BEHIND THE LIES by Robin Perini

BEHIND THE LIES

Series:  Montgomery Justice, Book 2

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake Romance

Publication Date:  April 23, 2013

Of the six Montgomery brothers, Zach has always walked on the wild side. He rocketed to fame playing a hero in a movie, but off-screen he’s living in the shadows. Zach’s dark secret: he leads a double life as a CIA operative. When a mission to stalk a terrorist goes horribly wrong, Zach’s cover is blown. He’s on the run and fighting to stay alive long enough to discover whom he can trust—and who betrayed him.

Jenna Walters thought she’d married the perfect man—until she unearthed his terrible secret. Now, desperate to escape his crosshairs, she and her son take refuge in Zach’s secret hideaway. Sparks fly between Zach and Jenna even as danger explodes around them.

From Afghanistan to Turkey to the mountains of Colorado, assassins track them and are closing in. Not only is Zach’s life at stake, but now Jenna and her son are targets in this high stakes game.

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Zach is one of six boys in the Montgomery family and he has always been labeled the wild child of the bunch, moving away from the family he became an actor. Making movies allows him to travel extensively and provides cover for his other job - that of a CIA operative. On location for his latest movie he becomes aware that his cover is blown and it's a challenge to get home in one piece. There's a hit on him and he does not know where to turn.

Jenna Walters has had enough of her abusive husband and is making plans to run away taking her son with her, unfortunately her husband returns early before she can finish her escape. Climbing over her garden wall and hiding in her neighbors pool house seems like a good idea at the time. Jenna and Zach are both on the run can they help each other or will they be a danger to each other? Both have secrets, both have people after them and they have lots of chemistry, fortunately or unfortunately they also have Jenna's son Sam with them, he's too young to understand just how much danger they are in and why which may just put them in more danger!

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment, it was full of tension and angst and although I did see a lot of the plot twists coming Robin did a fabulous job of interweaving them all connecting all the dots. I loved getting to the bottom of Zach's secrets, I really enjoyed the rest of the Montgomery's finally opening their eyes and seeing him for who he truly is. Lots f secrets came to light in this one and I'm looking forward to seeing the fallout in the next one!

IN HER SIGHTS by Robin Perini

IN HER SIGHTS

Series:  Montgomery Justice, Book 1

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake Romance

Publication Date:  November 29, 2011

SWAT Team Sniper Jasmine "Jazz" Parker can thread the eye of a needle with a bullet. As the only female sniper in the state of Colorado, Jazz is unique for more than her extraordinary marksmanship skills and cool head. Jazz Parker and her weapon defend the helpless by exacting swift and uncompromising justice. Not bad for the daughter of the town whore.

After growing up on the seedy side of town, Jazz believed when she'd changed her name and her life at fifteen, she'd buried her past. Two years ago, she even drove away the one man she believed she could love—ex-Army Ranger turned reporter Luke Montgomery—to protect her secret.

Then, in a fleeting second, the time it takes for one clean shot, one perfect hit, to save the life of the Governor's daughter, Jazz's world begins to crumble around her. Her past and her present now threaten to destroy the life she has carefully constructed for herself. Her face and name have been splashed across the front page—by none other than Luke Montgomery—and her past has reawakened with a vengeance. A vicious enemy is bent on destroying Jazz's life, forcing her to turn to the one man she can never have in order to stop a killer before she and everyone she cares about pay with their lives.

Click here to read an excerpt.

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Jazz is a female sniper on Jefferson County's SWAT team, she has worked hard to not only get the position but to prove that it was the right choice. Jazz has been running for most of her life, never letting people in - it was one of the main issues between her and her ex-boyfriend, reporter Luke Montgomery. After a successful SWAT mission Luke writes an article about Jazz, catapulting her into the spotlight. Unfortunately Jazz has never quite felt that she fits in, by keeping her distance from her team members she has caused a rift, the rift grows bigger as Luke's article brings an enemy from her past into her present. Jazz has to open up about who she is in order to save those she cares about.

