Archive for November 17, 2016

iread-website-new-logo

Killer In The Band

A Lovers In Crime Mystery #3

by Lauren Carr

killer-in-the-band-cover

Genre: Mystery

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

This is the only series by Lauren that I hadn’t tried so I had to give it a go. I really enjoyed her others and had a good vibe about this book. And, as usual, I jumped into the series somewhere besides the beginning.

Not having read the books that came before, I was worried if I’d be able to follow this plot. No worries. I did just fine, as Lauren dropped in references to past events in the right places without slowing things down.

It didn’t take me long to recognize some of the characters. I checked, and sure enough, I’d met them before in Lauren’s Thorny Rose Series.

J.J. Thornton has finished law school and returns home for the summer to study for his bar exam. Staying at his father Joshua’s house is a bit awkward as he doesn’t care much for his step-mother, Detective Cameron Gates.

Things become contentious between J.J. and his father when he rekindles an old romance with Suellen. There’s some past history revealed about the earlier romance that explains Joshua’s disapproval.

Cameron convinces Joshua to mend fences after J.J. moves in with Suellen, and they pay a visit to the orchard and horse farm that Suellen inherited. Soon, the whole family is involved in running the ranch.

But a cold case that has haunted Cameron rears it’s ugly head and soon the killer’s crosshairs are pointed at J.J. It’s a race to solve the crime before more wind up dead.

As with her other books, the character list is large. For those who aren’t familiar with them, Lauren includes a list at the beginning of the book to help you. I still look at it now and then to get my bearings.

And there’s another cast of characters you’ll come to know. There’s Commanche, the abused horse saved by Suellen. And Captain Blackbeard, the beautiful stallion. Suellen’s family has kept his bloodline going for generations. Can’t forget Charley, the cranky rooster. He’s a force to be reckoned with and only seems to tolerate, Izzy, Joshua’s and Cameron’s adopted thirteen-year-old daughter. Numerous creatures, great and small, play large roles in this story. For you furry friend lover’s this is a huge plus. It was for me.

And I would love to meet someone like Poppy, the horse whisperer, or should I say animal whisperer. She seems to be able to communicate with animals and they adore and trust her.

I enjoyed the cold case scenario and the author threw in some surprises that I honestly didn’t anticipate. Kept the suspense and intrigue at a high pitch.

I’ve said it before and now I say it again, I flew through this book, dying to know the end, and not wanting it to end.

Loved it.

5 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

Summer of Love & Murder

Joshua’s eldest son, Joshua “J.J.” Thornton Jr., has graduated at the top of his class from law school and returns home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to Joshua’s and Cameron’s shock and dismay, J.J. moves into the main house at Russell Ridge Farm, the largest dairy farm in the Ohio Valley, to rekindle a romance with Suellen Russell, a onetime leader of a rock group who’s twice his age. Quickly, they learn that she has been keeping a deep dark secret.

The move brings long-buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. But when a brutal killer strikes, the Lovers in Crime must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the cross hairs of a murderer.

Praise for Lauren Carr’s Mysteries:

“Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!”

​- Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

“As always, Lauren Carr brings an action-packed story that is almost impossible to put down. Her mystery plots have so many twists and turns that I didn’t know if I was coming or going. And the action just didn’t stop from the very beginning till the very end.” – Melina Mason, Melina’s Book Reviews

Buy the Book:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

Author’s Bio:

lauren-carr-2

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Book Trailer:

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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!

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

 

iread-website-new-logo

Welcome back to the tour! I have my review of Boodrealms, Book Two all ready for you. And be sure to stop back by tomorrow for my review of Bloodmoon.

