Monday, March 31, 2014

LEANN'S REVIEW: Play (Kylie Scott) Stage Dive #2

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Title: Play (Stage Dive, #2)
Author: Kylie Scott
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 25, 2014
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Kylie Scott returns with the highly anticipated follow-up to international bestseller LICK.


 
Synopsis
Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.
Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?  




Buy the Book
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Lick (Stage Dive, #1)
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About the Author
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USA Today Bestselling Australian Romance Writer.
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Review:

I loved this book. One of the best I have read in a while. I don't usually like the rock star style reads but I was head over heels in love with this story! I found myself laughing and crying right along with the characters.   I love Anne and Mal. They are hilarious together. I was laughing out loud at moments.

I loved this story line. I truly was surprised at how much I enjoyed this read. I really wish I had read the first book in the series now. I am definitely a fan of the author and the series now. I can't wait to see what comes next! It should be wonderful!!! 

Rating:
  

DOUBLE FEATURE: LEANN'S REVIEW: Jeremy Fisk #1 & #2 (Dick Wolf)




WILLIAM MORROW
An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
Publicity Contact: Danielle Bartlett
Publicity Director
Acclaimed Law & Order creator and bestselling author Dick Wolf 
raises the stakes in his highly anticipated second novel
 featuring the NYPD’s secret weapon against terrorism—
 Detective Jeremy Fisk
 
THE EXECUTION


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Review:

Wow! I this book is just as amazing as the first in the series. I hate to compare it to Law & Order but I honestly feel like I am in a movie or TV show each time I read Wolf's work. I love Fisk's character. While the story is about Fisk's adventures, the points of view change. One minute we are NYPD and the next we are terrorist plotting the next demise. 

A thrilling read that kept me on the edge of my seat! I couldn't wait to see what happened next but I didn't want it to end either. Action and suspense! A true adrenaline read the last few chapters. And a twist I didn't see coming! Well a couple of twist at the end. I did like this ending much better than the first books ending. 


Rating:
  



(keep reading below for an excerpt!) 


Praise for last year’s series debut THE INTERCEPT:




Review:

I was blown away by this read! I love all the Law and Order series and to find out that the creator is writing a book I almost flipped. Then I dive into the pages and can't stop reading. I love Fisk. The characters, story line, mystery... They are all captivating. 

As you read you feel like you are wrapped up in this story right along with the characters. The twist this book took caught me by surprise! I hated the ending. It was devastating. At least the good guys won, if you could say that. I love how real it all seemed. When there are acts of terror I guess there are really no winners and Wolf portrayed that wonderfully. 

Very well written. A true page turner. I can't wait to jump into the next book. I hope Fisk's adventures aren't as devastating as this one, but I am sure Wolf will captivate this reader again! 

Rating:
  

“Wolf’s ‘The Intercept,’ wherein al-Qaeda attempts another major attack on New York, is a smart, suspenseful, highly professional piece of work that should rank with the best of this year’s thrillers.”  
 — Washington Post
“Part police procedural and part ticking-bomb thriller.”   — New York Times
“A can-they-stop-him thriller in the manner of Day of the Jackal.”   — Miami Herald
“Wolf makes it look like he’s been writing novels his entire life. The tight prose, great characters and the intense twists are all signs of a master at work. . . . Readers will be clamoring for more adventures with Jeremy Fisk.”   — Associated Press
“Dick Wolf extends his brand masterfully in The Intercept . . . Wolf, who turned formula into high art in Law & Order, uses many of the same devices he deploys so effectively on TV: crosscutting, scene-shifting, manipulating points of view. That’s how he builds suspense.”   — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Like Law & Order, this book unfolds crisply and intelligently, with a nice mixture of suspense and social observation. . . . Wolf does a shrewd job of setting the stage for his protagonist’s next appearance. Storytelling pro Wolf knows how to ratchet up tension and sustain it.”   — Kirkus Reviews

“A spectacular fiction debut . . . A pulsating plotline. Clever characters. Dramatic dialogue. Surprising twists. All make for an edge-of-your-seat read that will have thriller fans eagerly awaiting the next series installment.”   — Library Journal (starred review)


