Review: The Last Close Call by Laura Griffin

Those who know me well know how much I love the novels by Laura Griffin as far as I'm concerned she's top in the romantic suspense genre and her latest, The Last Close Call, just further proves my point.
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-0593546734
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: 10-24-2023
Length: 336pp
Source: Author for review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

A talented genetic analyst and a detective who's haunted by an elusive cold case team up in the new standalone romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Forensic genealogist Rowan Healy has made a name for herself by helping investigators trace the family trees of violent criminals who have eluded justice for years. But the pressure of police cases left her burned out, and she’s shifted her focus to helping adoptees find their biological parents.

Austin detective Jack Bruner has spent his career successfully tracking down vicious criminals—with the notable exception of the West Campus Rapist, a meticulous offender in Texas who has never been identified. When the latest two victims come to light, Jack sees his target is escalating his violent behavior—and only with Rowan's help does he stand a chance of cracking this case.

Moved by Jack’s dedication and the brutal details of the attacks he lays out, Rowan agrees to help. When her ground-breaking DNA research sheds new light on the criminal's background and helps them zero in on a search radius, Rowan and Jack must race against the clock to find a ruthless killer who's growing bolder the longer he evades the law.

Sophia Rose Reviews: A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

Today my friend Sophia Rose returns with a review of A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn #8 in the Veronica Spedwell series, one of her favorites. Her review makes me want to pick up this series too, read on and I bit you will too.
Enjoy!

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

#8 Veronica Speedwell

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Berkley

Published: 3.7.23

Pages:  320

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

GoodReads Blurb:

Veronica must find and stop a devious killer when a group of old friends is targeted for death in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Veronica’s natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse. But when Veronica shows up before him with his brother, Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, he is lured back home by an intriguing job offer: preparing an iguanodon for a very special dinner party.

Tiberius has received a cryptic message—along with the obituaries of two recently deceased members of his old group of friends, the Seven Sinners—that he too should get his affairs in order. Realizing he is in grave danger but not knowing why, he plans a reunion party for the remaining Sinners at his family estate to lure the killer out while Veronica and Stoker investigate.

As the guests arrive and settle in, the evening’s events turn deadly. More clues come to light, leading Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius to uncover a shared past among the Sinners that has led to the fatal present. But the truth might be far more sinister than what they were prepared for.

Books from my Backlist - Review: The Prisoner's Wife by Maggie Brookes

I've had this gem on my Netgalley shelf for two years, shame on me especially because it's a WWII novel, my favorite time period and it's Super.
Well better late than never
Enjoy!

ISBN-13:  978-1787464148
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: 05-26-2020
Length: 398pp
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREAD

Overview:

Inspired by the true story of a daring deception that plunges a courageous young woman deep into the horrors of a Nazi POW camp to be with the man she loves.

In the dead of night, a Czech farm girl and a British soldier travel through the countryside. Izabela and prisoner of war Bill have secretly married and are on the run, with Izzy dressed as a man. The young husband and wife evade capture for as long as possible—until they are cornered by Nazi soldiers with tracking dogs.

Izzy's disguise works. The couple are assumed to be escaped British soldiers and transported to a POW camp. However, their ordeal has just begun, as they face appalling living conditions and the constant fear of Izzy's exposure. But in the midst of danger and deprivation comes hope, for the young couple are befriended by a small group of fellow prisoners. These men become their new family, willing to jeopardize their lives to save Izzy from being discovered and shot.

The Prisoner's Wife tells of an incredible risk, and of how our deepest bonds are tested in desperate times. Bill and Izzy's story is one of love and survival against the darkest odds.

Sophia Rose Reviews: Flirting With the Beast by Jane Porter

Today Sophia Rose is here to share her review of Flirting With The Beast, #2 in Jane Porter's Modern Love series. Read all about what she thought.
Enjoy!

Flirting With the Beast by Jane Porter

#2 Modern Love

Contemporary Romance

Publisher:  Berkley

Published: 11.29.22

Pages:  334

Rating: 4 stars

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Source: Berkley

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

A woman expecting to spend the holidays alone finds warmth in the iciest man she knows in this steamy and charming later-in-life romance by New York Times bestselling author Jane Porter.

