Fatal Identity ~ Review

Fatal Identity

By Jodie Bailey

Dana Santiago has ended up in the crosshairs of foreign criminals and she has no idea why. But when her loyalties are questions she finds herself without the backup she so desperately needs if she hopes to stay ahead of the people who are after her. 

As a Deputy US Marshal, she's used to danger helping witnesses get into WitSec but now she has to rely on the help of Alex Richardson when she is targeted at her partner's wedding. Alex or Rich to his friends knows he has to do all he can to keep Dana safe. 

But why she's been targeted makes no sense. When danger follows them they need to go to the beginning of the story - Dana's past and her buried memories. But will uncovering the truth help or will it further cast doubts on her loyalty? 

Fatal Identity is clean page-turning suspense. This book can easily be read as a weekend escape and to be a pleasant diversion from the everyday. Jodie Bailey pens characters that one can connect with and enjoy getting to know. This book can easily be read as a standalone though references in the book hint at previous books in which secondary characters were featured. Sit back and enjoy.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but offering my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own. 

About the Book:

Secrets from her family’s past thrust her into the crosshairs

At her partner’s Christmas wedding in the mountains, deputy US marshal Dana Santiago’s almost abducted—and only the quick actions of Alex “Rich” Richardson save her. Now Dana and Rich must work together to figure out why the kidnappers seem willing to go to any lengths to capture her. But to find the truth they must first dig up her family’s long-buried past…

From Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Spinster Ever After ~ Review

Spinster Ever After

Spinster Chronicles #7

By Rebecca Connolly

Charlotte Wright is decided - she is going to get married. Now she just has to find the perfect gentleman with whom to fall in love. Having watched the other Spinsters, with a capital S, fall in love and get married she's sure that she'll have no trouble once she settles on who will be her intended. Unfortunately, the men who have surrounded her the last few years just won't do, she needs to call on the Spinsters and get their take on who could be a worthy recipient of her affections. And then she can call on Michael to help her out.

When Charlotte explains her plans, Michael Sandford determines that his friendship with Charlotte is at an end. He won't watch her turn her attention to another man not when he has loved her forever. If only she hadn't refused his offer of marriage because Charlotte Wright never changes her mind, ever. But removing himself from Charlotte is harder than he thought it would be. Every acquaintance he has is also in Charlotte's circle - how is he ever going to get over her?

As Charlotte tries to find love, she is about to discover it is more than a plan put into action. And when she loses her childhood friend, she is left wondering why love has to be so complicated. 

Spinster Ever After is a wonderful addition to the Spinster Chronicles as the final spinster Spinster decides to remake herself. But can she find the love she has decided that she now wants? Or will the love she's always wanted and that was always there continue to escape her notice?  Or will she be too late to claim the love that was always there? Only time will tell in this seventh offering of the series. 

It was enjoyable seeing the rest of the Spinsters in their married states and how they are more than satisfied in their lives. It is also interesting to see how Charlotte grows as a person through this book. Charlotte throughout is still Charlotte and no one can tell her what to do, but just maybe she can be swayed by her friends.

Fans of clean Regency Romance will want to add this to their TBR list. The pacing is good keeping the reader's attention as the action progresses from both Charlotte and Michael's point-of-view. And just a suggestion, read the other Spinster Chronicles before reading this book - you need the backstories to fully appreciate this one.  

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

When a man loves a spinster...

Charlotte Wright had had enough. All of her friends have now married, leaving her the lone writer of the Spinster Chronicles who is still a true spinster. So she's decided it is time for her to join the ranks and get married, groom to be determined. She's an heiress, after all. How difficult could it be to find a husband?

Michael Sandford has been there by Charlotte's side from the very beginning, loving her all the while even when she turned down his proposal. When she tells him of her plans to marry and marry soon, he begins to make plans himself. He cannot stand by and watch her marry someone else, so he's decided to distance himself from Charlotte entirely while she hunts for a husband... one that is not him.

And Charlotte doesn't like that one bit.

Delayed Justice ~ Review

Delayed Justice

True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn

By Shirlee McCoy

All his life Detective Bradley McGregor has looked out for his little sister. But now she is getting ready to get married and leave their home behind. But since his parents' murder all those years ago he's felt the judgment of others - the blame that he could have been the one to do the deed. Years as an officer with PD have not lessened those feelings and he thinks nothing ever will. And there is no way that he is about to be interviewed by Sasha Eastman for her popular program.

But when Sasha becomes the target of a man who looks just like her mother's killer Bradley will do all he can to keep her alive. He just never expected to connect with her on a personal level. But Sasha is nothing like he expected - she's not cynical and wants to uplift with her broadcast.

But the question that has them most baffled is how a man who died more than a decade ago can be targeting Sasha. Time is a luxury they don't have to find the answers they are seeking.

