REVIEW: I'll Be Watching You by Andrea Kane

Title: I’ll Be Watching You
Author: Andrea Kane
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: January, 2005
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Description: "I'll be watching you ... " the cryptic e-mail read.

Taylor Halstead, psychologist and successful radio personality, is terrified that she'll never be safe again. Coming on the heels of a series of tragic and terrible events, the e-mail sends chills racing up her spine. Her safe, secure world has already been violated by her cousin Stephanie's boyfriend, Gordon Mallory, in her own apartment. Only the door buzzer and Stephanie's intervening voice rescue her, but not before Gordon promises to return. Soon after, he is killed along with Stephanie in an inexplicable explosion aboard his yacht. Or is he?

The e-mail is just the beginning. The terror campaign escalates when an electronically disguised voice on Taylor's telephone threatens to kill her, and her life becomes a nightmare. It seems the only one she can turn to is attorney Reed Weston, her confidant, protector, and, ultimately, lover. But is Reed's determination to protect her enough to avert disaster? And can Taylor trust Gordon's identical twin, Jonathan, who always seems to show up when she least expects him?

Grief and dread unravel Taylor's sanity, playing tricks with her mind and heart. Someone out there wants her dead -- a crazed fan or the troubled teenage boy she's been counseling or, impossibly, Gordon himself. His vow to return and those final menacing words -- "I'll be watching you" -- haunt her day and night. Whoever is out there is coming closer, and Taylor Halstead has nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

My Thoughts: An OK story about a woman who survives an assault by her cousin’s boyfriend only to find herself the object of a stalker’s attention. The story had a lot of promise but I had a hard time connecting with the characters. It wasn’t hard to figure out that Gordon was the stalker, but after he was declared dead early on in the story kept me trying to figure out how he was stalking her while keeping his identity a secret.

Most of the story revolves around Taylor living in fear. Fear over Gordon’s assault, fear of his promise to come back and finish what he started, fear over the emails and the new stalker, fear over meeting Gordon’s identical twin brother. The majority of this story is predictable, but what interested me is finding out about Gordon’s background and why he became the person he did. Though I didn’t feel a connection to them, I liked Taylor and Reed. I just never felt their reactions and responses came to life.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this book had a lot of potential but never seemed to get off the ground.

REVIEW: Manic Mondays by Michaela Weaver

Title: Manic Mondays
Author: Michaela Weaver
Publisher: Candy Jar Books
Publication Date: July, 2014
Genre: Chick-Lit

Description: Catherine has everything a modern girl needs – a successful business, idyllic family life and even an Aga in the kitchen! But this all changes one Monday, after her husband decides to leave her for the cleaner. All of a sudden Catherine's life is turned upside down. She is left to raise her baby daughter alone, rebuild a tattered career, while trying to avoid the attentions of Mike, who is ‘Mr Lovely’ until Catherine notices his wedding ring...

Having lost everything, Catherine is determined to prove that she can make it on her own as a single mother. Manic Mondays follows Catherine over a year of Mondays, as she tries to put her life back together.

An uplifting, inspirational and honest take on ‘starting all over again’, Manic Mondays is a must read for anyone who’s ever found life, well, a little manic.

My Thoughts: In her old life, Catherine thought she was doing everything right, happily married, raising a daughter and the owner of a very successful marketing business. After her husband announces he wants out and wants to be with someone else, she is devastated. She walks away from her home and the business and she and her daughter start over in a new town. In her new life, she meets new friends and pursues new career options while trying to steer clear of Mike, a man she realizes she is attracted to, but is holding at arm’s length because of the wedding ring on his finger.

I really enjoyed this story. I admired Catherine for picking up the pieces of her life and finding the strength to move forward after having her life crash down around her ears. I really liked supporting characters Grace, Steve and Mike. They brought their own stories and personalities to the book without pulling me out of the main story. I felt a lot of empathy for Catherine for the way her husband treated her and applauded her strength of character and the determination she shows to start over. There weren’t any laugh out loud moments for me in this book, but the struggles Catherine experienced with facing her husband once again, finding a new career path and opening herself up to love again made this book thoroughly enjoyable.

Michaela Weaver pens a very good story that flows smoothly, keeping the reader engaged with characters that are easy to relate to and connect with. This is my first book by this author and look forward to reading more of her work.

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

REVIEW: S Is For Silence by Sue Grafton

Title: S Is For Silence (Kinsey Millhone #19)
Author: Sue Grafton
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: November, 2006
Genre: Mystery

Description: The nineteenth novel in Sue Grafton's ever popular 'alphabet' series featuring PI Kinsey Millhone.

Just after Independence Day in July 1953 Violet Sullivan, a local good time girl living in Serena Station Southern California, drives off in her brand new Chevy and is never seen again. Left behind is her young daughter, Daisy, and Violet's impetuous husband, Foley, who had been persuaded to buy his errant wife the car only days before . . .

Now, thirty-five years later, Daisy wants closure.

Reluctant to open such an old cold case Kinsey Millhone agrees to spend five days investigating, believing at first that Violet simply moved on to pastures new. But very soon it becomes clear that a lot of people shared a past with Violet, a past that some are still desperate to keep hidden. And in a town as close-knit as Serena there aren't many places to hide when things turn vicious . . .

My Thoughts: Not a lot of major surprises but I still enjoyed this story. I thought revisiting the past in flashback would pull me out of the story, but I quite enjoyed learning the backstory of the characters. As usual, I was way off base on the identity of Violet’s murderer and wish there had been more of an explanation behind the why. I thought the how was a little morbid and creepy and Kinsey’s final showdown with the villain proved to be a little intense.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this is a s solid and enjoyable series though some of the books are much better than the others. As the series begins to wind down to the end of the alphabet, I am very curious to see Kinsey gets into and look forward to finding out.

REVIEW: The Broken by Shelley Coriell

Title: The Broken (The Apostles #1)
Author: Shelley Coriell
Publisher: Grand Central Forever
Publication Date: April, 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Description: He took her life, but left her alive.

Three years ago, reporter Kate Johnson was the first victim—and only survivor—of the Broadcast Butcher. Scarred both physically and psychologically by the brutal serial killer, Kate lives life on the run, knowing that one day, he will find her and finish what he started.

In the pursuit of justice, you sometimes have to step outside the law.

Agent Hayden Reed spends his life chasing monsters. The only way to stay sane is to detach, but the second the Broadcast Butcher case crosses his desk, Hayden knows this is the case that might just cost him his soul. To catch this vicious murderer before he strikes again, Hayden must find Kate and earn her trust. For it's her darkest secrets that hold the key to stopping this madman once and for all . . .

