Book Review: One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day

 

published July 16, 2024

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The newest, riveting summer suspense by the author of The Block Party, Jamie Day.

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there's murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe's nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she's using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

With razor-sharp wit, heart, thrills, and twists, Jamie Day delivers a unique brand of SUMMERTIME SUSPENSE.

MY REVIEW:

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The owner of a family hotel passes away and hs 3 daughters are on the way for the reading of the will. He was not a nice person and there is a few mysteries that are uncovered along the way. The Bishop sisters are not nice people either. A storm is brewing with a hurricane on the way and no one wants to be stranded at the hotel.
Charley is the chambermaid who has been working at the hotel for a while now and gets caught up in the family drama and she is trying to solve some of the mysteries that are showing up.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the book to review.

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Blog Tour : Did I Kill My Husband? by A.J. Campbell

 

Expected publication May 29, 2024

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The police officer’s voice is steady as he tells me the news. ‘Your husband is in hospital.’ My heart pounds. I think about my children, safely tucked up in bed. What will happen to us if he loses his life? And more importantly… do the police know where I really was tonight?Everybody thinks Michael and I are the perfect couple. But everybody is wrong. Because my dear, lovely husband was at the heart of a scandal at the school where he teaches. He was cleared of any wrongdoing. At first I believed him. Now, I’m sure he’s been hiding something terrible. But I can’t tell the police a thing. Because my husband isn’t the only one with secrets.So, as I stand here knowing I have to tell my children that Michael is fighting for his life, I ask what would be worse? For my husband, the much-loved local teacher, to die? Or for him to live, and for all his lies to come home again?In the end, the choice is easy. I know what I have to do…I’ll tell the police that I would never, ever hurt my husband. But will they believe me?

My Review:

Did I Kill My Husband? by A.J. Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

We know from the beginning that Christina hits something and she thought it was an animal. She did get out of the car and looked around. She saw nothing and went on her way home.
When the police come to the house she yells out to Michael that the police are there. He doesn't greet them with her. That's when they tell her is in the hospital.
Christina isn't happy but would never harm Michael. she stood by his side after a scandal at the school , where he teaches. As the story kept going and we get glimpses of Christina's family and Michael, I wasn't sure what to think. Who is really lying and covering things up. Who is really Christina's friends are has her back. The ending though is not what I saw coming.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ebook to review.

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                                                                     A.J. Campbell


Born Enfield, The United Kingdom

Website
https://www.ajcampbellauthor.com/

Twitter
AuthorAJC

Genre
Suspense, Thriller, Fiction


AJ CAMPBELL is an Amazon bestselling author of six psychological suspense novels and promises stories full of twists, turns and torment. Her fourth book The Phone Call was released in July 2022, and it topped the Amazon charts for several months. It was shortlisted for the Adult Prize for Fiction at the Selfie Book Awards 2023. She released her fifth novel The Wrong Key in January 2023, and her sixth one Her Missing Husband in May 2023.

AJ draws inspiration for her stories from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. She creates compelling characters that resonate with her readers. AJ lives in the UK on the Essex / Hertfordshire border with her husband, sons, and cocker spaniel, Max. She is a dog lover, Netflix junkie, and a wine and Asian food enthusiast. And, either reading, watching TV, or writing, AJ enjoys nothing more than getting stuck into a twisty story!

Connect with AJ here:

www.ajcampbellauthor.com
www.facebook.com/AJCampbellauthor
www.instagram.com/ajcampbellauthor/
www.twitter.com/AuthorAJC

Book Review: Man's Best Friend by Alana B Lytle

 

 First published May 14, 2024

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Ever since her year as a scholarship student among the ultra-wealthy at a Manhattan private school, El knows what it is like to feel rich—to feel chosen. And being not chosen is her current living at age thirty, she has given up her dream of becoming a famous actress, she has no passions, no great love, nothing to look forward to.

Then El meets a mysterious trust-fund Cambridge grad who holds the keys to the world she has long dreamed of. Bryce may not be particularly good-looking, charming, or interesting, but he has chosen her. El allows herself to be lulled by the ease and safety that his wealth provides, becoming Bryce’s little pet, and giving up her job, friends, and apartment in short order. But when a series of disturbing and slightly surreal events reveal that Bryce is not quite what he seems, but something entirely more sinister, El must face the consequences when his darkness—and her own—are unleashed.

