Heaven Came Down ~ Review

Heaven Came Down
The Oculus Gate #1
By Bryan Davis

Their arrival brought hope to a world in pain. But before long those who looked beyond the beautiful facade presented to the world saw something else. The heavenly visitors who came to earth were heralded by many as angels sent by God. But those who refused to worship the angels were soon destroyed.

Rebellion has arisen but they are in danger of falling to these beings who demand everything - even the human soul. The Garrisons - Ben, Jack, and Trudy - have joined the rebellion, seeking to save humanity and the world they call home from these insidious beings who are enslaving everyone.

Word has come to the last bastion of rebels that they are about to be targeted by the angels by a toxin that will kill all who are within the dispersal zone. With a desperate plan to save their people from this latest attack the Garrisons target the enemy's headquarters. But all is not as it seems and soon Ben, Trudy, Jack find themselves facing a situation they never expected - becoming hosts for their enemy.

With little time to act and even less support, the battle for humanity and the human soul has entered a critical juncture - one that once begun there is no chance of going back. Sometimes saving the world calls for the ultimate sacrifice - a sacrifice that few have the strength to carry through. But has such a time come? Only time will tell...

Heaven Came Down is the first book in The Oculus Gate series, and if this book is any indication it will be a stellar reading experience. The fate of many depends upon the actions of a few and as a reader one just can't help wondering at times who can be trusted. The book has a steady pace with periods of action that kept this reader turning the page. This is different from Bryan Davis's previous works but still written with the same quality and attention to detail that one has come to expect from him. The book ends so that the reader is left with questions but not hanging from a cliff until book 2 is released which is on the author's part an incredible kindness.

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:

Heavenly messengers, or deadly parasites?

In the chaotic aftermath of the apocalyptic war, the strange lights in the sky heralding the coming of unearthly beings seemed like an answer to prayer. When the heavenly visitors entered selected people and transformed them into angels who demanded obedience in exchange for the restoration of order, the majority accepted their new rulers.

But Ben Garrison and his siblings, Jack and Trudy, have seen a dark side to these so-called angels. They join a rebel faction with one goal: destroy the invaders and free the world from their tyranny.

When the rebels catch wind of an angel plot to invade the resistance region and spread a deadly contagion, the Garrisons embark on a crucial mission to swap the angel troops’ vaccine with a fake injection, stealing the real vaccine to save the rebels. The catch: Ben and Trudy, in disguise as doctors, must volunteer to become implanted by angels and fake their implantation.

The rebels’ plan, however, is soon exposed, jeopardizing the mission and their lives. Their only hope for rescue lies in an odd bounty hunter, a young angel priestess, and a mysterious spy embedded among the angels—a woman whose identity the rebels have yet to discover.

You can now pre-order this book in

eBook/Kindle edition at Amazon

Closer Than She Knows ~ Review

Closer Than She Knows
By Kelly Irvin

Since losing her mother as a child, Teagan O'Rourke fears the thought of losing the people closest to her. With her father, step-sister, and step-brother all police officers, it is a possibility. Opting for a safer career, Teagan works as a court reporter, but soon she finds herself and those she loves targetted by a killer.

Now she is getting an up-close look at death as the killer taunts her using her love of mysteries to communicate his intentions with each murder he commits. Can Teagan, her family, and closest friends discover the killer's identity before he kills one of her family?

Max Kennedy will do anything he can to keep Teagan safe. Max knows Teagan sees him as one of her best friends. He wants something more that involves a lifelong commitment but doesn't want to lose the friendship that they have. With a killer targeting her, he needs to work with Teagan's family to keep the killer from exacting his revenge. But Max has a secret that he fears will alter Teagan's opinion of him, a secret that he's not ready to share.

Closer Than She Knows is not a book to read before bed if you have an early morning because you won't be able to put it down. The identity of the killer is well hidden so that the reader is wondering, is this him? The taunting letters have a unique signature that only has significance to Teagan, and the contents reveal just how close the killer has gotten to her. And he is getting closer to his end goal, making Teagan and her family feel the full force of his revenge. This is the perfect read if you are looking for suspense that keeps the pages turning.

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

About the Book:

A serial killer bent on revenge . . . 

and striking too close to home. 

