Archives for September 2017

Love on Longboat Key by Meg West

September 5, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Love on Longboat Key by Meg West
The Keys to His Heart, Book 1
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Short Story (143 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Julie Joseph dreads spending Christmas in Florida with her cranky elderly parents. Yet that changes when she arrives at Sun Tower and meets the eligible bachelor whose equally quarrelsome parents have just moved into the penthouse. Thomas Briggs IV is hardly the type Julie has dated in the past: he’s tall, handsome, and out-of-this-world wealthy. He’s also the son of the CEO of Pilgrim Mutual Insurance, where Julie works as a copywriter.
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Julie has just a few days to date Thomas before they both have to return to the ice and snow blanketing the Northeast. But there’s one big problem: Julie’s rival for Thomas’s attention happens to be her gorgeous, but mean-spirited boss at Pilgrim Mutual. Can Julie overcome the odds and beat out Amanda Ford to win Thomas’s heart?

Love on Longboat Key, the first in a trilogy of contemporary romance novels set on the barrier islands off Sarasota, is a sweet holiday tale about finding love on the beach.

Julie works for an insurance company in Connecticut but is in Florida to spend Christmas with her parents who live in a block of flats for the elderly.  Thomas works for the same insurance company in Connecticut and is in Florida to spend Christmas with his parents in the same block of flats. They have not met before their holidays.

The two come together and find discover they have mutual employers, in fact Julie’s immediate boss is Thomas’s ex fiancé. They take time out together to get away from the demands of their parents and enjoy the Florida sunshine instead of the Connecticut snow storms.

This is a sweet romantic story where two like souls from very different backgrounds come together and help one another with their family and work problems. Add to this the ex fiancé who expects Julie to work over Christmas and is also a little bit jealous about Julie’s friendship with Thomas, and we have a story with a green-eyed monster making it interesting.

I loved both main characters and Julie’s parents added humorous light relief. The conflicts in their relationship were addressed in a very sensible way, none of this did he – didn’t he? Will she – won’t she? If they were confused, they asked. This could have made it a bit insipid but it didn’t. The story was entertaining and sweet and came a a very satisfying end. I enjoyed it immensely.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale

September 4, 2017 By 1 Comment


Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (327 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Two months before his wedding, financial executive James Donato chased his trade-laundering brother Phil to Mexico, only to be lost at sea and presumed dead. Six and a half years later, he emerges from a dissociative fugue state to find he’s been living in Oaxaca as artist Carlos Dominguez, widower and father of two sons, with his sister-in-law Natalya Hayes, a retired professional surfer, helping to keep his life afloat. But his fiancée, Aimee Tierney, the love of his life, has moved on. She’s married and has a child of her own.

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This story is the sequel to Everything We Keep and I’m glad the author chose to write Aimee and James’ story from his perspective because I’d been fascinated to know what really happened to him.

All is answered in this book. James is now Carlos, a widower with two boys and living in Mexico. As the story unfolds…it’s told in both the present and past as we learn what happened and how he ended up in a fugue state.

Aimee is now married with a child and I thought perhaps the story would focus on their reconnecting but instead it takes different course and the suspense deepens when his brother is released from prison. He was the catalyst for the drama surrounding James’ disappearance and in this book; he’s trouble with a capital T.

I thought this had more of a page turning quality to it than the first one and found myself reading more as I got farther into the book. It’s got a ticking clock quality to it and I found the characters really compelling

I obviously won’t give away the ending but let’s just say these two books have turned me into a die-hard fan of Ms. Lonsdale.

I strongly suggested reading the books in order to appreciate the sweeping and suspenseful story line.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pretty Masks by C. A. Bell

September 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Pretty Masks – A Twisted Tale of Revenge by C. A. Bell
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Short Story (120 pgs)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Masking a problem doesn’t fix it. No matter how long you keep it covered.

We all hide behind masks. Whether that be a forced smile to a loved one after a long day. A sympathetic frown of concern to someone that doesn’t really matter to you. Or a professional face at work after an almighty row at home. The fact is, we all do it. We do it because we want to be prettier on the outside than we truly are on the inside. We do it to hide the cracks that have formed due to life. But what about the people who are forced to wear masks? The people who are forced to hide their true colours because society says so?
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Life has thrown its fair share of crap at Lois Johnston, and the one thing that has kept her sane and going for the last seven years is her husband, Nathan. But what happens when the one person that is keeping you safe from yourself leaves, taking not only your heart, but your sanity with them as well?