While you’re here, don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

bloodmark-saga_bookcovers

~~~~~

Bloodmark

The Blood Mark Saga #1

by Aurora Whittet

bloodmark-book-1

Genre: YA Fantasy

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

Click HERE for my review.

Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old werewolf princess Ashling Boru is different from other wolves–she was able to shift to a wolf at birth. Rather than bringing pride to her family, it brings fear, and she is sent to live in Ireland’s secluded countryside. Ashling’s reputation is further blackened when she refuses her betrothed, defying the ancient laws. When her pack’s oldest rivals begin to hunt her, she finds herself in the small town of York Harbor, Maine, far from everything she’s known.

When she crosses paths with dark and rebellious Grey Donavan, something ignites within her soul. There’s just one problem: Grey is human. Their instant connection turns into a passionate romance, and Ashling begins to believe she can create her own life outside of wolf laws. When she uncovers long-buried pack secrets that threaten to destroy all she holds dear, Ashling’s courage and tenacity are tested. Will she choose her deep and enduring love for Grey or will she follow Old Mother’s path to her destiny?

Buy Bloodmark:  Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Book Description for Bloodrealms (Book #2)

bloodrealms-book-2

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

I enjoyed Bloodmark, the first book in this series, and I knew there was so much going to happen in Bloodrealms.

There sure is a whole lot going on. Ashling now has four suitors vying for the right to claim her as their bride.  A couple of them seem to really love her. One seems to want Ashling as a trophy. And then there’s Eamon. I really don’t like that guy. Something is wrong about him.

There’s also someone or something watching Ashling. She’s attacked numerous times and barely escapes with her life.

Things get bloodier, even more dangerous, when Ashling and Grey enter the Bloodrealms. It’s a place of darkness and treachery. And evil from long ago roams there, waiting for more victims.

Holy cow. It was so hard to read the last half of this book. Grey, Brychan, Channing, and Eamon all have to fight in the arena. The last one standing will win the right to marry Ashling. I’m telling you, aside from Eamon,I was hard pressed to choose a favorite. All of these guys grew on me. The suspense was so intense. I’m still feeling it.

I feel I should explain about my feelings towards Eamon. He’s standoffish, gruff, and something isn’t quite right about him. I did get his story and it’s powerful.

I didn’t bond with Ashling that much in the first book. She changed so much in this one. I wondered how a teenage girl could step into the role of the Crimson Queen, unite the packs, and protect all living things. Sounds like a lot for one little girl.

Ashling grew page by page. She matured, found that stuff inside that she didn’t know she had. Became what she was meant to be. The pack chose her. She became The Chosen One. The author did a splendid job of achieving all of this in a way that made me forget this was a fantasy. I laughed with the pack. Cried with them. Fought with them. I became a part of the pack while reading their stories.

While the first book took a bit to grab me, this one did right from the beginning. The pace is fast, the romance is tangled and messy, and the intrigue, darkness, and violence really ramp up.

There’s no way I can stop with this series now. And lucky me, I already have the third book, Bloodmoon. That title alone gives me the shivers. Can’t wait.

5 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

Werewolf princess Ashling Boru’s eighteenth birthday is only a year away, which means that she only has twelve months before she is claimed and fulfills her prophecy to unite the packs and lead her people. Her father decrees that her four suitors must fight in the Bloodrealms, the werewolves’ ancient underground fighting world, and the winner will have King Boru’s choice to win Ashling’s hand. The wolf laws are rigid and barbaric, and Ashling’s illicit love for Grey, if discovered, will mean his death. But when Ashling and Grey get trapped in the blood-soaked depths of the Bloodrealms, they find ancient horrors far greater than Ashling’s father’s rule.

With betrayal around every corner and old nemeses set to destroy Ashling, she is more divided than ever between the destiny she didn’t choose and the love that she did. To make matters worse, her decision will not only set the course of her future, but the future of her entire race.

Buy Bloodrealms:  Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Book Description for Bloodmoon (Book #3)

bloodmoon-book-3

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

Synopsis

Just months shy of her claiming at Carrowmore and fulfilling a centuries-old prophecy, werewolf Ashling Boru has stepped into her role as the Crimson Queen. She finally has the support of her pack and her love for Grey is stronger than ever.

But it’s not easy being queen. Ashling’s guardian, Baran, has been captured by the Dvergars, a family of evil wolves who will stop at nothing to possess Ashling’s power and destroy everything–and everyone–she loves. Ashling must unite the clans and build an army to stand against the Dvergars before it’s too late. Unfortunately, the Dvergars also have armies of the darkest creatures the world has ever known.

Shadows loom, growing ever larger as generations of pack secrets begin to unfold. Ashling’s people, the humans they protect, and Old Mother Earth herself all hang in the balance of Ashling’s choices. Will Ashling have to forsake her true love to save the world? And will she have the strength to do it? Bloodmoon is the thrilling conclusion to the Bloodmark Saga.