Teagan O'Rourke has always loved murder mysteries. In her job as a court reporter, she has written official records for dozens of real-life murders. She's slapped evidence stickers on crime scene photos. She's listened to hours of chilling testimony. But she's never known the smell of death. And she never thought she might be a victim.

Until now.

A young police officer is murdered just inches away from her, and then a man calling himself a serial killer starts leaving Teagan notes, signing each with the name of a different murderer from her favorite mystery novels.

Panicked, Teagan turns to her friend Max Kennedy. Max longs for more than friendship with Teagan, but he fears she'll never trust someone with a past like his. He wonders how much of God's "tough love" he can take before he gives up on love completely. And he wonders if he'll be able to keep Teagan alive long enough to find out.

As Teagan, Max, and Teagan's police officer father race to track down the elusive killer, they each know they could be the next victim. Desperate to save those she loves, Teagan battles fears that once haunted her in childhood. Nothing seems to stop this obsessed murderer. No matter what she does, he seems to be getting closer . . .

The Earl's Winning Wager ~ Review with Giveaway and Interview

Welcome to Day One of 

The Earl's Winning Wager 

Blog Tour

The Earl's Winning Wager

Lords for the Sisters of Sussex #2

By Jen Geigle Johnson

This is the second book in the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex and the Duke of Granbury in an underhanded manner, at least in Lord Morley's opinion, hands off his responsibilities of the Standish sisters. Gerald knows his best friend lost them and the estates and holdings on purpose in an attempt to help him find a wife. Miss Standish caught his eye before but not in any meaningful way, now he finds himself charmed by her and her sisters. 

Miss June Standish is determined to see her sisters all married and happy and she finds the attentions of Lord Morley just a bit confusing. One moment he seems to show an interest in her and in the next speaks of helping her and her sisters find suitable gentlemen to whom they might form an attachment. Having never expecting to have her own heart touched June is at a loss as to what to make of this situation. A situation in which she is not fully aware of all the particulars - like that she and her sisters were stakes in a card game. June wants her independence and the chance to decide her own future but as the poor offspring of a once noble house, her choices and options are few.

Can these two find love and happiness together or will the truth of their situations be the very thing that keeps them apart? 

This is a sweet, clean enjoyable read that won't spoil your day or your mood. Not too long it is perfect for a long Saturday afternoon or for a chapter here or there during the week. If you are a fan of gentle reads, clean fiction, and the Regency period you have found the newest book in your summer TBR list.

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


About the Book:
Lord Morley's life will change forever when he wins a game of cards and a family of sisters to go along with it.

Miss Standish in none too pleased to have become the responsibility of yet another Lord, even if he is full of charm and goodness. Her responsibilities are to her sisters first.

With the repairs on the castle moving forward nicely and concerted efforts in a season in Bath made to find suitors for them all, Miss Standish and Lord Morley must determine where duty stops and matters of the heart take over.

Read this warm tale of family, sisters, loyalty, and love to get a huge dose of the best part of a regency romance fans of Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer would enjoy.

Goodreads: https://tinyurl.com/ycqpsfly 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KJNvX0

Bookbub:  https://tinyurl.com/wvmbkaw 

Author Interview:

1) What do you most like about this era?

I love gentlemen. I love ladies who are passionate and work within the constraints society has given. I love pretty dresses.

2) What one author past or present would you like to mentor you?

I’d love to talk to Jane Austen. How did she capture so many in such a way that people are imitating her style for so many years later?

3) What one book would you recommend that everyone read?

Everyone should read …. One book? One single book? Read your scriptures. Read God’s Word. Then, cheat and read another book too, read a book that captures you so completely you feel like you are living in that world, with characters that are as real as your neighbors, more so, and that when you put it down, you are better for having experienced the story.

4) Do you have a favorite author that you would recommend?

I love Heather B. Moore and Rebecca Connolly. I love to read the authors in the Regency House Party Series. They each have their own style and their stories really pull me in. 

5) What one question do you wish you would be asked and how would you answer it?

My main hope when I write stories is that the readers will leave feeling better than they did when they started. My love for the person reading the words is far greater than any story I write. 

About the Author

An award-winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, Jen Geigle Johnson discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager. 

