SUNNY: ARC REVIEW "Far Gone" by Laura Griffin

BLURB:
To save her only brother, Andrea Finch must face down a criminal mastermind, the FBI, and her own demons in this thrilling novel from the author of the bestselling Tracers series.

Police detective Andrea Finch is a rising star in her department until a split-second decision derails her career. Disgraced and disillusioned, she's on leave from her job when she gets an urgent call from her younger brother. She'd prefer to ignore his latest plea for cash, but this time instinct tells her something is very wrong. Andrea's search for answers takes her to a dusty Texas border town where danger lurks in plain sight and nothing is quite what it seems.

FBI agent Jon North is working undercover in west Texas investigating an unsolved murder that may be linked to a broader plot. But when the evidence points to Andrea&amp's brother, Jon finds that persuading the stubborn cop to help will be harder than cracking his toughest case.

Andrea must find a way to do what's right while protecting her only sibling. As the clock ticks down on a deadly plot, Andrea and Jon race to confront a heartless killer who will stop at nothing to deliver a final, terrifying message.

REVIEW:
Laura Griffin is one of my go-to authors when I want a good romantic suspense story.  I've enjoyed her Tracer's series, and I'm especially fond of this one. I would imagine that it is somewhat challenging to write a long running series.  This particular book felt fresh to me.  Giving only a nominal nod to the past characters, we start with two cops - one local, one federal - with they eyes on the same bad guy but for wholly different reasons. 

This book is satisfying. It hits all the right notes.  Having worked for an organization that tracks and studies extremist groups, the author got the details right. The story is balanced with the right amount of tension, complexity, and romance. The storyline is suspenseful and thrilling. My one small criticism is that although I enjoyed the characters, I wish they were a little more memorable. Looking back at the book, I could tell you about the conspiracy and terrorist threat but can barely remember the names of the characters. 

IN A NUTSHELL:
Even with the small criticism, this is a fantastic read and one I'm certain readers will enjoy.

SUNNY: RELEASE DAY BLITZ, EXCERPT, and GIVEAWAY "Kaleidoscope" by Kristen Ashley

Kaleidoscope 

by Kristen Ashley

Welcome to the release day for Kristen Ashley's newest addition to the Colorado Mountain series, Kaleidoscope.  We are please to be able to share an excerpt and a fantastic giveaway from the author!  Additionally on February 5, 2014, you can join the other on a live Spreecast Chat!  Be sure to RSVP to participate. 

BLURB:

Sexy, gifted, and loyal, PI Jacob Decker is a tall, cool drink of perfection who had Emmanuelle Holmes at "hello." His relationship with Emme's best friend kept them apart for years, but things have changed. Now that a case has brought him to Gnaw Bone, Colorado, the road is wide open for Emme and Deck to explore something hotter and deeper than Emme dreamed possible. So why is she sabotaging the best thing that's ever happened to her? 

It isn't easy to catch Deck off guard, but Emme does just that when she walks back into his life after nine long years. The curvy brunette had her charms back in the day, but now she's a bona fide knockout . . . and she wants to rekindle their friendship. Deck, however, wants more. Emme's always been the one; she excites Deck's body and mind like no other woman can. But a dark chapter from Emme's past overshadows their future together. Now only Deck can help her turn the page-if she'll let him . . .

Buy the book at: Amazon | B&N | iTunes

EXCERPT:

I looked out my office window, down to the yard, my eyes to the bustling activity, and I did this tapping my phone on my desk.

I should be working but I wasn’t thinking about work.

I was thinking about Jacob.

More precisely, I was thinking about calling Jacob, had an overwhelming urge to do so.

I was also trying not to do so because I had a boyfriend, even though he was a boyfriend I wasn’t all that sure about. He was sweet, he was into me, but he was just… off.

Then again, I didn’t have a lot of experience so what did I know?

Additionally, after my dinner with Jacob last night, within an hour, I’d called him after ten at night and now it was only eleven thirty the next day.

