Month: October 2016

Book of the Night by Oliver Potzsch

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment

Book of the Night (The Black Musketeers #1)

Publisher: AmazonCrossing

Date of publication: October 4th, 2016

Series: The Black Musketeers

Book of the Night – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Genre: young adult 

Goodreads synopsis:

In this thrilling adventure by bestselling author Oliver Pötzsch, thirteen-year-old Lukas has been trained as a swordsman by his father, a nobleman who was once a famed Musketeer. When the threat of war and accusations of witchcraft spread across the land, Lukas’s life is forever changed. He flees his home and vows to find his missing sister.

Surviving as an outcast, Lukas encounters thieves and mercenaries, a strange astrologer, and a master swordsman. He also meets three other fencers—Giovanni, Paulus, and Jerome. Each brings a special talent to their team that leads them to the Black Musketeers, the best fighters in the army. But living with the black-armored Musketeers is nothing like they imagined. In his quest to find his sister, Lukas learns of a legendary book that holds powerful magic. As he fights to keep the Book of the Nightout of the hands of his greatest enemy, Lukas discovers the secrets of his own family and what it really means to be a Musketeer.

My review:

I rarely read historical fiction even though I like reading it. I don’t know why I don’t read that genre. Maybe because 90% of the historical fiction that I have read is dry. It becomes boring because the authors usually stick to the facts.

That is what I liked about this book. While it was accurate, the author built a fictional story around those events.

I felt awful for Lukas. His whole world was ruined within a day. His father murdered, his mother accused of being a witch, and his sister kidnapped. If that wasn’t enough to break someone,he happened into town when his mother was being burned at the stake. Talk about traumatizing, and my heart broke for him.

After almost freezing to death and a run in with a group of children who were not good to be around, he fell in with a traveling group of performers. There he met Giovanni, Paulus, and Jerome, fencers who put on an act. He proves his worth against the Master fencer and is incorporated into their act.

After the troupe is attacked, the foursome decides to seek out the “Black Musketeers”. They are a group of legendary fighters in the King’s army. Lukas had found out that his father was part of the “Black Musketeers” and the fencing master in the troupe was also.  After a journey, they find the “Black Musketeers” and beg to join. After proving themselves to the leader, he allows them in.

Not going to go into the book from there. All I have to say is that Lukas finds out a lot of things about his mother, sister, and father from a few people. Also his fencing skill is put to the test as well.

The end was a bit surprising to me because I wasn’t expecting it. I thought that the opposite was going to happen and was preparing myself for it. I also loved that the author did leave the book open for a second book.

How many stars will I give Book of the Night? 4

Why? A great, engrossing read. I was up most of the night and got emotionally invested in Lukas’s character.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age Range: Adult

Why: Violence

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Exhume by Danielle Girard

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment

Exhume (Dr. Schwartzman Book 1) by [Girard, Danielle]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: October 1st 2016

Series: Dr. Schwartzman

Exhume – Book 1

Excise – Book 2 (expected date of publication August 22nd, 2017)

Genre: mystery, thriller, suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Dr. Annabelle Schwartzman has finally found a place to belong. As the medical examiner for the San Francisco Police Department, working alongside homicide detective Hal Harris, she uncovers the tales the dead can’t tell about their final moments. It is a job that gives her purpose—and a safe haven from her former life at the hands of an abusive husband. Although it’s been seven years since she escaped that ordeal, she still checks over her shoulder to make sure no one is behind her.

Schwartzman’s latest case is deeply troubling: the victim bears an eerie resemblance to herself. What’s more, a shocking piece of evidence suggests that the killer’s business is far from over—and that Schwartzman may be in danger. In this pulse-pounding thriller from award-winning writer Danielle Girard, a woman must face her worst nightmare to catch a killer.

My review:

When I read the blurb, I was intrigued by this book. I love anything to do with medical examiner’s/CSI. I was a huge fan of Dr. G when it was on the air and CSI. It was a no-brainer that I was going to read this book.