I really enjoyed this one, lots of angst and tension and the characters are intriguing. Like most first in series books it was the secondary characters that kept catching my attention and I can't wait for their turn in the spotlight. The parts that stood out for me where Jazz, having cast a female in a typically male profession and having her succeed was inspirational. The Montgomery family on a whole, I enjoyed the glimpses into their lives an their interactions and Joy. I enjoyed her presence in the story.

WOLF'S DESIRE by Ambrielle Kirk

Wolf's Desire

Author:   Ambrielle Kirk

Series:  CAEDMON WOLVES, Book 4

Genre:  Paranormal romance/interracial

Available at:  Amazon | B&N | ARe

When Keira becomes a widow, she realizes that the life she once had wasn’t normal after all. After her husband is brutally murdered, she is more than just alone but vulnerable to threats and tangled in a web of greed. Her decisions lead her into a corner, and safety is jeopardized.

 Aiden, Caedmon Council member, has never failed when it comes to fulfilling the terms of his employment contract. When he is hired to protect
an heiress, he doesn’t plan on her being the only woman to bring both challenge and purpose in his life. Without hesitation, he vows to keep the grieving Keira safe—even from himself.

Keira trusts Aiden unconditionally and finds joy whenever they are together, but can love transcend a tragedy? Aiden’s urge to protect her is just as great as his desire to claim her. Once the passion is unleashed and fueled by the need to have all of her, the wolf will accept nothing less than his mate.

Keira Ellis wants justice for her husband’s murder.  She knows what she saw the night he was murdered, one man and one wolf, but no one will believe her.  When her husband’s lawyers come to her to tell her that his case has been closed and that his murderer has been found dead, she knows at least one murderer or beast is still at large. Deciding to investigate his case herself, she decides that hiring a bodyguard may be in her best interest.

Aiden Price thinks he has just worked his last job as a bodyguard and is looking forward to his life of retirement and being able to concentrate on pack business, but when he receives a phone call requesting his services one more time he finds it too intriguing to resist. When he arrives at the Ellis estate he wants to get right down to business and get a feel for the property and the house so he wants to be taken to meet Keira right away. Within feet of meeting her he catches her scent and realizes this job may have just taken on a complication he wasn’t expecting, Keira Ellis is his mate.

This is the first book by Ambrielle that I have read, and even though it is the 4^th in the series, it reads quite well as a standalone. It was a very enjoyable read that sucked me in from the beginning, but about half way through the editing seemed to decline a bit, not really enough to be a distraction but was very noticeable. I also feel that the story started to get a bit rushed at about the half way mark. I really enjoyed the characters and would have loved to have had just… more.

All in all I would give Wolf’s Desire 4 out of 5 stars

Angela Roquet's GRAVEYARD SHIFT

GRAVEYARD SHIFT

Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc., Book 1

Available exclusively at Amazon:  

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The Inferno has Evolved… Lana Harvey is a reaper, and a lousy one at that. She resides in Limbo City, the modern capital of the collective afterlives, where she likes to stick it to the man (the legendary Grim Reaper himself) by harvesting the bare minimum of souls required of her. She’d much rather be hanging out with Gabriel, her favorite archangel, at Purgatory Lounge. But when a shocking promotion falls in her lap, Lana learns something that could unravel the very fabric of Eternity. If the job isn’t completed, there could be some real hell to pay.

Lana Harvey is a Grim Reaper, as far as Grim Reapers go she is an 8th generation and relatively young. Lana isn't your typical by the book Reaper like her friend Josie, instead she likes to find the loopholes and exploit them a little. She's not afraid to twist the rules slightly to get a better outcome. When she receives an unexpected promotion from her boss, Grim, she is pulled deeper into the politics involved in reaping and thus a story of intrigue, deception and mystery is born. Just who is behind everything and who can she trust? The lines are becoming blurry and not everyone is as it seems at first glance...

