The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell

by:  Julie Cantrell
published by:  Thomas Nelson
publish date:  January 26, 2016

In the pre-Katrina glow of New Orleans, Amanda Salassi is anxious about chaperoning her daughter’s sixth grade field trip to the Big Easy during Halloween. And then her worst fears come true. Her daughter’s best friend, Sarah, disappears amid the magic and revelry—gone, without a trace.

Unable to cope with her guilt, Amanda’s daughter sinks in depression. And Amanda’s husband turns destructive as he watches his family succumb to grief. Before long, Amanda’s whole world has collapsed.

I kinda started this book with the attitude that this was going to be another Katrina story.  Perhaps, I shouldn't have let that cloud my judgement because I kept waiting for the book to be all about Katrina and it never was really.  Yeah, it does happen, but fortunately it doesn't take over the rest of the story.

The story is about the kidnapping of Sarah.  Amanda is chaperoning a school field trip with her daughter, Ellie, and her best friend Sarah.  When it starts to rain there is a mad dash for the bus and they realize Sarah didn't make it on to the bus.  She disappears without a trace.    Months go by with no sign of her.   Amanda's life is falling apart.  Her daughter is falling into a deep depression over the loss of her best friend and the guilt that she feels as the last person to see her.  Her husband has left her for a much younger woman.  What they don't know is that Sarah is out there alive and waiting for someone to find her.

This book was pretty rough.  Emotionally, it was hard core.  I think I cried through about the quarter of the book.  It's about human trafficking so there's aspect too, but it's not really graphic.  It's just sad for that poor girl.  It was a good story and it was very well written.  I would recommend this book, with the warning that it is gut wrenching.

Troublemaker by Linda Howard

Author: Linda Howard
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: May 2016

For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he’s ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who’s after the members of his elite squad—and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he’s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.

The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau “Bo” Maran finally has her life figured out. She’s got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn’t need a mysterious man in her life—especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.

After finishing Troublemaker, I felt like the old Linda Howard was back.   I've read and reviewed a lot of her earlier works and she has some really good romances built into suspense stories.  In this stand alone romantic suspense, Morgan is shot by an unknown assailant.  his boss sends him to a remote town to recuperate while the agency he works for tries to put the pieces together.   Isabeau "Bo" takes him in to her home as a favor for her ex-stepbrother.  

I really enjoyed the book.  I will admit that I thought the mystery was lackluster. It was a bit anti-climatic. For me, the romance overpowered the suspense part of the book. But, I was OK with that.  I loved Morgan and Bo, loved them together, loved them apart, and loved how they took the time to fall in love.  Let's not forget the adorable and eerily smart Tricks the dog.  She was a fun and integral character to the story.  The other secondary characters around the town rounded out the story nicely.  I'd love to have Loretta in my corner any day.  

I highly recommend this one.  I think fans will enjoy it as much as I did.  If you haven't picked up a book by Ms. Howard before, start with this one and give her a try.

Throwback Thursday: Desert Heat by J.A. Jance

by:  J.A. Jance
published by:  Avon Books
publish date:  1993

Life is good for Joanna Brady in the small desert community of Bisbee. She has Jenny, her adored nine-year-old daughter, and solid, honest, and loving husband, Andy, a local lawman who's running for Sheriff of Cochise County. But her good life explodes when a bullet destroys Andy Brady's future and leaves him dying beneath the blistering Arizona sun.

I've never read a J.A. Jance book.  My library just added a bunch of the audiobooks so I figured it was a good time to try one out.  I decided to start with the first book in the Joanna Brady series.  

So Joanna's husband is a deputy in the tiny little town of Bisbee (recognize that from the movie Tremors???) and he's running for Sheriff, but he dies under mysterious circumstances.  The Sheriff's Department is ready to write it off as a suicide, but Joanna knows that her husband was murdered and she's intent to prove it.   However, questions come to light about the life Andy may have been leading.  Joanna herself becomes the target of a DEA investigation.  She must clear her name and figure out what is going on in her town.

I liked this book.  It was a bit older but it was still good.  There wasn't anything in it that dated it so I didn't feel like I was reading a 20 year old book.  These are what I'd classify as airport or beach books.  They're quick and easy.  I'd recommend starting this series if you haven't already.  

