Daisy In Chains Review

Title:  Daisy In Chains
Series:  No - A Standalone Novel
Author:  Sharon Bolton
Publisher:  Transworld Digital
Release Date:  June 2, 2016
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  5 He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not ♥'s




Synopsis:
Famous killers have fan clubs.

Hamish Wolfe is no different. Locked up for the rest of his life for the abduction and murder of three young women, he gets countless adoring letters every day. He's handsome, charismatic and very persuasive. His admirers are convinced he's innocent, and that he's the man of their dreams.

Who would join such a club?

Maggie Rose is different. Reclusive and enigmatic; a successful lawyer and bestselling true-crime writer, she only takes on cases that she can win.

Hamish wants her as his lawyer, he wants her to change his fate. She thinks she's immune to the charms of a man like this. But maybe not this time . . . 

Would you?

Review:
He loves me...He loves me not.  He loves me . . . Or does he? All women love the charismatic Hamish Wolfe.  The fact that he is a convicted serial killer locked away for life for brutally murdering three women and suspected in the disappearance of a fourth doesn't phase them.  The proof of their love and devotion is in the hundreds of letters and photographs Wolfe receives weekly, many of them graphic, many of them proposing marriage.  Devastatingly handsome with a charming, manipulative personality and a killer smile, Wolfe is always in control, an intensely compelling and lethal man.  His fan club of dedicated groupies call themselves The Wolfe Pack.  They are united in a fevered, obsessive passion on their mission to undo what they perceive as a gross injustice  - Wolfe's incarceration.  The Pack has set their sights and hopes on lawyer & true crime writer, Maggie Rose.  Problem is some of these followers are a few bricks shy of a load - looney as the day is long.  Are they also dangerous?

Maggie Rose is an eccentric, compulsive, gaunt yet beautiful woman who shuns the public eye even as she flaunts bright blue hair.  Protecting her privacy at all costs, she lives as a recluse, avoiding interviews, and public appearances and only meeting with clients when necessary.  Maggie has made a great deal of money by challenging the cases of convicted murderers and then writing books about them.  She will only accept a case IF she sees flaws in the chain of evidence.  Whether they are guilty or not is truly irrelevant in her eyes.  Every client deserves to have every stone turned, every piece of evidence validated, every lead explored, every question answered.  Maggie is good at what she does.  She has represented seven convicted murderers in the past and gotten five of their convictions overturned.  It didn't matter that she didn't believe in their innocence . . . in fact, she's pretty sure some of them were guilty as sin.  It's all about winning.  Can Wolfe and his followers convince her to take his case?  Will Maggie fall under his spell?

Daisy In Chains is a psychological thriller that grabbed me by the throat and held on until the final shocking page. The story is revealed through three main characters in a brilliantly written narrative intermingled with emails, letters, and police and newspaper reports.  Complex, multifaceted characters kept me off-balance - leaving me guessing, never quite sure who was telling the truth and who was lying.  I quickly found myself lost in a sinister maze of twists and turns, frantically searching for answers as the author manipulated both the characters and me. The ominous atmosphere of the setting took on a life of its own, engulfing me with an edgy, almost spooky feeling of impending doom as I read late into the night.  Several social issues involving discrimination of certain classes are interspersed and woven into the plot line, giving voice to the flawed perceptions of people who often judge others by class, body size, or celebrity status.  

Like a puzzle with a missing piece, Daisy In Chains perplexed and taunted me as the suspense builds to the shocking, blockbuster ending.  While I was able to find and place some pieces of the puzzle, the final piece eluded me until the very end.  Brilliantly written, this is a psychological masterpiece!  A Page Burning, Keep Me Up All Night Must Read!

My Rating:  5 He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

Worth The Wait Review

Title:  Worth The Wait
Series:  McKinney/Walker #1
Author:  Claudia Connor
Release Date:  Jan. 10, 2017
Order Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  5 Passionate Second-Chance ♥'s


*Many thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book.


Synopsis:
He doesn't know how he's lived without her, but he knows he doesn't want to anymore. 

Nick Walker found his one and only when he was just nineteen.

