Tag Archives: 4 star review

Review – The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon #TheQuietTenant #NetGalley.

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I want to thank NetGalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read and review The Quiet Tenant and the introduction to the author, Clemence Michallon.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I was happy to be on the front end of Clemence Michallon’s writing career with what I think is her debut novel, The Quiet Tenant. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I loved her twist on the serial killer scenario. I am a huge fan of serial killers, reading about them, not hanging out with them, so any fresh plot is always welcome. Of course, I think we know that a serial killer could be hidden under the guise of your neighbor. Hell, it could even be a family member. Serial killer’s are not always male, though it is rare to find one that is female.

Imagine meeting a kind, young man who turns out to be your worst nightmare. He has murdered eight women and you are the ninth. Why has he kept you alive? Why doesn’t he take what he wants and dispose of you? What makes you different from the others?

‘Rachel’ is the tenant and he is the landlord. He has had her for eight years. Now, things have changed. His wife has died and he is being evicted. How can he incorporate her into his new life, keeping the specifics hidden from his thirteen year old daughter, Cecilia.

Rachel has a set of rules she has made to keep herself alive, hoping she will be saved.

I had wondered about his relationship with his daughter, seeing he rarely let her out of his sight, other than school. Was he molesting her, having her take the place of his dead wife and Rachel is just a side bit for some variety? At first, I thought it was because he knew just how dangerous the world can be, seeing he is a predator. But, the reason was much more personal than her safety.

There were a couple of hiccups in the story, but over all it kept me reading. I wondered how in the world they could all live together and how it would end. Clemence Michallon was able to keep me in suspense, never giving away the ending, even though I tried to figure it out for myself. The twists and turns along the way were new to me and as many books as I read, it is hard to come up with something novel and unique. Kudos go out to Clemence Michallon for being able to do that and leave me wanting more. I am eager to see what she will come up with next.

The ending was inspirational and hopeful. I always wonder how I will react in a situation some of these characters find themselves in, and I tell myself one thing and wonder if that is what I would really do. After all, I don’t think any of us can know until or if it happens.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Quiet Tenant by Clemence Michallon.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED NOVELS OF 2023 • “A bravura feat of storytelling . . . a daring and completely satisfying mystery.” —James Patterson, #1 best-selling author

A PULSE-POUNDING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER NARRATED BY THOSE CLOSEST TO HIS 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, HIS GIRLFRIEND—AND THE ONE VICTIM HE HAS SPARED

Aidan Thomas is a hard-working family man and a somewhat beloved figure in the small upstate town where he lives. He’s the kind of man who always lends a hand and has a good word for everyone. But Aidan has a dark secret he’s been keeping from everyone in town and those closest to him. He’s a kidnapper and serial killer. Aidan has murdered eight women and there’s a ninth he has earmarked for Rachel, imprisoned in a backyard shed, fearing for her life. 

When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his thirteen-year-old daughter Cecilia are forced to move. Aidan has no choice but to bring Rachel along, introducing her to Cecilia as a “family friend” who needs a place to stay. Aidan is betting on Rachel, after five years of captivity, being too brainwashed and fearful to attempt to escape. But Rachel is a fighter and survivor, and recognizes Cecilia might just be the lifeline she has waited for all these years. As Rachel tests the boundaries of her new living situation, she begins to form a tenuous connection with Cecilia. And when Emily, a local restaurant owner, develops a crush on the handsome widower, she finds herself drawn into Rachel and Cecilia’s orbit, coming dangerously close to discovering Aidan’s secret.

Told through the perspectives of Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily, The Quiet Tenant explores the psychological impact of Aidan’s crimes on the women in his life—and the bonds between those women that give them the strength to fight back. Both a searing thriller and an astute study of trauma, survival, and the dynamics of power, The Quiet Tenant is an electrifying debut by a major talent.

  • Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

320 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 20, 2023 by Knopf

ABOUT CLEMENCE MICHALLON (from Amazon)

Clémence Michallon was born and raised near Paris. She studied journalism at City University of London, received a master’s in Journalism from Columbia University, and has written for The Independent since 2018. Her essays and features have covered true-crime, celebrity culture, and literature. She moved to New York City in 2014 and recently became a US citizen. She now divides her time between New York City and Rhinebeck, NY.

