Title: The Honey-Don’t List
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: March 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripp’s are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripp’s and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripp’s up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…

My Thoughts: Good story about people who work under less-than-ideal conditions, making the best of it and managing to keep their sanity and find love. Working for America’s favorite couple isn’t easy under the best circumstances but trying to keep your employers on their best behavior while on a book and television show tour proves to be more than it should be. Melissa and Rusty Tripp used to be the ideal couple. Starting out their home design concept with a single store, they have been married for a long time. Unfortunately, it’s all a façade as they can’t stand each other. Excessive drinking and Rusty’s infidelity could bring their house of cards tumbling down and cause them public embarrassment and ruin everything they have worked toward.

As assistants to the Tripp’s, Carey and James are put in the awkward position of getting their employers to play nice and behave in public. They both need their jobs so they try to make the best of it. I kept thinking throughout this book that no job is worth this nonsense. The Tripp’s give a whole new meaning to dysfunctional relationships and even take it to new levels, but really, enough is enough! Life is short and I was surprised Carey and James put up with it for as long as they did.

I enjoyed this story though much of it felt like a train wreck that you just can’t walk away from. I think, like Carey, I hung on, hoping things would get better. I started wondering if the Tripp’s enjoyed the attention and didn’t care about any repercussions their bad behavior would bring. I enjoyed the blossoming romance between Carey and James and felt they were good together.

The character development overall was good and I had a lot of empathy for Carey and James due to the situation they were forced to participate in. Surprisingly, I also had empathy for Melissa and Rusty. They were probably great together at one time, but over the years, they lost their way and by the end of the book, I still was on the fence if they should even try to make their marriage work or cut and run. The story moved at a good pace, leaving the reader in anticipation of what was going to happen next and if Carey and James had scouted out the locations of the nearest exits.

My Final Verdict: Overall, an enjoyable book for fans of contemporary romances and women’s fiction. This author has many books that also look interesting and will likely end up on my to be read pile in the future.

REVIEW: The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer

Title: The Perfect Daughter
Author: D.J. Palmer
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: April 2021
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: The Perfect Daughter is a thriller that explores the truth or lies behind a teenage girl's multiple personality disorder, from D.J. Palmer, the author of The New Husband.

Grace never dreamt she’d visit her teenaged daughter Penny in the locked ward of a decaying state psychiatric hospital, charged with the murder of a stranger. There was not much question of her daughter’s guilt. Police had her fingerprints on the murder weapon and the victim’s blood on her body and clothes. But they didn’t have a motive.

Grace blames herself, because that’s what mothers do—they look at their choices and wonder, what if? But hindsight offers little more than the chance for regret.

None of this was conceivable the day Penny came into her life. Then, it seemed like a miracle. Penny was found abandoned, with a mysterious past, and it felt like fate brought Penny to her, and her husband Arthur. But as she grew, Penny's actions grew more disturbing, and different "personalities" emerged.

Arthur and Grace took Penny to different psychiatrists, many of whom believed she was putting on a show to help manage her trauma. But Grace didn’t buy it. The personas were too real, too consistent. It had to be a severe multiple personality disorder. One determined psychiatrist, Dr. Mitch McHugh, helped discover someone new inside Penny—a young girl named Abigail. Is this the nameless girl who was abandoned in the park years ago? Mitch thinks Abigail is the key to Penny’s past and to the murder. But as Grace and Mitch dig deeper, they uncover dark and shocking secrets that put all their lives in grave danger.

My Thoughts: This story grabbed me and pulled me in right away and I couldn’t put this one down. The author did an excellent job of illustrating this family and what they are going through, not just with Penny’s dissociative identity disorder and her treatment, but the murder and the ensuing trial. The author researched his subject matter very well and presented it in an open and honest fashion, enabling the reader to make their own conclusions without any preconceived ideas.

This story is told from two points of view, one from Grace and one from one of her sons. I found this interesting because, although they both wanted the best outcome for Penny, their perceptions were coming from different directions, which gave a lot of insight to the characters. I had immense empathy for this family and what they were going through. I also enjoyed the side story involving Dr. McHugh’s struggle to help his son with his addiction. His determination to help Penny was admirable.

The pace of the story moves very quickly and held my interest throughout the story. I never doubted Penny’s guilt, but this book had several moments that took me by surprise and had me rethinking everything I thought I knew.

My Final Verdict: I’ve never read this author before and will be looking for more. Fans of suspense thrillers who enjoy intricate stories that weave a web around the reader, making it difficult to separate reality from fantasy will enjoy this story.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Perfect Daughter from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Eastside Hedge Witch by T.J. Deschamps

Title: Eastside Hedge Witch (Midlife Supernaturals #1)
Author: T.J. Deschamps
Publisher: T.J. Deschamps
Publication Date: October 2021
Genre: Women’s Fiction / Fantasy
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: Miriam Diaz has lived as a suburban mom on Seattle’s Eastside for the past seventeen years. She serves on the parent teacher association, bakes for her daughter’s cheer squad, and is an all-around champion stay-at-home mom. Pretty average and totally boring, and Miriam likes it that way. All the better to hide her sordid past.

When a hellhound shows up in her neighbor’s begonias, and Miriam banishes the stinky mutt back to where it came from, she let her evil ex know she’s still alive and kicking…and likely in possession of something she stole from him.

Miriam doesn’t only have trouble brewing from below. The banishment also alerts the supernatural cops. When a gorgeous alpha of the shifter pack starts sniffing around her hedges, Miriam fears the news might go all the way to the archangel that she isn’t a latent but a full-blown witch. Miriam isn’t a registered supernatural and for a good reason, she’s hiding something big from the authorities above and below.

All of the commotion threatens the veil hiding the separating the mundanes and the supes. Miriam might just have to come out of the supernatural closet to save the world. Again.

My Thoughts: Interesting story about a widow who is navigating life raising her teenaged daughter, while trying to stay one step ahead of her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be the King of Hell. When a hellhound appears in her neighbor’s garden, the magic she uses to banish the beast back to the Pit alerts not only demons and Lucifer, but also the Fae and a hot archangel. Miriam now has a lot more to deal with than what treats to bring to the next parent teacher association meeting.

