Thursday, October 10, 2024

GIVEAWAY Showcase A Broken Reflection by Shelly M Patel a Partners in Crime virtual tour

Today is my stop on the A Broken Reflection by Shelly Patel tour
Enjoy the showcase and make sure you enter the #Giveaway at the end.

A BROKEN REFLECTION

by Shelly M. Patel

October 7 - November 1, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

A Broken Reflection by Shelly M Patel

In the game of deception and betrayal, nothing is ever as it seems, not even murder.

Secrets would be revealed in the dead of night, and lives would be changed forever. With each body count rising, Claire and Stephen began to unveil the truth, exposing the dark side of their seemingly perfect lives. In the shadows, Jessica watched from the sidelines with grave anticipation, ready to take hold of her moment. The game of cat and mouse had begun. Will Claire and Stephen be able to ride out the storm and rebuild their lives? Will Jessica seal her place next to Stephen no matter what the cost? Will the killer ever be caught?

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Published by: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 2024
Number of Pages: 256
ISBN: 9798350963038
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

 

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Sophia Rose Reviews: Risky Obsession by Kendall Talbot

 

Today Sophia Rose shares her thoughts on Risky Obsession, #3 in Kendall Talbot's Wolf Security series.
Enjoy!

Risky Obsession by Kendall Talbot

#3 Wolf Security

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Kendall Talbot

Published:  9.24.24

Pages:  348

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  Author

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

She’s fighting to clear her past sins. He’s found an escape from his.
But will they survive long enough to have a future together?
Lacey Brooks has lived on both sides of the law, and haunted by guilt over her best friend's death, she’s now a gutsy cop, determined to atone for the wrongs of her past. But when she’s attacked by brilliant criminal mastermind who gets away, Lacey finds herself on a collision course with a deadly enemy intent on eliminating her.

Twenty years after being wrongfully blamed for a crime, cautious yet charismatic, Kane Devlin, inherits his grandfather's antique shop and its priceless contents. Hidden inside a mysterious painting, he discovers a cryptic map and a secret note that alludes to a vast stolen treasure. But piecing the clues together has proven impossible, so the wealthy treasure hunter seeks help from Aria at Wolf Security, however she refuses to work with him.

Reeling from her injuries, Lacey goes undercover for Aria, using a fake identity to join Kane in a quest to unravel the 80-year-old mystery. The clues lead them to Europe, and as they search abandoned castles and battle their unlikely attraction, bullets start flying.
As Kane tests his mantra to never trust anyone, Lacey is torn between her duty and her guilt over her deception to Kane. With a vast Nazi fortune within reach and ruthless killers hunting them down, will Lacey and Kane learn to trust each other?

Or will they be forever trapped in a web of lies?

RISKY OBSESSION is a standalone, enemies to lovers, fake identity, romantic thriller packed with a treasury hunt mystery that will keep you guessing and many steamy swoonworthy moments.

RISKY OBSESSION IS BOOK THREE in the Wolf Security Series, which is a series of standalone books featuring interconnecting characters and appearances from characters in the Alpha Tactical Ops series.

 

Monday, October 7, 2024

Sophia Rose Reviews Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan

 

Today on the blog Sophia Rose reviews, Death in the Dark Woods by Anneliese Ryan the second in her Monster Hunter Mysteries.
Enjoy!


Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan

#2 Monster Hunter Mysteries Cozy Mysteries

Publisher:  Berkley

Published: 12.12.23

Pages:  332

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source:  library borrow

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

A potential Bigfoot sighting is linked to a vicious murder, but skeptical cryptozoologist Morgan Carter is on the case in this new Monster Hunter Mystery by USA Today bestselling author Annelise Ryan.

Business has been booming since Morgan Carter solved the case of the monster living in Lake Superior. The Odds and Ends bookstore is thriving, of course, but Morgan is most excited by the doors that were opened for her as a cryptid hunter. 

