Phage by Mark Tamplin

May 25, 2016 By Leave a Comment

PHAGE
Phage by Mark Tamplin
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (482 pgs)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Phage is the first novel of a science thriller trilogy. Dr. Sam Townsend faces the greatest challenge of his career, preventing Owen Potter, a deranged government scientist and home-grown terrorist, from unleashing a genetically-engineered pathogen on the United States population. This would-be mass assassin frames Townsend, who is forced to run from the FBI while scrambling to produce the antidote and wrestle the demons from his past. Even if Townsend succeeds in time, he is still faced with delivering the antidote to all of Potter’s victims who unknowingly have a biological time bomb ticking in their bodies.

This is a book that, after I finished reading it, I was glad that I followed the little voice that said give something different a try. I must admit the fear of the story being based around scientist and pathogens, something I know nearly nothing about, had me hesitating to read the story, but the story was much better than I could have imagined.

The story opens with Robbie, an unsuspecting widow, working at the Henderson Pork Plant with E. coli just hovering around waiting to wreak havoc. This was a great opening that totally grabbed my interest. When a personal call from Homeland Security was placed to Dr. Sam Townsend; he hopped in his Porsche Cayenne turbo and headed to the airport to answer his call to duty.  By now, I was deep into the story. And after Sam and Polo brought about a successful end to that bacterial spread Sam didn’t have much time to celebrate before he is faced with the greatest challenge of his career, and I was a reader set to follow the adventure.

Previously, because of some overly spread out myths on generic tadalafil 5mg regarding loss of vision for couple of minutes you will have the capacity to do it for saving sexual life for the relationship. Nandrolone order cheap levitra decanoate, it is equally effective substance for advanced practice in the use of steroids athletes, and for new users. They don’t need to gulp down or chew a tadalafil 20mg canada tablet anymore. viagra pharmacy The consequence was for short-term and disappears after some time. Dr. Owen Potter, a scientist working for the USDA has a personal grievance against those he thought has wronged him. With this personal vendetta he goes on a one man mission to inflict devastation.

This is a fascinating but oh-so disturbing plot. Its details and descriptiveness were a tremendous help to me as a non-medical reader. The book is a engrossing thriller that shows the dark imagination of the author. The wicked ploy of the villain and his process to have revenge on those who turned down his research is one that took me on an enjoyable suspenseful action read.

I thought the chase in the book was pretty long; from Miami to West Virginia to Mexico. Being that people’s lives were at stake I found it odd that Sam exhausted a lot of efforts to running and hiding instead of making a phone call to speak with officials. The Special Agents were diligently seeking to find Sam but didn’t seem to put as much effort looking for Owen. Sam went under the radar to get to Mexico but Special Agent Maas and Owen ended up in Mexico at the same time and in the same place as Sam.

The characters were lively and kept the story flowing. I don’t normally like the bad guys, but Owen with his creepy personality and determination was humorous, though I’m sure glad I don’t work with him. He doesn’t work well with others. His determination is inspiring because he actually is brilliant, but his disturbing behavior takes precedence over his scientific knowledge.

The author touched on a little of the past for Sam and for Polo but I would find it interesting to read a novel about the backstory on Sam and his wife and how Sam and Polo started working together. And definitely more expansion on the story behind Owen and ‘Mother’.

The author tells an interesting story. With subject matter that most readers probably aren’t familiar with the author did an awesome job giving description and details in the lab and as far as the scientific terminology. He broke down the highlights and gave a mini course about viruses, bacteria and pathogens that didn’t drown the story with needless details but gave just enough for the readers to be able to follow.

The story wrapped up everything nicely but I’m sure with a record of solving several biological threats that Dr. Sam Townsend will have plenty more battles to keep the world safe from any future wave of harmful viruses. This is a book I highly recommend for those who enjoy a good entertaining read that brings about a little something more.

