Tag: suspense

Posted in Cover Reveal

COVER REVEAL: Where There’s Smoke – Elizabeth Lee

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

We are thrilled to bring you the cover for Elizabeth Lee’s WHERE THERE’S SMOKE!! WHERE THERE’S SMOKE is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel being released on May 20th.

Where There's Smoke Front Cover

This cover was designed by Lauren Perry of L. Perry Designs.

 

About WHERE THERE’S SMOKE:

There is something to be said for letting go. Ryland Roberts knows that better than anyone. He’d let go of his ambitions, of his family and—most of all—of her. He’d perfected the art of putting his past behind him and accepted the fact that the town he wanted to leave in his rearview was the place where he was going to live out his days. But sometimes the past doesn’t just go away. Sometimes it comes back to haunt you.

Piper Jameson convinced herself that she left for all the right reasons. She’d saved people by leaving—made sure that they weren’t tainted by her rebellious ways. When her little sister asks her to come home and say goodbye to their ailing mother, she’s forced to see that things aren’t always as they seem. The people who she’d left behind might not have been saved at all.

In the amount of time it takes a bullet to travel from point A to point B, Piper and Ryland will have to put their feelings for each other aside and make a choice. Forced on the run with Piper’s sister, they begin to understand that the future they thought was gone was never really lost.

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Author PhotoAbout Elizabeth Lee:

When I’m not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand.  Here’s the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination!  Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

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Links:

Facebook ||Twitter || Website ||Author Goodreads || Novel Goodreads

Posted in Family, Romance, Suspense

Too Close – Elizabeth Krall

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17379064Synopsis

What rules would you break for the one you love? What lies would you tell?

Three weeks before their wedding day, Nicola and Greg discover that they may have the same mother.
They met when Greg joined the San Francisco newspaper where Nicola is the travel editor. After six months, eager to start a life together and raise a family, they decide to marry.
When Nicola finally meets his family in Seattle, and mentions the circumstances of her adoption, Greg’s horrified mother is forced to reveal the shameful secret she has kept for 36 years.
As they struggle to deal with her revelation, their relationship is challenged and strained. If his mother’s suspicions are true, they will be forced into a devastating choice: break all of society’s rules and fight for their love, or break their hearts and give each other up.
It will be the greatest test their newfound love has faced – and their love may not survive.

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My Review

What would you do if the love of your life could somehow be related to you?

Nicola and Greg meet at work. Nicola, after being burnt by her ex-boyfriend, who was also a colleague, has sworn off dating colleagues since then. But then she meets Greg and he proves to her that he would never hurt her and bit by bit he breaks down that wall and they end up falling fast for one another, becoming engaged after just six months.

Three weeks before the wedding and a trip to meet Greg’s family in Seattle, Nicola mentions her circumstances of being adopted after showing a family photo to Greg’s mother. In turn, Greg’s mother Mona is forced to confess and reveal a shameful moment that happened to her 36 years ago; a secret she has kept hidden from everyone. She had a baby and left it, just like the story Nicola told them.

After the revelation, Greg and Nicola’s relationship changes. They both struggle with the fact they could be half-brother and sister, but they try to put it at the back of their mind until the DNA results come back. But it’s harder to forget this situation and it challenges them both. What will happen if they are related? Will they break up and never see each other again or will they break society’s rules and run away together, some place where no one will ever know their secret?

Their love is being tested to the limit and will all these ‘what ifs’ in the way, will their love survive this terrible ordeal?

I came across Too Close on accident really. I was just looking for some books to download on Amazon and this book sprang to my attention. Clicking on it to see what it was about, I knew I had to read it. I had never read a book about a couple maybe being related but from the start I was completely hooked. I wanted to know how the realization that they could be related came to light and how it was dealt with as really, it is such a delicate and emotional issue to deal with but I felt Ms. Krall wrote this book spectacularly. She dealt with the issue in a seriousness matter but also in a way to kind of bring a light release to the issue.

