Category: Non ARC

Need To Find You by Joseph Souza

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Publisher: Kindle Press

Date of publication: March 15, 2016

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Fiction, Mystery, Crime

Purchase Links: Amazon | Alibris | IndieBound | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

Yasmine ‘Yaz’ Weeks would prefer to forget her troubled past and the vile crimes committed against her, but when she discovers a hidden memoir in a kidnapped girl’s cell phone, Yaz finds herself on the run with an opportunity for retribution. She soon learns that the memoir has the potential to ruin both the reputation of its late great author, Robert Cornish, as well as the reputations of many influential people.
Whip Billings, an ex-cop, unwittingly becomes entangled in the mystery of the missing phone. Realizing that this newfound memoir could significantly hurt the sales of Cornish’s classic novel, Force of Will, he begins to search for Yaz. But why are the cops, and a mysterious drug kingpin known only as The Viking, also looking for her?
In his quest to find Yaz, Whip uncovers a vast network of political corruption, long hidden family secrets, and a series of reprehensible crimes. As the bodies in town begin to pile up, Whip knows that he must track down Yaz before she also turns up dead.

I liked this book. From the beginning,  when I met Yaz to the end, it was a rollercoaster ride of thrills. I didn’t know what I would get from one chapter to another. I liked that the author didn’t hide who the bad guys were. He did skirt the line on what characters were defined as bad or corrupt. He made me think about what I would do in certain situations and how I would have reacted. Would I have acted the same as these characters did? Would I make that choice that could send me down the wrong/right path? Very thought-provoking because of all the gray areas that were brought up in the book.

I liked Yaz’s character. She was badass (I mean, she’s a drummer in a band called The Kuntz”), but at the same time, she had a soft spot. She worked in a shelter for homeless teens. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time to get Mikiela’s cell phone. The flashbacks we get from her childhood are awful.

I liked Whip’s character, but I didn’t feel bad for him at all. I did at the beginning, I mean, he was attending a funeral for his mother, but after that, all sympathy went poof. He is an alcoholic. He had 1 year sober when he threw it all away to meet with an old contact to help locate his missing stepdaughter.

The other substories were blended beautifully into the book. Each ended towards the end of the book, and they were merged beautifully with the substory.

I loved the ending; finding out who The Viking was and what drove him to commit his crimes was great. I was very surprised to find out who he was, to be honest, but looking back, it made sense and fit perfectly into the story.

3 Things I liked about Need To Find You:

  1. Yaz
  2. Whip
  3. Storyline

3 Things I disliked about Need To Find You:

  1. Krell
  2. The Viking
  3. Haskins

I would recommend Need To Find You to anyone over 21. There is extreme violence, sexual situations, drug use, child abuse, and language.

If you enjoyed reading Need to Find You, you will enjoy reading these books:

New Dawn by Andrew J. Morgan

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New Dawn by [Morgan, Andrew J.]

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Date published: February 16, 2016

Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | AbeBooks | Alibris | IndieBound | BetterWorldBooks

Goodreads Synopsis:

When you’re 200 trillion miles from home . . .
With mankind on the brink of economic collapse, a population growing at an unmanageable rate and a limited supply of natural resources, there is only one place we can look to for our future . . . the stars. A deep space mining tug is sent to a planet codenamed New Dawn to begin a mission to relocate humanity.

. . . the only person you can trust . . . is you
The mission falls into chaos when a crewmember dies unexpectedly. Geologist Jake Brooks must keep his wits about him to uncover what really happened—but are the confines of the ship clouding his judgment? Is there really a sinister motive behind the death—and the mission—or is he letting his mind get the better of him? What really awaits him on New Dawn? He must push on to reveal the truth, no matter who or what stands in his way . . .

Please note: New Dawn is not a hard sci-fi novel.

Before I start my review, I will let you guys know that I am switching up my review style again. The list of 3 things I liked/disliked will be here, but I will write the review instead of putting up the 3 things. My style of reviewing is always evolving.