If you are looking for a page-turning, clean-read suspense with a touch of sweet romance look no further. Shirlee McCoy's Delayed Justice is the ninth book in the True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn series. Even though it is part of a series you can totally read this as a standalone book as each book features different characters as the main story focus. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations other than that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

A closed case brings a new threat.

Detective Bradley McGregor and his K-9 partner, King, come to the rescue when journalist Sasha Eastman’s targeted by a shooter who looks just like her mother’s murderer. But that killer supposedly died years ago in a shootout with the police. Now it’s up to Bradley and King to protect Sasha…but how can they stop a killer who’s already dead?

THE THRILLING TRUE BLUE K-9 UNIT: BROOKLYN SERIES CONCLUSION

New York Times Bestselling Author Shirlee McCoy

From Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn

Book 1: Copycat Killer by Laura Scott

Book 2: Chasing Secrets by Heather Woodhaven

Book 3: Deadly Connection by Lenora Worth

Book 4: Explosive Situation by Terri Reed

Book 5: Tracking a Kidnapper by Valerie Hansen

Book 6: Scene of the Crime by Sharon Dunn

Book 7: Cold Case Pursuit by Dana Mentink

Book 8: Delayed Justice by Shirlee McCoy

Covert Amish Christmas ~ Blog Blitz and Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Blog Blitz & Giveaway for 

Covert Amish Christmas by Mary Alford, 

hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Covert Amish Christmas 
Author: Mary Alford
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: November 1, 2020
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Fleeing to Amish country
might be the only way to survive Christmas… 

Hiding in Amish country, former CIA agent Victoria Kauffman’s determined to find evidence to catch the corrupt agents who killed her partner. But when her Christmas refuge is discovered, the sole person she can trust is Amish widower Aaron Shetler. With ruthless—and dangerously powerful—enemies after them, Victoria must use all her training to make sure they live through the holidays.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | Christianbook

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

USA Today Bestselling Author, Mary Alford, loves giving her readers the unexpected, whether it be in a rugged mountain setting or a simple Amish community. Her titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestselling List, Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling List, and has been a finalist in the Daphne Du Maurier award of excellence in mystery, The Beverly, The Maggie, and The Selah Awards. 

Mary is published through Annie’s Publishing, Love Inspired Suspense, Forget Me Not Romances, and she is an Indie Published Author. As a writer, Mary is an avid reader. She loves to cook, can’t face the day without coffee, and her three granddaughters are the apple of her eye. She and her husband live in the heart of Texas in the middle of 70 acres with two cats and one dog. 

Mary is very active online and would love to connect with readers on Facebook and Twitter or any social platforms listed at www.maryalford.net. 

CONNECT WITH MARY: Website | Facebook | Twitter

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a Bath and Body Gift Basket for women and men. 

This 9 Piece Vanilla Coconut Home Spa Set includes Fragrant Lotions, 

Extra Large Bath Bombs, Coconut Oil, a Luxurious Bath Towel, 

and More!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. 

The full tour schedule is linked below. 

The giveaway will begin at midnight on November 5, 2020, 

and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 12, 2020. 

The winner will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway

and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of the prize. 

Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

The giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

The Conqueror ~ Review

The Conqueror

Constantine's Empire #1

By Bryan Litfin

First off, I really love the cover of this book. One sees a hero fighting for what they believe in and it fits with the description of the book. The idea behind this book is more than a little intriguing - an empire on the brink. A newish religion struggling to survive in the face of opposition. But the idea, in my opinion, was better than the book. I really tried to like this book and the beginning was more than promising but the further I got into the book the harder it was to keep reading. 

The excessive immorality and lingering on sexuality and physical attributes just turned me off. Seriously, I had to double-check just who the publisher was as this is not what I associate with Revell. I get it that the Roman Empire was morally bereft but I would have preferred fewer details about this aspect of their decadence. 

I'm sure that there are those who will not have their sensibilities taxed by these scenes. But I can't recommend this if you are looking for a clean read. I have read other books, that were in a similar time and place setting that were better if you are looking for historical fiction without the blatant, in-your-face debauchery. Unfortunately, for the book, this along with the pacing kept me from connecting in any way with the characters. 

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion.  All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

It is AD 312. Rome teeters on the brink of war. Constantine's army is on the move. On the Rhine frontier, Brandulf Rex, a pagan Germanic barbarian, joins the Roman army as a spy and special forces operative. Down in Rome, Junia Flavia, the lovely and pious daughter of a nominally Christian senator, finds herself embroiled in anti-Christian politics as she works on behalf of the church.

As armies converge and forces beyond Rex's and Flavia's controls threaten to destroy everything they have worked for, these two people from different worlds will have to work together to bring down the evil Emperor Maxentius. But his villainous plans and devious henchmen are not easily overcome. Will the barbarian warrior and the senator's daughter live to see the Empire bow the knee to Christ? Or will their part in the story of Constantine's rise meet an untimely and brutal end?

