Review: Conspiracy in Death by J.D. Robb

 

 

Conspiracy in Death

(In Death # 8)

by JD Robb

Romantic Suspense

What is there to say that hasn’t been said countless times by JD Robb? She’s brilliant and Conspiracy in Death, the eight book in the In Death series is great!

Eve Dallas is simply the best at what she does. And others have started to take notice. When a fellow cop, Bowers the bitch starts hassling Eve on her turf, Eve has no choice but to defend herself. With a few heated words and early threats, things seem to be close to its boiling point rather than simmering down.

But despite the bad blood between Eve and Bowers, Dallas has more important things to do, like figure out why a sleeper was found dead under a bench with his heart removed. The Black Market is Eve’s first guess, but then she finds out that Snooks’ heart was already failing and he was going to die soon. So why would someone snatch a dying heart? It’s Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s job to find out!

Conspiracy in Death showcases Eve at some of her most vulnerable moments. In this book, she is stripped of her identity and it breaks her. I love the strong, kickass woman who takes no shit from anyone, but I also adore the fact that Eve has a softer, more gentler side to her as well. It’s her love and trust of Roarke that helps her overcome this and I loved reading every moment of it!

Plus, Roarke gets hotter and hotter in each book! And, as always, I present to you, your daily dose to Gandy Candy!

Purrr.

Snow scene anyone?

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Dangerous Race by Dee J. Adams

Dangerous Race

by Dee J. Adams

(Danger # 1)

Romantic Suspense

I'm always looking for new romantic suspense and in this case, mixed in with car racing... well I just couldn't resist. Of course going into with really no expectations, I have to say I really enjoyed this book!

Was it suspenseful? A little bit more on the contemporary romance with a suspense twist for me. But it worked with the story.

So we have Tracey Bradshaw, or as I like to call her, the woman with nine lives. She's had a passion for racing since she was a little girl and she became an up-and-coming star at just 19. Sadly that was also the time when she had a very tragic accident which could've killed her, instead just damaged her leg severely.

After four years she is back and ready to roll when disaster strikes again! This time in a personal and emotional way instead of physically. But the race is still on and she has to push through what is now being considered a series of attacks on her life.

Someone wants her out of that race! Now, enter Mac Reynolds. Hunky and determined to help her win that race, but also to keep her safe.

Since they are basically the main couple of this book, let me just say that I truly admire the strength Tracey showed through everything that happened to her, but I didn't really feel a connection to her. And even though Mac is hot and should have all the characteristics I'd want him to have, he wasn't doing much for me either.

Nevertheless, the actual storyline was interesting, their relationship had some sparks in and out of bed, if you can count the many heated arguments they had, and the situations they had to get through.

But who I enjoyed reading about the most was Chelsea and Matthew. The second, and unexpected to me, couple in this book. Matthew is part of Tracey's pit crew, and he manages to meet Tracey's twin. Really, a twin, that she didn't know she had because her mom had given Tracey up for adoption and only kept one child. Chelsea has been searching for her twin for a while and has finally found her! Along with, maybe, true love.

What starts out as a very hot one night stand has the potential for a long lasting relationship. Matthew, with his tall, dark and handsome good looks; sweet charisma and charm. And Chelsea who all around felt more real to me.

I am curious to see what happens in book two, which will be about Mac's brothers, Quinn. 

Purchase from Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Brenda Novak!

Brenda Novak is a New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling author and we are absolutely thrilled to have her today to speak about her new Romantic Suspense series called Bulletproof! As many of you know, I have been on a Romantic Suspense rampage, devouring several books in this sub-genre. And let me tell you, Ms. Novak’s Bulletproof series is one of the best! If you’d like more information on Brenda Novak, please visit her website here.

Now, let’s get to the good stuff! Thank you so much Brenda for taking the time out of your schedule to chat with us. Let’s talk about your books first. You have a new romantic suspense series called Bulletproof. What sparked the idea for this series? How did the Bulletproof series come to be?


INSIDE, the first book in the series, was inspired by Prison Break. Although I rarely watch TV, my daughter she insisted on showing me Prison Break (it was over at the time so we watched it on DVD). “You’ll love it,” she said, and she was right. I found the characterization, plotting, acting and dialogue to be fantastic. I was so captivated, in fact, that I rented every season and watched the whole thing. But, when it was all over, I decided that there was one thing about Prison Break I would’ve done differently, and that was the romance between the two lead characters. The writers took a very minimalist approach and yet, for me, it was the most interesting part of the whole show. So I decided to write my own story set against the gritty back-drop and high stakes of prison life.