 

When you hear the words Grim Reaper you usually have a very definite picture in mind, stereotypical yes, but true nonetheless. Lana on the other hand is a very different type of reaper and I am glad of that! Angela has created an interesting world for her reapers to live in, there are so many good points about this book. I loved the different myth's and mythologies incorporated into the book, the many different 'heavens' or final resting places based on the soul's belief's. The hell hounds were a bright spot too. I did find it a little slow in the beginning but I definitely think it was worth sticking with, it really picked up towards the end and I am looking forward to seeing what trouble Lana can get into next!

 

HIDDEN by Kendra Elliot

HIDDEN: 

A BONE SECRETS NOVEL  - Book 1

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake Romance

Publication Date:  July 17, 2012

Eleven years ago, the Co-ed Slayer murdered nine female students on the Oregon State University campus. Lacey Campbell barely escaped his attack, but lost her best friend whose remains were never found. As the sole surviving victim, Lacey helped send the sadistic serial killer to prison for life.

Now a forensic odontologist examining teeth and bones for the state Medical Examiner, Lacey is devastated when she arrives at a crime scene and identifies the skeletal remains as her college friend’s.

The remains are discovered on the land of ex-cop Jack Harper. Sparks fly between him and Lacey, even as they realize that the prosecution’s witnesses from a decade ago are now being murdered one by one. All the evidence points to the Co-ed Slayer as the culprit—only, he’s long since dead. So who’s the new killer? And is Lacey next in line to die?

Available at:  Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Hidden is the first book in Kendra Elliot's Bone Secrets series and I found it to be an enjoyable debut. 

Lacey Campbell is a forensic odontologist and when she gets called in to consult at a possible crime scene her past and present collide in a way she never thought possible. Lacey is the only known survivor of a serial rapist and murderer who, during their encounter 11yrs previous, successfully kidnapped her best friend Suzanne. Lacey was seriously injured during the scuffle but has never fully forgiven herself for not being able to save Suzanne. Clues found at the crime scene soon uncover a startling discovery - people connected to the case are turning up dead and the race to discover whether it's a copycat or the work of a previously unknown partner begins. 

Jack Harper is linked to the case in many ways, both in the past and the present. When he arives at the scene he is instantly attracted to Lacey even though he only see's her from a distance. He soon figures out how she is involved in the case and they are both determined to find out what is going on and who is behin it. Being prepared to use each other for information along the way if they need to. Jack realises he needs to get to the bottom of it as either someone is trying to set him up or he may be on the killers list of targets. Can he be objective in his journey to discover the truth or will his attraction to Lacey get in the way? Can they work together to help the police get to the bottom of what is going on? Should they even trust each other? 

It's an intense journey and Kendra kept me guessing throughout. There was a lot of misdirection and cleverly placed clues to keep you on your toes. I did get confused a little in the beginnning until I got used to Kendra's story telling style it was definitely worth sticiking with it and I can't wait for the next one! Having the lead character be a forensic odontologist was a nice twist in the beginning, I loved the depth added to the characters via the flashbacks to their pasts. Jacks story in particular was a good one.

 

 

CHILLED by Kendra Elliot

CHILLED: 

A BONE SECRETS NOVEL - Book 2

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake Romance

Publication Date:  August 14, 2012

 

As a forensic nurse on a search and rescue team, Brynn Nealey braves a dangerous blizzard to find the survivors of a plane crash in the Cascade Mountains. Joining her is Alex Kinton, a former US marshal with self-destructive tendencies. Alex lies his way onto Brynn’s team to find the man who killed his brother—and then return the favor. But once the team members reach the plane’s wreckage, they discover everyone aboard has perished…except for the man Alex is hunting. Alex will do whatever it takes to track his target through the vast, snowy wilderness.

As the temperatures drop, however, so do Alex’s defenses. His contact with the sharp, kindhearted Brynn makes his lust for vengeance difficult to reconcile with his growing feelings for a woman who risks her life to help others. What will happen to Alex’s savage instincts when he finally has the opportunity to confront his brother’s killer?

Available at:  Amazon / Barnes & Noble

 

Chilled is the second book in Kendra Elliot's Bone Secrets series and in my opinion it was even better than the first! 