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I Am Hooked on Devil’s Dolls by William Baker #wiliamblake

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OMG! I joined William Baker’s newsletter last month and have never looked back. His series of Devil’s Dolls short stories are to die for, and The Devil’s Origins is free, OR…if you have KindleUnlimited you can grab Season 1, or purchase for $5.97.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

This standalone novella/short story, The Devil’s Origins by William Baker has me hooked. I love a good vigilante story and the only thing I hate about the Devil’s Dolls series is that it is not a novel. I want more, more depth, more detail, more of K…just MORE!

The Devil’s Origins by Willaim Baker has everything I love in a thriller…a female main character who is a vigilante, edge of the seat suspense, dead bodies, a story that can stand alone but has more to come. Once I read it, I knew I wanted more!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Blood, ashes, and bones.

That’s all she saw.

When she awoke amongst the debris and dead bodies drenched in a mysterious substance, she found two things.

A single initial on her half-burnt uniform’s nametag.

And all her memories erased.

Abandoned, confused, hungry, and cold, K trudges on into a small town she doesn’t recognize

Failing to consider that she looks like an escaped, dangerous convict…

That her appearance would turn heads, raising dangerous questions she had no answer to.

But there is something about her new self K learns the hard way.

Her powers are anything but human.

And they can get her in a whole lot of trouble.

Soon, all hell breaks loose, and K is entangled in a murder she never wished to commit.

As she tries to escape the consequences of her actions, K is met with a choice she never thought she’d have to make.

Follow the instructions of her anonymous benefactor, or starve, die, and worse…

There is only one thing K can be certain about.

Someone is watching her every move.

They know what she’s done.

And they won’t stop until she pays what she’s due.

K’s deadly chase has only just begun.

This is the standalone prequel to the Devil’s Dolls series by William Baker.

  • List: Mystery, Novella/Short Story, Psychological, Series, Suspense, Thriller, Vigilante
  • 63 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published April 24, 2023 by Stories Of Wonder

MY REVIEW

Vengeance In Black by William Baker is a newsletter exclusive short story with a cliffhanger. I was ecstatic and disappointed at the same time. I was hooked when I read the standalone prequel, The Devil’s Origins, and was left hanging by my fingernails after finishing Vengeance In Black. I HAD TO KNOW what happened next and was ecstatic when William Black offered The Devil’s Dollmaker free for a limited time. YAY!

What’s is happening to all the women in town?

Look at that cover below…Doesn’t it make you want to know what the fuck is going on?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am soooo lovin’ this series of novella/short stories. It makes me think of Charlie’s Angels, except there is only one angel with an anonymous benefactor. K is the epitome of a female vigilante and I love her. In The Devil’s Dollmaker, a deliciously gruesome story of missing women, K shows her humanity. I hate that she remains a solitary action figure, yet a connection would make her a target. This way, she comes and goes, like a ghost in the night. The only downside to this action packed suspense novella/short story is the cliffhanger…and I am hanging on for dear life!

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Somewhere in the dark, the Dollmaker butchers another victim.
Going against her instincts, K decides to follow Lisa to the police, where she introduces her to Jerry, a cop that seems to distance himself from the corruption of the system. What surprises K more is that the task force has been expecting her arrival, addressing her as ‘special agent’ Rose. Is this another unexpected twist her anonymous boss has thrown her way, or could it be an elaborate scheme to trap her?

The lack of physical evidence on the case and her only unreliable witness leave her no time for caution. Thanks to Jerry’s tech skills and Lisa’s charm, they follow the missing women’s traces to the dark web, where a man called the Dollmaker deals in favors and twisted requests. But the most disturbing revelation of all is why these women answer his call…

What they find on that page scars Lisa, but K is hellbent on uncovering the man behind the operation. She knows whatever lies inside the sickest minds is best to remain hidden, but unless they act fast, more will die, and the killer’s trail will run cold.

This time there is no room for error. Not while the Dollmaker is out there mutilating his new toy.

  • List: Mystery, Novella/Short Story, Psychological, Series, Suspense, Thriller, Vigilante
  • 77 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Published August 31, 2022 by Stories Of Wonder

ABOUT WILLIAM BAKER

William Baker lives on the west coast, surrounded by misty mountains, together with his wife, his son, and their two cats Tiger and Panther. He is a dedicated reader of most genres, with mysterious thrillers being his favorite.