It's been five years since Andi McDermott lost her husband, and she's finally starting to feel like herself again, ready to live fully--she's even started dating again. But when her holiday plans with her stepson and his fiancée fall through, she refuses to spend another Christmas alone while everyone is celebrating with their families. Impulsively, she decides to go up to her cabin in Lake Arrowhead, a place she used to love to visit but hadn't gone to in years, not since the feud started between her husband and their nearest neighbor.

Andi starts to rethink her decision when being alone at the cabin proves to be more challenging than she expected--a heavy snowstorm hits the area, and Andi finds herself trapped there with no one to help except for her neighbor, Wolf Enders. A military vet who lives full-time on Lake Arrowhead, Wolf is as grumpy and intimidating as Andi remembers. But he's also unexpectedly kind and uncomfortably sexy--his presence reminds Andi that she may be older, but her body still works perfectly fine, thank you very much. But can this good girl tame this sexy beast of a man, and will this snowy fling turn into a love of a lifetime?

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz

Welcome to Sophia Rose's first review of 2023 and she's starting out with a bang with Sleep No More a brand new paranormal romance series debut from a favorite of Sophia Rose's and mine Jayne Ann Krentz. So sit back and let Sophia Rose tell you more about it.
Enjoy!

Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz

#1 The Lost Night Files

Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Berkley

Published: 1.3.23

Pages:  336

Rating: 4 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  NetGalley

Sellers: Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz returns with the first novel of the Lost Night Files, an exciting new romantic suspense trilogy about a night that changed three women forever—but that none of them can remember. 

Seven months ago, Pallas Llewellyn, Talia March, and Amelia Rivers were strangers, until their fateful stay at the Lucent Springs Hotel. An earthquake and a fire partially destroyed the hotel, but the women have no memory of their time there. Now close friends, the three women co-host a podcast called the Lost Night Files, where they investigate cold cases and hope to connect with others who may have had a similar experience to theirs—an experience that has somehow enhanced the psychic abilities already present in each woman.
 
After receiving a tip for their podcast, Pallas travels to the small college town of Carnelian, California, to explore an abandoned asylum. Shaken by the dark energy she feels in the building, she is rushing out when she’s stopped by a dark figure—who turns out to be the women's mysterious tipster.
 
Ambrose Drake is certain he’s a witness to a murder, but without a body, everyone thinks he’s having delusions caused by extreme sleep deprivation. But Ambrose is positive something terrible happened at the Carnelian Sleep Institute the night he was there. Unable to find proof on his own, he approaches Pallas for help, only for her to realize that Ambrose, too, has a lost night that he can’t remember—one that may be connected to Pallas. Pallas and Ambrose conduct their investigation using the podcast as a cover, and while the townsfolk are eager to share what they know, it turns out there are others who are not so happy about their questions—and someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.

 

Sophia Rose Reviews: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Today Sophia Rose returns with a romantic blast staring a neuroscientist and a NASA engineer. Sparks Will Fly!
Enjoy!

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Berkley

Published:  8.23.22

Pages: 354

Rating: 4.5 stars

Flames: 3

Format: Trade Paperback

Source: Berkley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Blurb:

A STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis--with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuro-engineering project--a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia--Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school--archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it's her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas...devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?

Books from my backlist review - The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White

Today I reach way back on the shelf and dust off a novel that I can't believe I let go this long, so at last I'm sharing my review of Karen White's new Royal Street series, set in New Orleans staring Nola Trenholm a spin off from her Tradd Street series.

Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-0593334584
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: 03-29-2022
Length: 384pp
Source: Publisher for review
Buy It: Amazon/B&N/IndieBound/Chirpbooks

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

Nola Trenholm is hopeful for a fresh start in the Big Easy but must deal with ghosts from her past—as well as new ones—in this first book in a spin-off series of Karen White's New York Times bestselling Tradd Street novels.

