a cast of teenage characters that are young, rebellious, impressionable, and impulsive. 

Overall, I have to say this is a short but incredibly gripping story with a whodunit plot that is modern, fresh, eerie, disturbing and wonderfully shocking.

This novel is available now.

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

                                            

 

 

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

 

About Matt Wesolowski

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor and leads Cuckoo Young Writers creative writing workshops for young people in association with New Writing North.

Wesolowski started his writing career in horror and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous magazines and US anthologies.

Wesolowski was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at 'Bloody Scotland'; Crime Writing Festival 2015, his subsequent debut crime novel 'Six Stories' was published by Orenda Books in the spring of 2017

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