MY REVIEW:

Man's Best Friend by Alana B. Lytle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I did not care for this book. The main character, El is a boring person. I never liked her and found her very selfish. Only wanting the rich around her and what they could do for her. The friends she did have she only saw them when she felt like it.
El meets Bryce. He is smitten with her and pretty much will do anything for her. But things don't add up and before we know it she isn't quite the person I thought either but then again maybe she is.
I had a hard time liking the book, the characters and the storyline.
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ebook to review,

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Book Review: Dark Angel by John Sandford

 

Published on April 11, 2023

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Letty Davenport, the tough-as-nails adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, takes on an undercover assignment that brings her across the country and into the crosshairs of a dangerous group of hackers.

Letty Davenport’s days working a desk job at are behind her. Her previous actions at a gunfight in Texas—and her incredible skills with firearms—draw the attention of several branches of the US government, and make her a perfect fit for even more dangerous work. The Department of Homeland Security and the NSA have tasked her with infiltrating a hacker group, known only as Ordinary People, that is intent on wreaking havoc. Letty and her reluctant partner from the NSA pose as free-spirited programmers for hire and embark on a cross country road trip to the group’s California headquarters.

While the two work to make inroads with Ordinary People and uncover their plans, they begin to suspect that the hackers are not their only enemy. Someone within their own circle may have betrayed them, and has ulterior motives that place their mission—and their lives—in grave danger.

MY REVIEW:

Dark Angel by John Sandford
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had a hard time getting into this book and was bored.
Letty Davenport, the tough-as-nails adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, takes on an undercover assignment that brings her across the country and into the crosshairs of a dangerous group of hackers.
The Department of Homeland Security and the NSA have tasked her with infiltrating a hacker group, known only as Ordinary People,
There so many characters and who work for who that at times I was lost and then all the details about the hacking and Russians and at the time Russia hit the Ukraine was just over my head I guess.
I received the book from NetGalley for review

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John Sandford was born John Roswell Camp on February 23, 1944, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He attended the public schools in Cedar Rapids, graduating from Washington High School in 1962. He then spent four years at the University of Iowa, graduating with a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1966. In 1966, he married Susan Lee Jones of Cedar Rapids, a fellow student at the University of Iowa. He was in the U.S. Army from 1966-68, worked as a reporter for the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian from 1968-1970, and went back to the University of Iowa from 1970-1971, where he received a master's degree in journalism. He was a reporter for The Miami Herald from 1971-78, and then a reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer-Press from 1978-1990; in 1980, he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, and he won the Pulitzer in 1986 for a series of stories about a midwestern farm crisis. From 1990 to the present he has written thriller novels. He's also the author of two non-fiction books, one on plastic surgery and one on art. He is the principal financial backer of a major archeological project in the Jordan Valley of Israel, with a website at www.rehov.org In addition to archaeology, he is deeply interested in art (painting) and photography. He both hunts and fishes. He has two children, Roswell and Emily, and one grandson, Benjamin. His wife, Susan, died of metastasized breast cancer in May, 2007, and is greatly missed.

Book Review: Waiting For the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton

 

                                                              Kindle Edition
                                                          Published January 12th 2021
                                                               buy from Amazon

A moving novel about friendships forged in childhood magic and ruptured by the high price of secrets that leave you forever changed.

Cadie Kessler has spent decades trying to cover up one truth. One moment. But deep down, didn't she always know her secret would surface?

An urgent message from her long-estranged best friend Daniela Garcia brings Cadie, now a forestry researcher, back to her childhood home. There, Cadie and Daniela are forced to face a dark secret that ended both their idyllic childhood bond and the magical summer that takes up more space in Cadie's memory then all her other years combined.

Now grown up, bound by long-held oaths, and faced with truths she does not wish to see, Cadie must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to protect the people and the forest she loves, as drought, foreclosures, and wildfire spark tensions between displaced migrant farm workers and locals.

Waiting for the Night Song is a love song to the natural beauty around us, a call to fight for what we believe in, and a reminder that the truth will always rise.