Found her.
Loved her.
Lost her.

Now this FBI Special Agent will do anything to win her back.

Nick Walker thought nothing could destroy what he had with Mia. He certainly never thought he would be the one to destroy it. But when his sister was taken, even getting her back couldn't save him. She was his responsibility. He was supposed to protect her. And he'd failed. 

Now ten years later, Mia James is in Special Agent Nick Walker’s path once again and this time he’s determined to shed the weight of guilt and finally claim the future that was always meant to be theirs.

But it won’t be easy. Mia’s heart was shattered by Nick and now, just when she’d pieced it back together, it’s been broken again, bringing their past to the surface, including her own secret about that day everything went wrong.

Review:
I love a second chance love story when it hits on all cylinders . . . when the couple involved is believable, the emotions real, the pain agonizing, the passion intense - when the author makes me care so much that I feel every hurt, every regret, every lost opportunity just as deeply as the couple involved.  Worth The Wait is one of those rare gems of a second chance love story that hits on all cylinders.  I was immediately drawn in and felt every high and every low with these characters all the way through the last page.  I laughed, cried, and mourned with them.  I felt the heat of their passion and the devastation of their loss.  I'm not going to rehash the story for you - you need to curl up on the couch and take this emotional journey yourself - as I did, reading it in one sitting.

Worth The Wait flashes flawlessly between past and present, allowing readers to experience Nick Walker and Mia James falling in love and then later . . . falling apart.  It speaks of passionate once-in-a-lifetime love, sacrifice, responsibility, and fate.  It also speaks of loss, heart-shattering pain, guilt, and regret . . . and ultimately, of forgiveness of not only others, but of ones self.  It speaks of opportunities lost and second chances.  As an added bonus, the strong support cast includes favorites from the McKinney Brothers trilogy - Matt, Abby, Stephen, and Hannah as well as others.  While you can read Worth The Wait as a very satisfying standalone, the McKinney Brothers is an awesome series that is well worth your time.

Worth The Wait is an intensely emotional story that took me by surprise as I alternately smiled and wiped tears throughout the story.  Nick and Mia touched my heart as I pulled for them every step of the way.  Beautifully written, this book will resonate within me for a long time.  The good news is . . . there are three more Walker brothers with stories that need to be told!  And I can't wait!  Worth The Wait is a Page Burning Must Read!

My Rating:  5 Passionate, Second-Chance ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

IWSG: Eyes On The Prize in 2017

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a community of writers who share ideas and encourage other writers. It's a great place to express doubts and concerns as well as offer and receive tribulations and guidance from other writers. IWSG posts the first Wednesday of every month. I think you'll find it to be a great writer's resource that's well worth your time. Be sure to stop by and visit with some of the other IWSG writers/bloggers at IWSG Members.

Many thanks to the co-hosts for December: Jennifer Hawes, Jen Chandler, Nick Wilford, Juneta Key, JH Moncrieff, Diane Burton, and MJ Fifield!

I can't believe I'm looking at 2016 in the rearview.  Never seen a year pass so fast.  It was a tough year on many levels, but one filled with blessings all the same.  Real life obligations demanded time I would have preferred to designate for writing, but hey - that's life, right?  

I'm taking a little time in December to file away any regrets I harbor about things I didn't accomplish in 2016.  I'm organizing and formulating my plan of action, then planting my feet on the floor, butt in the chair, fingers on the keyboard, and eyes on the prize in 2017.  Looking ahead at what I want to accomplish rather than behind at what can't be changed brings me to the IWSG Question of the Month.

Question: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?

This is a hard one for me . . . partly because where I see myself in five years in terms of my writing career is where I had hoped to be NOW, and the simple fact is I'm not there yet.  But - that's looking in the rearview - so with my eyes on the prize, I see myself with at least one book published in five years, hopefully two or more.  I see myself writing everyday, not sporadically.  I see myself making writing the priority in my life (after family) not something I do when time permits.  I see myself making this dream I've had all my life become my reality.  How?  I've made some progress on building my author platform, establishing a presence on social media and drawing readers to my blog.   Now, I think one of the most important things for me is to make writing The Priority and work on my follow through.  I could whine and say there's never enough time to do it all and that's true, there isn't. But, my plan is to keep my Eyes On The Prize . . . sometimes easier said than done, but that's the only way for me to turn dreams into reality. 

