Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Blog Tour: Lie to Me by Tori St. Claire (Contest, Guest Blog and Review)





Genre:
Romantic Suspense, Erotic Romance

Format:
EBook (available as paperback too)

Publisher:
Berkley

Release Date:
July 2012







A man of action…

After helping to break up a Russian human trafficking ring as part of the CIA’s elite Black Opal team, Alexei Nikanova’s newest assignment is to rescue one of the stolen women and return her to her father. When he arrives in Dubai, he discovers his target is Sasha Zablosky—a woman he knows all too well, and who has haunted him ever since their unforgettable time together in Moscow, two and a half years earlier. But he finds Sasha reluctant to leave her sheikh, the only true friend she’s ever known. Only Alexei can’t give her a choice.

A woman of deception…

With their yearning roused by intrigue, Alexei and Sasha can no longer resist temptation, and spend night after night in forbidden pleasure. Soon Alexei finds himself falling for her, even as he battles a shadowy menace to protect her. But Sasha is no innocent. She has a past darker than she could ever admit, one that Alexei could never forgive. And it is about to explode into her life once more. As the lies they tell themselves—and each other—pull them deeper into a perilous desire, what began as simple passion becomes a love certain to destroy them and end the lives of countless innocents.

Excerpt

Sasha rolled over, propped her head up on one elbow. “Who do you work for, Alexei?”

That was certainly the last question he’d ever prepared for. Chancing a glance at her upturned face, he debated how to answer. She’d told him she worked for FSB; she undoubtedly knew he was an American agent—virtually all of Dubai knew. But tell her about the Opals? Let her in?

What the hell. They’d already named themselves in front of her. She knew their director’s name. He stared at the television as he answered, “A special division within the CIA known as the Black Opals. We’re the ones they send when it’s real dicey and they need to delete someone with the press of a button.”

“Delete?”

More quietly he added, “We don’t exist.”

He crossed opposite ankles and folded his hands behind his head, leaning back against the headboard. Waiting for her to make the association between his vague explanation and the truth of his work. When she did, shock would stop her questions.

Instead, Sasha’s palm fitted over his belly, gentle sweeping motions that rumpled the fabric of his shirt and offered more comfort than Alexei had known could exist. “Isn’t that . . . difficult?” she asked softly.

“Difficult? The missions are never ea—”

“No. Not existing.” That delightful little palm slid higher, caressing the lower part of his chest. “I mean, don’t you ever crave life? The simple things like owning a house and paying someone to rake your leaves.” The heel of her palm worked into his tense muscles. “Like sleeping in on a Saturday and having breakfast in bed.”

More than she could understand. He tensed. She was getting too close, treading too far into murky waters he didn’t want to disturb.

Dropping to an almost inaudible whisper, her voice washed over his body. “Have you ever been in love, Alexei?”

Danger. Combustion imminent. Alexei covered the sudden trip of his heart with a harsh chuckle. “Love’s not an option in my line of work, princess.”

She was silent for a blissful moment, leaving him with the conclusion he’d scared her off. As luck would have things, however, when she did speak, she didn’t traipse around uncomfortable, she plunged in headfirst. “You only call me princess when I’ve hit a nerve. So tell me, Agent Nikanova, are you afraid of the fall, or afraid of the loss?”



My thoughts...

Alexei and Sasha are two tortured souls. My heart went out to both of them. They have been placed in impossible situations through no fault of their own, but it's up to them to get out of it without losing their lives in the process. Love is the last thing they expect, but that just adds to their problems.

This story has it all - adventure, drama, betrayal, romance and very hot sex...let me repeat...very hot sex (it nearly melted my Kindle!) So, if that's not your thing, you shouldn't read this but if you don't mind sex and violence in your stories, you'll love this book. I know I did! LOL! It's fast-paced and chock-filled with action that will leave your head spinning. Just when you think Alexei and Sasha are safe, their lives are thrown into the center of danger and they are once again running for their lives.

I absolutely could not put this book down. It's the second book of Tori St. Claire's Black Opal series, but it's a standalone book. I never read the first book and I'm not sure how I missed it, but it didn't take anything away from the story for me. I do plan to check out the first book though.

4 out of 5 kitty cats.

 
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Guest Blog Post by Author Tori St. Claire

Now, I'd like to welcome author Tori St. Claire to Socrates' Book Review Blog.  Thank you for joining us today and letting us be part of your blog tour.

Good morning, all! It’s a rather bittersweet day for me – the end of this incredibly fun tour. I’ve had such a great time meeting everyone that I’m sad it won’t go on. At the same time, I’m excited to move onto my next project.