Annabelle’s character touched me. She got her medical degree when being stalked by her ex-husband. She was paranoid about going out. She would never know when he would call and tell her that he knew what she was doing. No matter, how many times she called, the police couldn’t tie anything to Spencer MacDonald. Even worse, they didn’t believe her. “He’s an upstanding citizen,” “You must be imagining it,” “He would NEVER do anything like that.”

The story itself was fantastic. I didn’t know where it was going to take me, even though I knew who the bad guy was. I was kept wondering until the end if karma was ever going to catch up with Spencer and I did a fist pump when it did.

The subplots were brought together mid-book and merged into the main one. I was amazed that the author was able to do it so seamlessly. Usually, there is a lag in the plot, but not here. The suspense was kept up until the last pages of the book.

The ending was what I expected but with an extra twist to it. While things weren’t resolved, they were on their way to be, and the book was left open for the second book.

How many stars will I give Exhume? 5

Why? A great thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and glued to the book. I couldn’t put it down!!

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Murder (graphic but the main character is an M.E.), spousal abuse and offensive language.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Storykiller by Humfrey Hunter

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment

The Storykiller: A gripping thriller by [Hunter, Humfrey]

Publisher: Silvertail Books

Date of publication: September 29th, 2016

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

The Politician. The Powerbroker. The Secret.

And the man they want to help them hide it – at any cost. Because some secrets are worth killing for…

Jack Winter was once an idealistic and brilliant news reporter who broke the biggest stories around. But after wrongly blaming himself for a young girl’s murder he changed sides and began killing stories for the rich and powerful, protecting them from exactly the kind of journalist he used to be. 

When a new client drags Jack into a lethal world of corruption and long-buried secrets, he finds himself wishing he could turn back the clock, because now he is fighting not just for headlines but his life. 

My review:

The story is started by introducing Jack Winter as he is standing on a street corner. While he is standing there, a woman stabs him. Later it is revealed that she was the mother of a little girl who was kidnapped and killed. Jack was the lead reporter on the case. While Jack was interviewing the main suspect, the little girl was being held in the suspect’s house. Jack harbors deep guilt over not being able to sense that the child was there. He believes that he caused her to be killed. Make sure to keep this in mind while reading the book. It explains a lot about Jack’s actions during the book.

Fast forward three years.

Jack is no longer a reporter. He has earned a reputation as a story killer. What that means is that he gets to the reporter before the story is published and squashes the story. He squashes it either by bluffing or calling his contacts. He then has them contact the reporter/people wanting the story published. He has them tell the people that they will take legal or other action if the story is published.

One day, he is contacted by a businessman named Edward Valentine. He has a job for Jack to do. His friend, Adam Pryor, needs a story killed. Adam will be in the running for the PM of England. He did something foolish. He slept with a 19-year-old girl and didn’t tell her that he was married. She is threatening to go to the media because she was mad that he didn’t tell her he was married. This is where Jack will come in. He will talk to the girl and convince her to not to go to the media. If that doesn’t work and he knows the reporter the girl is talking to, he will go straight to the reporter. He will try to convince the reporter not to run the story.

This is where the story took a couple of unexpected turns. I was expecting the story to be about Jack trying to convince this girl not to go to the media. I was not expecting the story to take the twists and turns that it did. The book went from being dull to me devouring the pages because I wanted to see what Jack was going to do next. It was that good!!

The ending was not what I expected, and I loved it. I was kept on my feet until the last page.

How many stars will I give The Storykiller? 4

Why? This book starts off pretty boring for the first couple of chapters but more than makes up for it!! It is fast paced and keeps you guessing. A great read.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why? Sex, drinking, drug use and an awful scene of molestation

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Always Be True: Tino (A Sergeant Joe’s Boys Novel: Book 2) by Alexis Morgan

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments

Always Be True: Tino: A Sergeant Joe's Boys Novel by [Morgan, Alexis]

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group- Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 4th 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: Sergeant Joe’s Boys

Always For You: Jack – Book 1

Always Be True: Tino – Book 2

Love, Always and Forever: Mikhail – Book 3 (expected publication date March 14th 2017)

Where to find this book:  Amazon

Book Synopsis:

When Sergeant Joe and his wife, Marlene, adopted Tino Gianelli as a teenager, the foster kid began to heal from his deep insecurities. Now, with a successful military career behind him and a good job as a contractor in the family construction business, Tino shouldn’t have any reason to doubt himself. He’s fallen hard for a beautiful heiress, and she seems to be crazy about him too. So why does he keep trying to hide his working-class roots?