You pay a great amount of attention to detail, making INSIDE as realistic as possible. How much research went into the making of INSIDE?


A great deal of research went into the story because I really wanted it to feel authentic. For those who don’t know, I run an annual online auction for diabetes research at my web site every May. In that auction, I offer everything from jewelry, to Coach purses to trips and stays to meetings with your favorite author. I also offer a great many things for writers, and some of those involve the opportunity to do research with a professional in various fields. I purchased the opportunity to talk with Sergeant David Doglietti, an investigative officer at Soledad Prison from my annual online auction, and that turned out to be so fortuitous. “Dog,” as he is called, is an amazing and generous person. Not only did he answer my endless questions about the inner workings of a prison and gang life, he gave me a day-long tour through the prison and read my manuscript to check it for accuracy. How cool is that?

Virgil is my favourite character of Inside! To you, what makes a hero desirable?


I love Virgil, too. He’s so wounded and yet so admirable. I think a hero who has really been tried and tested and yet rebounds and refuses to knuckle under to loss or discouragement is desirable. Of course, Virgil’s hot, too, so that helps. LOL


What can readers expect in your newest release, IN SECONDS?

IN SECONDS is Virgil’s sister’s story. She’s gone into the witness protection program and has started over in a quiet little town in Montana—only to have the gang they escaped in INSIDE find her.

How about we chat about your writing process a little bit? When writing an ongoing series, do you plot before hand or just follow where the story takes you?


I’m definitely a pantser. I can’t plot too much ahead of time or I get bored with the story. It makes me feel as if I’ve already told it. Or I march down the list of things I want to have happen without really bringing them to life. It’s tough to explain all the ways an outline gets me into trouble. It’s probably easiest to say that I need to be as surprised by what happens as my reader. That’s what keeps me interested and turning out my best stories.

How do you maintain a balance between the suspense aspect of the story and the romance?


This is always a struggle. One aspect sometimes wants to overwhelm the other, but if you give yourself a great romantic conflict to work with AND a great suspense conflict, it helps keep things going and pretty evenly balanced.

Fun questions! If you could collaborate with another author(s), who would you choose and why?


I would love to work with Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She’s so great at creating appealing characters—is one of my favorite authors.

You’ve got about five seconds to grab TWO books from your bookshelf to read, what two books do you snatch?


Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ HEAVEN, TEXAS and Ken Follett’s EYE OF THE NEEDLE.

Complete this sentence: One fun thing about me that people might not know is...

I’m shy. I don’t come off that way, but…it’s true! LOL


Thank you so much for chatting with us today! We really appreciate it!  And Maidens, be sure to check out In Seconds, which comes out tomorrow (August 30)!

 

Brenda will be giving away a copy of INSIDE! Open to US and Canada.

To enter, please:

1. Be a follower

2. Fill out the form below

ARC Review: In Seconds by Brenda Novak

 

 

(More like 3.5 feathers!)

In Seconds 

(Bulletproof # 2)

by Brenda Novak

Romantic Suspense

In all honesty, I was hoping for a romance between Laurel and Pretty Boy aka Rex McCready because of the build-up in INSIDE, the first book in the Bulletproof series. So when I started reading IN SECONDS and soon found out that this was not the case, I was a little sad about that. But nevertheless, Brenda Novak pulls this one off with ease!

Laurel Hodges, the heroine of this novel, was one of my favourite characters from INSIDE. Now she is on the run from The Crew, a deadly gang with serious connections. When Peyton, Virgil, Rex and Laurel are forced to leave the Witness Protection Program after being found, they all split up and take on different names in order to save each other’s lives. Now living as a brunette named Vivian Stewart in Pineview, Montana , Vivien lives her life constantly looking over her shoulder with her children, Jake and Mia.

Myles is Vivian’s hero and although it took me awhile to warm up to him, I did eventually. I think the reason for this is because Laurel/Vivian has experienced so much already, that I’m a little protective of her. I wanted to make sure she got her happily ever after, because she certainly deserves it. Myles had a lot of overcome for me to approve of him. And in the end, I did end up liking him a lot. Myles is a widower so he and Vivian really found comfort in each other’s presence. With Pat’s murder investigation going on, fear is lingering across their neighbourhood.