The story moves at a decent pace and I enjoyed meeting all the characters and learning about the magical abilities they possess. I found Miriam easy to relate to and had a lot of empathy for her as she begins to learn about her past, a past that was kept from her in large part. I am curious how this will play out between her world, the Faerie and the underworld.

My Final Verdict: This story ends on a cliffhanger and is the first in a series, so it is far from over at the end of this book. Fans of urban fantasy stories and women’s fiction will enjoy this story.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Eastside Hedge Witch from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Buried Deep by Margot Hunt

Title: Buried Deep
Author: Margot Hunt
Publisher: Audible Original
Publication Date: December 2019
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Audible

Description: In this pulse-pounding short thriller, Maggie Cabot refuses to sit by idly as police re-open an investigation into the mysterious death of a woman her husband used to know.

After two decades in a near-perfect marriage, Maggie and James Cabot are enjoying their first year as empty-nesters in their charming Florida suburb, until two detectives arrive at their front door and change their lives forever.

The remains of a young woman have been found at a campsite in the Florida Keys. Hannah Nilsson, only twenty-one at the time of her disappearance, was last seen on a camping trip with a group of friends—including James, who dated Hannah long before he and Maggie ever met. Shocked and heartbroken, everyone on the trip said they assumed Hannah had wandered off toward shore, intoxicated from a long night of partying, and drowned. But the discovery of her body 25 years later, half a mile away from the campsite and buried six feet deep, makes it clear that her death was not accidental.

As the police dig back into the case, Maggie begins her own investigation, desperate to piece together the truth and clear her husband’s name once and for all.

My Thoughts: Buried Deep was a short thriller that moved quite fast that should have been a bit longer as I was left with a lot of head-scratching moments at the end. This domestic thriller centers on Maggie Cabot and her husband, James, living their best lives as empty nesters. When two police detectives arrive at their door, they bring news that the remains of a woman James used to date have been found, 25 years after she mysteriously vanished without a trace. The news that her remains were found buried leaves no doubt that she didn’t accidentally drown as earlier believed. Right off the bat, my internal alarm is going off. Someone in the group that James was a part of murdered her, obviously, but who and why? The police immediately focus on James as their primary suspect, no surprise there. Maggie decides to do her own investigation in the hopes that the police will entertain another avenue of possibility to investigate and exonerate her husband.

I could totally relate to Maggie and her decision to do what she could to uncover the truth, especially if it brings the killer to justice and her husband is cleared. What I couldn’t understand was her husband telling her to stay out it. Doesn’t he want the truth exposed? What is he hiding? Well, the fact that he and the dead girl were much more than just boyfriend and girlfriend, for starters. He failed to mention to Maggie that Hannah and he were engaged! Maggie feels she needs to get out from under the shadow of a woman she has never met but feels is always there.

I found the story interesting and in Maggie’s place, I would have done the same thing. When the truth is finally revealed, I felt let down. I didn’t feel any closure at learning the truth and I was shocked and horrified by Maggie’s reaction and subsequent actions. I didn’t see that coming and it left me with a sense of unfulfilled anticipation.

My Final Verdict: I thought the story was OK but would have enjoyed it more had there been more closure at the end. Fans of thrillers looking for a short, fast read and don’t mind loose ends will enjoy this story.

REVIEW: Tribulation Force by Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins

Title: Tribulation Force (Left Behind #2)
Author: Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: January 1997
Genre: Christian Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: In one cataclysmic moment, millions around the globe disappear.

Those left behind face war, famine, plagues, and natural disasters so devastating that only one in four people will survive. Odds are even worse for enemies of the Antichrist and his new world order.

Rayford Steele, Buck Williams, Bruce Barnes, and Chloe Steele band together to form the Tribulation Force. Their task is clear, and their goal is nothing less than to stand and fight the enemies of God during the seven most chaotic years the planet will ever see.

My Thoughts: I never finished this series the first time around and so much time has passed, I decided to start at the beginning. Tribulation Force was just as good as the first time I read it, picking up where the first book left off and then jumping ahead 18 months after the signing of the treaty. One of the major characters dies in this book and, though sad, not completely unexpected considering the content of the story.

I thought the authors do a particularly decent job of conveying the turmoil and chaos facing the world in the coming years as foretold in Scripture. I found the story to be equally frightening and realistic. The members of the Tribulation Force must be careful as they have witnessed the atrocities the Antichrist has already committed and the danger they are in being believers of Christ and it’s just beginning.

Overall, this story is very good. The story mixes suspense, action, romance and humor which helps alleviate the burden of such heavy subject matter, but what’s coming next remains imbedded in the reader’s mind as well as who will survive and who doesn’t.

REVIEW: Our Little Lies by Sue Watson

Title: Our Little Lies
Author: Sue Watson
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: November 2018
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: How far would you go to protect your perfect life?

Marianne has a life others dream of. A beautiful townhouse on the best street in the neighborhood. Three bright children who are her pride and joy.

Sometimes her past still hurts, losing her mother early, growing up in foster care. But her husband, Simon, is always there. A successful surgeon, he’s the envy of every woman they’ve ever met. Flowers, gifts, trips to France: nothing is too good for his family.

Then Simon says another woman’s name. The way he lingers on it, Caroline, gives Marianne a shudder of suspicion, but she knows it’s nothing – she can’t entertain this flash of paranoia.

In the old days, she’d have distracted herself by excelling at work, but Marianne left her glamorous career when she married. She’d speak to a friend, but she’s too busy with her children and besides, Simon doesn’t approve of the few she has left.

It’s almost by accident that Marianne starts to learn more about Caroline. But once started, she can’t stop, because what she finds makes her wonder: is the question she should be asking not ‘should she be jealous,’ but... ‘should she be scared?’

My Thoughts: With Our Little Lies, the talented Sue Watson delivers another domestic thriller that left me on the edge of my seat, breathless with anticipation of what would happen next. She creates characters that are extraordinarily complex and well developed which gives me, as a reader, a sense of knowing and caring about the characters and the ability to relate to the events occurring around them.