Natalie Kennigan’s ideal guy is someone who will consider her an equal and his best friend, not merely a box to check on the road to success. Tino—with his down-to-earth personality, generous heart, and passionate embrace—might just be the one, at least until he finds out about Natalie’s family money and starts treating her like the typical rich girl who needs to be wined and dined. Natalie will have none of it. She won’t be happy until he accepts her for who she truly is—just as she wants to love the real Tino.

My review:

I liked this book. It is refreshing to read a book where the characters don’t sleep together after first meeting each other. The author chose to take it sweet and slow with them. There was Instalust but not Instalove. Instead, the author had them do a slow burn until the end. Like I said, refreshing.

I loved Tino. He was sweet and full of insecurities about his relationship with Natalie. Instead of being himself, he tried to be something he wasn’t, which drove me bonkers.

Natalie, I liked too. She was wealthy, and her parents/grandfather were super wealthy. She didn’t flaunt it though. She was down to earth and funny. I thought she was cute when she first met Tino.

There were some storylines that were dropped. The storyline about her obsessive ex, Benton was a main one. A big deal was made out of people wanting her and Benton getting back together. Nothing was mentioned after the ball. The storyline was dropped. I was waiting for him to do something stalkerish until the end of the book.

Natalie’s bad luck with power tools were mentioned once or twice and then dropped. I thought that the author would have made it a running joke.

Natalie and Tino made a great couple. The author had them go on 3-4 dates before they had sex. I felt that they had more of a connection. I did love the pom-pom reference before the first sex scene. It made me giggle.

This is book 2 in a series. I would suggest that you read book one if you want info on Jack and his family. This is not a standalone book.

The ending was cute, and I loved the epilogue.

How many stars will I give Always Be True: Tino? 2.5/3

Why? This would be great as a beach/pool book. The plot was solid, to a point, and the characters engaging. There was a problem with one of the sub-storylines just being let go in the middle of the book, which really threw me off for the rest of the book. Also, the plot lagged and almost lost my attention.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age Range? Adult

Why? Language, sex scenes and a pretty descriptive mugging scene

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Highland Chieftain (Murray Family: Book 21) by Hannah Howell

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment

Highland Chieftain (The Murrays Book 21) by [Howell, Hannah]

Publisher: Kensington Books, Zebra

Date of publication: September 27th 2016

Genre: Romance

Series: The Murray Family, Book 21

Highland Destiny – Book 1

Highland Honor – Book 2

Highland Promise – Book 3

Highland Vow – Book 4

Highland Knight – Book 5

Highland Bride – Book 6 (Also Book 1 of the Macenroy series)

Highland Angel – Book 7

Highland Groom – Book 8 (Also Book 2 of the Macenroy series)

Highland Warrior – Book 9 (Also Book 3 of the Macenroy series)

Highland Conqueror – Book 10

Highland Champion – Book 11 (Also Book 2 of the Cameron series)

Highland Lover – Book 12 (Also Book 3 of the Cameron series)

Highland Barbarian – Book 13

Highland Savage – Book 14

Highland Wolf – Book 15

Highland Sinner – Book 16

Highland Protector – Book 17

Highland Avenger – Book 18

Highland Master – Book 19

Highland Guard – Book 20

Highland Chieftain – Book 21

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

The Murrays are back in this thrilling new tale from New York Times bestselling author Hannah Howell . . .
 
Responsible for protecting her younger siblings from their abusive father, Bethoc Matheson is in no position to rescue another soul in Scotland. Yet when she sees a bleeding man on the verge of drowning, that’s exactly what she does, securing him safely in a cave where she can return day after day to tend to his wounds.
 