My Thoughts: I enjoyed The Broken by new to me author Shelley Coriell. This book is the first installment of a series centering on a crack shot team of FBI agents tasked with hunting down the big bad evil in the world. This first book introduces us to Kate Johnson and Hayden Reed. Kate was the first victim and only survivor of a vicious serial killer and has been in hiding, intent on keeping her trail untraceable, knowing the killer is still out there and anxious to finish the job. Hayden is an FBI profiler looking for the serial killer with personal demons of his own, committed to catching the killer and keeping Kate safe. I really liked that Hayden wasn’t the typical knight in shining armor hero. He’s deeply flawed with painful scars and carrying immense personal baggage and that makes him perfect for Kate. They are kindred spirits and I enjoyed watching them connect and learn to let their guard down and trust one another. Kate’s entire life has been a complete nightmare. Raised by a mentally ill mother and abandoned by her father, Kate worked hard to make her life successful until the night she nearly died. Since then she has been on the run staying with a cantankerous Vietnam vet as his caretaker and making jewelry. She is on high alert always and ready to hit the road at a moment’s notice. When the killer strikes again, she realizes she is going to have to come out of hiding and work with the FBI before another victim is claimed.

This book takes the reader into Kate’s past and we discover the Broadcast Butcher wasn’t the only dark moment in Kate’s life. I was hoping to find out more about her father and what happened with him and why he never came back and my heart went out to the child Kate was and what she endured. I was angry at her grandparents for never being there and wished Kate told them how their absence in her life affected her. Their assistance to the FBI seemed a little too late for me. Perhaps there will be more closure here as the series progresses. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Smokey Joe. He was an amazing character and the perfect surrogate father that Kate needed in her life.

My only problem with this story is that there was such a huge build-up to the end which fell flat for me. I had high anticipation to learn who the killer was but the big reveal was a big letdown. I felt it was it was a random afterthought and the reasons behind why he targeted Kate in the first place felt hollow to me.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a good story with interesting and well-written characters that will appeal to fans of mysteries, thrillers and romantic suspense. I am curious about the other agents introduced in this book so I will be looking for the rest of the series to find out their story.

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

New Additions To The TBR Pile In September

September saw 14 new review requests added to my TBR pile but happily I have completed 95% of my reading goal. These new arrivals look really good...which one should I tackle first?

Title: A Christmas To Remember by Jenny Hale
Description: A beautiful story about the magic of childhood Christmas memories, the strength of family and falling in love when you least expect it.

Everyone loves Christmas – don’t they?

Carrie Blake loves her job as a nanny but, while her friends are settling down, all of Carrie’s spare time is spent with other people’s families. Though it breaks her heart, her New Year’s resolution is to embark on a new career and fix her love life.

As Carrie starts her last job, she’s sure she’ll be going out on a high – the house is amazing , the kids are adorable, and she’s in charge of decorating the tree!

The only problem could be her boss… single-dad Adam Fletcher might be both handsome and successful, but he’s always working. Doesn’t he realise he’s missing out on precious moments with his son and daughter?

As Adam’s family arrive for Christmas including his sensitive sister, Sharon, and his fun-loving elderly Grandpa, Walter, Carrie realises that she might just have found the perfect allies in her quest to persuade Adam to loosen up. There’s still time for Carrie to make this the best Christmas ever… after all, Christmas is the time for miracles, isn’t it? Let the festivities begin!

Title: A Pretty Mess by Carla Caruso
Description: Sometimes, to come clean, you've got to get your hands dirty ...

Celeste Pretty, a self-confessed neat freak, has found the job she was born to do: a professional organiser, de-cluttering people's homes and workplaces. Her new business gets off to a cracking start when she lands her first client, health and fitness guru Natalia Samphire, in the well-heeled suburb of Astonvale. But things get messy at Natalia's mansion when Celeste finds a blackmail note and other mysterious items. And then there's Lenny Muscat, the sexy builder renovating the place, whose constant presence is muddling Celeste's usually organised brain.

When things get decidedly suspicious at the mansion, she and Lenny have to team up to investigate. But will Celeste emerge with her heart and professional reputation unscathed?

This is the first in the Astonvale series.

Title: Dead Romantic by Ruth Saberton
Description: What do you do if you come face to face with a ghost?

Put it down to a bump on the head and work stress if you’re a respected academic like Cleo Carpenter. With Christmas approaching, professional rivalry afoot and a best friend determined to interfere in her love life the strain is clearly starting to get to her.

Guilt-stricken and deceased, Alex Thorne is desperate to make amends with his brother, Rafe, a tortured musician trapped in a spiral of destruction. When an encounter with Cleo forges a link between them she becomes his only hope. So what if the only person who can see him is a sceptic?

As Cleo starts to doubt her sanity, the safe world she takes for granted crumbles around her. Setting out to regain control and prove once and for all ghosts don’t exist, she embarks on a journey of self discovery and surprise, learning that love really does defy science, logic and maybe even death itself…

Title: Etiquette And Espionage by Gail Carriger
Description: Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.

Title: Fat Chance by Nick Spalding
Description: Meet Zoe and Greg Milton, a married couple who have let themselves go a bit.

Zoe was a stunner in her college days, but the intervening decades have added five stone, and removed most of her self-esteem. Greg's rugby-playing days are well and truly behind him, thanks to countless pints of beer and chicken curry.

When Elise, a radio DJ and Zoe's best friend, tells them about a new competition, it seems like the perfect opportunity to turn their lives around. Fat Chance will pit six hefty couples against one another to see who can collectively lose the most weight and walk away with a $50,000 prize.

So begins six months of abject misery, tears, and frustration that just might turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to them in another laugh-out-loud look at the way we live now from bestselling author Nick Spalding.

Title: Flawless by Jan Moran
Description: "There's always a hostile side to beauty." - Jan Moran

Verena Valent is at the helm of her family's legendary Swiss skincare company, which caters to a glamorous clientele in the heart of Beverly Hills. After her parents are killed in an automobile accident, she becomes the sole provider for her younger twin sisters and her grandmother. Instead of attending college with her friends as planned, she rises to the challenge to guide and expand her family's business. She is in the midst of a critical international expansion into Asia when her carefully organized life begins to unravel.

Verena is shaken to discover that her fiance, Derrick, who is a venture capitalist, might be behind a scheme to take over her growing company. While she struggles to save the business that means everything to her, she meets Lance, an executive chef at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She encounters this intriguing man again while on a business trip to Paris, and soon gains a new perspective on relationships.

When the unthinkable occurs and Verena's world collapses, her friends rally around her, among them Scarlett Sandoval, a top intellectual property attorney; Dahlia DuBois, a perfumer from an esteemed line of French perfumers; and Fianna Fitzgerald, a fashion designer with her own trendy boutique.

Ultimately, Verena learns that truth, family, friendship, and love are the unshakable pillars of life. But will she get a second chance in business, or in love?

Flawless is the first book in the Hostile Beauty Series. Follow a group of smart, stylish, entrepreneurial friends as they navigate the turbulences of modern life in the business of beauty. Set in Beverly Hills with action flung across the globe, the Hostile Beauty Series is an engaging series that features gutsy, determined best friends, and how they manage to live the lives of their dreams.

