tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49515629574835191432024-03-13T22:31:57.721-07:00Buried by Books: Romance and Mystery Reviews<center><b>Reviews of Romance and Mystery Fiction, Cookie Recipes, Movie Reviews, Literary Analysis, Weather Whining, and lots of Amelia Peabody.
Find out more about New Releases, Old Favorites, Publishing trends, and more!</b></center>Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.comBlogger728125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-26808935204441391382022-01-19T09:43:00.000-08:002022-01-19T09:43:03.001-08:00Gimme the strong voices<p> I did a lot of re-reading last year, and one of my most re-read authors was Stephanie Laurens. I haven't read a lot of her newer, self published books, but the original Bar Cynster and the Bastion Club series? You betcha. I have a fondness for those books, and a large part of it is because she has such an incredibly strong voice.</p><p>Voice is one of those things that's often really hard to describe to people who don't read a lot. How can words on a page have a voice? How do you define it? Because it's definitely one of those things that you know it when you see it. Which is why Laurens is such a good example of this. Because her voice is pretty easily deconstructed.</p><p>Voice is kind of like style. It's something that makes one author's book distinct from every other author. It's a unique combination of word choice, rhythm, sentence construction, even pacing. Something that will tell whoever is reading it that this book is a Stephanie Laurens book, even without a name on the cover.</p><p>With Laurens, there are a few things that I always notice. One is her fondness for descriptive phrases in sets of three. This is from The Lady Chosen</p><p></p><blockquote><p> "...the taste of him—hard, male, dominant— sank into her. </p><p>For long moments, they both simply took, gave, explored."</p></blockquote><p>and later in the same book. </p><p></p><blockquote><p>"She'd snapped out his hold too easily that afternoon, evaded his snare, shaken free of any lingering fascination far too readily for his liking.</p><p>His nature had always been dictatorial. Tyrannical. Predatory."</p></blockquote><p>It's a combination of both phrases in threes and words in threes. It's particularly noticeable when listening to these books in audio, but even in print, it's very distinctive. <br /></p><p>A second is her fondness for certain phrases. The most infamous one is probably "her lungs seized." If you go into Google books and type that phrase in, you'll find all of the dozens of books she's written with that phrase. Often multiple times in the same book. I used to make a game out of finding the first mention of it in one of her books. It was her go-to phrase for intense attraction.</p><p>Then there's the horse metaphors. So many horse metaphors. Sometimes, but not always in one of the more intimate scenes. <br /></p><p>Are there any authors who you feel have a strong voice? Or do you have a different way to explain what it is? <br /></p>Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-16247916788947435822021-03-08T15:57:00.002-08:002021-03-08T15:57:28.535-08:00The Mixed Up Feelings of a Former Bookseller: On Oprah<p> It seems like everyone is rediscovering what a cultural giant Oprah Winfrey is as a result of the Harry and Meghan interview. Part of this is surely generational, but for those of us who were in the trenches of the book industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Oprah stirs up some complicated feelings. </p><p>She's a wonderful interviewer. She's always been fabulous at that. She has the journalism creds. She's built a multi-billion dollar empire. You don't do that by accident. There's plenty to admire about her, but as a new college grad selling books at Barnes and Noble, I kinda hated her. </p><p>The vast majority of people who gravitate to work at a place like Barnes and Noble are readers. It's been underpaid for decades. People make consistently more working at fast food chains. You go in with naive expectations of being surrounded by books, which you would think would be heaven. And it can be. But you also have things called customers, and THOSE can be the absolute worst. Entitled, snooty, rude, abusive... And some of the very worst, the Karens before we had Karens, were the women who came in looking for the newest book in the Oprah Book Club. </p><p>I admire the hell out of how many books and careers Oprah helped launch. I do. She and JK Rowling (love them or hate them) dominated the book scene for decades. And they got people reading. And they sold so so so many books. But woe be unto you if your store happened to be out of the newest pick. Eventually, they started releasing print runs specifically for Oprah's announcements...and even still, there were times we couldn't get the book out of receiving and onto the floor fast enough. I cannot count the number of times I had to explain that we didn't have an Oprah section (until we did) and that explaining the plot when you didn't have a title didn't help us all that much since the plot lines of her books were so incredibly similar they all kind of ran together. </p><p>I also felt a little squicked out by how cult-like so many of those readers were. It wasn't that they were excited to read the books so much as that they were desperate to be part of the cultural conversation. It wasn't so much about exploring different stories as it was finding an excuse to drink wine. Which is fine, but as someone who genuinely loves books, I wish she had found a wider variety of stories to highlight. I wish we had seen some genuine depth in those clubs. And I wish the people who clamored for those books weren't so goddamn awful to the people who had to deal with them.<br /></p>Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-68952603777594834812021-02-16T16:16:00.000-08:002021-02-16T16:16:09.738-08:00Pandemic Brain and the Comfort Read/Watch<p>This blog has been empty for months. No reviews. No commentary. No rants. I haven't had much to say that required a longer format than the short bursts of thoughts I post to Twitter. I have managed to keep reading throughout these long 11 months, but much of what I've read has been either rereads, short story or novella anthologies, or a few trusted authors. The few books I've tried from authors I don't normally read fit a very specific pattern: lighter, contemporary, and highly recommended by people on Twitter. But even those are maybe a handful. </p><p>I've noticed the same inability to engage with new content in my viewing habits as well. Lots of people excited about new shows, and I just put on the same movie I've watched a hundred times. One I can fall asleep to and wake up knowing where I am in the plot. Or TV series I watch over and over. The only new show I've managed to stick with is Mandalorian, and that's mainly because of Hubs who loves all things Star Wars. And Baby Yoda.</p><p>Part of my pandemic brain is just the general malaise and depression and sense of stagnation many of us are feeling. That fog where time doesn't matter and moments just seem to blend into each other. Part of it is also that I haven't had a single day to myself in eleven months. Quite literally, I was typing the title to this post and my eldest teen son walked in to comment "Oh, you've got the blog going again?' Just...argh. I am an introvert, and the lack of space, the lack of being alone is probably the absolute worst part of this. I was used to those hours with the kids at school where I could turn on loud music and clean the house or settle in a chair and read for hours uninterrupted. Now, I have to tiptoe around every morning while the kids are on Zoom and despite that still feel like I'm constantly on the verge of being interrupted. And I am. Texts, emails, reminders going off all morning, every morning. There's a deluge of individual notifications for each assignment that's posted. There are the reminders for the kids. There's the questions from other parents who look to me for help. It's just endless interruptions.</p><p>In light of that, I'm going to try to ease back into putting stuff on the blog. It probably won't be formal reviews until I can get my groove back, but here's the list of new to me books I managed to read this last month or three:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2LUMXBU" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Blue background with shamrocks TItle says Beginners Luck by Kate Clayborn" border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LDsDKamSzYg/YCxbA8qUNYI/AAAAAAAAESg/D5hZhfy6wIEOF2su624dnXWA4L_uMxiDwCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/51RabDpPtkL._SY346_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p>I read this one in December. It's the first Clayborn book that I've read (that I can remember) and I really enjoyed it. I bought the next two in the series as well, which are good, but not as a good as this one. This one was special. I suspect it was the nerdy science stuff I loved so much, but of the series, this was my favorite.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WDqWmbPqmg/YCxb4_H96nI/AAAAAAAAESo/SpvRVEJXgJIvOpN9b2QTdSVcCV_iYIVGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/51Nn%252BtbvMYL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5WDqWmbPqmg/YCxb4_H96nI/AAAAAAAAESo/SpvRVEJXgJIvOpN9b2QTdSVcCV_iYIVGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/51Nn%252BtbvMYL.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><p>This was my first Olivia Dade book, too. And it was everywhere on Twitter when it was released., so naturally I stayed far, far away from it. Until it went on sale of course. There's quite a bit of stuff about fandom that went over my head, but it did buck the usual trend I have of buzzed books not working for me. I liked it. I didn't think it was as amazing as some people who adored it, but it kept me engaged.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2OJLDTE" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="335" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFiq7WVNXYo/YCxcuTo1kqI/AAAAAAAAESw/5mFlDTkUTkICP8UVIm_o7DIOjt1BK0_sACLcBGAsYHQ/w134-h200/41k-7qSQ7RL.jpg" width="134" /></a></div><p>Nothing about this book should have worked for me. I read the first in the series, The Hook Up, and thought it was ok. And the preview of this book was in it. It instantly sucked me in, and I went with it. This book is a NA-ish sports romance written in alternating first person PRESENT, which is pretty much every single thing I dislike. And yet. </p><p>It starts as a modern day epistolary novel. Told through texts for a large chunk of the beginning. There's a playfulness to the conversations and honesty that I haven't seen in a long time, and I just loved everything about this book. Which is, again, WEIRD. Because I should absolutely hate it.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2OJLDTE" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RSChsd-Gj7w/YCxfBEzOyhI/AAAAAAAAES8/Wun18v9z49keZQSMtyJ7yAoGEiiZDu3tQCLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/41Amw5olTpL.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>I've read Talia Hibbert before and liked her, but none of her books have ever really just made me laugh the way this one did. For a book with characters who have heavy backstories, I found myself laughing at some of the outrageousness here. It was just a wonderful book to sink into from the very first page.<br /><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As for my rereads, they are legion. There's the audiobook rereads (re-listens?) which are basically all five Lady Sherlock books and the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews on a constant loop. Then there's the books, which seems to be everything Lisa Kleypas, old school Nora Roberts (we're talking Stanislaski) and old Stephanie Laurens novellas I know I read when they came out, but decided to reread when I found the anthologies on sale in digital. I'm edging into new book territory by attempting to restart the Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris. I've read the first few, but didn't remember them, so I started back at book one. I'm currently on book two. Fingers crossed.