Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category

Welcome to My Monday Minis where I share short reviews about books I’ve read.

When I was first offered a book to review from Bette Lee Crosby, I was hesitant. Contemporaries aren’t really a genre I read much of. Many years and lots of books later, I’m so happy I accepted.

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Passing Through Perfect

The Wyattsville Series #3

by Bette Lee Crosby

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Genre: Historical / Contemporary / Romance

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My Review

I adored the first two books in this series, Spare Change and Jubilee’s Journey. Once again Bette has us step back to earlier times,  where we meet Delia and Ben as they fall in love and fight to stay together despite what other’s may want.

Bette can write with a southern twang. Her descriptions of settings, how people comport themselves and what the consequences are for defying family seep into you.

This is a story of hope and despair, of fighting against prejudice and finding goodness in the least likely of places. Passing Through Perfect is an excellent choice for the title of this book.

From the first sentence I was hooked and never looked back, turning each page and relishing the saga of two young lovers defying their families to be together and the travesty that befalls their decision.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Benjamin Church came to the grange hall expecting to meet someone else, but then the girl in a red dress looked across the dance floor and smiled…

Passing through Perfect is a heart-wrenching, Southern family saga that starts on the night Benjamin fell madly and completely in love with Delia. Once he tasted the sweetness of her kiss, he envisioned them spending the rest of their life together.

He didn’t stop to consider her daddy was a learned Pastor and her mama a woman with a college degree; he only knew she set his heart to racing. When he touched his mouth to hers, he forgot the hardships of being a sharecropper, forgot what it was like to work from dawn ‘til dark and forgot that nothing in Grinder’s Corner ever really changed.

Benjamin’s only thoughts were about lying together every night, sitting side by side on the front porch, and raising a family. Yes, he knew there’d be heartaches. Every couple had their share of heartaches, it was to be expected; but he never imagined such a tragedy would befall their family.

Winner of the 2016 RONE Award for Inspirational Fiction and the 2016 Readers Favorite Gold Medal.

Amazon

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Memory House

The Memory House Series #1

by Bette Lee Crosby

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Genre: Fantasy / Contemporary / Romance

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My Review

I was spellbound by this moving story about Ophelia and the young guest, Annie, who finds her way to her doorstep and her heart. These two women were a delight to meet and each one holds a special place in my heart.

Ophelia is nearing 90 and time is running out for her. Annie is a young woman with no direction, drifting through life and looking for her place to call home. Was it fate that brought them together? I like to think so.

I loved this story. The excitement to see what would happen, to see if what I wanted to happen would and where these two women wound up kept me flipping the pages. Every time something I wanted to happen did, I looked up, wanting to share what I just read. No one was there.  Probably a good thing as I would have spoiled the book for them.

I can share this with you though. Bette has a way of sprinkling connections to her other books into this story. I recognized characters and events, and even some of the objects that held memories. It endeared this book to me even more.

I finished with a sigh of delight and a twinkle in my eye. Magical.

  5 Stars

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Synopsis

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MEMORY TO OUTLIVE ITS OWNER?

Ophelia Browne knows the answer is yes. She knows because she’s been granted the unique gift of finding and caring for those forgotten memories. But now she’s nearing ninety, and Browne women seldom live beyond ninety.

Before time runs out Ophelia must find a successor. Someone who can take hold of the gifts and keep the memories from fading.

When broken-hearted Annie Cross shows up on the doorstep of The Memory House Bed and Breakfast, Ophelia knows she is the one. The two women forge a bond of friendship as they sip magical dandelion tea and share stories. When Annie starts to sense the memories Ophelia is delighted, but then a thread of violence begins to unravel and Ophelia fears things have gone too far.

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

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Sunday Post

Some chit chat.

It’s been a good week. Not much exciting but that’s okay. I read some books. Watched some telly. And even snuck in a few naps.

I was sitting on my back patio after taking a dip in the pool and happened to look over at my Banana trees. I’ve got bananas!

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Well, it’s the start of bananas. They won’t be as large as the ones you buy in the grocery store. I’ll keep you updated as they develop.

Now for what I’ve been watching. Watched more of The Mist and not sure if I’ll continue with it. It just doesn’t do anything for me. Now, Mr. Mercedes. That’s another story. I loved the book and loving that they cast Brendan Gleeson as Detective Bill Hodges. He’s perfect for the role and the series starts off with a bang! Also watched more of Preacher. Such a weird show and I love it. Zoo is hit or miss and I’ll keep watching for now. Are you watching any of these? Got any suggestions for other shows?

And did anyone watch the Sharknado Marathon Saturday night? I did. Made a giant bowl of popcorn with extra butter and watched them all. So cheesy and so fun. LOL Ten hours of campy shark films made me happy for commercials so I could skip to the ladies room and get more iced tea.

I’ll be heading over to your posts soon. Happy Sunday!

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My new books this week.

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And here are some freebies for ya. Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.

Return (Coming Home #1) (Coming Home Series) by [Raine, Meli]  Watching (PAVAD: FBI Romantic Suspense Book 1) by [Brookes, Calle J.]  Rippling Red (DustyKent Mysteries Book 3) by [George, Brigid]

Better Off Wed (Annabelle Archer Wedding Planner Mystery Book 1) by [Durham, Laura]  A Different Kind of Fairy Tale (Spring Towers Series Book 1) by [Rayne, Morgan]  Blood and Snow (Blood and Snow Boxed set Book 1) by [Workman, RaShelle]

The Flip by [Cash, Michael Phillip]  Dark Isle (Dark Isle Series Book 1) by [Longhorn, David]  The Ash House by [Cross, Amy]

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read my reviews.

 

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Other posts on my blog this week.

The Blue Unicorn’s Journey To Osm ~ Review and Giveaway

The Woodlands Series Box Set ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Teaser Tuesday #214 ~ The Nutting Girl

The Kid’s Korner #17 ~ NUTS and NUTS 2

A Margin Of Lust by Greta Boris ~ A Mystery Review and Giveaway

The Chocolatier’s Wife by Cindy Lynn Speer ~ Author Interview and Giveaway

The Friday 56 #163 ~ The Great Zoo Of China

Symphony Of Ruin ~ A Dark Fantasy by Christina Lay ~ Blitz and Giveaway

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Leave your link and I’ll come visit you.

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 go HERE.

A Margin of Lust (The Seven Deadly Sins)
by Greta Boris

Every time I turn the page I am not sure what is going to happen next.
~A. Holland Reads

… if you love a quick read and a killer for vengeance this book is for you.
~Varietats


A Margin of Lust (The Seven Deadly Sins)
1st in Series
Fawkes Press, LLC (May 10, 2017)
Paperback: 346 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1945419218
E-Book ASIN: B0719CMTFF

My Review

Just when it looks like Gwen’s career as a real estate agent is going to pay off big, things start going horribly wrong. Agents are being murdered, the first body found in the home she’s going to get the big commission on. And that’s not all. Strange things keep happening at the house and it now appears it all might be connected.  Can she be safe partnering up with another agent, or will it just be two for the price of one?

This was a pretty good mystery. You get inside the killer’s head. Know what motivates him. But have no clue who he is. When you do find out, it’s someone you wouldn’t expect. I always like that. The author got away with it by giving multiple suspects and some false trails.

Gwen’s got more on her plate too. She suspects her husband is cheating on her and acts impulsively, jumping to conclusions. At first her actions didn’t ring true to me. But then I though about it some more, and yeah, people do dumb things in the name of love.

All in all, I enjoyed this one. Not too gruesome nor easy to solve. I’ll be reading more of this series.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Gwen Bishop, wife, mother, and struggling real estate agent, has two big fears: claustrophobia and being buried in suburban obscurity. When she signs her dream listing, a multi-million dollar beachfront property in Laguna Beach, California, she’s sure her problems are behind her. And they would be, if it wasn’t for the secret in the basement and the body in an upstairs bedroom.

When the crime scene tape comes down, Gwen enlists the aid of a handsome co-worker with a background in construction to help her ready the house for sale and bolster her flagging courage. But every time they’re ready to put it back on the market, something goes horribly wrong. She must face old fears and new ones, temptations and buried truths. Gwen is determined to sell the dream house—or die trying.

About The Author

Greta Boris is the author of the 2017 releases, A Margin of Lust and The Scent of Wrath, the first two books in her 7 Deadly Sins domestic suspense series. She’s also the Director of O.C. Writers, a community of over 800 published and aspiring authors in Orange County, California.

She’s published articles on culture, health, and entertainment for a variety of national magazines including Victorian Homes, Zombies, 50 Scariest Movies, Exodus, and Women of the Bible. She’s also the author of the Amazon Kindle Bestseller The Wine and Chocolate Workout – Sip, Savor, and Strengthen for a Healthier Life.

You can visit her at http://gretaboris.com. She describes her work (and her life) as an O.C. housewife meets Dante’s Inferno

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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 go HERE

Welcome to The Kid’s Korner.

I decided to do this feature as I have so many great children’s books to share. From picture books, to books for beginning readers, to middle graders, I have plenty of fun ones.

Today I’m sharing A.J. Cosmo’s new release, NUTS 2. I loved the first book and have enjoyed many others he’s written. Come make some furry friends.

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 NUTS 2

Wally’s Talent

  by A.J. Cosmo

35827496

 

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Genre: Children’s Book

Ages: 4 – 11

Grade Level: 1 – 3

My Review

It’s always fun to be back with this ‘nutty’ family of squirrels. And it looks like Wally’s in quite the pickle again.

After losing a game of nutball, Wally falls into the doldrums thinking he’ll never be good at anything. Chestnut says that everyone is special so no one is special. In an odd way that makes sense.

What will Wally’s talent be? We shall see.

I’m sure you’ve seen how spastic squirrels are. Add in the angst of youth and that’s Wally. He’s impatient and wants answers ASAP. His frustration made me smile. I could hear my mother’s voice telling me it will all work out.  I couldn’t wait to see how this tale ended.

There’s more adorable, colorful illustrations in this second book and a new lesson to be learned. I can just imagine how excited young ones will be, thinking, I get what he means. I bet you’ll get it too.

What makes me love this series so much is it fits that saying, “Learning can be fun!” It sure is.

   5  Stars

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Synopsis

After throwing the big game, Wally struggles to figure out what he’s good at. What could that be though, and is there anything his family can do to snap him out of it?

Perfect for frustrated middle-graders, this book is all about those times when we feel like we’re no good at anything.

Recommended for second-grade readers.

My name is A.J. Cosmo and I teach imagination and heart to children. My books are crafted to educate and entertain in unique and interesting ways. Everyone has felt like he or she wasn’t talented at one point or another, especially me, so I wrote something to encourage you when you’re down.

Amazon

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Just in case you want to read my review of NUTS, the first book, I’m sharing it again.

 Nuts

  by A.J. Cosmo

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Genre: Children’s Book

Ages 4– 9

Grade Level: 1 – 3

My Review

Right from the beginning this story felt so familiar. It began with Wally the squirrel and his sister and parents driving to his grandmother’s house for a family reunion. I remember playing the car games. I Spy and counting objects we passed by. And it never failed, someone always asked, “Are we there yet?”  Remember those family road trips?

The more I read, the more fun I had. If it weren’t for the colorful, fun illustrations I would have forgot this was about a family of squirrels. That’s how much I connected with them. And those illustrations. You should see the expressions on the squirrels faces. Too cute.

And the author gets quite creative with their names. There’s Wally and his sister, Pistachio. His mother, Brazil and father, Almond, Grandma Praline and Uncle Peanut. A few more relatives are introduced. Can you guess what their names might be? Every time I read their names I grinned. It’ll be fun for your kids to see how many “nuts” they recognize.

Wally thinks it’s all about the presents. Everyone exchanges names and brings a gift. He’s impatient to eat so they can start opening them. But family reunions are much more than that. Something Wally will soon learn.

I’ve read many of A.J.’s books and Nuts is one of my favorites. He includes special messages in such clever ways. If my son ever gets around to giving me grandkids, you can bet I’ll share this with them. I can almost hear the snickers and exclamations of excitement when they see the pictures and read about Wally and his family.

   5 Stars

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Synopsis

Ever felt like your family was crazy?

All Wally wants to do is open presents, but before he can he has to endure his nutty family!

Written for siblings of autistic children, this fully-illustrated heart-warming, story teaches tolerance and understanding for everyone.

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

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

My Teaser for this week is from

The Nutting Girl

by Fred DeVecca

 

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Genre: Mystery

 My teaser from page 70 in the Paperback.

It was attached to the hand of a young man as tall and skinny as the still budding maple tree hovering over his head. The gleam was shiny and metallic and I hear it click. Once, and then twice, then a whole series of clicks.