Now saying that, here is the review:

I loved the storyline. You have a crew on a deep space mining ship that will survey a planet that could be habitable and be a new Earth. Then the unthinkable happens, and a crew member is murdered. Who do you trust, and better yet, who do you believe?

I got into this book. You couldn’t help but like and sympathize with Jake when all hell breaks out on the ship after the first death. You are on this tiny vessel with crewmates; someone could be a killer. And the tension comes through the book when the body count goes up to 3. I did feel bad for Jake because the team was torn apart, and mentally, it was tough on him.

I wasn’t too keen on the almost-love story. To be honest, that part could have been left out. I could have done without reading about Jake’s attraction to a certain Dr.

The relationships between the different characters were tangible. You couldn’t help but root for them all (even the bad guys, as weird as that sounds).

The ending was great and on spot for this book. There was a twist that I kinda saw coming. Enough hints were dropped, but it took me by surprise.

3 Things I liked about New Dawn:

  1. The storyline
  2. Jake
  3. The ending

3 Things that I disliked about New Dawn:

  1. The almost love story between Jake and the ship’s Dr
  2. Sadie’s death
  3. Jason

I would recommend New Dawn to anyone over 16. There is no sex, minimal violence, and language.

If you enjoyed reading The New Dawn, you will enjoy reading these books:

First Mission Paris: In the City of Lights by Leone R. Giuliani

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Book Cover

Publisher: 

Date of publication: March 22, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

When the news about a stolen list of Europol’s crucial undercover agents hits the global black market, the agency’s top man Enrico Moretti is sent to Paris to retrieve the list, minimize the damage and capture the traitor. Cliché? Maybe… But this young Italian isn’t James Bond – he doesn’t know much about fighting, chasing, or killing. But he knows something about seducing. And gambling. And drinking. And being a former police negotiator, most of all: storytelling. So when he gets a proper cover story, unlimited amount of money to spend in the City of Lights, and teams up with a beautiful but dangerous black-haired girl and tough guys from Balkan’s underground, his lifetime mission can begin…

If you consider the world of super-spy heroes too fictional and deep foreign policy studies too boring, but you do love mystery, thriller, and suspense, you’ll read this novel in one night – with a sip of wine and a midnight saxophone. Just let this vagabond show you around – let him be your travel guide, maybe a whole new Paris will emerge. And who knows, if you end up improving your poker strategy, learn something useful about practical police psychology or increase your ability to talk your way out of trouble when necessary, you won’t blame him for that.

This book reminded me of a James Bond novel. Except Enrico Moretti wasn’t James Bond. Well, he wasn’t anything but a playboy.

I did enjoy reading this book. The whole spy storyline was fascinating to me. I grew up on James Bond, and every time I read a spy novel, Sean Connery’s face comes to mind. Haha.

It was a very fast-paced book with twists and turns around every page. I did like that Enrico was a player/horndog. I did like that he got served by The Black Cat. But, he got the job done and in a grand fashion.

The ending of the book was great. The twist that was there I didn’t see coming (and I am good at figuring them out).

If you enjoyed reading First Mission Paris: WTF in the City of Lights, you will enjoy reading these books:

Dead Lawyers Don’t Lie (Jake Wolfe: Book 1) by Mark Nolan

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Dead Lawyers Don't Lie: A Gripping Thriller (Jake Wolfe Book 1) by [Nolan, Mark]

Publisher:

Date of publication: January 1, 2016

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Suspense

Series: Jake Wolfe

Dead Lawyers Don’t Lie—Book 1

Vigilante Assassin—Book 2

Killer Lawyer—Book 3

San Diego Dead—Book 4

Deadly Weapon—Book 5

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

A mysterious killer who calls himself The Artist is assassinating wealthy lawyers in San Francisco. When war veteran Jake Wolfe accidentally takes his picture during a murder, The Artist adds Jake to his kill list and he becomes a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse that only one of them can survive. How far would you go to protect your loved ones from a killer? Jake wants to leave his secret, violent past life behind him. But the reluctant, flawed hero can’t ignore his duty and his personal moral compass.