This story was riveting because it explores the reality of marriage and relationships and what goes on behind closed doors instead of what the outside world sees and makes assumptions about. Additionally, this story gave me a sense that truth can be subjective, depending on the perception of the narrator. Marianne Wilson is such a character. Married to successful surgeon, Simon, she has a beautiful home, three children and a life that, on the outside, everyone envies.

On the inside, Marianne is a woman who is highly paranoid and struggles with what is reality and what is fantasy, manufactured by her mind in times of anxiety. Her greatest struggle lies in whether her husband is cheating on her. He’s done it before, numerous times, or has he? Marianne doubts herself and when her husband says another woman’s name, she could let it go, but the way he says it, caressingly, lovingly, starts Marianne on a path of paranoia, suspicion, and delusion she can’t separate fact from fiction and has numerous gaps in her memory. I didn’t agree with a lot of decisions and choices Marianne makes but I understood why she did. To further complicate matters, it was apparent to me that Simon was verbally, mentally, emotionally, and physically abusive to Marianne. He gaslights her incessantly, blaming her for anything and everything, breaking her down into a mere shell of a woman who is all too eager to accept blame and responsibility for the slightest of infractions, such as throws and pillows not perfectly displayed on the couch. For Marianne, Simon’s love and acceptance is vital to her survival.

As much as I felt bad for Marianne, it was a challenge for me to discern whether Marianne is mentally ill or not. I absolutely loathed Simon. He’s a terrible husband and absentee father. He never misses an opportunity to degrade Marianne, questioning her ability to be the perfect mother and wife. He has perfectly isolated Marianne away from having friends or career or even hobbies that may bring her a sense of accomplishment or pleasure. He’s a vile, despicable character and I desperately wished Marianne would have found the strength and presence of mind to save herself, take the children, and leave, but as victims of domestic violence know all too well, they have limited options without friends, family, or money.

A major plot twist in the final 5% brings closure but it felt rushed and I would have preferred a different outcome, but still found this story very intense and very enjoyable.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend Our Little Lies by Sue Watson to readers who love nail-biting thrillers that catapult the reader into a story where the lines between right and wrong, good and evil are not clear.

REVIEW: Sex, Lies and Online Dating by Rachel Gibson

Title: Sex, Lies, and Online Dating (Writer Friends #1)
Author: Rachel Gibson
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: January 2006
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: SEX...

What is it about men anyway? Bad cars, bad jobs, even bad teeth -- nothing convinces them that they can't snare a Size Two Babe with a D-cup chest. And after way too many internet dates with men named "luvstick" and "bigdaddy182," Lucy Rothschild should know.

LIES...

But sitting across from her now is "hardluvnman," and he seems different -- sensitive, honest, and hot! He says he's a plumber, while Lucy claims she's a nurse! She's really a mystery writer, dating online while researching her next book. Hey, everyone lies a little, don't they?

AND ONLINE DATING...

But Quinn's really an undercover cop hunting down a serial killer, and he sees Lucy as his top suspect. And while he could really go for this smart, sexy woman with the killer bod -- if that's the only thing "killer" about her -- he knows he needs to wine and dine her and discover the truth. Hey, he realizes the dating scene can be deadly -- but this is ridiculous!

My Thoughts: A fun read featuring an author who begins online dating to research characters she can kill off in her next book and the police detective who goes online to find a killer. Instant chemistry and sexual tension build for both Lucy and Quinn when they meet, she thinks he’s a widowed plumber and he already knows she’s not a nurse. He thinks she’s the “breathless” killer he’s hunting.

I had to suspend disbelief a tad that Quinn would allow Lucy into his home and do the no pants dance with her, believing she is a serial killer. Come on dude, you’re not thinking with the correct head here. Despite that, I really liked these characters and thought they were perfect for one another. I especially liked that Quinn has a soft side when it comes to Lucy and the care he shows her when she starts receiving letters from the real killer was heartwarming.

My Final Verdict: This book was enjoyable for both the mystery and the romance aspects, and I recommend it to readers who are looking for danger and fun in their reading and like books that allow them to live vicariously through the characters.

REVIEW: Cocktails at Le Carmen by Isabelle Andover

Title: Cocktails at Le Carmen
Author: Isabelle Andover
Publisher: Simon & Fig
Publication Date: June 2015
Genre: Chick-Lit
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: When job cuts at Chloe Saddler’s London communications firm result in an unexpected transfer to Paris, she finds herself leaving behind her friends, family, and boyfriend Scott to start a new life in the City of Light. Getting to grips with La Vie Parisienne and keeping a long-distance relationship afloat is not made any easier by the culture shock. Committing the odd French faux pas and inadvertently indulging in a few too many flirtations with her very sexy (and very taken) boss, Jean-Luc, is just the start of it.

Factor in her bridezilla of a sister’s wedding (the hottest event of the year in the Saddler family’s social calendar), an unexpected session of hot, naked yoga, a slightly psychotic stalker, and one incredible kiss at an infamous Montmartre nightspot, and Chloe can say au revoir to her old, safe London life and bonjour to the romance, splendor, and glamour of Paris.

A delightful debut that harks back to the early days of Chick Lit when heroines were flawed, funny, and forever battling for love and happiness. With quirky characters and classic comedic charm, Cocktails at Le Carmen is pure fun from page one.

My Thoughts: Reading Cocktails at Le Carmen and meeting Chloe and Jean-Luc was entertaining and fun. Chloe is the type of character I find easy to relate to and connect with. Having one’s job cut and moved to Paris could cause enormous anxiety and stress in most people, but I admired Chloe’s ability to adjust and acclimate through the times of stress and anxiety, especially when looking for a place to live. Jean-Luc is one of those characters that readers just swoon over. He is the perfect man as evidenced by most of the women in the book are head over heels for him. He does not let that go to his head and is a likable and decent man and I was rooting hard for them to get together.

I enjoyed Ms. Andover’s narrative and descriptions of Paris. If I ever find myself in the City of Light, she would be a great tour guide, having first-hand experience living there.