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Read on if you want to know more.

My Review

What was it about this book that so captivated me? Let’s see… The main character is Frank Raven. Used to be a blind monk, a cop, and a private detective. Now he runs an old movie theater and belongs to a troupe of Morris Dancers. I had to google that to see what it’s all about. Lots of strong movements and twinkling bells on the costumes and a lively chorus. To imagine such a man’s man doing this tickled me and I warmed right up to Frank. There’s much more to this man than meets the eye.

Meet Nick Mooney, an up and coming film director. He’s charismatic and a bit self important, but there’s another side to him too. He also wormed his way into my good graces.

And then there’s Nick’s star actress, Velcro. A stunningly beautiful and talented young actress with more baggage than her young shoulders can bear. She was a surprise. Intellectual and spiritual, and a tender soul, hidden behind the glitz and glamour.

Two  more character’s I want to mention are Clara and her daughter, Sarah. Frank’s been a loner for a long time and doesn’t think much about it. Something about Clara calls to his loneliness. And Sarah’s zest for life and knowledge is a lure he can’t resist. These two ladies draw him out of his shell, giving him a glimpse at what he could have. I crossed my fingers things would happen for them.

I could go on and on about the characters in this book. All of them reach out to you. You want only good things to happen to them. Alas, this is a mystery about a young woman who apparently drowns in a river. There may not be a happy ever after for some of them.

This is where the mystery gets interesting. Was Velcro pushed or did she jump? Was she dead, or maybe just lost? I honestly didn’t know the answers to any of these questions until I approached the end of the book.

The Nutting Girl is Fred DeVecca’s debut book. You’d never know it. He writes a deep mystery, taking you on a somewhat spiritual journey, with eclectic characters and visual descriptions of a small town setting. I’ll be watching for his next book.

  5 Stars

Thanks so much to Coffeetown Press and Fred DeVecca for a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

Middle-aged Frank Raven used to be a lot of things—a blind monk, a cop, a private detective, and a hard drinker. Now he doesn’t do much except run a funky old movie theater in bucolic Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, dance and sing with the local troupe of Morris Dancers, and record bird songs on his phone.
A lanky young wunderkind director, Nick Mooney, brings his Hollywood film crew to town and hires the “retired” Raven to protect his star: the wild, unpredictable, gorgeous, and prodigiously talented twenty-one-year-old Juliana Velvet Norcross, aka VelCro.
Reluctant at first, Raven takes on the job and slowly sees that there is more to VelCro than the troubled rebel she appears to be. She probes the former monk for his thoughts on God, love, and the soul. But Raven has renounced many of his former beliefs, and VelCro’s questions cause him to re-examine his life.
On the eve of filming, storms ravage the small village, and the river that runs through the center of town floods its banks. VelCro becomes ill and withdraws into the care of Sarah, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Frank’s girlfriend, Clara. The storm passes, VelCro recovers, and filming begins. But during the first shot, she is swept away into the river, leaving no trace.
What role did VelCro’s director play in her life? Did she fall? Did she jump? Was she pushed? Frank and Sarah are driven to find out what happened.

Amazon

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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 go HERE

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Sunday Post

Some chit chat.

Another week of not much new. Been watching The Mist and Zoo and both of these aren’t doing anything for me. I rewatched Stranger Things and got caught up on Once Upon and iZombie.

As for books. I’ve finished a bunch and working on reviews. I’ve actually started working on my October posts. I want to have fun this Halloween. And doing some stuff for Christmas too. I have a bunch of holiday reads and want to share them and maybe have a couple of cute giveaways this year.

Other than that, been spending time with family. My brother and Mom head back north today and I’ll sure miss them. Time will fly, they’ll get fed up with the cold, and after the new year I expect a phone call saying they’re heading back down. LOL

I’ll be heading over to your posts soon. Happy Sunday!

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My new books this week.

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And here are some freebies for ya. Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.

Demon Street Blues (Wicked Good Witches Book 1) by [Silver, Starla, Quinn,Humphrey]  Alpha Knows Best (Wicked Good Witches Book 2) by [Silver, Starla, Quinn,Humphrey]  Bye Bye Bloodsucker (Wicked Good Witches Book 3) by [Silver, Starla, Quinn,Humphrey]

Ghast Me Gently (Wicked Good Witches Book 4) by [Silver, Starla]  Firemancer (Fated Saga Box Set Book 1) by [D'aigle, R. H.]  Magicante (Fated Saga Box Set Book 2) by [D'aigle, R. H.]