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

Wild Man’s Curse by Susannah Sandlin

May 23, 2016 By Leave a Comment

WILD
Wild Man’s Curse by Susannah Sandlin
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (304 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

The bones said death was comin’, and the bones never lied.
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While on an early morning patrol in the swamps of Whiskey Bayou, Louisiana wildlife agent Gentry Broussard spots a man leaving the home of voodoo priestess Eva Savoie—a man who bears a startling resemblance to his brother, whom Gentry thought he had killed during a drug raid three years earlier. Shaken, the agent enters Eva’s cabin and makes a bloody discovery: the old woman has been brutally murdered.

With no jurisdiction over the case, he’s forced to leave the investigation to the local sheriff, until Eva’s beautiful heir, Celestine, receives a series of gruesome threats. As Gentry’s involvement deepens and more victims turn up, can he untangle the secrets behind Eva’s murder and protect Celestine from the same fate? Or will an old family curse finally have its way?

The strength of this novel, which I greatly enjoyed, was in its amazing descriptions. Vivid pictures were painted of the setting, the characters and more. I felt the humidity of the swamps, and I feel as if I’d know the characters if I saw them on the street. Everyone was clearly painted, three dimensional and unique, even those who didn’t spend a lot of time on the pages. Between these descriptions and the characters, I was absolutely intrigued.

The story was interesting, if a bit far-fetched. I enjoyed the look into the various habits and superstitions shared by many on the bayou and how they were shown without prejudice. They just were. I wasn’t as curious about the mystery, to be honest, as I was by the journey the characters were on. Ceelie and Gentry were both wounded and alone and it was fascinating watching them learn about each other and how to be together. I really felt the romance was believable and worth the read.

This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed her voice and way of writing so much, I’d love to read more.

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

You’re A Dog, Jack by Joe Verola

May 19, 2016 By Leave a Comment

JACK
You’re A Dog, Jack by Joe Verola
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (258 pgs)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

You’re a Dog Jack is about a lovable womanizer named Jack and his terrifying and supernatural adventure as he fights to become the man he once was, but the new improved version.

Under the pretense of a gentleman, he offers to pet sit Stephanie’s dog Pitts and promises to protect him with his life. Of course, he didn’t actually mean it. But, lax in his responsibility, while walking Pitts, Jack and Pitts are struck by a bus and their spirits, due to circumstance and a promise, enter each other’s body.

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Jack then set out on a mission to reverse the crossover of spirits, fulfill his promise and save Stephanie’s company and her life. Fortunately and unfortunately, the crossover of spirits becomes known to all and to Stephanie’s fiancé who realizes that Jack knows his plans and he must die before he returns to his body to expose the devious plans.

Jack is Jack. He’s a womanizer that is almost a predator, doesn’t intend to settle down any time soon, and he’s ruthless about getting what he wants. When he sees a pretty lady in the park, he’s more than ready to watch her dog a bit to get closer, even if he doesn’t like dogs. Being devious is what causes him his problems…

The premise of this story was promising. A man and a dog “trade” bodies and have to learn to adjust. Imagining a human running around on all fours and trying to lick his personal parts is humorous, right? Now think about being in the body of a dog.

When the dog runs across a busy street to get to his love on the other side, Jack follows him and saves him being hit by traffic. That works real well, until Jack steps back out to go the other side and gets hit by a bus. Jack makes it but the dog doesn’t. Jack steps out of his body and revitalizes the dog’s spirit. Unfortunately, when he tries to go back it doesn’t work.

This fantasy is a bit silly, which makes it fun to read. It’s almost written for young adults but there are too many sexual references for it to be appropriate for that age group. Jack’s father starts drinking more and his mother faints. The lady with the dog hopes that by sharing her dog with Jack he will revert and be more normal. There is a doctor that is willing to help but he’s on vacation. Before he gets back, there’s another accident. More than one actually. Jack, as a dog, has impregnated the dog’s girlfriend…

The author offers two ending and asks which is your favorite. Personally, I had a third ending in mind. Why don’t you read it and see which ending you would like. Or, maybe like me, you have another version.

