Book Review: Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

Book Review: Fractured by Catherine McKenzie

Publisher:  Lake Union Publishing

I would say that I couldn’t put this book down but I read it on my Kindle app. I guess I could say that I couldn’t stop swiping the page.

Julie Prentice moves her family to Cincinnati to get away from her stalker and for them all to start fresh. She’s the author of a best selling novel and it brought out the crazy in one of her former friends. All she wants is some piece and quiet and to be able to get her second book written. She thinks Pine Street will be able to provide everything she needs.

She soon discovers that this quiet street is full of nosey, overly friendly people. Cindy, the self appointed president of the neighborhood, is a meddling control freak. After a few mishaps it seems like Cindy sees Julie and her family as blights on her perfect community. Cindy starts going out of her way to make Julie’s life miserable.

The book is also told from the point of view of John. John is Julie’s neighbor across the street. He soon becomes her running buddy and friend and confidant. When it verges on becoming more than platonic, things start going awry.

All through the book, the author builds these complex characters that keep you guessing. Who is behind the pranks at Julie’s house? Is it her stalker or someone from the neighborhood? Is Julie losing her mind and doing things to try to gain sympathy or is there a true threat out there? The author also alludes to an accident, which is explained later in the book, and it makes the story compelling. You just want to keep turning the page to find out what happened. The twists and turns were well written and towards the end, when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was happily proven wrong.

As an aspiring author, I really connected with Julie. Her worries about meeting a deadline (I wish!) and her daily word count were something that interested me. It also shows that for many authors the words don’t just drop out on to the page. It’s real work.

This book was suspenseful and enjoyable. I highly recommend it. If you have cleaning to do, a chapter to write, a kid or pet to feed…wait to read this until you are finished with all that because once you start this book you won’t be able to stop reading until you get to the end.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much! It was a privilege to read this!

Book Review: Bound by Fire by Elizabeth Sinclair

Book Review: Bound by Fire by Elizabeth Sinclair

Publisher:  Salt Run Publishing, LLC

            Independent Book Publishers Association

Karen is a freelance photographer who happens to be pregnant with her deceased boyfriend Paul’s baby. After a successful attempt to mend fences with her estranged sister she decides she wants her baby to have the family she never had. She decides to track down Paul’s family and friends. She also hopes to glean some more details into what happened to Paul.

Jesse is one of Paul’s friends and co-workers. He’s feeling guilt over Paul’s death because instead of following his instincts and following Paul into the fire that killed him, he followed Paul’s orders and stayed away. Now he’s asking questions about Paul’s death and he is soon ordered to take time off or lose his job. This raises suspicions. What really happened to Paul?

This book is definitely a quick read. The suspense was a little on the bland side but it was there. The resolution to the mystery seemed a bit rushed.

Speaking of rushed, we start the book with Karen still grieving over Paul and worrying about her unborn baby and quickly fall into Karen falling madly into love with Jesse. It happened so quickly that if you blinked you would miss it. Of course she ends up saving Jesse from his broodiness and the book ends about how you would expect. It was a little disappointing to say the least.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Dying for Christmas by Tammy Cohen

Book Review: Dying for Christmas by Tammy Cohen

Publisher: Pegasus Books

Jessica Gold stops for a coffee after a long day of Christmas shopping. She leaves with a man named Dominic Lacey and ends up in his apartment. She begins to regret her mistake and wants to leave but Dominic has other plans. He’s keeping her captive for twelve days of Christmas celebrations.

Every day gets more bizarre. Dominic behaves erratically. He dresses her in his missing wife’s clothing, force feeds her rich and fatty foods and then calls her fat, and every night he gives her a morbid gift. Included are family photos, his dead sister’s favorite toy…even a bag of teeth. He claims he will let Jessica go home but she knows that she will never be able to escape.

All the attempts to leave are foiled by Dominic. He always seems to be one step ahead of Jessica. Kim, the detective in charge of the investigation into Jessica’s disappearance, has no clear leads to where Jessica could be. It’s like she disappeared into thin air.

I’m not going to get too in depth because to do so would reveal the plot twists that kept me reading this book into the wee hours. Every time I thought I had things figured out the plot would veer off and surprise me.

The ending was a little creepy and felt a little unfinished. The parts of the book with Kim the detective pulled me out of the story and felt unnecessary. Other than that this was a decent thriller with a ton of twists.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Cover Me in Darkness by Eileen Rendahl

Book Review: Cover Me in Darkness by Eileen Rendahl

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Amanda Sinclair is an escapee from the cult that brainwashed her mother and caused her mother to murder her younger brother. She’s changed her name and taken a boring job as a lab tech at a cosmetics company in an attempt to avoid the spotlight. She’s thrown back in to the public eye when her mother commits suicide around the same time that the cult leader is due to be released from jail.

