One Sentence Review – Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren @ChrstineWarren

Posted on February 11, 2017 by fundinmental

I won some of Christine Warren’s books from by sister, Laura, @ fuonlyknew, sooooo…

I am on a were kick and loving every minute of it.

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren is a steamy paranormal romance with fun dialogue and characters that quickly won me over as they struggle to discover who is behind the attacks, creating a sense of danger and suspense, and making this a novel you want on your reading list.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Sullivan Quinn didn’t travel 3,000 miles from his native Ireland and his wolf pack just to chase rabidly after the most delectable quarry he’s ever seen. Quinn is in America on a mission—to warn his Other brethren of a shadowy group willing to use murder and mayhem to bring them down. But one whiff of this Foxwoman’s delicious honeysuckle fragrance and he knows that she is more than a colleague or a conquest…she is his mate.

Anthropologist Cassidy Poe is a world-renowned authority on social interaction, but the overpowering desire she feels around Quinn defies every ounce of her expertise. Working by his side to uncover The Others’ enemies poses risks she never expected—to her own safety, to those she loves, and to her heart, as every encounter with Quinn proves more blissfully erotic than the last…

Now, with no one to trust but each other, Quinn and Cassidy face a foe that’s edging closer every day, threatening to destroy the life they’ve always known, and the passion they’ve just discovered…

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They Killed Santa in Cowabunga Christmas @aburke59

Posted on December 3, 2016 by fundinmental

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke hooked me. How can I possibly resist sitting in that lounger, watching Kim and Brien hit the surf and wonder what trouble they will find as they butt into a murder mystery.

Christmas, a tropical beach locale and a dead Santa…Merry Christmas to you.

Cowabunga dudes and dudettes, “Sur’f Up.”

MY REVIEW

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke has so much going for it…A gorgeous cover, hot surfer dudes and dudettes, Santa, a murder mystery and…

We begin our adventure by jumping the fence around the closed pool at this elite resort and taking a “midnight” swim. I have jumped a fence or two in my time, so I thought this was a good sign.

It’s Christmas, Kim is on her honeymoon with her hot and hunky surfer dude hubby, Brien. Kim was going to learn to surf and she got her very own wettie for Christmas.

They are opposites – He is hard and fast, she is slow and soft. The picture of them, in my head, is my favorite two characters from NCIS Los Angeles, Kensi Blye, Daniela Ruah, and Marty Deeks, Eric Christian Olsen.

Shortly after their pool jumping adventure, a body is found floating in the pool…dead. Oh no, it’s Santa.

We have a double and a triple cross and is there a treasure?

Cowabunga Christmas by Anna Celeste Burke with its easy reading and colorful characters has all the elements for a fun and humorous cozy mystery.

One mystery is solved…but, wait, there’s more on the horizon in Gnarly New Year.

“Cowabunga Christmas – it’s the most epic Christmas anyone could every have. We had one of the most awesome mornings surfing.” From Brien.

3 Stars

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Review – No One Knows by J T Ellison @thrillerchick

Posted on November 30, 2016 by fundinmental

I am familiar with J T Ellison and I do love this gorgeous cover for No One Knows, so there was no doubt that I wanted to read this.

I love covers and saw No One Knows has two. Myself, I like this one the best. Scroll to the end of the post and let me know which you prefer?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

No One Knows by J T Ellison is worth reading for the ending alone!

Aubrey’s ex is declared dead, but I know I have to ask, “Is her really?”

Daisy, her mother in law, needs to get a life. She is a miserable bitch. Is there a sinister reason his mother insists on declaring him dead? I am curious and very suspicious.

First the accusations, then the waiting, waiting, waiting for him to come home.

Josh and Aubrey are both kinda wimpy. I just wanted to tell them to buck up and get over themselves.

Aubrey needs to quit her whining and move on. I find it hard to put myself in her shoes. I love her carefree friend, Meghan, a true free spirit that will drop everything when Aubrey needs her.