I’m going to close today with a glimpse of one of the characters who stood out to me in Lie to Me, even though his role was very short-lived. Please meet, Jayce Honeycutt, otherwise known as Sandman.

Tori: Hi, Jayce. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you agreed to talk with me today. I know things are busy with the Black Opals right now.

Jayce: Actually, now’s good timing. I’ve ah… been instructed to take a vacation. It seems HQ isn’t pleased with my opinion of Sasha.

Tori: (wincing) Yeah, I’ve heard about that. Little favoritism going on there with Clark and Alexei, you think?

Jayce: Think? Try it’s been obvious since Alexei came aboard. Him I don’t have issue with. Well… didn’t. He’s damn good at what he does. I just don’t see how an American operative can see beyond acts of treason. She—

Tori: (Holds up a hand, cutting him off.) I didn’t mean to get you all riled up. I’m sorry. What are you going to do with this time off?

(Jayce groans and rolls his eyes.) My sister’s getting married. Seems I’m required to be there.

Tori: Ew, the obligatory wedding. Even if it’s family, that’s no fun. So what do you see happening with the Black Opals in the future? Have you patched the relationship with MI6?

Jayce: You know… I’m not really sure. I’ve been kinda cut out of the loop right now. Clarke and I shared some unpleasant words. But I’m hearing rumblings about things south of the border. Not sure if it involves us, or if it’s just politics. (He shrugs nonchalantly.) Not my area anyway, that’s Sergei’s stomping grounds. Guess we’ll see how it plays out.

Tori: Are you looking forward to your next assignment whenever that may be?

Jayce: Yeah, I am, actually. Stateside makes me twitchy. I love my work, even if I have to put up with bullshit. But if I have to answer to her Clarke and I are going to have serious problems.

Tori: Her being Sasha, right?

Jayce: Bingo

Tori: Okay a couple more quick questions and then we’ll let you head off to that, ah, wedding. (Grinning)

Jayce: Gee thanks. Torture me some more, will you?

Tori: Anyone special in your life?

(In an instant, his grin vanishes. A frown darkens his handsome face.) No.

Tori: How disappointing. I was hoping for something our romance fans would enjoy.

Jayce: Not going to find that here, darling. I went that route once. Not interested in a second time.

Tori: Hm. You know, for certain women, that would sound like a challenge.

Jayce: Take it as you will. Though I can promise there will be heavy disappointment.

Tori: All right, on that note, I’m going to have to get back and get these notes typed up. Deadlines and all that. Thanks again, Jayce, for the time out of your schedule, and best of luck with that obligatory event.

(Jayce gives a smile so devastating that I’d swear my heart stopped for a moment.) The pleasure has been mine.

So, that is Jayce, and the man amuses me greatly. Particularly his interaction with Sasha. It’s your turn now – let me know what you’ve enjoyed the most about this book tour in the comments below.

~Tori St. Claire

Author Bio

National Bestselling author Tori St. Claire grew up writing. Hobby quickly turned into passion, and when she discovered the world of romance as a teen, poems and short stories gave way to full length novels with sexy heroes and heroines waiting to be swept off their feet. She wrote her first romance novel at seventeen.

While that manuscript gathered dust-bunnies beneath the bed, she went on to establish herself as a contemporary, historical, and paranormal author under the pen name, Claire Ashgrove. Her writing, however, skirted a fine line between hot and steamy, and motivated by authors she admired, she pushed her boundaries and made the leap into erotica, using the darker side of human nature and on-the-edge suspense to drive grittier, sexier, stories.

Her erotic romantic suspense novels are searingly sensual experiences that unite passion with true emotion, and the all-consuming tie that binds -- love.


Contest!!!

Tori will be giving away a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card to one random commenter during the month of July. Two additional commenters will receive a basket of swag. Follow the tour – the more times you comment the better your chances of winning! Complete tour dates can be found here.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays - July 31st



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week I'm reading...







"Why do we have to put on life jackets, Anna?  The plane has floats, right?"

Because he's afraid he might not get us out of the air in time.

Musing Mondays - Questions?



If you'd like to play along on Musing Mondays, just click the button above to join in.





This week’s musing asks…

What question(s) would you like to see asked in future Musing Mondays posts? I’m running out of ideas, and figured this might be the best way to get some more. ;)
The trick here will be to NOT answer anyone else’s questions just yet! LOL. You are only allowed to share questions, this week, but not answer them. ‘Kay? Go!


My answer...

Fun question...let's see...