I didn’t want him to think I was psycho, and calling him would imply psycho behavior. Further, when I called him last night, I’d asked him to dinner, which was dinner two nights in a row with a woman he hadn’t seen in nine years, a woman with a boyfriend, and that was semi-psycho.

Okay, maybe it was totally psycho.

I didn’t want Jacob to think I was psycho.

Ever.

But I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to connect with him on the phone. I’d missed him and I liked having him back. I liked it a great deal.

I also missed him a great deal.

And I needed to ask him something. Further, he was the only one I could ask.

I looked from the yard to my phone. My mind telling my thumb not to do it, my thumb not listening, I found Jacob’s contact and hit go.

I put it to my ear.

“I’m a psycho,” I whispered and luckily finished whispering two seconds before Jacob’s voice sounded.

“You okay?” he answered.

He kept asking that mostly, I figured, because I kept calling when I didn’t need to so he probably thought something was wrong.

Or that I was a psycho.

“I need to know if you don’t eat anything,” I lied.

Actually, it wasn’t a lie. Although I remembered a lot about Jacob (most everything, in all honesty), I couldn’t recall if there was something specific he didn’t like to eat.

I could recall how beautiful he was, how tall he was, how strong he was. I could recall how smart he was and how funny he was. I could recall how cool he was with me. I could also recall how much I missed him. But I couldn’t recall if he didn’t like chicken.

But that wasn’t the only thing I needed to know. I needed to know something else too.

Much like last night, when he didn’t make me feel like a psycho, in fact, the opposite and sounded like he was happy to hear from me and would be willing to talk all night, he again sounded like me psychotically calling him yet again in a precursor to stalker way was no big deal.

“I don’t eat it, I’ll pick it off.”

“You can’t pick it off if I cook with it in it or if the mainstay of dinner on the whole is what you don’t eat,” I informed him.

“You makin’ Indian food?” he asked.

“No. Don’t you like Indian food?” I asked back.

“Love it,” he answered.

“Then why’d you ask if I was making Indian food?”

“ ’Cause I hoped you were.”

I burst out laughing.

No, Jacob definitely didn’t make me feel like I was being a psycho.

When I quit laughing, I told him, “Sorry, honey, I don’t know how to make Indian food.”

“Shame,” he muttered, a smile in his deep, attractive voice, and if I was on an infrared scanner, specific parts of me would have shown up hotter.

You have a boyfriend, Emme! I told myself.

For a while, I answered myself.

Jacob is also your ex–best friend’s ex-boyfriend, Emme! I reminded myself.

So? I asked myself.

I shoved those thought aside, thoughts that, if anyone knew I was talking to myself in my head might prove I was indeed a psycho, and pointed out to Jacob, “You haven’t actually answered the question.”

“I’ll eat what you cook, Emme. Cook what you like.”

He was such a nice guy.

He always was.

Nice. Tall (very tall). Handsome (unbelievably handsome). Smart (so damned smart). Funny. Interesting. Gentlemanly. And a repeat of nice because it was worth a repeat since he was just that nice.

I liked all that about him. I liked that he wore his dark hair way too long. I liked that sometimes a thick hank of it fell over his forehead and into his eye. I liked that he was who he was and didn’t wear designer jeans or put gel in his hair. I liked that, even considering he was extortionately intelligent, in fact, a genius, he never made anyone feel less than him because they weren’t as smart. I liked that he never acted superior or arrogant and with all that was him, looks, body, brains, he was one person who could. And I liked that he liked to do what he liked to do, he did what he liked to do and wouldn’t get pushed into doing something he didn’t want.

Like Elsbeth tried to do.

He’d lost her to that and he’d accepted it. I knew it killed. He’d loved her to distraction. But he refused to be the man she wanted him to be and instead was the man he was.

She should have seen she had it all even if he didn’t make bucketloads of money and thus couldn’t give her the life she was used to getting from her daddy. Country clubs, tennis lessons, vacations in villas in Italy and beaches in Thailand, fabulous homes kept by maids and fabulous meals cooked by cooks.