Recently, there have been numerous sightings of a Bigfoot-type creature in the Chequamengon-Nicolet National Forest area of Bayfield County, Wisconsin. After a man is found dead from a vicious throat injury in the forest, the local sheriff asks Morgan to investigate. 

When Morgan and her dog, Newt, go there to investigate, they uncover a trail of lies, deception, and murder. It seems a mysterious creature is, indeed, living in the forest, and Morgan might be its next target.

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Sophia Rose Reviews - Nothing Less Than Magic by Stacy Finz

 

Today Sophia Rose shares her thoughts about Nothing Less Than Magic a cozy magical Halloween tale by Stacy Finz.
Enjoy!

Nothing Less Than Magic by Stacy Finz

Magical Realism

Publisher:  Kensington

Published:  7.23.24

Pages: 323

Rating: 4 stars

Format: ARC

Source:  Kensington BTC Program

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads


 

GoodReads Synopsis:

When a popular marriage counselor’s own marriage falls apart, she’s forced to question her methods—and discovers the magical ingredient she’s been missing all along—in the dreamiest possible way . . .

Just one year ago, Chelsea Knight was living the life she’d always wanted. Marriage to the perfect guy, a thriving career, and a gorgeous condo overlooking San Francisco Bay. Then out of nowhere, her husband, Austin, left her. Ironic, because Chelsea fixes marriages for a living. In fact, she’s famous for her techniques. Naturally, she’s been using her expertise to win back her ex—and when he invites her for drinks, she’s sure her work has finally paid off. Until he announces he’s engaged.

Devastated, Chelsea seeks refuge in the beloved small-town lake cabin she and Austin now take turns using. When she arrives, the streets are dazzlingly decked out for Halloween, the autumn leaves are exceptionally vibrant, and the locals are especially warm and welcoming. It’s downright magical—and so is Knox Hart, a talented jack-of-all-trades who’s fixing her roof. Chelsea is instantly drawn to him—and to the simplicity of country life. Slowly, she becomes immersed in the townspeople’s problems and finds a sense of belonging—leading her to reevaluate her own path . . .

But something about the idyllic hamlet—and Knox—seems too good to be true. A trick more than a treat. And when she ultimately learns the truth, her heart is shattered. Miraculously, Austin is there to mend it. It’s everything she’d hoped for. Or is it? On the cusp of making all her dreams come true, Chelsea must find the strength to make an impossible choice . . .

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

Something magical happens when a relationship counselor guru’s husband leaves and she gets hit by a cable car.  Can a new lease on life give the second chance she never realize she needed?  Stacy Finz has long been on my list of authors to try and I was tickled to get this chance with her latest which seems to combine women’s fiction and magical realism for one enchanting story.

 

Nothing Less Than Magic turned out to be a beautiful and most apropos title when all is said and done with this story.  I’m not generally drawn to big city settings, big career characters, or characters in the process of separation, but with the right writing style and several other factors, I can be drawn in.  Those other factors?  The city being San Francisco splitting time with a small mountain town in the Sierra’s and the big career and new separation being part of a catalyst for change and growth.  And, the season is fall with fun autumnal and Halloween activities.

 

Confession time, I had the wrong impression when I first acquired this book and thought it was Southern fiction.  ???  Yeah, no!  All California and mostly picturesque Northern California for the most part.  And, not even close to the typical Southern fiction vibes.  The heroine, Chelsea, got into relationship counseling and it launched her into the career she has now as motivational speaker and online influencer as a local celeb who is growing her business even bigger meanwhile her own relationships are in shambles with ex-husband and estranged younger sister.  She was the type who went into psychology after experiencing a horrific inexplicable loss of both parents in her childhood and this shaped her as an adult.

 

Now, there is a huge shocker about two-thirds of the way through this book.  The author did a gutsy thing with this story and readers will either go with it and enjoy what comes or it will knock them right out of the book and not care for what comes in the last third of the book.  I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but just cautious future readers to be open to a huginormous toss up for Chelsea right when it seems all is falling into place for her.  Forewarned is forearmed and all that. 