                                                              MY REVIEW:

Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cadie Kessler has spent decades trying to cover up one truth. One moment. But deep down, didn't she always know her secret would surface?
An urgent message from her long-estranged best friend Daniela Garcia brings Cadie, now a forestry researcher, back to her childhood home. There, Cadie and Daniela are forced to face a dark secret that ended both their idyllic childhood bond and the magical summer that takes up more space in Cadie's memory then all her other years combined.
This flips back and forth between timelines but I found it easy to keep track of when and what was going on.
These 2 friends haven't seen each other in years but their friendship seemed to take off from when they last saw each other.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Tor-Forge for the ARC to review,

View all my reviews

                                                              Julie Carrick Dalton






Born in The United States

Website
https://www.juliecarrickdalton.com

Twitter
juliecardalt

Genre
Contemporary, Suspense, Thriller

URL
https://www.goodreads.com/juliecarrickdalton-author

Blog Tour: Everywhere To Hide by Siri Mitchell

 

Everywhere to Hide

by Siri Mitchell

on Tour October 1-31, 2020

                                                         Synopsis:

How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t see?

Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with an abusive boyfriend, her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.

But witnessing a murder might be the crisis she can’t overcome.

The killer has every advantage. Though Whitney saw him, she has no idea what he looks like. He knows where she lives and works. He anticipates her every move. Worst of all, he’s hiding in plain sight and believes she has information he needs. Information worth killing for. Again.

As the hunter drives his prey into a net of terror and international intrigue, Whitney’s only ally, Detective Leo Baroni, is taken off the case. Stripped of all semblance of safety, Whitney must suspect everyone and trust no one—and hope to come out alive.

Book Details:

Genre: Suspense
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 6th 2020
Number of Pages: 352
ISBN: 0785228640 (ISBN13: 9780785228646)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com® | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

The door was difficult to open. The tropical storm had transformed the alley into a wind tunnel, funneling the muggy air from one side of the block to the other. I raised a hand to pull my hair off my face and turned into the wind to keep it there, quickly turning my ponytail into a bun. As I stepped away from the door, I was surprised to see someone sprawled on the pavement in front of me.

He was lying face up. A red puddle had formed a halo around his head.

He wasn’t— was he— he wasn’t— was he dead?

As I stood there trying to process what I was seeing, the wind sent a recycling crate skidding across the cracked pavement.

I jumped.

I glanced up the alley, then down. Nothing was there. Nothing but the wind. And a dead man staring up at the cloud- streaked sky.

Behind me, I heard something scrabble across the low, flat roof.

I pivoted and glanced up. Saw a form silhouetted against the sky. Shock gave way to panic as I realized he had a gun in his hand. As I realized that he had also seen me.

I should have lunged toward the door.

But a familiar numbness was spreading over me. The prickle on my scalp, the sudden dryness in my mouth. I was living my nightmares all over again.

As I had done too often in the past, I reverted to form. I froze.

Please. Please. Please.

My thoughts latched onto that one word and refused to let it go.

If I could just punch my code into the keypad, I could slip back inside and pull the door shut behind me.

But I couldn’t do anything at all.

My fingers wouldn’t work.

Please. Please. Please.

I willed them to function, but they had long ago learned that in a dangerous situation, the best thing to do was nothing. Any movement, any action on my part had always made things worse.

And so I just stood there as my thoughts stuttered.

Fragmented.

***

Excerpt from Everywhere to Hide by Siri Mitchell. Copyright 2020 by Siri Mitchell. Reproduced with permission from Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.

                                                                    MY REVIEW:

Everywhere to Hide by Siri Mitchell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, an abusive boyfriend, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.
This book was different in any others that I have read.
Whitney has face blindness. Which means when she looks at you she can't see your face. just your hair, body and what you are wearing. She remembers you by voice and your scent, if wearing a cologne/perfume you always wear.
She has an ex boyfriend that she ran away from and dreads him ever finding her.
Detective Leo Baroni is on the case and as they get closer and he helps her out of a jam, he starts liking her. Then is pulled from the case.
I really liked Leo and trying to do what is best for Whitney and still try to solve the case.
Whitney seems to have no luck and it looks like someone is out to get her but she isn't letting it get to her.
I received this book from Partners In Crime and NetGalley for review.