My Final Verdict: I recommend this book to fans of chick-lit and romantic comedies, who crave happily ever after endings where the hero and heroine ride off into the sunset and the karma bus runs over the villains. I do wish the story went on a bit longer to see Chloe and Jean-Luc back in Paris after her sister’s wedding and meeting his parents. Cocktails at Le Carmen is my first book by Isabelle Andover but will not be my last.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Cocktails at Le Carmen from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Savage Row by Britney King

Title: Savage Row
Author: Britney King
Publisher: OrangeSky Audio
Publication Date: April 2021
Genre: Suspense / Thriller

Description: The international bestselling author of Her and The Social Affair returns with another suspenseful thriller that very well could be set in the house next door.

Jack Mooney, a career criminal, has been in prison for nearly a decade, quietly nursing his hatred for the jurors who put him there. One, in particular, gets him through the endless days—the alluring Amy Stone.

When Mooney is granted early release, he makes Amy his first priority. To his delight, she’s even more enticing than before, and better still, she has a lot more to lose than he’d imagined.

As Mooney’s campaign of terror mounts, the police seem powerless to protect the Stone family, who must rely on their wits to survive a psychopath hell-bent on revenge.

My Thoughts: Sorry, but just "UGH"...

This story had so much potential but was poorly structured with multiple villains. Additionally, the details of Amy and Greg's sex life was unnecessary and too disturbing. I stuck with it hoping the story would be resolved, but unfortunately, I was left with more "huh?" than "a-ha!" moments.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Savage Row from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Woman Next Door by Sue Watson

Title: The Woman Next Door
Author: Sue Watson
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: May 2019
Genre: Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: I suppose everyone has regrets, wonders what if? People all have their reasons for living here. Who knows what lies behind the pretty curtains and the well-groomed lawns of Mulberry Avenue?

Lucy has a lovely husband, a job she adores as a teacher, and a house on Mulberry Avenue that she’s decorated just the way she wants – from the floaty curtains and the softest bed linen, right down to the perfectly-chosen velvet cushions on their comfortable sofa. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty close.

She’s also got Amber. Her newest friend and neighbor. They’ve got so much in common. Even if Amber’s life sometimes seems a lot more glamorous and exciting, she shares Lucy’s down-to-earth sense of humor, and Amber seems so interested in Lucy and her life, it’s like they never run out of things to talk about.

But then Amber starts acting strangely, claiming her life isn’t all it seems, talking about how she thinks she might be pregnant, and confiding in Lucy that she’s started getting threatening messages.

She’s scared, and the only person she can turn to is Lucy. She wants to stay at Lucy’s house until things calm down.

Lucy wants to protect her friend. But can she really trust Amber? Because sometimes other people are not all that they seem. Sometimes they have secrets. And they’d do anything to keep them…

My Thoughts: I believe one of the telling signs of a truly talented author is when they can draw their reader in with interesting and entertaining stories in more than one genre. I became a fan of Ms. Watson’s work with her heart-warming Christmas themed women’s fiction stories, but she really shows herself to be a master storyteller with her novels of suspense. The Woman Next Door was my first choice in the many she has already written, and it will not be my last.

This story centers on the friendship between Lucy and Amber, though I felt that the friendship was one-sided on Lucy’s part. Lucy befriends Amber after she tries to welcome Amber to the neighborhood and is met with quite a chilly reception. When Lucy and Amber next cross paths at the neighborhood book club, Amber appears to have undergone a personality change or perhaps a lobotomy because she appears to be quite the opposite of the woman Lucy first encountered. They become very close friends and though Lucy struggles with the way Amber treats her, she buries her feelings for most of the book and never tells Amber how she feels.

On one of their nights out, Amber mentions she has been receiving disturbing text messages that are beginning to frighten her. Lucy immediately wants to help her friend and though I found that to be admirable, I was immediately suspicious of Amber and her motives. After several occurrences from an unknown stalker, and the discovery that Amber is pregnant, Lucy and her husband, Matt, have Amber move into their home, where they believe she and the baby will be safe.

This story twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next and who is stalking Amber? Is there really a stalker? Did she make it all up for attention? Is the stalker someone close to her, drawing her in, waiting until she is the most vulnerable before they strike?

Ms. Watson weaves a tale of suspense that keeps the reader guessing. The characters are well developed but not easy to figure out. The lines between good and evil are very blurry in this story and left me wondering just who can be trusted.

Lucy is a very likable, though very needy character. Her inability to have children has weighed heavily on her, so she compensates by trying to be the perfect friend. I wish she had displayed more of a spine instead of allowing Amber to treat her like an afterthought.

I never warmed up to Amber. I never trusted her but as the story unfolds, Amber is revealed to be a weak character who needs people to feed her need to be cared for and taken care of. In Lucy, she finds the perfect nurturing and mothering that she has been looking for.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this story to readers who like having the rug ripped out from under them just when they think everything has been resolved. Don’t get comfortable, readers. Ms. Watson has some aces up her sleeve that I never saw coming. I look forward to reading more by this very talented author.

REVIEW: Irreparable Harm by Melissa F. Miller

Title: Irreparable Harm (Sasha McCandless #1)
Author: Melissa F. Miller
Publisher: Brown Street Books
Publication Date: April 2011
Genre: Legal Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A skillfully woven plot, surprising twists, and a cracking pace keep readers turning the pages in this gripping legal thriller from a USA Today Bestseller. Downloaded by more than one million readers!

Attorney Sasha McCandless has one goal: Make partner at the best firm in town. Then a plum assignment plunges her into a world of deceit and danger.

When a commercial flight crashes, killing everyone on board, she's tapped to defend the airline. It's her big chance ... high-stakes litigation for an important client. But, as she digs into the evidence, people close to the case start dying.

She discovers the crash was intentional, caused by a smartphone app capable of overriding the cockpit controls. But she's not sure who she can trust with the horrifying truth. She teams up with a federal air marshal, and they race to prevent another airline disaster.

Soon, Sasha finds herself with a brand-new life goal: Stop a madman before he kills her.