She didn’t see all she had.

Stupid.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up.  And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

KEEP UP WITH KRISTEN ASHLEY AT: 

          

On February 5, join Kristen Ashhley for a LIVE Spreecast Chat at7 PM EST. RSVP to watch and participate.  For information, click here.

GIVEAWAY

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SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW - "Something About You" by Julie James

CHARACTERS:
Jack Pallas
Cameron Lynde

SUMMARY From Goodreads:
Fate has thrown two sworn enemies...

Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends with a death. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and for nearly ruining his career.

Into each other's arms...

Work with Cameron Lynde? Are they kidding? Maybe, Jack thinks, this is some kind of welcome-back prank after his stint away from Chicago. But it's no joke; the pair is going to have to put their rocky past behind them and focus on the case at hand. That is, if they can cut back on the razor-sharp jibes—and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension

REVIEW:
Julie James has a playful style of writing that had me smirking throughout the whole book. I loved the inner dialogue and references to pop culture. 

Jack Pallas is my kind of hero.  He is a reluctant romantic.  He is dumbstruck by how quickly his attraction takes over.  With his glowering looks and serious demeanor, he could easy intimidate even the staunchest of women...but not Cameron Lynde.  She can and does go toe-to-toe with this alpha.

What I like most about this relationship between Cameron and Jack is that it does not take long for them to get brutally honest with each other.  Yes!  It saved me from the frustration of waiting and wondering...and then wait for it, wait for it, yes!  He tumbles right over the precipice.  So hot and satisfying. 

IN A NUTSHELL:
A fun and fast read, this is the perfect weekend book when you want a little laughter peppered with some serious alpha goodness.

SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW - "Sweet Talk" by Julie Garwood

 

CHARACTERS:
Olivia MacKenzie
Grayson Kincaid

SUMMARY:
Olivia MacKenzie is an survivor.  As a child, she participated in an experimental study to help stop the ravages of her cancer.  There she makes lifelong friends, Jane, Collin, and Samantha, whom she considers her family.  (It is a perfect set up for a series).  Her own family is MIA during her illness not wanting to be associated with weakness.  

Olivia is now grown up and an attorney who works for the IRS.  In a twist of fate, she ends up at a lunchtime interview with a CEO of a financial services company who is under scrutiny by the FBI.  The whole encounter goes haywire with Olivia being pursued by a bodyguard with a gun at which time she yells. "Do you have a permit to carry that gun?"  Oh yes, just the kind of snarkiness that I like in a heroine. The encounter may have gone wrong but she does meet handsome, FBI Agent Grayson Kincaid (hubba, hubba).  Under the guise of following up on the incident, Grayson gets close to Olivia and discovers that she in more danger than at first blush.  Turns out Olivia is going after her father, a supreme conman who is swindling people out of millions of dollars in a grand ponzi scheme (ala Bernie Madoff).  This sets off Grayson's protective instincts and gives him the opening to pursue her as well.  


REVIEW:
I chose this book because something about the cover appealed to me - a well built man in a suit with a holster.  Yup, my kinda guy.  Ok, go ahead, call me superficial.  And although I have long learned not to dismiss books because of the cover, I assert that an attractive cover will always get a second look.  

This is the first book I have read from Julie Garwood.  I will probably read more from this author, but not if I have to pay what I paid for this ebook.  This is an indulgence because I really liked the cover (did I mention that before?). 

This book starts off really strong.  Olivia is witty, funny, and smart and I looked forward to the more of it.  Unfortunately, there isn't that much more.  There is some clever banter between Olivia and Grayson, but most of her dialogue is internal and she worries a lot - worries about getting involved with Grayson, worries about the kids she rescues and represents, worries about what her family thinks about her...  She talks a lot in her head.  She is obviously witty and clever (as is set up in the Prologue), I wish we could see more of Olivia's sense of humor.  