She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her fin. She knows all about the sound a water-ski makes on glassy water and how to fall down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in college, she sat on top of a jeep's roll bars up in the mountains and fell in love. 

Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17273762.Jen_Geigle_Johnson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenGeigleJohnson/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlyjen/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jen-geigle-johnson

Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/w4d9d8

Website: https://jengeiglejohnson.com 

Giveaway

*******************

Enter the giveaway here.

Giveaway ends June 14 at 11:59 pm Mountain Time.

Giveaway subject to policies here.

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Tour Schedule

Follow along with the tour schedule here.

The F.I.G. Mysteries ~ Series Spotlight

Series Details:

Book Title:  The F.I.G. Mysteries by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17)
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release dates:   The Cadence of Gypsies (2011); The Wish Rider (2016); The Clock Flower (2018); The Nightjar's Promise (2020)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

Buy the Series:
Amazon
B&N, Books-A-Million, and local bookstores everywhere
Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title: The Cadence of Gypsies (The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 200 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   The Cadence of Gypsies (2011)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:
Three high-spirited 17 year-olds, with intelligent quotients in the genius range, accompany their teacher and mentor, Carolina Lovel, to Frascati, Italy, a few weeks before they are to graduate from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. Carolina's purpose in planning the trip is to remove her gifted, creative students from the Wood Rose campus located in Raleigh, North Carolina, so they can't cause any more problems ("expressions of creativity") for the headmaster, faculty, and other students – which they do with regularity. Carolina also wants to visit the Villa Mondragone where the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world was first discovered and search how it is related to a paper written in the same script she received on her 18th birthday when she was told that she was adopted – a search that will fill in all of the missing pieces of her past and help each of her students to discover something meaningful within themselves.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
B&N, Books-A-Million, and local bookstores everywhere
Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title: The Wish Rider (The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 220 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   The Wish Rider (2016)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Dara Roux and her two best friends, Mackenzie Yarborough and Jennifer Torres, the three collectively referred to as the FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) because each has an intelligence quotient in the genius range, have just returned from Frascati, Italy. It was there that their much-loved teacher and mentor, Carolina Lovel discovered that her birth parents were gypsies and that she had a connection to the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world. Now, with graduation from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women behind them, Dara asks Mackenzie, Jennifer, and Carolina to help her locate her birth mother when she learns that she might be living in New York City. All the young women have to work with are five addresses, and when Mackenzie prepares a grid showing the location of all five addresses, four of the locations form a square with the fifth in the middle—which is also Grand Central Terminal. Relying on Dara’s gift for speaking and understanding foreign languages, the black and white images that stir musical cadences in Jennifer’s mind, and Mackenzie’s mathematical calculations that normally provide numerical solutions and answers to life’s most difficult questions but now keep showing the number “61”, the determined young women tirelessly go from one address to another in search of Dara’s mother. Their determination turns to desperation, however, and they ignore caution and the dissonant chords Jennifer frantically scribbles on her eight-stave musical paper as they pursue one final address—the one located in the middle of Mackenzie’s grid. Encountering a dark hidden society and sub culture more dangerous and terrifying than they could have imagined, it is there that Dara learns why she was abandoned as a seven-year-old in a candy store all those years ago.

Buy the Book:
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Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title: The Clock Flower (The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 180 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   The Clock Flower (2018)
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:

The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—as they are called, have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents. This means they will be separated from each other and from Carolina, their much-loved mentor and teacher who is “one of them,” for the first time in their young lives. They vow to try living apart for one semester, in the so-called real world that doesn’t include the orphanage; but if things don’t work out, they will come up with another plan—a plan where they can be together once again. Dara is invited through Yale University to take part in an exciting archeological project in China. Jennifer, once again visualizing black and white images and the unusual sounds of another cadence that seem to be connected to Mackenzie, is engrossed in creating her next symphony at Juilliard. Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by a US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
B&N, Books-A-Million, and local bookstores everywhere
Add to Goodreads

  

Book Details:

Book Title:  The Nightjar's Promise (Book 4 of The F.I.G. Mysteries) by Barbara Casey
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  130 pages
Genre:  Mystery, Fantasy
Publisher:  Gauthier Publications (Hungry Goat Press)
Release date:   April, 2020
Content Rating:  PG. There are some themes that deal with the Jewish Holocaust and some frightening scenes appropriate for young adult and adult readers.