​Buy Bloodmoon:  Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

bloodmark_ad_v08

Author Aurora Whittet

aurora-whittet

Aurora Whittet started out as a wild red-haired girl in Minnesota dreaming up stories for her friends to read. Mama’s Knight: A Cancer Story of Love is just the latest in a string of acclaimed works. Her first official writing endeavor became The Bloodmark Saga, featuring a werewolf princess-turned-ruler who falls in love with a human boy. Her first novel in the Bloodmark Saga, Bloodmark, came out in 2013, followed by Bloodrealms in 2014 and the final book Bloodmoon in 2016.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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!

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

 

 

boy-meets-witch-banner-851-x-315

Boy Meets Witch

The White Cat Chronicles

Book 1

G.A. Rael

Boy Meets Witch (The White Cat Chronicles Book 1) by [Rael, G.A.]

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy

Date of Publication: 11/17/16

ASIN: B01M2URFOK

Number of pages: 186 / Word Count: 70,000

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

Synopsis

“Are you an angel?” Harper asked, pleading internally for the answer to be no.

The tall, white-haired man gave a low chuckle. “Not quite. What I am isn’t nearly as important as who you are–and what I can do for you.”

Harper Adams is a witch on the run–from her past as a faith healer turned accidental arsonist, and from the power she’s kept locked away her whole life. She thinks she’s finally found a place she can settle down and call home in the picturesque town of Cold Creek, Vermont, but a mysterious white cat who may or may not be bent on taking the curvaceous witch’s soul has other plans.

Harper’s compassion soon gets the best of her and earns her an unwanted reputation as the town miracle worker as well as the ire of sexy veterinarian and militant atheist, Darren St. Clair. Cold Creek’s residents have a few supernatural secrets of their own, and Harper will have to face the destiny that led her to the last place a witch in hiding needs to be–that is, if Darren doesn’t have her chased out of town with a pitchfork-wielding mob before she gets the chance.

 

Grab Your Free Copy Nov 17-21 on Amazon

 

Enjoy the Excerpt

Without a word, the strange man stepped closer. His silken hair was too perfectly white to be a natural color, yet there wasn’t a trace of darkness at his roots. On closer inspection, Harper was horrified to realize that his eyes weren’t just the color of a cat’s but the shape, too. She tried to tell herself they were just theatrical contacts, but they shrunk so realistically as he stepped underneath the light that she began to doubt the only reasonable explanation.

“S-stay back,” she stammered, finding her voice once he was too close to dismiss as an illusion.

To her amazement, he halted in his steady approach.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said in a surprisingly gentle voice for someone so imposing. The contrast was so unsettling it made her shiver. His statuesque body and almost feminine facial features reminded her too much of the awful weeping angel statues in her church’s graveyard. Harper had always feared them as a child and now it seemed that one had come to life. The intruder was even beautiful in the same ethereal, almost grotesque way the statues were. “After all,” he continued in that melodic voice, “you did save my life.”

Harper stared at him in bewilderment. The words of a madman rarely made sense, she supposed. “I don’t even know you.”

“Maybe not, but I know you, Harper–or should I say, Alyssa? I’ve been watching over you for some time.”

She tried to swallow but the coffee had left her mouth dry. “How do you know that name?”

His stone lips curved into a slight smile. “I know everything about you. For instance, I know your father’s name is Byron Hurlow and he’s the preacher at the Rockport Trinity Tabernacle in Little Rock, Arkansas. I know you’ve been running for a little over two years now, and I know that you fear angels more than anything except maybe hurting the ones you love.” His cat eyes narrowed and his voice lowered to a knowing tone as he said, “I also know about the fire.”

Harper took a step back only to trip into a stack of boxes behind her. Before she could save herself, the man caught her and rested his hands on her shoulders, keeping a slight distance between them. She marveled at the bizarre display of propriety in the midst of such threatening behavior, but she didn’t complain. His skin was surprisingly warm.

“Be careful,” he murmured. “You always were a klutz.”

He said it so casually, as if they were old friends. “Who are you?” she asked shakily. “How could you possibly know about the –“

“The fire?” he offered. “Like I said, I’ve been watching you for a very long time.”

“Are you an angel?” Harper asked, pleading internally for the answer to be no.

The tall, white-haired man gave a low chuckle. “Not quite. What I am isn’t nearly as important as who you are–and what I can do for you.”

“You could start by putting on some clothes.”

About Author G.A. Rael

 

G.A. Rael is a practicing witch and author of paranormal romance and mysteries. She’s had a lifelong love affair with all things that go bump in the night, and it’s her firm belief that monsters deserve their happily-ever-afters, too. When she isn’t writing, you can find G.A. watching campy horror films with her husband and two cats in beautiful seaside New England.

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

$25 Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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!

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg