Cover Your Eyes by Mary Burton

October 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

EYES
Cover Your Eyes by Mary Burton
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (392 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

Don’t Look

At first, they struggle to escape. Then a torrent of blows rains down upon their bodies until their eyes cloud over in final agony. The killer shows no remorse–just a twisted need to witness each victim’s last terrified moments.

Don’t Speak

Public defender Rachel Wainwright is struggling to reopen a decades-old case, convinced that the wrong man is in prison. Homicide detective Deke Morgan doesn’t want to agree. But if Rachel’s hunch is correct, whoever fatally bludgeoned young, beautiful Annie Dawson thirty years ago could be the source of a new string of brutal slayings.

Just Prepare To Die
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Rachel’s investigation is about to reveal answers–but at a price she never thought to pay. Now she’s become the target of a rage honed by years of jealousy and madness. And a murderer is ready to show her just how vicious the truth can be. . .

I’ve never read a Mary Burton book I didn’t like and Cover Your Eyes was no exception. It had all the necessary elements of a first rate romantic suspense novel, secrets, danger, and of course, a budding romance.

I liked the character of Rachel, while tough; she showed a vulnerability for helping the people she believed in. Ms. Burton certainly kept me in suspense knowing if the DNA from a previous crime matched that of her now client, Jeb.

Deke was at times a little arrogant but you like him nevertheless because you know in the back of your mind he’s going to be right about his beliefs and maybe save the day.

I enjoyed the way this story unfolded. A clue here and there, another character thrown in just to keep you on your toes about guessing the story’s outcome. And while I did guess correctly on some of the clues, the ending was perfect for a die-hard mystery reader like myself.

And speaking of other characters, all the secondary ones in this story drew you into their tale. Ms. Burton made them as well rounded as Rachel and Deke.

I also liked the setting. So many stories feature New York, LA , New Orleans or Atlanta but I can’t think of a romantic suspense I’ve read that’s set in Nashville and the music industry. It was a refreshing change which I felt added another layer to the story.

Pacing is actually fast despite this book’s length and I think the “I have to turn the page” quality of Cover Your Eyes had something to do with that.

If you’re looking to add a romantic suspense story to your upcoming winter reading list, I’d recommend this one.

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

A Pretty Mess, An Astonvale Novel by Carla Caruso

October 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

MESS
A Pretty Mess, An Astonvale Novel by Carla Caruso
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (247 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Sometimes, to come clean, you’ve got to get your hands dirty …

Celeste Pretty, a self-confessed neat freak, has found the job she was born to do: a professional organiser, de-cluttering people’s homes and workplaces. Her new business gets off to a cracking start when she lands her first client, health and fitness guru Natalia Samphire, in the well-heeled suburb of Astonvale. But things get messy at Natalia’s mansion when Celeste finds a blackmail note and other mysterious items. And then there’s Lenny Muscat, the sexy builder renovating the place, whose constant presence is muddling Celeste’s usually organised brain.
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When things get decidedly suspicious at the mansion, she and Lenny have to team up to investigate. But will Celeste emerge with her heart and professional reputation unscathed?

Celeste, a neat freak, and Lenny, the man with a plan, learn that sometimes the best decisions are the spontaneous ones. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they don’t try staying in control at all cost, until they realize it’s simply not worth it.

In their case, letting life surprise them is a good thing. It does take the whole novel for them to realize it, though. But it’s a fun read and I loved following them as they struggled, trying to keep a balance between what they thought they wanted from life and what life was actually offering them. Their romance developed slowly, and I appreciated how Celeste was not willing to rush things even after she dumped her sort-of boyfriend Mitchell. She was content staying single, which showed her strong character and independence. I loved that.

I really liked the characters of Natalia and her fiancé Mike and I would love to read more about them. Same goes for Celeste’s assistant, Flip. Celeste herself was a good character as far as characterization goes, but a smidgen too tidy for my taste. Obviously, Lenny wasn’t hard to warm up to, despite his occasional arrogance. The sparks between him and Celeste — or fireworks, as Lenny described them — were fun to watch. Their relationship was far from boring.