My Thoughts: Irreparable Harm was an enjoyable and fast paced legal thriller featuring a likable protagonist in Sasha McCandless, a bright lawyer who is working to defend an airline from the lawsuits that will be coming after one of their planes appear to malfunction and crash into a mountain, killing everyone on board. What starts as a routine query into the employment of one of the passengers quickly escalates into murder to cover up the crash and these people have no problem adding a lawyer to the dead. Sasha has no idea who she can trust when she discovers the crash was deliberately orchestrated.

I liked Sasha and thought she handled herself well throughout the story, though there were some issues with the story. The build-up and tension in the story starts out well and really drew me into the story. The characters were easy to relate to and root for. My issues with the story were due to the rushed feeling of the story’s ending. I was frustrated that after the initial buildup of tension and intrigue in the first 2/3 of the book, everything Sasha and Leo go through to stay alive and figure out this mess, the story gets wrapped up in a matter of a few pages. In addition, there was some eye-rolling on my part at the apparent ease that she takes out professional assassins with her bare hands, as well as disarming a federal air marshal. I felt the author was excessively repetitive in mentioning Sasha’s Krav Maga training, so much I was starting to wonder if this was a novel or an advertisement for a class.

My Final Verdict: I enjoyed the story but I hope that Sasha and Leo grow as characters in the rest of the series and the stories have more focus and relevance.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Irreparable Harm from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Title: Sycamore Row (Jake Brigance #2)
Author: John Grisham
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: October 2013
Genre: General Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree, Hubbard leaves a new, handwritten, will. It is an act that drags his adult children, his black maid, and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens, just three years earlier.

The second will raises far more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?

My Thoughts: With Sycamore Row, the very talented John Grisham takes us back to Clanton, Mississippi and back to Jake Brigance and other much-loved characters in Clanton that left a large imprint from A Time to Kill. A few years have passed, and Jake is still struggling to make his law firm a success and dealing with the fallout of having his home torched and trying to settle the insurance claim. He doesn’t give much thought to the suicide of a wealthy man, though everyone is talking about it.

Two days after the suicide, Jake receives a letter from Seth Hubbard requesting he probate his new will, which cuts out his children and grandchildren and leaves 90% of his over $20 million estate to his black housekeeper, Lettie Lang. His letter tells Jake that there will be a fight contesting the new will and insists that Jake needs to fight to uphold the new will. Having never met Seth Hubbard before, Jake is shocked and secretly pleased that he was chosen by Mr. Hubbard to probate his will and so begins a very complex story.

Throughout this book, I, along with all the residents of Ford County, wondered why Seth Hubbard would bequeath such a substantial sum to Lettie. It’s Jake’s job to prove Seth was of sound mind and the new will is valid. Though the story is quite drawn out in the build-up, the results were significant in their impact as Jake utilizes Harry Rex Vonner and Lucien Wilbanks and their extensive skills and knowledge to build his case.

I really enjoyed this story and reuniting with the residents of Clanton again felt like a family gathering. John Grisham does an excellent job of portraying characters that are multi-dimensional but so easy to relate to and care about.

My Final Verdict: I didn’t think this book was as intense as A Time to Kill, but still delivers an interesting story with some very emotional moments that Grisham is known for. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy relationship driven stories featuring characters that leave a lasting impression.

REVIEW: Miss Wrong and Mr. Right by Robert Bryndza

Title: Miss Wrong and Mr. Right
Author: Robert Bryndza
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: May 2015
Genre: Chick-Lit
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: ‘This is men,’ said Gran. ‘When they vant you, but you don’t vant them, they stay. But let them know you vant them, they no longer need you, and they go! It’s like that movie, Nanny McPhee.’

Natalie Love has worked hard to have it all. She runs a successful London theatre that's about to host one of Hollywood's leading stars, Ryan Harrison. She’s pretty sure she’s found her man in yoga boyfriend Benjamin, despite his annoying habit of saying Namaste! every time he speaks. And her eccentric, glamorous Hungarian Gran is always on hand to offer sage advice and steaming bowls of goulash.

Life in the bright lights of London has always been Natalie's escape from her chaotic country family in rural Devon and Jamie, the childhood sweetheart she left at the altar fifteen years ago. Until he turns up at her theatre door...

Jamie is in town producing a West End show and with rivalry suddenly clouding old feelings, this isn’t quite the reunion Natalie was expecting.

Will Benjamin prove to be Natalie’s perfect match? With Ryan turning her head, Natalie is more confused than ever. And what about Jamie – could he be her second chance at first love?

Charming, hilarious, and totally unputdownable, Miss Wrong and Mr. Right will put a huge smile on your face and keep you guessing who Natalie’s ‘Mr. Right’ is until the very last page.

My Thoughts: First of all, I must ask how I have missed not reading this author before?! This book was so entertaining and fun to read from the beginning when we first meet Natalie after she has left Jamie, literally at the altar to the end when fifteen years later, we get to see Jamie come back into her life and wonder if he really is her Mr. Right or if she should keep running. Perhaps her soul mate is her yoga boyfriend, Benjamin, who says “Namaste!” in every sentence and during sex or Hollywood heartthrob, Ryan Harrison, who Natalie has hired to perform in her theater’s production of Macbeth.

This book is full of interesting characters, some more likable than others, of course, but all with personalities that draw the reader in further to the story. Natalie’s Hungarian grandmother was a hoot, and I will never think of bunions again without thinking about Sophia Loren’s toe. Natalie’s best friend Sharon and her teenage-like crush on Ryan and the calendar she has still makes me giggle.

Benjamin and Tuppence were less than likable and gave me near migraines with the intense eye rolling their presence caused but I found myself curious as to what they would do next and what would happen as a result.

I really liked both Ryan and Jamie and thought they were down to earth characters who were decent people. I enjoyed meeting the rest of Natalie’s family and her theater mates as well.