Title: Hello From The Gillespies by Monica McInerney
Description: For the past thirty-three years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled “Hello from the Gillespies.” It’s always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the truth....

The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can’t stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.

Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when a bump on the head leaves Angela with temporary amnesia, the Gillespies pull together—and pull themselves together—in wonderfully surprising ways....

Title: Hopelessly Devoted To You by Jill Steeples
Description: Meet Ruby’s fiancé, Finn. He’s gorgeous, thoughtful, successful and adoring – pretty much everything anyone could ever want in a man. In fact, he’s perfect. The catch? He’s just not perfect for her. But when Ruby finally plucks up the courage to come clean, Finn’s so furious that he misses his footing as he runs down the stairs – and suddenly, it’s not just his heart that’s broken!

When Finn wakes up, he can’t remember a thing. Not that Ruby dumped him – not even that they were ever engaged! It’s on the tip of Ruby’s tongue to come clean, but somehow, it never seems to be the right time... And as the weeks pass, she sees a new side to Finn. Arrogant and a shameless flirt, he’s irresistibly bad, and the chemistry between them is explosive!

It’s not that Ruby’s lying… she’s just withholding the truth. And seeing as things are going so well, perhaps there’s no need for Finn to have his memory jogged… The trouble is, there’s every chance that Finn might remember for himself!

Title: Perfect Girl by Michele Gorman
Description: Cinderella meets Falling Down in this wickedly funny tale about having it all.

Carol is perfect… at least that’s what everyone thinks. In reality she’s sinking fast – her family treats her like their personal assistant and her boyfriend is so busy with work that he’s got her single-handedly running their relationship. Not that her job is any easier. As the only woman on the bank’s trading floor she spends twelve-hour days trying not to get sworn at or felt up by colleagues who put the "W" in banker.

How long can she go on pleasing everyone else before she snaps and loses it all?

With humor and empathy, Perfect Girl lays bare the balancing act that working women face in a man's world.

Title: S Is For Silence by Sue Grafton
Description: The nineteenth novel in Sue Grafton's ever popular 'alphabet' series featuring PI Kinsey Millhone.

Just after Independence Day in July 1953 Violet Sullivan, a local good time girl living in Serena Station Southern California, drives off in her brand new Chevy and is never seen again. Left behind is her young daughter, Daisy, and Violet's impetuous husband, Foley, who had been persuaded to buy his errant wife the car only days before . . .

Now, thirty-five years later, Daisy wants closure.

Reluctant to open such an old cold case Kinsey Millhone agrees to spend five days investigating, believing at first that Violet simply moved on to pastures new. But very soon it becomes clear that a lot of people shared a past with Violet, a past that some are still desperate to keep hidden. And in a town as close-knit as Serena there aren't many places to hide when things turn vicious . . .

Title: The Bargain by Deb Stover
Description: A man out of time. A woman out of options. Natchez detective Mike Faricy will do anything to undo his brother-in-law's murder. A man named Slick offers him a deal he can't refuse-go back to June 19th, the day before the killing. Mike strikes the Bargain and wakes up on June 19th gazing down the barrel of an antique gun held by Abigail Kingsley, who confirms it is June 19th, but the year is 1865. Now Mike must prevent the murder from over a century in the past, while being taunted by a shape-shifting Slick. The devil may own his soul, but it's Abigail who stakes a powerful claim on his aching heart. Will her darkest secrets be his ultimate undoing...? "Dirty Harry" meets "Scarlett O'Hara" and there's Hell to pay....

Title: The Love List by Eve Devon
Description: Falling in love is just not on Nora King’s To Do List…

Neither is accidentally super-gluing her shoe to her hand right before the biggest presentation of her life!

With all the hard work she’d put into securing the family business after her father’s death, Nora has no choice but to accept help from a knight in shining armour.

Disaster relief worker Ethan Love is still haunted by his last deployment, and desperate for distraction. He’s in town to ask Nora for a major favour, and swooping in to save her presentation is a sure way to get her on side.

As Ethan sticks around and helps Nora through her grief, her barriers tumble down…but will she dare to swap her To Do lists for a How to Fall in Love list?

Title: Twitter Girl by Nic Tatano
Description: Meet America’s Tweet-Heart.

She’s network reporter Cassidy Shea, better known as @TwitterGirl, with more than a million followers thanks to her sarcastic tweets. One hundred forty characters that can take anyone down a notch.

But while brevity may be the soul of wit, it can also get you fired.

When a controversial tweet goes viral the snarky redhead finds herself locked out of the career she loves… and watches her boyfriend take a hike.

Alas, no industry values sarcasm more than politics, and Cassidy becomes a marketable commodity for Presidential candidate Will Becker, a squeaky-clean, stone cold lock to be the next occupant of the White House. This candidate is unlike any other; he’s the country’s most eligible bachelor. He’s also looking for a running mate, and we’re not talking about a Vice President.

Twitter Girl has caught his eye.

Cassidy finds herself swept up in a whirlwind romance that turns her into the next Jackie Kennedy and becomes the favorite to be the next First Lady. The country can’t get enough of America’s First Couple… will Cassidy and Will Becker bring back Camelot?

But an anonymous tip triggers her journalistic curiosity. Is Will Becker all that he seems? The search for the answer teaches Cassidy the meaning of love.

Title: What A Lady Demands by Ashley Macnamara
Description: Readers of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Sabrina Jeffries will love Ashlyn Macnamara’s novel about a smoldering new love that is threatened by past betrayals.

Viscount Lindenhurst cannot seem to find a governess who meets his impossible standards—until Cecelia Sanford becomes the first woman to interrupt the widower’s brooding in years. Lind had returned home from the Napoleonic wars, broken in body and soul and longing for his wife’s embrace, only to find her changed. Before they could reconcile, an accident struck their son and claimed her life. Now enter Cecelia, with her soft curves and sharp tongue—a tempting distraction, it is true, but not a welcome one.

Past the usual marrying age and haunted by a scandal of her own, Cecelia soon finds herself caring for both the child and the man. The viscount is brittle and even abrupt at times, yet she cannot deny the attraction that stirs her body in his presence. Moved by the deep sense of abandonment that tortures his soul, Cecelia aches to fully awaken Lind’s heart from its rancorous slumber—if she can just keep their pasts from destroying a second chance at love.

REVIEW: The Wedding Date by Elizabeth Young

Title: The Wedding Date
Author: Elizabeth Young
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: December, 2004
Genre: Chick-Lit

Description: One wedding. No funeral.

One unqualified catastrophe.