In truth, there are hints along the way and I was one that paused and flipped back to early parts and realized I blew past the subtle hints.  It knocked me for a loop, but I was able to re-engage and appreciate what the author did.  Different, but a good read.

 

So, this one hit the emotions with Chelsea struggling even in middle life because she never dealt with her grief and issues from the way she lost her parents and her struggles with her relationships, but triumphant in the end as she did this very thing and had some deep and needed changes in her life.  Again, this is a blend of women’s fic and magical realism with strong romance involved.

 


Author Bio:

Stacy Finz is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. After more than twenty years covering notorious serial killers, naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars and weird Western towns as a newspaper reporter, she figured she finally had enough material to launch a career writing fiction. She lives in Northern California with her husband.

Personal Trivia:

I only like corn when it’s still on the cob. Won’t eat it otherwise.

When I was 12, my family moved to a small almond farm in Northern California. My sister, brother and I had to ride the whole way from Southern California in the back of a truck with at least eleven goats. If that wasn’t insulting enough, our parents failed to tell us that our new home didn’t have indoor plumbing. That’s right, an outhouse!

My first paying newspaper job was at the Back Country Trader. When I quit, I left a not-so-nice note that contained the “F” word and tried to beat a hasty retreat. But my car wouldn’t start and I had to go back inside to use the phone. Awkward.

I won $200 on a penny slot machine in Reno.

When I lived in Quentin Tarantino’s old apartment in West Hollywood, George Clooney once parked in my space. This is not a lie.

I own fifteen pairs of cowboy boots.

Currently, I don’t have any pets.

I sort of have road-rage issues.

Website:  https://www.stacyfinz.com/



Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sophia.rose.7587

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiarose1816

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose

 

 


Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Sophia Rose Reviews - Hijinks, Hitchhikers and Mayhem by Gail Koger

 

Today on the blog Sophia Rose reviews the latest novel by Gail Koger, Hijinks, Hitchhikers and Mayhem.
Enjoy!


Hijinks, Hitchhikers and Mayhem by Gail Koger

#15.6 Coletti Warlords

Sci-Fi Romance

Publisher:  Gail Koger

Published:  8.27.24

Pages:  129

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  author

Sellers:  Amazon


ADD TO: GoodReads


GoodReads Synopsis:

After a yearlong separation from her soul mate, all Casey wanted was to have hot, mind-blowing sex with Hothar. That little fantasy went up in smoke when she’s stuck babysitting Aphrodite, a cowardly witch, who is the galaxy’s only hope of survival. To add to the fun, Casey has picked up an invisible hitchhiker who she named Hitch. Is he friend or foe?

Can a kickass psychic, an invisible hitchhiker, a deadly warlord and a cowardly witch stop the brain-eating aliens from destroying the galaxy? Only time will tell.


Author’s Note: This book was originally published in Pets in Space #8. It has been retitled, revised, and expanded.

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

A psychic human doing her part to save the galaxy has been impatiently waiting for the day she can reunite with the alien who captured her heart while they were both too young.  Working against those who would slaughter half the galaxy to rule all, they are finally getting their chance to be together working as partners.  However, the chance comes with an annoying ditzy witch who faints at the whiff of trouble.  The title of this one is certainly apt and I had a good time adventuring about the galaxy with Casey, her hitchhiker, a smoldering Coletti warlord, and a troublesome witch.

 

Hijinks, Hitchhikers, and Mayhem is part of the Coletti Warlords series and must be read following Hothar’s Folly and the novellas between so the situation and the surrounding cast of characters make sense.  Also, to remind about the author’s note in the blurb, this was original published in Pets in Space 8 as the shortened version, Cosmic Capers.

 

Casey has the psychic ability to telepath with other psychics and distinguish truth from lie including intentions so she’s a great asset in the war to protect earth and the free peoples of the galaxy.  Her family have always done their duty in the military and law enforcement so she’s been brought up to be a tough fighter in her own right.  Hothar might be one of the arrogant and fierce Coletti alpha males, but he has great respect for Casey’s ability as a worthy partner and I enjoyed seeing this in action.

