Laguna Heat

In T. Jefferson Parker's mystery debut, Laguna Heat, he really brought on the heat in this stellar mystery. For Tom Shepard, he was a disgraced LAPD detective from a shooting of a young black teen, he moved to Laguna Beach. From there, he investigated a trail of fire murders, a path that lead him back to his darkest past of his mother's murder. When he finally encountered the man who destroyed his family, all best were off, when he discovered the cold truth on what lead to it and what happened beyond it. Now he had to make his peace and deal with it with a shocking ending.

This was a gripping mystery that captivated me on every single page. I cared about Jane Algernon and Tom Shephard, since they were both victims from the same murder. I felt sorrow and anguish for Tom, who learned the shocking truth on his mother's death and how he dealt with the past. I felt the same way for Jane, while we watched their blossoming relationship blossom and grow in the novel. I loved the location of Laguna Heat and Mexico for the intense and vivid scenic settings. Great non-stop action, plenty of suspense, intrigue, mystery and a hint of romance.

Will you experience the temperatures of Laguna Heat? If so, check it out today!

 

Only the Innocent

In Rachel Abbott's Only the Innocent, the first installment in the DCI Tom Douglas, she wrote us a gripping tale that's morbidly disturbing. When Laura Kennedy married Sir Hugo Fletcher, she thought he was her knight in shining armor, the man of her dreams. He was a total nightmare with a dark and twisted past. When DCI Tom Douglas investigated his death, he learned secrets of his life, before and after he married Laura for all of the wrong reasons. It ran the gamut from human trafficking to S&M bondage. While Tom dug into Laura's life, the shocking truth came out on what he'd done to her to keep silent. In the end, all's revealed with a disturbing revelation.

This was a shocking and disturbing serial thriller debut from Rachel Abbott. I cared about Laura, Imogene and Alexa. I didn't care much for Annabel and hated Hugo, who was one twisted SOB. I also cared about Tom and Becky, and didn't like Kate much and adored Lucy. I loved the Italian and English locations in this novel and a brief memorable mention of the Greek setting, too. This would make you drop your jaw in shock and awe and shake your head in disgust. Great drama, excellent non-stop action and terrific intrigue and mystery from the first page to the last.

Will you be reading Only the Innocent this weekend? Check it out!

The Perfume Garden

In Kate Lord Brown's The Perfume Garden, she told two wonderful love stories for the price of one. Set during 9/11 and the months after it, for Emma Temple, she recently lost her mother from cancer, and the love of her life, when he died from that terrorist attack. Not only that, she found out she was pregnant with his baby and that he married her former so-called friend Delilah. Due to heartbreak, she flew to Valencia, Spain, when she worked on a perfume garden to heal her broken heart and made new friends. During the 2nd world war in the 1930s, it was a story about her grandparents, Jordi and Rosa del Valle, when they made hard and fast friendships with Freya, Emma's aunt. It told the story about her mother's birth and how she landed in England, while both Charles and Freya dealt with their own loves and losses. As both stories intertwined, when Emma read her mother's letters and started a new life for her there in Spain.

This was a beautiful heart-wrenching contemporary/historical romance, which told two different love stories during the time of war and terrorism on this world. This made me cry throughout the novel, since my heart ached for Emma, Freya and Rosa--three different women who risked it all. I cared for Emma who lost Joe after she lost her mother. I thought Luca was a hot Spanish man. I didn't like Delilah one bit, since she was a tramp. I also felt heartache for Freya, who was separated from Tom during the war, and for Rosa too, who cared Lourdes aka Liberty, when she loved one brother and forced to live with a monster of her husband, who was his brother. Talk about an awkward love triangle. Vicente had gotten what he deserved. I loved the locations of Valencia, England and New York City for this heartbreaking romance novel. Great drama, excellent romance, non-stop action and tons of great historical facts to keep you hooked through this dual love stories.


Will you check out Emma's perfume garden today? If so, pick up a copy today!

Let Me Love You Again

In Anna De Stefano's Let Me Love You Again, the 2nd installment in the Echoes of the Heart contemporary romance series, we return back to Chandlerville, Georgia, for another heart-warming romance novella. For prodigal son Oliver Bowman, he returned home when his adoptive father suffered a heart attack. From there, he ran into his former flame, Selena Rosenthal, who broke his heart years ago, when she slept with his future brother-in-law Brad Douglas. For Selena, she kept the secret of her daughter Camille's paternity for seven years, and was also a recovering addict like Oliver was. She was also dealing with Parker, her soon-to-be ex-husband and their pending divorce, who didn't give a damn about them. While Oliver dealt with the past and needed to make a clean slate to make things right, he wondered about Camille being his daughter, while Selena learned about the truth about her father. In the end, they've mended fences along with their broken hearts and fall in love again.