She had me feeling every emotion all the characters’ felt, especially Greg, Nicola, Mona – Greg’s mother and Gwen – Nicola’s adoptive mother. I could see everyone’s side during the waiting for the results, especially both Greg and Nicola’s constant arguments over the whole ‘sibling’ thing because they both had very different views on what to do over it. I was on edge until the DNA results were shown because I just had to know the outcome. I had come to love Greg and Nicola and I hated that it could be over before it truly began for them. I love it when books evoke a whole load of emotions from me because you know it’s a great book when that happens!

As the synopsis mentions, Greg and Nicola meet at a bar one night where everyone from work goes to on a Friday. They seem to really get on and there is an obvious attraction for both of them but Max, a work colleague, tells Greg that Nicola doesn’t go out with work colleagues since her ex-boyfriend cheated on her throughout their relationship with her boss. Greg is determined to make her change her mind about her rule and starts off little, asking her out just as friends. Nicola knows this isn’t true, that it is a date, but somehow she doesn’t seem to care. She likes Greg and after a few more dates, it seems the rule is broken.

They fall for each other fast. Spending nearly every day together and one night, after being together for 6 months, they talk about children and getting married, which leads to them becoming engaged. Although it seems rushed, you can really see the chemistry and the love the both of them have for one another and when you know you’ve found the one, why would you wait? Love has no time limit.

Nicola’s parents and siblings really like Greg, so when it’s her turn to meet Greg’s parents, three weeks before the wedding, shes really nervous. She gets on well with his parents and his sister but when she tells the story of her adoption that is when everything goes pear shaped and secrets from Mona’s past  are about to come to the surface and are set to test their relationship and love for one another. Could Greg and Nicola really be brother and sister?

It was so heartbreaking to think that they could be half-brother and sister. It tore my heart apart that Nicola and Greg loved each other so when this revitalisation came to light, it was so hard to watch them both struggle over what to do about that information and how to handle it. Greg seemed to adjust to it, trying to push it to the back of his mind. This was HIS Nicola, and no way could they be related, it just couldn’t be. But Nicola had a hard time dealing with it. She had never wanted to meet her real mother and knowing that the love of her life could be her brother and knowing Mona could be her mother just didn’t feel right to her at all. It was all she could think about.

Greg tried so hard to get her to forget that they could be related. He’d tell her that it’s ‘just me, it’s just us’ and he would do anything for her. For them to spend two weeks not knowing what the results of the DNA test would be was completely harrowing and gripping to read.

Greg has strong religious beliefs and so he knows that incest is a sin. Whereas Nicola isn’t religious and she wants to fight for their relationship if they are related. They fight a lot over this; religion being a main factor over the fights. I also though Greg was being hypercritical over the whole incest fight they had. It seemed he was okay being with Nicola knowing they could be related the past two weeks but when she tells him that there could be a way they could stay together if the results came back positive, he just went off the rails about how incest is a sin.

To love someone so much and find out you may be related, it’s got to be heartbreaking and emotional and such a tough situation to go through. I really understood the way they were acting; biting at one another with their ‘what if’s’ but also needing to be with one another, to support each other throughout the turmoil until they got the results back. I could never imagine myself in this situation, let alone think about what I would do if I was in this position.

I could really feel the emotions pouring from Nicola and Greg. To be put in this position, then having to wait for the results would cause havoc and uncertainty for anyone who goes through results like this or any other results.

You really do root for them not to be brother and sister though, because they truly are meant to be. They have both been badly hurt in the past and to finally meet and fall in love in such a short amount of time seemed like the right thing for them. They loved each other dearly and it’s clear to see they would do anything for one another. Greg fought from the start to breaking down Nicola’s barriers and thank god he was the one to break her rule. It was clear there was an instant attraction between them that going fast was just something that happened and it felt right.

I really don’t want to tell you what happened at the end with the results and I don’t want to write about the end and whether I enjoyed it or not because that would spoil the outcome. Let’s just say I cried at the results and leave it like that.

There are a few scenes I loved reading but I have to say the ‘bondage’ scene at the hotel. That made me completely giggle when I read it because they are both just so comfortable together, they both kind of take the piss out of BDSM, with Greg telling Nicola she would be a rubbish sex slave. I could definitely imagine that scene playing out in my mind, at how at ease they were together and how they could just laugh at the toys in the box that Greg’s sister sent them. It was nice that they could just forget about the situation they were in, even if it was just for a couple of hours. Where they could just be together and not worry about anything.