Blog Tour: Excerpt of Defender by Diana Palmer

Author: Diana Palmer
Publisher: Harlequin
Date of publication: June 28, 2016

The man who shattered her trust is back to protect her… New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer delivers a breathtaking story of second-chance love.

When Paul Fiore disappeared from Isabel Grayling’s life, he told himself it was for all the right reasons. She was young and innocent, and he was her millionaire father’s lowly employee. Three years on, Paul is the FBI agent assigned to Isabel’s case. Too late, he realizes what life in her Texas mansion was really like back then—and how much damage he did when he left.

Once love-struck and sheltered, Isabel has become an assistant district attorney committed to serving the law, no matter how risky it gets. But right now, the man she can’t forgive is the one thing standing between her and a deadly stalker. She knows Paul won’t hesitate to protect her life with his own. But if she can’t trust herself to resist him, how can she trust him not to break her heart all over again?

Excerpt:

Just as Paul’s hand moved the soft cotton fabric of her shirt higher, his mouth poised over hers, his dark eyes burning with desire, sirens became audible, moving closer to them.

He felt as if he were coming out of a trance. He looked down at what he’d done and flinched. What the hell had he been about to do? His face contorted as he pushed Isabel up from the seat and turned away while she frantically worked at putting her bra back on.

A police car pulled up beside them and a tall policeman got out, noting the shattered glass of the back window and the small limb that had done the damage.

“Are you folks okay?” he asked with concern.

“Yeah, thanks,” Paul said, breathing in deeply. “I thought we’d bought the farm,” he added on a chuckle while he tried to divert the officer’s attention so that his hunger for Isabel wouldn’t be visible. He turned to her. “You okay, Miss Gray­ling?” he asked formally.

“I’m…fine,” she said. “A little shaken, that’s all.” She smiled for the policeman and looked around at the shattered back glass. “We were lucky,” she added when she noticed the dev­astation all around them.

“Very lucky. NOAA’s calling it a downburst,” the police­man said. “Did a lot of damage on this city block and just swept right over everything else.” He shook his head. “Go figure.”

Paul got out of the car, his hunger finally tamed by doing math problems in his head. He grimaced when he saw the back windshield.

“I guess I’d better get her home and call the insurance com­pany,” Paul said. “She’d just signed up for law school, too.”

The policeman smiled at her. “I’ve got a son who just grad­uated from it,” he confessed. “He’s going into corporate law.”

“I’m going to get a job with the Jacobsville district attor­ney’s office when I graduate,” Isabel said shyly. “I’ve been plaguing them for years.”

He laughed. “Not a job many people want. But good luck to you.” He shook his head as he surveyed the damage. “Need to go to the emergency room? We can take you over, if you want,” he added, indicating his partner, who was standing by the patrol car.

“I’m fine. Not a scratch,” Isabel said. She couldn’t look at Paul. “My nerves are pretty raw, that’s all.”

“Mine, too,” Paul said with a grin. “The car should be fine, once I remove the tree from it,” he added with pursed lips.

“Let us help you with that.”

The men got the limb out of the back window and one of the officers wrote up some notes on the damage for the in­surance company. Paul said he’d get back with them about a copy of the report in a few days. Then he got Isabel back into the car, cranked it, waved to the police officers and started back toward Jacobsville.

Isabel was too shocked and uncertain to speak, and Paul was too angry at himself.

He turned on the radio to listen to the news, which was just reporting the damage in the small area where the downburst had happened. He kept it on and remained doggedly silent all the way back to Comanche Wells while Isabel stared out the window and ground her teeth at a moment that would live in her mind and her heart as long as she drew breath.

About Diana Palmer

The prolific author of more than one hundred books, Diana Palmer got her start as a newspaper reporter. A New York Times bestselling author and voted one of the top ten romance writers in America, she has a gift for telling the most sensual tales with charm and humor. Diana lives with her family in Cornelia, Georgia.

Connect with Diana

Website | Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

.