After a difficult detour on her road to adulthood, Nola Trenholm is looking to begin anew in New Orleans, and what better way to start her future than with her first house? But the historic fixer-upper she buys comes with even more work than she anticipated when the house’s previous occupants don’t seem to be ready to depart.

Although she can’t communicate with ghosts like her stepmother can, luckily Nola knows someone in New Orleans who is able to—even if he’s the last person on earth she wants anything to do with ever again. Beau Ryan comes with his own dark past—a past that involves the disappearance of his sister and parents during Hurricane Katrina—and he’s connected to the unsolved murder of a woman who once lived in the old Creole cottage Nola is determined to make her own...whether the resident restless spirits agree or not.

Review - Crazy Stupid Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams Bromance Book Club #3

Way back when book 1 came out I saw a fab review by my caffeinated friend and I knew I had to read it too and well as they say the rest is history. 
Enjoy!

ISBN-13: 978-1984806130
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: 10-27-2020
Length: 352pp 
Source: Publisher/Netgalley for review
Buy It: Publisher/ Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

"[A] catchy premise with surprising wisdom and specificity."--New York Times Book Review on The Bromance Book Club

A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Title

A hacktivist and a cat café owner decode the friend zone in this romantic comedy from the author of Undercover Bromance.

Alexis Carlisle and her cat café, ToeBeans, have shot to fame after she came forward as a victim of a celebrity chef’s sexual harassment. When a new customer approaches to confide in her, the last thing Alexis expects is for the woman to claim they’re sisters. Unsure what to do, Alexis turns to the only man she trusts—her best friend, Noah Logan.

Computer genius Noah left his rebellious teenage hacker past behind to become a computer security expert. Now he only uses his old skills for the right cause. But Noah’s got a secret: He’s madly in love with Alexis. When she asks for his help, he wonders if the timing will ever be right to confess his crush.

Noah’s pals in The Bromance Book Club are more than willing to share their beloved “manuals” to help him go from bud to boyfriend. But he must decide if telling the truth is worth risking the best friendship he’s ever had.

Review- All The Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz Fogg Lake #2

There is no author who writes in the fantasy/ paranormal genre who can hold a candle to JAK, whether she's writing in the future as Jayne Castle or in the past as Amanda Quick if you like a little woo woo with your romance she's your gal. All The Colors of Night is book 2 in her Fogg Lake trilogy so settle in for my thoughts on this fantastic book.
Enjoy!

ASIN: B086SFSGWH
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: 1-5-2021
Length: 336 pp
Source: Netgalley for review
Buy It: Amazon/ B&N/ IndieBound

ADD TO: GOODREADS

Overview:

An instant New York Times bestseller!

Two psychics plunge into a dark world of deadly secrets in this second installment in the Fogg Lake trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.

North Chastain possesses a paranormal talent that gives him the ability to track down the most dangerous psychic criminals. When his father suddenly falls into a coma-like state, North is convinced it was caused by a deadly artifact that traces back to the days of a secret government program known only as the Bluestone Project. North knows his only hope of saving his father is to find the artifact. He is good when it comes to tracking down killers, but to locate the relic he’s going to need help from a psychic who knows the shadowy world of obsessive collectors, deceptive dealers and ruthless raiders.…

With her reputation in ruins after a false accusation, antiques expert Sierra Raines is looking for a fresh start. She turns to the murky backwaters of the paranormal artifacts trade, finding and transporting valuable objects with a psychic provenance. When North Chastain approaches her for help, Sierra takes him on as a client, though not without reservations. North represents the mysterious Foundation, the secretive organization established to police the underworld populated by psychic criminals and those, like Sierra, who make a living in the shadows of that world.

North and Sierra soon find themselves at the scene of the Incident, which occurred decades ago in Fogg Lake. The town and its residents were forever changed by the disaster in the nearby Bluestone Project labs. The pair unearths shocking truths about what happened that fateful night, but they are playing with fire—someone in town knows what they’ve discovered and will do anything to make sure the secrets stay buried.