“Stunning, heart-stopping fiction. . . . [A] fabulous new book . . . it’s un-put-downable, full of good and bad guys and lots of surprises. . . . If you are a thrill seeker, don’t miss this novel.”  
— Liz Smith, Huffington Post

“The first novel by the creator of Law & Order feels like a Law & Orderepisode. Thank goodness. . . . Like Law & OrderThe Intercept works as well as it does because of its pacing; it’s a fast read with a satisfying arc. . . . Its supporting cast members are drawn sharply enough to imagine them being inhabited by New York character actors.”   — Slate


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Last year Law & Order creator Dick Wolf burst onto the literary scene with his bestselling debut thriller, The Intercept.  The Associated Press declared, “…tight prose, great characters and the intense twists are all signs of a master at work,” and the Washington Post exclaimed, “[The Intercept] should rank with the best of this year’s thrillers.”

Now Wolf delivers his follow-up, THE EXECUTION (William Morrow; On-Sale: January 7, 2014; One Day Laydown; ISBN: 9780062064851; Price: $27.99/ $33.99 Can.), in which Jeremy Fisk—detective with the NYPD’s  Intelligence Division of the Joint Terrorism Task Force—is out to stop an assassin let loose in New York City by a shadowy business cartel.


Ten days after the Mexican presidential election, twenty-three bodies are discovered beheaded on the border between the U.S. and Mexico. Leading the investigation for the Mexican intelligence agency is 35-year-old Cecilia Garza, a raven-haired beauty who’s notorious for her intensity and take-no-prisoners demeanor. Garza has learned the hard way that a forgiving nature can be an officer’s worst enemy.


Upon the bodies of the cartel’s victims she finds a carved symbol—a Hummingbird—and recognizes it as the mark of an assassin known only as Chuparosa, a man both feared and celebrated for his brutality. Even Garza, who has been pursuing him for years, knows almost nothing about him. Except that he’s now headed to New York.


Meanwhile, it is United Nations week in Manhattan and a grieving Jeremy Fisk is dealing with the loss of his partner and lover and the trial of the Swedish terrorist responsible for her death. There’s no time for grief, though, when you’re responsible for the safety and security of the world’s most powerful leaders. Complicating matters is the startling news of a mass murder in nearby Rockaway, where a dozen people have been found dead.


Fisk may not like Garza, the pushy new arrival from Mexico, but they’re going to need each other if they stand a chance of finding and stopping Chuparosa. Soon they both realize that there’s more to this threat than meets the eye—and Fisk will have to learn the hard way that justice is not always blind.


Filled with electrifying plot twists, high-wire drama, and even a little romance—THE EXECUTION is an adrenaline pumping story that could have been ripped from the headlines, yet is enticing and entertaining enough to keep readers wanting more. As the mastermind behind one of the most successful and prolific television brands of all time—NBC’s Law & Order—Dick Wolf uses his dynamic storytelling skills to captivate audiences with his Jeremy Fisk series.


Wolf explains, “The NYPD Intelligence Unit provides a goldmine of story possibilities for Fisk. As much as the threats—narco-terrorists in The Executionand Muslim fundamentalists in The Intercept — what also attracts me about these stories is the possibility of exploring the things that drive the people involved in counter-terrorism on a daily basis. And the psychological toll they face when they know that the only good days are the ones in which nothing happens. Coupled with constant anxiety about the cost of failure against enemies who are often unknown. This makes Fisk an idiosyncratic, yet totally disciplined investigator.”


THE EXECUTION: A Jeremy Fisk Novel By Dick Wolf
William Morrow an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
On-Sale: January 7, 2014
ISBN: 9780062068491; E-Book ISBN:9780062064851
Price: $27.99
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WANT A PEEK AT THE EXECUTION?
CLICK HERE FOR AN EXCERPT!

COVER REVEAL: The Chronicles of Moxie (Z.B. Heller)



Title: The Chronicles of Moxie
Author:  Z.B. Heller
Genre: Adult Romantic Comedy
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Cover Designer:  Carrie from Cheeky Covers  
Event Organized By:  Literati Author Services, Inc.