Diana Palmer’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, June 6th: Stranded in Chaos

Wednesday, June 8th: Stuck in Books – excerpt

Thursday, June 9th: Reading Reality

Friday, June 10th: A. Holland Reads – excerpt

Monday, June 13th: Written Love Reviews

Tuesday, June 14th: Mignon Mykel {Reviews}

Wednesday, June 15th: From the TBR Pile – excerpt

Friday, June 17th: Worth Getting in Bed For

Monday, June 20th: The Sassy Bookster – excerpt

Wednesday, June 22nd: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Thursday, June 23rd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Friday, June 24th: Books a la Mode – excerpt

Monday, June 27th: A Bookaholic Swede – excerpt

Tuesday, June 28th: A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, June 29th: Bookaholics Not-so-Anonymous

Thursday, June 30th: What I’m Reading

Blog Tour: Q&A with Dorothea Benton Frank, author of All Summer Long

Author: Dorothea Benton Frank

Publisher: William Morrow

Date of publication: May 2016

All Summer Long follows one charming New York couple–prominent interior designer Olivia Ritchie and her husband, Nicholas Seymour, an English professor and true southern gentleman. They are seemingly polar opposites, yet magnetically drawn together and have been in love for more than fourteen years.

As they prepare to relocate to Charleston, South Carolina, Olivia, the ultimate New Yorker, has reservations about the promise she made to retire in the Lowcountry, where Nick wants to return home and lead a more peaceful life. They are moving north to south, fast pace versus slow pace, and downsizing. Nick is ecstatic. Olivia is not. She can’t let Nick know that their finances are not what he thought. Her client list is evaporating, their monetary reserves are dwindling, and maybe that house she picked out on Sullivans Island needs too much work.  Thank God for her assistant, Roni Larini, her right (and sometimes left) hand.

As they find themselves pondering the next step of their lives, Olivia and Nick travel with her billionaire clients and their friends and are swept up in the world of the ultra-rich, exploring the globe with a cast of zany eccentrics over one tumultuous, hot summer. All as Olivia grapples with what lies ahead for her and Nick.

This is a story of how plans evolve and lives change in unexpected ways, how even those who have everything are still looking for something more. Even the most successful people can often struggle to keep things together. All Summer Long asks the ultimate question: Can money buy happiness? From Sullivans Island to Necker Island to Nantucket to the beaches of Southern Spain, we’ll come to recognize the many faces of true love; love that deepens and endures, but only because one woman makes a tremendous leap of faith. And that leap changes everything.

Enjoy this Q&A with Dorothea!

In ALL SUMMER LONG, many of the characters are struggling with money issues --- some don’t have enough, others want more, some think money will buy them love and/or happiness. Can you tell us how you came upon this theme for your latest novel?

My husband has worked in and around the investment banking world for his entire career.  As a result we have come to know people who are firmly in the one percent.  I can say without reservation that money cannot buy you happiness but it’s better to have some than not.

You seemed to enjoy pushing the limits of bad behavior with some of the characters here, such as Ellen, the nanny from hell, and Dorothy, a conniving, back-stabbing clothes hanger, among others. Is it hard to push those limits yet keep the characters from becoming absurd? How do you keep from crossing that thin line of credibility? Are any of these unattractive people based on some you’ve come across in real life?

These terrible women in my novel are the bathroom mirror personalities of many people I know.  What I have done is allowed them to do and say the things they think that they would never have the nerve to do or say in real life.

As the author, what do you think the odds are of Bob Vasile putting aside his adulterous habits in order to fully recommit himself to his marriage and life with Maritza? Do you think he can change?

I believe in the power of love.  Many things happen in the name of it.  Eyes are opened, countries change hands.  I’d like to think that Bob is finally going to calm down and behave, not because he worries about Maritza cleaning his clock but because he discovered that he deeply loves her and their daughter.  And I think the time they spend in the Nantucket house restores some kind of normalcy to their lives.

Which location did you enjoy writing about the most: New York City, Isle of Palms, or one of the fabulous locales visited with the Vasile party?