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-76557805949034592052020-06-08T10:10:00.000-07:002020-06-08T10:10:00.816-07:00Personal Reflections on COVID 19<br /><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div>I cleaned my car last week. I took it to the local carwash to rinse away the pine pollen that had turned my brown CRV bright yellow. This happens every year, but not normally to this extent, because my car has been mostly sitting for months. Months, because we've been sheltering at home due to the Novel Coronavirus, everything is closed, the kids have been home from school since March. There's nowhere to go, really. So the car has sat and collected pollen, turning from brown to yellow as we shelter in place here in the woods.</div><div><br /></div><div>I cleaned the inside of the car, too. It's like a time capsule. Sitting on my dash is a packet of papers from the parent meeting about my high school junior's tennis season. Sports physical information, a team roster, dates for future matches, our athletics code of conduct. Two days after the meeting, our schools closed. First for snow, then for the rest of the year due to COVID19. We knew, sitting at that meeting, that not getting a season was a possibility. There was optimism about resuming travel and matches in April, but my gut told me that was unlikely. I was watching the numbers in New York, feeling my anxiety spike, and trying to come to terms with the fact that we weren't controlling the spread anywhere and quietly panicking about what to do if the schools here didn't close, because I had been sick for six weeks from a respiratory virus brought home from school. I didn't want to deal with COVID coming home, too.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first few weeks of our lockdown were frustrating. It just kept snowing, which meant the kids were inside much of the time. We had no clear idea what to do about school. What the plan was. School officials were talking about equity and access issues. The kids in upper grades all had school laptops, but some of them had left them at school. How did we get them? Do we clean out our lockers? Do we need our textbooks? What the hell is Zoom, anyway?</div><div><br /></div><div>Our school district decided to make the first month of "distance learning" optional, which was confusing for students and parents alike. Do I make my child do their work? Will it affect their grades? What do I tell my child who watches their peers blow off school and hang out with their friends? It created a lot of friction in my house and a lot of resentment. Not only could they not see their friends, but we had to isolate from their grandma, too, because she was especially at risk. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Google Classroom quickly became the most hated part of my day. Parents aren't really encouraged to use or understand exactly what's being assigned in classrooms, and I found that especially true for Google Classroom. For junior high and high school, there were seven classes with different teachers. Some teachers were organized. Some were not. Some posted on Mondays. Some posted at midnight on Sunday. Some posted assignments at random days and times, with alerts going off constantly as new assignments went up or new announcements were added. Finding all of the assignments and due dates was confusing, even for me, and I consider myself relatively tech savvy and competent. How many families weren't blowing off assignments, but were just missing them because of technology challenges?</div><div><br /></div><div>March turned into April, and it finally stopped snowing. The enormity of what my kids had lost started to sink in. First it was tennis season. Then it became the rest of the school year. My eldest's birthday, without his friends or extended family. Easter. End of school traditions. A trip to Washington, DC my son had won. College visits. Band concerts. Taking the SAT. School field trips. Music lessons. All of it just cancelled with nothing to replace it. Just sitting at home, watching the car built up pollen. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As we switched to required learning at the end of April, there was a shift in the way the district communicated with parents, and it wasn't for the better. The rules for Zoom meetings were ridiculous: don't wear hoodies, don't wear blankets, don't take Zoom calls in bed. Not caring if kids didn't have anywhere else to take those calls. Not caring if families had ran out of firewood and it was cold. One teacher even sent out a letter telling us to keep younger siblings quiet during her class and demanding parents get someone else to watch them if necessary. Homes became schools and suddenly our district felt like they could police those spaces as well. It made me incredibly angry, and I felt like schools had more important things to worry about than what students were wearing on Zoom calls. Like what was happening in those households where kids weren't able to Zoom at all? <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The decision to just end school two weeks early at the end of May came quickly. We'd heard rumors of it, but it still caught us off guard. We were told it was for training of staff, but if I'm honest? I don't really understand closing early to train staff before summer break. I think it's because teachers, like the rest of us, were just so sick of this. Sick of watching only half of the class show up. Sick of pretending the kids were still being educated. Sick of acting like everything was fine. Everything <i>isn't</i> fine. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It felt appropriate to start "summer" by cleaning the car. Start a new season fresh. Get rid of the reminders of cancelled plans and try making new ones. There's a sign up list for fall sports at the high school, but I'm reluctant to sign my kid up. Do I set them up for disappointment when public health nixes our fall sports season, too? Do I sign them up, choosing optimism that we'll have kids on campus at all? I'd rather just *know* that we're not going back than to go through this constant cycle of optimism and disappointment. But that's the frustrating thing about this pandemic. You can either make plans and constantly cancel them or you can avoid plans, but feel stuck in a fog of waiting with no goals and nothing to really do. So I washed my car, even knowing that we're not going much of anywhere this summer and that the pine trees will continue dumping their yellow junk on it. Because we *could* go somewhere. We could need to drive to school again. I want to believe that's an option, eventually.<br /></div>Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-83339782432776317152020-03-24T05:00:00.000-07:002020-03-24T14:02:25.103-07:00Review: Love Hard by Nalini Singh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S603yW3Zovw/XnkuHiE84LI/AAAAAAAAEFg/3YLZbaMDjg8gzMHFtXA5oHy2kE13tRb0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/lovehard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="996" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S603yW3Zovw/XnkuHiE84LI/AAAAAAAAEFg/3YLZbaMDjg8gzMHFtXA5oHy2kE13tRb0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/lovehard.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Format: ebook<br />
Publisher: Self published via TKA Distribution<br />
Pub Date: March 9, 2020<br />
Length: 320 pages<br />
FTC: Purchased myself<br />
CW: death of a partner (backstory), some violence<br />
<br />
I'm not really impartial when it comes to Nalini Singh's writing. I'm predisposed to love it. That being said, this series is a bit different from her paranormal ones. Set in New Zealand and featuring lots of rugby.<br />
<br />
Despite the grim backstory of this book, it's relatively low angst, which was just what I needed. I'm not normally a fan of children in romances, either, since 99% of the time they're either cardboard cutouts or way too old for their supposed ages. I think Nalini gets it right and limits the amount of page time Jacob's daughter gets. And what's there doesn't seem weird.<br />
<br />
The only complaint I had was that callbacks to other books in this series sometimes took over the story. There's so many secondary characters who make an appearance from the other books that it feels crowded. And I think it makes this book a little less satisfying for people who haven't read the others in the series.<br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: B+</b><br />
<br />
<b>The Blurb:</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Jacob Esera, star rugby player and young single father, has worked hard
to create a joyous life for his six-year-old daughter. After the death
of his childhood sweetheart soon after their daughter’s birth, all Jake
wants is safety and stability. No risks. No wild chances. And especially
no Juliet Nelisi, former classmate, scandal magnet, and a woman who is a
thorn in his side.<br /><br /><br />As a lonely teenager, Juliet embraced her
bad-girl reputation as a shield against loneliness and rejection. Years
later, having kicked a cheating sports-star ex to the curb, she has a
prestigious job and loyal friends—and wants nothing to do with
sportsmen. The last thing she expects is the fire that ignites between
her and the stuffed-shirt golden boy who once loved her best friend.<br /><br /><br />Straitlaced Jacob Esera versus wild-at-heart Juliet Nelisi? Place your bets.</i></blockquote>
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-12675955793049135052020-03-23T14:35:00.002-07:002020-03-23T14:35:55.744-07:00Review: Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcEm0UBeDJs/XnklFlU572I/AAAAAAAAEFQ/5QEDjDTpr0g28Kqe4aF5kbkMphr5qWGLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/catchkill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1032" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vcEm0UBeDJs/XnklFlU572I/AAAAAAAAEFQ/5QEDjDTpr0g28Kqe4aF5kbkMphr5qWGLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/catchkill.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
Format: ebook<br />
Pub Date: October 2019<br />
Publisher: Hachette<br />
Length: 464 pages<br />
POV: Mostly first person past, some 3rd person<br />
FTC: borrowed from the library<br />
Content Warning: this book details patterns of abuse, rape, sexual assault and harassment including a few graphic descriptions. <br />
<br />
While the blog was on "hiatus" due to my broken laptop, I decided I needed to try reading more nonfiction and other genres besides romance. Because I was in a rut. Most of the books everyone was squeeing about were written in first person present, a tense POV combo I cannot stand, and many of the books being lauded just weren't my cup of tea. So I asked for recommendations and placed several holds through my rural library. It took months, but this one finally became available last week. It feels like forever ago, but Harvey Weinstein was sentenced on March 11. So it's been 12 days. I'm incredibly glad I waited to read this post-conviction, because it reads like a true crime novel with an element of justice now. I'm not sure it would have felt the same without the real life conclusion.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
I wasn't sure what to expect from Ronan Farrow's writing. I read the original Harvey Weinstein piece, of course, but that's not the same as a long format book. And I'm primarily a fiction reader these days, so my tolerance for certain nonfiction styles is really low. Thankfully, Farrow is an excellent writer, and his writing is clean and engaging. The majority of the book is in first person, past tense, detailing his steps as he went about reporting on this story. The third person writing is stuff he learned later through sources, other reporting, or legal documents: especially the stuff about Black Cube, the private intelligence firm filled with former Israeli Mossad members who infiltrated the lives of several victims and engaged in sketchy, quasi-legal surveillance of Farrow and others. (This is, I think, the most underreported part of this whole thing. I can't believe how little I heard of this before reading the book).<br />
