That Scandalous Summer

In Meredith Duran's That Scandalous Summer, the first installment in the Rules for the Reckless historical romance series, this love story is sexy, steamy, and daringly scandalous. For Michael de Grey, the Duke of Marwick's brother, he'd watched his brother's health decline after his sister-in-law's recent death. But in his miserable state, he gave him an ultimatum. If he doesn't find a bride to provide a heir, he would shut down his hospital. So Michael set off to leave him to his own devices and make his own name for his self, no matter how penniless he might be. In Bosbrea, he's known as Michael Grey, a country doctor who discovered a drunken woman in his rose bushes. After he'd taken care of her needs, he later met her as Lady Elizabeth "Liza" Chudderly, a widow who's down on her luck and has found another way to keep her estate running. For Liza, she'd gotten her heart broken an didn't know what to expect, when she encountered Michael behind his facade as a country doctor. They form a friendship and worked well together, when they've gotten to know each other better. But both of them have secrets to hide. And after a daring kiss, things do heat up between them, when they want more. At a ball, Michael's been found out that he lied to her about everything, except for his feelings for her. He doesn't want anybody else for her but himself. But when Liza's blackmailed and his brother's doesn't hedge on what he wants from him, it's up to them to find a way to become together and find their own happy ending with a wedding.

This was a terrific and an amusing historical romance novel. I did care for Liza and how she'd found her way to follow her heart for true love. I hated to see her broken-hearted and also mesmerized about Michael. But I did have found Mather and Jane a hoot as her close companions. I did find Michael charming and a man of his true word in spite of his brother Alister's ill health. He'd found this true calling as a doctor who knows what's best for the people in his community. The scenic locations around London had fascinating settings from Bosbrea to London during that time period. This would sweep you off your feet with non-stop romantic drama, plenty of passionate intrigue, lots of action, and sparks of mystery to wrap it up with a bow.

Will you be charmed to read That Scandalous Summer in 2020?

Caught Dead in Philadelphia

In Gillian Roberts's Caught Dead in Philadelphia, the first installment in the Amanda Pepper mystery series, this debut will keep you in suspense and laughing at juicy tidbits of humor. For Amanda Pepper, she was a high school English teacher in Philadelphia, when she discovered her friend's Liza Nichols's dead body in her home. From there, she kept wondering who would've done such a thing to Liza, who had everything going right in her life.  Then she met a sweet-talking Southern police officer named Detective C.K. Mackenzie, who was assigned to the case. At first, they didn't get off well in the first hitch, when he accused Amanda of being a prime suspect. But Amanda did some sleuthing of her own and dug closer into her social life on stage as a local theater actress and also in her personal life. Who would do such a thing to her? But when someone wanted to talk to her about her murder, things turned awry when he wound up dead in his home. Now, Amanda's a bit shaken and needs Mackenzie's protection, because she believes she's next. While she continued to guess what the C. stands for in his initials, they get to know each other better as they put the pieces together and laid it out in front of them. But when she thought she had figured out with a death threat and then a scare at the local fair, she came across the one person who she didn't suspect and learned why her friend died by a senseless death in the end.

This was an interesting and amusing debut from Gillian Roberts. I did care for Amanda and how she would dealt with her friend's death. I loved the snarky bits with her phone conversations about Herman the bald parrot--it made me laugh out loud and sometimes snort. I did become amused on C.K.'s Southern charm and wondered what his initials stood for too. We might have to keep reading the other 10-plus books in the series to find out in the end. I loved the Philly locations and the gripping scenic scenes in the storyline that made it feel so picturesque. This would keep you rooted to the edge of your seat with non-stop actions, tons of humorous drama, good sparks of intrigue and lots of suspense to keep us hooked on every single page.



Will you give Caught Dead in Philadelphia a try today?

I'm Traveling Alone

In Samuel Bjork's I'm Traveling Alone, the first installment in the Holger Munch and Mia Kruger thriller series, this debut is so intense and chilling, it would leave you at the edge of the seat. It all started when someone found a little girl hanging from the tree like an angel and called the police. That started the hunt for a killer when Detective Holger Munch lead his Violent Crimes team in Sweden. For Holger, he smokes a lot and dealt with his daughter's wedding and dealing with his ex-wife Marianne. But when another little girl has been snatched, he needed his former partner, Mia Kruger, to help come back to the force to assist his team on this sinister case. For Mia, she planned to join her twin sister Sigrid in Heaven, who died from an OD many years ago. She wasted her body away, but Holger's request to help him with this case had brought her back to the living. Together, they put together the pieces to this dark sinister puzzle by decoding the clues and finding the link together. Deep in the forest, there's a religious sect that might be part of this scheme as two other missing girls turns up missing and later reported dead. But someone's tantalizing Holger and Munch and getting too close and personal, when Mia believes Holger's granddaughter Marion is the next one  on the list. It's up to them to catch the right killer in time and save Marion in time in a fight to the finish in this fast-paced thriller.