Since he was a young boy, Will has written stories of all sorts, starting with the adventure of a mysterious beheaded rider clad in black, wandering around the village after sunset, causing terror to any foe standing in his way. After high school, Will thought it wise to pursue a proper education and became an economist. However, the stories never disappeared, on the contrary, more and more started to play themselves out like movies in his head. At last, Will had no choice but to succumb and started writing again. He has never looked back since.

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O Hell No #8 – Two Sticky Nuts by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff @MimiJeanRomance

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

OMG I laughed my way though Two Sticky Nuts by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. I guess the title might give us a clue as to what may be involved, but there is so much more to the story than I anticipated. There always is with Mimi’s work.

Mila and Sofie are best friends, and polar opposites, but their trip to Jamaica changes Mila’s life, challenging her and pushing her past her limits.

I was reading along, thinking this is a lot of fun, with laughs galore, and Mimi Jean throws a wrench in what I thought would be a simple story. She manages to do that to me a lot, catching me off guard…in a very good way. It enables her to add those moments that I do not anticipate ahead of time. Of course, it helps when we have a hunkalicious man…or two.

If you like some spice in your romance, lots of laughs and surprises, come along for the ride. You won’t regret it.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Two Sticky Nuts by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

(NOTE: Standalone)
From New York Times bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a sassy, raunchy Rom-Com that’s sugary sweet, Two Sticky Nuts.

How far would you go for your possible Mr. Right?

I’m all in for a trip to Jamaica with my best friend, Sofie—sunshine, fruity cocktails, hot men. Yes, please! But when Sofie takes off with a sexy waiter, I’m stuck all alone. At what turns out to be a family resort. Where are the single men?

I’m ready to head home early when I spot an Adonis coming from the beach. Ohmygod. Are those abs real? Did he just sit next to me?

Turns out, Carter’s smart, adventurous, and makes indie films. We spend two amazing days together as he scouts locations around the island. And though we don’t hook up, our chemistry’s on fire! Quivers. Goosebumps. Fire!

Before he leaves, we trade numbers since he’s always passing through Dallas, where I live, and I can’t wait to see him again.

Until…

I get home.

And show a coworker my vacation pics.

And she recognizes Carter.

Gasp! Carter failed to mention his side gig, and let’s just say Mamma wouldn’t approve. I really want to give this guy a shot, but can I get past this?

Answer: I just might have to join him to find out.

  • Genre: Humor and Comedy,OhHellNo series, Romance, Standalone
  • 260 pages, ebook
  • Published June 9, 2023 by Paper & Silver, Inc

ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.

Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

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MY MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF REVIEWS

MY M O MACK REVIEWS

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TBR Review – Malevolent (Cases of Lieutenant Kane, #1) by E H Reinhard

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I added Malevolent by E H Reinhard to my Goodreads TBR on 1.24.15.

Amazon / Kindle Unlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Malevolent: having or showing a desire to cause harm to another person.

The cover for Malevolent by E H Reinhad is fabulous and the fact the book takes place in Tampa, Florida, only adds to the spice of murder and mystery. Any books in Florida hit a special place for me, sand, sun and surf. I love it.

The Prologue is a gripping hook!

Lieutenant Kane is thirty eight and resembles Mr Clean. The simple description makes it easy to picture him…and his cat, Butch, a hybrid between a domestic and wild cat. He is an interesting character all by himself, growing and developing in the story.

“Death by drill and boiling water.”

I almost wanted to puke at some of the graphic details of his murders. I love it.

We have some light hearted and fun moments and dialogue, along with the gruesome.

There were some moments when I was shrugging my shoulders, not happy with what was going on. The writing did not make this a five star read, for me, but I did read it in one sitting and I would definitely grab another opportunity to read more of E H Reinhard’s work.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Tampa Homicide Lieutenant Carl Kane has a tough job. His day to day consists of decomposing dead bodies and removing murderers from the general public. But, when two women’s bodies are found under similar circumstances, it quickly turns into more than your average case. The killer is clearly looking to make a name for himself, and his plans for these women go far beyond death. When the media runs with the story, the killer’s moment in the spotlight arrives.