My Final Verdict: This book delivers on every angle, comedy, drama, heartbreak filled with characters and situations any reader can relate to and enjoy. Give this one a look and you will be wondering, like me, what took you so long to find this author. I am looking forward to jumping into his other books.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Miss Wrong and Mr. Right from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Love by the Book by Melissa Pimentel

Title: Love by the Book
Author: Melissa Pimentel
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication Date: February 2015
Genre: Chick-Lit / Romantic Comedy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A hilarious and refreshingly honest foray into modern dating, Age, Sex, Location is Bridget Jones's Diary for HBO's Girls generation.

An American living in London, Lauren is intelligent, beautiful and loves to party. So why can't she convince a man she is not after something more serious than scrambled eggs and goodbye in the morning?

Determined to snare some regular male affection, she embarks on a project: each month she will follow the rules of a different dating guide - from refusing to pay the bill to chatting up every man in her path - and will switch seamlessly to the next book at the end of each month.

Lauren's love life is about to get scientific.

My Thoughts: Enjoyable story by new to me author Melissa Pimentel based on her own personal experience chronicling several months of dating following different dating guides. Lauren is disgusted with the dating prospects facing her living in London but unlike so many women, she is not looking for something serious.

I laughed out loud throughout this book and found Lauren quite a different character with a refreshing take on modern dating and sex. She drinks and smokes and each month her goal was to find someone who is not a psychopath that she would want to have sex with. The downside to Lauren’s project is that with each guide, she reinvents herself in the hopes she will be successful. I enjoyed meeting Lauren and liked her immensely. I thought she was brave to take charge of her dating life and put herself out there, but I would have preferred she just wing it instead of trying to fit herself into the mold each dating guide expected of her.

Lauren’s roommate Lucy is also entertaining and Lauren’s interactions with the “angry bookseller” were fantastic. Some of my favorite scenes in the book involved Lauren’s interactions with these characters. I also enjoyed learning more about Lauren’s background and her family, though some of it came as a surprise.

My Final Verdict: Let’s face it, most self-help guides, especially those dealing with finding the perfect mate are pure rubbish. In the end, Lauren realizes this and decides to date herself, which I thought was brilliant. I recommend this book to readers who believe it is better to be themselves, whether they are looking for the perfect life partner or if they have already found them.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Love by the Book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron

Title: The Paris Dressmaker
Author: Kristy Cambron
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: February 2021
Genre: General Fiction / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Based on true accounts of how Parisiennes resisted the Nazi occupation in World War II—from fashion houses to the city streets—comes a story of two courageous women who risked everything to fight an evil they could not abide.

Paris, 1939. Maison Chanel has closed, thrusting haute couture dressmaker Lila de Laurent out of the world of high fashion as Nazi soldiers invade the streets and the City of Lights slips into darkness. Lila’s life is now a series of rations, brutal restrictions, and carefully controlled propaganda while Paris is cut off from the rest of the world. Yet in hidden corners of the city, the faithful pledge to resist. Lila is drawn to La Resistance and is soon using her skills as a dressmaker to infiltrate the Nazi elite. She takes their measurements and designs masterpieces, all while collecting secrets in the glamorous Hôtel Ritz—the heart of the Nazis’ Parisian headquarters. But when dashing René Touliard suddenly reenters her world, Lila finds her heart tangled between determination to help save his Jewish family and bolstering the fight for liberation.

Paris, 1943. Sandrine Paquet’s job is to catalog the priceless works of art bound for the Führer’s Berlin, masterpieces stolen from prominent Jewish families. But behind closed doors, she secretly forages for information from the underground resistance. Beneath her compliant façade lies a woman bent on uncovering the fate of her missing husband . . . but at what cost? As Hitler’s regime crumbles, Sandrine is drawn in deeper when she uncrates an exquisite blush Chanel gown concealing a cryptic message that may reveal the fate of a dressmaker who vanished from within the fashion elite.

Told across the span of the Nazi occupation, The Paris Dressmaker highlights the brave women who used everything in their power to resist darkness and restore light to their world.

My Thoughts: This was a struggle to read at times due to the terribly slow build of the story and the switching between points of view. I was tempted to give up several times, but I continued and ended up enjoying the story, following the lives of these two women walking different paths towards the common goal of helping the French Resistance and the Allied forces defeat the Nazi’s.

Lila and Sandrine do not know one another but I enjoyed how closely their lives intersect and the reader gets a real sense of the danger their lives are in at any given moment. There are several tense moments before and after the liberation of Paris when I wondered who would survive.

My Final Verdict: Fans of historical fiction should enjoy this story as well as readers of romance or women’s fiction for the relationship driven storyline. However, there is a lot to keep track of in this story and with the multiple points of view, I found it to be a challenge to keep it all straight.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Paris Dressmaker from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome by Tamara Lyon

Title: Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome
Author: Tamara Lyon
Publisher: Tamara Lyon
Publication Date: May 2015
Genre: Chick-Lit / Romantic Comedy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: Bristow Sparks, an interior designer in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, has just landed the contract of a lifetime, working for the Cherry Wyeland, volatile reality star and CEO of Wine-A-Lot. Designing for a crazy person is an around-the-clock commitment. It frays Bristow’s nerves and forces her to compromise in unimaginable ways, but, given that the finished product will be featured on The Decorating Network, she must succeed.

While her professional life is hot, her personal life is barely room temperature. After surviving the relentless media spotlight because of a personal tragedy and a traitorous ex-boyfriend, Bristow flies so far under the radar she cannot even be detected. A homebody to the core, she binges on episodes of the Showtime series, Dexter, lives in sweatpants, and is addicted to exercise and Oreos.

As for relationships? She has fallen hard and fast for witty and adventurous Jack Hoffmann. However, after their disastrous first date where Bristow collides with a park bench among other mortifying mishaps, they are unfortunately just friends. At least there is one male sharing her bed, even if it is only Vegas, her theatrical golden retriever.

For her twenty-ninth birthday, Bristow goes out of her comfort zone and gets a makeover at an elite spa. Post-Brazilian wax and in excruciating pain, Bristow realizes that she has been in a post-traumatic state for years. She vows to start taking risks again. When she finally goes after what and whom she wants, no matter the cost, tragedy strikes again . . .