For the first time in a long time Lois is about to remove the mask that was forced upon her years ago. But what’s matured underneath after years of heartache and hiding is something even uglier than before. Life has twisted her into a monster, and she’s about to set it free.

The book started off okay. Lois Johnston is waiting for her husband Nathan to come home, she had plans to greet him with a romantic dinner that she has made. Coming home late for the last four month, Nathan placates Lois by telling her that they will take a romantic trip soon. Lois doesn’t come across as a strong woman to me. Her husband basically showed her by his actions that she wasn’t a priority, that their marriage wasn’t a priority. It is sad that she is in a marriage where she is unseen and neglected. I didn’t like that the author didn’t give Lois a life. There wasn’t any mention of any close friends. I didn’t see Lois as a fully developed character for these reasons and that her story focused more on her tragedy and disorder and not on her as a woman.

The story does alternate from Lois’s past and present. Her past gives a glimpse of how she got to where she is in the present. The glimpses of her past do help to show how her disorder developed.

I understand the Dissociative Identity Disorder to a small degree and it was disclosed that she dealt with traumatic abuse, but I didn’t understand how if Lois has been doing fine with her disorder but all of a sudden she loses control of herself and starts her journey into a world of revenge and madness. I am not familiar with what brings about DID triggers nor did I expect the dark tale of sex and murder that personality X brought to the story. I am not sure how I feel about X standing up for Lois. I want Lois to be strong and take control of her fears and life, but not by a means of violence. I wanted her husband Nathan to reap what he sowed for hurting and neglecting Lois. I guess X made him pay by her standards of punishment and I couldn’t expect a happy or satisfying ending for someone dealing with impulsive behavior.

This is a short story that is sure to keep your attention as it takes you on a ride on the many faces of Lois. This is a good, quick read that delivers the dark side of Dissociative Identity Disorder and what could possibility be the devastating results.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Forever Wicked by Nina Bangs

September 1, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Forever Wicked by Nina Bangs
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (400 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Sparkle Stardust wishes she could take back the angry words she threw at Ganymede. Now the man she loves has left her and is on a collision course with death if she can’t stop him. When she finally tracks him down, Sparkle discovers he has stirred up more trouble than both of them can handle.

Ganymede storms from the Castle of Dark Dreams determined never to return. He vents his anger by creating chaos around the world, certain that the mayhem will drive Sparkle from his mind and from his heart. It doesn’t work.

But when a powerful enemy from their past threatens Ganymede and Sparkle, they stand side by side to protect their lives, their castle, and their love.

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The most fascinating revelation about Sparkle and Ganymede is their origins. That was something I never, ever saw coming. In the Castle of Dark Dreamsseries the two protagonists were always Cosmic Troublemakers – they wrought various forms of destruction and misery on worlds and on Earth. It’s what they did and what they were. However, throughout the series I saw them slowly morph into something else besides destroyers and troublemakers and this novel explains why. It was very cool. Actually, it was kind of sad too, and shocking. It’s that element that leads the plot into twists and turns that does Ms. Bangs justice.

As far as the romance goes between Sparkle and Ganymede, it starts off bumpy because they kind of broke up with each other in the previous novel. I say ‘kind of’ because it was more a matter of hurt feelings than either one not being in love with the other, so there was a lot of healing and attempts at reconciling in the first part of the story. It’s the threat they face and the realization that they are stronger together than apart when faced with the biggest fight in their long lives that brings them back together.

In fact, all of my favorite characters where brought back to play important parts in the final, dramatic and exciting conclusion. Seeing them again sparked an interest to read the whole series from beginning to end and relive why I enjoyed this series so much. The variety of personalities always kept the story arc fresh and interesting.

Anyone who has read Ms. Bangs’ works knows that humor is a big part in the lives of her characters and that remains true in Forever Wicked. Yes, there are sexy times to show that Sparkle and Ganymede are still hot for each other but it’s lightly sprinkled throughout the book. The main focus is on the plot, the characters and their personalities, and how they suddenly understand the meaning of ‘family’ – of which is an incredibly important component to the conclusion of the story arc.

I suppose this book could be considered a standalone story because the focus is on the two main characters but I strongly believe that the potential impact is greatly enhanced for fans of the series. With that in mind, I’d lean towards it not being truly a standalone read. Ultimately, it’s reader’s choice.

Forever Wicked was a tale worth waiting for. I am satisfied with their happily ever after and the story told to get there. It was pure Sparkle and Ganymede just as I’ve known them to be, but with more depth and surprises. I’m a happy reader.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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