Still Crazy

In this blog post, I reviewed Judy Prescott Marshall's Still Crazy. This novel tells the tale of Julie Holiday's journey from self-love, forgiveness, betrayal, and healing hearts. It all started when Julie discovered a mysterious note that's been addressed to her husband of 30 years, Dan.  That's when she suspected and believes he might be cheating on her again. It wasn't the first time, but it might not be the last time. Though everyone who knew him said she was crazy and wrong about Dan, but she had heard it all before. So she ought out to discover if she was right with help from her business partner and friend Lynnae, a single mother of two young boys. Until she had proof, she confronted him and denied him about it. She had enough and decided to give Dan his freedom when she sold her bakery and departed New York to go to Port Judith, Rhode Island. In the second half, she had gotten a fresh start by developing an inn and making her own from an old farmhouse. During the past year, she watched it unfold until it was up and ready for business with staff who she considered family and a new set of friends. Over the past year, she ran the operations and became a success until a suave man named Chad Claremont was besotted with her as a residential guest. But it became a bit too complicated to her since she couldn't let herself fall in love with him since she still had hard feelings for Dan and never stopped loving him.  The moment of truth came for her when Dan sought her out in Rhode Island and confessed his sins and how he wanted her back in her life even if it was at the inn in New York. It was up to Julie to forgive him and let him back in her heart or move on without him. 

This was an exceptional and heartfelt written woman's fiction novel that deals with infidelity and betrayal, forgiveness and second chances. I really cared for Julie and didn't blame her for seeking a fresh start to heal and to become stronger than before. Dan should've learned his lesson the first couple times when he strayed from her. I really liked the New York and Port Judith dual locations for the novel--both visually fantastic and picturesque scenic settings to take you there, especially of the inn in general. The themes of the story is forgiveness and being strong to seek God's guidance when you need it the most.

If you love heart-moving woman's fiction novels that deals with affairs of the heart with non-stop action, plenty of suspense and heartfelt drama, Still Crazy is the book for you.

Between Two Thieves

 In Sloane Steele's Between Two Thieves, the 2nd installment in the Counterfeit Capers romantic suspense series, this latest novel will keep you on your toes and leave you in suspense. For Nikki Russo, she's a well-known art thief that works for a company that's reminiscent of the Leverage TV series, that steals for a common purpose. She knows a trick or two about stealing since her father Dodger taught her how to do it at a young age. It's all how she met and fell in love with Wade Palmer, her father's protégé, a decade ago. They were both after one particular painting, the Devereaux, at the Carlisle Museum. Little did they know they met each other at the same party pulling a con and crossed each other's paths. But they worked together for one common interest that brought them together in the first place: her father who was in deep trouble. Wade had gone straight and worked for a security consultancy firm who wanted to break free from Dodger like Nikki did. She was the one who got away so many years ago and never stopped loving her. Though they worked both sides of the fence, his dog Flynn became his best friend--it's something that Nikki never liked and feared.  They team up to pull the switch and the ultimate con to exact revenge and to get something they both want and desired--another chance to be together in the end. 

Fans of "Ocean's Eight and Eleven" (both versions) and "Leverage "would love this heist-centric themed second-chance romantic suspense novel. I cared for Nikki on how she's her own individual person and worked for a team that became like a second family. I loved how she's creative and thoughtful of stealing artwork by pulling off those masterful cons. I also cared for Wade who changed his lifestyle and did it for a greater good. He wanted to protect Nikki because he cared so much for her.  I loved the location and the scenic settings from the apartment to Wade's firm and beyond. The theme of the story is trust your gut and people can change if given a chance.

 If you love high-stakes romantic suspense with tons of heart-stopping high-octane suspense, plenty of romantic drama, lots of intrigue and thrilling chills, Between Two Thieves is perfect for you.

Into the Sound

In this blog post, I reviewed Cara Reinard's Into the Sound.  this thrilling new thriller will leave you breathless and speechless by the time you finished reading. It all started for Holly Boswell, a housewife and doting mother of two sons, and a former journalist, when she received a call from her older sister Vivian in the midst of the storm. She dropped everything and rushed to find her missing at the marina when she was too late and called the cops to help search for her. But what can she do other than to confront her brother-in-law Clayton, a sleazy lawyer who helps the bad guys in court, as a prime suspect. But his house of cards is about to come crashing down at him like a domino effect when his hidden secrets came pouring out into the public. While the press focused their attention out on him, Holly looked for clues to discover more about her sister's disappearance and reflected to their emotional abusive childhood with their mother who played manipulative mind games with them for her studies, it might her take a look at her marriage with Mark and how he controlled her all the time. The closer the truth she would be to finding out if  Vivian was dead or alive, the more she learned about more secrets from her youth to shed a dark light into their relationship with a startling ending you would never believe.

This was a fantastic mind-blown psychological thriller that would knock your socks off.  I did feel sorry for Holly and Vivian who were dealt with a rough childhood and turbulent marriages with their husbands. They both needed a fresh start and a clean break from them. Their mother and Clay both gave me the creeps. My heart went out to both Vivian and Holly since I cared for them both. I loved the picturesque location of Long Island and the scenic location in Sayville, New York. The theme of the story is dark in nature and not to keep secrets that would keep back to haunt you later.

If you love heart-pounding, spine-tingling dark thrillers that would give you goosebumps with non-stop action, plenty of twisted action and suspense, and chills all over, pre-order Into the Sound now!

Pint of No Return

(Due to unforeseen circumstances last month, I didn't get a chance to post this, though I finished it on 9/16/21. Sorry so late in the posting.)

In this blog post, I reviewed Dana Mentick's Pint of No Return, the first installment in the Ice Cream Shop Culinary cozy mystery series. This would hook you from the first compelling page to the last page in a sitting or two. It all started for Trinidad Jones, when she moved into Upper Sprocket, Oregon, a cozy little town to get away from her slimeball of a husband in more ways than one. She had plans on turning a former pet shop into her own ice cream parlor in the town to start her own small business. But things aren't what they cracked up to be when she ran into one of her ex's ex-wives Juliette in town and friended her. Then she met her business neighbor Kevin and later discovered his dead body when Juliette is the prime suspect. Along the way, she met some new people like Quinn and Doug who became her new friends and helped her clear Juliette's name to discover who the real culprit. Lo and behold, she ran into some obstacles on figuring out whodunit, until things came to a head when her shop and her life was endangered when the least unexpected suspect who killed Kevin was revealed in the end.

This was a charming introduction to this new culinary cozy series.  I loved the idea of having an ice cream shop open up in a small town--Upper Sprocket is an unusual and interesting name.  I cared for Trinidad and her Hispanic culture about being her independent self in Oregon when her family wants her back home in Miami. I do think Quinn is sweet on Trinidad and people would love her ice cream and shakes in her parlor. I liked the small town community of Upper Sprocket and what it had to offer for the location and the scenic settings. The theme of the story is don't be too jealous and getting greedy over one thing.

If you like small town culinary cozies with delicious recipes and heart-stopping action, non-stop drama, plenty of delicious intrigue, and topped with elevated suspense, Pint of No Return is for you.