This gripping thriller is full of suspense, plot twists, and surprises. It features a cast of interesting characters, including several strong-willed women, two wise-cracking San Francisco Police Homicide Inspectors, one highly intelligent dog, and a philosophical killer who shares Jake’s admiration for Van Gogh paintings but still plans to kill him anyway. As Jake gets closer to unraveling a merciless conspiracy, his life gets turned upside down, and the danger level increases, adding to the growing suspense. This entertaining page-turner starts out as a murder mystery and then shifts gears into a high-speed action thriller that takes you on a roller-coaster ride to the riveting ending. A good read for those who enjoy mysteries, suspense, action and adventure, vigilante justice, unique characters, witty dialogue, and a little romance too. On sale in over a dozen countries around the world. Be the first among your friends to read it.

Fans of Kindle Unlimited will be happy to know that this book was recently among the top 50 most popular titles in Kindle Unlimited, and named as a Kindle Unlimited All-Star.

I couldn’t put this book down. Right from the beginning, it had me hooked. It had everything in it and then some!!! It is a page-turner!!!

I liked Jake Wolfe’s character. When I started reading the book, he was portrayed as a mild-mannered photojournalist. Then the author started adding layers to him; what he added was fantastic. Jake’s character went from ho-hum to an action star throughout the book. Plus, he got the girls. He got more action in one night than a normal action hero.

The one aspect that I liked was that he was a military dog handler in the most recent war. The author did a great job portraying a military dog and the handler. I had never heard of the Alpha Roll until I read this book (click on the link or google it. From what I have brought up, it is controversial).

I like that the author did his best to humanize The Artist. He is bipolar (no giveaways here, it was mentioned the first time we met him) and not on medication. He does have a moral compass. It is skewed, though. But then again, aren’t all peoples’ moral compasses skewed to some extent?

If you enjoyed reading Dead Lawyers Don’t Lie, you will enjoy reading these books:

Beat (Beat: Book 1) by Jared Garrett

~ Jolie ~ 1 Comment
Beat (The Beat Series Book 1) by [Garrett, Jared]

Publisher: Future House Publishing

Date of publication: June 14th, 2015

Genre: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Thriller, Post Apocalyptic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Beat

Beat—Book 1

Keepers—Book 1.5

Push—Book 2 (review here)

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Better safe than sorry. Better calm than dead.

Nik Granjer hates the Bug. It was the Bug that destroyed the world when it wiped out more than ninety percent of humanity a hundred years ago.

Even now, the Bug kills anyone whose heart rate goes over 140 beats per minute. That’s why the Prime Administrator gave everyone the Papas—digital wrist monitors that put people to sleep when their heart rate gets too high. The Papas saved humankind.

But one night on the border of New Frisko, Nik tampers with his Papa and discovers a dreadful secret: the Bug might not be there after all. When his experiment takes a terrible turn, a brutal enforcement squad from the city forces Nik into hiding.

On the run and searching for allies, Nik’s only hope is to discover the truth about the Prime Administrator’s regime and the origins of the Bug. If he doesn’t, humankind may never break free from the conspiracy holding it in its grip.

This was a great book. A combination of sci-fi/dystopia/YA had enough action to keep you reading. You didn’t know what would happen from chapter to chapter, which increased my heart rate with the action.

This book takes place 100 years after a biochemical attack wiped out 90 percent of the world’s population. The survivors called it the Bug, which could kill you if your heart rate went over 140. A digital wrist monitor was developed to help the survivors watch their heart rates. The Papa puts the survivors asleep when their heart rates get too high.

Then you meet Nik Granjer and his friends. They like to “Push” their heart rates to the limit because they are 15/16 years old, and kids that age like to push limits and buck the system. Nik has also figured out how to bypass his nightly Knockout from his Papa.