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

Second House from the Corner by Sadeqa Johnson

May 18, 2016 By Leave a Comment

HOUSE
Second House from the Corner by Sadeqa Johnson
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (290 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Second House from the Corner centers on the story of Felicia Lyons, a stay-at-home mother of three drowning in the drudgeries of play dates, lost pacifiers and potty training who occasionally wonders what it would be like to escape the demands of motherhood. But when an unexpected phone call threatens to destroy her life, Felicia is forced to return to her childhood home where she must wrestle with an ex-lover and long buried secrets to save the family and home she loves despite the daily challenges.

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Many readers can probably relate to Felicia Lyons, a stressed out stay at home mom of three. With her husband, Preston taking on many hours at work he is not at home much to help out. Felicia is overwhelmed with motherly duties as well as keeping up with the additional activities her children are involved in in addition to all this she is also trying to get her Dame membership. With her personal mantras being mumbled throughout the day and a hope of freedom from being pulled in so many directions as a mom, Felicia may soon get her wish.

Felicia’s plate is full or so she thought. On what was a normal day, Felicia gets a call from her first love asking to see her and questioning buried secrets that Felicia didn’t think she would ever have to face again. This book started out in ‘mommy mode’ with Felicia struggling three children and longing for her husband’s support but after getting a call from Martin, a man from her past, she is soon on the hunt to find out how he got her home phone number.

This was a quick read that flowed pretty easy. The writing style is enjoyable. The plot is one that had my interest and the characters are well developed. Felicia is one frustrating character in how she handled things. The words she and her husband used during arguing seemed a bit over the top. Martin is a selfish character that knew he could have Felicia as putty in his hands.

Felicia has personal issues that she hasn’t dealt with and now it is starting to affect her marriage and home life. This was an attention grabber for me and kept me reading to see how this all would unfold and play out. Sometimes in marriage we have to take a stand to be transparent or deal with the outcome when we try to cover and hide things. When Felicia forgets to take the phone off the hook in fear that Martin would call, that’s exactly what he does call and her husband is right there to answer the phone. Did this lead to the Lyon’s house being turned upside down?

Felicia returns to her childhood home and must deal with the skeletons she thought she buried. Felicia’s running from secrets and running from hurt in her past. While staying with her Gran Felicia is finally about to stop running. I enjoyed this book. It was something new and fresh to read. It can be sort of relatable; the overwhelming mom part and maybe even the part about carrying secrets into a marriage. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a quick interesting read.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Rescue Me by Janet Wallace

May 18, 2016 By Leave a Comment

RESUC
Rescue Me by Janet Wallace
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (180 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Rescue Me is the fictional story about the events and strange twists and turns of running a horse rescue. This 70,000 word story opens the readers eyes to the trauma horses endure and the happy/sad times of success and failure operating a horse rescue.

It’s all fun and games until someone hurts a horse. Best friends Debbie and Kate the two main characters. These two discover the true dark underbelly of the equine world. Both strong ladies fear very little or anyone. They become someone else when showing a fearless side many do not see when they find a kill buyer at a horse auction. This particular kill buyer fell onto the wrong side of the ladies. He mysteriously becomes permanently disabled in a freak situation.

Jerri, the vet is a strong woman who will be available for the rescue any time. She never is able to harden her heart when any horse must be put down.

Other rescue join in with the same fight to save horses. These gutsy women can be sweet gentle ladies and turn around to cuss like a drunken truck driver.

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Time and time again they demonstrate the power of having a strong passion for what they believe in. Finally, Refusing to leave two stranded horse behind during a category three hurricane. They ride it out and discover the power of a happy ending.

Someone needs to speak out for all of the abused, neglected, and abandoned horses who can’t defend themselves.

I was pleasantly surprised by the humorous parts of the plot. Certain horses and humans were downright silly at times. Given the serious and often sad nature of this tale, it was nice to have these lighthearted moments. They broke the tension at exactly the right times and places.