View all my reviews

 

Author Bio:

Siri Mitchell is the author of 16 novels. She has also written 2 novels under the pseudonym of Iris Anthony. She graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and has worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo.

Visit her online:
www.SiriMitchell.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

 

Giveaway!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Siri Mitchell. There will be 3 winners. Each winner will receive one (1) physical copy of Everywhere To Hide by Siri Mitchell (U.S. addresses only). The giveaway begins on October 1, 2020 and runs through November 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.

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Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 

Release Blitz: The Wall by N.J. Croft

 

Suspense/Thriller

  Date Published: 8/17/2020

Publisher: Entangled Publushing, LLC

   

   

  Set in an uncomfortably familiar future…

  We built a wall to keep the dangers of the world out...but was it actually

    meant to keep us in?

  Your every word is monitored. Your every movement watched.

  If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

  And if you stay within the wall, the Loyalist Party will protect you.

  Gideon Frome knows that safety is an illusion. Ten years ago, his perfect

    life was shattered, and he left Washington DC in disgrace, sentenced to

    serve on The Wall. He may be back, lauded as a hero, but he knows he’s

    only traded one prison for another, assigned a position to the infamous

    Secret Service.

  Kate Buchanan uses her illegal predictive engine to monitor the

    “chatter,” flagging perceived threats to America. When the

    program suggests that nuclear war is imminent, and people around her start

    to die, Kate can no longer hide. She needs help, and it comes from the most

    unlikely place—Gideon Frome, a ghost from her past.

  The American people thought they were safe, but it’s becoming

    shockingly clear that the price of safety is too high. And somehow,

    together, Kate and Gideon must tear down the walls that keep their country a

    prisoner.

Excerpt

Gideon shifted the weight from his left foot. His leg was beginning to ache, and he rubbed at his thigh. He’d taken a piece of shrapnel there five years ago, at the same time he’d gotten the scar on his face, and it still gave him problems.

How long until he could leave? Too long, at a guess.

Christ, had he actually enjoyed these events in the past? It seemed inconceivable. However, if he wanted his life back, he was going to have to suck it up and look like he belonged. Act like he belonged. And maybe if he did it long enough, he might actually feel like he belonged.

The problem was, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

The room was crowded. Anyone and everyone had clamored for an invitation to the party of the year. Plus, there were a large number of security agents. More than he remembered from the past. Men in the black uniforms of the president’s personal bodyguards—selected from the elite of the Secret Service—stood at the doors, while others mingled with the crowd. There was even a sniper on the second-floor interior balcony, covering the room.

Either Harry was paranoid, or there was an elevated threat level. If so, no one had told Gideon about it. That was hardly surprising; he suspected that no one, with maybe the exception of Harry himself, actually wanted him there.

But he wanted answers, and this was where he would find them.

Once he had those answers, then…

Who knew? Though revenge wasn’t the solution.

Most of the time he believed that.

Harry was making the rounds, shaking hands and smiling as he headed this way. Gideon wasn’t sure whether he would be acknowledged, but the president halted in front of him. He was flanked by two Secret Service officers, dressed in their black uniforms. Harry’s army, as they were known within the service.

He took the proffered hand. Harry’s grip was firm, and his smile was sparkling. Good dental work.

“Happy birthday, sir,” he said.

“Thank you. I’m glad you could make it.”

“I was grateful for the invitation, Mr. President.”

“We must all practice forgiveness.”

He could feel his muscles tightening. He’d done nothing that needed fucking forgiving. Neither had his father. For a second, he felt an echo of the dark anger that had been his companion for the first few years after his father’s death. He pushed it down and forced a smile. “Thank you, sir. I appreciated the chance to come home.”

“You’re a hero now, Gideon. You saved America from invasion. The people love you. We need heroes at a time like this.”

At a time like what? He’d seen the polls. There was a good chance that Harry would keep his position when—or maybe if—it came to an election. “Your approval ratings are higher than ever, sir.”

“Maybe,” the man mused. “But I’ve been feeling lately that they don’t appreciate me. That needs to change.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I must go now, but we’ll talk again.” Harry smiled and patted Gideon on the shoulder, and his guards stiffened at the contact. Christ, they were jumpy.

Gideon watched as the group walked away. Harry had always needed constant approval. It came from growing up in his father’s shadow; Harry Senior had been larger than life and an impossible act to follow. Charismatic. People loved him and would follow him anywhere. No doubt his son had always believed he was second-best.