Even as a daughter of the Lowcountry of South Carolina, fully committed to its geography with all my heart, I absolutely enjoy other places too.  I have spent almost half of my life in and around New York because it’s fabulous.  The energy, the creativity, the availability of top drawer anything at your fingertips is like a drug.  But it’s exhausting too.  So I cherish the leisurely pace I find in the Lowcountry and vacations in other places as well because we all need time to refuel.

Let’s say it’s time to downsize the Frank household. Would you compare yourself to Olivia, who has a tendency to hoard every beautiful object that comes across her path, or are you more of a purger? What five things would definitely make the move?

I purge.  Five things?  I have a chandelier shaped like a pineapple that in the 1930’s hung with seven others in a brasserie in Paris.  I’d take the 1860 ship’s skeleton clock we have because the movement is endlessly fascinating. I’d have to pack my mother’s Bible, a wonderful picture I have of my father taken on a battlefield during WWII and my great grandmother’s sugar shell, which even though it’s not worth a fortune it is a treasure that reminds me of her gentility.

Truth time: Have you ever been to Necker Island? Swum with a dolphin? Been on a luxury yacht like Le Bateau de l’Amour? If not, what is the most “over the top” place you have been or thing you have done?

There’s no way I’m getting mixed up with a dolphin in the name of a good time and the wildest thing I have ever done is between me and my confessor.  But let’s leave it at this – I have a weakness for gorgeous boats.

ALL SUMMER LONG is filled with lots of what I call “eye candy for the mind” --- descriptions of furnishings and accessories, fabrics and baubles, all aspects of Olivia’s profession as an interior designer and decorator. Do you use a decorator, or are you more in Dorothy’s (unnecessary annoyances!) camp? How would you describe your personal style?

I have used a decorator from time to time to gain access to fabrics and showrooms closed to the public but mostly my sister jumps in when I need help.  And to be honest, at this stage in my life, I pretty much know what I like and don’t like.

Nothing tastes like summer so much as a simple tomato sandwich, a delight that Nick introduces to Olivia upon their arrival to South Carolina. I’m guessing it is also a favorite of yours, so here’s the big question: What brand of mayonnaise do you use?

Dukes.  And when I’m out of it I make my own.

 You split time between your home in New Jersey and the Low Country. Do these homes have separate personalities, or would there be no question as to who lives in both? Does your heart reside in both places, or will the Low Country always be home with a capital H?  

Our home in NJ is a hundred year-old English manor house and it was slowly furnished over twenty-five years with a lot of English antiques, old Persian rugs and Asian ceramics because that’s what looks right here.  Our home on Sullivan’s Island is an ancient clapboard statement in minimalism, mainly because I haven’t quite figured out what to do with it yet.  But it bears only the slightest resemblance to NJ.  All the walls on the island are varying shades of ivories and the palest grays on the spectrum.  The art work is all post 1990.  And I have more than a few white pieces of upholstered furniture.  Still, somehow both houses reflect our taste, despite the differences in their styles.  But it’s capital H for the island, even if we do have some major structural issues facing us.

If you were to write a sequel to ALL SUMMER LONG, which couple’s future would you focus on: Olivia and Nick, and their new life in South Carolina; or Bob and Maritza, and their attempt to reinvent their life together?

Bob and Maritza offer more color – no doubt about that.  But I think you still need Olivia and Nick to put it all in perspective.  Would you like to see a sequel?

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank was born and raised on Sullivans Island, South Carolina. She resides in the New York area with her husband.

Find her on the web at www.dotfrank.com, or like her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tour Stops

Tuesday, May 31st: A Tattered Copy

Wednesday, June 1st: A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, June 2nd: bookchickdi

Friday, June 3rd: Stranded in Chaos

Monday, June 6th: Seaside Book Nook

Tuesday, June 7th: Books and Bindings

Wednesday, June 8th: Tina Says…

Monday, June 13th: 5 Minutes For Books

Tuesday, June 14th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, June 15th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Wednesday, June 15th: Staircase Wit

Monday, June 20th: Kritters Ramblings

Wednesday, June 22nd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Thursday, June 23rd: A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog

Friday, June 24th: Queen of All She Reads

TBD: Lavish Bookshelf

Interview & Review of Under The Surface by Anne Calhoun

We are really excited to have author Anne  with us today.  She is promoting her latest book Under the Surface.  Enjoy her interview  and a sneak peek after some thoughts on the book.