1. Do you like blogs that feature alot of pictures, widgets, videos?

2. If you are a book reviewer, do you like a ratings system or prefer not to have one?

3. How do you manage a blog with your "real" life activities?


How about you?

Sunday, July 29, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I finished reading...




I'm currently reading...




and listening to...





Next up? This is next on my list...



















 What are you reading?

Sunday Salon - July 29th



If you'd like to participate with The Sunday Salon, just click the button above.

Happy Sunday!

After a week of hot weather, we are having a weekend that's a total rain out. I can't believe how much it rained today, but it's the perfect reading weather. Although, I must admit, I haven't really read much today.

As many of you already noticed, I changed the look of my blog. The banner at the top of my blog is my baby Socrates. I figure it's his blog so he should have a prominent spot :) I've decided to do away with the Socrates' Great Book Alert. I'm, also, probably going to get rid of my other blog Socrates' Cozy Cafe. Although cozy mysteries are still my genre of choice, I don't really need another blog for them. I post everything in both places anyway and it's just easier for me to have one blog with everything on it. As it is, I've been debating closing my blog due to lack of time, but maybe just cutting back on some book memes and my other blog will help.

I have some blog tours coming up. They are all listed on my sidebar. The first one is on Tuesday for Lie to Me by Tori St. Claire. Great book!

I've been enjoying many TV shows on TNT and USA this summer like Covert Affairs, Suits, Rizzoli & Isles, Franklin & Bash, and White Collar. Plus, HBO's True Blood. I love my vamps!

I hope everyone is having a great week and weekend!

Comments by ZingerBug.com

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Snapshot Saturday - July 28th

This is the first time I'm participating in this meme. I always thought this looked like fun, but I never had a chance to participate. So, here I am :) This meme is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books

This is from the beach in Jamaica we visited in 2009. I so want to go back there and be reading on that beach.





Thursday, July 26, 2012

Booking Through Thursday - Reading



If you'd like to join in on Booking Through Thursday, just click the button above.



This week's question...


A while ago, I interviewed my readers for a change, and my final question was, “What question have I NOT asked at BTT that you’d love me to ask?” I got some great responses and will be picking out some of the questions from time to time to ask the rest of you. Like now.

Two questions about your reading habits that just seem to go together.

GigiAnn asks:

Do you have a favorite season of the year that you read more? (Example: during snow storms, rainy weather, or sunny and warm weather) Sorry, that was the best I could come up with.

Lisa asks:

Where is your favorite place to read? On the beach? Inside/outside?

My answer...

I don't really have a season when I read more. I do read more when I'm on vacation, but the weather doesn't really effect how much I read. Although sometimes I will choose my books based on the weather. It sometimes seems strange to read a book set in a snow storm when it's 100 degrees outside. LOL But...most of the time it doesn't really matter.

My favorite place to read is inside. I get too easily distracted when I'm outside trying to read.

How about you?


Cat Thursdays - July 26th



Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.


This week Socrates just wanted to say hello to all his followers!  He even woke up early to do it!





Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays - July 24th



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week I'm reading...


Memories flashed through her mind. She'd danced for the leering men in her cousin's nightclub. Stripped for a handful of rubles that wouldn't feed her through the week.


Monday, July 23, 2012

Blog Tour: The Aspen 2-Million Winner-Take-All by John Morris




Genre:
Mystery, Romance

Format:
E-Book

Publisher:
Publish Green

Release Date:
May 2012





Morgan Somerville inherits a broken down duplex in Aspen’s fashionable West End. Along with the duplex, he inherits all the expenses. So, he sells part of the duplex to Risa Wentworth, a swimsuit model lookalike. The main problem in selling to Risa is her dog. The dog yaps all night and keeps Morgan awake, but Risa loves the dog and only cares about the dog so Morgan is stuck putting up with the noise.

After returning from a business trip, Risa seeks his assistance when the dog goes missing. When the dog turns up dead, Risa immediately accuses Morgan of killing the dog and files a lawsuit for one million dollars, plus she asks the judge to throw him out of town (a local tradition).

More than anything, Morgan loves living in Aspen and doesn’t want to lose his home, not to mention that he can’t afford a million dollars. He only has a couple of options…

1) To win in a two million dollar golf tournament.
2) Discover a secret about Risa and blackmail her.
3) Make Risa fall in love with him.

Morgan continues to find himself thrown into some of the craziest situations with a cast of amusing secondary characters. Readers will want to reach through the pages and lend this poor guy a helping hand.

I didn’t even see why Morgan would be interested in Risa, as I didn’t find her likeable at all. Morgan, however, is a great character. He’s described as a Matthew McConaughey type and I can easily picture that.