I have a feeling Josh is far from perfect. And shortly after writing that, I felt that if I never heard of him again I would be happy, but I am still curious.

The back and forth, past and present got a bit annoying and disrupted the flow. The chapters were short and I no sooner got involved then I’d have to change gears.

Okay, I like this isn’t going quite the direction I thought. I do like a twist in my stories. Another twist in the tale and it is a doozy. Marvelous, simply marvelous.

I had been disappointed with the first part of the book. I had felt before I even began reading it would be better, because I have read some of her other work. Now, I have finally come to what I have been waiting for and I”m a little more than halfway through.

OMG. I so missed the ending. Totally got me. My mouth is hanging open and I have a smile on my face for the fantastic, creative and mind boggling ending. That last 10% was so suspenseful, with twist and turns that kept on coming.

Could there be another Jewel story? I can see her…..

I voluntarily reviewed a free ARC copy from Net Galley of No One Knows by J T Ellison.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB:

In an obsessive mystery as thrilling as The Girl on the Train and The Husband’s Secret, New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison will make you question every twist in her page-turning novel—and wonder which of her vividly drawn characters you should trust.

The day Aubrey Hamilton’s husband is declared dead by the state of Tennessee should bring closure so she can move on with her life. But Aubrey doesn’t want to move on; she wants Josh back. It’s been five years since he disappeared, since their blissfully happy marriage—they were happy, weren’t they?—screeched to a halt and Aubrey became the prime suspect in his disappearance. Five years of emptiness, solitude, loneliness, questions. Why didn’t Josh show up at his friend’s bachelor party? Was he murdered? Did he run away? And now, all this time later, who is the mysterious yet strangely familiar figure suddenly haunting her new life?

In No One Knows, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of the Nicholas Drummond series expertly peels back the layers of a complex woman who is hiding dark secrets beneath her unassuming exterior. This masterful thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Liane Moriarty, and Paula Hawkins will pull readers into a you’ll-never-guess merry-go-round of danger and deception. Round and round and round it goes, where it stops…no one knows.

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One Sentence Review – Slenderman by Willow Rose @willowredrose

Posted on November 19, 2016 by fundinmental

I have read some of Willow Rose’s work and loved it, so when I saw this freebie on Amazon, I had to grab it.

What a creepy, fantastic cover!

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Harassment…oh, it is so much more than that…and I wonder if Brutus will go all Cujo on her as the past comes back to haunt her with characters that are so far out there, entitled, mean, cruel, deadly, and the mystery of Slenderman seems to come out of the computer and walk in real life…

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: An engrossing thriller from an Amazon bestselling author! Ever heard of Slender Man?

They say he is always there. They say he is always watching. A tall guy in a suit and tie, with no face, and arms like tentacles.

Some say he is an online myth; others will go very far to prove he is real, so far that they might even kill for him.

Fanoe Island is busy with the mayoral election coming up, when suddenly, the sitting mayor is found killed. Rumors tell that a faceless man dressed in a suit and tie did it.

In Emma Frost’s house that she inherited from her grandmother, a box of letters is found that tells a story from a long time ago. A terrifying story revealing a painful chapter in the life of her own family half a century ago.

– Slender Man is a spine-chilling mystery from the bestselling author Willow Rose. It is the ninth in her Emma Frost-series.

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Giveaway & Review – Threading The Needle by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

Posted on November 10, 2016 by fundinmental

I was drawn into the Roma Series because of the fabulous covers and the storyline.

It made me think of Kathy Reichs and the the TV series, Bones, with her forensic anthropology, only for a character that specializes in forensic accounting.

We continue our adventure in Milan, Italy and bullets will fly.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Roma Series continues in Threading The Needle by Gabriel Valjan. I am excited to see what Bianca and her band of cohorts will encounter next in Milan, Italy.

We are back with some familiar characters and the stakes are higher than ever. Conspiracy is alive and well.

The infighting between the police for territory and jurisdiction and the political machinations dog down their investigation into the murders and mystery. Politics is a dirty business and heads will fall, bodies too.