Sir Callum MacMillan can scarcely believe such a slight lass as Bethoc could save him from the grasp of death. But he knows the telltale marks of an angry fist on her skin, and he knows she has the soul of a fighter within her feminine frame. Raised to be a protector of the weak by his Murray clansmen, Callum would prefer to be the one saving her—and save her, he will. If he can first survive the treacherous attack that led him into her irresistible arms . . .

My review:

Bethoc is a young woman who is a slave and punching bag to her father. Her mother died in childbirth and  Bethoc took her place. She was afraid that it was going to turn sexual because he was starting to look at her like a woman and not a daughter. She protected her six younger siblings from him, including Margaret, a precocious 2-year-old. Bethoc’s mother died giving birth to Margaret. She made her promise to take care of her and never let her out of her sight. Bethoc has followed her orders.

One day, she is walking the shores of the loch by her land, and she finds a man on the beach, half drowned and with a broken leg. After she makes sure he was safe, she helps him to a local cave and sets his leg. She leaves him, goes home, and finds out that her father acquired another child. Her father would bring home boys that were orphaned or living on the street. He would have them work in his fields in exchange for a roof over their heads and food. In total, there were six boys, with ages ranging from 6 to 16. The newest boy was very young, around 4.

Between stepping between her father and the boys and taking care of Margaret, Bethoc has no time for herself. She stretches herself even thinner when she decides that she is going to nurse the man she found back to health. While she is doing that, she finds out that he is looking for a little boy who had been kidnapped. Also that his name is Callum MacMillan of the Murray Clan. He seduces Bethoc on the one rare occasion that she left Margaret with the oldest of the boys.

Once Callum’s men find him, they are planning on taking him and the boy back to Murray land. Callum decides that he is going to take Bethoc, her sister and the boys back with him. When Bethoc went back to the house to gather up the boys, she witnesses the murder of her father. When she returns to bury him, she is arrested by the sheriff of the village for his murder.

I am not going to go into what happens after that but let’s say that things get hairy for Bethoc.

I felt horrible for her. She had so many things go wrong in such a short time that I thought while reading the book, why can’t things go right for her. But things did end up changing for her about halfway through the book, and that’s when I felt like cheering.

I do think that her “witchy powers” (i.e., her sixth sense) should have been mentioned in the first half of the book. Introducing it halfway through confused me. But in a way, it worked.

I liked Callum. The more I learned about him the more I liked him. He went through a lot when he was a boy and made tremendous strides to get over it. He was candid with Bethoc about what happened to him (if you want to know, read the book). That scene in the book made me cry.

Bethoc and Callum’s relationship was pretty much sex from the get-go. No Instalove on either side. The feelings were there. They grew to the point where Bethoc was in love with Callum, and well, he didn’t know what he was with her. For being back in the day, their relationship was pretty modern. He refused to call her his mistress. But he also declined to put a name on their relationship until he was called out on it.

The sex scenes in the book were perfect. Enough detail is given to keep your imagination going. But not so it crossed that boundary into erotica. The only complaint I had was when Callum deflowered Bethoc. There was no build up accept a couple of kisses and then, bam; he was on top of her telling her what he was going to do.

The ending was perfect, and I loved the epilogue!!!

*I do want to note also that this is 100% a standalone book, even if it is #21 in a series!!!

How many stars will I give Highland Chieftain? 3.5-4

Why? A wonderfully written Scottish romance. I did have a small issue with the dialogue (it was written how Scottish people actually talked back then). Other than that, an engrossing read.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex (not graphic), Violence, attempted drowning and attempted rape

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Girl Number One by Jane Holland

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment

Girl Number One: A gripping page-turner with a twist by [Holland, Jane]

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of publication: September 27th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

There’s a body in the woods. At least, there was. Eleanor Blackwood saw it on her morning run: a young woman, strangled to death.