What I liked about this book was the fact that Ms. Novak keeps it real. She doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything. If there is a murder, then she writes the scene in an eerie, chilling manner which does great things for a romantic suspense thriller.

I only wished there was more scenes with Myles and Vivian together, showcasing their slow progression in trusting each other. For Vivian, trusting someone with the truth is a life or death situation. I wanted to read more of Vivian’s vulnerability. Or, maybe I just wanted more Myles and Vivian. Maybe both!

Novak crafts another solid instalment in the Bulletproof series! I loved the updates on Peyton and Virgil as well. I am completely enamoured by Virgil. He’s got some serious guts. If you’re interesting in a realistic romantic suspense with complex characters, then this series is the one for you. You won’t be disappointed.

*ARC provided by Netgalley

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Midnight in Death by J.D. Robb

 

Midnight in Death

(In Death #7.5)

by J.D. Robb

Romantic Suspense

Eve is on someone’s Christmas list....

Didn’t matter that book was shorter than all the rest. The fact is that Robb has written a damn good story with just a quarter of the word count. Not many authors can pull off novellas, but J.D. Robb can.

This story takes place right after the previous one where the Christmas holidays are in full spring. But Eve and Roarke can’t enjoy it because a man who Eve had the pleasure to catch before has escaped and is killing once again. But this time, his ultimate target is Eve. So much for having a Happy New Year.

Although there isn’t much character development in this novella, there’s plenty of suspense and action. The last few pages were particularly engaging, but that’s no surprise as it is with all of her books.

Eve’s still badass. Roarke is still too good to be true. And Peabody is still my favourite sidekick that any could have.

 Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: When You Dare by Lori Foster

3.5 Feathers
When You Dare

by Lori Foster

(Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor # 1)

Romantic Suspense

This book starts up with suspense and action. Molly was kidnapped. Nobody in her family has been worried about her disappearance except her sister Natalie. So no one is looking for her. But she gets lucky when Dare goes into the house where she was being held in Tijuana to rescue his friend's sister, Alani.

He takes Molly back home with him, with all the good intentions of just taking care of her and returning her to her family. But he soon realizes that Molly's kidnap was different than Alani's. They didn't want her for human trafficking, someone wanted her out of the way. And they keep coming after her. Of course Dare won't allow anything to happen to her. First, because it's his job, then because he starts caring for Molly in ways he wasn't supposed to.

Dare is the perfect romantic suspense hero. He's big, hot, possessive, skilled, bad ass and will make your toe curls. I didn't think he's sudden change from "I can't be in a relationship because of my line of work" to "I'm falling for Molly and I want her to be in my life forever" made much sense. But I liked him throughout most of the book!

Molly is a very strong character, I really liked her, she has gone through so much and she still puts up a strong front, and keeps going. I mean, what can be worse than being kidnapped and abused (good thing she wasn't raped) and then find out the one that wanted you out was someone so close to you! So cuddos to her, and for going for what she wants (i.e. Dare).

The "bad guy" of the story was obvious to me at about 50% or so. And yes, I was right! Maybe I wasn't expecting quite the how or the rest of the details at the end, but it was a little predictable.

My one complaint about this book was that after they come back to her place the story starts dragging. Yes, it got a bit boring, not much was happening or happened very slow. I feel that if the book would've been a little shorter it would've kept a better pace.

But I am really excited to keep reading this series, it was entertaining, and I'm glad I tried the audiobook for it, even though I don't usually do audios for this genre. It's Jim Frangione! I love his voice! Moving on to book 2 soon. 

Purchase from Amazon.com

Review: Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb

 

Vengeance in Death

(In Death # 6)

by J.D. Robb

Romantic Suspense

VENGEANCE IN DEATH is ice, frigid. Or as the eccentric Mavis would say, mag. I think this book just topped my previous favourite, RAPTURE IN DEATH. There were so many good things about this book that I’m not sure where to start. First off, the case that Lieutenant Dallas has been dealt is a gruesome one. It hits a little closer to home because of the violation that these victims have endured and it all seems to lead to Roarke’s past.

