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Goodreads Synopsis: Everyone's invited...everyone's a suspect... For fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a shivery, atmospheric, page-turning novel of psychological suspense in the tradition of Agatha Christie, in which a group of old college friends are snowed in at a hunting lodge . . . and murder and mayhem ensue. All of them are friends. One of them is a killer. During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world. Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps. Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it. Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close? The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley | Goodreads This was an interesting story, however it wasn't nearly as gripping as I had anticipated it being. I found it to be slow moving, and I felt like it really didn't get going until I was already 60% through it. I did really enjoy the multiple perspectives and split timeline. It was quite interesting seeing the mystery unraveled from prior to the murder rather than through sleuthing after the fact. Definitely glad that I finished it, and unraveled all the twists, but I had higher hopes for this book. 3 Stars!
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Goodreads Synopsis: Katie is done with innocence. After a health scare, Katie realizes how much she’s been holding herself back. So she propositions her brother’s best friend, Blake, who’s never slept with any woman more than once. All she wants is her only time with him to be her first time. He doesn’t even need to know she’s loved him forever. Blake enjoys his loose lifestyle. With all the years of one-night stands, Blake knows his friend will kill him if he touches his sister. Besides, Katie’s too sweet for the likes of him, so he definitely won’t take her up on her offer. After Blake turns her down, Katie begins to explore her sexy side, and her naivete attracts the wrong type of man. When Blake comes to her rescue, the inevitable happens. And for the first time, one time will never be enough. Now he just has to convince her he actually means that. And himself that he’s worthy of her, despite all the history that says otherwise. With angsty pasts healed through love, and heroes who are gentle everywhere but in bed, The Last Shot Tavern series contains interconnected standalones with no cliff hangers and all the steam. Finding Nerve by Amber Warden | Goodreads Thank you to Amber Warden and BookSirens for providing me with an ebook copy of Finding Nerve for me to read and review. What an addictive story! I was immediately rooting for the female main character to find love. The chemistry between the two main characters was undeniable and excellently steamy. There were a small number of spelling or wording errors that I spotted while reading which interrupted my reading flow, however they were infrequent and did not seriously detract from the story. This novel can be read as a standalone, but it is part of a larger series, so I am truly excited to read more about other people in Katie and Blake's lives who played a background role during their story. I'm hopeful that I will get to see a bit more of their story unfold alongside their friends and relatives stories. 4 Stars! Goodreads Synopsis: One month ago, four college girls were abducted. Three were brutally murdered. One girl escaped. Angie Taylor was traumatized and shocked speechless. The police think she killed her friends, and then had a mental breakdown. Her psychiatrist believes she has an emotionally unstable personality disorder. Can she ever speak up and describe the killer’s face to a police sketch artist? Is the murderer stalking her right now, eager to finish what he started? Everyone in the city is on edge, fearing the worst, not sure what to believe. A visit from a determined FBI agent shakes things up and raises the stakes. FBI Special Agent Brenda Reynolds of the VSRT must investigate whether the mysterious silent girl is a victim, a killer, or has gone insane. Thank you to Mark Nolan and BookSirens for providing me with an ebook copy of The Girl Who Escaped. What a unique, interesting plot and corresponding characters. I was hooked on this story right from the beginning and I couldn't read fast enough to find it what might happen next. This suspense thriller had me so intrigued that I immediately added every other Mark Nolan book to my to-be-read list. I love that many aspects of this novel included a number of factual occurrences and organizations. I also am super excited to discover that two of the characters are also part of a number of other books by Nolan! Definitely one that I will be recommending. 5 Stars! Synopsis: Millie is thrilled to be hosting her big brother’s wedding at her beach house. But they live on opposite sides of the country, which leaves her to plan the entire thing by herself. That is, until Noah Harding enters the picture. She’s been secretly in love with her brother’s best friend since they were kids. They have history…some very secret, very intimate, very unpleasant history. Despite her protests, Noah shows up in her little island town for the summer to help. It doesn’t take long for Millie to feel that pull again, but she refuses to let her emotions get involved this time, and a pact is formed: no emotions, no attachments, just sex. Only some feelings run too deep to deny, and Millie isn’t so sure she’ll come out on the other side unscathed. Maybe this summer fling wasn’t the best idea after all… Thank you to Dana Isaly for providing me with an ebook copy of My Summer Fling for me to read and review! This book had a whole lot of tropes going on, but it worked! I found myself very quickly rooting for the two main characters to find love. There were a number of spelling and wording errors that were a bit of a distraction from my reading flow. However, I still truly enjoyed the story and am interested in reading more of Isaly's writing. 