The suspense of the blackmailing plot helped keep the fast pace of the novel and also helped describe Natalia’s character. It was, however, a bit too predictable; a twist or two would make the story more original. I also stumbled over a handful of syntactical mistakes that had me re-reading the sentences a few times before I got the meaning.

This novel is far from a mess – it’s an enjoyable read with wonderfully written protagonists and a bunch of quirky secondary characters that make for a compelling read.

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

Politics Can Be Murder: A Hilary Adams Mystery by Linda Y. Atkins

October 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

MURDER
Politics Can Be Murder: A Hilary Adams Mystery by Linda Y. Atkins
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (320 Pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

When the law clerk for the chief justice of Kentucky’s Supreme Court dies in a mysterious hit-and-run, tongues begin to wag. After all, everyone knew about the justice’s penchant for young women, and this one was as beautiful as she was smart. Concerned that her death could be linked directly to him, Chief Justice Langford appeals to Hilary Adams, now Louisville’s Commonwealth’s Attorney, to keep him informed about any new developments that may crop up in the ensuing investigation. But when Hilary refuses, Langford angrily elects to pursue another route—one that effectively circumvents Hilary’s office, but one that ultimately leads to the chief justice himself falling victim to murder.

Fortunately, most of viagra 100 mg cute-n-tiny.com the surgeries have a high dose. One can buy this product through online drugstore as buy cialis online well as with brick-and-mortar pharmacy. STORAGE Store at cute-n-tiny.com buy levitra room temperature between 59 and 86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) far from dampness, hotness. Addiction is not an illness because it’s actually a symptom that can discount viagra you can look here be the resultant of any reaction of medicine or any poor effect. Though the details of Langford’s demise are shocking, his murder neither surprises nor displeases anyone, least of all his widow, who has more than a few wicked secrets of her own. But instead of ensuring long life, those sins, which she so carefully tried to conceal, ultimately prove to be the death of her too.

Faced with mounting pressure to solve the murders of both the chief justice and his wife—and to determine whether their murders had anything to do with the untimely death of the justice’s law clerk—Hilary, Homicide Lieutenant Peter Elliott, and investigator Sam Monroe unwittingly find themselves plunged into a complicated and twisted plot that, when unraveled, exposes an insatiable lust for uncompromising greed, a double whammy of double-crossing deceit, and a diabolical scheme of deadly blackmail, all carefully intertwined to advance a political agenda that has become cruelly out of control.

Hilary Adams, Louisville’s Commonwealth Attorney, turns down a request from the chief justice of Kentucky’s Supreme Court. Chief Justice Langford actually demands that Hilary keep him informed about the progress in the investigation of his law clerk’s death in a very strange hit-and-run. Hilary doesn’t even hesitate before she refuses to provide the information. However, the request makes her curious, and soon she, along with homicide lieutenant Peter Elliott and investigator Sam Monroe, is deeply involved in not just one, but three murders, with plenty of suspects, and a lot of political chicanery.

I really like Hilary Adams. She is a well-drawn, believable character. She is what I’d like to hope all lawyers could be, namely, strong, resourceful, loyal, smart, and most importantly, completely honest, with the highest integrity. Her friends and associates, Peter and Sam, also possess these qualities, which enable them all to keep ahead of the villains.

The action is fast-moving, with murder following murder. Hilary discovers that she has to work behind the scenes, trusting no one, as corruption in the mayor’s office and the police force is rampant. This all felt very real to me, and I suspect there is a lot more corruption in those places than any of us would want to believe. That’s why people like Hilary, Peter, and Sam are so important, and I worked right along with those three to solve this case. The ending took me by surprise. I’d narrowed down the suspects, but the actual solution and the reasons behind it were complex, something I really like in a mystery. I believed in the motives, as reprehensible as they were, and I understood the sick logic that resulted in the murders.

Mystery lovers are in for a real treat with Politics Can Be Murder.

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

Lassoing A Groom by Jacquie Rogers, Kirsten Lynn, Tracy Garrett, Kristy McCaffrey, Linda Hubalek, Kathleen Rice Adams

October 17, 2014 By 2 Comments

GROOM
Lassoing A Groom by Jacquie Rogers, Kirsten Lynn, Tracy Garrett, Kristy McCaffrey, Linda Hubalek, Kathleen Rice Adams
Publisher: Prairie Rose Publications
Genre: Action/Adventure, Historical
Length: Full Length (229 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

How is a woman supposed to catch a husband? In the wild, wild west, she’s got to find a way to Lasso a Groom! Some of them are lawmen…some are outlaws. Ranchers and homesteaders are fair game, as well—none of ’em safe from love’s lariat, or the women who finally manage to rope ’em in!