It’s up to Lieutenant Kane to bring the man the press has dubbed the ‘Psycho Surgeon’ to justice. Yet, being the lead on the case has its drawbacks—like becoming the focus of the killer yourself.

As Lieutenant Kane closes in on his suspect, he soon realizes that the case has become far more personal than he could have ever imagined.

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2014

ABOUT E H RENHARD

E.H. Reinhard is the author of over twenty novels in the crime fiction and police procedural genres. Residing in sunny Tampa Florida, when not putting pen to paper, or more accurately, keys to keyboard writing his next novel, Reinhard is an avid fisherman and a general enjoyer of everything outdoors.

To see what he’s been up to lately, you can find him on social media, or can contact him directly using the contact form at: http://ehreinhard.com.

Find him on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ehreinhardau…

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Review – Evolution: Sacrifice by Cara Winter #CaraWinter @BohemiaGroup1

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Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Cara Winter has laid the foundation for the Evolution series in Sacrifice and I am thinking, if Book II, Quest, continues in this vein, it may be a mind blower. I quickly got caught up in this apocalyptic/dysopian, debut novel.

We are in the future, 2080 to be precise. Scientific advancement may have taken place, but humanity is still the same, with all its foibles and climate change has done its damage.

“Mental Spectrum Disorder: Humans 2.0.

I love diverse characters and have been reading more and more books with them in it. Thomas Novak is autistic, but there is so much more going on than his disability. He is labeled MSD. Him and others like him are not looked at as human. They are an anomaly, only to be enslaved and suit the purpose of those that enslave them.

Thomas is the Leader of Project 587. Really, it is a surveillance software, enabling everyone to be spied on and tracked, and it is food for thought of what our future could become…or already is. After all, think of all the cameras we have now, all the software programs we use, how dependent we are on technology that has already taken away our privacy.

His begins to question his world, when a ‘friend’ and coworker commits suicide. He is the fifth that Thomas knows of and is charged with covering up, acting like they were assigned another task. THEN, he meets Eve Brighton, an empath, and his world is forever changed. He is awakened and sees the possibility of a different future. A future where he will not be watched every second of every day. Could there be freedom and love in his future?

I think we may find out in Book II, Quest and I want to know. Everything about Evolution has captured me, from the storyline to the characters, to Cara Winter’s ability to leave me wondering… what if…

We end with Thomas saying:

“Thank you, Ms Brighton. Regardless of what happens next..I am forever in your debt.”

Doesn’t that make you want to know what happens next?

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Evolution: Sacrifice by Cara Winter.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The Year is 2080.
London is flooding.
And 23-year-old Thomas Novak feels certain he’s cursed.

Each of Thomas’ idiosyncratic quirks – even his next-level intuition with technology – are the result of Mental Spectrum Disorder (“MSD”), a genetic condition akin to Autism.

Like Thomas, MSD live and work apart from the rest of the population. MSD is the reason Thomas hasn’t seen his family in over 17 years. It’s the reason he doesn’t hear from them, doesn’t know where they are, and barely even remembers them.

And, it’s also the reason the love of his life just took his own life.

After his lover’s death, Thomas’ ability to work and carry out his duties as MSD Leader declines rapidly. Even with the “P” he’s given daily, it’s impossible to focus, impossible to think. Everything – his position, his status, his relative freedom – hangs on whether or not the project he’s been developing, Platform 587, can be released on time. But who can focus, who can work… when they’re heartbroken?

But, a chance encounter with a mysterious woman who can feel Thomas’ pain – an Empath, named Eve – changes everything.

The Evolution Series is their story; that of Thomas, and Eve, and the ongoing evolution of the planet, of human beings, and even Love, itself… in a world that will do anything and everything (even annihilate itself) to remain the same.

135 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2021

ABOUT CARA WINTER

Cara Winter has been a writer, actress & director for over two decades. Cara has penned a number of essays on TV, theater, food, and more for such outlets as BroadwayWorld.com, TVWriter.com, and GrokNation.com.  In 2021, Cara’s original TV pilot TWIRL was optioned by Bohemia Group Originals and is now in development.  EVOLUTION Vol. 1: Sacrifice is her debut novel. 