This is a well-written, quirky and humorous tale. However, the premise was a bit difficult for me to swallow. We find out early in the story what happened to the dog and I couldn’t understand why Morgan continued to get the blame throughout the book when he wasn’t even home when the dog died. Even his lawyer, who happened to be his best friend, told him it was hopeless and he would lose the case. (I don't want to say anymore to avoid giving out spoilers.)

This book would make for a fun comedy movie. I can easily see it played out on the big screen. It will definitely keep readers laughing – if you need a smile or a few giggles, grab this book.




FTC Disclosure: The Tribute Books provided me with a copy of this book to review for the blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.




John Morris' Bio:

John Morris lives in Aspen, Colorado, with his loving wife and two wonderful children. Having worked many of the same cowboy / construction / bartender / ski-patrol jobs as his fictional counterpart Morgan, he can vouch for how easy it is for a good-looking guy to get in trouble there.

John Morris' Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Morris/392376524117530

The Aspen 2-Million Winner-Take-All Blog Tour Site:
http://the-aspen.blogspot.com/

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186


Info about the book:

eBook
Price: $6.99
Pages: 281
Release: May 10, 2012

Kindle buy link


Nook buy link


iBookstore buy link


Also available through Kobo, Sony, ebooks.com and http://search.overdrive.com/classic/retail/




It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I finished reading...



and finished listening to...



and





I'm currently reading...



and listening to...





Next up? These two books are next on my list...






What are you reading?

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Audio Reviews


Genre:
Mystery, Paranormal

Format:
Audio

Publisher:
Recorded Books

Release Date:
2006







Synopsis from Fantastic Fiction:

Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living-but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent-even if the dead can wait forever.


My thoughts...

Good mystery and I really liked Harper and her step-brother. The town has your typically quirky characters that I love in my mysteries. This is the first book in the series and I'm definitely going to be catching up through audio books.



Genre:
Paranormal

Format:
Audio

Publisher:
Recorded Books

Release date:
May 2012






Synopsis from Fantastic Fiction:

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it's the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman's front yard--especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.


Now, it's up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl's fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who's out to make Sookie's world come crashing down.

My thoughts...

This is book #12 and another good entry in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I'm finding I'm not as excited about this series as I used to be but it's still fun and all my "friends" were there - Sookie, Eric, Bill, Alcide, Sam...



Disclosure: I took both audios from the library for my own reading enjoyment.

For Reading Challenge:

2012 Audio Reading Challenge




Book Giveaway Winner!


The winner of the book giveaway is....


nylnestill


Congrats to ny1nestill! 

The winner has been sent an email. 

Thanks to all who participated.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Permanence by Vincent Zandri




Genre:
Fiction

Format:
EBook

Publisher:
Bear Media

Release Date:
May 2012





Travel agent, Mary Kismet, lost her child in a heartbreaking drowning accident and blames herself. Sadly, her husband blames her too. She, also, loses her job. She’s left with nothing except her sessions with a psychiatrist. A man she is falling deeply in love with to the point of obsession.

At the request of her doctor, she accompanies him to Venice for a romantic vacation. Just the two of them, but there’s a deeper, darker reason for this visit and it further shakes Mary’s world. Something she cannot afford to let happen.

Mary and her doctor continue to grow closer, but at the same time, they are each trapped in their own tragic circumstances. When they return home, nothing is ever the same.

This book is told solely from Mary’s POV and it’s a heartrending story that will stick with readers long after the last page is turned. Mary is a tortured character who will bring tears to your eyes. It’s a disturbing book, but so well told that it will capture readers from the first page.




FTC Disclosure: Partners in Crime Tours provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Booking Through Thursday-Series or Stand-alone?



If you'd like to join in on Booking Through Thursday, just click the button above.



This week's question...

A while ago, I interviewed my readers for a change, and my final question was, “What question have I NOT asked at BTT that you’d love me to ask?” I got some great responses and will be picking out some of the questions from time to time to ask the rest of you. Like now.

Vampira2468 asks:

Series or Stand-alone?

My answer...

I don't really have a favorite. If the stories are good, I'll read either a series book or a stand-alone. I do love series books though. I think that's why I love the cozy mysteries so much. Generally, they are a series of books with the same characters in the same location. With each book you see a growth in the characters and it's like re-visiting old friends. But...I like any book with a good story - series or stand-alone it doesn't matter.

funny cat pictures - It's not paranoia if they are out to get you.
see more

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Cat Thursday - July 19th



Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.

funny cat pictures - take the picture
see more

Monday, July 16, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays - July 17th



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week I'm reading...



From the ebook...