 

Now, the hilarious inclusion to the story is the narcissistic witch, Aphrodite, who lands all of them in the soup ten times out of ten.  She has the ability to produce magic fire to kill off the mad scientist’s almost indestructible experiments that are sicced on people, but has no desire to help save lives or put herself in danger- she wants to be a dancer, thank you very much.  Usually, the alien pets are the scene stealers in this series, but not this time.  Casey had a run for her money with this mayhem creator.

 

I always fly through these books and end up impatiently waiting for the next release in this stellar and sexy sci-fi romantic comedy series.  Recommend for the light and humorous sci-fi romance lovers out there.

 

 


Author Bio:

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for thirty-one years and to keep insanity at bay, I took up writing. Not to worry. The insanity isn’t catching – much. Other than the addiction to chocolate and the twitch in my left eye, I’m good. I’ve had my weird but true stories published in newspapers and magazines.

Website:  http://www.gailkoger.com/home.html



Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sophia.rose.7587

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiarose1816

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose

 



Monday, September 23, 2024

Review: The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz

I love JAK so I'm so happy to be featuring The Night Island, #2 in her Lost Night Files series that I actually read a while back.
Enjoy!


ISBN-13: 978-0593639856
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date:
Length: 320pp
Source: Publisher for Review

Buy It: Amazon/B&N/IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS


Overview:

The disappearance of a mysterious informant leads two people desperate for answers to an island of deadly deception in this new novel in the Lost Night Files trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.

Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, bonded by a night none of them can remember, are dedicated to uncovering the mystery of what really happened to them months ago—an experience that amplified innate psychic abilities in each of them. The women suspect they were test subjects years earlier, and that there are more people like them—all they have to do is find the list of others who took that same test. When Talia follows up on a lead from Phoebe, a fan of the trio’s podcast, she discovers that the informant has vanished.

Talia isn’t the only one looking for Phoebe, however. Luke Rand, a hunted and haunted man who is chasing the same list that Talia is after, also shows up at the meeting place. It’s clear he has his own agenda, and they are instantly suspicious of each other. But when a killer begins to stalk them, they realize they have to join forces to find Phoebe and the list.

The rocky investigation leads Talia and Luke to a rustic, remote retreat on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest, where the Unplugged Experience promises to rejuvenate guests. Upon their arrival, Talia and Luke discover they are quite literally cut off from the outside world when none of their high-tech devices work on the island. It soon becomes clear that Phoebe is not the first person to disappear into the strange gardens that surround the Unplugged Experience retreat. And then the first mysterious death occurs. . . .

Friday, September 20, 2024

Sophia Rose Reviews: A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

 

Today Sophia Rose takes us to Door County Wisconsin where a mythical creature may or may not be real in this first installment of a brand new mystery series.
Enjoy!

A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

#1 Monster Hunter Mystery

Cozy Mystery

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  9.13.22

Pages: 304

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: ebook

Source: purchased

Sellers: Amazon


ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

A Wisconsin bookstore owner and cryptozoologist is asked to investigate a series of deaths that just might be proof of a fabled lake monster in this first installment of a new mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Annelise Ryan.

Morgan Carter, owner of the Odds and Ends bookstore in Door County, Wisconsin, has a hobby. When she’s not tending the store, she’s hunting cryptids—creatures whose existence is rumored, but never proven to be real. It’s a hobby that cost her parents their lives, but one she’ll never give up on.

So when a number of bodies turn up on the shores of Lake Michigan with injuries that look like bites from a giant unknown animal, police chief Jon Flanders turns to Morgan for help. A skeptic at heart, Morgan can’t turn down the opportunity to find proof of an entity whose existence she can’t definitively rule out. She and her beloved rescue dog, Newt, journey to the Death's Door strait to hunt for a homicidal monster in the lake—but if they’re not careful, they just might be its next victims.