Blog Tour: City of Liars and Thieves by Eve Karlin

Author: Eve Karlin

Publisher: Alibi (Random House)

Date of publication: January 2015

A crime that rocked a city. A case that stunned a nation. Based on the United States’ first recorded murder trial, Eve Karlin’s spellbinding debut novel re-creates early nineteenth-century New York City, where a love affair ends in a brutal murder and a conspiracy involving Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr erupts in shattering violence.

It is high time to tell the truth. Time for justice. . . . How she was murdered and why she haunts me. It is not only Elma’s story, it’s mine.

On the bustling docks of the Hudson River, Catherine Ring waits with her husband and children for the ship carrying her cousin, Elma Sands. Their Greenwich Street boardinghouse becomes a haven for Elma, who has at last escaped the stifling confines of her small hometown and the shameful circumstances of her birth. But in the summer of 1799, Manhattan remains a teeming cesspool of stagnant swamps and polluted rivers. The city is desperate for clean water as fires wreak devastation and the death toll from yellow fever surges.

Political tensions are rising, too. It’s an election year, and Alexander Hamilton is hungry for power. So is his rival, Aaron Burr, who has announced the formation of the Manhattan Water Company. But their private struggle becomes very public when the body of Elma Sands is found at the bottom of a city well built by Burr’s company.

Resolved to see justice done, Catherine becomes both witness and avenger. She soon finds, however, that the shocking truth behind this trial has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.

I'll start off by saying, I didn't read the synopsis well enough to realize this was a historical fiction based on a real murder.    You all know I'm not a real fan of this type of book.  Yet, when I started the story, I was enjoying it.  I thought the author did a great job of describing life in 1799 New York City.  I can tell you that I am so glad we have modern conveniences like sewers and water pipelines today!  I don't even want o know what the odor was like back then.  After reading this, I can guess it wasn't pleasant.  

Unfortunately, I lost interest about 30% of the way in.  I got lost in all of the political mess about the Manhattan Water Company and the run for President.  It was just not interesting to me.  What I did find interesting was the afterword from the author.  That section laid out the real history of what was going on at the time, not only with the politics, but with the trial and its aftermath.

I think lovers of this type of book will really enjoy it.  So, I think you should give it a try.  It just wasn't for me.  

About Eve Karlin

Eve Karlin was born and raised in New York City. She is a graduate of Colgate University, where she studied literature and creative writing with Frederick Busch. Karlin worked in publishing for more than a decade in marketing, at Random House, Newsweek, and, later, as a foreign book scout with clients in the United Kingdom, Italy, Holland, Brazil, and Japan. She has had several short stories published in The East Hampton Star and has been a contributing writer for Patch.com. She lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband and their sixteen-year-old triplets. City of Liars and Thieves is her first book.

Eve Karlin’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, January 6th: Mystery Playground

Wednesday, January 7th: Bibliophilia, Please

Friday, January 9th: Fiction Zeal

Monday, January 12th: Omnimystery News – author guest post

Tuesday, January 13th: Dwell in Possibility

Tuessday, January 13th: Kritter’s Ramblings

Wednesday, January 14th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Friday, January 16th: Reading Reality

Monday, January 19th: From the TBR Pile

Tuesday, January 20th: Sarah’s Book Shelves

Wednesday, January 21st: A Fantastical Librarian

Thursday, January 22nd: Chew & Digest Books

Monday, January 26th: Brooke Blogs

Monday, January 26th: History from a Woman’s Perspective

Tuesday, January 27th: Tales of a Book Addict

Wednesday, January 28th: Staircase Wit

Thursday, January 29th: 100 Pages a Day… Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Friday, January 30th: Books in the Burbs

TBD: Back Porchervations

Purchase Links: Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

by:  Stephen King
published by:  Scribner
publish date:  June 3, 2014

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the "perk" and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

So it's been a long time since I've really really liked a Stephen King book.  When I got done with this one, it was like "OMG Thank YOU!!"  I was so excited for Stephen King, which is ridiculous because he's a grown successful man, but I've felt like he's been off somewhere for a long time, and now he's BACK!  Other people probably don't feel that way because this wasn't a horror novel, but whatever.