<br />
The bulk of the book is about Harvey Weinstein and the extraordinary lengths executives at NBC went to kill reporting about him, as well as the underhanded techniques Weinstein, himself, employed to keep Farrow's story from ever seeing the light of day. But there are other, linked, stories that are also here about the role of the National Enquirer in protecting HW and other powerful men as well as the abuse within the ranks of NBC, most especially by Matt Lauer. The description of the rape he's accused of is the most graphic in the book, and I think the details of it were too graphic for most of the television reporting I remember watching. It's supposed to be part of the book's premise: powerful men and the system set up to enable their abuses, but sometimes those stories feel out of place when the Weinstein story takes up so much page time and energy.<br />
<br />
I did come out of the book with a greater understanding about how many people are involved in reporting investigative stories for papers, magazines, and television. I was notably struck by how Farrow, throughout the entire book, made sure the reader knew his producer, Rich McHugh, was a stand up, ethical guy. It's a theme. More than any other person in this story, McHugh is described as risking himself and his job to do what was right instead of what was easy.<br />
<br />
This was a good choice for me, personally, in my nonfiction reading journey. It's got a quest, a mystery, spies and more. I was left with an overwhelming distaste for and distrust of NBC News, and a determination to never see Matt Lauer's face ever again. It's an important book, and I'm very glad I read it. <br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: A-</b><br />
<br />
<b>The Blurb: </b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
<i>In 2017, a routine network television investigation led Ronan
Farrow to a story only whispered about: one of Hollywood's most powerful
producers was a predator, protected by fear, wealth, and a conspiracy
of silence. As Farrow drew closer to the truth, shadowy operatives, from
high-priced lawyers to elite war-hardened spies, mounted a secret
campaign of intimidation, threatening his career, following his every
move, and weaponizing an account of abuse in his own family.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<i>All
the while, Farrow and his producer faced a degree of resistance they
could not explain -- until now. And a trail of clues revealed corruption
and cover-ups from Hollywood to Washington and beyond.</i><div>
<i><br />This is
the untold story of the exotic tactics of surveillance and intimidation
deployed by wealthy and connected men to threaten journalists, evade
accountability, and silence victims of abuse. And it's the story of the
women who risked everything to expose the truth and spark a global
movement.<br /><br />Both a spy thriller and a meticulous work of investigative journalism, Catch and Kill
breaks devastating new stories about the rampant abuse of power and
sheds far-reaching light on investigations that shook our culture.</i></div>
</blockquote>
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-24207067700346729362019-11-13T10:32:00.001-08:002019-11-13T10:32:17.041-08:00Review: Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKxo5cdT3Kk/XcxDdcYUd_I/AAAAAAAAEAQ/JX0E8SByHUgG3XGl2hQ_hIpfNnucg8TBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2A2AA3B7-2E18-4A6E-AA0D-3FD52A3D2D8B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aKxo5cdT3Kk/XcxDdcYUd_I/AAAAAAAAEAQ/JX0E8SByHUgG3XGl2hQ_hIpfNnucg8TBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2A2AA3B7-2E18-4A6E-AA0D-3FD52A3D2D8B.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div>
Format: trade paperback<br />
Pub Date; November 12, 2019<br />
Publisher: Berkley<br />
Length: 313 pages<br />
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
POV: 3rd, past<br />
<br />
I read this book way back in April after receiving it at Apollycon. It’s been a long 7 months, because not talking about this book felt like torture. It’s one of my favorite books of the last few years. Fake relationships or secret agendas really aren’t my usual thing since they often involve so much dishonesty, but Christopher’s strong voice just draws you in. The whole book is delightful.<br />
<br />
Knowing my well publicized distaste for cartoon covers might make you a little leery, but I assure you: this book is a ROMANCE. It’s not chick lit. It’s not women’s fiction. It’s not mainstream fiction. It’s a romance. I promise.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Jack is a nice guy who doesn’t date casually, and he takes an assignment about how men sabotage relationships. Hannah needs to stay in a committed relationship to improve her standing at work, despite her lack of luck in the romance department. The farce plays out as two people who are genuinely right for each other pretend to want the opposite of what they should. And it provides a lot of comic relief. Most of what’s funny, though, is the author’s pithy voice throughout:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“Jack could tell by the look on her —</i>beautiful, gorgeous, absolutely perfect<i>—face that she’d heard every word that his asshole, knuckle-dragging squad of buffoons had just said. Her eyes were so narrowly squinted that he couldn’t tell what color they were. Her nose wrinkled up and her red-lacquered lips compressed with anger. Couldn’t hide the fact that she was a knockout from all of the angles. Not even with the raised middle finger partially obscuring her face.<br />She was like a sexy, rabid raccoon. And he was a goner.”</i></blockquote>
I enjoyed this book cover to cover. I gave up highlighting passages because the whole thing is hilarious and sweet and fantastic.<br />
<br />
My Grade: A<br />
<br />
The Blurb:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Jack Nolan is a gentleman, a journalist, and unlucky in love. His viral success has pigeon-holed him as the how-to guy for a buzzy, internet media company instead of covering hard-hitting politics. Fed up with his fluffy articles and the app-based dating scene as well, he strikes a deal with his boss to write a final piece de resistance: How to Lose a Girl. Easier said than done when the girl he meets is Hannah Mayfield, and he's not sure he wants her to dump him.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Hannah is an extremely successful event planner who's focused on climbing the career ladder. Her firm is one of the most prestigious in the city, and she's determined to secure her next promotion. But Hannah has a bit of an image problem. She needs to show her boss that she has range, including planning dreaded, romantic weddings. Enter Jack. He’s the perfect man to date for a couple weeks to prove to her boss that she’s not scared of feelings.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-size: 14px;">Before Jack and Hannah know it, their fake relationship starts to feel all too real—and neither of them can stand to lose each other.</span></span></i>Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-33821364174679323382019-08-26T12:38:00.000-07:002019-08-26T12:38:00.383-07:00Review: Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews (Hidden Legacy)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sslJoG8fc-U/XTdnHtMcKkI/AAAAAAAAD9A/71bu6bmG0jcTZdIqfwBi8oOLNQ2YmN12wCLcBGAs/s1600/51lESf2XeTL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sslJoG8fc-U/XTdnHtMcKkI/AAAAAAAAD9A/71bu6bmG0jcTZdIqfwBi8oOLNQ2YmN12wCLcBGAs/s320/51lESf2XeTL.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
Format: mass market<br />
Pub Date: August 2019<br />
Publisher: Avon<br />
Length: 400 pages<br />
POV: 1st, past<br />
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
<br />
I've been a BIG fan of Ilona Andrews for years. They started solidly in Urban Fantasy, and the Hidden Legacy series is still mostly in that genre, with strong romantic elements. The original trilogy featuring Nevada Baylor ended with Wildfire, with the novella Diamond Fire acting as a bridge between that trilogy and this book. If you haven't read any of the previous books, I think you could enjoy this one, but there is a distinct chronology, and you'll definitely get more out of it if you've read the other books.<br />
<br />
Unlike the previous trilogy, this one is told from Catalina's POV, which is a bit jarring at first if you're used to Nevada. Quite a lot has happened in the three years since Wildfire. Nevada is no longer Head of House Baylor. Catalina has taken over that role, which is a bit of a struggle for her. Rogan's mother has taken her under her wing, and helped train her...which is a good thing for someone whose magic is not combat oriented. She's also primarily responsible for running Baylor Investigations, and it's that role that once again gets her, and her family, into trouble when an old acquaintance asks her for help.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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I wasn't sure what to expect from this book because while we hear from Catalina in other books, it's usually only in contrast to the rest of her family. Her magic is used twice, both with big groups, but we get to see her fully embrace a wider range of uses for those powers here. And she's not the peacemaker she seems like when she was younger: she knows how to fight.<br />
<br />
Without spoiling anything, I did enjoy the twists that involve Alessandro and Linus Duncan. They leveled up the complexity of the world, and I think it fits with both Catalina's personality as well as what would naturally occur as the Baylor family explores what it really means to be a House in truth.<br />
<br />
The ending is not tied up in the neat way we like in the romance genre, so in that way it is very similar to how Burn for Me ended. The immediate problem is solved, but there are threads to explore in future books.<br />
<br />
I really loved this one, and now must wait FOREVER for book 2. I highly recommend this, but urge readers to pick up the previous series, or at least the novella, before reading this one.<br />
<br />
The Blurb:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.<br />But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.<br />To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.</i></blockquote>
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-37403134452508631662019-07-16T05:30:00.000-07:002019-07-16T05:30:02.626-07:00Review: Bark of the Night by David Rosenfelt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUejD_ZFtpU/XSS3Qm6_jhI/AAAAAAAAD7s/wtdKP7fdEAsbbz5FTI95TS_ciQkRZy_5QCLcBGAs/s1600/51qRBsHY3pL._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUejD_ZFtpU/XSS3Qm6_jhI/AAAAAAAAD7s/wtdKP7fdEAsbbz5FTI95TS_ciQkRZy_5QCLcBGAs/s320/51qRBsHY3pL._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Format: Hardcover<br />
Pub Date: July 16, 2019<br />
Publisher: Minotaur Books<br />
Length: 291 pages<br />
POV: First, present<br />
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
<br />
I've read Rosenfelt's Doug Brock series, but hadn't tried his Andy Carpenter series. It is even more sarcastic than the Brock books, which given that the other series is about a police detective seems unlikely, but it's the truth. Apparently, nothing is more sarcastic than an almost retired defense attorney.<br />
<br />
The cover, featuring a very cute French Bulldog, might mislead readers into thinking that this book is a cozy mystery: it's not. It's a thriller about organized crime, with a lots of brutal murders.<br />
<br />