Grayson and Olivia make a hot couple.  Grayson is just enough alpha to make Olivia push back.  Their desire for one another is uncontrollable and I can feel the energy vibrate off the page, but this book lacks the graphic sizzle of other romance novels.  Admittedly, that is not always necessary, but I think this book does a great job of setting up the action and could've benefitted from a little extra detail.  

IN A NUTSHELL:
This is a nice contemporary romance novel worth a read, but you might want to wait for it to go down in price before you pick it up. 

SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW "For You" by Kristen Ashley

CHARACTERS:
Alexander Colton
February Owens

SUMMARY:
Alex “Colt” Colton and February Owens are meant to be together. They have known each other since childhood. An act of machination drives them apart … for 22 years. Circumstances and the pressure brought on by a serial killer/stalker brings them back together. But this is more than just a reunion, it is a rekindling. 

REVIEW:
This book touched me to the core. Lesson learned - Learning to live with and overcoming regret to allow room to make something even more beautiful. It is a tragedy that Colt and February are kept apart for so many years, but what they have now is a product of that separation. The amazing place they find themselves in today cannot be divorced from the time they spent apart. The people they have become are a direct result of the time they spent in distance - each having the time to mature and develop their own “flavor” so that now that they are together, it is a blending of subtle layers and deep fragrance. It is easy to be wistful for all the time Colt and February lost, but realizing that they are stronger now as a mature couple. 

The action and suspense element is not a sidestory to the romance. Colt and February’s relationship is right in the middle of the rampage of a serial killer/stalker with February as the center of the obsession. Kristen Ashley expertly weaves the fear and terror in with the more tender moments of the relationship. It is supremely balanced. 

The secondary characters: Sully, Jessie, Morrie, Jack and Jackie, are all apart of the cheering squad and give color to the story. Lovely. 

IN A NUTSHELL:
This is a perfect book for the genre. It has action, suspense, crime mystery and a hot, sweet, and at times, heartbreaking romance.  I loved this book. Go read it.

SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW "Intimate Enemies" by Joan Swan

CHARACTERS:
CASSANDRA CHRISTO
RIO SANTANA

SUMMARY:
Cassandra Christo is going home to Baja, California Mexico and she is on a mission.  She is out to evict her stepfather, Saul, from her deceased mother's home.  Her mother died six months ago along with her stepbrother in a boating accident.  Now Saul is bringing prostitutes home and Cassie is going to find a way to get him out.  Unfortunately, for Cassie, Saul is not merely a morally corrupt john, he also happens to be a white slave trader and now a terrorist smuggler.  

When she arrives at her family estate, along with Saul, she meets Rio Santana, Chief of Security.  This is not the first time they have met.  At the her mother's funeral, Rio provided support, warmth and care to Cassie and although, she barely remembers his name, she does remember his compassion and touch.  For Rio, helping Cassie is one of the first times in a long time he's made a human connection.  As an I.C.E. agent working undercover for over a year, he has closed himself off to any ties choosing to keep himself totally focused on his assignment, until he met Cassie.

REVIEW:
This was suppose to be an "in between" book (IBB).  You know those innocuous books that fill your time in between when your "highly anticipated" books are published. These books make you happy you read them, but you don't expect to be moved or surprised by them.  So, what an unexpected pleasure when an IBB becomes a highly entertaining book.  

Things I liked about this book:
* Cassie - I like strong female characters in my romantic suspense books.  Cassie is an emergency room doctor (smart) and is characterized as a bulldog for her tenacity in getting to the bottom of things.  She is also smart in other ways.  Without putting in a spoiler, let's just say she is astute and keenly observant and has the smarts to put the puzzle pieces together!  I love it!

* Rio - smart, vulnerable, and oh, so alpha.  

* Setting - Being in Baja, Mexico gets to take advantage of the fear and violence brought on by the gangs and drug cartels. 

* Great action and suspenseful scenes.  Had me on the edge of my seat.  