The other thing that made me happy about this book was that it was the marriage of several things that make me happy.  First, it was a crime novel, those are my favorite.  Secondly, it was written by Stephen King, he's an excellent writer and doing a straight up crime novel was awesome.  Third, the audiobook was read by Will Patton, seriously, he's the best.

The characters in the book are awesome.  If nothing else, King can paint the portrait of a character like no other.  Just when I was kinda sad that I was done with this book, I found out that it was a trilogy, so I get to visit with these characters again.  I was really happy about that.

I would recommend this book to all the crime readers.  Even if you aren't a Stephen King fan because you don't like horror, try this one out, because it's not really a horror novel.  This one is pretty much a straight up crime/private eye type book.

Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd

Author: Christina Dodd
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of publication: September 2014

Twenty-three years ago, Misty Banner was brutally slashed to death in her home in Virtue Falls, Washington. Her husband was convicted of the murder. Their four year old daughter Elizabeth witnessed the crime, but has no memory of the killing. Now, two decades later, Elizabeth is back in Virtue Falls. She soon discovers her father is innocent. The real killer is still out there. And her investigation has stirred dark and deadly resentments that could provoke in another bloody murder—her own...

 Elizabeth is a geologist who has taken a job at a dig site in her old town of Virtue Falls.  She has returned to be closer to her father who has been stricken with Alzheimer's.  He is out of prison and living in a nursing home.  Her father was accused of murdering her mother.  Elizabeth has no real memory of the night Misty died or who killed her. The town of Virtue Falls is small with a long memory. It also sits on a major fault line.When an earthquake and tsunami uncover new evidence from the past, she decides that things just don't seem right about what transpired that night and she wants to get to the bottom of things. 

I was looking forward to reading Virtue Falls, but sadly it didn't give up to my expectations.  While I did enjoy the overall story,  all I could really say was that it was just OK. The one thing that I did like was the mystery. The final reveal was cleverly done.  There were a number of suspects and I didn't figure it out right away, so bonus points for that one. I also thought some of the peripheral characters added some flavor to the story.

Having said all of that, there were a couple of things that I didn't like about book.  I thought it was a bit long and dragged in places.  I also really didn't care for Elizabeth at first. She kind of felt unrealistically rigid and cold.  I thought she took unnecessary risks that had me rolling my eyes. I did like the relationship between her and Garrick.  Their split up was clearly due to a lack of communication and I was kind of rooting for them to get back together.  Which brings me to my disappointment in the love scenes.  I know that this author can write a good love scene.  There was a lot of  pretty explicit build up and then the scene would cut to the afterglow. That was puzzling to me and I kind of felt a little cheated.

I'm not saying this is a bad read.  I do recommend giving it a try.  I just don't think it's her best effort.  I'll probably give the second book, Obsession Falls a try when it comes out later this year. 

Spotlight & Giveaway: A Little on the Wild Side by Robin Kaye

Author: Robin Kaye
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of publication: January 2016

A woman who gets what she wants…

Bianca Ferrari—ex-supermodel turned successful business woman—seems to have it all: beauty, brains and a career she loves. And she did it all by herself…through sheer force of will and ruthless determination. So when her life is suddenly turned upside down, it’s hard for her to admit that going it alone may not be an option…

A man who knows what she needs…

Sexy, rugged and down-to-earth, Trapper Kincaid has a knack for attracting all kinds of women—mostly the wrong kind. When he finds out that the exhaustingly independent and drop-dead gorgeous Bianca is in serious need of help, he knows he’s the man for the job. But Bianca isn’t going to make it easy…

Buy A Little on the Wild Side by Robin Kaye 

Amazon | B&N | BAM | !ndigo | IndieBound | Kobo

Enjoy this excerpt!

Trapper sweet--talked his way into Bianca’s office with a bouquet of flowers and chocolate. He liked her receptionist, Terri. He’d talked to her several times when he and Bianca had been seeing each other, and it didn’t sound as if she’d heard he was persona non grata lately. He hoped he wasn’t getting Terri into trouble, but damn, he didn’t know what the hell to do. Bianca’s doorman refused his bribe the night before and wouldn’t let him into the building without announcing him first. This was his only other option.