After examining her mother’s possessions, Amanda quickly concludes that her mother did not in fact kill herself but was murdered. Soon there are two mysteries to contend with as someone is falsifying documents are her job. This error could cause the possible deaths of thousands of customers. Was her mother’s death really a murder? Is the cult involved? Are the document errors at her job intentional or accidental?

I requested this book because of the cult aspect and I was left disappointed. The information about that cult is only garnered through flashbacks into Amanda’s past. There weren’t really enough details to keep me interested. The information about her job was a lot of scientific terms that just left me bored.

The story was extremely fast paced and to that end I felt it could have been fleshed out more. The conclusions to both mysteries felt rushed. When I was done with the book I felt like I had just read an episode of Law & Order.

It’s a quick read and somewhat enjoyable if you are looking for something to pass the time. It’s just not as in depth and suspenseful as I had hoped.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu

Book Review: Afterward by Jennifer Mathieu

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

            Roaring Book Press

This is the first book I have read by Jennifer Mathieu and I was not disappointed. We start with Caroline, a young girl whose autistic brother Dylan was kidnapped several months ago. She’s feeling guilty and lost because she was supposed to be watching him at the time. Miracles happen and Dylan is found. Another miracle occurs when it’s reported that 15 year old Ethan, who was kidnapped four years prior, was found with him.

Caroline struggles with helping her brother recover from his ordeal because he is locked in to his autistic state and non-verbal. Ethan struggles with coming back to a world that has since moved on without him. When it’s learned that his captor sometimes left Ethan alone people begin to question why he didn’t take the chance to escape. Caroline approaches Ethan in an attempt to get information to help her brother and they soon strike up a friendship.

Ethan’s portions of the book were more compelling to read. He’s going to therapy and you soon find out what happens to him. It’s traumatic and about as horrific as you would expect. His captor makes him do things that no child or even human for that matter should have to do. Secrets are revealed that may put his newfound friendship in jeopardy but he takes the chance because in order for him to heal the truth has to come out.

Caroline’s portions were less compelling but necessary to the plot. It was interesting to see how this young girl coped with her guilt and navigating other feelings that come with growing up.

This was not a light hearted read but I didn’t mind it. I laughed at times and shed a few tears at times. I felt bad for Ethan and Caroline and what they went through and as a mother I just wanted to reach into the book and hug them close and tell them everything would be ok. To me this is a mark of a good book, when you care so much about fictional people.

The author portrayed a young autistic boy in a sensitive way. I just wish we had seen a little more of Dylan and Caroline’s home life. The book ended well and my only negative about this book is that I wish I could see how Caroline and Ethan and Dylan would be doing further down the road.

I feel this is a must read. Just keep your Kleenex handy.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford

Book Review: All These Perfect Strangers by Aoife Clifford

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Alibi 

                                    

Pen Sheppard accepts a scholarship to university in order to escape her hometown. After testifying against her best friend in a murder trial at the young age of 15 the townspeople never forgave her. She believes that going to a different town will allow her to start over. Unfortunately, she is wrong as she is soon entangled in another murder investigation.

                                                                                       

There is a lot of drinking, drug use, and meaningless sex in this book. At times it felt like it was only used as filler. There’s even some gang violence which is never really fleshed out.

Pen is such a flawed character and she lies so much and so well that it’s hard to find any empathy for her. I found that I was bored for a large chunk of the book. There was too much discussion about whether Pen was innocent or guilty. Since it was told from her point of view the protestations of innocent got old really quickly. Then you have to keep in mind that she is a really good liar and wonder what, if anything, that you are reading is true.

It was a bit of a mess and the ending was almost a given and unsatisfying. I don’t see myself reading this book again any time soon.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Many by Nathan Field

Book Review: The Many by Nathan Field

Publisher: Silvermac Publishing

                            

Online dating can be scary. This book proves it. Karl’s sister Stacey goes on a blind date she meets on an online dating site. The guy is handsome and rich and just her cup of tea until he starts putting out creepy stalker vibes. She asks him to take her home and he obliges, or does he?

The next morning she returns home to the apartment she shares with Karl a different person. It’s almost as if she had a personality transplant. She’s become mean, vulgar, and hypersexual. She attacks their mother and then goes after Karl.

Dawn’s mother Isobel is going through the same situation. Isobel meets a beautiful woman on a dating website and after a date, her personality changes as well. She becomes hateful and even abandons Dawn and only returns later to attack her daughter.

