Book Review: Caught Up In RAINE (Caught Up In Love #1) by: L.G. O'Connor

Publisher:  Collins-Young Publishing LLC

Publication Date:  April 18, 2016

Origins:  From Author for Review

Synopsis:  “Don’t judge a book by its cover model”

Forty-two and widowed, romance writer Jillian Grant believes hospitals equal death. Plagued by loss and convinced more is imminent when her aunt ends up in critical condition after heart surgery; she has come to equate the absence of pain with happiness. When she spots a hot, young landscaper working on the hospital grounds with an eerie resemblance to the male lead in her next novel, she convinces him to pose as her cover model.

Working multiple jobs to put himself through college, twenty-four-year-old Raine MacDonald is no stranger to loss. Behind his handsome face and rockin’ body lies family tragedy and agonizing secrets. When circumstances put him back in the path of his abusive father, fate delivers Jillian as his unwitting savior. Thing is, when he thinks of her, his thoughts are far from platonic.

Despite their age difference, Jillian and Raine discover they’re more alike than they could ever imagine. But torn between facing her own fears and grasping a chance at happiness, Jillian makes a soul-shattering decision that threatens to blow their world apart. 

Review: CAUGHT UP IN RAINE is a well-written and emotionally raw story of two people who have been grievously hurt finding true love. Romance novelist Jillian Grant believes life is loss, having death steal her loved ones since she was young – most recently her husband. Now her aunt is critically ill and leaving the hospital one day, she spots Raine MacDonald who is the spit and image of an old flame. She asks Raine to be her cover model for her new book and he agrees – which leads them begin to a relationship neither thought they deserved. CAUGHT UP IN RAINE is a heart-melting story of loss, love, and discovering your true self. I didn’t expect to be so deeply affected by this story, but Jillian and Raine truly stole my heart.

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Book Review: The House That Death Built by: Michaelbrent Collings

Publisher:  Michaelbrent Collings

Publication Date:  February 21, 2016

Origins:  From Author for Review

Synopsis:  Getting in was easy. Getting out... will be another matter. 

*** 

It was supposed to be just one more job: in, out, and millions the richer. But when four thieves break into THIS house, they discover the owners were ready. And waiting. 

Now, the thieves find themselves in a deadly maze of traps. Traps designed not only to steal their lives, but their sanity. 

The only way out is the front door. 
The only way to get there is to survive. 
And the only way to survive is to be willing to do anything, to suffer all... and to lose everything.

Review: In THE HOUSE THAT DEATH BUILT, a group of thieves will learn there are consequences to their actions. Four thieves are looking for their last big score and the mastermind of their group, Rob, has found the perfect mark. Or so he thinks. When Rob, Aaron (the safecracker), Kayla (the sociopath), and Tommy (the muscle) break into the house, things seem to go wrong from the start. Little do they know they’re caught up in a deadly trap with only one objective – get out or die trying. Readers will easily experience schadenfreude as the thieves realize the truth about their circumstances. THE HOUSE THAT DEATH BUILT is macabre, deliciously thrilling, and a terrifying roller-coaster ride.

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Book Review: Need to Find You by: Joseph Souza

Publisher:  Kindle Press

Publication Date:  March 15, 2016

Origins:  From Author for Review

Synopsis: Yasmine 'Yaz' Weeks would prefer to forget her troubled past and the vile crimes committed against her, but when she discovers a hidden memoir in a kidnapped girl's cell phone, Yaz finds herself on the run with an opportunity for retribution. She soon learns that the memoir has the potential to ruin both the reputation of its late great author, Robert Cornish, as well as the reputations of many influential people.

Whip Billings, an ex-cop, unwittingly becomes entangled in the mystery of the missing phone. Realizing that this newfound memoir could significantly hurt the sales of Cornish's classic novel, Force of Will, he begins to search for Yaz. But why are the cops, and a mysterious drug kingpin known only as The Viking, also looking for her?