I will say that I enjoyed Nik’s character. I was once a 15/16-year-old who liked to push limits, and he came off to me as realistic.

I also enjoyed the alternative spellings (Nik, Tek, Pol….etc). It added the right flair of difference to the book and kept my attention!!

I will say there is a huge twist that I didn’t see coming. Like 100% huge; I was taken aback by it (like Nik was) and a little shocked. A lot shocked.

The story itself was fascinating and very well written. If I had to picture a dystopian society, New Frisko would be it. Oh, and it takes me a minute to realize what city it was supposed to be.

If you enjoyed reading Beat, you will enjoy reading these books:

Daughter of the Sun (Cult of the Cat: Book 1) by Zoe Kalo

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Daughter of the Sun (Cult of the Cat Book 1) by [Kalo, Zoe]

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Date of publication: June 15th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Demons, Egypt, Shapeshifters, Magic

Series: Cult of the Cat

Korian and Lucy: A Cult of the Cat Short Story—Book 0.5

Korian and Lucy A Cult of the Cat Short Story—Book 0.6

Daughter of the Sun—Book 1

Purchase Links: Amazon | B&N

Goodreads synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Trinity was born during a solar eclipse and left at the doorsteps of a convent along with a torn piece of papyrus covered with ancient symbols. Raised by nuns in the English countryside, she leads a quiet life until she’s whisked away to the Island of Cats and a grandmother she never knew.

But before they can get to know each other, her grandmother dies. All that Trinity has left is a mysterious eye-shaped ring. And a thousand grieving cats. As Trinity tries to solve the enigma of the torn papyrus, she discovers a world of bloody sacrifices and evil curses, and a prophecy that points to her and her new feline abilities.

Unwilling to believe that any of the Egyptian gods could still be alive, Trinity turns to eighteen-year-old Seth and is instantly pulled into a vortex of sensations that forces her to confront her true self and a horrifying destiny.

This was a different book, but I enjoyed reading it. I don’t know if I have mentioned it before, but I enjoy reading YA books. I have read some good books in that genre. Anyways, back to the subject.

This is a different book. Egyptian mythology is used in the book. Which is great. The author did a fantastic job explaining the different gods/goddesses. I can count on one hand how many books I liked that used Egyptian mythology as a major plotline, and this book is one of them.

Of course, being the first book of a series, it left more questions than answers. I wouldn’t say I liked that the grandmother died after Trinity arrived on the island. It left so many unanswered questions, and I will admit, I got frustrated.

The book did lag a little for a few chapters but then picked up the pace for the explosive ending. There are hints in the book about who the villain was, but I picked it up early, which wasn’t surprising. Still, the ending was a shock.

If you enjoyed reading Daughter of the Sun, you will enjoy reading these books:

Jesse & The Thinkers by Kenan John

~ Jolie ~ 3 Comments
Jesse and the Thinkers (Jesse Winkler - Book Series 1) by [John, Kenan]

Publisher: 

Date of publication: August 11th, 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Jesse Winkler is one of the few who dare to stand out. A ‘weirdo’, the children at the adventure playground call him, and not because of his red bow tie. Strange things always seem to happen when Jesse is around.

No one can quite figure out what ‘Brave Jake’, who happens to be the most popular kid in the playground, sees in ‘Weirdo Jesse’. But Jake always knew. He could just tell. One person’s weirdo is another person’s hero.

Jesse and Jake’s journey turns into a deadly situation when an enemy from another world unleashes a weapon designed to destroy the minds of The Thinkers and anybody who comes across it. They find themselves caught up in a battle that was not meant for them. Or was it?

Jesse and The Thinkers is an action-packed, compulsively readable adventure story, leaving you emotionally involved in the extraordinary characters we meet along the way.