Dawn and Karl team up to find out the reasons for their loved ones sudden changes. The cops don’t believe that there is a connection in circumstances but they are determined to prove the police wrong.

There are a few twists here and a mad scientist to boot. The revealing explanations are a little hokey and predictable. The downfall of the women and what they end up doing is more interesting than the reveal of what actually happened to them. It was a little creepy at parts and those I really enjoyed.

The book was not bad overall. It’s fast paced for the most part but a little bogged down in the middle. The ending made me angry. It ended abruptly and had I been reading a paperback instead of on my tablet I would have thrown it across the room.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Woman In The Mirror (An Alexandra Mallory Novel) by Cathryn Grant

Book Review: The Woman In The Mirror (An Alexandra Mallory Novel) by Cathryn Grant

Publisher: D2C Perspectives

Alexandra Mallory is a murderer. She is looking for a place to live and blend in to obscurity for a while and she believes a house on the edge of a cliff is the perfect place to do it. She rents a room from the home’s owner, Noreen Palmer, and soon finds out that she will have a roommate. His name is Jared and he becomes obsessed with Alexandra almost instantly.

Noreen is quirky, clinging and annoying. Alexandra does her utmost best to avoid her and fails. Noreen claims that she feels a connection to Jared but it is clearly one sided. She also claims that there is a ghost in the mirror. What starts out as weird quirkiness soon changes into obsessive and crazy behavior.

The character of Jared was a hot mess. He walks out of his job one day in an effort to find himself. As soon as he meets Alexandra all of his good intentions fall to the wayside. His only focus from then on is getting her into his bed and into his life. He becomes a needy jerk that won’t take no for an answer. He is almost stalker-like in his new behavior. His constant whining made me cringe.

Alexandra is written as a bad ass and that’s not a good thing here. She has little to no redeeming qualities. She feels that her purpose is to bring a vigilante type justice to people that are evil to the world when in reality she just kills people that piss her off. There was nothing in this character or any of the others that made me like them.

There’s an obvious twist to the story but it comes so late in the game you just kind of go “oh, okay” and move on. This is supposed to be the first in a reported series. You would think if that was the case the author would not have tried to jam in so many flashbacks in the first book. I understand that you need to learn Alexandra’s history but this book went back and forth to so many flashbacks it felt bogged down.

The ending was predictable. If there is in fact a second book I might give it a try to see if Alexandra’s story gets more interesting. I finished this book in a few hours so if you are looking for something to fill time this would be a good book for you. The story isn’t bad but I think it needed to be fleshed out more.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: Deception Island by Brynn Kelly

Book Review: Deception Island by Brynn Kelly

Publisher: Harlequin – HQN Books

Holly Ryan is sailing a yacht and posing as a body double for a wealthy senator’s daughter. Her ship is soon overtaken by several masked men. Even though she fights them she is soon taken captive.

Rafe Angelito has secret reasons for why he is a kidnapper. One of which is the safety of his son. His past has come back to haunt him and unfortunately his son is caught in the crossfire.

Passions stir and Holly learns that Rafe is not the hard hearted con man he is pretending to be. Rafe learns that Holly is not the pampered princess that she was pretending to be. They soon team up together to take down a common enemy but can their newfound passion for each other survive?

Mystery, international intrigue, romance, and suspense make this a fast and entertaining read. It would also make a decent Lifetime flick. If you are looking for a light read or a beach read, this book would be excellent in that respect.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger

Book Review: Ink and Bone by Lisa Unger

Publisher: Touchstone

Finley Montgomery is a 20 year old woman and a psychic. She has true dreams, sees spirits, and speaks with the dead. She has a gift that she doesn’t want and it’s becoming hard for her to control. She tattoos pieces of her visions on her body. Moving to the Hollows, where her grandmother lives, is an escape from her overbearing mother. Her grandmother is also a psychic and starts to teach her ways to control her visions.

The Hollows is a mysterious town with a mysterious history. I wish there would have been more insight to that part. It seems to draw people and events to it. It’s said several times in the book “The Hollows wants what it wants.” It’s almost as if the town is its own living, breathing entity. It’s a character in the book for sure.

Finley meets the detective that her grandmother sometimes helps and is shocked to learn he has a missing person case for her. A little girl has gone missing and the police have given up hope but the girl’s mother has not. Finley reluctantly agrees to help and opens herself up to her visions. She also has to deal with her messy life and an even messier relationship.

The book is told from Finley’s point of view and the point of view of the missing girl and the horrors she is being subjected to. Some of the scenes are graphic but not too bad. A few parts of the book left me with a chill or two but I can report that it didn’t give me nightmares.