Things that could've used some work:
* Both characters are wounded by their past.  For Cassie, her situation could've been brought up earlier in the book.  As a reader, it would help me add to the layers of her character earlier on. For Rio, there was not enough development to his past tragedy.  It could've been more developed and also brought in earlier in the story. 

IN A NUTSHELL: 
This is, of course, a great IBB, but don't be shy to move up your To Be Read (TBR) pile.  

SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW "Santerra's Sin" by Donna Kauffman

SUMMARY:
Diego Santerra is a operative in a super secret government covert op organization known as Dell's Dirty Dozen. Santerra is tasked with the security of his boss' daughter while he testifies against a major Miami kingpin. The need for secrecy is high because she thinks her father is dead. Blue Delgado is a bar owner in a small town in New Mexico. She is a smart, spunky, wounded, sharp shooter who rides a Harley. As a reader, you can imagine the possibilities with this story. 

REVIEW:
This book has great promise. The problem is that it falls flat in the execution. Some of the dialogue becomes a little too cheesy for the characters. 

"This is only the beginning, Blue. I promise you I'll work hard at being your husband as I've ever done anything else. I love you."

For a man who has only recently discovered that he had a heart, willing to dream of a future, and see himself as more than just an assassin, this type of statement does not ring true. Where did he find these words? 

IN A NUTSHELL:
Overall the story is good, although it lacks edginess. If you would like a nice, easy, escapist read and don't mind the cheese, this book might be for you. 

This book was provided courtesy of Netgalley.

SUNNY: BOOK REVIEW - "If You Hear Her" by Shiloh Walker

CHARACTERS: 

Lena Riddle
Ezra King (Love the name Ezra)

SUMMARY:

Ezra King is a detective with the Kentucky State Police on leave recuperating from a near fatal shooting in which his partner and lover are killed. He continues to try and heal his mind as well as his body. Lena Riddle is a independent, well-liked chef and long time resident of Ash, who is also blind.

One night, Lena wakes up to sound of screams for help coming from the woods near her home. She reports it to police, but they are skeptical that it is more than just Lena’s dreams. The truth is that there is a serial killer on the loose and now it’s a game of cat and mouse to find him/her before it is too late.

REVIEW: 

I loved, loved, this book. This is the near perfect romantic suspense novel. It is well balanced and so satisfying. If You Hear Her is Book 1 in the Ash Trilogy.  Being the first book in a trilogy, there are more than a few characters introduced in this story. Not only do we have the main characters, but also the leads in the next two books - Remy Jennings and Hope Carson (If You See Her) and Law Reilly and Nia Hollister (If You Know Her). They are somewhat quirky characters representing the privileged, the battered and beaten, the guilt-ridden and the crazy, paranoid, scattered mind of a creative writer. Because of the underlying story that runs through all three books, instead of Book 1, it feels like Act 1 in a play. I expect that we will see the entire story unfold over the next two books and with this start, I highly anticipate an explosive conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Lena and Ezra. They both bring baggage into their union. Lena, being completely blind since her teenage years, is fiercely independent and has fought hard to be that way. Ezra is guarded and feels damaged because of his trauma that almost killed him. He has crazy nightmares that keep him in a constant state of fatigue. But he is also fiercely protective of and attracted to Lena. After a few stumbling stops and starts, their mutual attraction leads to some sizzling interactions that left my Kindle on fire and me needing to stand in front of an A/C.

Ash, Kentucky becomes a minor character in itself. From the dense dark woods surrounding the town, to the people who live in it, the place plays a role in setting the tone. And to me, one of the most memorable elements of the book is the moody, eerie tone of the book. Maybe because although we are involved in the story of Lena and Ezra, when we read about the serial killer, it is through his/her eyes in the first person perspective. It is a little creepy but it keeps the story taut and suspenseful.

IN A NUTSHELL:

For a deeply satisfying, suspenseful read, get yourself in a well air-conditioned room and read this book!