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Book Description:

Jennifer Torres, one of the three FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) who is a genius in both music and art, is the last to leave the closed rehearsal for her upcoming performance over Thanksgiving break at Carnegie Hall when she hears something in the darkened Hall. Recognizing the tilt of the woman’s head and the slight limp of the man as they hurry out an exit door, she realizes it is her parents who were supposedly killed in a terrible car accident when she was 15 years old. Devastated and feeling betrayed, she sends a text to Carolina and the other two FIGs—THURGOOD. It is the code word they all agreed to use if ever one of them got into trouble or something happened that was too difficult to handle. They would all meet back at Carolina’s bungalow at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women to figure it out.

As soon as they receive the text, because of their genius, Dara starts thinking of words in ancient Hebrew, German, and Yiddish, while Mackenzie’s visions of unique math formulae keep bringing up the date October 11, 1943. That is the date during World War II when the Nazis—the Kunstschutz—looted the paintings of targeted wealthy Jewish families and hid them away under Hitler’s orders. And as Carolina waits for the FIGs to return to Wood Rose, she hears warnings from Lyuba, her gypsy mother, to watch for the nightjar, the ancient name for the whip-poor-will.

As they search for “The Nightjar’s Promise” and the truth surrounding it, Carolina and the FIGs come face to face with evil that threatens to destroy not only their genius, but their very lives.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com
Add to Goodreads
Coming Soon to Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Bookstores Everywhere! 

 

Meet the Author:

Originally from Carrollton, Illinois, author/agent/publisher Barbara Casey attended the University of North Carolina, N.C. State University, and N.C. Wesleyan College where she received a BA degree, summa cum laude, with a double major in English and history. In 1978 she left her position as Director of Public Relations and Vice President of Development at North Carolina Wesleyan College to write full time and develop her own manuscript evaluation and editorial service. In 1995 she established the Barbara Casey Agency and since that time has represented authors from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2014, she became a partner with Strategic Media Books, an independent nonfiction publisher of true crime, where she oversees acquisitions, day-to-day operations, and book production.

Ms. Casey has written over a dozen award-winning books of fiction and nonfiction for both young adults and adults. The awards include the National Association of University Women Literary Award, the Sir Walter Raleigh Literary Award, the Independent Publisher Book Award, the Dana Award for Outstanding Novel, the IP Best Book for Regional Fiction, among others. Two of her nonfiction books have been optioned for major films, one of which is under contract.

Her award-winning articles, short stories, and poetry for adults have appeared in both national and international publications including the North Carolina Christian Advocate Magazine, The New East Magazine, the Raleigh (N.C.) News and Observer, the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Sunday Telegram, Dog Fancy, ByLine, The Christian Record, Skirt! Magazine, and True Story. A thirty-minute television special which Ms. Casey wrote and coordinated was broadcast on WRAL, Channel 5, in Raleigh, North Carolina. She also received special recognition for her editorial work on the English translations of Albanian children’s stories. Her award-winning science fiction short stories for adults are featured in The Cosmic Unicorn and CrossTime science fiction anthologies. Ms. Casey's essays and other works appear in The Chrysalis Reader, the international literary journal of the Swedenborg Foundation, 221 One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith and Kraus Publishers), and A Cup of Comfort (Adams Media Corporation).

Ms. Casey is a former director of BookFest of the Palm Beaches, Florida, where she served as a guest author and panelist. She has served as a judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 through 2003. In 2018 Ms. Casey received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas. She makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwest Georgia with her husband and three cats who adopted her, Homer, Reese, and Earl Gray - Reese’s best friend.