Brynn Nealey is a forensic nurse who works with a team to perform dangerous search & rescue missions in the Cascade Mountains. Following the news of a plane crash the team prepares to set out to look for survivors, unfortunately the weather is against them. Alex Kinston is a former US Marsal that lies his way onto the team, he knows exactly who was on that plane and he wants to make sure that one of the passengers does not survive. The journey into the blizzard brings more dangers to light than expected, the team must face their own fears and overcome them if they hope to survive. Finding the crash site turns out to be the easy part, what they find when they get there could change all their lives forever. 

This book takes place over a few short days in freezing temperatures, more than one team member has secrets and we do not uncover them all in this trip. I hope to see some of the characters in future novels so we can get to know them a little better. Brynn was a likeable heroine, her need to help others stems from an accident in her childhood that saw her lose her best friend. Alex's backstory was the one that kept me reading, his need to find the man that did him wrong and see justice being served has influenced his life and decisions for so long, I found myself willing him to get justice so he could get the closure he needs. 

The story that followed brought lots of tension and once it got started there was lots of drama. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for Buried!

 

 

BURIED by Kendra Elliot - Double Review

BURIED: 

A BONE SECRETS NOVEL - Book 3

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Publisher:  Montlake Romance
Publication Date:  MARCH 26, 2013

Available at:  Amazon / B&N

Reporter Michael Brody is used to getting answers. The one that’s eluded him, though, for twenty long years is learning what happened to his brother Daniel the day his school bus disappeared. When the remains of the other children are discovered—and Daniel’s aren’t among them—a desperate Michael calls upon the sole survivor of the tragedy, Chris Jacobs, hoping he will finally break his silence.

Constant fear of being found by his kidnapper has driven Chris into hiding. The only lead Michael has is Chris’s sister, Jamie. Strong and impenetrable, she’s capable of burrowing deep into Michael’s heart. As they race to find Chris, Michael and Jamie somehow find each other among the decades of wreckage. But locating Chris may not be so easy. Now grown, his scars go far deeper than skin.

In Buried, the next thrilling Bone Secrets novel from bestselling author Kendra Elliot, a damaged hero digs deep into his terrifying past…and unearths a chance at love for the future.

Buried, by Kendra Elliot, is a story based on darkness, perversion, hatred as well as love, loyalty and need. Good versus evil in its most primitive form. Riveting from the first page, Ms. Elliot weaves a very detailed story of a missing school bus filled with children returning home from a trip, never to be heard from again. Twenty long miserable years later, a bunker is unearthed which holds the skeletons of the missing children. All hell breaks loose as old wounds are opened.

Michael Brody is a hard-nosed journalist, son of a senator and nephew to the governor, whose brother Daniel was one of the missing children on the bus. But his body was never found in that bunker. Neither was the body of Chris Jacobs, but in his case, his sister Jamie, has known for many years that he escaped the bunker somehow and made it home from that living hell two years later. But, at the age of eighteen, he left home and went into hiding, knowing that the Ghostman was going to find him and murder him one day. Jamie never saw him again.

Now Michael wants to find out what really happened twenty years ago, and wants to find his brother, if he is actually alive after all these years. He tries to get Jamie to help him; wants to talk to Chris but Jamie will not help. She wants her brother left alone, until she is attacked by a crazy man who wants to find her brother. Then she knows she needs Michael’s help whether she wants it or not and the two set off on a terrifying trip to uncover the truth.

An extremely involved and detailed story of love and betrayal, good versus evil and a nail biter in every sense, I happily give this book 5 stars.

This is the third book in the Bone Secrets series and it is the best so far! In the first book, Hidden, we met Michael Brody as a self-assured journalist who had a passion for finding the truth no matter what he had to do to get it. It was obvious then that he had, as yet, unexplored layers and I was hopeful we would meet him again and get to know his secrets. Well Kendra surprised me with the Michael we met in this book, faced with the hidden terrors in his own past that even now 20yrs later are still unanswered we get to understand Michael that bit better. Michael has been hiding his own pain behind a mask and in Buried we get to see that pain, we see everything he has hidden behind a front for so long. Ever since his yonger brother and his friends went missing. 20yrs with no answers, it's understandable why he has made it his life's work to help other people discover the truth, he is stopping other people from experiencing everything he has. When a mass grave is found and the bones are found to be the missing children and their teacher along wit a few others, Michael must work with Jamie, the sister of the only known survivor to get to the bottom of what went on before the past comes back and silences them all for good.