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publication: May 2016

Welcome to Eye Candy, the East Side’s hottest nightclub where the bartenders are hot, the cocktails are fancy, and danger lurks just under the surface…

Eve Webber, the gorgeous and savvy owner of Eye Candy, knows better than anyone that growing up on the wrong side of the tracks comes with certain complications. Determined to run a clean business and fix up the East Side, Eve’s plans get temporarily stalled when a potential new hire walks into her bar. The sexual chemistry crackling between them is a potent distraction…even if she refuses to mix business with the promise of pleasure.

Detective Matt Dorchester lives by strict rules that have kept him alive in impossible situations. When his latest undercover assignment has him playing a bartender, his desire for the passionate owner has him breaking every single one. Eve is in danger and her life depends on his secrecy. But once their attraction reaches a climactic conclusion, Matt must make a desperate choice: Tell her the truth about who he really is—or risk a once-in-a-lifetime love to save her life?

My thoughts:

In Under the Surface, Eve Webber was asked by a friend of the family to helkp launder money through her business.  She accepts, then promptly goes to the police with the information.  After she agrees to help them in an undercover operation, Matt goes undercover as a bartender named Chad. Sparks are ignited from the beginning.  For the most part, I enjoyed this book.  It looks like it is a part of a series, but I never felt like I was missing anything.  It stands up well as a stand alone.

I liked both Eve.  I liked Eve's determination to make it on her own.  She is a strong business woman who cares about the community.  Matt was a little harder to understand.  I felt like I got hints of why he was kind of cold and closed off, but I would have liked more about his background.  Maybe more interaction with him and his brother Luke.  The couple was good together and I was glad that Eve found out about Matt's real identity early on in the story. That made for a lot less angst over the "lies" between them. So, the romance part was my favorite part of the story.

As for the suspense, there wasn't as much as I would have liked.  I guess I was expecting more than I got.  The big scene in the end was kind of anti-climactic for me. I also felt like there were some loose ends left open. One other thing kept bothering me throughout the book.  Eve makes a big deal about firing a bartender who had sex with a customer in the parking lot.  Yet, she has no qualms about hitting on and sleeping with her employee.  That just didn't sit right with me.  Even if that employee was Matt.

Any way, if you are looking for a couple with heat, definitely check this one out.  Eve and Matt have it in spades!

Hi, Kari and Autumn! Thanks for having me!

Kari& Autumn: What inspired you to become a writer?

Anne: Well, the short answer is that a lifelong love of reading inspired me to become a writer. The longer and more realistic answer is that about a decade in corporate America doing everything from designing executive compensation plans to project management to HR systems development strengthened my desire to get a job where I could work from home on my own schedule and call daydreaming “research”.

Kari& Autumn: Where do you come up with the ideas for your books?

Anne: Lots of places! The newspaper is one of my favorite places to get ideas, especially for the suspense series that kicks off with Under The Surface. Otherwise, I follow my interests. If I’m interested in urban gardening, chances are good it will show up as a character’s work or passion.

Kari& Autumn: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?

Anne: Going Deep, the sequel to Under The Surface, and featuring Matt Dorchester’s colleague Conn McCormick will be out in November. Conn gets roped into playing bodyguard for hometown girl/pop star, Maud Ward. I love bodyguard tropes, so this was a fun one to write. The third book in the series, which is Ian Hawthorn’s story, may or may not be called Reckless, or Falling Hard, or something else entirely, but will definitely be out next summer. I’m finishing up the manuscript now.

Kari& Autumn: Who is your favorite literary character and why?

Anne: Depends on my mood. I love Anne Elliott, from Jane Austen’s Persuasion. She’s devoted to her family, despite their lack of respect for her interests and gifts, and has never given up her love for Captain Wentworth. My second favorite is Miles Vorkosigan. The entire Vorkosigan saga is one of my comfort reads.

Kari& Autumn: Just for fun, if you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

Anne: A hawk. It’s such a different way of being in the world. They’re fierce, deadly, and beautiful. 