Serial Killers Encyclopedia: The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers from A to Z by [Parker Ph.D, RJ, Slate,JJ]  Forever Fifteen (The Lucia Alberti Series Book 1) by [Steele, Kimberly]  Harry Watt Bounty Hunter: 2150 AD - And Harry's Life Just Got More Complicated by [Guy, Rob]

Goliath (A Ryan Mitchell Thriller Book 1) by [Turner, Richard]  The Gates: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel (Hell on Earth Book 1) by [Wright, Iain Rob]  The Meek (Unbound Trilogy Book 1) by [Palmer, J.D.]

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read my reviews.

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Other posts on my blog this week.

My Monday Minis reviews #63 ~ Guarded and Bound

Freakin Fridays #55 ~ Final Girls and ZOO

The Friday 56 #162 ~ Pulse: The Forever Man

A Tourist Trap Mystery ~ Killer Party by Lynn Cahoon ~ Tour and Giveaway

Ooh…Mermaids! Sink by M.E. Rhines ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

A Desolate Hour by Mae Clair ~ Tour and Giveaway

Book Blast ~ The Supernatural Pet Sitter: The Curse by Diane Moat

Vote for Updrift by Errin Stevens and enter the giveaway

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Leave your link and I’ll come visit you.

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 go HERE.

 

Welcome to Freakin Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping.

I’ve got some thrillers to share today. Final Girls and ZOO.

Both of these were more like 3 1/2 stars but, since I don’t do half stars, I bumped them up.

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Final Girls

by Riley Sager

32796253

 

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Genre: Mystery / Thriller

My Review

I’m always on the lookout for a new thriller and this has been making the rounds. I won a copy and dove right in.

I was pulled in by the beginning. Not so much by any action, as by the idea of this book. There’s three girls who’ve all lived through different homicidal massacres, each years apart. They are all lone survivors. All three are Final Girls.

From here, it’s predictable but still interesting. The first Final Girl dies a suspicious death and the other two girls band together for safety in numbers. Seems like a good idea. Or maybe not. One girl can’t remember her experience and the other seems to know more about it than she does. Okay, that sets up the suspense.

I’ve read a lot of thrillers. Seen a bunch of movies in the genre. So I kind of knew the formula. Even with some gruesome scenes and a twsit or two, I just wasn’t all that thrilled. Maybe it was my mood. Or perhaps I’ve been reading too many books in this genre.

I did like this book. Just never found that extra oomph to make me love it. I’d still recommend it.

   4  Stars

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Synopsis

Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media’s attempts, they never meet.

Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.

That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy’s doorstep. Blowing through Quincy’s life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa’s death come to light, Quincy’s life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.

Amazon

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ZOO

by James Patterson

with Michael Ledwidge

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Genre: Thriller

My Review

I read this back when it was first released. Actually, I won an ARC copy with three alternative covers. Pretty cool.

After reading so many books by this author I was really psyched to read Zoo. Something is affecting the animals. All of them. They rise up and turn their deadly attention on mankind. Sounds like fun to me.

And it was. I devoured it in a couple of hours.The only thing that slowed me down was pausing to savor each attack as it occurred. The character’s were okay. Liked some more than others.

I have to admit, the main reason I wanted to read this was for the horror aspect. My imagination ran wild. How and why would it happen? How many ways could humans die and from what kinds of critters. I got my answers and had some fun. What kept it from being a killer story, I’m not sure. Perhaps it bogged down in some areas. Too much character information in others.  Still well worth the read.

  4  Stars

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Synopsis

Once in a lifetime, a writer puts it all together. This is James Patterson’s best book ever.

Total

For 36 years, James Patterson has written unputdownable, pulse-racing novels. Now, he has written a book that surpasses all of them. ZOO is the thriller he was born to write.

World

All over the world, brutal attacks are crippling entire cities. Jackson Oz, a young biologist, watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the violence to come becomes terrifyingly clear.

Destruction

With the help of ecologist Chloe Tousignant, Oz races to warn world leaders before it’s too late. The attacks are growing in ferocity, cunning, and planning, and soon there will be no place left for humans to hide. With wildly inventive imagination and white-knuckle suspense that rivals Stephen King at his very best, James Patterson’s ZOO is an epic, non-stop thrill-ride from “One of the best of the best.” (TIME)

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

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My Monday Minis where I share short reviews about books I’ve read.

It’s time for some urban fantasy. Carmen Fox has a thrilling series, The Silverton Chronicles, and today I’m sharing the first two books, Guarded and Bound.

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Guarded

The Silverton Chronicles #1

by Carmen Fox

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Genre:  Fantasy / Urban Fantasy

 

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My Review

This book was a blast. You have humans, vampires, werewolves, fae, demons and so on, all butting heads. There’s so much going on. So many different agendas. And a whole lot of surprises in store for you.

And then there’s the characters. too many to focus on just one or two. I can say that I really liked the friendship between Ivy and Florian. They are so opposite. Florian is a guy and he’s more concerned with fashion than a lot of women, whereas Ivy is all business. As things get going, they all get caught up in the action. The dialogue is very well written. And the snark had me snorting.

There’s some love interests too. The blurb might have you thinking there’s a love triangle, which I sometimes find annoying, but there isn’t one here. And while the romance isn’t the main focus, it sure adds some hilarious moments with Ivy and spices things up.

I think what I appreciated most was how easily the story flowed and how visual it was. It’s almost like you can see everything as it happens. I even had some idea of what I thought the characters should look like, which added to the fun.

A solid beginning to the series, and I’m on to the next one.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

When everyone’s existence depends on the lies they tell, trust doesn’t come easy.

Ivy’s neighbors have a secret. They aren’t human. But Ivy has a secret, too. She knows. As long as everyone keeps quiet, she’s happy working as a P.I. by day and chillaxing with her BFF Florian, a vampire, by night. When a routine pickup drops her in the middle of a murder, her two worlds collide. While Florian knows how to throw a punch, deep down he’s a softie. His idea of scary? Running out of hair product. It’s time Ivy faced facts. Even with a vampire on stand-by, one gal can only kick so many asses.

For help, she must put her faith in others. A human, who might just be the one. A demon, who will, for a price, open the doors to her heritage. And a werewolf, who wants to protect her from herself.

Torn between these men, Ivy must tread carefully, because one wants her heart, one wants her body, and one wants her dead.

Amazon / B&N

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Bound

The Silverton Chronicles #2

by Carmen Fox

29996760

Genre:  Fantasy / Urban Fantasy

 

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My Review

I adored Florian when I met him in the first book, Guarded. He’s a bit nutty and naive, has a healthy dose of charm, and is loyal to a fault. It’s fun that he now gets his own story, his time to shine.

In the first book, Florian was quirky and flamboyant, yet at loose ends. Now he’s found his place with the werewolves, but what happens when it’s discovered he’s a vampire? The pack might make an example of him. A wicked mess, and all in the name of love.

On top of that, a pack consisting of all females enters their territory and they’ll not be bossed around by a bunch of males. Tempers flare and it takes determination and finesse for Keely, their pack leader, to get Parker and his pack to not come in and try to claim them. These female wolves have been through some horrendous treatment by male leaders and want to find their own males.

This is where it gets sticky for Flo. He’s on Keely’s side, is juggling the situation with his own pack, and his Sire has shown up wanting to reunite the family. He’s old style vampire and sees Flo’s life as nonsense.

There’s more action, romance, and some consequences in this second book.  I’d recommend reading Guarded first so you have a feel for who’s who and you can dive right in and just enjoy the ride. A great follow up and I’m hoping there’s more to come.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Bound by blood. Bound by loyalty. Bound by love.

Florian has it all: excellent fashion sense, a kickass job with his best friend, and a hard-won place among Silverton’s werewolves. When a pack of females pads into their territory, Flo’s alpha dispatches him to handle a merger. Total cakewalk. Except Keely, their alpha, has no intention of submitting her wolves to Flo’s larger pack. Worse, a single glance from her baby blues sends his eloquence on vacation and his heartbeat into overdrive. His flirtations seem welcome too, but there’s a snag. She doesn’t know he’s a vampire.

While Flo struggles with his conflicts–obey his alpha or win over Keely–his estranged sire blasts into town with a catalog of radical ideas. And hanging out with unsophisticated werewolves didn’t make the list.

With violence in the air and all sides testing his loyalties, Florian must bite back, even if showing his fangs costs him the girl.

Amazon / B&N

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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 go HERE

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Sunday Post

Some chit chat.

It’s been a busy week. Work wasn’t too bad so I had a lot of time in the pool. Also been watching Shark Week. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m very disappointed. Not much new content. And do you notice how different shows use the same small film clips. If they are going to cheat, at least don’t make it so obvious. I saw the same clip for a great white in three different shows. And the shows weren’t even about the same area. I’ll keep watching as I’m fascinated by sharks, but I feel let down. How about you?

I won’t be sharing the list of free books this post. I love browsing and trying to find something for everyone to choose from. But, my brother is coming down to visit this weekend and we are all going to be busy having fun. Since I like to make sure the books I share are still free, I won’t be around to check my post before it’s published and decided not to share any.

I might be late but I’ll be around to visit your posts. Happy Sunday!

*****

My new books this week.

The Mechanic's Mate (The Diesel War Series Book 1) by [Howard, Mikea]  32796253

And some audibles.

   

*****

No free books this week. But I’ll be sharing some next time. In the meantime….

and another one that just brings out all of those good vibes!

*****

Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read my reviews.

34868566  34868580

Print  TheHouseOnDevilsBar cover  35249284

13594889  105744  22542136

*****

Other posts on my blog this week.

Check out the Cover Reveal for Watertight and enter the giveaway

Pink Lock Picks And Sequined Witch Hats ~ Two Giveaways!

Reviewing Hounded and Hounded 2 and a giveaway

It’s Hump Day ~ I think I’ll share some reviews ~ Iced and Behold!

An Accident….Or Murder? The House On Devil’s Bar

A YA Dystopian Sale and Giveaway ~ The Union Series

They’re not gonna take it anymore ~ Hunger Moon ~ Blitz and Giveaway

The Friday 56 #161 ~ Refuge For Masterminds

Freakin Fridays #54 ~ One Pissed Off Shark….Shark….Shark!

Come Helen High Water ~ Cozy Mystery Giveaway

Not His Werewolf ~ Blitz and Giveaway

*****

Leave your link and I’ll come visit you.

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 go HERE.

Welcome to Freakin Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping. In Honor of Shark Week, I’m sharing some books about the dead eyed creatures for ya.

I’ve got a few good ones to share today.

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One Pissed Off Shark

by Zack Scott

13594889

 

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Genre: Horror

My Review

This has B-movie written all over it. Young people, booze, sex, and one pissed off shark. And what’s really fun is it’s written like a screenplay, kind of. Having seen so many movies, I easily visualized the scenes and it all played out in glorious chomping and gnashing.

Sometimes it’s fun to not give a damn about the characters and just keep reading to see how they meet their bloody end. LOL There’s plenty of chum here. I was making a list and adding the character’s in the order I wanted them eaten. None have any real redeeming factors.

If you like man eating sharks and lots of silliness and characters you could care less about, this would be a fun one for ya. I read it straight through and it flew by. Some scenes made me squirm, but mostly I just grinned madly and enjoyed the show.

  3  Stars

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Synopsis

Ray and his friends have anger issues. So does the shark hunting them.

This book is free on Amazon. You can click on the cover to grab a copy.

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MEG

MEG #1

by Steve Alten

105744

 

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Genre: Horror / Thriller

My Review

I don’t even know how many times I’ve read this book and the rest of the series. It’s one of my go to books when I want to just relax and enjoy the story. Plus, I love anything sharks. Who doesn’t.

Jonas Taylor is one the best in deep sea submersible dives. When he’s sent down on a secret dive into the Marianna Trench, he barely makes it back alive. His claims that a Megalodon almost ended his life is met with derision by his peers and he sinks into depression. After years trying to prove he’s right and waking up screaming from freakish nightmares, Joans is compelled to once again brave the deep, and what happens next is worse than any nightmare he’s ever had.

Oh yeah, I loved this book. From the character’s, to the shark, and everything in-between, it was awesome. Steve is a wonderful storyteller and has you believing Megs do still exist. There’s much argument about that, which I won’t go into, but I choose to say, who knows? The ocean is the least explored place on our planet and new species are discovered all the time.

I myself, hope they do but, then I don’t. After reading books and seeing movies about Great White Sharks, I think they’re bad enough. For something that could use a 20 footer as a toothpick to arrive in our waters is truly terrifying.

Dive into MEG. Meet her up close and personal. Once the action starts, it’s a whole lot of gnashing and blood. If your a fan of sharks and horror, you’ll eat this up.

 5  Stars

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Synopsis

Revised and Expanded. On a top-secret dive into the Pacific Ocean’s deepest canyon, Jonas Taylor found himself face-to-face with the largest and most ferocious predator in the history of the animal kingdom. The sole survivor of the mission, Taylor is haunted by what he’s sure he saw but still can’t prove exists – Carcharodon megalodon, the massive mother of the great white shark. The average prehistoric Meg weighs in at twenty tons and could tear apart a Tyrannosaurus rex in seconds. Taylor spends years theorizing, lecturing, and writing about the possibility that Meg still feeds at the deepest levels of the sea. But it takes an old friend in need to get him to return to the water, and a hotshot female submarine pilot to dare him back into a high-tech miniature sub. Diving deeper than he ever has before, Taylor will face terror like he’s never imagined. MEG is about to surface. When she does, nothing and no one is going to be safe, and Jonas must face his greatest fear once again.

Amazon

I kept hearing this was going to be made into a movie for years. And now, it’s happening. And there is a great cast for the characters too. It’s due to release in 2018. Check out the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEFdn4kad-A

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While this isn’t part of Steve Alten’s megalodon series, it does have prehistoric sharks in it. And a bunch of other nasty sea beasts. Loads of action and fun.

Vostok

The Loch #2

by Steve Alten

22542136

 

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Genre: Horror / Thriller

My Review

   

I loved Steve’s Meg series. Who wouldn’t love a prehistoric shark loose in today’s oceans. I’ve read the complete series and then moved on to The Loch. Another winner with a prehistoric creature lurking in Loch Ness.

Steve has brought two amazing characters together from these books. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace and Dr. Jonas Taylor. Both of these men have drowned and come back from meetings with giant terrors of the deep seas. Neither ever thought they would enter primal waters again, but here they go.

From the village of Drumnadrochit, Scotland,  to America, and back to Scotland to battle and defeat the beast of Loch Ness,  Zachary is now about to jump down the rabbit hole into the coldest place on earth. Antarctica. But not on the surface. He’s going two and a half miles below the ice cap to an undersea lake called Vostok.

No man has ever gone there before and Vostok has been undisturbed for over 15 million years. Here be monsters. Behemoths of unimaginable size and voracious appetite.

Imagine it if you can. Lasers burn the way, forming a narrow tube for the sub to pass through the ice cap. You break through and fall, plunging into a vast undersea lake over a thousand feet deep. A beast rises, mouth gaping wide, teeth taller than you, so huge you can’t grasp it.

When things go wrong, which they do, who do you call for help? How long will it take for them to get there, if they even can?

And what if there is another reason for sending you down there? Something ancient, powerful, non terrestrial that you have to retrieve. Big brother has their sticky fingers in this expedition. They want what’s down there. No one knows what they are up to. You get it or die trying. Sounds like a conspiracy doesn’t it?

The cast of characters is diverse and many. Some were old favorites and some were new to me. I crossed my fingers the good guys would survive, but you never know with Steve. He’s not above killing some off. And the bad guys. Some were just annoying, and some I’d drop through the tunnel myself.

By the time I reached the third part of the book, I was feeling the terror, the frustration, the courage of these characters. And then the author took the story in yet another direction. I stumbled  a bit. Partly because it was hard for me to grasp how it worked at first. And partly because I didn’t want it to go in that direction. I was dragged kicking and screaming away from my beasts. I went with it though, and soon was engrossed and into it.

Vostok is the crossover book that brings The Loch and The Meg series together for the upcoming release of Meg 5: Nightstalkers. The title alone has me imaging all types of monsters.

 I follow Steve’s newsletter and have been waiting years for his Meg book to be made into a movie. It will be coming soon and I’m sure it will be a huge hit. From there, maybe we’ll be meeting these beasties on the big screen.

Thanks so much to Steve Alten and Rebel Press for gifting me a Limited Edition Hardcover copy for my honest review.

What a strange, terrifying, spectacular ride it’s been from the first Meg book to Vostok and beyond!

5 Stars

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Synopsis

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.”

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

To see all of my giveaways go HERE