 

Kendra tackles many sensitive issues in this book and she does so with a delicate pen, I was drawn in to the story and she had a tight grasp on me right until the very end. As a parent I found this one heartbreaking at times, I needed to hug my kids when it was over. Kendra's writing style has developed with each book, the clues are more subtle, the twists aren't as telegraphed and the characters are more developed. I trully can't wait to see where she takes us next and I hope we get to see more of Chris - if anyone deserves a happy ending, it's him.

 

The Last Grave: A Witch Hunt Novel by Debbie Viguie

The Last Grave: A Witch Hunt Novel

by Debbie Viguie

Genre:  Paranormal Thriller

Publication Date: 3/5/13!

Buy from Amazon | B&N 

Samantha Ryan—homicide detective by choice, witch hunter by necessity—has left Salem for San Francisco, hoping a move will help her forget the horrors of her past. But she’s about to discover that witches tempted by the dark side are everywhere.... 

Samantha is doing whatever she can to forget her terrible childhood in a coven destroyed by its members’ greed and lust for power. Now she’s a San Francisco detective struggling to fight her own desire to turn to magic. But as she discovers, escaping who you are isn’t easy. 

Her latest case seems straightforward enough—the murder of a local historian named Winona Lightfoot. But strange clues take Samantha to the Santa Cruz Mountains, a place teeming with witches and black magic. As she works to uncover the connection between Winona and this coven, an earthquake rocks the Bay Area. That’s when Samantha has a premonition: Something is coming. Something evil.

To survive—and save everyone around her—she will have to tackle her greatest fear, and hope she isn’t the next one put into a deep, dark grave....

*ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

When I was asked to read this book I was a little wary, I usually prefer to read books in order and I haven't tried anything of Debbie's before but once I read the synopsis and realised it sounded like my kind of book I hesitantly agreed and when I sat down to dive in ALL my expectations where exceeded. In fact this series has now been promoted to autobuy and I'm going to hunt down a copy of book 1 so I can read it in order and enjoy it all over again!

Samantha Ryan has been running from her past for most of her life, a tragedy as a child has left her skittish and unable to trust herself. Her memory has huge holes in it and she's afraid to fill them in incase she doesn't like what she finds. Samantha's choice to become a Police Dtective shows her strength of character, she's unwilling to play the part of victim, instead she has chosen to be a voice for those who can no longer speak. Her sense of self has taken a beating, after her past and present collided and she has ran to the other side of the country to start afresh. Unfortunately the past isn't ready to let her go and it starts to creep into the new life she is making.

I don't want to spoil what happens for anyone but let me just say that this leg of Samantha's journey brought many surprises for me and her. If you like your urban fantasy on the darker side or you love a book with witches and magic and the unexpected then I can't recommend this one enough! I put this book down turned to my husband and said "Holy sh*t that was a good book".

BEAUTY AWAKENED by Gena Showalter

BEAUTY AWAKENED 

by 

Gena Showalter

Series:  ANGELS OF THE DARK, Book 2

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Format:  Paperback & eBook

Purchase Links:

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His name is Koldo. He is scarred, powerful, his control legendary-and he lives only for vengeance, determined to punish the angel who viciously removed his wings. But if he yields to the forces of hatred, he will be kicked from the heavens, eternally damned. 

She is his last hope. Nicola Lane was born with a defective heart, yet this fragile human shows surprising strength as demons stalk her every move, determined to end her. She is the key to Koldo's deliverance...and his downfall. Though he fights duty, destiny and his first addictive taste of desire, his toughest battle will be the one for Nicola's life-even if he has to sacrifice his own....