Excerpt:

One of the most basic components of police work was learning to control a situation. A good undercover cop adjusted his personality and attitude to manage the situation according to his objectives. Matt was as good as they came, and that bluff should have worked.

Except Eve Webber raised the stakes without blinking an eye, and suddenly white-hot, explicit images of exactly how they’d finish what she’d started flashed in his brain . . . the skirt that barely covered her upper thighs, her desk, and that sleek mass of black hair she kept tugging free from the glossy color on her mouth. Heat flashed through him, the sensation shockingly intense.

Your job is to keep her alive, not get her into bed.

Eve emerged from her office around seven, iPhone in hand, and once she started working the room the vibe punched up several notches. Watching her smile and talk to the customers triggered something he couldn’t put his finger on.

During a brief lull, he turned to Tom, the steroid-buffed player working the station next to his. “She looks familiar.”

Tom hit the button on the blender to mix a raspberry daiquiri. “She won the newspaper’s sexiest female bartender contest two years running before she switched over to events management at the Met.” “Fucking moron” was implied at the end of that sentence.

A niggling memory surfaced of the newspaper’s Arts and Culture section getting passed around before the shift briefing a couple of years ago, right before he made the leap to detective and started working long-term undercover assignments. The article’s text meandered alongside a full-length picture of Eve, hair tumbled into her face, hands braced on the bar behind her, wearing a white blouse unbuttoned deep in her cleavage, a tight, short black skirt, black stockings, and heels. Her slim legs were crossed at the ankle, and the angle of the shot made them seemed endless. He should have been focused on the briefing, but he’d given the photo a good thorough look before handing it to his partner, who’d looked even longer.

The provocative shot actually masked what won Eve the contest. In person she radiated vitality, a sheer visceral force that drew light, glances, attention. Even more surprising was the way she didn’t hoard the energy but rather turned it back on whomever she was talking to. Like that person was the only person in the room. Like she heard what they were saying, and maybe even what they weren’t saying.

Life flowed into this woman. She amplified it and sent it back out into the world, and he couldn’t stop watching her.

She checked in with her bouncer, the size of the Hulk, with gang ink disappearing into the sleeves of his T-shirt.

“That’s not an off-duty cop,” he said.

“Friend of the family,” Tom replied over the music. “Someone her dad knew.”

“Bars this busy usually hire the pros,” Matt said as he pulled out a fresh rack of glasses.

“You know what those assholes charge? They’re fucking expensive,” Tom said as he handed the drink across the bar. “And they’re nosy. Hot Stuff doesn’t like strangers in her business.”

Matt would bet his Jeep that Eve wouldn’t like being called Hot Stuff, but if Tom hadn’t figured that out, Matt wasn’t about to enlighten him. He watched as she cleared a couple of abandoned glasses off the bar in front of him and handed them to a passing busboy, then came around the corner of the bar, trailing her fingers along the polished wood. He handed the drink to a customer and gave her his full attention.

“How are you doing?” she asked, scanning his station.

“You tell me,” he replied, and if he got a little closer than necessary to hear what she was saying over the thumping dance music, well, he was just doing his job. Given the heat in the bar, he expected perfume, something musky and sexy. Instead the faintest scent of mint and rosemary drifted into the air between them when she tucked her hair behind her ears.

“I’m satisfied,” she said, not backing away. “The job’s yours if you want it.”

She was less than a breath away from him. A shift of his weight and a deep inhale, and they’d be breathing together like they were naked and horizontal. The heat sizzled and popped between them and it didn’t take training in body language to read the signals. Eve Webber wanted him.

Chad Henderson. His undercover identity, the man he was pretending to be. Not him.

No matter who he was today, neither he nor Chad could have her. He was supposed to keep her safe, make sure she didn’t change her mind about working with the department, monitor any appearances Murphy made in Eye Candy.

He wanted her.

“I want the job,” he said, not bothering to hide what he really meant.

She looked at him through the layered, sweeping fall of hair he wanted to brush back so he could see her eyes, her mouth. “Hang around after close. I’ll give you the paperwork to fill out and bring back with you tomorrow.”