DON’T GO SNARING MY HEART by Jacquie Rogers
Can rancher Dex Madsen get past loner Betsy Lynch’s goats and killer chicken to help save her mining claim and win her heart?

RACE TO MARRY by Kirsten Lynn
He’s in town to tame a man-killer. She’s accused of being one. When she proposes marriage the race is on.

WANTED: THE SHERIFF by Tracy Garrett
He’s a confirmed bachelor…but she’ll capture his heart.
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CANYON CROSSING by Kristy McCaffrey
In search of her brother, Annabel Cross enters Grand Canyon. When U.S. Deputy Marshal Angus Docherty rescues her from a cliff side, her most guarded secret might save them.

THE PERFECT HOMESTEAD BRIDE by Linda Hubalek
Will a dangerous man from Gussie Hamner’s past sabotage the future she’s building with Noah Wilerson?

THE WORST OUTLAW IN THE WEST by Kathleen Rice Adams
An inept bank robber and a bossy spinster team up to rob an empty vault. What could go wrong?

This is a nice collection of western romance stories that include everything from snaring a man to being dragged off a horse by the man who won you in marriage. There’s a sheriff, an outlaw, a bronc rider and an Indian in this collection. Sometimes it’s the man catching the woman; sometimes it’s the woman catching the man!

These ladies know the west. They have their historical references down, make their characters believable and have sweet romances for you to read about. Some of these romances are whirlwind, others take longer. I wasn’t bored a bit reading this.

I particularly enjoyed the first story in the book by Jacque Rogers. It’s titled: Don’t Go Snaring My Heart. She’s a young woman who is trying to survive in a cabin in the wild. Her dad is a miner and looking for silver. She’s selling goat cheese. When her dad dies from being ambushed, she doesn’t leave. She sets snares. When he’s hunting and finds one of her traps, he’s slung in the air and has to negotiate with her to get free. She’s end up with part of his pronghorn. Then she starts selling him goat cheese…

The last story by Kathleen Rice Adams is also special. I think it’s because there’s a spinster in it. Titled: The Worst Outlaw in the West, she manages to barter with a bank robber to stop robbery. She creates a plan that will help the bank and get even with her brother. The problem is that she’s not the only one who has that idea…

These were fun to read and some of them made me laugh outloud. One thing about it, if your marriage began the way these did, you’d have some good tales to tell the grandkids! You did a great job, lady authors.

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

Brain Matters: An Alie McCull Mystery by J. R. Scott

October 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

BRAIN
Brain Matters: An Alie McCull Mystery by J. R. Scott
Publisher: Turquoise Morning Press
Genre: Historical, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (320 Pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Reporter Alie McCull faces a political tempest of murder and deceit behind the backdrop of two corrupt government agencies. It is then that Alie discovers the Brain Matters.

One high-profile assassination. Two government agencies competing to bridle society with blackmail, mind-control and social engineering. And one vengeful reporter who will move heaven and earth to protect her stepson accused of a savage murder.

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Alie McCull is an established crime reporter who now has to research a crime that her stepson has been falsely accused of. She is very smart as well as determined, which makes her a dangerous adversary for the criminals.

Alie is a very believable character with a lot of depth. She inspires confidence and loyalty in her family and friends. Even the criminals show a healthy respect for her abilities, and there is never any question of her integrity and honesty, something that turns out to be a rare commodity.

The plot is riddled with corruption and deceit, making the mysteries extremely complex and convoluted. I wasn’t any faster than Alie at figuring out just what was going on, and the ending leaves many questions.

The novel is set in 1958, and the setting is vividly described with complete accuracy. I really felt as if I had been transported back in time. Every detail fits with the period, making the action realistic and believable. The pacing is excellent, fast-moving and exciting. For example, the description of a car chase through Detroit is so vivid that I felt as if I were watching it in a movie. The chase really gets the adrenaline pumping.