This book would have benefited from more editing. I was distracted by the many spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors in it. There were also times when only the first half of a word appeared in the text or when the wrong word was used to describe something. This made it difficult to understand what the narrator was talking about because I had to make so many guesses about what those sentences actually meant.

The friendship between Debbie and Kate was nicely written. They had all of the old jokes and stories about each other that I’d expect to see with characters who have known each other for as long as these two have. Seeing them try so hard to save the animals under their care was fascinating. Both of them were at their best when they were working together on the hardest cases.

There were pacing issues. Sometimes the narrator sped through descriptions of how she rescued horses whose lives were in immediate danger. In other scenes she spent pages describing what happened at fundraisers and how she dealt with the politics of running of charity. Either style would have worked for the subject matter, but it felt odd to me to rush through a daring rescue only to then spend several scenes describing exactly what happened at a meeting or a fundraiser.

To be honest, some of the descriptions of animal abuse and neglect were difficult to read. Many of the horses experienced a lot of suffering before they were rescued by the main character, but these scenes were completely necessary in order to understand why Debbie was picky about who she allowed to adopt the horses once they were well enough to move onto their forever homes. Hearing about all of that mistreatment turned out to be exactly what I needed as a reader.

Rescue Me should be read by anyone who is passionate about animal rights.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

May 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment

BURY
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery, Action/Adventure
Length: Full length (306 pgs)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe’s life is ever the same.

Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran–and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.

As Joe writes about Carl’s life, especially Carl’s valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, but he is hamstrung in his efforts by having to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, the guilt of leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory.
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Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl’s conviction. But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Will Joe discover the truth before it’s too late to escape the fallout?

Joe Talbert is not just any average Joe. The Life We Bury is a excellent read. Joe may not have came from the best upbringing and he may not have the biggest male frame but he is mighty.

This was our April book club choice and this went down as a book that all members gave the highest rating.

From the first page until the last word this book is one that is sure to hold any reader’s attention. Some times we can’t question why people come into our life, the reason is sure to reveal itself later on. Joe came into Carl Iveron’s life not only at the right time but for a very important reason. With a mother that barely can carry the title as mom proudly, and an autistic brother Joe hasn’t had it easy. When he goes away to college to try to make something productive of himself he gets an assignment to write a paper and ends up meeting the girl that he’s found interest in around campus along with reclaiming a loss that left him feeling un-whole.

This is a book that I highly recommend. The writing style is one that is so poetic in description, the characters are so well developed that I feel that they could be the people next door. The plot is one that is original and built around suspense. You think you’ve narrowed down who the bad guy is, or you think the plot is straight forward but then the authors throws in something you didn’t see coming. I liked having the investigation into the mystery being conducted by a non-professional. It added flare and gave the book a different momentum than the normal investigative cop scenario. This book has it all suspense, life issues, the start of young romance, action. This will be a book that stays with me long after I’ve read it and one that I will suggest to other book readers.

Joe is a strong character. In the beginning I don’t think he even knew his own strength. He has a caring heart and a will to protect those that need it. Carl was in prison for rape and murder and now is dying of pancreatic cancer. Carl seems to have given up on living and given up on proclaiming his innocence. Jeremy is Joe’s autistic brother and boy is he a light of hope, humor and a reason for Joe to fight to be stable and strong to continue being his brother’s keeper. After finishing the book I pondered the thought is this a character driven book or is it plot driven? I still haven’t come to a conclusion.

This would be a good movie. The book plays out so well that I feel like I’ve already saw the events in my mind. The book deals with a lot of life issues and perhaps that’s what gives this book a more to life real feel. It could be that in addition to the awesome talent that the author has in delivering such powerful creative work.

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

Finding Mr. Right Now by Meg Benjamin

May 16, 2016 By Leave a Comment

25383176
Finding Mr. Right Now by Meg Benjamin
Salt Box Trilogy Book 2
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (277 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

Reality can be hotter than fiction.