Gotta be pretty sharp to run the gauntlet and find the answers.

A little manipulation can be in order, and it does keep me on the hook as I try to figure out why they do what they do sometimes..

As the mystery unfolds, I think Bianca, a forensic accounting cyber nerd, has the answers, but…

Sometimes there is so much going on, I lose track of where I’m going. Am I purposely being mislead so I can’t find the answers?

Is it just me that I feel like I am being schooled rather than on a journey for my own entertainment? If you enjoy step by step police procedurals and some a glimpse into Italy’s history, this is for you.

I love the concept of this series so much, I wonder why I am having such difficulty with it. Is it because of the location…Italy and all that entails, their customs and history?

I took a little time and read other things between the books, but to see if it makes a difference, I will be diving right into Turning To Stone, Book IV. I believe these books can stand alone, but if you want to know all the details of the continuing characters, start at the beginning.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Threading The Needle from Gabriel Valjan.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

Threading The Needle, Book III

Milan, Italy. Bianca’s curiosity gets a young university student murdered, but not before he gives her a file that details a secret weapon under development with defense contractor Adastra. Guilt may drive her to find justice for the slain Charlie Brooks, but she is warned by the mysterious Loki to stay away from this case that runs deep with conspiracy. Bianca must find a way to uncover government secrets and corporate alliances without returning Italy to one of its darkest hours, the decades of daily terrorism known as the “Years of Lead.”

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

Gabriel Valjan lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the Roma Series, available from Winter Goose Publishing. Gabriel has also written numerous short stories and essays found online and in print.

Connect with the author: Website ~Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format
12 winners total
Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
Giveaway ends Dec 17

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
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One Sentence Review – Leave Tomorrow Behind by Judy Clemens @judyclemens1 @PPPress

Posted on November 5, 2016 by fundinmental

I won Leave Tomorrow Behind by Judy Clemens and want to thank her and Poisoned Pen Press for this fun, farm fresh cozy.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

There is more than manure in the pile and the comical dialogue with the diverse characters like Stella, a Harley riding, tattooed woman with a distinct sense of right and wrong, made this a fun and relaxing romance that is a part of a stand alone series.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: She’s back! Tattooed, hard working, and often crabby dairy farmer and biker Stella Crown is hot—both in temperature and temperament. Her sister-in-law is a nag, her fiancée Nick is ill, and her bank account is in the red. But when a local country star turns up dead at the county fair, where Stella’s teenage employee Zach is an exhibitor, things turn from hot to ugly.

Stella wasn’t friends with the victim. In fact, she’d only seen her from a distance. But seeing how Stella was the one to dig her out from her deathbed in the calf barn’s manure pile, the cops are on her like flies on…well…honey. Why on earth would Stella want to kill a young singer she’d never spoken to? She’d much rather kill the annoying helicopter dad in the fair’s dairy barn. Or the fifty percent fake girl in the Lovely Miss Pennsylvania Pageant. Or her banker.

Sick to death of annoying cops and entertainment folks, Stella figures the only way to get her life back is to aim law enforcement in the right direction. If that means having to endure a manicure with her soon to be sister in law at the dead singer’s favorite salon, or stopping by the recording studio to check out the talent, Stella figures there could be worse things. Can’t a simple farm girl just get married in peace?

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Giveaway & Review – Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

Posted on October 27, 2016 by fundinmental

I was drawn into the Roma Series because of the fabulous covers and the storyline.

It made me think of Kathy Reichs and the the TV series, Bones, with her forensic anthropology, only for a character that specializes in forensic accounting.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Bianca is back in the Wasp’s Nest by Gabriel Valjan, the second book in the Roma Series. She has returned to the States and is working for Rendition…again. I wonder if she may regret it. She is a loner and distrustful. She walked away from love, but she cannot forget him. Will he come back into her life?

A scientific element arises when Bianca investigates Nason Pharmaceutical and wasp DNA. Will it be used for a cure or a weapon? In this twisted world, who can say.