Trouble was, he was right.

   

  About the Author

  After a number of years wandering the world in search of adventure, N.J.

    Croft finally settled on a farm in the mountains and now lives off-grid,

    growing almonds, drinking cold beer, taking in stray dogs, and writing

    stories where the stakes are huge and absolutely anything can happen.

   

  Contact Links

  Author Website

  Author Twitter

  Author Facebook

  Author Goodreads

  Newsletter

   

  Purchase Links 

Amazon 

B&N 

Kobo

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Release Blitz: Hush by Anne Malcom & BT Urruela

Release Date: August 11

They were taken.

Off the street. 

From parking lots. 

Malls. 

Playgrounds.

Snatched from life and thrust into hell.

They took Orion Darby on a perfect summer day, while she could still taste her first kiss on her lips.

She joined the others with chains on their ankles and scars on their souls.

They turned into nothing more than statistics. 

Cold cases. Lost girls.

Years passed and the world forgot.

Until the day they escaped.

This is not about their captivity.

This is about their struggle to return to a life that's passed them by.

This was the real world.

But for Orion, this was hell.

You see... freedom isn't enough.

She needs blood.

Grab Your Copy Here:

Apple | Nook | Amazon | Kobo

 

Meet Anne Malcolm

Anne Malcom  has been an avid reader since before she can remember, her mother responsible for her book addiction. It started with magical journeys into the world of Hogwarts and Middle Earth. As she grew up, her reading tastes grew with her. Her obsession with books and romance novels in particular, gave Anne the opportunity to find another passion, writing. Finding writing about alpha males and happily ever afters more fun than reading about them, Anne is not about to stop any time soon.

Raised in small-town New Zealand, Anne had a truly special childhood, growing up in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. She has backpacked across Europe, ridden camels in the Sahara, eaten her way through Italy, and had all sorts of crazy adventures. Currently living in London, she’s on a whole new adventure. 

Connect with Anne Malcom

Website | Newsletter Sign-Up | Facebook | Reader Group | Goodreads | Instagram 

Meet BT Urruela 

BT Urruela is a combat wounded amputee, purple heart recipient, contemporary author who has written both independent and traditionally published books. He is a RARE under 40 award recipient, Rockwood Summit High School and Rockwood School District Hall of Fame inductee, Co-founder and Brand Ambassador for VETSports, Ambassador for Tampa Sports Academy, People Magazine Tribute for Heroes winner, Cover Model, Motivational Speaker and Philanthropist.

At an early age he began writing short stories having been inspired by reading books authored by RL Stein. His maternal grandmother's bookshelf was filled with literature that inspired his young mind and cultivated his vivid imagination. 

Upon graduation from high school his desire to have a 20-year military career was cut drastically short by an improvised explosive device. Taking the life of his commander, and leaving the remaining four team members badly wounded. 

After careful consideration and multiple surgeries, he along with the guidance of his doctors made the decision to amputate. It was the only surgery he ever left with a smile on his face, as if a weight had been lifted. He struggled for two more years through 4-5 hours of physical therapy a day, five days a week to get adapted to his new prosthetic. He medically retired from the Army with high hopes. His focus on restoring his physical shape being the most eminent battle caused him to neglect his psychological state. 

Meeting people was difficult and there were very few options for veterans to utilize that would stimulate friendship, and ultimately, allow communication barriers to be breached. After moving to Tampa, Florida, he co-founded the veteran community sports nonprofit, VETSports, with two other combat wounded veterans. It was their mission to change the way veterans transitioned back to civilian life through organized team sports, community involvement, and leadership opportunities.  

After being invited to attend a photoshoot with acclaimed photographer Michael Stokes, he flew to California in December of 2014, with incredible excitement. His photos were so widely publicized that he soon gained exposure to the literary world like he'd always dreamed of. That opportunity launched him into his present writing career. He co-wrote the novel 'A Lover's Lament with author KL Grayson. The following year he released first solo novel, 'Into the Nothing' and will be releasing Wicked Little Words with author Stevie J. Cole. He is now writing full-time.

Connect with BT Urruela

Website | Goodreads | YouTube | Amazon Author Page

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