Connect with the author:  Website~ Goodreads ~ Facebook

Tour Schedule:

May 25 – KC Beanie Boos Collection – series spotlight
May 26 – Nighttime Reading Center – series spotlight / giveaway
May 26 - Sefina Hawke's Books – series spotlight
May 27 – T's Stuff – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 27 - Book Corner News and Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
May 28 – Locks, Hooks and Books – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 28 - Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight / giveaway
May 29 – Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
May 29 - La libreria di Beppe – series spotlight / giveaway
June 1 – My Reading Journeys – series spotlight / giveaway
June 2 – Bookworm for Kids – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 2 - @momfluenster – series spotlight / giveaway
June 2 - Stephanie Jane – series spotlight / giveaway
June 3 – Splashes of Joy – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
June 4 – Celticlady's Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
June 4 - Blooming with Books – series spotlight / giveaway
June 5 – Writer with Wanderlust – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
June 5 - Books for Books – series spotlight

Enter the Giveaway:

Win 1 of 3 print or 1 of 3 ebooks of 

THE F.I.G. MYSTERY series,

or a $25 Amazon Gift Card

(open USA & Canada) 

(7 winners) 

(ends 06/12/2020)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Before I Called You Mine ~ Review

Before I Called You Mine
by Nicole Deese

Lauren Bailey wants to be a mother and for the last year-and-a-half, she has been waiting for the call that will make her dream of motherhood come true. Being a teacher to a classroom full of first-graders is satisfying but she wants to give more. At 31 years it seems that romance and finding the one has passed her by. She is now committed to remaining single for the foreseeable future - she's signed the paperwork saying that she'll be adopting as a single woman.

Joshua Avery isn't a teacher but he has the necessary background to allow him to fill in as a substitute when one of Brighton's first-grade teachers has a medical situation take her off the day-to-day roster. Joshua Avery couldn't be more different than Mrs. Walker and dinos are high on his list of teaching tools as his first day quickly proves. But he soon manages to make a spot for himself in the school becoming a favorite. And unfortunately, for Lauren, they seem to click, which won't work with her chance at adoption now so close.

Before I Called You Mine is an emotional read as Lauren works through the current situation that she finds herself in as she works through all the legalities of international adoption and the endless waiting. And there are most definitely moments of heartbreak and of joy that will most certainly touch the heart of most readers (not going to go into detail so as to not spoil anything) but very moving! Having friends who have gone through adoption this book is very realistic in the emotional ups-and-downs that they went through. I highly recommend this book - it is good for your free weekend hours or for a virtual book club meeting. 

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:
Lauren Bailey may be a romantic at heart, but after a decade of matchmaking schemes gone wrong, there's only one match she's committed to now--the one that will make her a mother. Lauren is a dedicated first-grade teacher in Idaho, and her love for children has led her to the path of international adoption. To satisfy her adoption agency's requirements, she gladly agreed to remain single for the foreseeable future; however, just as her long wait comes to an end, Lauren is blindsided by a complication she never saw coming: Joshua Avery.

Joshua may be a substitute teacher by day, but Lauren finds his passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his antics in the classroom. Though she does her best to downplay the undeniable connection between them, his relentless pursuit of her heart puts her commitment to stay unattached to the test and causes her once-firm conviction to waver.

With an impossible decision looming, Lauren might very well find herself choosing between the two deepest desires of her heart . . . even if saying yes to one means letting go of the other.

Murder by Perfection ~ Review

Murder by Perfection

Thorny Rose Mystery #3
By Lauren Carr
Read by Mike Alger

For Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday marriage is not a easy with their schedules conflicting. But they are determined to take time out for them - but when Murphy is given an assignment on "date night" Jessica is less than thrilled. Who wants to take part in a couple's cooking class instead of having a romantic date at home? But a murder investigation is riding on what Murphy can uncover.

But Murphy goes missing and the gourmet cooking instructor is brutally murdered. With time ticking down Murphy's father Joshua and his twin brother JJ soon join Jessica and Tristan as they comb through clues. Is Murphy's disappearance related to the murder he was investigating? And even more troubling who could take down a Phantom?

This is one who-dun-it that will leave you wondering just who did what to whom. This is the first that I've read anything in which JJ was more than a mention and some of the scenes with him are quite entertaining. And one just can't help but be amused whenever Nigel is in a scene - the Thornton/Faraday "butler".

This is not a cozy mystery or a gentle read and is most definitely in the PG category for violence and suggestive scenes. But if your taste in books runs towards mystery, suspense, and murder you will devour this book! There are suspects aplenty and a few characters that one just can't help disliking. The narration is well presented by Mike Alger. There is no drag and it progresses at a good pace for the 8-1/2 hour reading, good for a long commute or just eye-resting listening enjoyment.