The dog angle IS delightful, though. Truman, the bulldog in question, is taken to a vet to be put down, but the vet has suspicions. So he scans the dog, finds out that the person who brought the dog in wasn't the owner, and contacts the one person involved in the criminal justice system he knows who also loves dogs: Andy Carpenter. The dog is the key to the entire mystery, and not just a prop.<br />
<br />
This is the most sarcastic protagonist I've read in years, and I really enjoyed it despite the present tense. It hits that sweet spot between cozy and hard boiled that so few seem to get right. Recommended.<br />
<br />
My Grade: B<br />
<br />
<b>The Blurb: </b><br />
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px;">
<b></b><br />
When defense lawyer Andy Carpenter’s veterinarian asks to speak to him privately at the checkup of his golden retriever, Tara, the last thing Andy expects is Truman. Tiny, healthy, French bulldog Truman was dropped off days ago with instructions to be euthanized by a man everyone thought was his owner. But now the owner is nowhere to be found. </div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
Andy is furious. Who would want to euthanize a perfectly healthy dog with no explanation? He is willing to whisk Truman away to the Tara Foundation, the dog-rescue organization which is Andy’s true passion. They will find a home for Truman. But that’s not all the vet tells Andy. Thanks to Truman’s chip, it’s discovered that the man wasn’t Truman’s owner at all . . . Truman's real owner has been murdered.</div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
It’s now up to Andy – with help from his loyal sidekick Tara, Truman and the rest of the gang – to solve this case. In the latest in the popular Andy Carpenter mystery series, David Rosenfelt’s charmingly clever wit and love of dogs are back and better than ever.</div>
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-87255499381366763512019-07-15T09:07:00.000-07:002019-07-15T09:07:00.813-07:00Review: Buried by Ellison Cooper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QN-cIyIFE74/XSS9Vu6wG3I/AAAAAAAAD74/ZdqWurYbgrMlAZN3O5wUtdPoxA41JyCLACLcBGAs/s1600/51Vtajo0e6L._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QN-cIyIFE74/XSS9Vu6wG3I/AAAAAAAAD74/ZdqWurYbgrMlAZN3O5wUtdPoxA41JyCLACLcBGAs/s320/51Vtajo0e6L._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
Format: Hardcover<br />
Pub Date: July 16, 2019<br />
Publisher: Minotaur Books<br />
Length: 356 pages<br />
POV: 3rd, past<br />
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
<br />
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
An FBI agent and his working dog stumble across a cavern filled with human bones. And discover that fresh bodies are also being deposited in the site.</div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
SSA Sayer Altair gets assigned to the case which would ordinarily require a task force. Only one problem: the FBI is being investigated and resources are scarce. She cobbles together a small team to help her investigate the horrendous crime scene, while also worrying about the political fallout in Quantico that is, partially, her fault. </div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
The complicated subplots dilute what should be an utterly terrifying book. The chapters that deal with an anonymous, powerful psychopath and the shitshow at the FBI headquarters don't serve the plot or the book at all. </div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
This is clearly a mid-series book with threads that lead to the book before and presumably the next book in the series. If you like every thread neatly tied up, this book will annoy you to no end. I actually liked the various subplots, some tied up and some left hanging. My main complaint was the flatness of the characters. I wanted to know more about them. Instead, they felt flat and didn't add much to the story. </div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
It's a decent book, but could have been excellent with tighter editing and character development. Recommended, but check it out from the library.</div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
<b>My Grade: C</b></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
The Blurb:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Senior Special Agent Sayer Altair studies the minds of psychopaths. But even she didn't expect to uncover a killer within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Rooting him out and exposing internal corruption got her a bullet wound and six months of desk duty. Now, she’s finally back in the field, called in when an off-duty FBI agent and his cadaver dog fall into a sinkhole filled with human bones.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i></i><i>Found deep in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, the skeletal remains date back almost two decades, the same time a beloved local teen disappeared. The cold case quickly heats up when Sayer's team finds two fresh corpses among the bones. When a gruesome clue ties these new bodies to a woman recently kidnapped along with her young daughter, Sayer has to uncover the connection between the old bones and the new bodies before the mother and child become the next victims.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i></i><i>But the killer is one step ahead, attacking her team and sabotaging their efforts. With Sayer's investigation compromised and unsure of who to trust, she receives unwanted help from Subject 037, one of the anonymous psychopaths she is currently studying. She has the chilling realization that he’s someone powerful in Washington D.C.―and he is not about to let a mundane serial killer jeopardize his own ominous agenda for Sayer…</i></blockquote>
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-2083056991586978622019-07-12T08:16:00.000-07:002019-07-12T08:16:40.067-07:00Review: The Demon You Know (Others series) by Christine Warren<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-btm6KWog9kQ/XSij38oXKdI/AAAAAAAAD8g/J-A4HKwuougdZknLiJHh-hsUom3vPwJKwCLcBGAs/s1600/313264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-btm6KWog9kQ/XSij38oXKdI/AAAAAAAAD8g/J-A4HKwuougdZknLiJHh-hsUom3vPwJKwCLcBGAs/s320/313264.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
Format: Mass market<br />
Pub Date: May 2007<br />
Publisher: St. Martins<br />
Length: 344 pages<br />
POV: 3rd, past<br />
FTC: used copy from the TBR, purchase date unknown<br />
<br />
Christine Warren is one of those authors who can be hit or miss with me. Some books I really enjoy, and others are kind of meh. This book, however, was actually bad. I almost DNF'd it, but stayed with it out of sheer stubborness.<br />
<br />
Abby Baker, a low level employee for a local TV station who is unremarkable in every way except for having eyes of two different colors, gets caught on the street during a riot. While hiding from various violent factions, she ends up getting possessed by a fiend, a sort of evil spirit. NOT a demon, as we're told over and over and over again. Demons good, fiends bad.<br />
<br />
Rule, an actual (good) demon, is on the hunt for a big bad fiend. He happens across Abby just as she's possessed by the fiend he's looking for, so he (of course) grabs her and carries her fireman style to an Others-friendly club. Abby considers it kidnapping; Rule considers it protective custody.<br />
<br />
Much of the book consists of Abby trying to escape her involuntary confinement. There is a giant parade of secondary characters who don't really add to the story other than to confuse the narrative. Not only is Abby unremarkeable physically, her personality is rather bland as well (except for her determination to escape which constantly puts her in danger). The only interesting parts of the book are where she's arguing with the fiend who possessed her: a pervy, juvenile one named Lou.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Rule is just as annoying and flat. Cardboard characterization. He's a single minded stick-in-the-mud who doesn't like to explain himself. *Yawn* There is zero romantic tension, just an insta-lust that is thoroughly unbelievable and uninteresting. The ONLY character besides Lou who is somewhat fleshed out is Abby's brother, who I'm assuming gets his own book later in the series.<br />
<br />
This is a completely forgettable paranormal romance with no memorable characters or plot, no tension, and no emotion. I know Warren has written better books. Definitely skip this one.<br />
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<b>My Grade: D</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Blurb:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><br /></b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">A SILENT BEAUTY</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a research grunt at a local television station, Abby Baker tends to blend into the background, which is where she's most comfortable. But when she ends up being the last resort to cover a hot story, Abby discovers a whole new side to her personality when she is possessed by a fiend―a type of rogue demon. Suddenly everyone wants a piece of her. And now the demon Rule―also a hunter of his own kind who have gone astray―is Abby's only hope…</span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">A SUDDEN PASSION</span></span></i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, the Others―vampires, werewolves, and witches, oh my!―have come out of the supernatural closet and the rest of the humans are all aflutter. Mischief is afoot in the demon realm, and Rule knows that Abby is key to figuring it all out before the fiends tip the fragile balance between the newly-discovered Others and the humans over into an epic battle. Now it's up to two lost souls to make love, not war…..</span></i></blockquote>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-59924248564168657102019-07-10T05:30:00.000-07:002019-07-10T05:30:00.606-07:00June Reading Overview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uR6m78Lqhos/XSU7Jj2yakI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/E5hjwKNWzzE3yOMEIYaGU_2Ya58L7bIsACLcBGAs/s1600/41N8vDZwY-L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="328" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uR6m78Lqhos/XSU7Jj2yakI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/E5hjwKNWzzE3yOMEIYaGU_2Ya58L7bIsACLcBGAs/s320/41N8vDZwY-L.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
I fell into a romantic suspense rabbit hole during June. Not only did I read the other two in the Flashpoint series by Rachel Grant, I read the entire 8 books in her Evidence series as well. They are fantastic archaeology/anthropology books where the heroines are nearly always as smart or smarter than the tough guys they're paired with.<br />
<br />
Then I moved on to a Piper Drake series about military working dogs and some retired servicemembers who run a training center.<br />
<br />
Mixed in there were a few rereads of Laura Lee Guhrke favorites (Guilty Pleasures is one of my all time favorite books) and a few ARCs of books due out this month.<br />
<br />
I'm a hybrid reader: I read in both e and print, with the occasional audiobook, but for backlist gloms nothing beats the ability to one-click your way through a series as you finish. Binge reading for a mood reader is bliss. I might not have ventured outside all month if it wasn't the last month of schools for the kids.<br />
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<br />Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-77867108602451096672019-07-09T15:17:00.001-07:002019-07-09T15:17:43.148-07:00Review: Black and Blue by David Rosenfelt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpFzHD4ZXIU/XSTHg_6_uEI/AAAAAAAAD8E/2vq0Eask_4YyC91jKmG3y0j_DnX8384XgCLcBGAs/s1600/41-Ung1oMLL._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cpFzHD4ZXIU/XSTHg_6_uEI/AAAAAAAAD8E/2vq0Eask_4YyC91jKmG3y0j_DnX8384XgCLcBGAs/s320/41-Ung1oMLL._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
Format: Hardcover<br />
Pub Date: March 2019<br />
Publisher: Minotaur Books<br />
Length: 290 pages<br />
<b>POV: 1st, present</b><br />
FTC: Review Copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