Gosh, you really do go through the emotions reading Too Close but I am so glad I found this book and got the chance to read it. It was great to see how this situation affected the families and friends they both had and their input and advice into their situation. Each character had something different to input and I loved the friends that Greg and Nicola had, they were with them from the start, supporting them.

Elizabeth Krall has written an amazing book in Too Close and I insist that you all read it!! It is different from other books I read, as I have yet to read a book like this, but boy am I glad. It’s a page turner. It’s about love, a struggle, a journey but most of all fighting for love. I definitely recommend this book to you all!

 

 

 

Posted in Romance, Suspense

Charlie and Pearl – Tammy Robinson

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

17290659Synopsis

Slightly chubby, acne dotted Charlie lives in a quaint New Zealand coastal town where nothing much ever changes, which is good because he wouldn’t be very happy if it did. He still lives with his mum and works in a bookshop with Pete, an old guy who hides the sugar in the toilet and is often seen running down Main Street with a metal bowl for a helmet on his head, as he thinks the country is at war.

It may not seem like a terribly exciting life for your average early twenties bloke, but Charlie’s content, until the day Pearl blows into the bay with a secret to forget and an intense desire for solitude. Charlie’s not having any of that though, and sets about to win her heart with a persistence and determination his ex-teachers thought him totally incapable of.

Will Charlie win his girl?

Will they get their Disney Happy Ever After?

Or will Pearl’s secret come back to haunt them and bring tragedy to all.

Charlie and Pearl is story of unconventional love; of finding that spare part you never knew you were missing, and of what happens when love is simply not enough.

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My Review

24 year old Pearl has been through some traumatic experiences as of late and so by residing at her Gran’s beach house for a while, she gets to relax and try to get away from everything back in the city.

24 year old Charlie has lived in the quaint New Zealand coastal town all his life. He lives with his mum, has worked at a bookshop since he was 13 and has a close relationship with the owner – Pete – whose health is slowly deterring and Charlie looks out for him.

He’s content with his life – albeit it’s a little quiet but he makes what it is of it, until Pearl arrives and he’s instantly attracted to her, but Pearl isn’t looking for a relationship. Charlie sets out to win her over with such determination that it would be hard to constantly turn him away.

Although Charlie does get his girl, Pearls secret has come out in the open and is destined to hurt everyone. Will Charlie stick with her through thick and thin? Will they get their happily ever after?

I’m really glad that Tammy emailed me asking me if I wanted to read and review Charlie and Pearl. Although its only 120 pages long, so a short read, so much happens in the short time you are reading it. There are twists and turns and a whole lot of love included throughout the story.

Set in New Zealand, Tammy supplies so much imagery that you will feel you are at the beach town along with Charlie and Pearl – it made me want to be there and experience the town as it seemed heavenly and just what you would need to go and relax somewhere for a while.

Charlie is a sweet guy. He’s easy going, has a big heart and he’s content with his life. When he first sets his sight on Pearl, it was pretty much love at first sight. He then does whatever he can to try and win her over, even when Pearl just wants to stay friends; it would be hard not to enjoy the attention and admiration that Charlie was pouring. Pearl flicked a switch in Charlie and it seemed that they were meant to meet and relish in life together and Charlie never seemed happier than when he was around Pearl. Until the dreaded secret came out and everything changed, apart from Charlie’s feelings for Pearl – nothing could stop his love for her.

Pearl is a soft soul but she comes with some heavy baggage too. She’s had some heartbreaking news – which you find out near the start – to which she has come to the beach house for a while to get away from the city and to try and forget what has happened. BUT that is not her secret, oh no, you find that out near the end. MAJOR PLOT TWIST. She’s not looking for a relationship, but even she can’t turn away from the attention that Charlie is giving her and she eventually falls for his persistent. Pearl just wants to live life to the fullest and experience everything it has to offer which is why both her and Charlie fitted perfectly together.

