Review and Giveaway: Breaking Out

Breaking Out (Surrender Trilogy - Book 2) by Lydia Michaels

Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 042527506X
ISBN-13: 978-0425275061

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Lydia Michaels on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

The Surrender Trilogy

1. Falling In
2. Breaking Out

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Breaking Out, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Second in the darkly compelling, sexually-charged contemporary romance Surrender trilogy, in which two men vie for the mind, body, and heart of a woman who may never give in to their wishes—or her own… 

Evelyn “Scout” Keats has left behind her painful past of surviving on the streets, and is now living in the luxurious penthouse master suite of Hotel Patras with her lover, billionaire Lucian Patras. But what she doesn’t know is the price Lucien paid for her freedom.

To protect Scout’s life, Lucian cut a deal with a dangerous man from her past, Parker Hughes. He swore to stay away from her for thirty days, even though he knows Parker will be fighting to keep them apart for good and take Scout as his own.

Yet neither man realizes that Scout is not about to be used as a prize or a bargaining chip for any man’s power play—and she falls back on her hard-earned self-respect and courage to show both men that the only person she truly needs is herself.

But Lucian has other plans…

Thoughts:

Breaking Out is the second book in the Surrender Trilogy by Lydia Michaels. Make no mistake... this book is hot. It has all the steamy goodness that readers of erotic fiction are looking for and so much more. Readers who fell in love with Lucien and Evelyn in the first book, with both love and hate where they go from here. Michaels isn't afraid to keep the reader guessing and she goes the extra mile with this book. Heartbreak. Passion. Betrayal. It's all here and readers will not be able to put it down until they turn the final page. A very emotional and gut wrenching addition to the series.

What I liked:

In the first book in the series readers were introduced to Evelyn "Scout" Keats. This a heroine, like few others I have seen in this genre. She is a girl from the streets with a tragic childhood and a need to provide for herself. When she gets a job at one of Lucien Patros' hotels she has no idea that she would end up in love with the owner. Evelyn is finally getting a chance to see the other side. She goes from being homeless to living in the penthouse. Now that's a big change and readers will love the continuing growth of Evelyn in Breaking Out. She is still learning to navigate her new reality. She has some inner demons to deal with in this installment and readers will only fall more in love with her as she grows and comes to terms with her life now, as opposed to her past.

Lucien is back. He's just as brash and stoic as he was in the first novel. He is so used to getting his way and it is evident in everything he does. But underneath all that, readers see a need in this hero. He wants someone to complete him and Evelyn does that in every way. He teaches her everything from how to make love to how to play chess and his love for her is passionate and overwhelming. He does do something very stupid in this book, that will change his relationship with Evelyn forever. It's not that he doesn't think about what he's doing. He just thinks it will all work out, that no matter what he will still end up with the girl. Not exactly what Lydia Michaels had in mind!

The emotions that the reader will go through reading this book will range from love to hate, from anger to happiness. There is just so much angst and tension that it is hard not to have mixed feelings about how the book turns out. They'll love Lucien and Evelyn together, they'll hate what Parker is doing to their relationship. They will be angry at Lucien for making a bad decision and happy that Scout is coming into her own. It's a roller coaster for sure and the ending leaves you hanging. Eke gads! What will happen now? It's a gut twister for sure, but that's part of the beauty of it.

Parker makes a great villain here. But is he really a villain? He was Evelyn's best friend. He did look out for her and protect her when she was on the streets. I think it is a good hallmark of a great author to be able to make her readers genuinely dislike a character. There is going to be a lot of emotion expended in how readers come to terms with the deal Lucien makes with Parker and how they could both be so insensitive to her feelings. 

Bottom Line:

Want angst? Want sexual chemistry that is mind blowing? Want a unique heroine with an amazing story? This book has it and a lot more. A hero that is both rich, but needy. A villain that may or may not really be the bad guy here. Wow! So much going on in this installment of the series. The final book is gonna rock!