This was a beautiful contemporary romance novella focusing on the Dixon's growing family. I cared about the Dixons as a whole with Oliver, Camille and Selena. This was so beautiful, it touched my heart and made me cry. I loved the small-knitted town of Chandlerville GA once again. This would make you fall in love and follow your heart for second chances.  Great drama, excellent romance, plenty of intrigue and non-stop action to hook you to the end.

Will you check out Let Me Love You Again to pre-order now for 4/28/15 release?

Mad about You

 In Kate Perry's Mad About You, the 9th installment in the Laurel Heights contemporary romance series, she wrote to us a very good story about two people who sought out their own soul-mate. For Julie Miller, a florist, she fell in love for Scott Wright at first sight, a son of a rich legendary family, at a fashion sight. For Scott, he would do everything to woo her and make her his own, right after his sister's wedding. But Julie only wanted to win the floral competition and beat her bitter rival, when she learned the hard way about love and going for her dreams. As for Bull Torres, a former MMA fighter, he wanted to woo Josephine Belle Williams, who worked a museum as a curator and was stubborn as well. But since he now wanted to sell smoothies, he didn't give up until she cave in.

This was a great contemporary romance with two love stories packed inside of one. I cared about Julie and Scott's romance and Bull's attempts to woo Josephine. This would pull your hearts and make root for both couples and cause your heart to soar and swoon, too. They didn't give up for their own heart's content. I loved the backdrop of Laurel Heights for a perfect location and setting in California.  Great drama, excellent suspense and intrigue, and plenty of romance every step of the way.

Will you be mad about Mad About You? If so, pick up a copy today!

Cookie Dough or Die

In Virginia Lowell's Cookie Dough or Die, the first installment in the Cookie Cutter Shop Cozy mystery series, we were introduced to a new kind of culinary cozy with a twist. Olivia Greyson owned and runs a cookie cutter shop, the Gingerbread House, with her best friend and partner, Maddie Briggs. They make cookies with various cookie cutters. But when her close friend, Charisse Chamberlain passed away, she didn't believe it was by accident or suicide. She believed it was murder. And that's when she started to investigate with Maddie, when there was a wide range of suspects, while she inherited a huge surprisingly lump sum from her in the will, which makes her a target for the killer. The closer she was to learning the truth and her family history, the more her life had ended up in close peril.

This was an intriguing new culinary cozy series. I cared about Olivia and Maddie and felt bad for poor Charisse and what she went through. The fictional town of Chatterly Heights in the Baltimore area was enchanted and interesting as well for a small functional town. This held me at the first page and made me kept reading to the end. I became curiouser and curiouser for sure on whodunit and why. Great drama, intriguing suspense and mystery with plenty of non-stop action in every page.

Will you give Cookie Dough or Die a try today? If so, check it out for yourself!

The Man on the Istanbul Train

In Maria Hudgins's The Man on the Istanbul Train, the second installment in the Lacy Glass series, she had written a gripping tale from start to finish. For archeologist Lacy Glass, it all started for her on a train ride to Istanbul in Turkey to check out a dig. From there, the mystery had unraveled with the unearthing of a new dead body, and a police imposter. With an assault on a colleague and a traitor in their midst, there's been many attempts on her life, while she dug into the real truth to discover the truth behind shady dealings and an antiquity smuggling across the border. In the final scenes, she figured out who done it and why.

This was a fantastic travel mystery in the Lacy Glass series. I cared about Lacy and Paul and became intrigued into the imposter plot. This gripped me from the first page and gave me such pleasure in the climaxing end. I loved the vast locations and scenic settings from Ankara to Istanbul Turkey. It was real vivid and crisp to see the archeological dig site in my mind. This would keep you in suspense without a letdown in the final pages. Great drama, plenty of non-stop action and suspense with intrigue and a hit of mystery to wrap things up.

Will you be wary of the Man on the Istanbul Train? If so, check it out today!

Sea of Love

In Susan Donovan's Sea of Love, the first installment of Bayberry Island, she wrote an enchanting and lovely contemporary romance novel. Rowan Flynn was the innkeeper's daughter of Safe Haven on Bayberry Island, a small island off the Cape Cod coastline. It was also famous for its legendary mermaid tale of love from her ancestry. During festival week, that's when she met Ashton "Ash" Wallace, a consultant for a company to develop land on her island. But when they met, they both had emotional baggage to deal with--for Rowan, a con artist who broke her heart and stole her family's memory. For Ash, he grieved the loss of his best friend and partner. Sparks fly between them, when he had a new plan for her island. When she found out, he would open up his heart to profess his love for her.

This was a beautiful contemporary romance series debut. I really cared about Rowan and Ashton and became mystified about the mermaid lore and romance with her magic on the island. Bayberry Island was an ideal location off the Cape Cod coastline to make the settings idyllic and lovely, but remote. This enchanted me from start to finish with the background of Rowan's life and Ashton's devotion to the environment and how he dealt with the grief. They would make beautiful music together too. Great romance, wonderful drama and intrigue and lots of mystic suspense to wrap things up.

Will you encounter the sea of love? If so, check it out today!