Initial Thoughts This was just okay for me. The characters spent a lot of time thinking about each other but were apart for a lot of the story. I thinkInitial Thoughts This was just okay for me. The characters spent a lot of time thinking about each other but were apart for a lot of the story. I think that this is the first historical M/M romance that I have read. I thought that the danger of their relationship in the time period added to the overall story.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Full review to be posted soon....more
I didn't want this story to end! I was really excited to get my hands on this prequel nThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I didn't want this story to end! I was really excited to get my hands on this prequel novella to Molly Harper's Southern Eclectic series. The fact that I won this title in a Goodreads giveaway made it even a little nicer. I listened to the audiobook of another of Molly Harper's books earlier this year and really enjoyed it so I was really eager to give this new series a try. This turned out to be a very enjoyable read.
This really felt like Marianne's story to me. Yes, there is some romance between Marianne and Carl but this was Marianne's tale. Marianne left the small town she grew up in when she went to college because she was looking for something more. She found what she thought she wanted and has a life she likes and what she thinks she needs as she comes home for a little while before going to law school.
Marianne has a large and colorful family and they all live by each other. Some of her family works in the funeral industry and Marianne is there to help out since she is home for a while. She ends up putting some of her negotiation skills to use pretty quickly when a family can't decide how to handle a loved one's final wishes. It was fun to watch Marianne try to find her spot in her family and their business.
When Marianne left the small town, she left Carl. It is pretty obvious right away that Carl and Marianne are still very attracted to each other. They have a lot of unresolved issues to work through since their break up was pretty rough but I thought that they really seemed to fit with each other.
I would recommend this book to others. I will say that just as the romance started to get going the book ended. I guess the idea behind a prequel novella is to make readers want to start reading the series and I can say that this novella accomplished that goal because I do want to find out what happens next. Anyone who enjoys a fun romantic story filled with humor and great characters will enjoy this one. I can't wait to read more from Molly Harper soon!
I won a kindle copy of this book from a giveaway on Goodreads.
Initial Thoughts I didn't want it to end! Really...it was just getting to the good stuff and boom...it's over. It was a nice intro to the series. I thought it was fun and the characters were great. I had fun with it but would have really liked to see another chapter or maybe an epilogue. ...more
This was a very well done novella. I was really excited to win a copy of this book in aThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
This was a very well done novella. I was really excited to win a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway because I have been wanting to try Laura Griffin's writing for some time. I discovered that I really enjoy her work. This story really did a lot in just a few pages and left me feeling very satisfied in the end.
Karly is a journalist spending time with a United States ambassador at a resort in Thailand. Things end up going horribly wrong when terrorists attack the resort. Karly's quick thinking may be what keeps her alive and her phone call at the start of the attack is what alerts others to what is happening.
This story started with a bang. There was so much action and I was in fear for Karly. She handles the situation a whole lot better than I would have been able to do. She meets Ethan, a Navy SEAL, during the rescue operation and they make a connection. That connection becomes even more intense when they run into each other later after everything is over.
I liked Karly and Ethan. Ethan was hard not to like. He was everything that Karly needed him to be during the rescue mission and was able to do what needed to be done. He was really willing to put everything on the line. Karly handles herself well under pressure but she does have some emotions to deal with when everything is over. I loved them together and thought that they had wonderful chemistry.
I would recommend this novella to others. This was an incredibly fast paced and action packed romance that had me turning pages as quickly as possible. I was completely entertained by Karly and Ethan's story and have plans to read more from Laura Griffin soon.
I won a copy of this book from a giveaway on Goodreads.
Initial Thoughts This was a nice short read. Lots of action and great characters. I would definitely read more from this series....more
I thought that this book worked really well. I have only read one book by Mary Burton bThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.
I thought that this book worked really well. I have only read one book by Mary Burton before starting this one but I enjoyed it so I was pretty eager to pick this one up. I was really pulled into the story from the start and ended up listening to the entire book in just a couple of days. This was a book that I wanted to listen to for hours at a time and completely enjoyed the experience.
Kate is an FBI agent and we learn pretty early on that she handles some pretty difficult cases. She is called to a crime scene in Texas that has all of the trademarks of another criminal. A criminal that Kate put behinds bars. She has to figure out what is going on quickly before anyone else is harmed.
Detective Theo Mazur is a divorced father who has recently moved to Texas to remain close to his daughter. He is the new guy at the department, having left a more prestigious position in Chicago, and reaches out for help to the FBI just as soon as he sees the similarities between his case and the notorious killer.