But the police can find nothing—no body, no sign of a crime—and even Ellie has to wonder if it was a trick of her mind, a gruesome vision conjured up by grief. It’s eighteen years to the day since she witnessed her own mother’s murder on the same woodland spot. But what if she really did see what she thinks she saw? What if the body was left there for Ellie alone to find?

And there’s one detail Ellie can’t shake: a deliberate number three on the dead woman’s forehead. When she discovers a second body, this one bearing the number two, Ellie is convinced they are not messages but threats. The killer is on a countdown: but who is girl number one?

My review:

Eleanor was six years old when she saw her mother’s murder on a path in the woods by her farm. She was so traumatized that she couldn’t remember who the murderer was. Even though she looked him right in the face. She spent years in therapy trying to remember who the “shadow man” was.

Her childhood from that day on wasn’t that great. Her dad turned into an alcoholic mess. She struggled with the stigma of being the girl who couldn’t remember her mother’s murderer. She went to university with the plan to stay away. She ended up coming back and teaching physical education at one of the primary schools in the area.

Her life is going great, and she decides to take a run on the path in the woods where her mother was murdered. During her run, she sees that the main path is blocked off. The secondary path, the one her mother was killed on, is the only one available. Going down that path, she feels like someone or something is watching her. Then she stumbles upon a body of a naked woman with the number 3 on her forehead. Upset, she books it out of the woods and calls the police. Only to find the body has disappeared and people are looking at her like she has lost it. Even her father says as much before telling her to leave and never come back to see him again.

Not going to go into the rest of the book but it was great and kept me guessing who the killer was. I did think that I had him/her pegged at one point in the book. Boy, I was wrong.

I did feel bad for Ellie, but she was immature. Her temper seemed to get the best of her at times. Body slamming the student who was being rude to her and calling her a freak was a little much. I was shocked that she only got talked to and not fired.

The ending was fantastic. So much was revealed, though, that my head was spinning.

How many stars will I give Girl Number One? 3-3.5

Why? While it was a great psychological thriller, I was a little taken aback by Ellie’s immaturity and the fact that she acted like she was 19 (she is 24 in the book). It took away from the book, in my eyes.

Will I reread? yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, drinking, violence

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

A Line Too Far by B.C. Colman

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment

A Line Too Far: Australia is invaded by [Colman, B. C.]

Publisher: The Liberty Publishing Company

Date of publication: September 26th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Politics

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

It’s a line too far and they’ve crossed it

Chinese commandos in a lightning raid have seized the vast, under-populated, resource-rich lands of Northern Australia. Thousands of Australian soldiers are held hostage. International realpolitik has left Australia abandoned by its supposed allies and its brittle social fabric is rapidly unwinding as the people panic.

A Chinese ultimatum demands the annexation of the country’s top half in ten days, or face a full scale invasion. 

As other politicians clamour to sue for peace, Prime Minister, Gary Stone, in a desperate race against time and impossible military and political odds must commit to a risky and controversial plan to try and free the country …

My review:

I was undecided about this book when I was reading the email that featured it. I am not a huge fan of war/spy books but will read them. I read them because they makes me feel closer to my grandfather, who died in June of 2015. He was always reading, and he loved that genre. That is what  made me chose this book.

I was prepared not to like the book and trudge through it. I ended up liking it. The beginning was bumpy, but once it ironed out and the book picked up the pace, it was a delightful read. I read it one day.

I did read reviews where people were complaining that this scenario is unrealistic. Hello, it’s a fiction book. Fiction. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but jeez.

As I said above, I thought it was a good and quick read. I learned more about how the Australian government works than I ever wanted to know. I thought the author did a realistic job of showing how people will panic when an event like this happens.

I was impressed with PM Stone’s, well, stones, as did his wife and most of his Cabinet members.

The author also dealt with the aftermath of what happened realistically too. I liked the ending because of how true to life it is.

I do think that this book would have been one that my grandfather would have liked.

How many stars will I give A Line Too Far: 3 1/2-4

Why? An action filled fast paced book that was great to read.

Will I reread? Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends? Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**