Morgan was, at bottom, jealous. At least frustrated, because Risa didn't care about him. All she cared about was the damned dog. It was always--always--about The Dog. She seemed to spend every waking moment of the day with the stupid thing. (It wasn't like there were other guys.)

Musing Mondays - Current Read



If you'd like to play along on Musing Mondays, just click the button above to join in.





This week’s musing asks…

What are you currently reading? Is it any good? Would you recommend it?

My answer...

I'm reading...


I can't really say if I'd recommend it yet because I literally just started reading it. This is the synopsis from Amazon...

Morgan thought he had it made. He owned a cozy if dilapidated house in Aspen’s otherwise-fashionable West End, had lots of friends, a great business, threw the best parties in town. Then his beautiful-but-aloof neighbor Risa sued him for a million bucks-- for killing her dog. (Seriously. And he hadn’t even been there.) She was asking the judge to throw him out of town, too. (It’s a local tradition.) For Morgan, the money didn’t matter. He didn’t have a nickel to his name. But he couldn’t imagine not living in Aspen. His only hope: to win a 2-million dollar golf tournament (held on the sly at the local links) and pay Risa off. Either that or discover her deep, dark secret and blackmail her. Until his best friend/lawyer suggested Option #3: “Why don’t you just get her to fall in love with you?”


Not thrilled with the dog killing part, but we'll see where this leads.

What are you reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?



This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I finished reading...





I'm currently reading...



and still listening to...



and




Next up? These two books are next on my list...






What are you reading?

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Firefly Beach by Meira Pentermann




Genre:
Cozy mystery, paranormal

Format:
EBook

Publisher:
CreateSpace

Release Date:
March 2012





Beth LaMonte is in an emotional turmoil. Her beloved mother passes away and then her husband leaves her. She needs time to be on her own and away from her troubles. She pursues her dream of being an artist and rents a cottage on the coast of Maine. It appears to be the perfect place for peace and quiet, but she soon learns that’s not to be.

The townspeople are definitely an eccentric group. Her landlord is the town grouch, the jeweler is a recluse and her new friend is the local gossip. Then there’s the firefly…yes, a firefly who is desperate to make a connection with Beth. The bright light seems to be leading Beth on a mission which takes her to a secret beach. She discovers a hidden diary belonging to a woman who went missing in 1975. Beth becomes so obsessed with the young girl’s story that she sets out to learn what became of the woman.

Beth begins to unravel the story and even learns a few things about herself along the way. This story takes us on a journey using flashbacks from 1975 and mixing it into the present day.

At first I wasn’t sure I would like Beth. She seemed to be wrapped up in her own issues and oblivious to anyone else’s. Then, when she begins delving into the mystery, she grew as a person and readers began to understand her more. I became fascinated with this story and I couldn’t stop reading. It’s not often that I will stay up late to read a book, but I had to know how this was all going to turn out.

This is a great beach read with some heartbreaking moments along with some happy ones. It’s a fast read and the author’s writing is so smooth, each word flows beautifully on each page. Readers will truly care about the characters and their outcome.



FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

For reading challenges:

E-Book Reading Challenge

Completed Challenges - Wrap Up Posts

I completed two challenges this week. It should come as no surprise that it's cozy mystery challenges. LOL



Here's what I read...

1.  Citizen Insane by Karen Cantwell (Click to read review.)
2.  Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris (Click to read review.)
3.  Little Shop of Homicide by Denise Swanson (Click to read review.)
4.  Hot Chocolate by Dawn Greenfield Ireland (Click to read review.)
5. Chocolate Covered Murder by Leslie Meier (Click to read review.)
6. Murder Buys A T-shirt by Christy Fifield (Click to read review.)
7. An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette (Click to read review.)
8. Cats Can't Shoot by Clea Simon (Click to read review.)
9. Dead Locked by Amy Sanders (Click to read review.)
10. Corpse in the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend (Click to read review.)
11. For Whom the Funeral Bell Tolls by Livia J. Washburn (Click to read review.)
12. Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams (Click for review)


Here's what I read...

1. Whisker of Evil by Rita Mae Brown (Click for review.)
2. Shear Murder by Nancy J. Cohen (Click for review.)
3. Quilt or Innocence by Elizabeth Craig (Click for review.)
4. For Whom the Funeral Bell Tolls by Livia J. Washburn (Click for review.)
5. Corpse in the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend (Click for review.)
6. Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams (Click for review.)

I loved doing these challenges and I'll definitely be hosting the Cruisin' thru the Cozies challenge again next year. If Kris' has her cozy challenge next year, I'll be signing up again!