I thought that Kate and Theo made a great team. I liked how their partnership seemed to work from the very beginning. I was completely hooked by the case. There were so many twists and turns that I couldn't figure out how things would work out. I liked that there were a few other issues that they were dealing with outside of the case because it made the characters feel a lot more authentic. Kate's past, her relationship with her family, and Theo's desire to stay near his daughter were all not only interesting but each topic added to the overall story.
Teri Schnaubelt did a wonderful job with the narration. There is a pretty large group of characters in this story and she made each one of them come alive. I was completely engaged in the story from the very start and found myself hanging on every word. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more of her work in the future.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a fantastic mystery thriller with just a bit of romance worked into the story. The romance was a very minor but quite natural element in the book. I found this book to be rather exciting and hard to put down. I hope to read more from Mary Burton soon.
I won a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway and borrowed the audio from Kindle Unlimited.
Initial Thoughts This was really good. The crimes in the story kept me guessing and completely engaged. I thought that the characters were very well done and I thought they worked well together to solve what was going. The book was exciting with a nice variety of crimes to keep things interesting. I thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with the story. ...more
Initial Thoughts I am really somewhere between 3 and 4 stars with this one. This was a weird little story and I like weird stories so that was a plus fInitial Thoughts I am really somewhere between 3 and 4 stars with this one. This was a weird little story and I like weird stories so that was a plus for me. Unfortunately, the story was also a bit confusing at times which I don't like nearly as much. I can't say that I really liked the characters but I was intrigued by the Biologist. I was really curious about how things would work out and what weird occurrence would pop up next. I thought that the writing was very good and I liked the flow of the story. I really feel pretty satisfied by how everything ended and doubt that I will ever pick up the next book in the trilogy.
I won an ARC of this book from the publisher in a Goodreads giveaway. Full review to be posted soon....more
I ended up really liking this one. I feel like this book has been sitting on my virtualThis review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I ended up really liking this one. I feel like this book has been sitting on my virtual shelves forever. I am so glad that I finally decided to tackle it. It has been a long time since I read any of this author’s work but I found this to be rather enjoyable.
Ian and Phoebe were great characters and I liked the dynamic between them. I really liked the rest of the team as well and thought that they added a lot to the story. I found the book to be rather exciting with quite a bit of action to keep the plot moving along. Ian was almost superhuman and it seemed that he could almost do anything. Phoebe was smart but she didn’t always fully understand the situation which got her in trouble on more than one occasion. My only complaint would be that the book felt overly long at times. There was a lot going on in this book and I really felt like some of the sub-plots probably should have been cut to streamline the book just a bit.
I thought that Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank did a great job with the narration. I liked the various voices that both of them used. I liked the way they were able to add a bit of excitement and emotion to the story through their reading. I thought that their voices worked really well for this book and they both made the characters they represented feel very real. I believe that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this book to fans of romantic suspense. There is a lot of action and excitement in this story which is nicely balanced with the romance. I would definitely read more of this talented author’s work.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Ballantine Books and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library....more
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow and Goodreads First Reads for the purpose of pThis review can also be found at Carole's Random Life
I received a copy of this book from William Morrow and Goodreads First Reads for the purpose of providing an honest review.
This coming of age story was a solid 4 star read for me. It was a relatively short book that could easily be read in a single evening. There is really of lot of story packed into those few pages. This book has recently been made into a movie and I always like to read the book first before seeing the movie, although I rarely follow through with actually watching the movie.
The story is told from the perspective of 13 year old Henry. Henry lives with his divorced mother, Adele. They lead a rather lonely life. Adele does not really like to leave the house and often sends Henry inside to complete errands while she waits in the car. On a rare shopping trip to buy needed school clothes for Henry, they meet a man who asks them to take him home with them. Adele agrees and the bleeding stranger comes home with them. They soon learn that the stranger, Frank, is an escaped convict. Frank is kind to the pair and a bond is developed. As the book moves forward, we learn the background stories of both Adele and Frank which make their character both more likeable and relate able.
I found the writing of this book to be superb. The characters were very real for me and the voice that it was told in was authentic. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a slightly different coming of age story. I will be looking for more works from this author. I do think that this story could make an excellent film so I am more interested in seeing the movie after reading the book than I was before. Now I need to see if I can get a chance to see this movie....more