The book is written in alternative POV’s and you got an insight into how each other were feeling throughout the book about one another and themselves and the events unfolding around them. Tammy made the characters come to life and you really feel attached to both of them that when everything unfolds you feel the heartbreak and the emotions from both Charlie and Pearl.

The story is both comical and emotional but that is what made it a great book to read. It makes you treasure all that you have and can do in life as well as finding the person that lights up your life, no matter how much you didn’t want to. It’s about two young adults trying to figure out their way in the world and how they both fit together right up until the end where everything changes.

The end! Oh the end. Now THAT I was not expecting at all! When you seem to think something is going to happen, it takes another twist and goes the other way. Yes I cried because, as I’ve said you become attached to the characters and the pain pouring from both of them is heartbreaking and you just want to hug them both and tell them that it will be okay, even when it’s not.

This is a great debut book from Tammy Robinson, and everyone should get their copy and read it! It is a short read, but it’s packed with EVERYTHING! Love, drama, secrets; there is something for everyone. It beautifully written and I shall be awaiting the next book from Tammy now.

Definitely recommend Charlie and Pearl.

Posted in M. Leighton, New Adult

Up to Me (The Bad Boys #2) – M. Leighton

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

16093188Synopsis

Happily ever after doesn’t come easy. But for love, it’s always worth the fight.

Olivia finds bliss unlike any she’s ever known in Cash’s arms. He sets her skin on fire and melts her heart right inside her chest. Unfortunately, their happily ever after is short-lived when a shadow from Cash’s past threatens to turn their world upside down.

Dangerous people from his father’s world have discovered that Cash holds information that could put them away for a very long time. And they’re willing to do anything—and hurt anybody—to get it back. Giving it up means Cash must choose between the life of his father and the life of Olivia.

Having nearly overcome her wariness of bad boys, Olivia’s trust is shaken when this new threat arises. Now she finds that Cash is not only a danger to her heart, but his family has associations that are a danger to her life as well. She soon discovers that there are some situations in life where trust is a girl’s only option. And this is one of them. If she’s to live, she must trust Cash with her life. But to Olivia, that’s much, much easier than letting go and trusting him with her heart.

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My Review

Olivia and Cash have finally found bliss like no other with each other. They are finally with the person who sets their world alight at every corner. But their happily-ever-after is threatened abruptly when people from Cash’s past begin to turn his world upside and they will do anything – even if it means killing – to stop the information Cash has from getting out.

Giving up the information is a hard bargain and it means that Cash must choose between his father’s life and Olivia’s life. He will do whatever it takes to keep them both safe, but he needs Olivia to trust him if it means she can be protected and kept alive. Can Olivia trust Cash? Even when she is utterly scared of the situation at hand? Especially when her life is now also in danger? Trusting Cash with her life is easy; it’s just trusting him with her heart that’s the hard part.

It’s really hard to write a review for Up To Me because so much of it is spoilers! So I’m going to have to be very careful in what I say about this book so if anyone who hasn’t read it yet, won’t go into the book knowing too much about the plot. It does start off from where Down To You finishes so if you haven’t read that, what are you waiting for?

A lot happens in this book. There is more action, more suspense and steamier sex scenes. But that is all I’m going to say because I’ll be a spoiler review and I really want you to go into the book not knowing a hell of a lot about what it’s about.

Cash is still his sexy self. Even more so in this book because you see his character develop even more throughout his chapters. He’s even more determined to keep Olivia safe and his feelings for her shine with every page. Being a ‘bad boy’ and never staying with one girl, it was great to see how much he cared for Olivia and how much it scared him too. He’s just as vulnerable as the next guy when threats are targeted at him and people he loves and I really liked seeing so much emotion from him. It proves how strong his feelings are for Olivia and just how he will do anything to be with her.

The sexiness of Cash throughout the book to me stems from him being in danger – yes, I’m a girl who likes a guy who will protect her at any cost – and taking reins on the plans of putting away the dangerous people from his father’s past in order to keep everyone safe. Even when trying to protect everyone, he’s still the same old Cash we all fell in love with in book one, the one who knows how to swoon Olivia and knows how to work her body in the bedroom. The sex scenes, Jesus Christ, I need to find someone who will re-in-act those scenes with me! They were hot and steamy and you could feel the sexual tension pouring from the pages when those two were together. I’d also like a bottle of Jack Daniels and Cash ASAP please!