In his quest to find Yaz, Whip uncovers a vast network of political corruption, long hidden family secrets, and a series of reprehensible crimes. As the bodies in town begin to pile up, Whip knows that he must track down Yaz before she also turns up dead. 

Review: NEED TO FIND YOU is a tale of secrets, lies, and evil. Yaz is pulled back into the orbit of The Viking when she is given a phone by a girl she just met, Mikiela, which contains some damning information. Yaz had escaped The Viking years ago and tried to never look back. Whip Billings is an addict ex-cop who has been hired to find Mikiela by someone who cares about her and he gets pulled into more than he bargained for during the search. NEED TO FIND YOU is a strange story filled with some pretty nasty characters. It took me a bit to realize what information on the phone the villains were actually after since it seemed overkill how they handled the situation. NEED TO FIND YOU is an oddly likeable novel, but definitely a strange one.

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Book Review: Chakana: Encounter In The Sacred Valley by: W.E. Lawrence

Publication Date:  January 4, 2016

Origins:  From Publicist for Review

Synopsis:  In 1940, James Fleming, the original British secret agent, races on a high-stakes mission to track down the lost Incan treasure of King Huascar. Along with Kate Rhodes, a policewoman on leave from Ohio, he decodes clues and faces the challenges of the Chakana designed to allow only the most devoted to escape alive. 

Among the ancient ruins of Peru, disaster hides around each corner as they battle Incan death traps and an international artifact smuggler who will do anything to acquire the hidden wealth. If James and Kate fail, the Nazi’s Third Reich could win WWII and take over the world. Intrigue, danger, adventure, and even romance abound in this quest to save the free world.

Review: CHAKANA: ENCOUNTER IN THE SACRED VALLEY is set in 1940 as James Fleming, a British secret agent, is on the trail of a lost Incan treasure trying to keep it out of the hands of smugglers and Nazis. CHAKANA: ENCOUNTER IN THE SACRED VALLEY is Indiana Jones, James Bond, and Lara Croft all rolled into one. James and Kate Rhodes, a police officer from Ohio, race to find the treasure with the help of Dr. Charlie and Kate’s brother. This is an action-packed, but lighthearted, story with enjoyable characters and a dash of romance thrown in. The book could have been longer in order to flesh out some of the relationships and the treasure hunt itself, to make it a little more challenging for our heroes. Overall, CHAKANA: ENCOUNTER IN THE SACRED VALLEY is a fun and quick read. Here’s hoping for a sequel or two!

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Book Review: The Gifted Dead (Gifted #1) by: Jenna Black

Publisher:  IGLA

Publication Date:  September 23, 2014

Origins:  From Author for Review

Synopsis:  Politics and magic make dangerous bedfellows. 

They have all the power. 
They make all the decisions. 
But now, corruption is blazing through the Order... 
...and nobody is safe. 

With three European families and an American maverick plotting to seize control of the Order, a power struggle breaks out, creating deception and distrust among the Gifted. A cutthroat game of political intrigue will decide the winner. The stakes couldn't be higher as the Order carries with it the power to grant—or deny—an afterlife. 

On the cusp of an all-out war for power, magic could suddenly prove deadlier than any missile. 

Review: In THE GIFTED DEAD, we are introduced to a new world. There are the Gifted and the UnGifted; those who possess magical gifts and those who do not. Each of the Gifted has at least one gift, but can be asked by the Anima, through their spirit guide, to take on Quests which will earn them new gifts if successful. However, lately there has been a change in the Anima, hidden grave desecrations, and hidden political agendas which will come together to change the Gifted world irrevocably. THE GIFTED DEAD is a marvel of character and world-building. While the first half of the story is a little jumbled, jumping from character to character, everything coalesces well in the second half. I am impressed with the complexity and depth the author was able to imbue into the novel. THE GIFTED DEAD is and enjoyable and unique story. Definitely going to pick up the next book in the series!

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