BEAUTY AWAKENED, the 2nd installment of Gena Showalter's Angels of the Dark series is finally here and it was so worth the wait! 

The book starts off with a young Koldo at the age of 7 years old.  This was by far the most heartbreaking chapter I have ever read.  A little boy starved for his mother's attention and love and getting nothing but hatred and abuse in return.  No matter what he did to please her, she hated him and punished him more.  We finally learn what happened to Koldo's wings and I sat here with a box of tissues balling my eyes out through this chapter.  We also find out who his father is and I just can't decide who was worse, his mother or father.  I finally decided they were both just as equally horrible.  Poor Koldo! 

Koldo is a warrior in Zacharel's Army of Disgrace, a group of warrior angels that are in danger of falling.   I loved Koldo when he was introduced in WICKED NIGHTS but now he has my heart forever.  I'm a sucker for the tortured souls and we all know Koldo went through torture when we learned his wings were removed but in this book we learn the full extent of the hell and anguish he went through. Koldo was the warrior with few words and no emotions, but he does have emotions.  He just covers them up and pretends to not care because he is scared of rejection.   Through everything that he has been through he still fights for what's right and he's a hero which he proved in WICKED NIGHTS when he made huge sacrifices to save his leader Zacharel.  When he learns to open up and discovers his feelings for Nicola he is also very possessive but in a sweet, melt your heart kind of way.

Nicola and her twin sister Laila were born premature and with underdeveloped hearts.  They have lived their lives not truly living at all due to fear of overdoing it and having a heart attack.  They both know they don't have long to live but they are too weak and scared to fight.   Nicola isn't a kick ass hero like Annabell was in WICKED NIGHTS but she is awesome in her own rights.  Nicola is the stronger sister,  always looking out for and taking care of Laila who is the weaker more afraid sister.  She's easy going but not a doormat and she's not afraid to stand up for herself and let anyone push her or her sister around.  She's kind, good hearted and funny and I really enjoyed her character.

Koldo first notices Nicola while on a mission in a hospital.  He finds Nicola leaning over a very sick, almost dead Laila.  He notices right away that they are both being poisoned by demons who are shadowing their every move and are filling them with toxins.  They feed on their fear, sadness, pain, doubt and any other negative emotions and the demons are slowly killing them both.  Koldo takes an interest in Nicola and decides he's going to teach her how to get rid of the demons and keep them away for good.  Because to have any shot at living, they need to keep the demons away for good.

A lot of the healing Koldo teaches Nicola and Laila was all about the power of positive thinking.  Some people may be put off by this but I truly believe that positive thinking does help.  If you think negative thoughts then those thoughts will start to bring you down.  We may not have demons sitting next to us feeding us negative thoughts and toxins like the sisters do, but to me negative thoughts and words are toxins.  If you think negative about yourself you start to believe it and live it.  I love how Gena incorporated this into her story.

This book is NOT full of steamy sex scenes like some of Gena's other books.  There is pretty much one full on sex scene but there is plenty of sexual tension.  Both Koldo and Nicola are virgins and Nicola needs to take things slow otherwise her heart can give out.  This book has just the right amount of sex and tension for these two characters and I think Gena told their story perfectly!  Honestly, I get tired of the hero and heroine jumping into the sack by the 100th page of most books. It takes a talented author to write a romance book with only one actual sex scene and keep it sexy but if anyone can pull it off its Gena and she totally nailed it!

We get to see a lot of Axel and Thane is this book.  While Axel acts extremely  immature, you can't help but LOL at his crazy antics and the absurd things that come out of his mouth.  Thane was on a mission to take out the demons responsible for killing someone they all cared dearly for.  AND….for all you Lords of the Underworld fan girls out there, William makes an appearance! Squee!!

Overall this book was incredible!  It was heartbreaking at moments and LOL funny the next.  It was sexy without a lot of sex and full of non-stop action.  BEAUTY AWAKENED pulled me in from the very first page and consumed me to the last. 

*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

I give BEAUTY AWAKENED 5 out of 5 skulls