Posts Tagged ‘4 Star Review’

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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing two books with the same titles but different authors and story lines.

Ink and Bone

by Lisa Unger

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Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Horror

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My Review

After reading the synopsis for this book, no way was I not reading it.

A father and son shot, left wounded in the Hollows while the daughter, Abbey, is dragged away by her abductor.

A young woman, haunted by dreams and ghosts, paints her body with tattoos, slowly losing control of her gifts.

The Hollows, buried in winter snow, not giving up it’s secrets.

A mother struggling to stay sane, makes a last desperate attempt to find her daughter.

I enjoy it when a story pulls me in right from the beginning and the author did just that. I lost track of things going on around me and kept reading …. kept reading, until I was done.

The character’s are strongly developed and drive the story, and the plot is busy and exhilarating, reminding me of a dangerous winding road. You race around each bend, never knowing what waits in the road to send the story out of control.

A real page turner for anyone looking for a thriller with some suspense and horror, plus a bit of the paranormal thrown in.

4 Stars

Synopsis

An instant page-turner (Lisa Gardner) that straddles the line between thriller and horror…sure to appeal to a wide range of readers, including Stephen King fans. (Booklist, starred) A young woman’s mysterious gift forces her into the middle of a dangerous investigation of a little girl’s disappearance.

Twenty-year-old Finley Montgomery is rarely alone. Visited by people whom others can’t see and haunted by prophetic dreams, she has never been able to control or understand the things that happen to her. When Finley’s abilities start to become too strong for her to handle – and even the roar of her motorcycle or another dazzling tattoo can’t drown out the voices – she turns to the only person she knows who can help her: her grandmother Eloise Montgomery, a renowned psychic living in The Hollows, New York.

Merri Gleason is a woman at the end of her tether after a ten-month-long search for her missing daughter, Abbey. With almost every hope exhausted, she resorts to hiring Jones Cooper, a detective who sometimes works with psychic Eloise Montgomery. Merri’s not a believer, but she’s just desperate enough to go down that road, praying that she’s not too late. Time, she knows, is running out.

As a harsh white winter moves into The Hollows, Finley and Eloise are drawn into the investigation, which proves to have much more at stake than even the fate of a missing girl. As Finley digs deeper into the town and its endless layers, she is forced to examine the past, even as she tries to look into the future. Only one thing is clear: The Hollows gets what it wants, no matter what.

Amazon

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Ink and Bone

by Rachel Caine

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Genre: YA Fantasy

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My Review

A book about the Great Library of Alexandria, and a fantasy to boot. I was sold and knew it would be a good fit for me.

Owning books is forbidden in this world. You can view and read books through the use of alchemy, but can’t actually own a book.

I don’t know about you but I love my physical books. I just know I’d break the rules and something terrible would happen. And so it goes with this story. Jess breaks the rules with his illegal cache of books. How interesting as he’s assigned to spy on those who break those very rules. When something wondrous and potentially dangerous is created it could change the world. Chaos ensues and it’s not just books that will be burned.

Ooh, now how does that grab ya? Once I got familiar with this world I was quickly swept away. Lots of intrigue and suspense kept me enthralled right to the finale.

This is an exciting beginning to a promising fantasy series. I’ll be visiting it again.

4 Stars

Synopsis

In an exhilarating new series, “New York Times” bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.
Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.
Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family. Jess has been sent to be his family spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library s service.
When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe knowledge is more valuable than any human life and soon both heretics and books will burn.”

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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Welcome back to my Saturday Screams.

Got a good one to share with you today, so let’s get to it!

Vincent, Survivor

Vincent Series #1

by O.L. Eggert

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Genre: Fantasy / Urban Fantasy

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My Review

This is a gritty read to sink your teeth into.

The story goes….Vincent Li isn’t the nicest guy. He’s had to do some bad things to survive in Oakwood. Not the best of neighborhoods. He’s thrilled when his brother Dante shows up. Been doing a stint in prison.

They’re on their way to go see Grandma and not looking forward to it. Bette is affectionately known as Grandma to many in the neighborhood and helped the brothers survive the streets when they were left on their own. She may look frail, but her tongue lashings are sharp as a whip.

Shortly after arriving and taking the heat from Grandma, they discover she actually has a real granddaughter, Elise. There’s no time to get into the fact that Grandma always said she didn’t have family because things go sideways.

Minotaurs appear on the streets. And other strange beings start emerging everywhere. Gates have been opened and creatures from another world are pouring through them, hell bent on taking over the planet for their own.

This is one of those books where the pace and action starts fast and never slows down until the finish. It’s filled with strange creatures and some genuine characters.

I’d have to say Vincent, Dante, and Grandma are my favorites. Vincent and Dante have a tight bond, not just because they’re brothers, but also because they’ve had to go through and do some bad things to survive. They’re rough around the edges, but fierce when things turn to crap.