As the story grows and develops into more than one mystery to be solved, I wonder how safe any of the characters are. An assassin, corruption and greed…can anyone be trusted?

It is difficult for me to understand some of the scientific and technological references, but I do understand conspiracy, greed, betrayal and murder. The heavier reading sometimes seems like a school lesson, but I do want to know and understand, so my pace is slower than usual.

In Wasp’s Nest we are becoming more serious, more involved in the mysteries and there is less eating and traveling and more investigating. Italians do have a passion for food and their needs are a celebration of taste so I think it is a valuable component to the story. The suspense has ramped up, with danger around every corner. I was worried Bianca’s band of merry men may pay a fatal price. I have become very fond of her gang, each with their own personalities, desires and motives.

If I gave half stars, I would give Wasp’s Nest 3 1/2. The story is much better, with more action, for an action junkie like me. There will be more in this five book series and I look forward to following the gang to the very end.

I received Wasp’s Nest free of charge from the Gabriel Valjan.

You can see my review for Roma: Underground, Book I, by Gabriel Valjan HERE.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

WASP’S NEST (Book #2)

In the highly anticipated sequel to Roma, Underground, Bianca returns to the U.S. for her former employer, the covert organization Rendition, to investigate Cyril Sargent and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. Although ambivalent about the assignment and uneasy about her online “friend,” Loki, she is enticed into researching what Sargent is doing with insect genetics that might upset the world of cancer research and treatment. Old friends Farrugia and Gennaro uncover a twisted conspiracy from their past and join Bianca in Boston where they will experience conflicted loyalties, question allies, and confront uncertain enemies, as they’re drawn into the wasp’s nest.

“Again, Valjan successfully conflates multiple sophisticated narratives that bring the past and present together, which the archaeological theme of the last novel also helps accomplish . . . Black is back and just as entertaining as ever.”

—Kirkus Book Reviews

“…a compelling reading, action-packed and with intriguing characters. The plot had plenty of twists and turns, some surprising secrets, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the very end.”

—The Book Junkie

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

Connect with the author: Website ~Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format
12 winners total
Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
Giveaway ends Dec 17

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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You can see my review for Roma: Underground, Book I, by Gabriel Valjan HERE.

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Giveaway & Review – Roma: Underground by Gabriel Valjan @GValjan @NouveauWriter

Posted on October 20, 2016 by fundinmental

I was drawn into the Roma Series because of the fabulous covers and the storyline.

It made me think of Kathy Reichs and the the TV series, Bones, with her forensic anthropology, only for a character that specializes in forensic accounting.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the concept for Roma, Underground by Gabriel Valjan…a woman on the run and an investigator and archaelogist on a treasure hunt…of sorts.

If you like procedural novels, Roma is for you. Gabriel Valjan allows Bianca to take us step by step through her investigation, though there is more than one mystery going on.

Want to visit Roma? See some sights? Eat some great food…and lots of it? Then lets follow Bianca as she helps her ‘boyfriend’ solve the mystery of who is smuggling stolen historical artifacts out of the country.

Bianca’s step by step digital search and quick mind will have her ‘gang’ tiptoeing through danger as she tries to avoid discovery from her past employer, a covert US organization. I like that her investigation mirrored a forensic murder investigation, just surfing the internet instead of dissecting a body. She makes me think of Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds. You must find the parts and pieces and put them together.

Gabriel Valjan is very detail oriented in his descriptions of places and food. He takes us Underground, through caves, and dining in restaurants, showcasing the food enough to make your mouth water. My only complaint is sometimes the details dogged down the pacing, slowing the story and losing the sense of suspense and danger. This could be because I am an action junkie!!!

I questioned how I would get through the entire series, but the deeper into the story I went, the more involved I became. I was already interested in Bianca, but the peripheral characters grew around her, creating their own dilemmas that drew her in, bringing with them an increasing sense of danger.