<br />
This is the second Doug Brock thriller books I've read, and despite being written in the one tense and POV combo I despise, I really enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
Doug Brock is a New Jersey state police officer with shooting related amnesia, which is a real drawback whenever he has to revisit a past case he can't remember, although it's a plus in his personal life, as it's allowed him a "do-over" with his one-time fiance, Jessie.<br />
<br />
This new case is a serial sniper, and figuring out the connection between victims requires lots of interviews with family and witnesses: which is ten levels of awkward when you don't remember most of your past cases. I liked how tight the chapters were, how methodical the police work is. I liked the supporting characters, especially Jessie, which is why I wish the book were 3rd past instead of 1st present. I wanted more of her thoughts and feelings.<br />
<br />
My only real issue with the book is the nonstop fat shaming of Doug's partner, Nate. It's constant and unnecessary.<br />
<br />
Overall, a solid police mystery.<br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: B</b><br />
<br />
Blurb:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Doug Brock hasn't had it easy since his getting shot in the line of duty as a New Jersey state police officer. Between the amnesia and having to solve two murder cases, it hasn't been the most restful recovery. He’s slowly earning back the trust of his girlfriend Jessie, since he doesn’t remember their breakup, and has focused on new crimes with his partner, Nate.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i></i><i>But now an old case of Doug’s has resurfaced, and it’s up to Doug to retrace his steps – steps he can’t remember – to solve the case. Eighteen months ago, Walter Brookings was shot through the heart. With no clear motive and no similar murders, the investigation stalled and became a cold case.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i></i><i>When another man is murdered in the same fashion and the ballistics come back as a match, Doug begins to reinvestigate, and starts to question his own actions from the previous investigation.</i><i>Finally, what Doug uncovers may be more dangerous than any case he’s faced yet.</i></blockquote>
<br />Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-45212477147376633632019-04-11T13:36:00.004-07:002019-04-11T13:36:40.877-07:00Review: The Time Collector by Gwendolyn Womack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GK6xUJK4Hk/XK-i0b5aaRI/AAAAAAAAD30/txjjJGJp8L0zdFMNkls-BBQ_sipArahogCLcBGAs/s1600/time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GK6xUJK4Hk/XK-i0b5aaRI/AAAAAAAAD30/txjjJGJp8L0zdFMNkls-BBQ_sipArahogCLcBGAs/s320/time.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Format: Trade Paperback<br />
Pub Date: April 16, 2019<br />
Publisher: Picador<br />
Length: 386 pages<br />
POV: 3rd, past<br />
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
<br />
Way back when, in the days before college burnout, I was going to be a history teacher. Even though that never worked out, my love of history has never waned. This book made that nerdy bookworm happy, with its vignettes of various historical events and people.<br />
<br />
Roan West is a psychometrist. He can see and experience the past of objects he touches. Sometimes he makes money with it, sometimes he uses it to return lost family heirlooms to their rightful owners. His friend, Stuart, has gone missing, but he gets sidetracked on his quest to find him by a viral video of a young woman just discovering her psychometry talents.<br />
<br />
This is a genre-bending book. It has romantic elements, a mystery/thriller element, a historical fiction element, some mild paranormal themes, a quest...Pieces from all kinds of stories are woven in here, but I particularly liked how vivid and well researched the historical "flashback" scenes were. The author chooses some particularly painful events to tie to objects, and doesn't shy away from showing those events with unflinching honesty. <br />
<br />Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I did feel like the romance was a little shoehorned in. The author tells us the two characters are attracted to each other instead of showing us. I wanted some more emotion there on the page, because while this isn't genre romance, it is a book about all kinds of relationships, and the emotional connection just seemed muted. <br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: B</b><br />
The Blurb:<br />
<i>Travel through time with the touch of a hand.</i><br />
Roan West
can perceive the past of any object he touches. A highly skilled
psychometrist, he uses his talents to find and sell valuable antiques,
but his quiet life in New Orleans is about to change. Stuart, a fellow
psychometrist and Roan's close friend, has used his own abilities to
unearth several "ooparts"―out-of-place artifacts that challenge recorded
history. Soon after the discovery, Stuart disappears, making him one of
several pyschometrists who have recently died or vanished. When Roan
comes across a viral video of a young woman who has discovered a
priceless pocket watch just by "sensing" it, he knows he has to warn
her―but will Melicent Tilpin listen? And can Roan find Stuart before
it's too late? The quest for answers will lead Roan and Melicent around
the world, bringing them closer to each other and a startling truth.Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-62753208660273527762019-04-04T09:28:00.000-07:002019-04-04T09:28:03.769-07:00Review: Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-od7KXtO80-s/XKYvyef9cbI/AAAAAAAAD2w/ViN3bw7dQZ8JE0m8Lm3_XYxPBqzCknR7ACLcBGAs/s1600/41glXvcnmML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-od7KXtO80-s/XKYvyef9cbI/AAAAAAAAD2w/ViN3bw7dQZ8JE0m8Lm3_XYxPBqzCknR7ACLcBGAs/s200/41glXvcnmML.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
Format: ebook<br />
Pub Date: September 2018<br />
Publisher: self published<br />
Length: 444 pages<br />
POV: Alternating 1st/present<br />
FTC: Borrowed via Kindle<br />
<b>CW: Cheating, chronic illness, self-image/weight issues </b><br />
<br />
As angry as I was for reading Long Shot by this author without being warned it was a book about domestic violence, the book itself was compelling enough to get me to try again. Because despite my well known aversion to present tense, I found Ryan's voice fantastic. But this time, the potentially "nope" content was out there and being publicly acknowledged by people on Twitter, so I knew going in that cheating was part of this book. And that's something I normally avoid. (The official blurb does not have a content warning at all)<br />
<br />
<b>Since I'm not skilled enough to make a clickable spoiler tag for the blog I'm struggling to find time for, if you'd like to see how cheating is involved, specifically, please scroll all of the way down to the bottom. It is <u>not</u> between the two main protagonists.</b><br />
<br />
The blurb says this is an enemies-to-lovers story, but that's not really accurate. Banner loathes Jared, for extremely good (if mistaken) reasons. Jared doesn't hate Banner, though. She's always been his obsession. He needles her whenever they interact, which up until this book starts isn't often. He hasn't been able to convince her that what she believes happened, didn't actually go down the way she thinks it did, but that doesn't stop him from admiring everything about her.<br />
<br />
If you prefer your romance without ethically or morally dubious stuff, this book isn't for you. Because while Banner is a good person (the agent with the heart known for her loyalty) Jared isn't. He is completely and utterly ruthless about everything. Even with his POV scenes, he's hard to really like. Possible sociopath. Definitely not caring about anything or anyone except for Banner and maybe his immediate family.<br />
<br />
That being said, I was completely sold on this romance. I know nothing about sports, and less about sports management, but the emotional punch and the depth of conflict here is terrific. The chemistry is completely off the charts. I really liked it, despite my reservations.<br />
<br />
My Grade: A <br />
<br />
<br />
The Blurb:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>A STANDALONE second chance, enemies-to-lovers romance set in the cutthroat world of sports management.<br /><br />They're two sharks in a fish tank...<br />JARED<br /><br />If I had a dollar for every time Banner Morales made my heart skip a beat...<br />The heart everyone assumes is frozen over.<br />Her anger is... arousing.<br />Every glare from those fire-spitting eyes, every time she grits her teeth, gets me... well, you know.<br />If I had a dollar for every time she's put me in my place, I'd be an even richer man.<br />I'm a successful sports agent because I assume "no" means you'll think about it.<br />I'm sure what you meant to say is "Coming right up."<br />They
say even rich men don't always get what they want, but those men don't
know how to play the game. The trick is to keep them guessing.<br />Take Banner. She assumes she's winning, but this game?<br />She doesn't even know how to play.<br /><br />BANNER<br /><br />If I had a dollar for every time Jared Foster broke my heart, I'd have exactly one dollar.<br />One night. One epic fail. One dollar... and I'm out.<br />I've moved on.<br />I've found success in a field ruled by men.<br />Anything they can do, I have done better.<br />They can keep the field while I call the shots, blocking them when I have to.<br />And Jared has the nerve to think he gets a second chance?<br />Boy, please. Go sit down. Have several seats.<br />I'll just be over here ignoring the man carved from my fantasies with a lust-tipped chisel.<br />Oh, I didn't say the struggle wasn't real.<br />But I've got that one dollar, and Jared won't have me.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<br />
***Spoiler***<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Banner is in a committed relationship with her client. Someone she has been friends with for a decade, but recently made the switch to romantic. She's not really sure whether she's made a mistake, because she is pretty sure she's not in love. Jared knows she's involved, and despite her protests, uses their attraction to basically override Banner's usually strong loyalty. Banner had intended to end her relationship prior to sleeping with Jared, but that's not how things shake out. She immediately confesses to her boyfriend upon his return to town. It's out of character, and for me...I know real life examples of this, and Ryan manages to...if not excuse it...then at least make it understandable about how it could happen and why that infidelity wouldn't happen again between Jared and Banner. Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-38394214928587913072019-04-01T09:45:00.003-07:002019-04-01T09:45:31.296-07:00Review: SPOILERS!!! Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_S34K5AHzM/XKI-nYl4W0I/AAAAAAAAD2c/Q53i-OwUN68ua3RYfe2gZfMuN_WMxVQ4wCLcBGAs/s1600/longshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="311" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_S34K5AHzM/XKI-nYl4W0I/AAAAAAAAD2c/Q53i-OwUN68ua3RYfe2gZfMuN_WMxVQ4wCLcBGAs/s200/longshot.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>
Format: ebook<br />
Pub Date: March 20, 2018<br />
Publisher: self published<br />
Length: 460 pages<br />
POV: Alternating 1st/present<br />
FTC: purchased myself <br />
<br />
I am a not a fan of 1st person, present tense. I am not a NA reader. I have noped out of so many books because they're present tense. I am also not someone for whom highly buzzed books works. I'm just that way. Born to be contrary. I am also not someone usually bothered by problematic or troubling content. Content warnings are usually wasted on me, because I can usually stomach just about anything. THIS BOOK BOTHERED ME. ***scroll down to the very end if you're looking for how the story ends.***<br />
<br />