Breaking Out is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Lydia Michaels writes all forms of hot romance. She presses the bounds of love and surprises readers just when they assume they have her stories figured out. From Amish vampyres, to wild Irishmen, to broken heroes, and heroines no man can match, Lydia takes readers on an emotional journey of the heart, mind, and soul with every story she pens. Her books are intellectual, erotic, haunting, always centered on love. She is the author of the Surrender Trilogy, including Falling In and Coming Home.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Breaking Out by Lydia Michaels.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 20th.

1. Please leave a comment. Do you prefer a series that focuses on one couple or a series that has a different couple in each book?

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review and Giveaway: I Saw Her Standing There

I Saw Her Standing There (Green Mountain - Book 3) by Marie Force

Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 400
ISBN-10: 0425275310
ISBN-13: 978-0425275313

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Sensation)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Marie Force on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Green Mountain

1. All You Need Is Love
2. I Want to Hold Your Hand
3. I Saw Her Standing There

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, I Saw Her Standing There, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

There’s a budding romance on Butler Mountain, but in the hornets’ nest known as the Abbott family, keeping a secret is no easy feat…

Colton Abbott and Lucy Mulvaney have a secret. Colton’s nosy siblings have begun to put the pieces together, but it’s not like Lucy to keep things from those closest to her—especially her best friend, Cameron, who recently moved to Vermont to live with her true love, Will. But Lucy isn’t about to tell Cam she’s having a fling…with Will’s brother.

Flitting between New York and Vermont is exhausting, so Lucy is looking forward to a long weekend with Colton at the Abbott family lake house in Burlington. Too bad Will and Cameron have the same idea, and once Colton and Lucy are caught red-handed (and red-faced), will their clandestine romance lose its appeal or will their secret beginnings be the start of something lasting?

Includes a bonus Green Mountain short story!

Thoughts:

The Abbott's are back in the third book the Marie Force, Green Mountain series, I Saw Her Standing There. Readers looking for a light romantic read, with humor, realistic characters and a true opposites attract storyline will love this one. Colton Abbott, the family mountain man, meets the woman of his dreams, only she doesn't live anywhere close, nor due either of them want to leave their families. Force makes readers believe that there is always hope in the impossible with the latest addition to this heart warming series!

What I liked:

I have a fond place in my heart for this series. Marie Force has given readers a great family in the Abbotts. With ten siblings this will probably prove to be a long running series with lots of great pairings. Colton and Lucy were next in line with the latest book in the series, I Saw Her Standing There. I love the nod to great Beatles songs with the titles of the books in the series as well. The Vermont setting and the family sugaring business is also a wonderful angle. Force has a knack for taking something unusual and turning it into the premise for a great series. I love Green Mountain!

Colton is essentially the family mountain man. He runs the sugaring facilities from his own mountain. He lives in a cabin with out electricity and only got a cell phone when he wanted to talk to Lucy more often than once a week. Lucy is city girl and she doesn't really seem to have any interest in moving away from her family or the city. These two are total opposites. I doesn't really look like there is any way that it will work out between them. They both have their own lives and jobs and there doesn't seem to be any moving or changing in the future, so they decide to keep things as a 'fling', but fate often sees things differently and the way Marie Force brings these two characters together is magical. 

There were plenty of hot and steamy scenes. These two got along in every way, in and out of the bedroom. They seemed to want the same things in life, just in different locations. I love the fact that Force gives readers two people that very different, yet they have a lot in common. Their love of family is one of the things that I think brought them together. I love Elmer and Lincoln's attempts to ferret out Colton's secrets and the way that the entire family seems invested in Colton's happiness. That's the way family should be.

I liked all of the family scenes and the parts that allowed the reader to find out what was going on with previous couples in the family. We get to see how Cam and Will are getting on and Nolan and Hannah's wedding. This is a small town romance that is fixated on family and I love that about it. This series brings readers so many people to become engaged in. It's just a great all around series!