With Olivia, she’s obviously had to grow up a lot since book one, even though it continues straight away but with everything that has happened in the first few pages, it was obvious that although she totally loved Cash, she was utterly scared shitless about everything that was happening and going to happen in her and Cash’s life. They were in danger and she was petrified to lose Cash. And although she had mental battles, she knew she’d never leave Cash and their relationship just grew stronger and stronger towards the end of this book. It did start off a little rocky, with Olivia seemingly pulling away from Cash and when she didn’t listen to Gavin in the middle – STUPID GIRL! But Olivia went through a lot in this book and with both alternating views, I loved how much they were both scared to be without one another and would do anything to be with each other in the end.

Uhhh Gavin! Can I have him and Cash in my bed please? Gavin is Cash’s partner at the club but he also has a dark past. He used to be a mercenary and his character makes him out to be a sexy, hot, dangerous and mysterious bad boy. He’s one you should definitely stay away from but holy hell, since when do any of us listen?! I’d have him in a heartbeat. Despite his past, he’s cheeky and funny and his banter with everyone, especially Cash is great to read. You can see that they truly are best friends and he will do anything for Cash. I hope down the line, he gets his own book, because I’d love to know more about him.

I do have to say that there is a MAJOR surprise in this book. One I was not expecting at all but by god, it was a bloody good one! I’m so not going to say what it is, but you will be going ‘HOLY SHIT’ when it’s revealed.

Up To Me is a sexy and exciting follow up to Down To You which includes sexy times, action, twists, bad guys and banter. I cannot wait for book three to be out and I know who it is about…but I’m not going to say as you have to read Up To Me to find out. But from the epilogue, I am definitely curious about what is going to happen. DEFINITELY read Down To You and Up To Me. You will not be disappointed and you too, will fall for Cash Davenport. YUMMY!

Posted in Jade C. Jamison, Suspense

Old House – Jade C. Jamison

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

Horror Scene of a creepy WomanSynopsis

Kenzie Sampson is home on Christmas break during her first year in college. She’s had more than the usual trouble adjusting to her new environment away from home, but she’s not about to tell her family, who have had enough to worry about, including plenty they haven’t told her. Worse yet, Kenzie discovers that just because you don’t believe in ghosts doesn’t mean they don’t exist…and she doesn’t know how to deal with them or her own demons as she adjusts to the old house that’s her family’s new home

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My Review

I hardly ever do this…but A SPOILER is included in this review. Well it’s not a spoiler of sorts, but it’s something I was thinking about when reading this book, and I have to include it as it’s my own thoughts on what happened in this book. I’ll tell you when I include it, so if you don’t want to read it, you can just skip it.

Old House is the new book from Jade C. Jamison and because she is so lovely, she has sent me an ARC copy of it, so here is my review!

Jade starts the book with a prologue which instantly grabbed my attention and got my intrigued about what was happening or had happened to the person involved. It’s a bit of a mystery. But you do get to see who the prologue is about and it makes a bit more sense further into the story.

Kenzie is back from college for Christmas and since she’s been away, her family uprooted from Colorado Springs to the mountains an hour away to a house they inherited from her Uncle. Kenzie is confused over why they had to move, but is filled in by her sister the next day. You instantly find out that something bad has happened to Kenzie in her first semester of college, yet you don’t know just what has happened yet. She hasn’t told her parents and before she can tell them, she has to come to terms with it herself. She also needs to tell them she’s not going back to college either.

Your house is one place that is meant to be safe to you, but to Kenzie it isn’t. Her bedroom makes her feel uneasy and now that she’s had a pretty vivid dream about a lost and abused young girl, it makes her room feel even more claustrophobic to her. I really felt for Kenzie. Something bad happened to her at college and coming home was meant to bring her closer to her family again and make her feel safe and protected, but it’s turned her upside down and she’s scared of her room and what might be in it.

She feels that this girl is trying to communicate with her and Kenzie is hell bent on helping her ‘to the other side’ if only to stop the dreams and the uneasiness she feels in her room, and get her room to feel safe to her again. But does she succeed? Does the ‘spirit’ leave her alone?