My review:

Let me start by saying that a book that captures Miss B’s attention, holds it, and then makes her want to see what else happens is a book that stands out to me. I did something I normally don’t do; I had her read it first.

She loved it. She loved that she could relate to Jesse and Jake. She got invested in the plot. At some points, she would come up to me and ask, “Why, Mom, why did this happen?” She hates cliffhangers as much as I do. But she asked me to find out when book 2 will be published because she wants to see what happens next.

When I read the book, I could see why she liked Jesse and Jake’s characters so well. Like her, Jesse refuses to bend to society’s expectations of him. Which is fantastic.

I can’t get too much into the book without giving away the ending, but I will say the storyline all ties together. Every single sub-story gets tied in at the end of the book. Which is great.

The only thing I had an issue with was that there was a cliffhanger. I detest cliffhangers. But (and there is always a but), in a way, cliffhangers are great. They get you to buy the 2nd book, and I will buy it as soon as it is out.

Now Miss B had a review of the book also. It is one word: “COOL.” So there you go. The tween wonder’s first book review.

If you enjoyed reading Jesse & The Thinkers, you will enjoy reading these books:

Fallen (Crowns of Twelve: Book 3) by Ann Hunter

~ Jolie ~ 3 Comments
Fallen: fractured fairy tales -- THE FROG PRINCE (Crowns of the Twelve Book 3) by [Hunter, Ann]

Publisher: Afterglow Productions

Date of publication: October 3, 2014

Genre: Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales

Series: Crowns of Twelve

The Subtle Beauty—Book 1 (review here)

Moonlight—Book 2 (review here)

Fallen—Book 3

A Piece of Sky—Book 4 (review here)

The Rose in the Briar—Book 5

Ashes—Book 6

In The Mean While—Book 7

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

One prince. One mistake. One… chicken?

A twisted retelling of The Frog Prince, featuring your favorite villain from The Subtle Beauty & Moonlight, Sylas Mortas.

What would YOU do for love?

17-year-old Prince Sylas of Killeagh wants what everyone else wants: control over his own life. When he tries to run away from home and escape an arranged marriage, the last thing he expects is to fall in love with a robber in the woods. Hiding behind a mask, the robber girl seems to lead a life of freedom Sylas has only dreamed of. Their adventure comes to an end when the Castle Killeagh guards hunt Sylas down and he’s forced to return home. He convinces his parents to allow him to find the girl again and consider her as a candidate for marriage, but he only has until the next full moon to find her, or all bets are off.

Death has a name, and it is Crwys. As a ban sidhe, her job is to visit the great houses of The Summer Isle and keen out the living to prepare them for death. King Sionnach has far outlived his days and it is time he crosses the Unliving World. When she arrives, a young prince named Sylas intervenes and offers to go in his grandfather’s stead. This break with tradition, and selfless sacrifice, move Crwys into loving Sylas, who looks so much like a shadow from her past. But when he crosses her to be with his true love, he invokes the wrath of a woman scorned.

Rós is just a little, aura-seeing, red hen whose master believes she is chosen by the gods. Her arrival at King Sionnach’s court is insignificant to Sylas at the time, but their destinies are interwoven. Can she help Sylas save himself from the curse Crwys has planned for him? Or will he become a fallen frog prince?

As stated in the synopsis, this book is a fantastic retelling of The Frog Prince, and what a retelling it is. The author did something that I have rarely seen while reading books. She took a villain and told HIS side of the story. And guess what, he wasn’t as bad as he was made out to be in the other books!!!

I loved Sylas Mortas’s story, and what made me love it was that it had Ros in it. Ros had her own story in A Piece of Sky, where she carried a magical acorn to safety. I was excited when I saw that she reappeared (and was a major factor) in this book. I loved her character in that book, and her character didn’t disappoint in this book, either.

The story was awesome too. The story is about a prince who sacrifices three times for the people he loves.

I did feel bad for Crwys at points in the book. All she wanted was to be loved, and she made an enemy by forcing Sylas to love her.