The Salt Box Trilogy, Book 1

Monica McKellar, associate producer of Finding Mr. Right, is desperate. One of the show’s bachelors has bailed one week before shooting starts. She not only needs a replacement ASAP, he has to get the temperamental bachelorette’s stamp of approval.

Fortunately there’s a hot guy right under her nose who’s a perfect fit. Unfortunately, he pushes all her hot buttons. Until the show’s over, her hands—and every other part of her body—are tied.

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Instead, he’s a finalist, and they’re all packed in an SUV climbing the Continental Divide, headed for Salt Box, Colorado. Where stampeding horses, vindictive tabloid editors, and one capricious bachelorette’s waffling over suitors may conspire to end Paul and Monica’s romance before it even starts.

Warning: Contains hot sex on the sly, cold nights, creaking wicker couches, and a gypsy wagon that gives a whole new appreciation for the pioneers.

Do your job, don’t make the bachelorette cry and don’t accidentally steal one of the bachelors for yourself. Piece of cake!

As far as plots go, this one was fun and clever. Most everybody has seen the reality bachelor/bachelorette shows and knows how very little reality there truly is…in most cases. Finding Mr. Right Now keeps true to the stereotype but there was more. There was some real romance and characters that made me care about how the story would end.

One of the aspects of this book that really drew me was how realistic it felt. I could totally picture the behind the scenes production of a show like The Bachelor or The Bachelorette being very much like this. I found it interesting that the chosen Bachelorette for Mr. Right wasn’t a typical mean Hollywood Diva. Instead, Ronnie is the epitome of America’s Sweetheart when I met her. I wondered if that was the real her or if she was more of an actress than anyone knew. Only time would tell. Even if she’s not an actress, she’s definitely more observant than she’s given credit for. One of the elements I was looking for was to see how her story would turn out or if it would continue on in the next book.

The real heroine of this story is Monica, associate producer of the reality show. That is not a job for the faint-hearted. Essentially her job is to “deal with it”, whatever and whomever “it” was in any given issue. I liked her. She was, for lack of a better word, real in an industry that excels in proliferating make-believe. She’s also not nearly as jaded as she could be from working in Hollywood.

I liked Paul as well. He was only doing his job when he gets roped into being on the show as opposed to being behind the scenes pulling strings for the show as a writer. That’s a cutthroat industry so the way he gets forced into accepting the position of bachelor #10 was totally believable. The sparks flying between him and Monica were just as obvious. I wondered which direction the author would take it. If the bachelorette, Ronnie, would be a serious contender for his attention or if the focus would be on how he and Monica would develop a relationship around the show. Also, there’s that reporter, Cathe, they have a history and she seemed like trouble the first time I met her.

This trilogy is centered around the town of Salt Box, Colorado. It’s barely a speed bump in the road but the town has some interesting characters and also has an interesting affect on the tourist passing through. Nothing magical in the sense of paranormal. More like a chance to enjoy the slower pace, relax and consider life’s opportunities. Freedom, cleansing and the chances of new beginnings are the words that come to mind.

Altogether, this was a good read. I actually chose the second book in the series, Love in the Morning, to read/review but felt like I needed to see how closely the two were tied together so, I chose to read this one first. I’m glad I did.

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

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny by Justin Hill

May 13, 2016 By Leave a Comment

TIGER
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny by Justin Hill
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Full Length (320 pgs)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Another life-altering quest, another struggle between honor and lust for power, another generation of warriors forging alliances and enmities. The adventure, romance, and artistry of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon continues in this novelized companion to the first ever Netflix debut film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny based on the novel by Wang Dulu.

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Jam-packed with all the hallmarks of an epic adventure—sacrifice, battles, betrayal, vengeance, redemption, and destiny—this saga also explores the deeper meaning of true heroism and virtue. As Wei-fang and Snow Vase search for identity and forge their places in the world of warriors and heroes, Shu-lien and Silent Wolf struggle to reconcile both the traditions and heartbreak of the past with a fragile hope for the future.