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The plot was original, fresh and fast-paced in spite of the "traditional elements" employed, which can normally be found in any other thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot would change its course, keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the writing was simply perfect. One thing that the writer needs to be lauded for is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts, the book would have been one serious read." - Reviewer: Book and Ink

Join us for this tour from May 4 to June 5, 2020!

Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into the wee hours." Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn

 Book Description:

Beware: Perfection has a dark side!

Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a a couple's gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and business.

When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford's life to discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.

Buy the Book:
Audible ~ Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr's seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

A popular speaker, Lauren is also the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Instagram

Tour Schedule:
May 4 - Hall Ways Blog - series spotlight/giveaway
May 4 – She Just Loves Books – series spotlight/giveaway
May 4 - Elizabeth McKenna – Author – series spotlight/giveaway
May 4 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Kill and Run/giveaway
May 4 – Michelle L. Bloodworth - Goodreads – audiobook review of Kill and Run
May 5 - Michelle L. Bloodworth - Goodreads – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder
May 6 - Buried Under Books – audiobook review of Kill and Run/giveaway
May 6 - Michelle L. Bloodworth - Goodreads – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection
May 7 - A Mama's Corner of the World – series spotlight/guest post/giveaway
May 8 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder/giveaway
May 11 - Locks, Hooks and Books – series spotlight/guest post/giveaway
May 11 - Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight/author interview/giveaway
May 11 - Merlot Et mots –book review of Kill and Run/giveaway
May 12 - Laura's Interests – series spotlight/giveaway
May 12 - Rockin' Book Reviews – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection/giveaway
May 13 - Mowgli with a book – series spotlight/author interview
May 13 - Bookish Quest – audiobook review of Kill and Run/giveaway
May 13 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of Kill and Run/giveaway
May 13 - Lamon Reviews - series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 14 - Buried Under Books – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder/giveaway
May 15 - Sefina Hawke's Books – series spotlight
May 18 - Merlot Et mots –book review of A Fine Year for Murder/giveaway
May 19 - Rockin' Book Reviews – series spotlight/guest post/giveaway
May 19 - Rosepoint Publishing – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection/giveaway
May 20 - Stephanie Jane – book spotlight/giveaway
May 20 - Bookish Quest – audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder/giveaway
May 20 - Blooming with Books - audiobook review of A Fine Year for Murder/giveaway
May 21 - Books for Books – audiobook review of Murder by Perfection
May 21 - La libreria di Beppe - series spotlight/giveaway
May 22 – fundinmental – series spotlight/author interview/giveaway
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Counterblow ~ Review

Counterblow
Javin Pierce Spy Thriller #7
By Ethan Jones

Javin Pierce is determined to see justice done. But what he calls justice some might call revenge. In his last op everything went wrong - they were betrayed and it resulted in the death of one of his team members. Javin won't forget what Mossad did to one of their own and he is going to make them pay for Yael's death.

But for his off-the-books-unsanctioned mission Javin will have to turn to those not with CIS. It helps to have if not friends at least acquaintances with assets but this is going to cost Javin. And if he doesn't survive it may cost him his standing with CIS, as in permanently out of the agency.

This book really needs to be read as part of the series and at the very least read after book 6 Deception as both are very closely tied together with their story-line. One without the other will be a serious lack of needed information for full enjoyment. And a word of warning never betray a former Corrector of the CIS you may not live to regret it.

This is yet another action-packed thriller from Ethan Jones which is refreshingly (like his other titles) free of profanity-laced language, graphic depictions of violence, and sexual situations. Highly recommended reading for fans of international intrigue who want a few hours of escape.

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


About the Book:

There’s no such thing as friendly fire…

Set-up and wounded, CIS spymaster Javin Pierce is determined to send a message to the Mossad agents who betrayed him and tried to destroy his team. They escaped justice, but CIS has moved on…

Javin hasn’t.

Short on official options, Javin partners with a Russian SVR agent to ensure Mossad pays. The deal might cost him his life, but he cannot rest until he has made his enemies pay. But can he fight a single-handed war with Mossad? And is revenge something worth losing everything?

Now more than ever, Javin has to complete this unsanctioned mission … all without leaving a trace.

Counterblow is the bombshell conclusion to Javin’s jaw-dropping, adrenaline-drenched mission that will keep you compulsively turning the pages for a satisfying finale…