Bottom Line:

If you aren't reading the Green Mountain series yet, you should be. This is such a wonderful family oriented series, that doesn't shy away from the romantic and sexual love that readers are looking for in contemporary romance novels. These are memorable characters who are realistic and relatable. I want to live in this small town and become friends with this family. They are pretty awesome!

I Saw Her Standing There is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

With more than 3 million books sold, Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than 35 contemporary romances, including the New York Times bestselling Green Mountain Series from Berkley Sensation. Her New York Timesbestselling self-published McCarthys of Gansett Island Series has sold more than 1.5 million e-books since Maid for Love was released in 2011. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Fatal Series from Harlequin's Carina Press, as well as the Treading Water Series and numerous stand-alone books.

While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie.

Join Marie's mailing list at marieforce.com/ for news about new books and other possible appearances in your area. Follow her on Twitter @marieforce and on Facebook at facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor/. Join one of Marie's many reader groups by viewing the complete listing at marieforce.com/connect/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of I Saw Her Standing There by Marie Force.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 19th.

1. Please leave a comment. All of the books in this series are titled after songs. What is your favorite song title that you think would make a good book title?

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review and Giveaway: Plagued by Quilt

Plagued by Quilt (Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery - Book 4) by Molly MacRae

Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Obsidian Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 045147130X
ISBN-13: 978-0451471307

(Received for an honest review from Obsidian Mystery)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Molly MacRae on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery

1. Last Wool and Testament
2. Dyeing Wishes
3. Spinning In Her Grave
4. Plagued by Quilt

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Synopsis:

The latest novel in the national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery series

Yarn shop owner Kath Rutledge is at a historic farm in Blue Plum, Tennessee, volunteering for the high school program Hands on History. But when a long-buried murder is uncovered on the property, Kath needs help from Geneva the ghost to solve a crime that time forgot....
 
Kath and her needlework group TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Fiber) are preparing to teach a workshop at the Holston Homeplace Living History Farm, but their lesson in crazy quilts is no match for the crazy antics of the assistant director, Phillip Bell. Hamming it up with equal parts history and histrionics, Phillip leads an archaeological dig of the farm’s original dump site—until one student stops the show by uncovering some human bones.
 
When a full skeleton is later excavated, Kath can’t help but wonder if it’s somehow connected to Geneva, the ghost who haunts her shop, and whom she met at this very site. After Phillip is found dead, it’s up to Kath to thread the clues together before someone else becomes history.

Thoughts:

Plagued by Quilt is the fourth book in Molly MacRae's Haunted Yarn Shop mystery series. This book has a little bit of everything and will appeal to many different types of readers. There is, of course, the mystery that is unique and full of surprises. Then you have the historical aspects of the story that are brought to life by the finding of two sets of skeleton's. You have the paranormal elements that are brought in through Geneva, the resident ghost and there is the everyday lives of some amazing characters. There is a lot going on in this addition to the series and you won't want to miss a thing!

What I liked:

Molly MacRae has given readers a series that might be focused on a group that is all about yarn, but that's hardly all this group of characters gets into. Protagonist Kath and your friends gets involved in all sorts of mysteries and other activities. In Plagued by Quilt, Kath is teaching a lesson on crazy quilting at a local venue, The Holston Homeplace. I loved the historical aspects of this mystery. There were nods to archaeology and protecting the heritage of the land, as well as, a very cleverly written whodunit. MacRae uses the history of Holston Homeplace to shed some light on not only what had happened in the area but also on Geneva's backstory.

Geneva, the ghost is Kath's sidekick of sorts and readers who enjoy a little bit of the paranormal in their mysteries will love her. She always has a hand in helping Kath and her friends with the Thank Goodness It's Fiber group solve the crime in each book, but this one seemed a little more personal. MacRae let readers in on several parts of Geneva's past that I found fascinating. I had wanted to learn more about her from the beginning of the series and this really helped to satisfy the craving.