And Grandma is a tough cookie. She may be in her sixties, but she’s full of spit and vinegar. Her tough love helped to keep Dante and Vincent from being statistics on a police blotter.

One other to add to the list is Flea. A pint sized enigma. He’s from another world and seems a bit clueless at times, but he comes in handy when things get ugly.

There are plenty of other characters, some minor and some major, that flesh out and add to the plot. Too many for me to mention here. And more than one storyline, which I’m hoping I’ll learn more about in upcoming books. This is the first book in the series, and I’m sure we’ll meet many of the characters again in the other books. At least those that survive this one.

With ghouls and killer sentient Minotaurs, along with some other mythical beings rampaging through this story, I’d tag this as an urban fantasy with a pinch of science fiction added in. Lots of action and danger and some well developed characters keep the plot moving fast and the suspense building. And, while this is a series, and the story doesn’t end here, there’s not a huge cliffhanger. You get answers along the way, and an opening for more.

4 Stars

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Some favorite quotes:

“Have you ever known life to be fair? I’d say it’s a downright bitch.”

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“Nothing binds us together tighter, nothing makes us fight harder, than a healthy dose of hope.”

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Synopsis

Vincent Li always assumed he’d die in Oakwood. If the local gangs didn’t get him, then cigarettes and alcohol eventually would.

Now, he’s pretty sure minotaurs will kill him instead, and if not them, the ghouls dragging people into the dark will.

In the wake of an unexplained spike in homicides, a masked figure opens portals to another world—a world filled with dangerous magic and mythological monsters. Creatures that shouldn’t exist suddenly do, and they don’t mix well with humans. Vincent is trapped in Oakwood as the city is torn apart, but he’s no stranger to violence and will do whatever it takes to survive.

Amazon

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Author O.L. Eggert

O. L. Eggert

O.L. (Oliver Leland) Eggert has always been a reader of fantasy and sci-fi. His love of the genre spread to everything else in his life, so he ultimately became a big game/book/movie geek. He also enjoys the occasional anime.

He currently resides in the Silicon Valley with his soon-to-be wife and two dogs: Arya and Dexter. Can you guess which characters the dogs are named after?

To learn more about his current writing projects, follow him at:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Cold, Cold Heart
A Short Story

by Karin Slaughter

Release Date: August 23, 2016

Publisher: Witness Impulse

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Format: Ebook

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Genre: Thriller / Suspense

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My Review

Never has that saying, ” hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” echoed more loudly. Dumped by her husband for a newer, younger model, Pam is reluctant to oblige her ex-husbands death bed request to come visit him.

She rethinks this when she realizes it’s the perfect opportunity to dish out a little of the cold dish called revenge.

Ah, what a sordid, deliciously evil tale of what goes around comes around.  Yeah, I know. A lot of cliches here. But they fit this little tale so well.

When Fatal Attraction first aired at the cinema. I bet a whole lot of men thought twice about incurring a woman’s wrath. Too bad Pam’s ex didn’t. How this all plays out is so dark and dirty, yet it had me rubbing my hands in glee. I’m team Pam!

For all of you fans of Karin’s books and in need of a fix, I highly recommend you treat yourself to this short, wicked morsel.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

First comes love.

Then comes marriage.

Then comes revenge.

In this sensational short story from the bestselling author of The Kept Woman and Pretty Girls, fifty-two-year-old Pam has done her utmost as a loyal wife to her now ex-husband John. He dropped her cruelly . . . but with a terminal illness about to claim his life, Pam now sees an opportunity to settle the score, in a way that no one—not their children, not her ex, and certainly not the reader—will see coming . . .

Surprising, suspenseful, and diabolically clever, Cold, Cold Heart offers old fans and new readers alike a taste of the writer Gillian Flynn calls “one of the finest crime novelists at work today.”

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Author Karen Slaughter

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Karin Slaughter is the #1 internationally bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including the Will Trent and Grant County series and the instant New York Times bestselling standalones, Cop Town and Pretty Girls. There are more than 35 million copies of her books in print around the world.