"Dominic" was the little white lie thirty-and-still-unwed Sophy Metcalfe told to soothe her nagging mother. But now her perfect sister Belinda is tying the knot, and Sophy's going to have to produce the charming, successful, ideal boyfriend she invented -- since the genuine article vanished after a single, resoundingly unsuccessful evening. Desperate, she hires a male escort sight unseen to get her through the Nuptials from Hell. But the trouble with white lies is they tend to multiply -- especially at a gala disaster filled with new intrigues and old flames. And the trouble with Josh, her hired date, is he's kind of cute, in a rugged, too-sexy-for-his-own-good way. And then there's the biggest trouble of all -- because every wedding day is followed by a night. And, of course, a morning after ...

My Thoughts: A very cute and enjoyable story by a new to me author that I wish I had read sooner. I thought Sophy and her mates were very likable characters and with Josh, she finds the perfect match. Though I fully understood why Sophy found it necessary to invent a fictional boyfriend, this story is the result of what happens when all of her lies come full circle. On the upside is if she hadn’t lied about her love life, she would never have met Josh.

Things start to unravel after her sister’s wedding that make for some very surprising twists and interesting outcomes. This book had many laugh out loud moments and was a fast read for me. The characters kept me interested in the plot, anticipating what would happen next.

My Final Verdict: This book is a must read for all fans of the chick-lit or contemporary romance genres. If you aren’t a fan of romance, this book will appeal to readers who enjoy humorous fiction. Kudos to Ms. Young for penning a book that was a fun read filled with entertaining characters in awkward but funny situations.

REVIEW: Guilty by Karen Robards

Title: Guilty
Author: Karen Robards
Publisher: Putnam
Publication Date: April, 2008
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Description: One cold November night when Kat Kominski was fifteen years old, she and some friends held up a convenience store. In the heat of the moment, one of the others shot and killed an off-duty cop moonlighting as a security guard. Kat and her pals fled the scene in a panic, and no one was caught.

Sixteen years later, Kat --- now Kate White --- has built a new life for herself. Now a single mom with an eight-year-old son, she works as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia DA's office. But her dark past rears its head when she walks into court one day and has a devastating encounter with a prisoner, Mario Castellanos, one of her companions from that terrible night.

Hardcore criminal Mario is facing a possible sentence of twenty years. He lets Kate know that he is counting on her, his old friend turned prosecutor, to make sure he goes free instead. If Kate doesn't do what he wants, he'll claim she was the one who killed the off-duty cop.

Kate is in a bind: If the truth about her past gets out, she stands to lose everything, including her son. But she can't do what Mario wants, either. As Mario ups his demands, blackmailing and terrorizing her, she is forced to turn for protection to a sexy homicide detective, Tom Braga, who suspects her of ... something. The two clash repeatedly as Tom keeps digging into her past, trying to learn the truth.

Then another, far more menacing, threat rears its head, and Kate realizes that her life --- and her son's --- are in terrible danger. Frantic, she sees that she has nowhere to turn. Except, maybe, to Tom ...

My Thoughts: I had a hard time connecting with the main character of this story. The story begins with Kat as a teenager who gets caught up with a bad crowd and bad choices that result in the death of an off-duty police officer. Kat pulls her life together and in spite of being a single parent, she puts herself through law school and is a new prosecutor. Ordinarily, this would be a success story, but when her past catches up to her, Kat begins telling lie after lie, even when she is blatantly confronted, she continues to lie. I quickly became annoyed with her and had a hard time feeling much sympathy for her. The story improved when Kat’s son, Ben, is in mortal danger from some very bad people and Kat finally comes clean to Tom.

I really liked Ben and Tom. I thought Ben was very precocious and adorable. Tom was a great character who is carrying some very painful baggage, but manages to keep his heart open to the possibility of a new relationship. In spite of the lies and deception Kat throws at his feet, he continues to be there for her.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was just OK for me. The ending fell flat with little closure and a lot of gaps. Fans of romantic suspense may be able to overlook the lack of character development and enjoy the story but if you are a reader who needs the characters in their stories to be realistic, then this may not be the book for you.

REVIEW: Totlandia: The Onesies, Book 1 (Fall)

Title: Totlandia: The Onesies, Book 1 (Fall)
Author: Josie Brown
Publisher: Coliloquy, LLC
Publication Date: September, 2012
Genre: Chick-Lit

Description: The Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club is the most exclusive children’s playgroup in all of San Francisco. For the city’s ultra-competitive elite, the club’s ten annual spots are the ultimate parenting prize.

But not everyone is PHM&TC material. The club's founder, Bettina Connaught Cross, adheres to strict membership rules: Moms only. No single parents or working mothers allowed. Membership is an arduous commitment. And there’s no room in the club for scandal, bad behavior, or imperfection...from tots or their moms.

In a world of power and prestige, no one has more than Bettina. And as every mom in Pacific Heights knows, you simply cannot cross her. But this year’s admissions process is more rigorous than ever, pitting prospective members against each other to prove their mettle.

But four of the six candidates vying for the remaining four slots have a secret that would knock them out of the running. Jade is a former stripper and porn actress, who has been absent for most of her son’s life. Jillian’s husband cleaned out their joint accounts and left her for his pregnant assistant. Ally never even had a husband—just a sperm donor—and she’s hiding a high-ranking corporate job. And Lorna fears that her son may have special needs... just the excuse her sister-in-law, Bettina, needs to deny her entry to the club.

Can these hopeful moms keep up appearances long enough to outlast the competition? Or will their chances—and their private lives—go up in flames?

This is the first of four books that follow our heroines during "the Onesies," their inaugural year in the club. Upcoming books—to be released in four episodes each year—will follow subsequent years: the Twosies, Threesies, Foursies, and Fivesies.

Friendship. Lies. Seduction. Betrayal. Welcome to Totlandia.

My Thoughts: With the first book in this very delightful series, new to me author Josie Brown introduces us to four women who will do anything to ensure their children have the best possible start in life. For these ladies, that means applying to and being accepted for membership in the very exclusive Pacific Heights Moms and Tots Club. A club that is for Moms only who are married and do not work outside the home. The women are part of a group of six who made the final cut and now have to compete for one of the four open slots. What makes this story so interesting is that these women are hiding at least one secret that would disqualify them.

Totlandia: The Onesies was my first book by this very talented author, but will definitely not be my last. I really enjoyed meeting Lorna, Ally, Jade and Jillian. Each character brings an interesting backstory and likable personality to the mix and I thoroughly enjoyed how quickly they all connected and began forming a bond. I have a feeling this club can get pretty cutthroat with backstabbing and betrayal, so strong and loyal friends are definitely needed here. The story moves at a very good pace with many laugh out loud moments. Initially, I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep everyone straight, but that fear quickly passed as the main characters are quickly revealed.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a very good start to a series that promises a lot of laughter and snarky sarcasm. I feel so much anticipation about what will happen next, you’d think I had submitted an application to the club, too. I highly recommend this book and think your anticipation will be just as high as mine. Kudos to Josie Brown for a very good book and giving me several hours of reading enjoyment.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In August

So many new arrivals this month at The Bookworm News And Reviews. I am considering cloning as an option to help me read more. My clone can go to work, run the errands, clean the house and I can read. Anyone know who I need to contact for that? :)

Title: All's Fair In Love And Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant
Description: She's written a recipe for her future, but does it include love?