Crazy quilting has always been a fascination of mine. Both of my grandmothers were avid quilters and crazy quilts were some of their favorites. I loved looking at each quilt and noticing fabrics that I recognized from dresses or outfits that members of the family had worn. The idea of the Plague Quilt was so interesting and I loved the way that MacRae stayed true to the essence of the series by making it a big part of the story.

The two skeletons, plus the murder of the Holston Homeplace assistant director, had Kath and her friends busy. Add in a very eclectic murder weapon, a teenage genus with a chip on his shoulder and plenty of suspects to keep readers off balance and you have one very good mystery. MacRae often leads the reader on a wild goose chase or two that keeps the suspense high and the reveal secret. I didn't know who did it until the end, but that murder weapon was a doosy!

Bottom Line:

This was a very good addition to the series. There were parts that helped not only move the series forward, but also explained some things along the way. The mystery itself was very unique and different and the historical aspects were truly interesting. Geneva is a ghost that keeps it interesting and Kath and her friends better hang on, no telling what's going to happen next!

Plagued by Quilt is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Molly MacRae, national bestselling author of Spinning in Her Grave, Dyeing Wishes, and Last Wool and Testament, was director of the history museum in Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town, and later managed an independent bookstore in Johnson City. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine for more than twenty years, and she has won the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Plagued by Quilt by Molly MacRae.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 19th.

1. Please leave a comment. Ever been interested in archaeology or digs? Ever found anything interesting from the past?

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review and Giveaway: While Beauty Slept

While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell

Publication Date: 11/04/2014 (Reprint)
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: Historical Fiction/ Fairy-Tale
Pages: 464
ISBN-10: 0425273849
ISBN-13: 978-0425273845

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Elizabeth Blackwell on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Excerpt from, While Beauty Slept, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

“Elizabeth Blackwell is a story-telling genius. Her mesmerizing writing weaves a spell that will enchant you. While Beauty Slept breathes new life into the fairytale genre with a historical twist that will take your breath away.” —Meg Cabot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries and Heather Wells mystery series

I am not the sort of person about whom stories are told. Those of humble birth suffer their heartbreaks and celebrate their triumphs unnoticed by the bards, leaving no trace in the fables of their time…
 
And so begins Elise Dalriss’s story. When she hears her great-granddaughter recount a minstrel’s tale about a beautiful princess asleep in a tower, it pushes open a door to the past, a door Elise has long kept locked. For Elise was the companion to the real princess who slumbered—and she is the only one left who knows what actually happened so many years ago.
 
As the memories start to unfold, Elise is plunged back into the magnificent world behind the palace walls she left behind more than a half century ago, a labyrinth where the secrets of her real father and the mysterious fate of her mother connect to an inconceivable evil. Elise has guarded these secrets for a lifetime. As only Elise understands all too well, the truth is no fairy tale.

Thoughts:

While Beauty Slept has been touted as a re-telling of Sleeping Beauty fairy-tale. It is written by Elizabeth Blackwell and though there are elements of the original tale, this story is so much more than your average re-telling. It has substance, emotion and brings back the original Grimm's fairy-tale feel. It does not rely on a happy ending and is more believable and realistic than the Disney classics most of us grew up with. A wonderfully, refreshing story that will have readers more interested in the maid than the princess!

What I liked:

Elizabeth Blackwell tells the Sleeping Beauty yarn with a totally different perspective. Elise Darliss is a maid in the king's household. She is devoted to the royal family and eventually becomes the companion to the sleeping princess, but her story is anything but a happily-ever-after tale. This book is dark and edgy. There is everything from witchery to betrayal and the secrets abound. Blackwell has taken the framework of the classic tale and turned it on it's head. I don't even think "re-telling" is the word I would use to describe it. It is more like a re-imagining. It takes the essential details but transforms them into a totally different story. In a few words, I loved it.