My Thoughts: At the mere mention of a Brazilian wax, most women, myself included, will cringe in horror, and run as fast as our footsies will carry us. This story confirmed several things for me. The first is I will never put myself through the agony that the heroine of this story does. Even if my love life is as non-existent as Bristow’s and cobwebs are growing down there. Nope…not gonna happen. Even if my well-meaning friends buy me a multi-service gift certificate at a high-end spa because they know I would never treat myself (you got that right!!!), I will have to tell them to bugger off.

The second confirmation is relationships require communication and Bristow needed to grow a spine when it comes to the relationships in her life. She allows herself to be inconvenienced and embarrassed by her client from Hell, her ex-boyfriend, her idiot cousin, and her mother, just to name a few. When she and Jack finally speak to one another outside of the gym where she just visually stalks him, she manages to sabotage that too. Thank goodness Jack is a stand-up guy and does not let Bristow ruin it for them both. Girls need a Jack in their lives, so for Heaven’s sake, when you are blessed to find one, grab on tight and do not let go!

The third confirmation I received is when you catch your adorable dog shredding your checkbook that you had locked up, you do not take it from him and toss it on the counter. No, instead, you start questioning why said checkbook is no longer locked up! And when you further discover greasy fingerprints on your computer screen, then I would say it is a safe assumption to conclude that there has been a break-in and locking down the bank accounts, changing passwords and CALLING THE POLICE would be the logical course of action. Unfortunately, I cannot ignore Bristow’s lack of common sense in this area and this story went from a solid 4-star rating to a 3. Alarm bells were going off in my head immediately, but after discovering her home has been ransacked and there are several missed calls and voicemails from her financial advisor, Bristow just blows it off for several days. I cannot overlook that level of ignorance in a character and especially not the protagonist.

My Final Verdict: In spite of the moments where I was smacking myself in the forehead in disbelief, I found this story to be enjoyable and fun. I adored Bristow’s great-grandmother and her lack of a verbal filter had me laughing out loud several times.

I liked Bristow and Jack, individually and as a couple. Even though Bristow could use an extra helping of common sense, I found her to be genuine and sincere. I was rooting for her success both professionally and personally. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy fun stories to take along to the beach or pool this summer.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Post-Traumatic Brazilian Wax Syndrome from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Olive by Emma Gannon

Title: Olive
Author: Emma Gannon
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: June 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: The debut novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author, Emma Gannon.

Independent.
Adrift.
Anxious.
Loyal.
Kind.
Knows her own mind.

OLIVE is many things, and it is ok that she is still figuring it all out, navigating her world without a compass. But life comes with expectations, there are choices to be made, boxes to tick and – sometimes – stereotypes to fulfil. And when her best friends’ lives start to branch away towards marriage and motherhood, leaving the path they have always followed together, Olive starts to question her choices – because life according to Olive looks a little bit different.

Moving, memorable and a mirror for every woman at a crossroads, OLIVE has a little bit of all of us. Told with great warmth and nostalgia, this is a modern tale about the obstacle course of adulthood, milestone decisions and the ‘taboo’ about choosing not to have children.

My Thoughts: Though I enjoyed the story overall and found the subject matter interesting, it took much too long to finish. I did not have any solid connection to the characters, so I had a difficult time mustering up any empathy for them. For the most part, they all come across as very self-centered and selfish, rather than embracing their life choices and being the supportive “best” friends that the reader is led to believe they are.

The decision to have children or not is a very personal choice and, for some, they are not given a choice, as one of the characters is dealing with infertility issues. Olive decides she does not want to have children but her three best friends, Bea, Cecily, and Isla all do, so it feels quite uneven as the lives of Olive’s best friends seem to take off in a different direction, which leaves Olive isolated. After she and her long-term boyfriend end their relationship, Olive does not feel she can talk to her friends about it because the break-up was because Olive chooses child-free, and Jacob wants to start a family.

The issue of whether to have children or not causes walls to go up between Olive and her friends as they all stand firm on their beliefs and choices, rightly so, but somehow a line has been drawn and there is an unspoken expectation that sides must be chosen. Most of the story centers around each character defending their choice and the resulting conflict and strain it brings into these friendships.

My Final Verdict: Life is not always a picnic, being an adult is not all it is cracked up to be and interpersonal relationships are a lot of work. I recommend this story to readers who enjoy stories that have realistic issues and conflict that the characters must face. Sometimes life is messy, sometimes it is amazing, and this story was a good reminder that nothing in life worth having ever comes easy.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Olive from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

Title: Mother May I
Author: Joshilyn Jackson
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: April 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Revenge doesn’t wait for permission.

Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat was warned by her single mother that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected her mother’s fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Having married into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree now has all a woman could ever dream of: a loving lawyer husband, two talented teenage daughters, a new baby boy, a gorgeous home, and every opportunity in the world.

Until the day she awakens and sees a witch peering into her bedroom window—an old gray-haired woman dressed all in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.

Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daugh­ters’ private school . . . just minutes before Bree’s infant son, asleep in his car seat only a few feet away, vanishes. It happened so quickly—Bree looked away only for a second. There is a note left in his place, warning her that she is being is being watched; if she wants her baby back, she must not call the police or deviate in any way from the instructions that will follow.

The mysterious woman makes contact, and Bree learns she, too, is a mother. Why would another mother do this? What does she want? And why has she targeted Bree? Of course, Bree will pay anything, do anything. It’s her child.

To get her baby back, Bree must complete one small—but critical—task. It seems harmless enough, but her action comes with a devastating price, making her complicit in a tangled web of tragedy and shocking secrets that could destroy everything she loves. It is the beginning of an odyssey that will lead Bree to dangerous places, explosive confrontations, and chilling truths.

Bree will do whatever it takes to protect her family—but what if the cost tears their world apart?

My Thoughts: Mother May I by new to me author Joshilyn Jackson takes the reader on a fast paced, twisty and suspenseful story about a woman whose baby is kidnapped practically under her nose and the journey she has to go on to get her child back. I was initially surprised that the protagonist and kidnapper connected on an emotional level, though there is still anger and fear on Bree’s part as well as desperation. The kidnapper appears hostile, bitter and angry at the start but the reader is given a sense of the pain she has gone through and the level of desperation she is also feeling to exact the revenge she feels she is owed to make everything right.