As you know, Roarke hasn’t always been the polished and powerful businessman he is now. Once, long ago, he was a just a kid in Dublin trying to make ends meet that likely got his hands dirty. It was his acts in Dublin years ago that seem to anger someone enough to push them into a killing spree.

This book is much more gritty and bloody than the previous books and I loved every moment of it. It always showcases a lot of Dublin, the place where Roarke is from. I loved reading the little bouts here and there were his Irish brogue revealed itself. It was sexy.

There’s also the introduction of Ian McNab from the EDD who has come in to assist Eve in this case. With his colourful choice of clothing and his flashing earrings and smart mouth, McNab has easily become one of my favourite characters! I am hoping for more appearances from him in future books. I see something between him and Peabody, whether its attraction or irritation, I don’t know yet, but I LIKE IT!

 

 

Purchase links: Amazon

Review: The Guy Next Door by Lori Foster, Susan Donovan and Victoria Dahl

The Guy Next Door

by Lori Foster, Susan Donovan and Victoria Dahl

(Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor # 0.5)

(Donovan Brothers Brewery # 0.5)

Contemporary Romance

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster
3 Feathers

This story is the prequel of a new series by Lori Foster called Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor. First of all, the whole concept of the series is very appealing to me, so I was very excited to start it by reading this story. AND this is my first time EVER reading Lori Foster. I have heard such great things about her writing and that just made my expectations higher.

And, quite frankly, I was disappointed! So disappointed with this short story. First of all I think the heroine, Natalie, is just a tad stupid. I mean, she's had issues because she comes from a wealthy family, where there was no concept of family at all, no values, and no love. And on top of that every man that has ever wanted anything to do with her was to get her money. So, ok I get it. She has to be very careful. But in this case, she just doesn't want anybody to know who she really is, and she feels that she can't EVER have a real relationship, no matter how much she likes the guy. Thaaaaaaat was a bit extreme for me.

So she's living in an apartment complex, and out of the blue, kind of, one thing leads to another and she ends up having a "booty call" affair with her hunky neighbor, Jett. And when I say booty call, that is strictly all she ever does. They don't have conversations other than dirty talk, they are never seen in public together, she leads her life as if nothing was happening between them. Supposedly, this is to protect herself.

But Jett really likes her, and he wants more from her. Since he was injured in the line of duty, he is now a PI of sorts and he does some background checks on her and discovers her past. He then decides that he will push his way into her life and into a relationship.

So, I'm not going to tell you how the story ends, but it just felt that she all of a sudden has a change of heart, on issues that I thought were a little stupid to begin with, and all of a sudden they're going to get married. Hmmmmm

One other thing that I didn't enjoy as much as I thought was the actual writing. I felt it was choppy at times, either something would drag and then all of a sudden it was done. It didn't flow for me as I was expecting. I have seen from other reviews that this is not Ms. Fosters usual style and I'm still very hopeful to read a full book by her. Novellas and short stories can be very difficult to write and still convey the same connection as a full book.

I am interested on how the first book of the series was set up and I can't wait to read it.

Gail's Gone Wild by Susan Donovan
3 Feathers

This story was actually cute, it flowed nicely, it was entertaining at times, but it was one of those stories where you just want to beat the hero with a stick over the head.

Gail is 36, with a 17 year old daughter who's dying to go to the Florida Keys on spring break. Gail is recently divorced, her husband was actually embellishing money from a lot of people and just a lying con artist, so she's been hurt and has been alone for some time. So when her daughter brings up spring break vacation, she decides to go with her to chaperone and at the same time give herself a little much needed fun time.

What she wasn't expecting is the hot cuban who lives next door to her rental, with the salt and pepper hair and earring. She is smitten with Jesse's charm. But Jesse has also been burned before. At 38, he's a very successful author, and he recently had a woman who rented that house whom he became involved with only to find out she wanted to make money off of him, and she had sued him for abuse, accused him of getting her pregnant, in the end a media disaster.

So what does Jesse decide to do? NOT tell her who he really is. She thinks he's a tour guide. She is very straightforward with him, and tells him all about her past and how important honesty is for her. And he keeps going with his lie.

Of course, these two have really good chemistry, and during the course of her vacation they develop feelings for each other, that is until the time he decides to come clean.