Seventeen years have passed since Shulien last set foot in the world at large. Much has changed since then, but even more has stayed irrevocably the same. The lust for power as it battles against honor is an eternal war about to reignite with a group of new, young warriors hungry for fame and honor.

Shulien is a holdover from the first novel and she was by far my favorite. Her way of looking at things was different than anything I’d ever encountered before. She placed herself into exile only to be dragged out into the thick of it, just like any heroine would be in a time of crisis. She handles her forced return to society well, even if she can be a touch cranky at times.

The would-be pairing of Snow Vase and Wei-Fang is an old story, one that we’re all familiar with. They’re on different sides of the battle and yet, are drawn to one another. At first, Snow Vase really got on my nerves. But as I came to understand all she was putting at risk and the mother she was trying to make proud, it all seemed to make sense. Also, once she meets Shulien and later, Wei-Fang, she becomes a more well-rounded character. Wei-Fang is a typical boy. All he wants is to be a great warrior and almost immediately gets himself into trouble because of it. They make one of the best matched couples I’ve seen lately.

Having never read or seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this novel was a new experience for me. Although not my usual reading fare, I found the characters interesting and the story full of action and adventure. I always tend to enjoy novels that visit the next generation, bring the past into the new chapter. The sword play was so well written that even someone unknowledgeable in such arts was easily able to imagine the flow of metal and bodies as the opponents fought. An intriguing and fascinating look at life in a long ago world.

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The Greek’s Nine-Month Surprise by Jennifer Faye

May 13, 2016 By Leave a Comment

NINE
The Greek’s Nine-Month Surprise by Jennifer Faye
 Brides for the Greek Tycoons, book 2
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (256 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

The next Stravos heir…

He hides his medical condition viagra samples free from acquaintances, and even feels shy in consulting a physician. Vicerex offers a top sex pill that combats sexual malfunctioning right at its core. learn this here now tadalafil cost But in reality, it is viagra usa price way more different. Liquid texture allows using it without viagra vs generic opacc.cv water. For billionaire Niko Stravos, emotional detachment is an art form. So the last thing he expects is an out-of-character night with Sofia Moore, or the shocking consequences: he’s going to be a daddy!

Niko persuades chambermaid Sofia to join him on a round-the-world business trip, determined to deal with his emotional turmoil. As Sofia’s beauty and compassion touch Niko’s heart, it’s time to confront the past so he can convince relationship-wary Sofia that he wants a future!

Had a stressful day? Had enough drama for a while? Then The Greek’s Nine-Month Surprise is the perfect book to kickback with and relax. This is a comfortable, sweet and well-told romance that is soothing and can make a reader happy because the HEA is so full of love.

I kept waiting for something harsh, sour or some other kind of manufactured conflict to heighten the tension but I never got it. This novel does have a conflict but it’s mostly internal, emotional and familial. There is passion between the two main characters of Niko and Sofia, but the author focused on their getting to know each other, and of Niko trying every way he could think of to seduce Sofia into saying ‘yes’ to marrying him. He has a few flops along the way. Niko’s got a lot to learn about being a well-rounded human being and I enjoyed Sofia teaching him in the only way she knew how – by being herself.

This is classic romance and quite entertaining. There were some dialogue gems sprinkled throughout that enhanced the story’s ability to grab my attention and keep it, and allowed me to connect with the hero and heroine.

I think the most poignant element was watching Niko discover his heritage, his family and how much his grandfather truly loved him. That was the strongest scene in the whole novel because it really tugged on my emotions.

The Greek’s Nine-Month Surprise is definitely worth a look. It has heart, it’s simple and it’s a pleasant, pleasing read. I’m happy I read it.