Katherine 'Kat' Varland is a small town girl, born and raised---and every day, her dreams of owning her own bakery get further away. She has no money, and the cupcake shop she bakes for, Sweetie Pies, seems to get smaller and smaller. Kat might be the sweetheart of Bayou Bend, Louisiana, but she longs to make a name for herself where she can flourish as Kat---not as the girl baking someone else's recipes.

As head coach for the Bayou Bend championship high school football team, Lucas Brannen is used to winning---everything except his best friend's heart. He finally gathers the courage to make a gesture and show Kat his feelings by signing her up for the popular reality TV show Cupcake Combat. But his plan backfires after he realizes the cash prize for the winner also includes a one-year baking contract at one of New York City's most famous pastry houses.

The situation grows sticky when Kat enlists Lucas's help as her baking assistant for the show. Lucas is torn between helping Kat live her dream and selfishly wanting to keep her in town. His plan has always been a dozen acres of land and a farmhouse in Bayou Bend---but Kat is blinded by the stars in her eyes.

Will Lucas and Kat risk their chance at love in order to achieve their individual dreams? Or will they find that sometimes the most delicious happily-ever-afters begin and end in the same place?

Title: Bad Bridesmaid by Portia Macintosh
Description: ‘My wedding is ruined and my marriage is going to fail. And it’s all your fault!'

LA romcom writer Mia Valentina has it all; money, success, a tanned and toned body, golden blonde hair and a string of sexy lovers. She’s almost forgotten her previous self: plain old Mia Harrison. Until a wedding invitation arrives requesting (demanding!) her presence as chief bridesmaid at her younger sister Belle’s upcoming nuptials.

Mia’s barely been back in England before she’s accidentally injured the groom, unintentionally ‘cursed’ the wedding and been caught in a compromising position with her sister’s soon to be brother-in-law!

With the wedding of the year going dangerously off the rails, Mia has no time to waste – especially with sexy fireman and best man Leo on hand to help… Will she use all of her expert romance knowledge to save the day or will she just walk away? No one ever said a bad girl had to turn good…

Girls' Night Out by Kate Flora
Description: When the man who date-raped a friend is found not guilty, the women in her book group decide to take matters into their own hands.

Title: Guilty by Karen Robards
Description: One cold November night when Kat Kominski was fifteen years old, she and some friends held up a convenience store. In the heat of the moment, one of the others shot and killed an off-duty cop moonlighting as a security guard. Kat and her pals fled the scene in a panic, and no one was caught.

Sixteen years later, Kat --- now Kate White --- has built a new life for herself. Now a single mom with an eight-year-old son, she works as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia DA's office. But her dark past rears its head when she walks into court one day and has a devastating encounter with a prisoner, Mario Castellanos, one of her companions from that terrible night.

Hardcore criminal Mario is facing a possible sentence of twenty years. He lets Kate know that he is counting on her, his old friend turned prosecutor, to make sure he goes free instead. If Kate doesn't do what he wants, he'll claim she was the one who killed the off-duty cop.

Kate is in a bind: If the truth about her past gets out, she stands to lose everything, including her son. But she can't do what Mario wants, either. As Mario ups his demands, blackmailing and terrorizing her, she is forced to turn for protection to a sexy homicide detective, Tom Braga, who suspects her of ... something. The two clash repeatedly as Tom keeps digging into her past, trying to learn the truth.

Then another, far more menacing, threat rears its head, and Kate realizes that her life --- and her son's --- are in terrible danger. Frantic, she sees that she has nowhere to turn. Except, maybe, to Tom ...

Title: Life Is Sweet by Elizabeth Bass
Description: Three years ago, Becca Hudson threw a dart at a map, hit Leesburg, Virginia, and decided it was the perfect place to start over. Now she has her own bakery, The Strawberry Cake Shop, loyal customers, and close friends. She also has something that success as a Hollywood child star couldn't give her: a mostly normal existence. Not that it's without complications. One best friend, Pam, is in the wary early days of a new relationship; another is fighting to save her marriage in the midst of infidelity. And then there's Becca's growing attraction to Matthew, surrogate stepdad to Olivia, a smart, sensitive ten-year-old who's become a fixture in the bakery and in Becca's affections.

Still, Becca is content to live in the present and ignore the "Whatever happened to?" speculation and occasional curious fan--until her past barges in again. Amid revelations and unexpeced dilemmas, Becca must confront the life she stepped away from and the love she struggles to accept. It's the only way she'll truly find what she needs: a recipe for living that's honest, messy, sweet, and true.

Title: No Weddings by Kat Bastion
Description: I think I have my act together as a successful bar owner, my master’s degree within reach, and a list of no-strings-attached women warming my bed. Turns out, I don’t.

Hannah believes she has safeguarded her wounded heart by shunning men and focusing on her new baking business. The thing is, she hasn't.

When my three sisters and I start a new event-planning business with Hannah as our baker, I have no idea how my life is about to change. As Hannah and I work closely together, the attraction between us becomes irresistible. And complicated. I've promised my sisters I wouldn't mix business with pleasure. But I've never been one to follow the rules.

Title: Pretty Reckless by Jodi Linton
Description: Welcome to Pistol Rock, Texas where everyone knows secrets last about as long as the sporadic west Texas rain showers.

Laney Briggs has long been considered reckless by the denizens of her hometown, but she’s finally turned it all around—she’s happily engaged to the local veterinarian and she’s become a Pistol Rock deputy sheriff. Everything’s fine and dandy—until a dead body turns up and her ex, Texas Ranger Gunner Wilson, decides to stick his boots into the town’s first murder case. Of course, the troublesome cowboy’s rugged good looks and T-shirt-straining muscles are already leaving Laney knee-deep in hot water, but she’ll be damned if she lets Gunner trample all over her turf. She’s decided that, instead of conflict, she wants a contented, steady life with her vet—a life in which Gunner Wilson and his seemingly endless ability to undermine her resolve and her libido plays no part. Still, it’s hard to keep her head as forbidden sparks ignite and suspicions arise between old rivals and old flames. And when the bodies start to pile up, Laney has to ask the lethal bad boy for a hand—and a truce in exchange for his help. But after uncovering the pack of lies surrounding not only her job but her heart… Having an ex-boyfriend as an ally might not be the best idea, but it’s certainly the most reckless, and Laney has always been pretty reckless…

Title: Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich
Description: New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because—just Stephanie’s luck—the godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail.

It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client’s mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.

With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown.