This debut was dark, creepy, and spine-tingling to sum it up. I cared for Holger and Mia as individuals and also a helluva team to work together in this most complex case. What a way to introduce this duo along with their quirks to make us care of them. I did feel for Mia who had nothing much to fight or live for, except for maybe her job as a police officer on the team. And for Holger, who cares for his family, and needs to be more devoted to his family. I don't blame him for smoking when stress gets the best for him. I loved the vast scenic settings and the compelling locations across Sweden from the forests and everywhere in between to help paint a vivid picture. This thriller has non-stop action, plenty of fast--paced suspense, tons of drama, and a wallop of mystery to keep you hooked from the start.

Will you be there to stop a catch a killer in I'm Traveling Alone today?

Scarcity

  In Randall Wood's Scarcity, the third installment in the Jack Randall thriller series, this installment deals with organ transplantation across the board. It all started when Anita Ruiz was kidnapped in Mexico City, and Tessa Lamar crashed her car in Washington D.C.--one loses her life and another gets one from Mexico--those two were among other senseless tragedies when one life was stolen for another, when it was scarce for seriously ill patients get a new organ around the world. For FBI Jack Randall, he's on the case when he learned about a secret operation that deals with drug smuggling from Mexico to the USA and a black market sting to procure hearts. And how one notorious drug carter leader is the next victim to get a new heart on the transplant list. That's when Jack and Interpol Agent Lenny Hill deals with serious matters on where these new hearts came from. For two heart surgeons, they deal with two patients whose lives were in their hands and how they kept the hearts freshly going with a POPS machine, a new device for the medical world. In a matter of life and death, this fast-pace thriller would keep you guessing right to the end on how it came to a head and a heartbeat away...

This was a very dramatic thriller that has some medical thriller elements in it to keep you at the edge of your seat. I did feel bad for Tessa Lamar and for little Anita, who were two of the young victims that had gotten sucked into this devious and heinous plot. I did care for Jack on how he uncovered the sinister mastermind behind it and how some evil cretins had gotten their just desserts. I did like the vast locations from Mexico City to the USA and Afghanistan that has some startling and also mesmerizing scenic settings through and through in this gripping thriller.  This would keep you hooked and reel you in on a wild and dangerous ride with non-stop action, plenty of suspense, a helping of medical drama, and a dose of mystery to keep you enthralled right to the end.

Will you be there to check out Scarcity for yourself?

The One For You

In Roni Loren's The One for You, the fourth installment in the Ones who Got Away contemporary romance series, this loveswept romance novel is so gut-wretching and tear-jerking from start to finish. In high school, Kincaid Breslin and Ashton Isaacs were best friends who looked out for each other, and survived a high school massacre during prom night. But while they mourned their lost friends, they've crossed the line once in a one night for passion. Now twenty years later, Kincaid is a real estate agent and made a name for herself when she brought a farmhouse with high hopes to turn it into a B&B someday if she could afford to turn it around someday. Meanwhile, she'd been unlucky in love throughout her life and loved working in the bookstore that became her home. Ashton Isaacs is  best-selling thriller writer under the name of Ashton Stone, and returns to his former stomping ground while he was dealing with writer's block. But when he ran into Kincaid, old feelings and flashbacks from the past resurfaced--and that included living and escaping an abusive home.  With the challenge of modernizing their bookstore before it's sold to a new owner, they talk about the past, on what really happened on that awful night, and harbored secrets were out in the open. And in the end, grab a box of tissues when this couple had found each other with an emotional roller coaster ending.

This was a fantastic and emotional heart-wrenching contemporary romance about second chances in love and second chances to follow your heart. I instantly cared for Kincaid on how she survived living with her mother and how she dealt with a hardship with the high school massacre and dealing with so much heartache with everything with Ash. I also liked how Ash changed his life around and took the plunge to tell Kincaid on how he'd really felt about her, no matter how hard it was for him. I liked the Lone Acre small-town Texas location with great scenic settings from the farmhouse to the bookstore and beyond. It made it feel so surreal. This would make you want to bawl your eyes out with non-stop action, plenty of profound drama, lots of romance, and a spark of intrigue.

Will you swept away to read about The One For You this month?

What Rose Forgot

In Nevada Barr's What Rose Forgot, this startling thriller focuses on dementia and a dangerous type of elder care. When Rose Dennis wakes up in a hospital, her mind's foggy in a haze, and didn't know where she was. She learns she's been put into Longwood Institute's Memory Care Unit for demented patients. When she comes to, she learns about Longwood, plans to escape, and hides out with her granddaughter Melanie. After her escape was leaked onto the news, someone's set out to kill Rose. And it's up to Rose and Mel to find out what's really going on and who wanted her dead. With her close family members suspicious, (except for Mel), she plans to find out what she knows about Longwood and a long line of elder abuse-type deaths to make extra money. As Rose sleuths around for clues, she learned more about Longwood and tormented Nurse Karen to retrieve answers and to rescue a friend from the same unit. As soon as she makes a break from it, Rose later learns who wanted her to die and why in a life-and-death situation she needs to fight to the finish in the end.

This was a great thriller from Nevada Barr that focused on a topic that's still ongoing on the news today. I did care for Rose and after she'd been through--the loss of her husband, how someone was cruel enough to do her in and sent her to an elder care home for demented patients. She's smart, caring, and a wonderful person who unearthed a scandal before her eyes. I've thought Mel was a hoot for a precocious pre-teen who's smart like a whip too. I loved the locations surrounding Longwood and even her home in Virginia with the scenic settings to encapsulate the storyline. This would make you want to hold your breath and hang on tight for a bumpy ride with non-stop suspense, plenty of action, sparks of mystery, and lots of drama all around.

Will you be there to help Rose in What Rose Forgot today?

Unspoken

In Kelly Rimmer's Unspoken, the 2nd installment in the Start Up in the City contemporary romance series, this moving love story will pull your heart strings real taut and make you cry. For Isabel Winton, she wanted to escape into her vacation home before her marriage to Paul ended in a divorce. She's the one who walked away from the marriage and asked for a divorce when Paul also chose work over her. For Paul, this vacation home belonged to his family and didn't expect to see Isabel there. Instead of kicking her out, told from their views, they talked things over about what went wrong in their marriage before they could say goodbye. They revisit memories on how they met and when they married and when things soured like spilled milk. They've gotten to know each other better and worked things out with a better understanding. Right before Isabel could say goodbye to him, it's up to Paul to put his heart on his line and give her what she wants if they want a second chance to stay together... forever.

This was a real beautiful romance about Isabel and Paul Winton's second-chance love story. I cared for both of them as individuals and as a couple. I really loved how diverse Paul was with his diagnosis of Autism. We do need to see more of them in print these days. I really love how Isabel cared for Paul and understood his flaws. I'm grateful that they could talk things over and come to a better understanding of knowing each other's needs. I loved how they decided to make things work in the end. The NYC scenic settings were picture perfect for the location throughout the story including the vacation home with the lake. This would make you want to grab a box of tissues, your heart sigh, and for you to root them on with non-stop action, hints of suspense, plenty of romance, and sparks of drama.

Will you read their story in Unspoken today?

Crewel World

In Monica Ferris's Crewel World, the first installment in the Needlecraft Mystery cozy series, this debut will entice you to pick up a needle and knit a stitch or two. When Betsy Devonshire visited her sister Margot Berglund in Excelsior, Minnesota, she learned that everybody knows everybody in a small town. But when she discovered her sister had been murdered in her own shop, Crewel World, a needlecraft store, it's up to Betsy to discover who killed her sister and why. Meanwhile, she snooped around as the new store's beneficiary owner and asked her sister's closest friends who would've such a cruel thing. From the landlord who wanted her to vacate the store, a store employee who wants the store for herself, or from someone else in her inner circle, she asked all the right questions until she came closer to the truth. While she picked up a stitch or two to learn needlecraft, she'd found out for herself that living in a small town has its advantages and disadvantages. With some help from her closest friends, they helped her solve the mystery behind Margot's death and how to run a successful store with a twist at the end.

This was a compelling new cozy mystery to read and pick up needlecraft at the same time. I did care for Betsy and Margot, when I felt sorry that Margot's life had came to a ghastly end. And that Betsy had to deal with everything on hand with her estate and her belongings. I've found her a bit satisfied to stay in Excelsior and enjoy living in a small town by running the shop. I loved how Margot's friends became Betsy's friends. I've also found Jill and Shelley a handful and good support for Betsy. I loved the scenic locations for Excelsior that painted a great picture for this small town in Minnesota for the mesmerizing settings. This cozy would keep you hooked with compelling drama, insightful suspense, a hint of mystery, and a spark of crafty non-stop action.

Will you pay a visit to Crewel World today?

Hush Hush

In Laura Lippman's Hush Hush, the 12th installment in the Tess Monaghan mystery series, this caper is so dark and creepy and could be straight from the news headlines. When Tess is hired to work the Melisandre Harris Dawes' defense, she never experienced working anyone like her before. Once acquitted for killing her youngest daughter Isadora by pleading guilty by insanity, she fled the country after she was acquitted from all charges. But when Harmony Barnes was in charge of shooting a documentary on her story, things change. Now after ten years away from them, the spotlight is back on her and her family when the documentary told the story and shone it in another light. Her ex is newly remarried with a young baby son and accidents do happen, including one that left her trainer startled and her husband dead. Now it's up to Tess unravel the real story on what happened and if Melisandre is behind it or someone else.  While Tess is dealing with this complex case, she's busy being a mother to Carla and waited to tie the knot with her lover Crow. In the end, Tess picked the pieces to solve this mystery to set things right for everyone involved before it's too late.

This was another great installment that features Tess Monaghan. I did care for her as a private investigator, a mother and later as a wife. I've found her relatable in so many levels and wondered how she would solve this puzzle. I've found Carla Scout cute and the other cast of characters charming. I did feel a bit neutral toward Melisandre. I did love the Baltimore backdrop for the scenic locations and picturesque settings that painted the background real well. This would make you shocked and awed at the same time with non-stop drama, plenty of actions, suspense, and hints of mystery on every page.

Will you be there to read her story in Hush Hush today?