Blackwell is so expressive. Her details of medieval life were dramatic and stark. She didn't shy away from the uncomfortable details of life on a farm, or life in the castle. There was a definite distinction between those who worked in the castle and those who lived in the castle, but Elise's interactions with the royal family were poignant and felt very realistic. There was back-biting and broken promises and everything you would imagine going on in a royal court, as well as, emotional moments that were as beautiful as they were unexpected. 

I felt like this was a story about a young woman who was determined to make something of herself. To live a life worth living despite whether or not she got her happy ending. I think we as readers often believe every fairy-tale had a happy ending. Have you read the original Grimm version of the fairy-tales we know and love? They were hardly tales of perfect romance and sappy heroines. They were dark and dangerous in their time and I think Blackwell conveys that same urgency and direness that the Grimm brothers made famous. Just an excellent book in every way.

Bottom Line:

The publishing industry, as well as, television and movies have been inundated with such an influx of fairy-tale retelling and stories that twist the fabric of the original stories so much they are hardly recognizable. While Beauty Slept is very different. It boils it all down to a coming of age story of a young girl who wanted a better future. But what she found was heart-breakingly real. I loved it from start to finish and you will too!

While Beauty Slept is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Elizabeth Blackwell is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Ladies’ Home Journal, Parenting, and the Chicago Tribune, among other publications.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 18th.

1. Please leave a comment. What's your favorite fairy-tale and why?

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review and Giveaway: Edge of Betrayal

Edge of Betrayal (Edge - Book 4) by Shannon K. Butcher

Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 368
ISBN-10: 0451465512
ISBN-13: 978-0451465511

(Received for an honest review from Signet Eclipse)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Shannon K. Butcher on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Edge

1. Living On the Edge
2. Razor's Edge
3. Edge of Sanity
4. Edge of Betrayal

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Edge of Betrayal, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

National bestselling author Shannon K. Butcher returns with the electrifying fourth novel in her action-packed, romantic Edge series... 

The covert organization known as the Edge is in full rescue mode, having been ordered to find the victims of the dreaded Threshold Project—and also to bring Adam Brink into the fold. Brink previously worked for Threshold, and may know how to stop the terror.

Mira Sage knows Adam’s dark past. She’s created a database of Threshold survivors whose lives were destroyed by the experiments of the twisted Dr. Stynger—and is driven to save them. If working with the duplicitous Adam will help her, she’ll play along.

Even as Mira secretly seeks to prove Adam is still a traitor, Adam has his own agenda that no one must discover. But when the two find their goals pointing in the same direction, Mira will be tested to believe in the one man she can’t trust. The one man she can’t resist…

Thoughts:

Shannon K. Butcher delivers with the fourth book in her romantic suspense Edge series, Edge of Betrayal. Readers looking for an action packed novel with plenty of sexual tension and a swoon worthy hero, need look no further. Butcher has created a series that is raw, gritty and that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. A great addition to a complex and entertaining series!

What I liked:

I have read several of Butcher's Sentinel Wars books and have enjoyed them very much, but I had never read any of her romantic suspense work before reading Edge of Betrayal. I had a feeling Butcher would excel at this type of writing as well. She always has such a good tone and grasp of what the reader is looking for no matter what genre she is writing. She has a way of weaving a complex storyline that is believable and heart pounding.

Edge of Betrayal is the fourth book in the Edge series and focuses on a covert group called Edge that is trying to help victims of what is called The Threshold Project. Human experimentation that went drastically wrong. Mira is the heroine and she is consumed with helping those she can and bringing about some resolution to what has happened. Adam is former member of The Threshold Project but has seen the error of his ways and is now helping Edge and more importantly, Mira. 

It did not take me long to catch on to what was going on and who the key players were in the story and what had gone on in previous books. Adam and Mira have a sorted past. Apparently, he turned her over to her father who proceeded to try to kill her. Adam has saved Mira's life on more than one occasion but she does not trust him. He is an excellent operative and she has to admit that he is an asset to Edge, but she has issues with her attraction to him. I loved the interplay between them and how he was so long suffering with Mira. He knew that he had information that would make her see him differently but he wanted to change her mind with adding that fuel to the fire. The sexual tension between them was palpable but certainly not the only heart stopping part of this novel.