<u>Before going further, please know that even the descriptions of what happens in this book may be triggering for some readers. It's THAT awful.</u> And I don't normally write reviews with spoilers or plot synopses, but I am so angry right now that nothing in the description or the reviews specifically warned readers of the type of content in this book. It's hinted at, but hidden behind euphemisms.<br />
<br />
<b>This book contains graphic details of emotional and physical domestic violence, firearms, and sexual assault/rape</b>. And it's not just at the beginning. It is the bulk of the conflict of the novel. So this isn't something you can read and move past to enjoy the rest of the story. IT IS THE STORY.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Maybe I'm being unfair. I don't know. But nothing in the description clued me in that the book was about a basketball player beating the shit out of and raping his girlfriend. Or keeping her a prisoner. Or deliberately getting her pregnant to keep her tied to him.<br />
<br />
Here is the blurb:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>A FORBIDDEN LOVE SET IN THE EXPLOSIVE WORLD OF THE NBA...<br /><br />Think you know what it's like being a baller's girl?<br />You don't.<br />My fairy tale is upside down.<br />A happily never after.<br />I kissed the prince and he turned into a fraud.<br />I was a fool, and his love - fool's gold.<br />Now there's a new player in the game, August West.<br />One of the NBA's brightest stars.<br />Fine. Forbidden.<br />He wants me. I want him.<br />But my past, my fraudulent prince, just won't let me go<br /><br />*Some aspects of this story may be sensitive for some readers.</i></blockquote>
<br />
The story opens at the senior year of college for all 3 main characters: Iris (who is studying sports marketing), her boyfriend Caleb, and August. Caleb and August are rivals, both college athletes who are destined for the NBA draft. August is hanging out at a bar sipping soda when he spots Iris and strikes up a flirtatious conversation. It's clear he doesn't know who she is, although Iris is well aware of August and aware that that she has a boyfriend who is also a serious rival to the man she's speaking to.<br />
<br />
Iris, who wants her career and is unsure of her future with Caleb,
thinks about leaving only to discover she's pregnant. She puts her
career on hold due to bed rest and the exhaustion of parenting a newborn. There's emotional abuse and controlling behavior. He hires a bodyguard who helps in his efforts to control her. Fast forward to the part where Caleb figures out August has been flirting with Iris. They square off on the NBA level court, and Caleb deliberately breaks August's leg in retribution. No consequences. Iris calls Caleb out, and that's the first time he hits her.<br />
<br />
She tries to leave, but Caleb outmaneuvered her and turned off her credit cards. He reports the car she drives as stolen, because it's in HIS name. He also reports her daughter as kidnapped. Then shows up just as she's being arrested to "clear up" the confusion. <br />
<br />
<i>[I'm going to pause here, because this is the very first thing that REALLY bothered me. To my core. And the reason is deeply personal. But I'm going to share it because I'm trying to make a point about warning readers. My mom is a domestic violence survivor. She had TWO relationships that turned violent. The last one? She tried to get away from him and HE REPORTED THE TRUCK STOLEN. The cops believed him (even though they should have known better and checked her address against the registration) and she spent the night alone, IN JAIL. I was 13. This shit happens all of the time. I'm not blaming Ryan for writing about it, but I am incredibly angry that there wasn't some kind of clear content warning on this book. <b><u>Because it gets so much worse.</u></b>]</i><br />
<br />
35% in, and the raping at gunpoint starts. He admits he tampered with the condoms, and crows about being able to fuck her without them now, because he has leverage over her via a postpartum journal and her lack of financial resources. He sticks the gun into the entrance of her vagina and makes her choose: him or the gun.<br />
<br />
He has his "bodyguard" call Social Services on Iris. Just to further put stress on her and shore up his custody rights if she ever gets away and tries to get custody. After the visit from Social Services, he beats her again, so badly that now he has his cousin, a med student he has blackmail on, look her over and give her medicine because her ribs are bruised. He threatens Iris's extended family as well.<br />
<br />
Around 50% in, August and Iris meet again. She's being watched over by the bodyguard while volunteering for a charity. They have an interlude, but the bodyguard snitches and Caleb catches them. 55%, he sodomizes her then beats her so badly that she loses consciousness. The cousin finally has a brief burst of conscience and helps her escape along with her cousin, Lotus.<br />
<br />
57% and we see the settlement with Caleb and his father. She doesn't go public with the file folder of abuse evidence she's compiled, he signs over custody and agrees to leave them alone. Signs an NDA.<br />
<br />
60% August is asking the volunteer coordinator where Iris is. Iris has disappeared.<br />
<br />
A YEAR PASSES.<br />
<br />
<b>We're at 61% of the book, and other than a few short scenes, August and Iris have no page time together. </b><br />
<br />
Iris has fled to her grandmother's in Louisiana. There's some purifying, some healing. Her grandmother dies. (sigh) Iris and her cousin Lotus have a heart to heart about abuse that happened to Lotus (raped as a child by a family member).<br />
<br />
August is still trying to find Iris. He's still pining.<br />
<br />
67% and Iris makes the call to take back her life and resume working in sports marketing. She calls the guy whose internship she had to turn down when pregnant. Who also just happens to be August's stepbrother, which Iris doesn't know.<br />
<br />
August is looking at a trade deal worth $40+ million, but Jared tells him Iris is coming to work for him, and he turns it down to stay.<br />
<br />
<b>And this is where I have an issue. These two don't get together until darn near 70% of the book. The conflict is 100% about domestic violence. </b><br />
<br />
<u>***To sum up the last of the book:</u> she ends up working for the agency owned by August (silent partner) and his stepbrother. August tries to help her however he can while respecting she wants to do things on her own and not be financially dependent on him. Their relationship is fairly easy after all she's gone through. And then the guilty-conscience cousin leaks the file folder of Iris's abuse to the press. August is away from town for a game. He sends a driver to take her and her daughter to Louisiana for safety, but after her experiences with Caleb's bodyguard, she refuses to let the driver stay. And yes, Caleb finds them.<br />
<br />
Caleb attacks her. Shoots her in the shoulder and is attempting to rape her again when she wrestles for the gun and it goes off. Caleb is shot. August shows up. They decide to watch Caleb to make sure he dies before dialing 911. There's an optimistic epilogue.<br />
<br />
Fin.<br />
<br />
*** <br />
<br />
My thoughts: The book is well written. I loathe every single thing about 1st person, present, and I found the use of that tense for on-the-page rape highly troubling. I did NOT like how much of the story centered the abusive relationship. The domestic violence outweighed the basketball in this book. More time is spent on her rape and abuse than on the romance we're supposed to be reading for. I have a very difficult time with books that are labeled romance, but the love story doesn't feel central to the book. And while this is undoubtedly a well written book by a highly skilled author, I'm going to go ahead and get dragged by saying I'm not sure I'd consider this a romance. It read far more like a novel with romantic elements or a love story tacked on. YMMV. <br />
<br />
<br />
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-19637865549764585562019-03-05T13:10:00.001-08:002019-03-05T13:10:13.555-08:00Review: Ready to Run by Lauren Layne<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9v7Dxb-oLYo/XH6nnR5qPZI/AAAAAAAAD0g/wu7D-IgcdDcblwdsXarkY8H2ANP4Xwo9QCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/519Qgtj62YL._SY346_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9v7Dxb-oLYo/XH6nnR5qPZI/AAAAAAAAD0g/wu7D-IgcdDcblwdsXarkY8H2ANP4Xwo9QCK4BGAYYCw/s200/519Qgtj62YL._SY346_.jpg" width="131" /></a>Format: ebook<br />
Pub Date: August 22, 2017<br />
Publisher: Loveswept<br />
Length: 215 pages<br />
POV: 3rd past<br />
FTC: Purchased myself<br />
<br />
I
binged my way through Lauren Layne's backlist last May, but stopped
when I found books that were written in first person, present tense (a
combination I cannot stand). I had seen this one, but discounted it
because I personally despise reality television and this book seemed
entirely about a TV show based on the blurb.<br />
<br />
It must have
been on sale, because I finally caved and purchased the book. Most of
the Lauren Layne books I've read in the past were set in the big city.
This was a bit different for me. It's a city girl visiting a small town.
Classic fish out of water. I was pleasantly surprised by how well
Layne's voice works in the small town romance.<br />
<br />
I had a
few issues with the unevenness of how some characters are dealt with. We
spend quite a lot of time with the first two brides, and none with the
third. There's a spoiler-y reason for this, but it still feels a little
weird how that entire situation is dealt with. Also missing are any real
details about Luke's job. The small town setting seems sketched in,
with only broad strokes.<br />
<br />
The standard group of
non-catty girl friends that often appear in Layne books is present here,
too, which I liked, but I felt like we almost spent too much time with
the secondary characters. This wasn't my favorite Layne book, but it was
a quick, easy read.<br />
<br />
My Grade: B-<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Blurb:</i></b><br />
Jordan Carpenter thinks she’s finally found the perfect candidate for <i>Jilted,</i> a new dating show about runaway grooms: firefighter Luke Elliott, a known player who’s left not one but <i>three</i>
brides at the altar. The only problem? Luke refuses to answer Jordan’s
emails or return her calls. Which is how she ends up on a flight to
Montana to recruit him in person. It’s not Manhattan, but at least the
locals in Lucky Hollow seem friendly . . . except for Luke, who’s more
intense—and way hotter—than the slick womanizer Jordan expected.<br /><br />
Eager to put the past behind him, Luke has zero intention of following
this gorgeous, fast-talking city girl back to New York. But before he
can send her packing, Jordan’s everywhere: at his favorite bar, the
county fair, even his exes’ book club. Annoyingly, everyone in Lucky
Hollow seems to like her—and deep down, she’s starting to grow on him
too. But the more he fights her constant pestering, the more Luke finds
himself wishing that Jordan would kick off her high heels and make
herself comfortable in his arms. Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-74572080012272706632019-02-20T05:00:00.000-08:002019-02-20T05:00:06.653-08:00Review: Blood is Blood by Will Thomas (Barker and Llewelyn)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZyK4BEcKn0/XGxdkHDIpmI/AAAAAAAADzo/ejcoUSgVCRgFXk3iAoHOEBYKRrVzmD6LQCLcBGAs/s1600/blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZyK4BEcKn0/XGxdkHDIpmI/AAAAAAAADzo/ejcoUSgVCRgFXk3iAoHOEBYKRrVzmD6LQCLcBGAs/s200/blood.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
Format: Hardcover<br />
Pub Date: November 2018<br />
Publisher: Minotaur Books<br />
Length: 308 pages<br />
POV: 1st person, past<br />
FTC: review copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
<br />