Title: The Beginner's Guide To The Birds And The Bees by Sophie Hart
Description: Let’s talk about sex… would you share your bedroom secrets if it meant saving your marriage?

A refreshingly open and uplifting romantic comedy about friendship, love and sex. Sometimes you need to step out of your comfort zone in order to give a relationship a good dose of TLC…

Sex therapist Annie Hall helps couples put the fizz back into their relationships. It’s a shame her own love life is non-existent. When Jamie who works next door catches her eye, she can’t ignore the spark of chemistry.

Most men would jump at the chance to skive off work for an afternoon quickie with their gorgeous wife but Nick knows Julia is after only one thing – a baby. Sex shouldn’t be a chore. Can Annie help Julia see that?

Newly engaged Zoe and Simon can’t keep their hands off each other. They’ve decided to take a vow of celibacy until their wedding night. Will Annie help them stick to it?

Roy and Linda have been married for over thirty years but she’s more interested in the family business than getting intimate with him. Can Annie convince Linda to rediscover her passion for Roy after all this time?

While Annie begins to work her magic with the three couples, she soon finds herself falling for Jamie. But she’s been hurt before – will he be different? It’s time for Annie to take some of her own advice and learn a few life lessons of her own…

Title: The Divorce Party by Laura Dave
Description: Two women at the opposite ends of marriage are trying to answer the same question: When should you fight to save a relationship and when should you begin to let go?

On their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, Gwyn Huntington and her husband, Thomas, invite friends and family over for a most unusual celebration. Their home, Huntington Hall, has been in the family for generations after surviving the Great Hurricane of 1938, which tore Montauk apart. Instead of celebrating their life there, Gwyn and Thomas are toasting their divorce.

The weekend also marks the first time that their son, Nate, brings his fiance, Maggie, home to Montauk. But Maggie finds herself wondering if it will be the last, because she discovers a secret Nate has kept for years.

A multigenerational novel about love, family, and what it means to build a life with someone, The Divorce Party brings us two immensely appealing women: Gwyn, at the end of her marriage, and her future daughter-in-law, Maggie, at the beginning. Though they make very different choices, both women ultimately discover how to create the lives that they most want to lead.

Title: The Dress Shop Of Dreams by Menna van Praag
Description: For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Dress Shop of Dreams is a captivating novel of enduring hopes, second chances, and the life-changing magic of true love.

Since her parents’ mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta’s dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets:
With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.

Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells—like true love—can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realizes she’s set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.

Title: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
Description: Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

Title: Waking Up Joy by Tina Ann Forkner
Description: Behind every lost dream lies a second chance…

When adored town spinster Joy Talley ends up in a coma after a peculiar accident, she is surprised and incensed to hear what is being said in her hospital room, including plans for her funeral. When she finally wakes, her well-­‐meaning, but bossy, brothers and sisters dismiss her claims, thinking her accident has knocked her off her rocker, but Joy has never felt better, and is determined to set the past right.

Now Joy must face her darkest secret and risk reopening wounds caused by an old flame who rejected her more than twenty years ago. But taking risks brings change, as well as a new, younger man into Joy’s life, making her feel like a teenager again. Suddenly Joy’s once humdrum life is anything but boring and routine and the future beckons, exhilarating and bright.

Title: What Might Have Been by Matt Dunn
Description: A year ago, Evan and Sarah shared one incredible night. Then Evan’s music—the thing that brought them together—suddenly tore them apart.

Since then, Evan’s not been able to forget about her. And try as she might, Sarah can’t seem to get over him either.

With time running out, Evan’s got one last chance to convince her that the two of them were meant to be. But is one night enough for Sarah to make a decision about the rest of her life—even if it was the best night of her life? And if she doesn’t believe in love at first sight, how can Evan persuade her that what they had will last?

From the bestselling author of A Day at the Office, What Might Have Been is Matt Dunn’s new romantic comedy about two people in love. Though one of them needs a little convincing…

Title: A Hopeaholic's Hallelujah by Vanessa Stevenson
Description: A suspenseful Rom-Com based on a sensational True Story.

'URGINT!
SINERS needed NOW for a Wroking Holliday in Cyprus!
Work six nites/week. Injoy sites in the day. And sun and beech.
3 munth kontrakt. Start ASAP.'

Only desperate people answer dodgy ads . . .

Enter reckless optimist Jessica Hollingberry.

The gamble is audacious. The stakes are high. But all Jess sees is the chance to win back her fiancé and turn her life around.

Anyway, it’s not like it’s a life-or-death situation; it’s just a short stint on an exotic island. What’s the worst that could happen?

Then she meets delectable, irresistible Aidan Reynolds, and she suddenly realises the odds were stacked against her from the start.

She doesn't have a prayer.

REVIEW: Broken Hearts, Fences And Other Things To Mend by Katie Finn

Title: Broken Hearts, Fences, And Other Things To Mend (Broken Hearts & Revenge #1)
Author: Katie Finn
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Publication Date: May, 2014
Genre: Teen

Description: Hot sun. Blue waves. New romances. Old secrets.

Gemma had her summer all planned out, but it takes a sharp turn when she gets dumped and finds herself back in the Hamptons after a five-year absence.

Being there puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friends (that is, before Gemma ruined her life). But people don't hold grudges forever. Do they?

Gemma intends on making amends, but a small case of mistaken identity causes the people she knew years ago—including Hallie and her dreamy brother, Josh—to believe she's someone else. As though the summer wasn't complicated enough already.

My Thoughts: New to me author Katie Finn offers up a story that reminds us that honesty is always the best practice. Gemma Tucker is your average high school student who has just been dumped by her boyfriend, Teddy, and suddenly finds herself without the summer she had planned out. At her mother’s insistence, she goes to the Hamptons to spend the summer with her father. Being back in the Hamptons stirs up less than pleasant memories for Gemma as the reader learns that Gemma did some not so very nice things to a girl that she was friends with five years prior. She decides that she wants to make things right, but a huge case of mistaken identity puts her in the position of trying to start over. First of all, the terrible things that Gemma did to Hallie that ruined her life was done when they were eleven years old so I really didn’t understand the extent of animosity that Hallie had for Gemma and the reader is never enlightened as to how Hallie’s life was ruined by what Gemma did. Granted, what Gemma did was cruel and mean, but she feels really bad about it and is trying to make it right. It’s not until the end of the book that the reader is given a glimpse of just how much Hallie hates Gemma and though I understand why Hallie feels the way she does, I am hoping that Gemma will prevail. I don’t expect Hallie and Gemma to become best friends again, but I think Josh and Gemma would be a great couple.

My Final Verdict: I usually get annoyed with stories that drop a cliffhanger at the end instead of tying up loose ends, but this book was an exception. I found the plot interesting and the characters likable and easy to relate to. My interest in what happens next has been sparked enough to want to read the next book and find out what Gemma will do next. This book was a good start to the series and I am hoping that there will be more closure in the next book.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Broken Hearts, Fences, And Other Things To Mend from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich

Title: Takedown Twenty
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: November, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Description: New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because—just Stephanie’s luck—the godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail.