Butcher has a way with writing action. She knows when to ramp it up and when to crank it down. She doesn't go overboard but she certainly will keep the reader biting a few nails and sitting on the edge of their seats. Every action that happened was carefully planned. I could just see the author in my mind's eye with charts and graphs and tons of yarn and thumbtacks, LOL. It was very intricate and totally engaging. There was rawness to it that I really enjoyed. Butcher's style was no nonsense and straightforward which I appreciated. 

Bottom Line:

If you are a romantic suspense fan, I suggest you try this series. I was so impressed with this particular addition to the series, I went back and read the rest of the books almost immediately. It can be read as a stand alone, but why would you want to?LOL It's that good!

Edge of Betrayal is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Since launching her career in 2007, Shannon K. Butcher has penned more than twenty titles, including the paranormal romance series the Sentinel Wars (Willing Sacrifice, Falling Blind, Dying Wish); the action-romance series the Edge (Edge of Sanity, Razor's Edge, Living on the Edge); and a handful of romantic-suspense novels and works of short fiction. Being a former engineer and current nerd, she frequently uses charts, graphs, and tables to aid her in the mechanics of story design and to keep track of all those pesky characters and magical powers. An avid beader and glass artist, she spends her free time making jewelry she often gives away in contests on her Web site.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Edge of Betrayal by Shannon K. Butcher.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 18th.

1. Please leave a comment. Ever thought you understood why someone did something, only to find out later it was totally not what you thought? Yep, me too.

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Winner's Post!

It's time for another winner's post! I want to thank everyone for participating in the giveaways, for going outside your comfort zone and trying new things and for being such a great audience. Today marks the 2000th post on my blog since it's inception. It's a little hard for me to fathom. 

I have been doing some preliminary data on the Cookin' Up a Contest blog contest and I don't think this promotion has been extremely successful so far. Perhaps my instructions were not clear or not many of you were interested, but it's seems to be a flop for the most part. I will still be giving away the two boxes of books sometime in mid-November but I am going to have to make significant changes to the blog in order to drive some more traffic my way or I won't be able to continue posting giveaways. It is not fair to the author's or publishers if their work is not being promoted efficiently. 5 or 10 entries per giveaway is not good by any blog standard. I'm disappointed but I'm also resourceful and determined. I'll find another way.

Winner's and publishers will be notified today.

Now for the good stuff.

Night's Honor by Thea Harrison
Winner: bn100

Love Bites by Angela Knight
Winner: Charlotte

Rival by Penelope Douglas
Winner: Kimberly Wyatt

Groomed for Murder by Annie Knox
Winner: Virginia Winfield

Haunted by Kay Hooper
Winner: Ericka Larson Cooper

Frayed by Kim Karr
Winner: Linda Kish

Shatter by Erin McCarthy
Winner: Texas Book Lover

The Skeleton Takes a Bow by Leigh Perry
Winner: Angela Holland

The Perfect Man by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Winner: Lisa Garrett

Honor's Price by Alexis Morgan
Winner: Julia Holden

The Wolfe Widow by Victoria Abbott
Winner: Helen Kotowske

Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake
Winner: Anita Yancey

Echoes of Scotland Street by Samantha Young
Winner: Tavifa Bordonaro

Review and Giveaway: A High End Finish

A High End Finish (Fixer-Upper Mystery - Book 1) by Kate Carlisle

Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Obsidian Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451469194
ISBN-13: 978-0451469199

(Received for an honest review from Obsidian Mystery)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Kate Carlisle on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Excerpt from, A High End Finish, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

FIRST IN A NEW SERIES! 

In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove in northern California, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman—contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, she’s about to discover that some problems aren’t so easily fixed....
 