4 Stars! Synopsis: An unforgettable bassist. A first love abandoned. A forced move to a foreign land. And a sinister fan that exposes a toxic secret…at the worst time. Lizzee has the most beautiful smile. She’s the new girl in school, standing at the front of the auditorium, with a strange guy’s arm around her. As I play bass on stage, her eyes are on me. Days later, we’re working together, and she tells me how talented she thinks I am. Her knowledge of music is unfounded for a military brat, and I soon find out why. We spend an unforgettable few weeks together, and then she’s gone, without a trace. Thirteen years later, she resurfaces, with a new name, and I have no idea what happened to her…or how she found me. And it’s not until I watch her cling to life that I find out the truth. *** Blaze is going places. He just doesn’t know it yet. But I do. With a father that I barely know and a mother that means everything to me, it’s a difficult balance. Being a vagabond means not making any ties, but once a tragedy almost touches down in my family, I’m forced to make one…but from a million miles away. It’s the reason I go back after thirteen years. It’s what I’ve always wanted but denied myself, until it happens by accident. But when I find him, he's not the same person, nor am I. …one common thread holds us together. And I don’t know if it’s enough… until it’s almost too late, that is. Thank you to Sandra Alex for providing me with an ebook copy of Secrets for me to read and review. This was the addictive, fast paced story that is the norm for Alex's books! I flew through this book in only a couple days! This is the third book in the Big Bands, Big Hearts series and it followed the bassist, Blaze as one of the lead characters, but still gave readers glimpses of the previous characters that we have already grown attached to. There were a small number of grammatical and wording errors that I noticed while reading including the wrong name used at one point, however they weren't frequent enough to detract from the story. I am so excited that there are many more books coming in this series as there were a number of cliffhangers at the end, and I can't wait to see what will happen next! 4 Stars! Goodreads Synopsis: Travis Young is the rockstar with a reputation, too many tattoos to count, and an unexplained three-year hiatus. I never thought I’d see him again after high school. But when my career as a hard-hitting reporter is derailed when my work gets caught up in a legal mess, my editor sends me to cover Travis’s upcoming album release while the whole thing blows over. The lifestyle of private jets, city hopping, and exclusive parties is alluring, but it’s not something I get easily caught up in. I’m here for the story—definitely not for the musician with an attitude, gut-wrenching lyrics, and killer blue eyes. Young at Midnight by Jennifer Ann Shore | Goodreads Thank you to Jennifer Ann Shore and BookSirens for providing me with an ebook copy of Young at Midnight for me to read and review. I have to say, this is my favorite of Jennifer Ann Shore's books that I have read so far! It was addictive, right from the very first page. I did not want to put it down and flew through it in 2 days. The characters showed lots of excellent growth and had undeniable chemistry. The beautiful cover made me think of Pink Floyd and although I don’t know whether this was intentional, or just my personal insight; it set the tone for the rockstar characters very well. Highly recommend. 5 Stars! Goodreads Synopsis: The past she can’t remember. The secret he hides. And a love that’s worth risking it all. After a devastating car crash stole both her family and her memory, Grace Stanton was left with no past and an uncertain future. Now Grace likes to keep things simple. No sleepovers, never date a guy more than a month, and never, ever fall in love. Which is exactly why Grace avoids Bad Habit’s lead guitarist, Brody Scott, at all costs. The green-eyed, sexy-as-hell musician has “trouble” tattooed all over him, and Grace isn’t taking any chances with her heart. Brody knows he doesn’t deserve an amazing woman like Grace—her creamy skin, red hair, or that smart mouth that fuels his every fantasy—but there’s something between them that’s more than chemistry. Something real. He’ll just have to convince Grace that he’s worth the risk—and hide the secret that haunts his worst dreams. But when fate plays a cruel hand, Brody’s darkest sin suddenly threatens his last chance at redemption…and the life of the woman he loves. Sin With Me (Bad Habit, #3) by J.T. Geissinger | Goodreads This book was yet another home run for Geissinger. The third book in the Bad Habit series, Sin With Me, was sooo sinfully good in all the best ways. As usual, the sarcastic, snarky humor was excellently incorporated and had me laughing out loud. Geissinger paired this so nicely with the intrigue of the characters' past trauma and secrets and the incredibly sexy chemistry between the two. Every time I read a book by Geissinger I become more impressed with how well she blends all of my favorite genres of sexy romance, drama, and mysterious thriller all in one story. This is definitely one that I will be recommending. 5 Stars! |
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