Roma, Underground’s mystery is wrapped up nicely, but Bianca’s story is still left to our imagination…or the next book, Wasp’s Nest. Thank goodness I do not have to wait, because the entire series is available.

I received Roma Underground free of charge from Gabriel Valjan.

3 Stars

SYNOPSIS

ROMA, UNDERGROUND (Book #1)

Savvy forensic accountant Alabaster Black is hiding in Rome from her former employer, covert U.S. organization “Rendition.” While there under an assumed name she meets Dante, an investigator, erstwhile explorer and member of the Roma Underground, a band of amateur archaeologists who map the city beneath Rome. With Italian artifacts disappearing at an alarming rate, Alabaster and Dante search for answers and create a trap for the thieves. Through a mysterious online contact Alabaster learns she is being followed, and with her safety at risk she is forced to rethink her chosen alliances and discover hidden truths about herself.

ABOUT GABRIEL VALJAN

Connect with the author: Website ~Twitter ~ Facebook

GIVEAWAY

5 winners get a paperback copy of CC
5 winners get an ebook copy of CC
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in paperback (signed)
1 winner gets whole set of Roma series in ebook format
12 winners total
Print copies open to USA and ebooks open international
Giveaway ends Dec 17

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You may see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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One Sentence Review – Oh Ship! by Lori A Moore @LoriAMooreKY

Posted on September 17, 2016 by fundinmental

I have been on many cruises and if you enjoy people watching, like I do, Oh Ship by Lori A Moore will supply you with plenty of laughs and travel tips.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY ONE SENTENCE REVIEW

If you are a people watcher, Oh Ship by Lori A Moore is chock full of people…some nice and some not so nice…that had me laughing and shaking my head at their antics.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB: Ship happens. Cruises can be quite the adventure within an adventure if you keep your eyes open and watch the little dramas that are going on among the several thousand passengers and crew members aboard the ship. Reading author Lori A. Moore’s true tales of things that happen on the high seas will have you saying, “Oh Ship!” From stories of passengers pepper-spraying other passengers to grown men fighting over glass figurines of penguins, you’ll laugh until your ribs hurt.

You can see my Giveaways HERE.
You can see my Reviews HERE.
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Cozy Giveaway – Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke @aburke59 @dollycas

Posted on September 15, 2016 by fundinmental

What a fabulous cover for Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke. I want to be on that beach. How about you?

Gnarly New Year! Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery

Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Paperback: 220 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1530845781
E-Book ASIN: B01G15GEPC
MY REVIEW

Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke is Book II in the Corsario Cove cozy mystery series. I would recommend started with Book I, Cowabunga Christmas.

Cozies have such fun titles and covers, I find them irresistible, even though they are not the hardcore mystery, thriller and suspense reading that I love the most.

Gnarly New Year by Anna Celeste Burke picks up where Cowabunga Christmas left off. The murderer had been found, but there were many unanswered questions.

We have the small town cop with an attitude and lots of surfers. Kim and Brien partake of the sport as they follow the trail to the…treasure. It’s not really a treasure, per se, but it is the object everyone is looking for.

The dialogue is fun and the characters entertaining, especially with all of Brien’s little quirks. He’s such a sweetie pie.

I received a copy of Gnarly New Year from Anna Celeste Burke in return for an honest review.

3 Stars

Synopsis

The honeymoon’s not over yet! Kim and Brien’s excellent adventure at the swanky Sanctuary Resort & Spa continues when an unwelcome visitor drops in on New Year’s Eve. An elusive marine GPS device found and lost again, unleashes another wave of murder and mayhem in Corsario Cove! What is it about that thing? Will the secret be revealed when they visit the chamber of heinousness? Stooges, Krugerrands, and monks—oh my! Is it going to be a Gnarly New Year for Kim and Brien?

About The Author

Anna Celeste Burke is an award-winning and bestselling author who enjoys snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style! Her books include the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery series set on California’s Central Coast, and The Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series set in Orange County, California–the OC. Coming soon: The Misadventures of Betsy Stark that take place in the Coachella Valley.