Shannon’s home-renovation and repair business is booming, but her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on. Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry’s found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she’s been hired to restore, the town’s attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.
 
Determined to clear her name, Shannon conducts her own investigation—with the help of her four best friends, her eccentric father, a nosy neighbor or two, and a handsome crime writer who’s just moved to town. But as they get closer to prying out the murderer’s identity, Shannon is viciously attacked. Now she’ll have to nail down the truth—or end up in permanent foreclosure.…

Thoughts:

Kate Carlisle brings readers the first book in her new Fixer-Upper mystery series, A High End Finish. Readers who love Carlisle's Bibliophile mysteries will be intrigued by this new direction from the well-loved author. Lighthouse Cove is an enchanting seaside town near San Francisco and home renovator and contractor Shannon Hammer is an equally delightful. This book not only has great tips for renovating a home, but also a well plotted and thoughtful mystery. A great new series in the making!

What I liked:

I am always a fan of small town settings in cozy mysteries. It may limit the suspect pool a little bit, but there is so much character and substance in a small town like Lighthouse Cove, that it makes up for it. Kate Carlisle chooses to set her new cozy series in a small California coastal town, that is a joy to read about. I enjoyed the way that the town was so invested in the heroine's love life. Everyone seemed to have a stake in what happened on Shannon's blind date and I thought that was priceless. Living in a small town myself, I know that to be true. Everybody knows everything about you and that comes across so well in this book. 

Shannon Hammer is an interesting heroine for a lot of reasons. I'm definitely not what anyone would call a feminist, but I do like strong female characters and Carlisle comes through with Shannon. Her career as a home renovator and contractor was perfect for her. She showed a lot of pride in her work and I loved all of the home improvement information. But most importantly I liked the idea that her profession is one that usually belongs to the male gender. You don't see too many ladies out swinging a hammer. The last name might have been a little too much, lol, but I still loved Shannon's no nonsense approach to life and love.

Readers are treated to a great mystery with this one. Shannon's blind date with Realtor, Jerry didn't go quite the way she would have liked. He gets a little too touchy-feely and she threatens to kill him in front of the home-town crowd. When he turns up dead in at one of her job sites, done in with one of her pink handled pipe wrenches she seems like the most logical suspect. But as she starts to delve a little deeper it appears that Jerry was quite the ladies man and the suspects start to pile up. I liked the way Carlisle kicked this one off. She gets the murder out of the way early, and then lets the heroine take over. Sussing out information and following clues. Shannon may have been a bit too tentative in her first investigation but I think she has a lot of potential. 

Love interests abound for Shannon after her disastrous blind date. Not only does the sexy police chief get involved but a local crime writer as well. The secondary characters were well developed and really added to the overall feeling of the community and how they fit into Shannon's life. She has her friends, family and several locals to bring out the storylines. I look forward to learning more about each and every one of them.

Bottom Line:

This was an excellent start to a new series. Not too overwhelming with details and full of surprises. I did figure it out before it was all said and done, but I think it was more a question of wanting this person to be the bad guy than too much info from the author. Carlisle proves she a few tricks up her sleeve by going in a totally different direction than her previous series and I think it was definite success. 

A High End Finish will be available tomorrow from your favorite bookseller. Pre-order is available NOW from some online retailers.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Award-winning author Kate Carlisle worked in television for many years before turning to writing. Inspired by the northern seaside towns of her native California, where Victorian mansions grace the craggy cliffs and historic lighthouses warn fishermen and smugglers alike, Kate was drawn to create the Fixer-Upper Mysteries, featuring small-town girl Shannon Hammer, a building contractor specializing in home restoration. Kate also writes the New York Times bestselling Bibliophile Mysteries (The Book Stops Here, A Cookbook Conspiracy, Peril in Paperback) featuring Brooklyn Wainwright.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of A High End Finish by Kate Carlisle.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 17th.

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