All in all, I liked this book a lot. I wanted more. The author left the ending open for a sequel and if she writes one I will most certainly buy it. The only parts of this book that I didn’t care for was that I wanted to know more about the town and its history. Also, Finley’s mother is portrayed throughout the book to be this huge mega bitch but when she’s needed she’s suddenly kind and caring. It was a little hard to stomach the huge personality difference.

Hopefully, if the author writes a sequel, she will tackle more of the town’s history. As I said, if a sequel comes out, sign me up. I have already recommended this book to several people outside of this blog and will continue to recommend it to many more.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest review. Thanks Netgalley, for another winner!

Book Review: The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

Book Review: The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

You wake up in a glorious garden. It’s green and lush and there is even a waterfall. It sounds like paradise, right?

Not if you have been kidnapped by The Gardener. He’s a handsome man that on an ordinary day you might find yourself attracted to. Now he’s your captor. He’s tattooed you, changed your name, and turned you in to his plaything. If you are good to him he is good to you. Good behavior gets rewards. Bad behavior gets punishments.

Really bad behavior gets you killed and put on display like a prized butterfly.

After the garden is discovered by the FBI they begin questioning the survivors. The book is told from the perspective of a young girl named Maya. She learns quickly that keeping The Gardener happy is the only way she can survive. Even while she is giving the agents all the answers she is able more secrets and more horrors are revealed.

This book stayed with me when it was over. Yes, it’s a tale of survival. It’s also a story of the depths of friendship between women. The characters were fleshed out pretty well. I shed a few tears during a few sad moments in this book. I almost cheered at the end.

This is definitely a highly recommended read. I only put it down for dinner and restroom breaks. It reads quickly but it also very detailed. The author is excellent at pacing and keeping the reader turning the page to find out what happens next. You almost NEED to find out what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you Netgalley, this one was a treat!

Book Review: Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

Book Review: Baby Doll by Hollie Overton

Publisher: Redhook Books

3,110 days after she was kidnapped, Lily escapes from captivity with her six year old daughter Sky. Her abductor was a man she thought she could trust. Rick was her teacher and he turned in to a monster that kidnapped her, raped her, beat her, and manipulated her into his compliant “baby doll”.

Little did he know that Lily’s spirit wasn’t as broken as he thought. One day, he gets careless and Lily escapes. She runs through the snow and cold with her daughter and goes straight to the only home she has ever known. She believes that they will now be safe.

Things have changed in her absence. Her father has passed away. Her mother has fallen into drinking. Her twin sister Abby has not only become depressed but is pregnant by Lily’s first love. As painful as it is, Lily has to adjust to the realization that life has gone on without her.

This story was compelling from start to finish. There have been stories in the news of people escaping from activity but you never really see what happens AFTER unless they get a book or movie deal. Granted this book is fiction but I think it shows that when a crime like this happens it’s like a pebble dropped in a still pond – the ripples extend out and touch more than just the criminal and the victim.

Lily’s twin Abby suffers from depression and guilt. Sky is a beautiful six year old girl who is dealing with being taken away from the only father she has ever known and not fully understanding what a monster he was. Lily has to deal with coming back to a life that is completely changed. Even Rick has to deal with the loss of his perfect public persona and the aftermath of being discovered as a pedophile and kidnapper.

The author made these characters realistic enough that you loved them, hated them, rooted for them, and even understood their decisions even if you didn’t agree with them. It’s a story of struggle, hope and survival. It’s a story that will stick with you even when you finish.

I received an Uncorrected Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley.com in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Book Review: Blood Defense

Blood Defense by Marcia Clark

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

A decorated LAPD detective is accused of murdering an actress who is considered to be “America’s Sweetheart”. Samantha Brinkman, an ambitious defense attorney, recognizes the media attention and potential clients that will come her way if she takes the case. She soon launches her own investigation in a quest for the truth and discovers that her client harbors a few secrets. His uncontrollable anger issues make her doubt his claim of innocence. She also learns things about herself and her personal life that rock her normally steady foundation.

This book is fast-paced without skimping on suspense or details. Each chapter is a satisfying read that makes you want to turn the page to see what happens next. The mystery is wrapped up in a satisfying way but there is also a few items that help set up for a sequel. I do so hope there is a sequel. The characters are well-developed and I would love to see where they go.

I received a free uncorrected proof copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Even being an uncorrected proof I was only able to spot two errors and they were minor.

This is definitely worth a read. As always, if you have read it or will read it in the future, let me know in the comments.