It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client’s mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.

With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown.

My Thoughts: There are not many authors who have the talent to keep a series fresh and entertaining after twenty books, but Janet Evanovich is one of them. Takedown Twenty is, by far, my favorite of the entire series. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the one-liners delivered by Lula and Grandma Mazur kept me in stitches. I really hope this book is a sign that we will see more of Lula and Grandma in future books. I love Stephanie and the hot mess that is her life and I adore Ranger and Morelli, but Lula and Grandma are what keep me coming back for more. Imagining what these two wonderful characters will get Stephanie into next doesn’t come close to what Ms. Evanovich pulls out of her hat.

The plot was entertaining and kept me interested all the way through the story. There were several interesting twists and turns that kept guessing the identity of the killer difficult and surprised me when it was revealed who it was. Numerous Ranger moments kept the heat turned up and although I don’t see Stephanie ending up with Ranger, I thoroughly enjoy their interactions.

My Final Verdict: Fans of the Stephanie Plum series should enjoy this offering and mark this book as a series favorite. If you are new to the series, you have a lot of catching up to do. This series is best read in order and I promise you will enjoy every bit of it.

REVIEW: The Bro-Magnet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Title: The Bro-Magnet (Nice Guy #1)
Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Publisher: TKA Distribution
Publication Date: December, 2011
Genre: Chick-Lit

Description: Women have been known to lament, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." For Johnny Smith, the problem is, "Always a Best Man, never a groom." At age 33, housepainter Johnny has been Best Man eight times. The ultimate man's man, Johnny loves the Mets, the Jets, his weekly poker game, and the hula girl lamp that hangs over his basement pool table. Johnny has the instant affection of nearly every man he meets, but one thing he doesn't have is a woman to share his life with, and he wants that desperately. When Johnny meets District Attorney Helen Troy, he decides to renounce his bro-magnet ways in order to impress her. With the aid and advice of his friends and family, soon he's transforming his wardrobe, buying throw pillows, ditching the hula girl lamp, getting a cat and even changing his name to the more mature-sounding John. And through it all, he's pretending to have no interest in sports, which Helen claims to abhor. As things heat up with Helen, the questions arise: Will Johnny finally get the girl? And, if he's successful in that pursuit, who will he be now that he's no longer really himself? THE BRO-MAGNET is a rollicking comedic novel about what one man is willing to give up for the sake of love.

My Thoughts: With The Bro-Magnet, readers are introduced to Johnny Smith, a typical nice guy who enjoys guy things and has a lot of friends, but can’t seem to land that one special girl. When he finally meets a woman who he thinks could be the one, he is faced with hoards of advice from family and friends on the image he needs to present in order to win the girl. Based on the advice, he recreates himself into someone practically unrecognizable and he wonders if it’s just a matter of time before the charade blows up in his face or if he will get the girl.

I really liked this story and felt an instant connection to Johnny. The entire story is told from his perspective and through his eyes, the reader is introduced to his family and friends and are given a birds-eye view into his entire life, beginning with his birth and the death of his mother, his awkwardness with the opposite sex, his childhood and adolescent crushes, his numerous stints as Best Man and his near instant friendship with almost every man he meets. In spite of his dismal failure at finding his soul mate, Johnny is a very likable and down to earth guy.

The plot was very easy to get into and though I guessed early on how it would play out, I still enjoyed the ride. I especially enjoyed what Johnny had to go through to acquire a cat and his General Hospital marathons. My only issue with this story was with Johnny’s Aunt and her constant reminders to Johnny how he killed her sister. That really got old and tiresome and I could only imagine how annoying it would be to hear that and have it thrown in your face your whole life. It impressed me that Johnny took it in stride and didn’t let the fact that he grew up without his mother make him feel inadequate or bitter.

My Final Verdict: The Bro-Magnet was a very good story with likable characters, a plot that progresses smoothly, and dialogue that is entertaining and often laugh out loud funny. I highly recommend this story if you are looking for a fresh perspective from the opposite sex with an entertaining twist.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In July

Another active month of new arrivals being welcomed on the TBR pile in July. Is your TBR pile teetering on the verge of falling over too?

Title: A Highlander's Obsession by Vonnie Davis
Description: Two wandering souls discover that true love needs no words in this explosive, fantastical novel from Vonnie Davis.

Somehow able to telepathically communicate with animals, Paisley Munro has found meaning in her so-called gifts by working as a veterinary assistant. But while traveling to Scotland for a relative’s funeral, Paisley fears that she really has lost her mind. Out in the highlands, she hears distinctly human thoughts coming from a wild bear. Terrified and desperate, she returns to the lodge and collapses in the powerful arms of its owner, a mysterious man with whom she shares a simmering attraction.

Creighton Matheson and his fellow shape-shifters have been roaming this land freely for centuries. Now Paisley may inherit his home, putting his kind in grave danger. His mistrust only deepens when he realizes she can read his mind. Yet he cannot deny that this tantalizing woman makes him burn with desire—and hunger for the prospect of a tender love. Now Creighton must decide which would hurt more: revealing the truth or losing Paisley forever.

Title: Chose The Wrong Guy, Gave Him The Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison
Description: Ten years ago, Quinn Barton was on her way to the altar to marry Burke Morrison, her high school sweetheart, when something derailed her. Rather, someone derailed her—the Best Man who at the last minute begged her to reconsider the marriage. He told her that Burke had been cheating on her. For a long time. Quinn, stunned, hurt, and confused, struggled with the obligation of fulfilling her guests’ expectations—providing a wedding—and running for her life.

She chose running. With the Best Man. Who happened to be Burke’s brother, Frank.

That relationship didn’t work either. How could it, when Quinn had been engaged to, in love with, Frank’s brother? Quinn opted for neither, and, instead, spends the next seventeen years working in her family’s Middleburg, Virginia, bridal shop, Talk of the Gown, where she subconsciously does penance for the disservice she did to marriage.

But when the two men return to town for another wedding, old anger, hurt, and passion resurface. Just because you’ve traded the good guy for the bad guy for no guy doesn’t mean you have to stay away from love for the rest of your life, does it?

Title: Four Of A Kind by Shannon Clayton
Description: Have you ever had one of those days where everything that could go wrong does?

Deborah Hayes is dealt that exact hand when disaster strikes at an event she’s managing, giving her publicity for all the wrong reasons, not to mention breaking up with her English boyfriend. And the trouble doesn’t just end there, but when Deborah starts to investigate she can’t help but feel like the universe was trying to warn her.

Determined not to miss any future ‘signs’ and desperate to attract some good luck, she embarks on a journey of divination, dipping her toes into all sorts of spiritual disciplines, Feng Shui, Palm Reading, Tarot Cards...