The plot deals with a lot of political corruption and drug induced mind controls which makes the story very scary indeed and while the setting in the 1950’s might seem to distance the reader from the realities of some very scary politics, we all know that the possibilities are still very real. I found the story disturbingly frightening and very powerful, and I really admired Alie for standing up for what she knows to be right in spite of pretty daunting odds.

Mystery readers who love thrillers are sure to be captivated by Brain Matters. Beware though, if you pick it for a bedtime read, you may not get much sleep.

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

Eagle En Garde by Olga Godim

October 16, 2014 By 3 Comments

EAGLE
Eagle En Garde by Olga Godim
Publisher: Burst Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (303 pgs)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Darin, a mercenary officer, lives in Talaria, a kingdom surrounded by a magic-resistant spell. While some people wish to break the spell and invite magic back into the country, the fanatical sect of Cleaners is determined to prevent the return of magic. Darin doesn’t agree with the Cleaners’ doctrine but he doesn’t dispute it either. He is a soldier, not a philosopher. Then he accidentally overhears the Cleaners’ hidden agenda to destroy all magic workers in Talaria, including witches and elves, and his orderly life is turned upside down. His sweetheart is a witch, his daughter is a half-elf, and he has many elven friends. He can’t allow the Cleaners’ murderous scheme to succeed, can’t allow innocents to suffer from the rabid zealots. But what can a lone mercenary do against a horde of extremists? His only choice lies in trickery and deceit to outsmart his enemies. And the anti-magic spell on the border suddenly becomes his only ally.

Can one man change the fate of an entire country?
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Darin knows that the odds are against him when he decides to take on the traitorous sect of Cleaners, but he absolutely cannot ignore a plot that would endanger his country and the people he loves. Darin abhors the Cleaners and their agenda. He’ll do whatever he can to stop them, even at the cost of his own life.

Darin exemplifies what a true hero should be. He is smart, brave, and fierce when he needs to be. However, he is also kind and considerate. He’s the sort of man who stands up for those in need and does not tolerate bullying of any kind. I particularly like that he treats others with respect and generally tries to give others the benefit of the doubt. While Darin always strives to do the right thing, he does have moments when he is selfish, rash, or makes poor decisions that cost him dearly. These flaws only serve to make Darin a wonderfully well rounded character. Perhaps the thing I like most about Darin is his genuine appreciation of life and the world around him. Darin’s time as a mercenary hasn’t hardened him. His curiosity and delight in discovering and learning new things was a pleasure to watch. I would be proud to call him my friend.

I love the world that Ms. Godim has created. As I followed Darin on his journeys, I could clearly see all the places he traveled through. I particularly like the description of Neazdal, a city where elves live. “Every house…glowed with its own color. The number of different shades was unbelievable…The colors blended in the middle, coalescing into each other. Violet transformed into gold, azure into dawn-pink, malachite into orange.” With descriptive language like this, Ms. Godim painted a picture of an absolutely breathtaking city that I dearly wish I could visit.

The pacing of Eagle En Garde is excellent. There is plenty of page turning action and adventure, but Ms. Godim sprinkles in some slower moments throughout the story when Darin spends time with loved ones or simply needs to recover after his many battles. The mix of the mundane and the epic gives this fantasy a realistic feel.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eagle En Garde. Darin is a great character, and I had so much fun following him on his adventures. I must admit that I was a little sad when I finished reading. I hope that Ms. Godim has plans for a sequel because I wasn’t quite ready to leave Darin and the beautiful world of Talaria behind. I highly recommend Eagle En Garde to anyone looking for a compelling and engaging tale of adventure.

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

An Intimate Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

October 16, 2014 By 19 Comments

MURDER
An Intimate Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
Publisher: Before the Fall Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (288 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

When Jonathan and Susan Luther are murder in their home, St. Paul homicide detective Catherine O’Brien and her partner Louise discover this isn’t the first time the Luther family has been visited by tragedy. Is it a case of bad family luck or is there something more?

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Catherine O’Brien is my kind of woman. She’s stubborn, she’s down-to-earth, and she’s addicted to caffeine. But more than that, she’s honest and hardworking, the kind of detective you’d want working your murder, should it ever happen. Her husband is a wonderful, loving man, who understands when she misses dinner, and never holds it against her. They make quite an amusing and realistic couple.