Travel back to one of the most pivotal eras in history--a time when devotion to the pagan gods was fading and the Roman Empire was being conquered by the sign of the cross.

The Key to Love ~ Review

The Key to Love

By Betsy St. Amant Haddox

Bri Duval's life is the Pastry Puff, the bakery that she has worked at for years, following in her late mother's footsteps. But now her ex-boyfriend has set his sights on the Pastry Puff and replacing it with a chain-brand coffee shop. Bri is not going to let her last connection with her mother be so heartlessly destroyed. When owners Mabel and Agnes, aka the Love Angels, create yet another match that Bri uses to promote the bakery it goes viral. And it garners the attention of Trek Magazine and finds a travel writer en route to Story, Kansas. 

Gerard Fortier is not happy about being sent to a little nothing town in the middle of nowhere but his job and the magazine's future ride on this article. Gerard is jaded, having come to the conclusion that love is nothing but a fantasy following an "almost once" moment that has sent him in the opposite direction ever since. But Story, Kansas, is different than anything he's ever experienced and Bri is about to make an impression she just may regret.

Together Bri and Gerard are about to learn that what they believe about love isn't what it truly is. Influenced by what they have observed over the years they have both come to conclusions that are about to tested as they challenge one another. But can such opposites ever agree on another other than disagreeing?

The Key to Love is a Contemporary Romance that takes the reader on a discovery - what is love? Is it a Jane Austen novel? Or is it just a series of heartbreaks and betrayals? Or is it something in between?  

  Love doesn't always look the way we expect

As Bri helps her friend Casey prepare for her upcoming wedding she is struck by just how different Casey's proposal is from her idea of romantic. Is love blind or is it settling for something less just for the sake of marriage? 

I enjoyed visiting Story, and its residents who so perfectly represent small town Mid-America in all its facets. The close-knit friendships that are more family than friendship and the petty spites that can occur. Roots are the binds that hold it all together and sometimes change though difficult is just what we need to truly appreciate what we have. Many times change, though unwelcome, is needed so that we can grow beyond what we are, what we have settled into. Change is not necessarily happy but it can help us discover what we have been missing. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so, she's created her own version of the famous Parisian love-lock wall at her bakery in Story, Kansas. She never expects it to go viral--or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He's definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for a love story like the one her parents had, and that certainly will not include the love-scorned-and-therefore-love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems Bri's bakery is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just her business but the pedestal she's kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri's recipe just needs to be tweaked.

The Sound of Falling Leaves ~ Review

The Sound of Falling Leaves

By Lisa Carter

Tessa Goforth hasn't sung since the night of the fire that changed her life and the night that took her friend and the future she had planned. She's been working on her dissertation rather than focus on her operatic pursuits when she learns that her Aunt Dicy has been injured. Going home to help with her aunt and to help with the apple harvest she hopes to escape the pain and the guilt of that night. 

Ezekiel Sloane has been Dicy's orchard manager for nearly a year and he is less than impressed with her niece who hasn't had the time to visit Dicy in a while. Zeke, as he prefers to be called, makes no bones about how he feels about Tessa's absence and his utter contempt of her. But there is more to Zeke than is first observed - his silence and taciturn nature is hiding a secret.

But Buckthorn, North Carolina, is a world unto itself, ruled by the Cozart family and at the mercy of the family's corruption. When Tessa's research into a forgotten folk singer leads her to an unexplained disappearance of a young woman she is determined to get to the truth. There is just one problem with her inquiries - they are about to bring her to the attention of the Cozart family.

The Sound of Falling Leaves takes the reader into the Blue Ridge Mountains and a world that is still well isolated from the modern world. This is a story about healing and forgiveness that is well wrapped in intrigue and suspense. It is interesting to get to know both Tessa and Zeke as they try to hide their true selves away from one another and those around them. Letting go of their pain is something neither of them is quite ready to do. 

The pacing of the story is just right and one can connect with the characters as they navigate their lives and the secrets both hold close. If you are looking for modern fiction that you out of your norm you will want to give this one a try. No reader's remorse with this one so sit back and get ready to delve into a good read.

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations - All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

After aspiring opera singer Tessa loses her voice in a fire, she needs both a place to heal and a way to keep music in her life. She retreats to her aunt's apple orchard in rural North Carolina to collect folk ballads. But amid the autumn splendor of this isolated Appalachian community, she uncovers an unnerving connection between a murder case and a long-ago disappearance. Tessa gets a glimpse into an almost-forgotten world, encounters a corrupt, small-town political dynasty, and finds superstition and prejudice at every turn.

She's also drawn to Zeke, the handsome but enigmatic orchard caretaker, who shows her that mountain justice is neither impartial nor just. But battling a conspiracy of silence, Tessa isn't sure if she can trust him. Yet somewhere in the mists of the Blue Ridge Mountains, evil lurks, and a killer is determined to keep the past where it belongs—dead and buried.