Terri had been easy. He just dropped his sister--in--law Toni’s name, and she let him wait in Bianca’s office. She even promised not to tip off Bianca and spoil his surprise. Then she told him she wished her boyfriend was half as romantic, gave him a wink, and unlocked Bianca’s office door.

He stepped into her corner office, and the scent of Bianca hit him—-he was hard in a matter of seconds. He digested the differences between her office and her apartment. Her office was cool, modern, sleek, and so unlike her home. He’d been shocked when Bianca invited him to her place, opened the door, and he saw the collection of comfortable antiques—-not like something you’d see in a museum. No, it looked like something you’d see in your grandmother’s house—-a feather--stuffed sofa with an old quilt hanging over the back. Beautiful, yet comfortable pillows were scattered everywhere. Low lighting from torchieres gave the place a romantic glow. Rolled arms to drape a lover over, and sturdy oak tables in the kitchen and dining room, perfect for dinner or sex—-one memorable evening, both—-added to the reasons he’d fallen in love with the place.

Trapper took a seat behind Bianca’s desk and pulled his cowboy hat low over his eyes to cut the glare from the cold, hard--recessed lighting. He put his feet up and settled for a long wait. Terri had told him Bianca had canceled her morning appointments and was expected before noon. He sat back with his e--reader and caught up on law journals, while trying to keep his dick
at half--mast.

At eleven thirty the door swooshed open. Bianca walked in, her black cape floating around her. Her hair was longer than he remembered, and she had big bags under her eyes that no amount of makeup could disguise. She looked beautiful, way too thin, and ill.

She still hadn’t noticed him. She spun around, tossed her briefcase on the leather sofa, and turned her back, tugging off her cape. She might have lost weight, but damn, she still had the finest ass he’d ever seen.

He put a smile on his face—-the one he was told made women swoon. He figured he needed all the help he could get. He had a strong feeling she wouldn’t be happy being ambushed, but what choice did she give him?

He walked around her desk, leaned against it, watched, and waited for her to hang her cape—-a difficult task since the darn thing had no sleeves.

She turned. The first thing he noticed was that her breasts were larger, but maybe they just looked that way since she’d lost quite a bit of weight.

His gaze headed south and made an unplanned stop at her waistline. His smile froze. His jaw clenched. Blood rushed through his ears, making his temples throb. Every muscle in his body tensed.

Bianca—-his Bianca—-was pregnant? Definitely pregnant—-past the point where a man would wonder. Not ready--to--pop pregnant, but just--about--time--for--maternity--clothes pregnant. He wasn’t sure how pregnant that was, but shit, he was sure the baby she carried was his. He knew it the second she spotted him grinning like the fool he was and flashed him a guilty look. That was a nanosecond before what little color she’d had drained from the beautiful face that haunted his every waking moment and his dreams, leaving her looking like a corpse three weeks past her expiration date.

Bianca blinked, and her wide, green eyes rolled back in her head.

Oh shit. He raced for her.

Her long legs buckled, and he caught her just before she hit the floor.

His heart didn’t beat again until he felt her shallow breaths against his neck. He carried her to the couch and laid her down, brushing the baby--fine hair off her face. He sat beside her, waiting for her to wake up.

Trapper had heard pregnant women sometimes fainted, but he didn’t think they passed out for this long. It seemed like an eternity. He checked his watch. It had been less than a minute. He took a deep breath, felt her pulse strong and steady on her neck, and tried to keep the anger, terror, and helplessness out of his voice. “Come on, sweetheart. Time to wake up.”

Nothing.

Panic scratched at his insides like a feral cat trying to escape a trap.

She didn’t move.

Her lips were pale. The blue veins stood out in her forehead.

She looked like death.

He ran to the door and slammed it open. “I need some help here!”

In three strides, he returned to Bianca’s side, took her cold hand, warming it between his. “Bianca, sweetheart, please, just open your eyes.”

Terri ran in. She took one look at Bianca and stepped back.

“She passed out.”

“I’ll get James.” She ran from the room, screaming James’s name.

It seemed like forever until James ran in. “What happened?”

“I was waiting for Bianca when she arrived. She took one look at me and took a nosedive. I caught her just before she hit the floor.”

“She pukes all the time, but she’s never passed out that I know of.” He looked as panicked as Trapper felt. He turned to Terri. “Call 9--1--1.” When she didn’t move, he screamed. “Now!”

The poor girl burst into tears and grabbed Bianca’s phone.

Trapper placed Bianca’s hand on her belly, on top of the other resting there protectively. He stared in wonder. They were having a baby. He was going to be a father. He expected the fierce protectiveness, but he hadn’t expected the fear or the joy or the awesome weight of responsibility that settled on his chest. But most of all, he hadn’t expected the exhilarating feeling of knowing that together they had created a child. A child he loved. A child he would give his life for. A child who needed him.

His gaze rounded on James. He wanted to pick the man up and toss him out of the floor to ceiling window for allowing Bianca to get in this bad a shape. “What the hell happened to her?” His voice was low, threatening, and a hell of a lot calmer than he felt.

Terri’s eyes went wide, and she skittered away.

James stood his ground like a man preparing for a shoot--out. He arched a scholarly brow. “Nothing that won’t be remedied in five months. Where the hell have you been? Since I’ve handled the first four months, you get her for the finale. The woman is a full--time job. I recommend you clear your schedule.” He handed Trapper a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. “Here, you might want to read this. So far, Bianca’s only looked at the pictures.”

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About the Author:

Robin Kaye is a professional writer and winner of the Romance Writers of America Golden Heart award for her first novel, Romeo, Romeo. Her romantic comedies feature sexy, nurturing heroes and feisty, independent heroines. She lives with her husband and three children in Mt. Airy, Maryland.

Connect with Robin Kaye: www.robinkayewrites.com | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Dreaming of Books Hop

Welcome to the Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop hosted by I'm a Reader, Not a Writer. 

For a full list of participating blogs go here.

We have 2 packs to give away.  2 lucky winners will be chosen (US Only Please) 

To enter just fill out the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck!

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Throwback Thrusday: Prime Time by Sandra Brown

Author: Sandra Brown (writing as Rachel Ryan)
First published in 1983 by Dell Publishing company

More than anything else, cable TV reporter Andrea Malone wanted a network job. And it could be hers if she gained a coveted interview with the aging General Ratiff -- especially if she uncovered the secret that drove him into seclusion at his Texas ranch. One obstacle was Lyon Ratiff, the general's watchdog of a son. Andrea had a plan, but had no way of knowing how Lyon's unexpected, undeniable effect on her would change everything, how they both would face a storm of suspicion and betrayal -- and how Andrea Malone would have to choose between the ruthless demands of her profession and the equally strong dictates of the heart.

As I was listening to Prime Time, I had to keep chanting to myself that it was written in a different time where the ideas of what was romantic and acceptable in relationships was a lot different than it is now.  The author even makes a note of that in the reprint of the book.  She had originally published it under a different name. I am so glad that times have changed in the world of romance.  

Even keeping that in mind, I'm not sure it was enough to save the book for me. I had such a hard time believing that Andrea (Andi) could fall for a man like Lyon.  He was such an ass from the start and never really redeemed himself enough in my eyes. The way this woman was treated by everyone was disgusting.  From her overbearing and sexist boss/friend, to her crew making sexual jokes to her. I applauded her for walking away in the end.  But then I had to hang my head when she just took Lyon back like nothing had happened.  I'm sorry but this isn't one that I can recommend for a throwback read.  There are much better early romances by this author!

Blog Tour: Guest Post & Review Shadows in the Fog by Greg Messel

Thanks to author Greg Messel for visiting with us today. His 5th Sam Slater book, Shadows in the Fog, is out.  He has a guest post about attitudes about the smoking culture in the 1950s. Enjoy it after my thoughts on the book.

Author: Greg Messel

Publisher: Sunbreaks Publishing

Date of publication: October 2014

The story begins on a stormy morning in February of 1959. The front page of the morning paper is dominated by news of the plane crash which killed rock ’n roll stars Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens. 

Private Eye Sam Slater is hired to perform what he thinks is a routine two-day job as a favor for a friend. However, it all goes terribly wrong when a young San Francisco policeman is gunned down while sitting in a parked car with Sam. 

The murder sets off a chain of events which will pull Sam and his wife and partner, Amelia, into a dangerous web of intrigue in the dark, shadowy alleys and back rooms of San Francisco’s Chinatown. 

My thoughts:

After reading the fifth book in this series, I still had the feeling that I was visiting with old friends.  Amelia and Sam seem like a couple you would definitely want to hang out with.  In Shadows in the Fog, Amelia is finally free from the airline and has become a partner in the detective agency with Sam. A routine case involving spying on a spouse turns dangerous when Sam in almost killed and Amelia kidnapped.  

The last couple of books have been pretty intense and this one is no different.  I liked the mystery and suspense. I was happy to see Amelia finally grounded and home with Sam. There are two mysteries going on at the same time, so that was fun to try to figure out. This author has a good knack for doling out information as the readers needs it without giving too much away too soon.  The great thing about this series is that it is a mixture.  It has the fun and easy banter found in the old Nick and Nora movies mixed in with the darkness and suspense of a film noir movie.  I can't wait to see where Sam and Amelia end up next!

SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES

A trip back in time to the 1950s world of my novels, "Last of the Seals," “Deadly Plunge,” “San Francisco Secrets,” “Fog City Strangler,” and my new novel “Shadows In The Fog,” is full of reminders how much the world has changed. 

One of the most obvious changes involves the social mores surrounding smoking. In “Shadows In The Fog” the characters rarely have five minutes of conversation before they start lighting up. 

My main female character, Amelia, even tries to light a cigarette while she’s on a wind swept water taxi going out to Alcatraz. I’ve been out on San Francisco Bay on a boat to Alcatraz. You can hardly stand up straight because of the wind, let alone light a cigarette. 

Sam Slater’s cigarette case actually saves his life during a shooting in “Shadows In The Fog.” He quips to Amelia, “who says cigarettes are bad for your health.” When I began my career in the corporate world in the 1970s,  I remember conference rooms being smoke filled with ash tray spilling over with cigarette butts and ashes.  

I remember the smoking sections on airplanes. I remember being in the last row of the non smoking section which was pretty much the same as sitting in the smoking section. 

Flight attendants still warn you on airplane flights to not smoke in the  bathrooms. That warning is about 35 years old now.

Today smokers must huddle around the doorways of office buildings to grab a cigarette outside. There are enclosed rooms at airports for smokers. That's fine with me but it has been a monumental change.  

In today’s business world it would be considered appalling if in the middle of an office, someone lit up a cigarette. 

In the 1950s, smoking was even more pronounced. My grandparents were both chain smokers and I remember as a child or a teenager, that you could actually see smoke rolling out the door when you entered their house. I was exposed to massive amounts of second hand smoke for years. 

My grandparents are long gone but when I picture them in my mind’s eye, they are holding a cigarette.  

In my mystery novels set in the 1950s, everyone smokes and pretty much non stop.  They are constantly lighting up--even baseball players like Sam Slater. Sophisticated, glamorous San Franciscans of the 1950s, like Sam Slater and Amelia Ryan nearly always had a cigarette in their hands. Watch movies from the 1950s or 1960s to witness how it was just part the persona of the attractive, urbane persona. Watch an old “Tonight Show” when Johnny Carson smokes one cigarette after another with guests like Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin. 

In “Shadows In The Fog” the first thing everyone does when they are in a stressful situation is to light up a cigarette. When Amelia escapes after being kidnapped by gangsters, she immediately reaches for a cigarette to light up as they recover from the trauma. 

I’ve watched vintage cigarette commercials which played on television in the 1950s. They are funny but somewhat disturbing when you look back on them with our knowledge about the impact on health from cigarettes. 

Brands like Kool and Newport touted the soothing effect on a raw throat from their filtered cigarettes. There is a famous ad for Camel’s cigarettes which includes the tag line “According to a recent Nationwide survey: More Doctors Smoke Camels Than Any Other Cigarette.”  

When Sam and Amelia visit Dr. John O’Dell in an earlier book in the mystery series, “San Francisco Secrets”, the first thing the medical doctor offers the couple is a cigarette.  At their first meeting, Sam asks the doctor if cigarettes are bad for your health. 

Dr. O’Dell advises Sam “there are benefits of smoking as long as you don’t overdo it. I think smoking filtered cigarettes like these Winstons helps,” the doctor says. “It cuts down on the irritation to the throat.  Smoking actually releases a couple of chemicals in the brain, which relieves tension and helps you experience pleasure.”

The doctor also tells Sam that smoking can aid in weight loss and releases chemicals in the brain which are similar to the sensation that you experience when you kiss a pretty woman.

The doctor’s advice is the common thinking of the times and the narrative from the tobacco companies.  Dr. O’Dell tries to convince Sam that smoking a cigarette is almost as pleasurable as kissing Amelia. Sam’s not buying that argument. 

Ah, the 1950s, when you could eat a steak dinner, light up an after dinner cigarette and not feel a bit guilty. Ignorance is bliss I guess. 

About the author:

Greg Messel has spent most of his adult life interested in writing, including a career in the newspaper business. He won a Wyoming Press Association Award as a columnist and has contributed articles to various magazines. Greg retired from the corporate world and now lives in South Jordan, Utah with his wife of over 40 years, Carol Madsen Messel. They have three adult children who are married and have 11 grandchildren.

Greg has written eight novels. His latest is "Shadows In The Fog" which is the fifth in a series of mysteries set in 1959 San Francisco. "Fog City Strangler," "San Francisco Secrets," "Deadly Plunge" are sequels to the first book in the series "Last of the Seals." His other three novels are "Sunbreaks," "Expiation" and "The Illusion of Certainty."

Greg is currently working on his ninth novel--the sixth in the mystery series--"Cable Car Mystery"--which will be published in late 2015.

For More Information

• Visit Greg Messel’s website.
• Connect with Greg on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Greg at Goodreads.
• More books by Greg Messel.
• Contact Greg
• Shadows in the Fog is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
• Watch the trailer at YouTube.

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Motherless by Erin Healy

by:  Erin Healy
published by:  Thomas Nelson Press
publish date:  November 11, 2014

On a rainy night seventeen years after his wife's presumed suicide, Garrett Becker sees her walking down the street. A car accident snatches him away from this world before he can reach her.

Marina has spent her whole life mothering her brother, who suffers from an anxiety disorder. After their father's accident, they face losing their home--the only place Dylan's fears are held at bay.

Crushing debt is just one of their father's secrets. Old keepsakes lead Dylan to believe their mother is alive and lives nearby. Sara Rochester is a successful chocolatier who doesn't dwell on her past and never expected the resurrection of its ghosts. But after Dylan confronts her, Sara consents to parent the only way she knows how: with money, chocolate, and a gross deficit of experience.

Marina and Dylan are very small when their mother is presumed to commit suicide.   She was suffering from bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis.  Her car was found abandoned on near a very dangerous area of the beach.  To the police and family it's an open and shut case.  Then, her husband sees her walking down the street one day and drives his car straight into construction pit and leaves his children with a world of questions.  Dylan believes that local chocolatier is Sara Rochester is his mother, but Marina is suspicious of her from the beginning.  If Sara isn't her mother, why does she know every detail of their lives?

This book had some really great twists and turns.  Even the narrator isn't who you think it is, which was a pretty clever trick.  The characters were are well written.  I particularly liked Dylan and thought his anxieties were explained in a careful, thoughtful manner.  I would recommend this book to the mystery readers and anyone looking for a good whodunit.

  

Rowdy by Jay Crownover

Author: Jay Crownover
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication:

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

You guys all know I am a big fan of this series filled with troubled bad boys and smart sassy women. Rowdy is the 5th book in the Marked Men series.  After reading this one, I think that Rowdy is my new favorite.  The best part about this book is that it is a friends to lovers story.  One of my favorite types.   Rowdy and Salem were best friends until she left town to get out from under her parents' strict rules.  Rowdy was convinced that her sister was the only love for him.  When Salem comes back into his life, he starts to question his philosophies on love.