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Review – Dragon Craved by Scarlett West @iamscarlettwest #dragons

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I don’t see Dragon Craved by Scarlett West listed as erotica, but the sizzling hot sex put it in that category for me. I do love my dragons fiery hot and Knox fits that category to a T. Amelia knows she is in trouble whenever she gets near him, because she feels the heat too.

Amelia’s sister, Ivy, has broken dragon law. Amelia brokers a deal, offering herself in her sister’s place, wanting to give her sister another chance in getting her life together. So, it’s off to Dragon Shifter Island for her to serve her sentence.

Knox runs the prison and having a human there creates chaos, but he has a personal issue with her. She is the first human to set foot on the island and Knox has to babysit her. He fights his attraction to her. No way can she be his mate, though his dragon says otherwise.

I love all the internal mind talking between Knox the human and his dragon. It had me cracking up. His dragon is like a child and only knows that he wants Amelia. She belongs with him.

You must protect our Mili. Keep her safe. We will not be the same if something happens to her.

Mili? My dragon had given Amelia a nickname.

It doesn’t take long for Amelia to figure out that all the shifters around her can feel her emotions and thoughts. I found myself smiling and I think I even blushed a few times as her and Knox’s thoughts kept turning to smokin’ hot sex. I loved their verbal foreplay. She takes no guff from anyone, even though she is so much weaker than the dragons that surround her.

Humans and dragons can’t mix, but there is a draca legend that says certain humans have been imbued with the ability to mate with dragons. Lucia, a female ancestor, had seen how dragons would be on the verge of extinction and sent out her essence. It would remain dormant until dragon numbers were low enough to make her dragon magic come to life.

Dragon Craved is a different kind of dragon story and I loved it. I find it’s hard to create something refreshing and original, but Scarlett West has managed to do that with the Dragon Shifter Island series. The best part of all, Knox is a water dragon. As they fly through the water I thought, how cool is that. And she can breathe, like a mermaid.

I could go on and on, and I kinda did….

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dragon Craved by Scarlett West.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Loving a dragon means breaking all the rules…

Amelia

When my sister gets in trouble at a dragon shifter bar, she’s at the mercy of their courts. As a lawyer, I negotiate a trade, now I’m taking her place in their prison.

Knox is the dragon sheriff overseeing my unit. He is moody, sinfully hot, and a man whose attention I don’t want. But no one told me about a dragon’s sizzling touch…

Knox

My job at the dragon prison has always been tough, and it gets worse when Amelia is assigned to my unit. When my alpha commands me to produce a child with the last female on earth I have any business wanting in order to replenish our population, I have no choice but to agree. Except I despise lawyers.

I planned to keep it professional, but my dragon burns for her like no other. There is no doubt I want her. I crave to protect her, and I need to make her mine–even if it means risking everything.

  • List: Dragons, Erotica, Paranormal, Romance, Series, Shapeshifters, Supernatural
  • 237 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication June 8, 2023 by Passion Press

ABOUT SCARLETT WEST

Scarlett West

Scarlett West writes steamy, paranormal romance featuring sexy Fae. Deep characters and hot romance are her thing.

An avid reader and writer who will never stop dreaming, Scarlett has traveled to many countries and been on tons of adventures. She draws her stories from these places, life experiences, and her grand imagination.

Besides writing, she’s a hobby herbalist and a dancer. If she’s not by the computer typing these things up, she can be found in a forest, on a mountain, or by the ocean.

Scarlett West would like to thank her three F’s: Fans, Family, and Friends. Thank you forever for your support.

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MY SCARLET WEST REVIEWS

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Early Review – She Knows Too Much by Pamela Crane @MentalMommyPam

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She Knows Too Much by Pamela Crane will be released on 6.13.23

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Pamela Crane does not need to hook me any more. I will read anything she writes. After reading the first book in the If Only She Knew Mystery series, I was eager to get my hands on She Knows Too Much, Book II.

We have a very interesting character in Sloane, a deaf woman who runs an event planning company that she built herself. The character was inspired by Pamela Crane’s brother and sister in law, along with a Nigerian friend. She shared bits of the deaf world and Nigerian culture.

We also have Ginger, an older woman who suffers from chronic pain, but still has a sense of humor and a feistiness that keeps her on the move. I do love the mix of old and young characters.

And Tara. I thought we may see more of her in this book, after meeting her in Book I, Little Does She Know. She’s a bit needy. She may drive her friends a bit crazy, but she stands by them, through thick and thin.