If you enjoyed reading Fallen, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Hunger (The Hunger: Book 1) by Michael D. Young

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The Hunger by [Young, Michael D.]

Publisher: Future House Publishing

Date of publication: April 7th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic

Series: The Hunger

The Hunger—Book 1

Crude Magic—Book 2

Purchase Links: Amazon | WorldCat

Goodreads synopsis:

Feed your Hunger.

In a distant, war-torn land, every man, woman, and child must either consume the magical substance known as Sustenance or succumb to the Hunger. Those who succumb develop deformities and face exile — or even death.

The scholar Azil wants nothing more than to lead a tranquil life and beat back the Hunger. But when a mysterious assassin tries to kill Azil, and a stranger shows up at his door challenging him to join her on a quest, he embarks on a dangerous journey to steal the sacred gems of Sustenance guarded in a forbidden fortress. To get there, Azil must venture through a land of floating cities, ravenous mage wraiths, ax-wielding warriors, and bloodthirsty bandits.

But with the sacred gems of Sustenance come volatile magic — magic so strange and dangerous, that the prophecies foretell it could usher in a golden age, or turn its wielder into the darkest of villains.

I love fantasy, and I know that I have mentioned it in past reviews. So when I was approached to review this book and read the synopsis, I was excited to read The Hunger.

And this book didn’t let me down!!!

From the beginning, where I met Azil, Evelet, Kaval, Sarhah, and Jamith…the story sucked me in. I couldn’t put the book down; that’s how engrossing the story is.

A twist at the end of the book took me by surprise. Not giving anything away here, but it is a huge twist that went with the book.

If you enjoyed reading The Hunger, you will enjoy reading these books:

The Reflections of Queen Snow White by David Meredith

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The Reflections of Queen Snow White by [Meredith, David]

Publisher: David Meredith

Date of publication: October 2nd, 2013

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Retellings, Fairy Tale, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic, Adventure, High Fantasy

Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible

Goodreads synopsis:

What happens when “happily ever after” has come and gone?

On the eve of her only daughter, Princess Raven’s wedding, an aging Snow White finds it impossible to share in the joyous spirit of the occasion. The ceremony itself promises to be the most glamorous social event of the decade. Snow White’s castle has been meticulously scrubbed, polished, and opulently decorated for the celebration. It is already nearly bursting with jubilant guests and merry well-wishers. Prince Edel, Raven’s fiancé, is a fine man from a neighboring kingdom and Snow White’s own domain is prosperous and at peace. Things could not be better, in fact, except for one thing:

The king is dead.

The queen has been in a moribund state of hopeless depression for over a year with no end in sight. It is only when, in a fit of bitter despair, she seeks solitude in the vastness of her own sprawling castle and climbs a long disused and forgotten tower stair that she comes face to face with herself in the very same magic mirror used by her stepmother of old.

It promises her respite in its shimmering depths, but can Snow White trust a device that was so precious to a woman who sought to cause her such irreparable harm? Can she confront the demons of her own difficult past to discover a better future for herself and her family? And finally, can she release her soul-crushing grief and suffocating loneliness to once again discover what “happily ever after” really means?

Only time will tell as she wrestles with her past and is forced to confront The Reflections of Queen Snow White.

I have always wondered what happened to the fairy tale characters after the tale’s end. What was their life like after the words “Happily Ever After” were written? I know I am not the only one who has thought this. I mean, it’s hard not to think about it.

If you are like me and have wondered about “Happily Ever After, “ you should read this book.

It was a wonderfully written, descriptive book about Snow White and the aftermath of Prince Charming’s death. It also tells how she finds the Magic Mirror and uses it to see her true self. The flashback scenes are all heartbreaking. The author, for the most part, stayed very true to the fairytale.

The ending was not what I expected, and it did delight me.

If you enjoyed reading The Reflections of Queen Snow White, you will enjoy these books: