Allison Brennan's COMPULSION is a must read!

COMPULSION
Allison Brennan
Minotaur Books
ISBN-13: 978-1250035028
April 2015
Mystery

Maxine Revere is a well-known New York City investigative reporter with her own television show, “Maximum Exposure”. She's just won an interview with Adam Bachman, the prime suspect in the suffocation deaths of five people. It is also theorized he could be the killer of two more missing persons, the Palazzolo’s, a couple from Ohio. Max had already interviewed Adam’s former neighbors, his professors, college roommates and his childhood best friend. She wanted the “true” Adam Bachman for her audience, plus she had a hunch this case could be the subject of her next crime novel.

The interview only serves to confirm Max’s suspicion; that there is another killer who was helping Bachman. Now she is driven to find the missing two bodies and killer. Max calls in a favor from Sally O’Hara, a cop in Queens, who is in charge of the Palazzolo’s missing person case. Before she realizes it, she finds herself questioning people who have the ability not to just cause trouble for Max; but who have the capacity to kill her. Driven to find the crucial piece of evidence to solve the case, she will find out her own life parallels that of the violent killer.

Be prepared for another bestseller by Ms. Brennan! Suspense-filled and injected with the right amount of unexpected twists, you will not be disappointed!

Reviewed by Charlene McConnell

Rating: 4

New from Eloisa James

FOUR NIGHTS WITH THE DUKE
Desperate Duchesses Book 8
Eloisa James
Avon
ISBN# 978-0-06222391-3
April 2015
Historical Romance

Emilia "Mia" Carrington has been in love with Evander "Vander" Brody forever. As a young girl of fifteen, she had watched him from afar and was so smitten that she wrote a poem about him. Horrifyingly, her poem was found and given to him and read out loud for all his friends to laugh and ridicule. Enraged, she charged at him, telling him that she would never marry him even if he were the last man on earth (as well as any of his friends).

Years later though, she is desperate. She is now in charge of her young, crippled nephew and must marry a man of substance in order to retain him and the estate. With her uncle in control, the boy would suffer. Vander may not be her first choice (her first choice abandoned her on her wedding day never to be seen again), but he would do long enough in order to get guardianship and control. So she blackmails him into marrying her.

Vander remembers the young poet from years before and no amount of talk will make her see reason. She wants to marry him, so he will grant her only four nights a year with him. Once the dust settles, they both begin to realize their attraction goes far beneath the superficial. However, a devious man has other plans and a person from the past resurfaces to threaten any chance they may have at a future together.

This is one delicious and steamy read! I love Eloisa James' characters because they never are quite what they appear on the surface. Vander assumes she is only blackmailing him because she's still in love with him, but Mia is desperate and writes in stipulations which Vander doesn't even read. His surprise is comical but I loved how he deals with trying to win over his wife. This book can be read stand alone, but it would be better to have read THREE WEEKS WITH LADY X at the least.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones
Rating: 4

Katharine Ashe's latest is a great ending to this series

I LOVED A ROGUE
The Prince Catchers Book 3
Katharine Ashe
Avon
ISBN# 978-0-06-222985-4
March 2015
Historical Romance

I LOVED A ROGUE is a continuing story about three sisters who washed ashore after a shipwreck and their journey to find out who are their real parents.

When a gypsy fortune teller tells them that one of them must marry a prince before they can find out who they are, they each set about to trying to determine their heritage. They were adopted by Martin Caulfield and he raised them as his own. He also took in a young boy, Taliesin Wolfe, and gave him the education and opportunities he would of his son. The girls and Taliesin grew up together and the oldest daughter, Eleanor, and he became very close, he sort of a protector. He was always teasing and tormenting her and she felt a little jealous of him, but also there was more than just friendship happening between them. Then, he just left and she never forgot him, nor he her. When he returns, she knows that she shouldn't trust her heart again. Taliesin had his reasons for why he left home, but he's never gotten over Eleanor. Seeing her again, he knows he will end up doing anything for her, including helping her trace her family. Their journey of discovery ends up being more than just about their past, they also learn about themselves.