Louise, Catherine’s partner, is a beautiful woman and has more tact in her little toe than Catherine has in her entire body. Which is a good thing because Catherine often needs a little reminding when dealing with suspects. She and Catherine couldn’t be more different but this is what makes them work so well together. They see different sides of the coin and put them together to make a whole. The two women are also good friends and that is what makes the partnership for me.

An Intimate Murder was my first Catherine O’Brien novel but I can guarantee you, it won’t be my last. Catherine has a bit of Stephanie Plum flair in that she can crack a joke with the best of them, often at her own expense. It’s this humor that makes the book, as well as the intricate murder mystery. Every time I thought I knew who had done the deed and why, I was proven wrong and left wondering again. I love a good mystery, but more than that, I love a good laugh. An Intimate Murder and Catherine O’Brien gave me both, with plenty to spare.

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

Danube in Candlelight by Stephanie Burkhart

October 15, 2014 By 8 Comments

Cover_Danube in Candlelight

Danube in Candlelight by Stephanie Burkhart
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Genre: Historical, Paranormal
Length: Full (202 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Poppy

Morgan Duma has always known she’s different. Her eyes have unusual gold rings around her irises, a trait she’s inherited from her father. She’s faster and stronger than most. Her endurance and stamina allow her to complete tasks in a quick and efficient fashion. Since she was a little girl, she knew there was only one man for her — Adam Varga.

Morgan learned to dance in Adam’s arms. They grew up playing the piano together. Adam’s calm, soothing presence was the perfect compliment to her restless soul. Not only that, he shared her differences down to his feral eyes.

So, you levitra samples free should have sex on a regular basis because they want to enjoy their sex life to the fullest. This is the first “happiness” study of the world are not of upper classes, and so, all of the people of the world cannot use the buy viagra for women with discount & take pleasure of the moments. In spite of this you should be aware never to excess more than one dosage within 24hours as this may affect respitecaresa.org purchase cialis your safety. Alcohol, all medications, which cause dry mouth, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, head ache, sleeping disorder, chest pain, nausea, pain in upper best price sildenafil abdomen, swelling in various body areas and anxieties etc. Enter Zoltan Kristos, Hungary’s Minister of Reconstruction. He shares those same golden eyes that Morgan possesses. After Zoltan carries her mother out of a blazing fire, Morgan’s life takes a turn she doesn’t expect. She discovers the reasons for her differences, and questions her very identity. Is Adam strong enough to be the man she needs him to be?

Book three in the Budapest Moon series, and the best one yet!

I really enjoyed seeing the next generation of these families who started out as enemies, but have since become very good friends and all but family.  I strongly recommend that you read the other books to understand all the nuances and intertwined relationships here.  I imagine this book would stand alone, as Ms. Burkhart does weave in some backstory, but it will be so much richer if you are following the series.

Adam and Morgan were fun characters, feeling quite youthful and impetuous… they have both completed their educations and are ready to settle in to the lives they’ve chosen.  But as in any good book, things happen to make that road a bit bumpy.  Morgan has an intense, powerful and unwelcome new suitor and both Adam and Morgan have trust issues.

I loved revisiting everyone, including Emily who was only a few years old the last time we saw her, and the only fully human offspring in this story.  She’s turned out to be a lovely, stable, admirable young woman.  And the staff of both families (who are now joined by marriage) had their moments here as well. It was like visiting an old friend.

While I didn’t always thing Morgan behaved in a manner that was completely understandable–after all, Adam is her best friend who she’s known forever.  Yes, he made an error in judgment, but I think she overreacted just a little. Of course, she’d suddenly gotten quite a lot on her plate, so it may have been a matter of overload or the last straw.

Danube in Candlelight was a bit less dark and gothic, and had a lot more going on.  With the other books, there were times I wanted to set them down and go looking for something more exciting, but this one never made me feel that way.  Definitely the best in the series so far, and if the author keeps improving with each book I’m going to be one very happy reader.  Ms. Burkhart’s strengths are her characterizations and setting as character, as well as well composed prose and clean writing.  Yes, her plots are interesting, but what keeps me hooked is how attached I become to the population in each book.