We begin the story when Tara almost tripped over a hand sticking up in her yard. What? Who could it be? More importantly, who put it there? And why? The three women will become suspects.

The mystery is murky and the suspects are numerous. The villains, we have plenty to go around and they spread their evil freely throughout the town. They will stop at nothing to get what they want and I think they enjoy it immensely.

“You seem to attract a lot of trouble, Tara. The deadly kind, if you catch my drift.”

Peace has written a true crime novel and been a witness that put Marvin Valance in prison. She works with Tara on the horse ranch, saving horses that are to be sold for slaughter.

How Marvin managed to get released so early no one knew. There is so much corruption because of the Valance family pretty much controlling the town, and I think we may be able to figure that out. The big question is…will he be coming after her for revenge? I never saw the result coming and I love when an author catches me offguard. Good one, Pamela.

They will all learn that you cannot run from your past and secrets never stay buried.

She Knows Too Much seemed to start a bit slow to me, but I felt I would be rewarded by sticking to it, watching the story develop, the characters nosing around, asking questions, refusing to stand by and let the police do all the work.

We have moments of laughter, second chances and plenty of surprises. The last half of the book had me questioning everyone and everything. And…Pamela Crane leaves us with the question, what happens next? After reading the ending of She Knows Too Much, I can hardly wait to find out!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of She Knows Too Much by Pamela Crane.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A lot of people want Victor Valance dead. But only one is willing to pull the trigger…and is about to do it again.

Bloodson Bay has a dark history soaked in blood and revenge. When a murder is linked to three friends, it’s tough to prove their innocence when they each have a motive.

Tara: the town troublemaker with a heart of gold.
Ginger: the wild grandma whose fashion is stuck in 1986.
Sloane: the deaf entrepreneur thrust into fame after her husband is murdered.

All three women have one thing in common—a disturbing connection to the body buried on Tara’s horse ranch. Everyone in Bloodson Bay heard about the bad blood between Tara and the victim. And rumor has it Ginger’s been holding a grudge of her own. But only Sloane knows her own dark connection to him that she wishes would disappear…a secret she’s buried as deep as his body.

When they stumble on a 1990s cassette tape exposing clues from the past, the trio must work together despite their strained history to catch a killer. As if! Not even the Girl Power of the Spice Girls can prove their innocence, no matter how much they wannabe free from suspicion.

One of the women knows too much…and it’s only a matter of time before it gets them killed.

  • 28 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication June 13, 2023 by Tabella House

ABOUT PAMELA CRANE

Pamela Crane

PAMELA CRANE is a USA TODAY best-selling author and professional juggler. Not one who can toss flaming torches in the air, but a juggler of four kids, a writing addiction, and a horse rescuer. She lives on the edge (her Arabian horse can tell you about their wild adventures while trying to train him) and she writes on the edge…where her sanity resides. Her thrillers unravel flawed women who aren’t always pretty. In fact, her characters are rarely pretty, which makes them interesting…and perfect for doing crazy things worth writing about. When she’s not cleaning horse stalls or changing diapers, she’s psychoanalyzing others.

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MY PAMELA CRANE REVIEWS

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Review & Blog Tour – Crossing A Fine Line by W L Brooks @pumpupyourbook #WLBrooks

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Title: Crossing a Fine Line Author: W.L. Brooks

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Pages: 314

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Well, I have come to my final book in The McKay Series by W L Brooks. I loved each of the five books, including this one, Crossing A Fine Line. My favorite is still the first book in the series, Let The Dead Lie, when the women were children.

Fletcher has always been my favorite. I guess I am like everyone else. I want to be the one to rush to her aid and save her, yet there is no need for that. She is quite capable of killing anyone with her bare hands, if she so chooses. She says she goes through the pain so her family won’t have to. She may be the most complicated, yet also the most heroic character I have met in some time. I have loved being with her since she was a young girl, learning to love and trust. That seems to be a work in progress when it comes to Noah, the sheriff.

“…don’t know what I would do if someone didn’t’ want me dead.”

That has been my experience with her too. She has someone, besides her family, who will put his life on the line for her and I have been waiting a long time for her to find her man.

They have butted heads from the very beginning, and, as I get all the details, I can see why.