Katharine Ashe continues to show why she's a great story teller. She takes characters and makes their journey full of angst and longing, which in turn makes the reader keep turning the pages. Taliesin and Eleanor love each other, but they have a lot to overcome. I enjoyed learning the entire past of the sisters, as well as Taliesin's and how it plays into the fortune teller's reading. It's a great ending to a good series. Even though this can be read as a stand alone, it would be best to read them together to get the full effect of the final pieces to the puzzle.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones
Rating: 4

Robyn Carr's newest book is ONE WISH

ONE WISH
(Thunder Point)
Robyn Carr
Mira
ISBN:  978-0778317722
March 2015
Contemporary Romance

I have to admit that as this popular series progresses, it seems to get better and better!  This novel tells the story of Grace Dillon, the owner of a successful flower shop, a retired champion figure skater who has moved to Thunder Point to escape the brutal demands of her past famous and competitive life.  Troy Headly is a high school teacher who begins to see himself as the man who can be Grace’s “fun coach.”

Troy doesn’t realize that Grace was such a famous skater, who enjoys her guilty pleasure at a local ice rink in the early mornings.  He is getting over a failed romance himself and his relationship with Grace begins as all fun.  Troy works hard as a teacher and as a part time bartender at Cooper’s place on the shore.  He enjoys a woman’s company and his sexy, flirtatious banter is fun for Grace, who tends to mistrust men and close relationships.

Grace’s mom, a wealthy heiress who has put all her hopes and dreams on her daughter, figures prominently in the book.  Grace has to deal with the issues her mother presents at the same time her relationship with Troy is intensifying.

I really liked these characters.  It was such fun to watch them interact with characters from past books such as Scott and Peyton.  The ending is so darn satisfying and I look forward to more from this series.  Way to go Robyn Carr!


Reviewed by Jeri Neal
Rating:  4 1/2

BROKEN Lost Series, Book # 1
Cynthia Eden
Avon
ISBN # 0062349562
April 2015
Romantic Suspense

Eve Gray wakes up in a hospital and she is not sure how she got there. She knows her nightmares feel very real and she has vague disturbing images that pop up every now and then. There is no one she can trust, so she finds herself at the Last Option Search Team (L.O.S.T.) office.  L.O.S.T. has one function, to find missing people. In Eve's opinion there is no other option, she needs help. All she wants is was to learn the secrets of her past, hoping this will help her get her life back. Eve finds herself attracted to Gabe Spencer, a decorated Navy SEAL and the owner of L.O.S,T., she feels he is the one person she can trust, not only with her life, but with her heart.

 When Eve walks into Gabe's office, she shows him a newspaper article and he notices she has a very strong resemblance to the missing heiress, one of a serial killer's victims. Clearly she can't remember anything that has happened recently but Gabe is trying to determine if she in fact does have amnesia or is trying to work a scam. He decides to take on the case and gets his team to dig into Eve's life. They find more questions than answers and as the bodies pile up, the suspect list grows. Gabe vows to protect Eve but the serial killer is closer than they think.

Hide message history

BROKEN is a heart pounding, page turning, romantic suspense. The attraction between Gabe and Eve is off the charts, the sex scenes are hot, and the emotion between the characters is sweet and caring. BROKEN grabs you from the very first page, and doesn't let go until the very last page. The next installment in this series is later this month . I can't wait to find out what happens next. This is a must read.

Reviewed by Gloria Gehres
Rated  4 1/2   

The Immortal Who Loved Me
Argeneau Vampire Series, Book # 21
Lynsay Sands
Avon
ISBN # 0062316001
March 2015
Paranormal Romance

Sherry Carne is smart, beautiful and owns her own kitchenware store.  While working in her office, the door burst opens and a petite blond teenage girl named Stephanie rushes in.  Behind Stephanie four men come storming in giving Sherry the feeling that something bad is about to happen. Sherry is about to learn the hard way that vampires exist and are responsible for wrecking havoc in her store. She also finds out she's been tapped as a" life-mate' for one of the vampires that operates on the right side of the law. Apparently she and Stephanie are now in danger and wondering why this is happening. Life as she knows it is changing by the minute and she is about to become a vampire hunter.

 

Basileios Argeneau has been a warrior for more than a millennia, but for the last twenty years he has been a lawyer.  Basil had a life-mate long long ago but she died. The last thing he expected was to meet Sherry Carne and finding out she is to be a life-mate to him.  She is not what he expects, she's funny, outspoken, and definitely not shy, perfect for him.  However, something is off.  There appears to have been an immortal in her life. Convincing Sherry to let him convert her in order to keep her safe from the rogue vampires that are after her may be harder than he thought. He now has to piece together the mystery of his life-mate's past in addition to vampire hunting.

 

 

THE IMMORTAL WHO LOVED ME, came as no surprise to this reviewer, it is a hit!  Ms. Sands just keeping getting better, and better.  Sherry and Basil had me laughing and cheering them on.   Readers will be reacquainted with some old friends, which is always a plus.  The story line was funny, interesting, and it kept me so entertained, it ended before I was ready.  There are still characters like Stephanie and Justin that need their life-mates.  I also found it interesting, that Stephanie might have the match making instinct.  This is one book you don't want to miss it's an excellent addition to the Argeneau Vampire series.

 

Reviewed by  Gloria Gehres

Rated   4  1/2

 

An unlikely love story from a talented author

DIARY OF AN ACCIDENTAL WALLFLOWER
Jennifer McQuiston
Avon
ISBN# 978-0-06-233501-2
March 2015
Historical Romance

Clare Westmore has her sights set of the next Duke of Harrington and all seems going according to plan until she sprains her ankle in the park and is sidelined for weeks. It is one of these sideline moments, she spies her good friend Sophie going after Harrington and in a fit of despair, she sneaks off to the library, where she discovers her mother in a moment of indiscretion. Unfortunately, the doctor who was going to examine her ankle also sees this.

Dr. Daniel Merial is instantly attracted to and enamored with Clare. He becomes her personal doctor overseeing her healing ankle, and it is during these times he discovers how much he enjoys being with her. However, he knows she has her aspirations for the next Duke. As a lowly doctor, living on a meager income, he knows he has nothing to offer her. Try as he might, he can't stay away from her, or her siblings for that matter. As Clare and Daniel work through their attraction, Clare discovers that her friends are not who they seem and her life isn't as she thought. Soon all her plans go awry because now it is the doctor who has her heart and the future she envisioned for herself takes a drastic turn.

This delightful story between an honorable doctor who has bigger goals than tending the elderly and sick and a beautiful member of the ton who finds herself set off to the side, are two unlikely souls destined to fall in love. Their banter and easy attraction are enjoyable to read. Daniel is an upstanding man, knowing how much this attraction could spell doom for Clare and tries to behave accordingly. The secondary characters of Clare's sister Lucy and brother George are entertaining, as well as Lady Austerley, who at the end of her life, still is able to manipulate in a loving way. The mother and father of Clare also play important roles and McQuiston does an excellent job of still making their roles about Clare. A romance well worth the read.

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones
Rating: 4

APRIL 2015 BOOK REVIEWS

Hello Fellow Readers!

Spring is finally in bloom all around the country and awesome books are arriving on bookstore shelves quickly. This month we are reviewing a variety of romantic suspense, cozy mysteries, contemporary, historical and paranormal romances. As ususal we are also playing catch up and you'll find a small quantity of March 2015 reviews still being posted as well.

Feel free at any time to make comments and share opinions on the books you see reviewed here.

Until next month, Happy Reading!

Livia