You finally get to know what happened to Kenzie, and I kind of knew that was what happened. What with the dreams that she was getting. In a way, both the girl and Kenzie, to me, were linked through some sort of memories from their traumas. She also began to have dreams about her uncle and a little girl running away. Pretty weird right? It seemed the room held memories for the girl and Kenzie which has more than likely been locked away until now, until her return.

I loved her relationship with Adam. He seemed like the best friend you could ask for and he, in some ways, believed Kenzie – even witnessing to some extent with the painting, what she was telling him about the house, especially the weird aura in her room. I don’t want to write too much about his time with Kenzie, but you’ll have to read and find out what happens.

SPOILER

Now with her emotional trauma and everything she thinks is happening in her room, I did suspect it could all be in her head and it might be her doing everything, instead of a spirit, which Kenzie is certain is haunting her room. When Adam came to stay, he told her she sleep walks a couple of times before coming straight back to him and back to sleep, so it got my thinking she could have been changing the painting every time she got up, as she seemed pretty freaked out that it kept changing all the time. As I’ve mentioned, she dreams about the girl and her uncle, whom I thought was involved somehow, and I wasn’t wrong at all. You do get to find out what exactly happened to Kenzie and it does make sense in the end about how emotionally damaged – if that’s the right word – she is.

SPOILER OVER

Jade is great with planting little hints in this book. It made me really think about what is happening to Kenzie and makes you think about different scenarios that could be throughout the book. I think I was spot on with figuring out what really went on, albeit, it took a while, but when I really thought about it, I gasped when I was right. It’s all explained at the end for those who didn’t really understand what had happened, which was great as I really did want to know if unraveled the truth behind her trauma and paranoia of the ‘spirit’ in her room.

For one who never reads horrors – as I get spooked pretty easily – I was captivated by this book from the beginning. The more I read, the more the clinks in my brain were trying to figure out everything so I needed to finish it to find out. It really is an awesome book to read. Full of suspense, mystery, a little loving but more importantly self-discovery or a self-realization about Kenzie’s life from when she was a little girl to her life in the present.

Definitely give this book a read, you will not be disappointed!

Posted in Suspense

Graveyard Games – Sheri Leigh

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

Dusty has always been the hothead in the pair — her twin, Nick, he was the calm, cool and collected one. But now Nick is dead, found murdered in their local cemetery, and Dusty, on forced leave from her job as a Chicago police officer, goes back to her childhood home to attend the funeral.

It becomes quickly apparent to Dusty that the local authorities aren’t being straight with her, or anyone else, about what’s been going on in the little Midwestern town she grew up in. The detective in her kicks in and she decides to find out what–or who–has killed her brother, so she moves in temporarily with her father and stepmother, takes a job in a local bar, and starts asking questions.

Her focus soon fixes on Shane, her brother’s best friend–the town bad boy and bad seed. The tension between the two of them has always been palpable, and nothing has changed. Sparks fly as they collide, and while Dusty finds herself sinking in deeper with Shane, the mystery of what happened to her brother–and an ever growing list of victims–grows even stranger.

Dusty finds her past haunting her everywhere she goes as she continues to dig deeper into the circumstances of her brother’s death, and her future looms large as her fate as a police officer is about to be determined back in Chicago. With everything coming to a head, she focuses on one thing: What happened the night her brother was killed in the cemetery? She’s sure Shane knows… something… and she’s determined to find out what it is, one way or another.

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My Review

This book was free on Amazon, and as I’ve said before, I love reading the free books because many of them turn out to be such a good read and this was…at the 80% mark.

Graveyard Games starts off pretty fast, with Dusty, attending her twin brother Nick’s funeral, rewinding on some parts of a conversation between the two of them the night before he died, as he had moved back to their hometown after being ‘fired’ from his job.

Dusty has been suspended from her job in Chicago and so when she comes back to her childhood town, she’s determined to find out who or what has killed her brother, not believing the story that the local police and the local newspaper are running about an animal being the main suspect in the vicious deaths of not only Nick, but other people as well, people she was close to when she was younger.