Synopsis

Moxie Summers is a curvy, twenty-six year-old teacher who has not had the best track record with relationships.  In a drunken stupor at a bar, she meets Miles who turns out to be her sparing equal, until she vomits all over his shoes.  Just when she thinks things couldn’t get worse, her dream man turns out to be the single father of the newest student in her class.

While fighting an attraction for Miles, Moxie’s conniving stepmother tries to advise Moxie she needs to get in shape if she’s ever going to catch the man of her dreams. To make matters worse a Girl Scout plans Moxie’s demise, a surprise party makes everyone blush, and then there was the skunk…

Can Moxie overcome all the Girl Scout cookies, food poisoning and a showdown at Costco to get to Miles?




About the Author


As a little girl it was always a dream for Z.B. Heller to become She-Ra Princess of Power. Since this dream was unobtainable, she spent what was probably way to long in college trying to "find herself". Becoming an artist scratched the creative itch until the stories in her head were getting to be to loud for her to get anything else accomplished. She lives in St. Louis with her husband, son and Flemish Giant rabbit Chloe. In her spare time she likes to read, stalk celebrities on Twitter and create the type of art that people scratch their heads about.

Connect with the Author:  Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads




LISA'S REVIEW: Shadow Play (Frances Fyfield) Helen West #4

Title: Shadow Play

Author: Frances Fyfield

Series: Helen West

Summary:

In Shadow Play, Frances Fyfield hones her powers of writerly suspense to give us a sophisticated, psychologically gripping tale about crimes of the most twisted passions.The odd, vaguely menacing little man called Mr. Logo is a familiar figure in the old court building in London. Although frequently brought before the magistrate for indecent assault, he is invariably acquitted due to lack of evidence. He is especially familiar to Helen West, the take-no-prisoners Crown Prosecutor who has just failed for the fifth time to prosecute him. Now he is off-limits to her until his next appearance in court. Yet, when she befriends Rose, the young, compulsively secretive and promiscuous clerk in the office, Helen West unwittingly sets in motion events that will dangerously complicate her connection to Mr. Logo and push his rage and dark passion to lethal extremes.

Review:

This is one of Fyfield's better books. It is well written and I found myself lost in the mystery quickly. I enjoy her work and I think this is one of my favorites. I really like Helen West character and have enjoyed her story so far. Helen and Bailey. What can I say? The drama in her personal life adds to this book and gives more to her character. In this book Helen helps out a co-worker and it is one suspenseful tale. Another great read I recommend to crime lover!!

Rating:
  

BOOK BLITZ: Forever Your Heart (Mary Whitney)


Title: Forever Your Heart (Beside Your Heart #3)
Author: Mary Whitney
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Date: April 8, 2014
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Event Organized ByLiterati Author Services, Inc.
Synopsis
I’m a journalist—Adam Kincaid, BBC reporter, to be exact, so I’m not going to bury the lead. I’m about to see the woman I never got over.
I know that because I’ve been back in America for years now, and I still don’t date American girls. My dad would say I’ve come to my senses, sticking to my own British patrician kind, but that’s crap. Mum, the psychologist, would more wisely say it’s my unresolved issues around Nicki. My teenage years are long behind me, yet my guilt over her remains. So I’ve avoided all things Nicki, though the irony is she’s the one avoiding me.
Maybe if we see each other, we can both move on. Could she ever forgive me? Can you forgive yourself when you hurt someone you love?
But please, don’t answer yet. I’ve jumped ahead of the story, and as a reporter, I should give you more background to get to the root of it all.
So let me tell you my story. Then you can be the judge.
About the Author

Mary blames Laura Ingalls Wilder and Margaret Mitchell for her obsession with romance novels. At an early age, Mary fell in love with the Little House series and its dreamy hero, Almanzo Wilder, who only wanted Laura to be Laura. Like many women, Mary later graduated to the ultimate, tall and dark bad boy, Rhett Butler, who loved Scarlett despite her flaws.
Mary has lived in many parts of the U.S., and after a first career in the non-profit world and politics, she’s settled in Northern California with her husband and daughters. She spends her days writing characters she hopes somehow capture the romance of Rhett and Scarlett and Almanzo and Laura. She’s a firm believer in what Rhett says to Scarlett: “You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how.
Connect with the Author:  Facebook | Twitter| Goodreads| Website