He leaned in, as if he needed to speak with her, employee to employer, but didn’t want to shout over the music. “See you later, boss,” he rasped.

About the author:

After doing time at Fortune 500 companies on both coasts, Anne landed in a flyover state, where she traded business casual for yoga pants and decided to write down all the lively story ideas that got her through years of monotonous corporate meetings. Her first book, LIBERATING LACEY won the EPIC Award for Best Contemporary Erotic Romance. Her story WHAT SHE NEEDS was chosen for Smart Bitch Sarah's Sizzling Book Club. Anne holds a BA in History and English, and an MA in American Studies from Columbia University. When she's not writing her hobbies include reading, knitting, and yoga. She lives in the Midwest with her family and single-handedly supports her local Starbucks.

Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser

by:  Travis Mulhauser
published by:  Ecco
publish date:  February 2, 2016

As a blizzard bears down, Percy James sets off to find her troubled mother, Carletta. For years, Percy has had to take care of herself and Mama—a woman who’s been unraveling for as long as her daughter can remember. Fearing Carletta is strung out on meth and won’t survive the storm, Percy heads for Shelton Potter’s cabin, deep in the woods of northern Michigan.

But when Percy arrives, there is no sign of Carletta. Searching the house, she finds Shelton and his girlfriend drugged into oblivion—and a crying baby girl left alone in a freezing room upstairs. From the moment the baby wraps a tiny hand around her finger, Percy knows she must save her—a split-second decision that commences a dangerous odyssey in which she must battle the elements and evade Shelton and a small band of desperate criminals hell-bent on getting that baby back. 

Percy's mama is a junkie.  Percy has always had to look out for the both of them.  Now that the blizzard is coming and there's no sign of her mother, she has to go find her.  The first place she goes to look is her dealer's house.  She's not there, but she finds a baby crying and alone near a dog that's been dead for days.  So Percy takes the baby and heads out into the blizzard.  Of course, Shelton, the drug dealer has no idea who took the baby, but he sends his band of less than bright dealers out to find it.  Shelton is out in the storm high on laughing gas riding an ATV.  Percy is just trying to stay alive and get the baby to shelter.

I was a little skeptical about this book, but I ended up really liking it.  Percy was a great character.  The story was well written and well paced.  These stories about backwoods meth heads are always somewhat amusing to me for some reason.  I guess because I just don't get it.  This story was really funny at times and really sad at times.  If you liked Winter's Bone, you'd probably like this one.

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

by:  Caroline Kepnes
published by:  Atria
publish date:  February 23, 2016

Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.

In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice...

This is the second book by Caroline Kepnes.  It continues where You left off.   You was a love it or hate it kind of book.  Personally, I loved it.  I'm always a fan of those dark and twisted books.  You know those kind that when you put it down you question, "Did I really just read that??"  These book are like that for sure!!

At the end of You, Joe meets Amy.  In Hidden Bodies, Joe and Amy are dating.  However, Amy does some terrible things and then runs off to California.  Joe, of course, can not abide by that so he quits his job and moves out to California to track her down.  He begins working his way into the Hollywood landscape but his attention gets diverted when he falls in love with Love, a girl literally named Love.  Their relationship is perfect in his eyes.  However, much of his time is spent making sure she doesn't find out who he really is, and sometimes the past will just not stay buried.

These books have harsh language and they're pretty graphic.  However, Joe is such a well written character that I so recommend these books.  This book ended at a what could be a closing point, or it could be another starting point.  I'm really curious to see if there's going to be another book in this series or not.  In the mean time, if you haven't read these yet, get to it!!

Blog Tour: How Secrets Die by Marta Perry

Author: Marta Perry
Publisher: Mira (Harelquin)
Date of publication: July 1, 2016

A hard-hitting reporter, Kate Beaumont unearths the deepest lies and brings harsh truths to light. But the story that lures her to the gentle town of Laurel Ridge, Pennsylvania, is closer to her heart than anyone knows. The details of her half brother’s sudden death have never made sense. She owes him justice, yet the one man who can help her is the stubborn sheriff she can’t stand.