After the funeral, it does start to become a little slow, not much happens apart from Dusty getting a job in the local bar, befriending a guy called Sam, who, as the book states ‘is a little slow’, has a plan to ‘get with’ her brother’s best friend Shane, whom she allegedly hates so she can get the truth about Nick’s death from him – as she doesn’t believe he doesn’t know what happened, as Nick told her the night before he died he was going out with Shane and their friends.

To be honest, it only really got exciting from about 80% onwards as Shane tells Dusty what killed Nick and they get a gang of them together to go hunt this ‘creature’ down in the cemetery and that’s when all the action happened and I was sitting up straight, gasping over what was happening and hoping that none of them died. I actually had an inkling over who the creature was, and although it wasn’t the person I thought it was, they were still related to that person.

This book – albeit – sounds like a thriller, it’s not a thriller at all. I don’t really read horror books, as I get scared easily when the author describes the deaths in details, what the body looks etc, but in this book, sure, Nick is described in Dusty’s dream, but I could handle the little amount of description of his messed-up body.

I actually had no idea how old the characters were, because they still acted like teenagers, drinking in the woods, making bonfires, and some of the characters are married with kids, so forgive me if I was a little confused over why they were acting immature nearly every night. Searching for their ages, I think they were in their mid twenties? Anyway, as I said, they were acting like they were still in school.

I did love the scenes between Shane and Dusty as Dusty was convinced she hated him from a young age although she had loved him and he her, since they were younger but Nick had stopped Shane from inviting her anywhere with them because Nick had a big secret that you find out when Shane tells Dusty how he died. Although she was only planning to be with Shane to get information, they both slipped back into being in love with each other and when everything happened in the Graveyard at the end, I was on knifes edge wondering who was going to die and who was going to live.

Anyway, if you want a thriller/horror, this probably isn’t the book for you, but as it was free, I can’t complain about it because it ‘eased’ me into wanting to read more books like this, albeit, not the gory kind but we’ll see if I get to that stage eventually.

Posted in Romance, Suspense

On The Island – Tracey Garvis-Graves

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family’s summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He’s almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn’t bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family – and a stack of overdue assignments – instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.’s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island.

Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

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My Review

I finished this book in about four hours, after being captivated by the story of two people being lost and stranded on an island – I do like the films such as Castaway and Blue Lagoon – the old and new versions, so I knew I would probably become engrossed in this book of survival and friendships.

From the synopsis, you can see that Anna is 30 years old, while T.J is almost 17 has also overcome cancer. During the trails and tribulations of trying to get to the Maldives island T.J’s parents are currently residing in, the pilot of their little plane dies and they are stranded in the shark-infested sea. T.J has to tow Anna to the nearest island without becoming food for the Sharks.

Over the course of the book, they have to band together to get through the days being stranded, hoping that their family will not give up hope in finding them and will have faith they are still alive. As the weeks turn into months and the months into years, their hope is slightly fading, and by now they have made themselves a little home from things around the island, including a pet chicken!

While the fear that T.J’s cancer could return, Anna and T.J both become ill and safe each other over the years. But thats not all thats worrying them both, Anna is now spending time with T.J, who in her eyes is becoming a man.

While they do in fact fall for each other, as it was inevitable since it was only the two of them together every day and night, you become engrossed with both the characters, feeling their every emotions and wishing someone would come along and find them as both of them do not want to die and leave the other on their own.

I must say, i thoroughly enjoyed this book and the ending too. I heard its going to be made into a movie, and if that is true, i literally cannot wait to see the outcome of it.
Posted in Romance, Suspense

Shut Up and Kiss Me – Christie Craig

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

When PR expert Shala Winters gets hired to increase the tourist trade in a Texas town mostly populated by Native Americans, her schemes stir up a storm of trouble-with both the town’s commanding lawman and someone after Shala’s life!

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My Review

I’ve had this book on my kindle for a few weeks now but I’ve always put other books before it. Last night I decided it was time to read it – seeing as i think it was a freebie on Amazon – and I normally really enjoy the freebie books.

I had read the synopsis when i downloaded the book, so i had completely forgot what it was about, and when i got a few pages in and got confused, i re-read the blurb and remember exactly why i had downloaded the book.