I haven't read a lot of historical mysteries in 1st person, so this was a bit of a change for me. This book is also in the middle of a series, so I'm not sure I'd have had the same reading experience if I'd been following the series all along.<br />
<br />
I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I really liked the overall mystery and the setting and characters. On the other, I felt like it was missing some emotional depth, which is likely because I'm a character-centric reader. I want their thoughts and feelings on the page, and the emotions in particular were largely absent here, which I found weird considering the emotional events that form the focus of the book.<br />
<br />
I have never read Will Thomas, nor had I heard of this series before, but I love historical mysteries and decided to give it a chance. The book begins with a bit of the Monday blues and an absentminded groom-to-be not listening to his fiance, then promptly devolves into chaos as the office of Barker Private Inquiries is blown to smithereens.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
With Cyrus Barker injured and out of commission, Thomas Llewelyn must forgo wedding planning for taking the lead in the investigation. Complicating matters is Cyrus's brother, a Pinkerton detective who doesn't follow the rules and is not being altogether forthcoming. I haven't seen a lot of Pinkerton detectives in English-set historicals, so I thought that was a fun twist.<br />
<br />
My issue with the mystery itself was also likely because I hadn't read any of the previous books. It felt oddly like a filler episode on a TV series where they do flashbacks of things that had happened with only 10 minutes of new footage. It was a greatest hits kind of investigation, as Thomas investigates all of their former foes, trying to discover who had motive to blow up the office. The heavy reliance on back story didn't work for me at all, and I just couldn't get invested. <br />
<br />
The only real emotional drama in the whole book centers around Thomas and Rebecca's wedding, and Rebecca coming to grips with the fact that she's marrying a man whose job is dangerous. But even here, the emotional reaction is mostly off of the page and muted. <br />
<br />
There's enough uniqueness here to give historical mystery readers something just a bit different, although readers who prefer character-centric stories might be a tad disappointed. It was different, it had a great deal of setting and atmosphere, but I didn't love it the way I'd wanted to. I'd recommend starting with a different book.<br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: C</b><br />
The Blurb:<br />
<div dir="auto" id="iframeContent">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>In
19th century London, Cyrus Barker and his associate Thomas Llewelyn are
renowned private enquiry agents, successfully employed by the highest
levels of Her Majesty's government as well as private citizens. Their
success, however, has led to their acquiring a powerful group of
enemies, many of whom are determined to have their revenge. </i><br />
<i>At
least one of those enemies is responsible for a bombing of their offices
that puts Cyrus Barker into the hospital and endangers Thomas
Llewelyn's rapidly forthcoming nuptials. To add to the confusion,
Barker's long-lost brother Caleb turns up on the rubble of their
doorstep not long after the not-quite-fatal bombing.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> </i><br />
<i>Unsure of
Caleb and warned about him by Barker, Thomas reluctantly accepts Caleb's
help both with a new case that comes in as well as trying to pinpoint
which of Barker's enemies is making a move against them. As Thomas
works his way through their enemy list, someone else is winnowing down
that list: one by one those enemies are dying. </i><br />
<i>With time running
out—and his bride-to-be reconsidering their marriage—Llewelyn must
(with the sick-bed bound Barker's help) uncover the killer and the plot
before it's too late.</i></blockquote>
</div>
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-91877920159982971782019-02-19T11:44:00.000-08:002019-02-19T11:44:11.186-08:00Review: Fast Falls the Night by Julia Keller (a Bell Elkins novel)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jBTEZfmBMPE/XGxaFSsWh0I/AAAAAAAADzc/uAbMiej5NN4VblBYq9XXR2lly_wabwr5wCLcBGAs/s1600/51GwOhZUiFL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jBTEZfmBMPE/XGxaFSsWh0I/AAAAAAAADzc/uAbMiej5NN4VblBYq9XXR2lly_wabwr5wCLcBGAs/s200/51GwOhZUiFL.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Format: Trade Paperback<br />
Pub Date: July 2018, copyright 2017<br />
Publisher: Minotaur Books<br />
Length: 286 pages<br />
POV: 3rd alternating past<br />
FTC: review copy courtesy of the publisher<br />
CW: drug overdose <br />
<br />
I read this months ago, and posted a brief mini review on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BmJLaaKHhZS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">here</a>, but I felt like I hadn't really covered what I wanted to cover about this book. I read a lot, I mean A LOT, and I'm still thinking about this book six months later. Partly because my region <a href="https://krcrtv.com/news/butte-county/enloe-hospital-receives-11-patients-suffering-apparent-overdoses">just experienced </a>a smaller version of what happens in the novel, and partly because it was such a unique and timely book which was sadly, inspired by a real 24 hour period of mass overdoses in West Virginia. <br />
<br />
The novel takes place over the course of 24 hours, and while I was never a fan of the series, 24, I can see the appeal of using that time constraint to serve as a narrative structure. It works incredibly well here, as we watch events unfold through a variety of points of view: Bell Elkins, a prosecutor, the EMS and hospital staff, the families of those saved and those lost. Each chapter begins with a time, and as the novel progresses, the reader feels Bell's growing horror over the escalation of deaths as more and more overdoses happen on her turf.<br />
<br />
Also mixed in is some back story about Bell's childhood, which (probably because I haven't read any other books in the series) feels a bit disconnected from the rest of the narrative. But the events of the past mix with the events of the present to add further stress to an already overwhelmed Bell.<br />
<br />
This isn't a long book, but Keller manages to squeeze a lot of tension into it and a lot of nuance about life in poverty. I was very impressed by how even secondary characters are fleshed out and felt believable. Even if they didn't spend a lot of time on the page.<br />
<br />
My only quibble, and this comes 100% from my personal preference, is that the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger. The primary mystery is solved, sort of, but the threads are left hanging in an obvious sequel baiting way that I found unsatisfying. <br />
<br />
I wish we saw more authors like Keller who avoid using cliches about the poor and really dig deep into what drives people to make the decisions they do. I was very impressed with the nimble way she switched from character to character while making the reader care about all of them. No shortcuts, no easy fall back onto tired stereotypes. It's not often that I read a mystery with written with such obvious care. For that, and for the timely topic, I recommend this book!<br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: A- </b><br />
<br />
<b>The Blurb:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div dir="auto" id="iframeContent">
<i>Based on a real-life event, Pulitzer Prize-winner Julia Keller’s latest Bell Elkins novel Fast Falls the Night
takes place in a single 24-hour period, unfurling against the backdrop
of a shattering personal revelation that will change Bell’s life
forever.</i><br />
<i>The first drug overdose comes just after midnight, when a
young woman dies on the dirty floor of a gas station bathroom. To the
people of the small town of Acker’s Gap, West Virginia, it is just
another tragedy. It is sad—but these days, depressingly familiar.</i><br />
<i> But then there is another overdose. And another. And another.</i> </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div dir="auto" id="iframeContent">
<i>
Prosecutor Bell Elkins soon realizes that her Appalachian hometown
is facing its starkest challenge yet: a day of constant heroin overdoses
from a batch tainted with a lethal tranquilizer. While the clock ticks
and the bodies fall, Bell and her colleagues desperately track the
source of the deadly drug—and engage in fierce debates over the wisdom
of expending precious resources to save the lives of self-destructive
addicts.</i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<br />Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-59917130156823844402018-10-08T05:00:00.000-07:002018-10-08T05:00:04.744-07:00Review: Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyPgJ8U3Ku8/W7kxJDTmcSI/AAAAAAAADus/CiA-B5LEV6cMZDuUv8BLwD2ZM8Hiddo_ACLcBGAs/s1600/51awK1zEPuL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyPgJ8U3Ku8/W7kxJDTmcSI/AAAAAAAADus/CiA-B5LEV6cMZDuUv8BLwD2ZM8Hiddo_ACLcBGAs/s200/51awK1zEPuL.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
Format: <a href="https://amzn.to/2zW2j05">ebook</a><br />
Pub Date: September 25, 2018<br />
Publisher: Avon<br />
Length: 384 pages<br />
POV: 3rd Past<br />
FTC: Purchased myself<br />
Disclosure: I pretty much enjoy everything Jill writes<br />
<br />
I'm a character-centric mood reader. Which means that I quite often pick up books that I know I'd enjoy if I were in a different mood, only to set them down after 20 pages. I never do that with Jill's books, because even if I'm in a shitty mood (more often now given the state of things nationally and the fact that I'm raising teens) Jill's books comfort me, make me smile, make me laugh, and in general give me the book equivalent of a cookie. Or three.<br />
<br />
I truly don't know how she does it, but her books have the right blend of emotion (without ripping out your heart) humor (without turning the book into a comedy) and heat (without making me skim the sex scenes). They're my comfort reads.<br />
<br />
That's not to say this book was perfect. I had some issues with one section in particular, either because of my poor reading comprehension skills these days or because of continuity errors. I literally could not figure out whether the power was off or on during one pivotal scene where it truly mattered. <br />
<br />
Lucas and Molly are both great characters, and I really enjoyed their reluctant romance. I also loved that Lucas is 100% supportive of Molly's attempt to become a more active part of the investigation team. It's internal emotional scars, rather than asshat sexism that provides the conflict.<br />
<br />
Although the blurb reads like a holiday novel, the holiday aspects are confined almost exclusively to a Christmas village fraud case that Molly and Lucas end up working on. There are a few references, here and there, but this didn't feel like a book you'd only want to read during the winter holiday season. <br />
<br />
I'm bummed I read this book in two days, mostly sitting in the car waiting on kids, because the next one isn't out until February.<br />
<br />
Grade: B<br />
<br />
The Blurb:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><strong><em>Who needs mistletoe?</em></strong></i><br />
<em>Most people
wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then
again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most
people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s
been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas
Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants
to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .</em><br />
<i>Whiskey
and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to
remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather
than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t
believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with
Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known.
Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to
babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart
this Christmas.</i></blockquote>
<br />Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-66385779154045674732018-10-06T13:17:00.000-07:002018-10-06T13:17:38.848-07:00Man of the Month series by J. Kenner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NERC5wWlnqk/W7kW1PeNKhI/AAAAAAAADug/vbnVe8NUwCwx1MG15LxWqyKGbZSxaOZkgCLcBGAs/s1600/1-January-Down-On-Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NERC5wWlnqk/W7kW1PeNKhI/AAAAAAAADug/vbnVe8NUwCwx1MG15LxWqyKGbZSxaOZkgCLcBGAs/s200/1-January-Down-On-Me.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-g8p2Caa0U/W7kWqjzXQYI/AAAAAAAADuc/9jqVmdt9unsm04OsXK-uDukwGu1AGbIcQCLcBGAs/s1600/5-May-Get-It-On.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-g8p2Caa0U/W7kWqjzXQYI/AAAAAAAADuc/9jqVmdt9unsm04OsXK-uDukwGu1AGbIcQCLcBGAs/s200/5-May-Get-It-On.jpg" width="125" /></a><br />
I didn't post at all last month. School started and with it, all of the obligations and chauffeuring. I did, however, read in those few blissful hours of peace and quiet I regained after a summer filled with KIDS IN MY SPACE.<br />
<br />
For anyone wondering if the free books given away at reader events lead to sales, this is a good anecdotal case study. I received the first book in the Man of the Month series, <a href="https://amzn.to/2ynVXEO">Down on Me</a>, as a freebie at the last RT held in Reno in May. It sat, unloved, for a few months in my pile of books, but I picked it up on a whim.<br />
<br />
I read the entire series last month. <a href="http://juliekenner.com/books/series/man-of-the-month/">All 12 of them</a>. Just one-clicked myself into a stupor. Part of that is that these are all connected stories with a really cute hook: a calendar contest held in a bar. And each book is relatively short (around 250 pages) with a very obvious (and popular) trope. We have secret baby, best friend's sister, second chance at love, friends to lovers, and lots of other favorites. J Kenner is smart as hell with the marketing and planning on this series, because it worked for me. As soon as I discovered I liked her voice, it was over. My book budget was toast.<br />
<br />
Not all of these books were equally good. Some were As, some were Cs, but they all were character-centric, hot, and hit just the right tone for my scattered, back-to-school brain to absorb between drop off and pick ups. The first book is free on Kindle still. Just make sure you set aside a week, or month, to read them all. The distilled trope-yness was exactly what I needed. Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-91769071564808918692018-08-28T16:34:00.000-07:002018-08-28T20:48:32.706-07:00Review: Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone (thriller/mystery)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mm4_o1RtnvI/W1ID2Xz7R9I/AAAAAAAADqk/aY20j3INJocw72SlknLP72IPcWxL-BStgCLcBGAs/s1600/janedoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mm4_o1RtnvI/W1ID2Xz7R9I/AAAAAAAADqk/aY20j3INJocw72SlknLP72IPcWxL-BStgCLcBGAs/s200/janedoe.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Format: <a href="https://amzn.to/2L9xzjv">ebook</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/2O6wvdZ">hardcover</a>, trade paperback<br />
Pub Date: August 1, 2018<br />
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (Amazon)<br />
Length: 282 pages in the trade ARC<br />
<u><b>POV: 1st person, present tense</b></u><br />
FTC: review copy courtesy of the author/publisher at RT18<br />
<br />
For those who don't know, Victoria Helen Stone is the alter ego of romance novelist Victoria Dahl. <i>Jane Doe</i> is NOT A ROMANCE. It's also written in first person, present tense, which yes, I know, I usually avoid like the plague. But if you read mysteries and thrillers, and if you follow Victoria Dahl on Twitter or have read her romances, you will probably enjoy this delicious book of revenge.<br />
<br />
Reading this book was almost therapeutic for me. It’s like Victoria took all of the rage I’ve felt since Nov 2016, all of
the disgust I’ve felt for mansplaining dudes on the internet, all of my
frustration watching people make excuses for abusive dickwads, and made
an outlet for it in the form of a book.<br />
<br />
If you've ever watched her toying with the birth control trolls on Twitter, this book is a lot like that, but taken to a darker extreme. Jane, our narrator, is a sociopath, manipulating an emotional abuser while on a quest to ruin his life the way he ruined hers. She's used to analyzing other people's emotions in an attempt to mimic them, so she can parse every abusive manipulation Steven tries to use. The negging. The control. The digs about her appearance. <br />
<br />
It's incredibly creepy watching as Steven tries to manipulate her. It's spelled out. But it's also kind of satisfying watching as Jane pretends to react the way he expects while also plotting how to use each and every one of his abusive tactics against him. She's dissecting his game in real time. It's one of the reasons why present tense works so very well. Because the reader is following along as Steven is attempting to manipulate her with Jane explaining what he's doing as he's doing it. It's incredibly effective.<br />
<br />
For me, the suspense was wondering just how far Jane was going to go. Not even she is sure until the end exactly what she's capable of.<br />
<br />
Hats off to the author for putting together such a raw and powerful book. Honestly the best book I've read in ages. <br />
<br />
My grade: A<br />
<br />
<b>The Blurb:</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div dir="auto" id="iframeContent">
<i><b>A double life with a single purpose: revenge.</b></i><br />
<i>Jane’s
days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends
in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra
efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle
manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a
man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.</i><br />
<i>But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her.</i><br />
<i>Nothing
can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself
to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career
and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane
to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all
away.</i><br />
<i>Just as he did to her.</i></div>
</blockquote>
Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-75910833477153469602018-07-23T05:00:00.000-07:002018-07-25T08:10:55.359-07:00Review: A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWwBSXhhP2Y/W1IBFh5LDLI/AAAAAAAADqY/Tirs4wGePww-DSIYxcuy-iVsOBQ0a38xwCLcBGAs/s1600/cole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="179" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jWwBSXhhP2Y/W1IBFh5LDLI/AAAAAAAADqY/Tirs4wGePww-DSIYxcuy-iVsOBQ0a38xwCLcBGAs/s200/cole.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
Format: Mass market<br />
Pub Date: March 2018<br />
Publisher: Avon<br />
POV: 3rd, past<br />
Length: 360 pages<br />
FTC: received a copy from the publisher at RT18<br />
<br />
I've been hearing about this book all year. It was all the rage in my corner of Twitter. In short: it was a "buzzy" book, and I rarely do well with "buzzy" books. While I didn't click in the deep, OMG fangirl kind of way I would have liked to, I did enjoy it. Especially for all of the ways it was so very different from other books out there.<br />
<br />
I liked that we get to see a contemporary set in the city. No whiff of small town here. It revels in being an NYC book. There's the nosy and noisy neighbors, the subway, the easy access to different kinds of art/restaurants, the bodegas, the de facto multiculturalism. <br />
<br />
I also like that Naledi Smith (Ledi) is a scientist. Specifically a former foster kid training to be a black woman scientist in a very specific field. She thinks in scientific terms in an adorably nerdy way. She has to deal with sexism in her lab job in a way that is so real for many women scientists. She struggles with relationships as a result of her upbringing. She's emotionally cagey.<br />
<br />
I struggled with Prince Thabiso/Jamal as a character. I really did. He's a self serving dick through most of the book, and I'm a bit over self serving dicks right now. I did, however, ADORE his assistant Likotsi. If she ever gets her own book, I'm here for it. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
My biggest issue with the book was the same issue I have for practically every single "secret identity" book: the lies. I have a line I don't like to see crossed, because it is extremely squicky, and this book crossed it: the characters had sex while one of them was lying about who they were. That's a nope from me. I know this is something that doesn't bother a whole lot of readers, because secret identity tropes are a big thing. I just have a big problem believing in an HEA when one of the characters has lied past that point in their relationship.<br />
<br />
There's lots of groveling and even condemnation from Prince Thabiso's assistant. I just...really, really don't like the dishonesty in romance. Love is built on trust.<br />
<br />
The parts of the book set in Africa were not my favorite. Partly because I didn't like how fish-out-of-water they made Ledi feel. I didn't like the palace intrigue plot, and I felt the "epidemic" subplot was wrapped up in a way that felt rushed. I did enjoy the myriad of little details the author added to flesh out the culture and setting. Everything from the weather, to the clothes, to their religious practices. They were well done without veering into info-dumping. Excellent world building.<br />
<br />
If you're looking for something completely different from your average contemporary romance, this fun take on the secret royal/American princess story will hit the spot.<br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: B </b>Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-73453704755624103472018-07-20T07:58:00.000-07:002018-07-20T07:58:25.626-07:00Review: Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpgBqcMZnYA/W1H4VKRPe1I/AAAAAAAADqM/fDvdOUG7vXIqFVje8yfpplC85320qK-xQCLcBGAs/s1600/hoyt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="286" data-original-width="176" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpgBqcMZnYA/W1H4VKRPe1I/AAAAAAAADqM/fDvdOUG7vXIqFVje8yfpplC85320qK-xQCLcBGAs/s200/hoyt.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>
Format: mass market<br />
Pub Date: October 2017<br />
Publisher: Grand Central<br />
Length: 308 pages<br />
POV: 3rd, past<br />
<br />
***Content warning: rape, incest, child molestation***<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Hoyt's books are often gritty. They often deal with less than savory behavior. There's violence in them. But Duke of Desire should have a content warning on it. I found it deeply distressing, especially as a major character motivation deals explicitly with being raped by his parent as a child.<br />
<br />
The plot revolves around Raphael, the Duke of Dyemore, infiltrating the Lords of Chaos (an evil group of men who rape and sodomize as part of their secret society). He rescues Lady Iris Jordan from their clutches under the guise of raping and murdering her "off screen" as it were. She shoots him, not realizing she's actually being rescued.<br />
<br />
I had several issues with the plot and pacing, but for me...this was just too dark. I finished it, because Hoyt is compulsively readable, but it's not a book I'd recommend easily. Proceed with caution.Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4951562957483519143.post-10397879849556656482018-07-05T18:52:00.000-07:002018-07-05T18:52:06.261-07:00Review: Lady Rogue by Theresa Romain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4b-Ht6mkBpg/Wz7LFINHA4I/AAAAAAAADpk/UkomVhHjIV4_d2O_1KyPGNVKdAX7f9FLQCLcBGAs/s1600/rogue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="174" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4b-Ht6mkBpg/Wz7LFINHA4I/AAAAAAAADpk/UkomVhHjIV4_d2O_1KyPGNVKdAX7f9FLQCLcBGAs/s200/rogue.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>
Format: mass market <br />
Pub Date: May 2018<br />
Publisher: Zebra<br />
Length: 277 pages<br />
FTC: Received for free at RT18<br />
POV: 3rd past <br />
<br />
I'm a sucker for Bow Street Runner romances...err Officers of the Police. I love them. I wanted to really love this book, but I didn't. The characters are fine, the plot is...fine. But I did not really feel these two characters truly connected. The romance was extremely superficial. Other than the obvious class differences, there wasn't a lot of internal conflict in the relationship. It was all kind of...meh.<br />
<br />I did enjoy the mystery aspect, although that, too, was a little disjointed. There are several mysteries woven in and out of the narrative, and some are important and angsty while some feel kinda shoe-horned in. The big surprise at the end WAS a surprise, but the ending felt extremely rushed. Like the last 2 minutes of a film where everything gets wrapped up.<br />
<br />
I think I would have liked it better if this were a mystery and not a romance. <br />
<br />
<b>My Grade: C+</b><br />
<br />
<b>The Blurb:</b><br />
<br />
As far as London’s high society knows, Lady Isabel Morrow is above
reproach. But the truth is rarely so simple. Though the young widow’s
passionate fling with dashing Bow Street Runner Callum Jenks ended
amicably months ago, she now needs his expertise. It seems Isabel’s late
husband, a respected art dealer, was peddling forgeries. If those
misdeeds are revealed, the marriage prospects of his younger cousin— now
Isabel’s ward—will be ruined.<br /> <br /> For the second time, Isabel has
upended Callum’s well-ordered world. He’s resolved to help her secretly
replace the forgeries with the real masterpieces, as a . . . friend. A
proper sort of friend doesn’t burn with desire, of course, or steal
kisses on twilight errands. Or draw a willing lady into one passionate
encounter after another. Isabel’s scheme is testing Callum’s heart as
well as his loyalties. But with pleasure so intoxicating, the real crime
would be to resist . . .Buriedbybooks http://www.blogger.com/profile/13945897945845383252noreply@blogger.com1