This story was cute, it was sweet, but it certainly wasn't compelling me to not put the book down. There wasn't anything that special about it. But as short stories go, I think it's pretty good!

Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl
4.5 Feathers

And this is the reason why I wanted to read this book. I love Victoria Dahl and I can't wait to start on her new series about the Donovan brothers and their brewery. Set in Colorado, the Donovan brothers, and sister, have a pretty successful business and in this prequel, Eric Donovan, the oldest, gets stuck at manning the booth at the local business expo. He is the behind the scenes guy. His youngest brother should be the one doing this, you know serving beer to prospective clients wearing his kilt. But he can't make it and it's up to Eric to take his place, along with trying to make new business contacts to get their beer out to more people.

Except, he almost can't concentrate because all he can do is stare at the hottie in the booth across from him, and its a booth for the sex shop in town nonetheless. She is the last person he should try to get involved with. He's the serious guy. But he can't hide his attraction, and when she comes up to him thinking he is Jamie, he decides "Why not? Jamie would do it."

Beth has a thing for preppy guys. If her friends from work would know she'd be the talk of the town and ridiculed, but that's her ultimate fantasy. But that guy in the Donovan Brewery booth is a preppy God! When she passes the booth she looks at the name tag on the table: Jamie Donovan. She's heard of him, kind of a player reputation. Maybe she could have a fling with him and no one would have to know.

This story was sexy, hot, cute, everything. I loved it. And it has a very open ending which makes me want to rush and read book 1!!!!

Another great story by Ms. Dahl!

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Review: Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb

 Holiday in Death (In Death # 7)

by J.D. Robb

Romantic Suspense

Even the Christmas holidays are filled with death in this series! But I guess when you work as a Lieutenant like Eve in New York, you’re bound to meet a few dead bodies along the way.

HOLIDAY IN DEATH is another keeper! In this book, Eve Dallas finds herself in another jam, where a murderer is on the loose, approaching people in a Santa costume and binding and raping them before he kills them. Yeah, this person is a sick one.

And it’s Eve’s job to find the killer before they kill more people.

I loved this book! It seems that Robb isn’t capable of writing a bad book. I honestly have nothing to say that hasn’t been said before. She weaves such fantastic stories, keeping you engaged until the very last pages of the book. And it’s those very last fifteen pages or so that really set Robb’s books apart from other authors. She unravels the mystery quickly in the end, revealing who the murderer is while also uping the ante of the action. And this makes for such an amazing ride as a reader.

I really can’t compare her writing to anyone else I’ve read. She’s in a league of her own.

I also want to mention how happy I am to read about McNab again in this one! I love his character! That smart mouth of his always gets him into trouble, but he enjoys the punishment anyway. I’m hoping to read more of him and Peabody!!

And, of course, as tradition I have my Gandy Candy....

 

Purchase links: Amazon

Review: Daring by Dee Davis

Daring

by Dee Davis

(A-Tac # 3.5)

Romantic Suspense

First thing I need to clarify is that I've never read anything by this author and I'm not familiar with the A-Tac series. Now, that being said, I was able to fully enjoy this short story even without having any background.

Lara was part of the A-Tac team, working for the CIA until her husband Jason died tragically. She needed to get away and the only way she found to get away and cope with her grief, or just hide it, was to go hide in Africa, in a settlement where she could do humanitarian medical services. She's been there now a year. She's still a basket case about losing her husband. I felt she wasn't truly ready to get a HEA. At the beginning of the book her emotions were still very raw, she was still broken, and hadn't let go of the memory of Jason.

On the other hand we have the hot Aussie mercenary, Rafe. He's been lusting for Lara, and falling in love with her, since she came to Africa and their little settlement.

Things get complicated when her clinic is attacked by militia and she is kidnapped. Her only hope is Rafe coming for her. And after that is one twist after another! The suspense was actually good and kept the story interesting, instead of having one sex scene after another.

In the end, his feelings felt real, his attraction to her and hopes for the future were justified. But in her case, I thought it was forced and too quick. A simple we are couple and care about each other would've worked much better for me than her going from "I don't want to be a notch in his bedpost and don't really like him" to "I love him" in about 24 hours.

I am intrigued to read about the A-Tac team now, being that technically this story doesn't involve one of their missions or current team members. I enjoyed Ms. Davis's writing style!