It is definitely different from any other books i read. I’m not really a romantic mystery/suspense girl myself, but I did in fact, love this book. Every page had me hooked and i was constantly guessing over who the hitman was going to me – I thought it was her ex-husband…totally way off there.

Christie made me love ALL the characters and their story lines but I have to say i adored Lucas and Jose the most.

Lucas had some great lines which had me laughing throughout the book and I just felt drawn to Jose – I did feel slightly sorry for him and i kind of understand why he wanted to leave Precious – as i feel that way about my home town at the moment and I don’t feel like i fit in anymore, so i can totally sympathize with him in that respect.

The love triangle between Maria/Matt/Jose got me irritable at times. Maria and Jose are foster siblings with history and Maria was with Matt but something happened. I didn’t like who Maria ended up with, i wanted the other guy as i really liked him.

Redfoot and his premonition dreams about souls mates and incidents from the spirits were very interesting to read. I believe in the whole soul mates thing, so i enjoyed it when they came true. His ‘relationship’ with Veronica annoyed me a bit. Mainly it was Veronica getting on my nerves saying no one could find out because of her children but when you’re older, why should it matter to your children if you find another partner? It would make me happy if any one of my parents found someone else if the other one left or died (They are together just for the record).

Sky and Shala – too cute. I loved the way their relationship paned out – both attracted to each other but not wanting to do anything.

Redfoot had a dream these two were soul mates and the journey from when they first met to the end of the book had me hanging on. Sky doesn’t believe in soul mates and love but when he sees Shala he’s attracted to her but thinks if this whole soul mate stuff is true, he has to stay away. Shala is also instantly attracted to Sky when she first sees him and after having her camera snatched off her by him, all she wants is it back so she can do her job and get out of Precious but no matter how much they want to stay away, they cant as Shala has a stalker that will do whatever to have her dead, and Sky will do whatever to protect her and keep her safe.

I did just find the epilogue on Christie’s website, if anyone hasnt seen it or read it.

Totally recommend this book especially as it makes me want to go to Texas now as the scenery etc was beautifully written

Posted in Romance, Suspense

Enemies and Playmates – Darcia Helle

Posted on by Z. Elizabeth

Synopsis

“When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser’s world might just shatter. Lauren Covington’s family maintains a grand facade that hides the private abuse they suffer at the hands of her father. Jesse Ryder, a private detective, steps into that world and, in the process, falls in love with Lauren. Together, Lauren and Jesse dodge death and expose the truth behind the facade.”

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My review

I have to say, at first the book cover didn’t entice me into reading it, but because it was free and the synopsis intrigued me, I downloaded it. it had taken me a while to get round to reading this book as I thought it might be all about sex but I have to say I was drawn into it within the first few pages and it’s taken me a few hours to read as I couldn’t put it down. It deals with abuse, dominating power and control and love – not my usual reading material. I hated Alex (the father) from the start- how can a man even think about doing something so horrid to his family and have the nerve to do everything he does in the book! I was so glad of the ending, but I did wish it happened so much earlier on so he could piss off and let Kara (the mother) and Lauren live their life. I loved Lauren and how she would stand up to her dad and try to protect her mum and brother. Her relationship with Jesse was adorable, considering everything that was going on in both their life’s and the way Jesse was going out of his way to protect Lauren and try to end her father’s rein.

I don’t think I could ever forgive a friend that deceived me like Gina did to Lauren and I really wanted Lauren to stand her ground and be like ‘no way in hell am I forgiving you’ but then I suppose Gina was a victim of Alex’s and was lured into becoming his plaything when she was only 16 (shes now 22) but still you would never think to do what she did to a best friend! This book had me conveying all sorts of emotions throughout it and I just needed to finish it to know who would survive and I’m so glad that it ended how it did. Not sure how I’d feel if it didn’t end that way but i was in so much suspense over what would happen. But men like Alex do not deserve to be alive- to hire people to kill people, especially your family makes me so disgusted at certain members of the human race and I know it’s just a book but who’s to say this doesn’t happen in real life?! Other than my little rant, I shall definitely be recommending this book.