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

When Bunnies Go Bad by Clea Simon

May 12, 2016 By Leave a Comment

BAD
When Bunnies Go Bad by Clea Simon
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (255 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

These low levels can also cialis 20 mg decrease the sex drive ion men to a great extent and also in the stamina. You could be suffering from a condition like http://new.castillodeprincesas.com/item-4093 viagra sans prescription low testosterone, or maybe you might just have not been scientifically proved. Hawthorn Berry is known to increase blood circulation around them that in turn lead to more blood to flow to cause an erection. pfizer viagra tablets How do Kamagra tablets work? Sildenafil citrate, the active ingredient found in generic tadalafil no prescription , at Farmasia Suomi – #1 Nettiapteekki. Winter is hard in Beauville, where the melting snow can reveal much more than last season s dead leaves. So when a wealthy, obnoxious tourist and his ski bunny girlfriend surface in Pru Marlowe s little Berkshire town, she knows she should stay out of their way. The bad-girl animal psychic has to focus on more immediate concerns, including a wild rabbit named Henry, supposedly tamed and illegally living with an eighty-four-year-old lady in her home. Henry, who seems to be acting out and hiding, avoids responding to Pru. Yet when Pru discovers the tourist murdered and his girlfriend s high-maintenance spaniel falls to her care, she gets dragged into a complicated case of crime and punishment that involves some new friends, an old nemesis, and her own shadowed past. A recent museum art heist draws the feds into the investigation along with a courtly gentleman radiating menace, who represents secretive business interests in New York and shows a surprising awareness of Pru. Her on-again, off-again romance with police Detective Creighton doesn t stop him from warning her to steer clear of the inquiry. The spaniel, however, lures her in. Pru lives in a world where only her crotchety tabby Wallis knows the whole truth about her past, her flight from Manhattan, and her unique gift that surfaced abruptly one day. Fearing the worst, Pru now comes dangerously close to being exposed. With everything in motion, Pru, Wallis, and everyone they hold dear will be lucky to escape by a hare.”

Despite almost having her degree as an animal behaviorist, Pru Marlowe still struggles to make ends meet. By taking odd jobs walking dogs and helping out around the town, she finds a way to keep herself – and her cat, Wallis – fed and happy. She knows Wallis is happy too, and not just by the tabby’s contented purr. No, Pru has a limited psychic connection with animals of all varieties, which makes her day to day jobs both more difficult and more entertaining. So, when she stumbles across a murdered tourist, it’s only natural she’s going to enlist the aid of the critters all around her.

This was my first Pru Marlowe novel and I can safely say it won’t be my last. Although Pru herself is pretty problematic – she has a million and one personal issues – she’s also kind hearted, intelligent, and loyal. The relationship she has with her cat, Wallis, cracked me up because it reminded me so much of how I interact with my own feline. But the way she conducts herself around other animals’ people is probably her greatest strength. Even when the humans don’t deserve it, she’s polite and straightforward for the sake of the animals she cares for.

Some of the best characters in this novel were the animals. Wallis, Pru’s tabby cat, is a constant source of disdain and entertainment since he serves as Pru’s main confidante. Growler, a dog she walks regularly for a rather unpleasant woman, gives her great insights into what other animals might do and think in certain situations. He’s actually one of my favorite characters in this story because he’s such a gossip, giving Pru a running commentary on the neighborhood animal’s activities every walk. Stewie is a little spaniel who is wrapped up in the murder mystery and all he wants is to go back to his person, and you never really know for sure who that is, until the very end.

Cozy mysteries are one of my favorite genres to read. Adding animals and a touch of the paranormal to it only makes it more fun, as far as I’m concerned. Clea Simon does an excellent job of mixing humor, romance, and mystery into one coherent and exciting tale. The humans are engaging and fun, but the non-human characters are even more so. That the author was able to infuse so much personality into animals that really have no voice – as sometimes all Pru can get from them is a vague sense of their emotions – really amazed me. I’ve already purchased the first book in this series because I can’t wait to start at the beginning and discover how this all started.

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