After scoring an amazing account at work, things look to be on the up, particularly after meeting her gorgeous Irish neighbour. But sometimes the signs are harder to read than we think, and when the latest up and coming sexy Scottish movie star, and a cute Kiwi guy, both take a shine to her, she’s even more desperate for guidance to help her choose.

Bordering on obsession, Deborah gets caught up in asking questions, looking for signs, and searching for hidden meanings and clues.

Can she make the right choice or is she looking for something that has been right in front of her all along?

Title: Rock My World by Sharisse Coulter
Description: Jenna Jax-Anders hit rock bottom in high school. Or so she thought. From rock star heiress to knocked-up has been, she turned it all around, marrying the punk rock baby daddy love of her life. The perfect Hollywood fairytale. Until the day she walked in on him kissing her best friend.

As she struggles to find herself and redefine the world around her, she faces the challenges of raising her over-achieving teenage daughter, the heartbreak of losing her best friend (backstabbing aside), and emerging from the shadows of two famous last names to find her own identity. Oh, there’s also the tiny issue of her husband’s record label, backed by an anonymous mogul whose morally ambiguous creative direction may ruin them all.

But she doesn’t know about that yet.

Title: Sadie Walker Is Stranded by Madeleine Roux
Description: MONTHS AGO THE WORLD ENDED...

...when an unknown virus spread throughout North America and then the world, killing millions of people. However, that is where the horror only started. The dead began to rise and when they rose they had an insatiable appetite for the living. A new hell had been unleashed on earth and the fight for survival had just begun.

Sadie Walker is one of the survivors in this new world. Living in north Seattle behind barrier that keep the living in and the dead out, she trying to get back to a normal life, while raising her eight-year-old nephew, if anyone even knows what "normal" is anymore. Then everything goes sideways when Shane is kidnapped by a group of black market thieves and they bring down a crucial barrier in the city while trying to escape, and flood the city with the walking dead. After rescuing her nephew, Sadie and Shane escape Seattle on the last remaining boat, along with other survivors. However, now they must face the complete chaos of a world filled with flesh eating zombies and humans who are playing with a whole new rule book when it comes to survival in their journey to find a new place that they can call home.

Title: Sail by James Patterson
Description: A perfect family vacation turns into a life-or-death nightmare.

SET SAIL

Only an hour out of port, the Dunne family's summer getaway to paradise is already turning into the trip from hell. Carrie, the eldest, has thrown herself off the side of the boat in a bid for attention. Sixteen-year-old Mark is getting high belowdecks. And Ernie, their ten-year-old brother, is nearly catatonic. It's shaping up to be the worst vacation ever.

SOAK UP THE SUN

Katherine Dunne had hoped this trip would bring back the togetherness they'd lost when her husband died four years earlier. Maybe if her new husband, a high-powered Manhattan attorney, had been able to postpone his trial and join them it would all have been okay....

PREPARE TO DIE

Suddenly, a disaster hits–and it's perfect. Faced with real danger, the Dunnes rediscover the meaning of family and pull together in a way they haven't in a long time. But this catastrophe is just a tiny taste of the danger that lurks ahead: someone wants to make sure that the Dunne family never makes it out of paradise alive.

With whiplash plot twists, speedboat pacing, and an eye for the evil that can lie behind even the most gorgeous setting, James Patterson delivers Sail–the wettest, most explosive ocean adventure since Jaws.

Title: Taken In Death by J.D. Robb
Description: Two young children disappear from their East Side home in New York City, their nanny killed in cold blood. As Lieutenant Eve Dallas begins to unravel the crime scene and search for the children, she's drawn into the twisted mind of a kidnapper who will stop at nothing to take revenge.

Title: The Black Door by Charlotte Howard
Description: Imogen Pearce is a single mum of four children and fast approaching 40, she works at Ryedale Incorporated where she has to battle a younger and smarter generation to get to where she wants to go. If that means taking on the account of Cherry and Sean Rubin’s adult shop, then she will. But what happens when Imogen discovers the private club that they run at the back? And what happens when she realizes she knows quite a few members?

Title: The Girl He Knows by Kristi Rose
Description: Waking up naked next to a good looking man is not a bad way to start the day. Especially since Paisley missed all those opportunities in college, when she was too busy supporting her no good, thankfully now, ex-husband. The problem? This hottie is Hank, her best friend’s older brother, a guy she’s known her entire life.

Stopping after one night is the right thing to do. Being with him clearly breaks the best friend code, and from his career as a Naval officer to his Boy Scout reputation, everything about him screams monogamy and commitment. Two things Paisley has had enough of.

When Hank presents a “no strings attached” offer, it’s too good to be true. She can enjoy him while still embracing being single. But, poor choices force her to confront old fears of love and loss, and Paisley has to decide if Hank is worth the risk. The alternative is never experiencing the real deal. Or far worse, settling for less.

Title: The Patron Saint Of Lost Dogs by Nick Trout
Description: After fifteen years, Dr. Cyrus Mills returns to rural Vermont to inherit the Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the failing veterinary practice of his recently deceased and long-estranged father. Cyrus, a veterinary pathologist far more comfortable with cold clinical facts than living, breathing animals (not to mention their quirky, demanding owners), intends to sell the practice and get out of town as fast as he can.

Then his first patient—a down-on-her-luck golden retriever named Frieda Fuzzypaws—wags her way through the door, and suddenly life gets complicated. With the help of a black Labrador gifted in the art of swallowing underwear, a Persian cat determined to expose her owner’s lover as a gold digger, and the allure of a feisty, pretty waitress from the local diner, Cyrus gets caught up in a new community and its endearing residents, both human and animal. Sensing he may have misjudged the past, he begins to realize it’s not just his patients that need healing.

The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a winsome tale of new beginnings, forgiveness, and the joy of finding your way home.

Title: What A Lady Craves by Ashlyn Macnamara
Description: Ashlyn Macnamara weaves a delicious tale of two souls torn apart by circumstance and reunited by fate—perfect for fans of Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Sabrina Jeffries.

Henrietta Upperton is about to marry Alexander Sanford, when he rushes off to India to salvage his family’s fortune. Then comes the devastating news that he has wed another. Eight agonizing years later, a storm washes Alexander ashore—injured, widowed, and hunted—and one glimpse of his ruggedly handsome face reawakens the desire Henrietta thought she had buried deep inside. Her body still yearns for his touch, but she’s determined not let him wound her again . . . not this time.

For Alexander, honor always comes first. But only now does he realize that when given the choice between two virtuous deeds, he picked the wrong one. On the run with his life in tatters and a pair of daughters in tow, Alexander burns for Henrietta. He knows he does not deserve forgiveness. And yet he longs to wrap his arms around her warm body once again. What’s more, he is sure the lady craves the same.