REVIEW: A New York Love Story by Cassie Rocca

Title: A New York Love Story (Blame It On New York, #1)
Author: Cassie Rocca
Publisher: Aria
Publication Date: October 2016
Genre: Chick-Lit / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: Giving a present is not always easy. Clover O’Brian knows that only too well: her job consists of helping people in the arduous task of choosing unusual gifts. Christmas is coming, New York is buzzing, and Clover, who has always loved the festive period, savors the atmosphere.

Cade Harrison already has everything in life. A Hollywood actor, he is handsome, rich, famous and popular. Success, however, has its downsides; having just emerged from a disastrous relationship with an actress, he feels a need to hide away in an area unfrequented by stars, in a house lent to him by a friend, far from prying eyes – especially those of tabloid reporters. But as chance will have it, the house in question is right opposite the one occupied by Clover, who until now has seen Hollywood actors only on the big screen. Two quite different lives meet by chance, at the most exhilarating time of year…

My Thoughts: Christmas in New York is one of my bucket list items. Watching the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, ice-skating (OK, watching the ice-skaters), horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park, hot-chocolate at Serendipity all bring an atmosphere of Christmas joy to my mind and in this story, I got to tag along with Clover and Cade and experience it through their eyes. Not all of these things happen in this story, but these are the things I would love to do in New York at Christmas.

I liked Clover and Cade, but it was little off-putting for me at first how abrasive she comes across when she meets Cade for the first time. She struck me as a little rude and obnoxious at first, but I soon chalked it up to her trying to keep things light. After meeting her family, I understood why she keeps many people at arm’s length. Cade is very guarded and suspicious of people, being a Hollywood superstar and with good reason. Hiding out on Long Island for Christmas sounds like the perfect escape from the Hollywood gossip rags and the bad breakup he left there.

Clover and Cade couldn’t be more opposite in everything; in fact their lives, likes and dislikes are polar opposites from one another. I really didn’t see how they would find their way to one another; much less create enough chemistry to fill a story. Cassie Rocca does a good job of revealing not only both characters in all of their vulnerability, but using their insecurities to break down the walls they each have built around themselves. I enjoyed watching this couple learn to trust each other and let their guard down.

My Final Verdict: A good choice for readers who enjoy a cute story in New York at Christmas. It will make you want to go outside and make snow angels.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of A New York Love Story from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

Title: Twelve Slays of Christmas (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery #1)
Author: Jacqueline Frost
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Christmas Holiday
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When Holly White's fiancé cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime--exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly's family tree farm.

When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly's father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn't help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father, and is determined to exonerate him. The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn't watch out, she'll end up on Santa's naughty list.

My Thoughts: You are probably thinking how schmaltzy that this story takes place in the town of Mistletoe, Maine, the female protagonist is named Holly and she comes home to her childhood home, Reindeer Games, where the best Christmas trees are sold as well as yummy snickerdoodles and hot chocolate. I agree but it still didn’t stop me from wanting to be there, especially at Christmas time.

Holly doesn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the celebratory atmosphere as the town grump who also happens to be the president of the town’s historical society is murdered and Holly’s father appears to be the primary suspect. Having your dad arrested for murder does not contribute to a holiday spirit, so Holly quickly begins looking into the matter herself, despite the hunky new Sheriff telling Holly to butt out.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story and was a great addition to my annual Christmas theme reading. The author creates very personable characters that the reader can relate to easily and quickly. The story flows smoothly and is well-written. I especially liked how the town of Mistletoe, Maine is one of the characters readers will also love. The author did such a fantastic job of illustrating the town, I got a strong sense of Mistletoe’s charm very quickly which added to the whimsy of the holiday season.

My Final Verdict: If you like your bludgeoning and murdering to be packed with festive Christmas cheer, you can’t go wrong with this book. The next book in the series, ’Twas The Knife Before Christmas is ready to go for next Christmas and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

REVIEW: Dark In Death by J.D. Robb

Title: Dark In Death (In Death #46)
Author: J.D. Robb
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: January 2018
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: It was a stab in the dark.

On a chilly February night, during a screening of Psycho in midtown, someone sunk an ice pick into the back of Chanel Rylan’s neck, then disappeared quietly into the crowds of drunks and tourists in Times Square. To Chanel’s best friend, who had just slipped out of the theater for a moment to take a call, it felt as unreal as the ancient black-and-white movie up on the screen. But Chanel’s blood ran red, and her death was anything but fictional.

Then, as Eve Dallas puzzles over a homicide that seems carefully planned and yet oddly personal, she receives a tip from an unexpected source: an author of police thrillers who recognizes the crime—from the pages of her own book. Dallas doesn’t think it’s coincidence, since a recent strangulation of a sex worker resembles a scene from her writing as well. Cops look for patterns of behavior: similar weapons, similar MOs. But this killer seems to find inspiration in someone else’s imagination, and if the theory holds, this may be only the second of a long-running series.

The good news is that Eve and her billionaire husband Roarke have an excuse to curl up in front of the fireplace with their cat, Galahad, reading mystery stories for research. The bad news is that time is running out before the next victim plays an unwitting role in a murderer’s deranged private drama—and only Eve can put a stop to a creative impulse gone horribly, destructively wrong.

My Thoughts: Another winner in the series and what makes this one so interesting is the murderer is committing the murders exactly as they are written by an author of police thrillers. Usually with serial killers, there are patterns to be followed. There is often a common thread connecting the victims or the MO of the crime is typically the same. This killer uses different methods and the victims are pretty random. Until the author comes forward, this doesn’t seem like a case that Eve will easily solve.

How frightening it must be for an author to recognize their work being copied by a maniac, someone trying to take credit for their work and takes their revenge in the most heinous manner. The killer in this story was insane, no doubt about it, but the precision with which they carry out their retribution gave me chills.

I really enjoyed that Eve and Roarke have to delve into the author’s others works to research how and where the killer may strike next. It totally helps that Summerset is out of the house, away on vacation so Eve and Roarke are afforded peace, quiet and privacy to work the case.

With all too many series, the stories begin to stagnate and are often not as large. They become cookie-cutter and repetitive and the reader can figure everything out pretty quickly. Happily this series has not done that. Each installment features an interesting plot that blends gritty murder scenes, spot-on investigations, humor and romance all neatly packaged with characters that continue to impress and amaze me.

My Final Verdict: I prefer this series on audio. The emotion and depth the narrator gives the characters, especially Eve, brings more enjoyment to the story. Eve’s snark and sarcasm shine through brighter and more vivid than on the page, which heightens the entertainment value of the story. Whatever format the reader chooses to read this series, they are sure to be entertained for several hours and will anticipate the next installment with equal parts anticipation and impatience.