Protecting his town is Mac Whiting’s top priority. Everything else—including pacifying a beautiful crusader on a mission best left resting in peace—is secondary. But as Kate’s search embeds her in his world and attracts a skilled criminal, she needs Mac’s protection. Drawn together by deadly secrets, they must find a way to trust each other before a killer silences them both.

How Secrets Die is the apparently the third book in a series about the small town of Laurel Springs in the middle of Amish country. I thought this did a good job of holding up as a stand alone.  There were a few references to previous books, but nothing that left me feeling lost.  Kate has come to the town where her broth apparently over-dosed to find out what really happened.  She refuses to believe he did it to himself.  Mac is the town sheriff who realizes she may be right.

I enjoyed this one but I didn't love it.  I think if you go into it for the mystery alone, you will be happier.  It was a good solid mystery that kept me guessing.   I had it narrowed down to two suspects toward the end.  So, while the reveal wasn't a huge surprise, the why was for me.  As for the romance between Mac and Kate, I wasn't really feeling it. I never felt the connection between the two of them to believe she would want to stay after everything was solved.  It happened just way too fast for me.

If you are looking for a clean and quick mystery, I do recommend giving this one a shot. 

About Marta Perry

Marta Perry realized she wanted to be a writer at age eight, when she read her first Nancy Drew novel. A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta to the books she writes now about the Amish. When she’s not writing, Marta is active in the life of her church and enjoys traveling and spending time with her three children and six beautiful grandchildren. Visit her online at www.martaperry.com

Connect with Marta

Website | Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

.

Marta Perry’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Wednesday, June 8th: Reading Reality – review & excerpt

Thursday, June 9th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Thursday, June 9th: Booked on a Feeling

Friday, June 10th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, June 13th: I Wish I Lived in a Library

Tuesday, June 14th: A. Holland Reads

Tuesday, June 14th: History from a Woman’s Perspective

Wednesday, June 15th: Open Book Society

Thursday, June 16th: Diary of a Stay At Home Mom

Friday, June 17th: The Sassy Bookster – excerpt

Monday, June 20th: Romancing the Book – review & excerpt

Tuesday, June 21st: Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, June 22nd: A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, June 23rd: A Bookaholic Swede – excerpt

Friday, June 24th: Worth Getting in Bed For

Tuesday, June 28th: Write Read Life

Tuesday, June 28th: Luxury Reading

Wednesday, June 29th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Thursday, June 30th: Books a la Mode – excerpt

Throwback Thursday: Kiss and Tell by Suzanne Brockmann

Author: Suzanne Brockmann
First published in 1996 by Loveswept

When Leila Hunt is swept off her feet by a ninja at a New Year's Eve costume party, she has no idea who the masked man is—but after he disappears into the night, she’s determined to find him. When the clock struck twelve, what began as a friendly New Year's greeting quickly became the most unforgettable kiss Leila had ever experienced with anyone—including her absent boyfriend. But of all the possible suspects, Leila hardly imagines that the ninja is the same man who’s teased, tormented—and secretly intrigued her—since childhood.

Marshall Devlin is finally ready to face the terrifying truth: he’s in love with his best friend’s sister, and has been for years. There’s just one complication: Leila didn't know he was her ninja. To win her, Marsh will have to woo her. But can he make Leila forget their decades of verbal sparring in time to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life?

Kiss and Tell is the first book in the Sunrise Key Trilogy.  Sunrise Key is a small fictitious town where everyone is in everyone's business.  When Leila was younger, she couldn't wait to leave.  Now she is back in vacation visiting her brother when she gets a kiss from a masked stranger at a Halloween party. In her hunt to find out who he was, she begins to realize the benefits of small town living.  

I thought this was a really cute story.  I adored Marshall. He has been in love with Leila forever and their secret kiss confirms his feelings.  The problem is that she doesn't know it was him.  His attempts to having her fall for him without revealing anything were really sweet.  I'm a sucker for long time friends or in this case "frienemies" falling for each other.  I was also happy to see that Leila's brother had no problems with his best friend loving his sister.  That was a refreshing change of pace from the usual big brother response.  That gets old after a while.

I definitely recommend this one.  I have the next book, The Kissing Game ready to read neat the top on my TBR pile.  Stay tuned!