I have many highlights in my ereader, but seeing this is the fifth book in the series, I want to try and be careful about sharing too much. I will say, this has been a fabulous series and I have loved every minute I have spent with the characters, even the peripheral ones. They will all hold a special place in my mind.

The secret kept in Crossing A Fine Line by W L Brooks is a whopper for Fletcher. I can feel her rage and pain when she finds out what it is and completely understand it. She has come a long way, because she is standing firm, facing her issues, not running away any more…or, at least, she doesn’t run far.

Crossing A Fine Line by W L Brooks is filled with action, some steamy sex scenes (which is long overdue for Fletcher, in my book) and danger, secrets exposed for the final time. I laughed with her, at times felt like crying with her, raging with her, and am so happy that she has her happy ever after.

When she is being dressed by her sisters for a night out on the town, I couldn’t’ help but laugh and think, how sweet. She is a grown woman, but I still see her as a child, so naive …’mascara was the tool of Satan’ and when Casey gave her the garter I laughed out loud.

I will miss the McKay family, but look forward to reading more of W L Brooks work.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Crossing A Fine Line by W L Brooks.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

BOOK BLURB

Fletcher J. McKay has been shot, driven insane, and tortured by a madman, so what’s one more psycho coming after her? But this foe’s disturbing attempts to extinguish Fletch’s light leave her shaken. Running out of options, she must consort with the enemy.

Fletcher is undoubtedly Sheriff Noah Reed’s nemesis. Their discord began with an irrevocable outcome of an unforeseeable trauma, but duty demands he keeps her safe. The closer he gets, the more his loathing turns to lust.

Devastated by loss, Fletcher agrees to go into Noah’s protective custody. Passion takes them across the boundaries of their animosity, but is their tentative bond enough? Or is the line between love and hate, as with life and death, fixed. 

 

EXCERPT

Noah walked barefoot to his office and poured himself a scotch. He closed his eyes as the liquid traced a molten path to his stomach. Shaking it off, he sat at his desk and flicked on the TV for background noise. On top of his stack of mail was a letter with his name on it, one that hadn’t been there before.

Opening the drawer to his left, he pulled out a pair of latex gloves. Using every precaution, he unsealed the envelope and dumped out the contents.

He picked it up with his thumb and forefinger and unfolded the paper.

Reed around the rosy

Someone’s too damn nosy

 Ashes to embers

Make sure he remembers

Ashes take flight

 Someone dies tonight

What the hell? Someone had been in his house. He squeezed his eyes shut. She’d broken in before. Hadn’t she?

 Damn it; this had gone too far. He got a plastic baggy from the kitchen, put the note inside, slipped on his loafers, and grabbed his keys. So much for getting any sleep tonight. 

ABOUT W L BROOKS

W.L. Brooks was born with an active imagination.  When characters come into her mind, she has to give them a life- a chance to tell their stories. With a coffee cup in her hand and a cat by her side, she spends her days letting the ideas flow onto paper.  A voracious reader, she draws her inspiration from mystery, romance, suspense and a dash of the paranormal.

A native of Virginia Beach, she is currently living in Western North Carolina. Pick up her latest novel, Unearthing the Past – available now! 

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Review – Confirmed Sightings: A Triple Cryptid Creature Feature by P L McMillan, Bridget D Brave & Ryan Marie Ketterer @AuthorPLM @RyanMarie47

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I want to thank the authors for the opportunity to read Confirmed Sightings: A Triple Cryptid Creature Feature by P L McMillan, Bridget D Brave & Ryan Marie Ketterer.

The cover spoke to me, does it speak to you?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love that each novella started with a full page illustration and the cover, along with Mothman set the hook. This is a different, yet the same, Mothman I have come to know, except now he is hooking up with a human, going to outer space and being involved in a murder. If you have a love of creature features, supernatural creatures or Mothman, Confirmed Sightings would be a great addition to your reading list.

A Piasa for Christmas by Bridget D Brave was a walk on the wild side. Mothman killed with impunity, bodies falling by the wayside. Kaycee was enthralled by him, but little did she know what his ultimate goal was. I almost laughed at the gruesomeness. What does that say about me? If you read it and can visualize as easily as I did, you will understand.

eyeofmoth.exe by P L McMillan was my first trip to space with Mothman. P L McMillan kept me captivated with mystery and suspense. I loved the story…and the ending…so sad, yet appropriate. Could it have ended any other way?