Danube in Candlelight was filled with an interesting series of events and a fascinating stroll through Hungarian history and, even more, a set up to the next book.  I’m looking forward to reading it.

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

Asbury Dark: Haunting Tales from the Jersey Shore by Lori Bonfitto

October 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment

PARK
Asbury Dark: Haunting Tales from the Jersey Shore by Lori Bonfitto
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical, Contemporary, Horror, Holiday
Length: Full Length (236 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A telekinetic teenager. A doomed ocean liner. A haunted bed & breakfast. A zombie-fighting real estate developer. These are but a few of the eerie people, places and things that go bump in the pages of Asbury Dark: Haunting Tales from the Jersey Shore.

Spanning six decades, Asbury Dark will thrill and delight anyone who’s ever ridden the rides on the fabled boardwalk, searched for Bruce at The Stone Pony, or shambled along in the Zombie March.
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Mystery and suspense author Lori Bonfitto delivers seven unforgettable tales of fright and fantasy, transforming Asbury Park from a nostalgic playland into a world fraught with obsession, reincarnation, and the paranormal.

Get ready to be scared.

“Dead and Breakfast” shows what happens when a woman teams up with her cousin and his friend to flip an old house. Few things go as planned when home renovations are mixed with a fickle real estate market. I was surprised by how many plot twists I didn’t see coming in this one. They all make perfect sense based on what I’d figured out about the characters. This is the kind of storytelling that keeps me coming back for more.

Some stories in this collection were much longer than I expected them to be, especially “Harbinger.” In it a businessman who is putting off his retirement sees something terrifying on his morning commute that is invisible to everyone else around him. His attempts to figure out what he’s seeing and why no one else can see it kept me guessing until the end. The premise would have worked equally well expanded into a novel or contracted into something that only takes up a few pages. It would have been slightly less scary but still satisfying in the shorter version due to what would have needed to be cut out. The novella format didn’t leave quite enough room to fully explore all of the themes that are included. This pattern repeated itself a few different times and was my major reason for not selecting a higher rating.

If I had to pick one favorite, it would be “Waves.” The plot follows a couple named Denise and Steve whose young daughter has begun remembering things she couldn’t possibly know. I had an inkling of what might be going on fairly quickly, but the dialogue was so entertaining that I didn’t mind knowing what was happening so soon. Strong, even pacing also kept my interest high. The incredible ending is what really made a fan of this tale though!

I’d recommend Asbury Dark: Haunting Tales from the Jersey Shore to anyone who likes a little social commentary mixed in with their science fiction.

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

Her Boss by Arrangement by Teresa Carpenter

October 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment

BOSS
Her Boss by Arrangement by Teresa Carpenter
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (256 pages)
Heat: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

Resisting Mr. Off-Limits!

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Who cares if he’s gorgeous? Tori’s frustrated by this brooding CEO’s aloof attitude and near-impossible demands. Even if Garrett wasn’t her boss, she’d never risk her heart to another emotionally closed man. Normally she’d run in the opposite direction…so why does she feel so compelled to stay?

The best moments of Her Boss By Arrangement are in the snappy conversations. Carpenter writes quick, believable dialogue that moves the story forward and gives insight into her characters.

Tori Randall is that likeable heroine – a nice gal, in business with her sister, with great friends and family ties. It’s easy to admire her; and every bit as easy as it is to dislike Garrett Black, who she ends up helping and then working for. He’s not the classic ‘bad boy’ but he is, well, unlikable. However, his attitude leads to the odd funny moment, and readers that just begin to think this is too formulaic will enjoy these unexpected moments.

There is an attraction – the expected romance-chemistry splashes into their relationship at just the right moment – and possibly slightly too perfectly. However, there are light moments, and the humor really works here. Garrett becomes more human as we go: his pursuit of perfection is nothing to how he loves his car. The story improves immeasurably as we bump into some of his thoughts (‘the woman is too cheerful!’) Moments like that really make this story.

Her Boss By Arrangement is not really a page turner, but is very readable. Although the main plot is predictable, it is amusing and it’s a good nightstand book for when you need a few minutes distraction.

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