I definitely liked these two together.  They have a deep respect and friendship that carried well over into their romance.  I was really rooting for Rowdy to figure out that Salem was the one he has loved since childhood, not her sister.  Of course they both have their insecurities.  Rowdy is afraid Salem will leave because she has never stayed in one place. Salem is insecure about whether or not Rowdy is still hung up on her sister.  At times, I just wanted to shake these two because they were so right for each other!

There are changes coming for the group.  I won't say what, so you'll have to read to find out the details.  Asa's story is next.  I am very excited to read that one.  A cop and a reformed hoodlum,..what could be better?

The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue

by:  Keith Donohue
published by:  Picador
publish date:  October 7, 2014

Ever since he nearly drowned in the ocean three years earlier, ten-year-old Jack Peter Keenan has been deathly afraid to venture outdoors. Refusing to leave his home in a small coastal town in Maine, Jack Peter spends his time drawing monsters. When those drawings take on a life of their own, no one is safe from the terror they inspire. His mother, Holly, begins to hear strange sounds in the night coming from the ocean, and she seeks answers from the local Catholic priest and his Japanese housekeeper, who fill her head with stories of shipwrecks and ghosts. His father, Tim, wanders the beach, frantically searching for a strange apparition running wild in the dunes. And the boy’s only friend, Nick, becomes helplessly entangled in the eerie power of the drawings. While those around Jack Peter are haunted by what they think they see, only he knows the truth behind the frightful occurrences as the outside world encroaches upon them all.

This book was CREEPY!!  Hands down one of the scariest books I've read in a long time.  My husband and I were taking a walk at night and I was telling him about this book and I got myself so freaked out I had to go back inside.

Jack is ten years old.  He's "on the spectrum".  However, he had been functioning normally until he nearly drowned with his best friend when he was seven years old.  After that day he rarely leaves the house.  He stays inside all day drawing.  What only he knows is that his drawings come to life.  He starts drawing terrible monsters.  Monsters that torments his parents and his best friend Nick.

This was a really awesome book.  I would definitely recommend it to the horror fans and the psychological thriller fans.  The one thing I didn't really get about this book was the Japanese housekeeper.  Did she have the same ability as Jack?  Or did she just understand it?  I was a little confused about that.  Anway...the end of this book was O.M.G.  Just go read this book!

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

by:  Kendall Kulper
published by:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
publish date:  September 23, 2014

Avery Roe wants only to claim her birthright as the witch of Prince Island and to make the charms that have kept the island's sailors safe at sea for generations, but instead she is held prisoner by her mother in a magic-free life of proper manners and respectability. Avery thinks escape is just a matter of time, but when she has a harrowing nightmare, she can see what it means: She will be killed. She will be murdered. And she's never been wrong before.

Desperate to change her future, Avery finds a surprising ally in Tane—a tattooed harpoon boy with magic of his own, who moves her in ways she never expected. But as time runs out to unlock her magic and save herself, Avery discovers that becoming a witch requires unimaginable sacrifice.

I found it odd that this book was classified as a YA book.  It didn't have a YA feel.  I think it's one of those books that would have fit neatly into the New Adult category if New Adult hasn't quickly become another term for dark and dirty romance.  However, that's a topic for another day.  Thinking back on it, I'm not really sure it would have been a good fit in adult literature either, because it didn't have the maturity adult readers would have expected.  So it was too mature for YA, but not mature enough for Adult, in my opinion anyway.

All that said, it was a really good story.  For generations the Roe Witches have been keeping the people of Prince Island safe and prosperous.  Until Avery's mother attempts to run away and break the hold that the island has on the Roe women.  She takes Avery away from her grandmother, the current Roe Witch, to be raised away from magic.  When the Roe Witch dies, there will be no one to take her place.  However, when she does die, all the magic holding Price Island together ends and the island becomes a dangerous place to be.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves historical fiction for one.  I liked that aspect of the story.  The witches keeping the whaling ships safe.  Readers the like witches and magic will also like this one.  I think readers of Kathleen Kent or Katherine Howe would really like this book.