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RELEASE BLITZ: Teathered (L.D.Davis)

tethered 
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  Blurb: From the New York Times Best Selling Author of the Accidentally On Purpose trilogy… “You were born to be mine and I was born to be yours.” Donya Stewart’s chest filled with the soft beating wings of butterflies when she first met Emmet Grayne’s green eyes at the ripe age of five. Unable to identify the tugging pressure within her when in his presence, Donya moved through the first several years of her life addled by her feelings for the boy who was her best friend’s brother, and very much like her own sibling. But one cool autumn night in her mystifying teenage years, Emmet erases any ideas Donya has of him being anything like a sibling. Donya and Emmet, unable to deny the invisible cord that fetters them together on an incredibly visceral level, begin a long journey on a road abounding with challenges, hurdles, and destructive forces. Their love for one another is absolute, and the emotional link between them is strong, but when they make a series of painful decisions and mistakes that pull them apart, the strength of that tether is challenged. “The tether contorted and quivered and groaned in protest.” If you are in search of an angst-filled romance novel, get tied into Tethered…
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Tethered Excerpt: "I whirl around and rush towards the exit. It’s January, in Chicago no less, but I feel hot and my palms are sweaty. It feels very stuffy in here and I am having difficulty breathing. I promise myself I won’t turn around and look. There is no reason to look. I won’t look. I’m only a few feet from the door. I turn my head and look. It is as if there is a magnet that draws my eyes to his exact location every time I say I will not look. If I have looked in the past and he was not in my immediate eye sight, I may have turned away and been okay, but that never happens. My eyes always find him right away. He looks stunning in his tuxedo. His deep blue bowtie hangs to one side and his shirt is unbuttoned a few buttons, revealing the beginning contours of what I know to be a well-defined chest. His dark hair is a little on the long side. Hair falls across his forehead. It’s sexy. His wife hates it. She must not like running her fingers through it. His hands are in his pockets as he speaks. He looks casual and relaxed. I look away and escape the crushing pressure of the room. I dig into the little purse strapped to my wrist and get my ticket for my coat. I thrust the piece of paper at the guy behind the counter and he retrieves my coat a few seconds later. I walk out of the building and away from the few people outside who also dared the cold. I follow a walkway until I find myself on the other side of the building, facing what is probably a very gorgeous garden in the warmer months. It was still pretty, even under the ice and snow. I look around and am relieved to find myself alone. The sun is setting. The lampposts are flickering to life. It is cold as cold can be out here, but I needed to get out of there.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

LEANN'S REVIEW: Dying for a Living (Kory M. Shrum) Jesse Sullivan #1

Title: Dying for a Living

Author: Kory M. Shrum

Series: Jesse Sullivan

Summary:

On the morning before her 67th death, it is business as usual for Jesse Sullivan: meet with the mortician, counsel soon-to-be-dead clients, and have coffee while reading the latest regeneration theory. Jesse dies for a living, literally. As a Necronite, she is one of the population’s rare 2% who can serve as a death replacement agent, dying so others don’t have to. Although each death is different, the result is the same: a life is saved, and Jesse resurrects days later with sore muscles, new scars, and another hole in her memory. 

But when Jesse is murdered and becomes the sole suspect in a federal investigation, more than her freedom and sanity are at stake. She must catch the killer herself—or die trying.


Review:

Holy Cow! I love this book! Left me with the biggest book hangover ever. Jesse is a bad ass chick. There is a mother of a love triangle between Ally her best friend and Luke the Hott guy she has a no strings attached relationship with. However this triangle doesn't really come to focus until the end.

 Instead you are wrapped up in a world that has zombies and angles and physics, but lets face it those are not the politically correct terms. I love Brinkley & Garrison. I can't wait to see where Gabriel enters into Jesse's life (secretly hoping he will end the love triangle)  An amazing read. I can't get enough of. To say I can't wait for the next book is an understatement! 
Rating: