Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB at Books And A Beat.
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
Nine Of Stars
Dark Alchemy #3
by Laura Bickle
Genre: Fantasy / Urban Fantasy
My Teaser from page 36 of the paperback.
Sig did not think this was a good thing. He sat on Petra’s stomach and stared at Gabe as he snored, eyes shining in the dark. He cocked his head and looked at Petra, as if to say, This is all your fault.
In case you haven’t figured it out, Sig is Petra’s coyote and he doesn’t like sharing the bed with Gabe. LOL
This is from the ARC copy.
~~~~~
Synopsis
Winter is the most deadly season in Temperance. And it’s not just because of the fierce cold. Evil is stalking the backcountry of Yellowstone, killing wolves and leaving only their skins behind.
As the snow deepens, Geologist Petra Dee is staring her own death in the face, while former Hanged Man Gabriel struggles with his abrupt transition back to mortality. The ravens and the rest of the Hanged Men are gone, and there are no magical solutions to Petra’s illness or Gabriel’s longing for what he’s lost…and what he stands to lose now.
Meanwhile, there’s a new sheriff in town. Sheriff Owen Rutherford has inherited the Rutherford ranch and the remnants of the Alchemical Tree of Life. He’s also a dangerously haunted man, and his investigation of Sal’s death is leading him right to Gabriel.
It’s up to Petra, her coyote sidekick Sig, and Gabriel to get ahead of both Owen and the unnatural being stalking them all – before the trail turns deathly cold.
Title: There’s a Bumbie Under My Bed Author: Bethany Ramos Publisher: Saturn’s Moon Press Pages: 24 Genre: Children’s Picture Book
My Review
What a fun, delightful story.
I thought it would be a scary story about the boogeyman that hides uner a child’s bed, crawling out in the dark to terrorize him.
Instead it’s about a little boy and the delightful bumbies, boblins, bunshees, and other creatures that keep him up past his bedtime.
The colorful illustrations will make you and your children smile and giggle.
This would be a wonderful story to share with your children. especially those that fear the dark and what’s under their bed or in their closet.
The author includes some fun pictures on how to create shadow puppets at the end of the book. I tried them several times.
I confess, I still get creeped out when my foot hangs over the side of the bed. Still imagine what might reach up and grab it. LOL
5 Stars
~~~~~
Synopsis
There’s a Bumbie Under My Bed tells the story of a boy who can’t go to sleep because of all the monster bunnies keeping him up at night. Told in the first-person narrative, the little boy delays bedtime, using his flashlight and hand to create scary and silly bunny shadow puppets on the wall. According to the boy, friendly, spooky characters like the Bumbie (bunny zombie), Were-bunny (werewolf bunny), Bunny-stein (bunny Frankenstein), and Count Hop-ula come to visit him in the night. At the end of the book, his mother comforts him to sleep by telling him to let his imagination rest — and put the flashlight away.
I can’t go to sleep. There’s a Bumbie under my bed. He only comes out at night, after Mom turns out the light.
He nibbles on my toes and he tickles my nose. He hops back and forth, side to side, up and down across my bed to keep me up way past my bedtime.
What is a Bumbie? Mom wants to know when she brings me a cup of water before bed.
It’s a bunny rabbit zombie that moans and groans, laughs and plays, and hops all night because he never goes to sleep!
~~~~~
About the Author
Bethany Ramos is a children’s book author, editor, and blogger. She is a regular contributor to SheKnows.com. Bethany’s first children’s book, Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti, was published through 4RV Publishing in 2016. Her second children’s book, There’s a Bumbie Under My Bed, was published by Saturn’s Moon Press, also in 2016. Her first chick lit novel, 5 Stages of Grief, was published by Black Opal Books in 2011; her second chick lit novel, Adventure to Love, was published by Soul Mate Publishing in 2013.
Bethany works as Editor in Chief for Naturally Healthy Publications.
Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.
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Some chit chat.
Finally, the weather has shifted and it feels more like fall. And that got me in the mood for some holiday movies. In my QUE are White Christmas, The Grinch, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Love Actually, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and A Christmas Story. Just to name some of the movies I plan to watch.
On the dark side, I have Krampus and Gremlins.
Gotta love those gremlins! I used to be a bartender and by the end of the night and a whole lot of drinks, it almost felt like this. LOL
How about you. Any favorites you watch every year when the holiday draws near? Any suggestions for me?!
I’ll be hopping over to check out your Sunday Posts so be sure to leave me your link.
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New books on my shelf. Some I won, some are for review, and some I just had to have.
And I’m finally getting started on some audibles.
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And here are some freebies for ya!
Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button.
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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read my reviews.
This was much more than end of the world as we know it story.
Sure, there’s the mysterious illness that kills the majority of the world’s population. But, it’s more about a young teenager, Lilianna, and how she copes with everything that occurs.
The illness spreads globally at a fast pace. People are cut off from each. Communication is spotty and many don’t know if their loved ones survived.
Lilianna is home alone, coping with something disturbing that happened to her at school when it strikes. She navigates many unknowns as she seeks other survivors and struggles to survive.
This was a very good story. I enjoy apocalyptic scenarios, and while the plot wasn’t anything new, the character’s drove a powerful story of survival. Lil had to set aside that which haunted her in order to help others. She came across as very genuine and it was wonderful to watch her step into the role as care giver for young ones left alone when their parents succumbed to the virus.
A well written plot and fast read, and I’ll be checking out other books by this author.
4 Stars
Synopsis
Even under the most normal circumstances, high school can be a painful and confusing time. Unfortunately, Lilianna’s circumstances are anything but normal. Only a few people know what caused her sudden change from model student to the withdrawn pessimist she has become, but her situation isn’t about to get any better. When people begin coming down with a quick-spreading illness that doctors are unable to treat, Lil’s worst fears are realized. With her parents called away on business before the contagious outbreak-her father in Delaware covering the early stages of the disease and her mother in Hong Kong and unable to get a flight back to New Jersey-Lil’s town is hit by what soon becomes a widespread illness and fatal disaster. Now, she’s more alone than she’s been since the “incident” at her school months ago.
With friends and neighbors dying all around her, Lil does everything she can just to survive. But as the disease rages on, so does an unexpected tension as Lil is torn between an old ex and a new romantic interest. Just when it all seems too much, the cause of her original trauma shows up at her door. In this thrilling debut from author Yvonne Ventresca, Lil must find a way to survive not only the outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.
I’m always up for a haunting and got a good one here.
When her parents get divorced and her mother uproots them and moves to an old mansion in Idaho, Paige and her little brother have to accept it and adjust.
They probably would have settled in and begun over soon enough, except something is wrong with their new home. Things move around by themselves. Words appear written on the walls. And her brother begins to act strange.
Then there’s the weird neighbor that lives downstairs. What’s his story?
I fell into this story quickly and the author wasted no time building the creepy atmosphere. So many weird things started happening and the suspense built up.
Plenty of interesting characters prowl through the story, and I enjoyed seeing what would happen to who.
With it not being an easy mystery to figure out and plenty of bizarre scenarios, I had a haunting good time.
4 Stars
Synopsis
When Paige moves from LA to Idaho with her mom and little brother after her parents’ high-profile divorce, she expects to completely hate her new life, and the small town doesn’t disappoint. Worse yet, the drafty old mansion they’ve rented is infested with flies, spiders, and other pests Paige doesn’t want to think about.
She chalks it up to her rural surroundings, but it’s harder to ignore the strange things happening around the house, from one can of ravioli becoming a dozen, to unreadable words appearing in the walls. Soon Paige’s little brother begins roaming the house at all hours of the night, and there’s something not right about the downstairs neighbor, who knows a lot more than he’s letting on.
Things only get creepier when she learns about the sinister cult that conducted experimental rituals in the house almost a hundred years earlier.
The more Paige investigates, and the deeper she digs, the clearer it all becomes: whatever is in the house, whatever is causing all the strange occurrences, has no intention of backing down without a fight.
Found in the aftermath, Diary of a Haunting collects the journal entries, letters, and photographs Paige left behind.
Silver-Tongued Devil Rosalind James
(Portland Devils)
Publication date: November 15th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Sports
No more wild rides. No more wild side.
Blake Orbison’s pro football career may have ended with a bang, but not calling the signals anymore just gives him more time to devote to his business enterprises, including the latest and greatest: the opening of the Wild Horse Resort in scenic north Idaho. And that other one, too. Blake’s on the marriage track, and he’s got a game plan. But when he runs into a trespasser leaping from his shoreline boulders into his lake, what’s a good ol’ boy to do but strip down and join her?
Dakota Savage is nobody’s temporary diversion, least of all the man responsible for her family’s semi-desperate circumstances. Some people may think she has a piercing too many, but she’s had more than enough of being called trash in this town. She’s come home to Wild Horse to run her stepfather’s painting business, and any extra time she has goes into creating her stained glass. An overpaid, entitled, infuriating NFL quarterback is no part of her life plan, no matter how sweet he talks. No matter how slow he smiles. No matter what.
It wasn’t Jerry. That much, she could tell as he got closer. It was somebody a whole lot slimmer. Tall, check. Short dark hair, check. Black shirt, check. But no gut, and she thought there was some darkness around the jaw that wasn’t quite a beard. Another security guy. She could be cute enough for him. Maybe. What would he care, really, what she did?
“Hi,” she said as he approached. “Next time maybe don’t yell right when I’m jumping.” Taking the initiative. Projecting confidence. She was better at that than “cute.”
“Hell of a graceful landing,” he agreed, and glasses or no, she could see the flash of white teeth through the dark stubble just fine. Also that he had a pair of shoulders to die for, and some very nice arms in that T-shirt. Not to mention long legs in dusty jeans and work boots, and about six foot three of lean muscle. Nobody she knew, because she’d have noticed him. She might not be able to see him, exactly, but she could see enough.
“If you’re security,” she said, “I was just going.”
“I’m not security. And I hope that’s a lie that you were just going, because that looked real fun.”
He had a Southern drawl she’d surely never heard in Wild Horse. Slow as molasses, and just that thick and sweet. Ah hope thass a lah that you were juss goin’. “Let me guess,” she said, feeling a sneaky little surge of excitement. “You’re out here to do wrong. Sign says ‘No Trespassing,’ and you’ve been given the big lecture, but you’re not worried, because you’re a badass like that.”
Some more grin. “Could be. Is that water deep enough to be safe? We’re both too pretty to get ourselves paralyzed.”
“Oh, yeah,” she assured him. “Best spot on the lake for it. No place else has rocks like this or a pool this deep. Which means, of course, that the Man comes and fences it off and tells you that you can’t use it anymore, even if you’re working out here. Gotta love capitalism, and this is about the worst.”
He gazed into the distance and scratched thoughtfully at his cheek. “Bad place to work, you think? Huh.”
“I wouldn’t do it for a heartbeat if I didn’t need the money. You could say that I’m not in love with Mr. Blake Orbison or his company. But you know, we all need the money.”
“That we do. Arrogant guy?”
“Let’s say that I don’t like the way he treats people. On an . . . institutional scale.” Whoa, girl, she told herself. Lose the bitter and get back to reckless. More attractive, and a whole lot more fun. Trust her to meet a truly prime specimen of manflesh for once and immediately put him off. “So I’m sure I shouldn’t jump off his rocks. But hey, what’s life without a little danger?” There, that was better.
“Now, see, darlin’,” he said, his voice getting even deeper, the accent going a shade richer, “that’s what I tell myself all the time. It’s a real shame that so few people think like us.”
Author Bio:
Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a release, special, or free book! http://www.rosalindjames.com/mail-list
Yes, ALL the books are stand-alones except JUST ONCE MORE and FRACTURED.
Rosalind James, a publishing industry veteran and former marketing executive, is an author of Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense novels published both independently and through Montlake Romance. She was raised in North Idaho, but now lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and a Labrador Retriever named Charlie. Rosalind attributes her surprising success to the fact that “lots of people would like to escape to New Zealand! I know I did!”
Visit www.rosalindjames.com to listen to the songs from the New Zealand books, follow characters on their travels, watch funny and fascinating New Zealand videos, and learn about what’s new.
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 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.
I’m a practicing witch and author of paranormal romance, fantasy and magical realism. I’m also a firm believer that the things that go bump in the night deserve their happily ever afters, too!
When I’m not writing, you can find me watching campy horror films with my husband and our menagerie and hiking in the woods in beautiful New England!
Want updates when I publish a book? Join The Coven (PNR & Fantasy Newsletter.)
Fast-paced and entertaining, this is a story cozy mystery fans shouldn’t miss… ~Readeropolis
Five Dog Voodoo (Mae December Mystery)
Camel Press (November 15, 2016)
Paperback: 266 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1603812481
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My Review
I had all kinds of fun with this story. Voodoo. Just the word sounds mysterious and creepy. Imagine a place called Voodoo Village. Sounds almost like a song.
And the title, Five Dog Voodoo. Now that sounds too good to pass up.
It’s a lovely mess of reelection campaigns, murder, and voodoo in Tennessee.
Not having read the other books in this series, I was happy to have no problem jumping in here. I really like Mae December. That girl does it all. She helps with her fiances reelection campaign, is caregiver to a pack of dogs, is a successful painter, and is the soon to be stepmom to Ben’s five-year-old son. She also runs her own boarding kennel, which also includes some training and the breeding of designer dogs.
Ever heard of a porgie, a cross between a corgi and a pug? How about a cortese, a cross between a corgi and a maltese? And then there’s the strawberry blond porgies.
Murder takes precedent over Ben’s reelection campaign when a dog leads authorities to her master’s body, buried in a shallow grave in Voodoo village. It may not just be his job he loses if Ben doesn’t solve this case fast.
Are you curious about where this dog and her four new pups will end up?
I have several requirements I expect from a cozy mystery. It needs a small town setting. Check. A quirky title and fun cover art. Check. Unusual character names and a bit of romance. Check. A mystery not too easily solved. Check. And some kind of theme. Check. And it’s always a pleasant bonus to have some furry companions too.
I had a really fun read and plan to go back and start at the beginning. I need to see what I’ve missed. But, if you start the series here, you’ll have no problem enjoying this all by itself.
4 Stars
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Synopsis
As Halloween approaches, engaged couple Mae December and Sheriff Ben Bradley have devoted all their energy to Ben’s campaign for reelection as sheriff of Rose County, Tennessee. The race is already too close to call when the sheriff’s office is hit with yet another maddeningly tricky murder case. In recent years the town of Rosedale has had more than its fair share of murders, a fact Ben’s smarmy opponent is all too eager to exploit.
Investigator Dory Clarkson and her friend, Counselor Evangeline Bon Temps, are visiting the mysterious Voodoo village when a resident tells them her granddaughter, Zoé Canja, is missing. Her dog, a Weimaraner nursing four pups, escapes the house and finds the young woman’s body in a shallow grave. Evangeline becomes Sheriff Ben Bradley’s unofficial consultant because her grandmother in Haiti and later her mother in New Orleans practiced Voodoo. A threatening symbol is left on the pavement by Dory’s front door, effectively banning her from the case. Evangeline and the sheriff’s office ask too many questions, and Evangeline soon wears out her welcome. Voodoo curses aside, Ben’s job is at stake, and no one associated with the case is safe until the killer is found.
Book 5 in the Mae December Mystery series, which began with One Dog Too Many.
About The Authors
.
Lia Farrell is the nom de plume for a mother/daughter duo of writers. Mom Lyn Farquhar and Daughter Lisa Fitzsimmons have been collaborating on the Mae December mystery series for four years. ABOUT LYN
Lyn Farquhar taught herself to read before starting school and honed her story telling abilities by reading to her little sister. Ultimately, her mother ended the reading sessions because Lyn’s sister decided she preferred being read to over learning to read herself. She fell in love with library books at the age of six when a Bookmobile came to her one-room rural elementary school. The day the Bookmobile arrived, Lyn decided she would rather live in the bookmobile than at home and was only ousted following sustained efforts by her teacher and the bookmobile driver.
Lyn graduated from Okemos High School in Michigan and got her college and graduate degrees from Michigan State University. She has a master’s degree in English literature and a Ph.D. in Education, but has always maintained that she remained a student for such a long time only because it gave her an excuse to read. Lyn holds the rank of Professor of Medical Education at Michigan State University and has authored many journal articles, abstracts and research grants. Since her retirement from MSU to become a full time writer, she has completed a Young Adult Fantasy trilogy called Tales of the Skygrass Kingdom. Volume I from the trilogy is entitled Journey to Maidenstone and is available on amazon.com. Lyn has two daughters and six step children, nine granddaughters and three grandsons. She also has two extremely spoiled Welsh Corgi’s. Her hobby is interior design and she claims she has the equivalent of a master’s degree from watching way too many decorating shows.
ABOUT LISA
Lisa Fitzsimmons grew up in Michigan and was always encouraged to read, write and express herself artistically. She was read aloud to frequently. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she was seldom seen without a book in hand. After becoming a mom at a young age, she attended Michigan State University in a tri-emphasis program with concentrations in Fine Art, Art History an Interior Design.
Lisa, with her husband and their two children, moved to North Carolina for three exciting years and then on to Tennessee, which she now calls home. She has enjoyed an eighteen year career as a Muralist and Interior Designer in middle Tennessee, but has always been interested in writing. Almost five years ago, Lisa and her mom, Lyn, began working on a writing project inspired by local events. The Mae December Mystery series was born.
Lisa, her husband and their three dogs currently divide their time between beautiful Northern Michigan in the summertime and middle Tennessee the rest of the year. She and her husband feel very blessed that their “empty nest” in Tennessee is just a short distance from their oldest, who has a beautiful family of her own. Their youngest child has settled in Northern Michigan, close to their cabin there. Life is good.
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?
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.
All I can say is, Holy Batman, people! What an ending to a great series.
So, Ashling has now assumed her place as the Crimson Queen. She’s been to hell and back. And now she has to go back yet again. But she won’t be alone. Her pack will be with her. This is the final battle. The one that prophecy foretold. Everything hangs in the balance.
This will be kind of short as there’s no way to talk about a book this far into the series without those nasty spoilers.
I adored this last book. So much bloody action. So much pain and loss. But also, so much hope. So much love. So much triumph.
There were some really harrowing scenes, especially in the Bloodrealm. Creatures and evil you can’t even begin to imagine crawl out from under their rocks. There were those times I held my breath, and if this were a movie, I’d have been peeking through my fingers. I so wanted everyone I cared about to survive. But, it’s not my story and there’s much to be said for feeling a wide range of emotions while reading a story.
Loved the series and loved the ending.
5 Stars
~~~~~
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.
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.
The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!
My 56 for this week is from:
Better Off Thread
An Embroidery Mystery #10
by Amanda Lee
Genre: Cozy Mystery
From Page 56 in the paperback.
“Hey, you won Mom over. That was no small feat.”
~~~~~
Read on if you want to know more.
Synopsis
Santa finds himself in a stitch of trouble in the tenth in the series from the national bestselling author of The Stitching Hour…
Marcy is busy helping her customers make hand-crafted ornaments at her embroidery shop, the Seven-Year Stitch. But despite the yuletide bustle, when her friend Captain Moe asks for her help, she can’t refuse—especially when the favor is to play the elf to his Santa for sick children at a local hospital. Despite the ridiculous outfit, Marcy finds herself enjoying spreading cheer—until the hospital’s administrator is found murdered.
Although the deceased had plenty of people willing to fill her stocking with coal, evidence pins the crime on Moe. Now it’s up to Marcy, with the help of her police officer boyfriend Ted and her Irish Wolfhound Angus, to stitch together the clues to clear Moe’s name—before someone else winds up crossed off Santa’s list for good…
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
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.
![Prehistoric Beasts And Where To Fight Them by [Navikov, Hugo]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51pXYaKEZ%2BL.jpg)
![Mercury Retrograde: A Dark Alchemy Novel by [Bickle, Laura]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51WA79t2N9L._SY346_.jpg)
![Happy New Year by [Fleet, Robert C.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zzJ6UVSRL._SY346_.jpg)
![Death by the Mistletoe by [MacVicar, Angus]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gbGuiXHgL._SY346_.jpg)
![Love on a Plate by [Willis, Susan]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dHdJ7eoJL.jpg)
![The Dream Diaries by [Smith, Becca C.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41tn3fGDceL._SY346_.jpg)
![Seabound (Seabound Chronicles Book 1) by [Rivet, Jordan]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LwHx3l2FL.jpg)
![Ocean's Justice (Turbulence and Triumph Book 1) by [Carlton, Demelza]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hi3YVNjUL.jpg)
![BlueBuried Muffins (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by [Cole, Lyndsey]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ei06J9UlL.jpg)
![Color Me Crazy: A Cozy Mystery (An Annie Addison Cozy Mystery Book 1) by [Dox, Molly]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51GzlHHicEL.jpg)
![Dead Man's Diamonds: A Piece of Cake Mystery (Piece of Cake Mysteries Book 1) by [Winters, A.R.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jIUaOsTIL.jpg)
![Daddy Soda (A New Hampshire Mystery Book 1) by [Gibson, Mira]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51hVC9FwnBL.jpg)
![Rock Spider (A New Hampshire Mystery Book 2) by [Gibson, Mira]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51rkOhM5q%2BL.jpg)
![Tar Heart (A New Hampshire Mystery Book 3) by [Gibson, Mira]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q6c2Kor4L.jpg)
![Seven Sisters (Seven Sisters Series Book 1) by [Bullock, M.L.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51w5GULXwQL.jpg)
![Moonlight Falls on Seven Sisters (Seven Sisters Series Book 2) by [Bullock, M.L.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51le7lrUbAL.jpg)
![The Shadow Chronicles, Part 1 (Two-Book Collection: Shadow Lurker, Dark Works) by [Cunningham, Jason]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51zqEjIibdL.jpg)
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