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Follow the tour

Monday, August 22 – Book featured at What is That Book About

Tuesday, August 23 – Book reviewed at Stormy Nights Reviewing

Wednesday, August 24 – Book featured at Celticlady’s Reviews

Thursday, August 25 – Book reviewed at The Book Bag

Friday, August 26 – Book featured at Harmonious Publicity

Monday, August 29 – Book featured at Cover2Cover

Tuesday, August 30 – Book featured at Literal Exposure

Wednesday, August 31 – Book featured at Write and Take Flight

Thursday, September 1 – Book featured at The Review From Here

Friday, September 2 – Book featured at The Writer’s Life

Monday, September 5 – Book reviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

Tuesday, September 6 – Book featured at The Dark Phantom

Wednesday, September 7 – Book featured at Voodoo Princess

Thursday, September 8 – Book featured at The Literary Nook

Friday, September 9 – Book featured at A Title Wave

Monday, September 12 – Book reviewed at fuonlyknew

Tuesday, September 13 -Book featured at  Authors and Readers Book Corner

Wednesday, September 14 – Book reviewed at Fallen Over Book Reviews

Book featured at CBY Book Club

Book featured at Mello and June

Book reviewed at Fundinmental

Thursday, September 15 – Book featured at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews

Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge

Book featured at Deal Sharing Aunt

Friday, September 16 – Book reviewed at Freda’s Voice

Saturday, September 17 – Book reviewed at Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

Sunday, September 18 – Book reviewed at Ali the Dragonslayer

Monday, September 19 – Book reviewed at Pretty Little Book Reviews

Book reviewed at The Book Tree

Book featured at Tez Says

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Teacup Turbulence by Linda O. Johnston

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Teacup Turbulence (A Pet Rescue Mystery)

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5th in Series Cozy Mystery

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley (January 7, 2014) ISBN-13: 978-0425259979

Purchase Links: Amazon     Book World      B&N

Synopsis

Los Angeles animal shelter manager Lauren Vancouver has a soft spot for animals in need—and a keen eye for crime. . .

Thanks to a savvy ad campaign featuring teacup pups sporting HotPets Bling—a new line of faux jewelry dog collars—small dog adoptions have skyrocketed across the city. So when Lauren discovers a shelter in the Midwest with more toy dogs than it can handle, she arranges a private plane to swoop in and fly the pups back to LA.

But Lauren didn’t count on rescue worker Teresa Kantrim coming along for the ride. Teresa has cared for the dogs since they were found and doesn’t trust anyone from La-La Land to take over the job. Her biting comments clearly haven’t earned Teresa any new friends, but when she turns up murdered, it’s time for Lauren to dig into Teresa’s past and find out who wanted her put down.

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My Review

I really enjoy cozy mysteries and am always on the lookout for a new author and series.

Teacup Turbulence is a spinoff from the Pet Sitter Series, which I plan to check out.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover art. I love dogs and the cuties on the cover caught my eye. Then the title just sounded so fun.

The title says it all. Lots and lots of teacup pups and turbulence.

While I didn’t particularly care for, Teresa, the murder victim, I did wonder if her frosty, rude behavior might be hiding something. It was as you’ll discover when you explore this mystery.

Lauren has her hands full with rescuing pups and also selling Bling. I never knew how big and competitive dog jewelry was.

Since the murder happened right under Lauren’s nose, she leaps in to solve it.

While I had an inkling early on what might be behind the murder, I still had to follow the clues and sniff out the false leads. There are many characters to fill the suspect list, some likeable, some I could take or leave.

The pups added an adorable factor to the story. And I loved how the author explains choosing the names for them. It added a lightness to the mystery and had me thinking up all kinds of names.

I wasn’t immediately hooked by the beginning, but was gradually pulled into the mystery and while I had a good idea of what was going on, I had no clue who the killer might be. That kept me turning the pages, searching for clues, and surprising me with the culprit in the end. I really didn’t see the murderer coming.

I’ll be reading more from this author and I’m sure I’ll be entertained.

4 Stars

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About Linda O. Johnston

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Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year. Since then, Linda, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published more short stories, novellas, and 35 romance and mystery novels, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne.

Linda’s Pet Rescue Mysteries, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, feature Lauren Vancouver, a determined pet rescuer who runs a no-kill shelter. In this cozy series, “no-kill” refers to pets, not people!

[Note that, at the time this is being submitted, I’ve had 33 books published but will have a Harlequin Romantic Suspense published in December, and my upcoming Pet Rescue Mystery TEACUP TURBULENCE will be a January 2014 release.]

Author Links: Website / Facebook

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I have one print copy to give away.

US Only. Sorry to my International friends.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question,

“What do you like most about reading a mystery?”

Giveaway ends January 15th.

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Tour Participants

January 2 – StoreyBook Reviews  – Review

January 3 –>Chloe Gets A ClueInterview

January 4 – Books-n-Kisses – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway

January 5 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review

January 6 – readalot blog – Review

January 7 – fuonlyknew – Review, Giveaway

January 8 – Brooke Blogs – Review

January 10 – Reviews By Karen – Guest Post, Giveaway

January 12- Cozy Up With Kathy – Review, Interview

January 13 – My Devotional Thoughts – Review, Guest Post January 14 – StephTheBookworm – Review

January 14 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Review

January 15 – Queen of All She Reads – Review, Giveaway January 15 – Mochas, Mysteries and More – Guest Post

January 15 – Dru’s Book Musings – Guest Post

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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