Once Upon A Time by Ryan Marie Ketterer is a murder mystery with so many creatures I couldn’t keep track of them all, and I couldn’t figure out who did what to who, until Ryan Marie Ketterer filled me in.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Confirmed Sightings.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

Horror fans and cryptid lovers unite! Grab your popcorn and candy, settle into your seat, and make sure to silence your phone for this triple creature feature!

A Piasa for Christmas by Bridget D. Brave Kaycee has returned to her hometown and finally found her soulmate in the most unexpected package: a transdimensional, all-powerful creature once trapped in a temporal prison. Can true love prevail between this headstrong aspiring influencer and an ancient immortal god?

eyeofmoth.exe by P.L. McMillan When the crew of the CRS Piasa encounter a space station drowning in madness caused by a creature from Pre-Calamity Earth, they become desperate to get back to their ship and warn the Company in a race against the clock.

Once Upon a Time in Turu by Ryan Marie Ketterer When a jackalope from the good part of town ends up dead, Policefoot Orli is tasked with solving the bizarre murder before the already tense town of Turu erupts in cryptid fury. But it won’t be as easy as it looks when all the usual suspects are very unusual themselves.

With full page illustrations for each novella and a foreword by Laurel Hightower, this is one anthology you don’t want to miss.

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Early Review – Transcendent by Jay Antani @booksirens #JayAntani @bandwagonpress

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I want to thank Book Sirens and Bandwagon Press for the opportunity to read an early copy of Transcendent, a Science Fiction Novella. The cover does the story justice and fits the plot.

Transcendent by Jay Antani is up for preorder at a price of $2.99 and will be released on 6.6.23.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love when an author can take less and give me more, and that is what Jay Antani has done with his novella, Transcendent.

On earth, Troy was a doctor, but on the Transcendent, he was a jack of all trades. It was his chance to be a part of the next group to settle on Prosperity. Would he regret it when a catastrophic accident kills everyone but him…and the pod people? LOL

I immediately thought of The 100, when Jay Antani described them hibernating, because interstellar flight took so many years. And, that is how he found himself on his own, trying to save his own life…and Tara’s, when he finds her outside her pod, the only other person to survive when the power went out.

A message from an unidentifiable source gave him hope and he would use the lander to try and reach them.

As the story and characters developed into an unputdownable moment, the pacing picked up and I couldn’t stop reading. I had to know if they would survive and who was trying to help them. It has a sad ending, but I felt it was appropriate. Jay Antani wanted to give me an exciting experience and he accomplished that with ‘flying’ colors.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Transcendent by Jay Antani.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Thirty trillion miles from Earth, plying the gulf between our solar system and the new human cities on the planet Prosperity, the colony ship Transcendent suffers a disaster that disables its engines and kills every member of its crew—all except one.

Panicked, medic Troy Hartman finds his approaching certain death vying with the sheer will to survive as he scrambles to revive the drifting ship. With the help of OTTO, the ship’s AI, Troy sets out to repair the damage, hotwire the engines, and establish communication with anyone out in the dark and forbidding void.

And as all hope seems to be fading, a mysterious lifeline appears—a signal from an unknown source, prompting Troy to redouble his last-ditch effort at making contact and changing course. Especially when he realizes that he may not be the last living human on board, after all.

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 6, 2023 by Bandwagon Press

ABOUT JAY ANTANI

Jay Antani is a lifelong lover of stories, both the personal and the fantastic. He came to writing by way of film studies, commercial illustration, and film journalism. After receiving his MFA from USC, Jay published “The Leaving of Things” (Lake Union, 2014), an award-winning coming-of-age saga about finding one’s voice in a world of clashing and competing cultures. “Edge of Light” is a total departure, a YA sci-fi adventure set against the backdrop of war, environmental collapse, and a possible alien pandemic. As a fan of alien invasion stories, adventurous journeys, and conspiratorial thrillers, “Edge of Light” packs in everything Jay loves about the sci-fi genre while continuing his exploration of such themes as friendship, loyalty, and courage amidst the call of destiny. Connect with Jay at jayantani.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Connect with Jay at jayantani.com

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
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