I really enjoyed that the lines between good and evil in this story are very blurry, making it a challenge for the reader to empathize with only the mother of the kidnapped child. I even began to feel some empathy for the kidnapper as well as more layers of the story were peeled back. I liked Bree and the range of emotions she expresses were easy to relate to. The author does an excellent job of creating characters that are so well developed, they come alive on the page. The plot is very complex and not one I could easily predict the outcome; there are several moments in the story that took me by surprise and the ending was completely unexpected. I listened to the audio version of this story, which was narrated by the author, who did an excellent job with the different voices and the precise elements needed for each scene, which I feel would have been missing had I read this book in my voice.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this story for readers who like complex plots featuring characters that demonstrate many layers to their personalities. Fans of domestic thrillers, suspense and women’s fiction novels will find this book appealing and riveting. I really enjoyed this author’s style and will be looking for more of her work.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Mother May I from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Witness to Slaughter by K.A. Lugo

Title: Witness to Slaughter (Jack Slaughter Thrillers #2)
Author: K.A. Lugo
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Publication Date: December 2020
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: Jack has coped through previous holidays, but this one feels different. It's been four years since he lost his family, and clues to finding those responsible have dried up. Hopelessness has him so tightly wound that he's often driven out of his claustrophobic apartment before the ever-present black dog of depression drags him to a place where there's no coming back from.

Jack wants to be left alone with his sorrow, but when he's offered double his fee by the wife of one of the city's most elite families, how can he refuse? She wants him to follow her husband, Franklin, as she suspects he's cheating and needs photos to get around the strict prenup. Franklin leads Jack across the city to The Majestic Lounge, the Castro District's most popular gay nightclub. By the time he finds Franklin, Jack is forced to break up a heated argument between him and club owner, Chad Lucas.

Lucas approaches Jack the following day, wanting to hire him for added security during the club's popular annual Drag Queen Extravaganza. The event's usual excitement is marred by the deaths of several of Lucas' friends that authorities are calling suicides. Lucas convinces Jack something more nefarious is going on and agrees to the job.

Does the city have another serial killer on its hands, one who's targeting the LGBTQ community? Can Jack find a witness? Surely in the crowded nightclub, someone must have seen something.

My Thoughts: K.A. Lugo delivers another intense thriller and a complex case for Jack Slaughter, one of the most interesting characters I have had the pleasure to get to know. Jack has not come any closer to discovering who murdered his daughter and dog or where his wife is, and I worry he may give in to his dark thoughts. I really like this character. He has suffered the worst kind of pain imaginable and it has cost him everything. In spite of that, he doesn’t take it out on those around him who care about him. He withdraws into himself and tries to stay busy taking long walks in sketchy neighborhoods at God-awful hours or have the occasional booze bender.

I really enjoyed this case Jack is hired to do, which goes beyond, way beyond, the typical husband cheating, wife needs proof so she can take him to the cleaners. I found the gay bar and drag queen backdrop very interesting and a little intriguing. Jack follows his client’s husband to The Majestic Lounge where he is known as Carol. After breaking up an argument between Carol and the club owner, Jack is hired by the club owner for security detail as several patrons of the club have died and the police are ruling them all suicides.

Jack and his former partner, Ray Navarro, team up once again to investigate these deaths as the clues and evidence do not point to suicide. This story really worked all of my emotions, anticipation, surprise, amusement and sadness and I loved seeing Ray and his wife, Maria with a sizable role in this book. You really can’t ask for better friends than these people and if Jack is ever going to find his way out of his depression, I believe these people will be part of the reason for that. The author did a brilliant job researching her subject matter and environment and gives the reader a lot to consider while putting the pieces together.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend Witness to Slaughter to readers who enjoy intense thrillers featuring characters that are complex but easy to care about and relate to. I look forward to another adventure with Jack.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Witness to Slaughter from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Shadows in Death by J.D. Robb

Title: Shadows in Death (In Death #51)
Author: J.D. Robb
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: September 2020
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Urban Fantasy
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Lt. Eve Dallas is about to walk into the shadows of her husband's dangerous past.

As it often did since he had married a cop, murder interrupted more pleasant activities. Then again, Roarke supposed, the woman lying in a pool of her own blood a few steps inside the arch in Washington Square Park had a heftier complaint.

When a night out at the theatre is interrupted by the murder of a young woman in Washington Square Park, it seems like an ordinary case for Detective Eve Dallas and her team. But when Roarke spots a shadow from his past in the crowd, Eve realizes that this case is far from business as usual.

Eve has two complex cases on her hands - the shocking murder of this wealthy young mother and tracking down the shadow before he can strike again, this time much closer to home. Eve is well used to being the hunter, but how will she cope when the tables are turned? As Eve and the team follow leads to Roarke's hometown in Ireland, the race is on to stop the shadow making his next move . . .

My Thoughts: Another wonderful installment that brings Roarke’s shadowy past into the spotlight when a case Eve catches leads her to a killer who is determined to destroy Roarke. This story takes the reader back to Ireland to visit with Roarke’s family, which is always a treat, because it really throws Eve out of her element being around a large and loving family. I have enjoyed watching her adjust and accept these people as her family as well.

I thought the villain was intriguing as well. Plain old-fashioned jealousy motivates him. He grew up with Roarke and wanted the approval and acceptance of Roarke’s father probably more than Roarke did. His need to always outshine Roarke still drives him, but he does not factor in Eve and her tenacity.

There are some very intense scenes that Eve struggles with and her worry over the safety of those around her plays to her strengths, which I have always admired in this character. This series continues to be very character driven, with interpersonal relationships at the center of each story. I feel a connection with these characters, they are part of my family and that is crucial for a reader.

My Final Verdict: As with most of this series, there is not a lot I can say that I have not already said before. This series continues to surprise and entertain me. I anticipate the next installment with excitement, like a child coming downstairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa left.