Where do you see yourself in terms of your writing career in five years?  Do you have a plan to move you toward that goal?

The Devil's Daughter Exclusive Sneak Peek!

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK!!  Check out Katee Robert's The Devil's Daughter and preorder your copy now!  Special excerpt below!!

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER

 by Katee Robert

FBI agent, Eden Collins is going home... to catch a killer.  Fans of Audey Harte’s It Takes One and Kendra Elliott's Bone Secrets series, will devour The Devil’s Daughter, the fast-paced and suspenseful first book, in the Hidden Sins series by NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author Katee Robert.

Title: The Devil’s Daughter

Author: Katee Robert

Series: Hidden Sins #1

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 24, 2017

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Print Length:  316 pages

Format: Digital and Paperback

ISBN: 1503940918

Synopsis:

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy, especially when you’re the daughter of a local cult leader. Ten years ago, Eden Collins left Clear Springs, Montana, and never once looked back. But when the bodies of murdered young women surface, their corpses violated and marked with tattoos worn by her mother’s followers, Eden, now an FBI agent, can’t turn a blind eye. To catch the killer, she’s going to have to return to the fold.

Sheriff Zach Owens isn’t comfortable putting Eden in danger, even if she is an elite agent. And he certainly wasn’t expecting to be so attracted to her. As calm and cool as she appears, he knows this can’t be a happy homecoming. Zach wants to protect her—from her mother, the cult, and the evil that lurks behind its locked gates. But Eden is his only key to the tight-lipped group, and she may just be closer to the killer than either one of them suspects…

Get More information at:  Goodreads  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. She found romance novels at age twelve and it changed her life. When not writing sexy contemporary and speculative fiction romance novels, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her wee ones, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.  Connect with Katee at: Website | Facebook | Twitter| GoodReads | Instagram |

Excerpt:

“Martha.”

Her mother’s eyes lit up and she half pushed to her feet. “Eden. I admit, when Abram told me you were back in town, I could hardly believe it.”

“I’m not back.”

Her smile dimmed, and Eden called herself an idiot ten times over for wanting to do something to bring it back. Manipulation, that’s all it is. Martha motioned to the cups in front of her. “I got your favorite.”

There was nothing else to do but take the empty seat and get this over with. She took a sip—sweet with lots of cream—and didn’t bother to tell Martha she’d switched over to drinking her coffee black a few years back. It would serve no purpose, and her entire goal was to get out of here with the least conversation possible.

“It’s been a long time.”

She shifted, not sure how to take the searching look her mother was giving her, as if she was trying to memorize Eden’s features—or, possibly, was comparing them to the ones she’d had ten years ago. What was there to say? I hated the life you created and forced me into, so I left. You won’t change, and neither will I. This will never be what you want it to be. She couldn’t force the words past her closed throat, so she took another drink of coffee.

Martha hesitated, and then mirrored the motion. “A lot is different from when you were last home.”

Not nearly enough, she’d wager. But if her mother was offering information, she’d be a fool not to get everything she could from Martha. “Oh?”

“Our community has grown. It’s flourishing.” She gave a small self-deprecating smile. “But, then, you didn’t come back to talk about Elysia. How have you been?”

Over the years, she received phone calls from Abram, demanding information at odd times in that quiet terrifying way of his. He never asked more than a few questions, and she never offered more than strictly necessary for those forced check-ins—whatever it took to get him off her back. She didn’t want to now, either. “I’m still working for the government.” Safe enough to admit, since her mother already knew about it.

Sure enough, Martha’s lips thinned. “The FBI.”

“Using the skills I learned from you.” She knew better, but she couldn’t help the dig.

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Of course she didn’t. Because Elysia most certainly wasn’t a cult. Right. She didn’t roll her eyes, but it was a near thing. “You might like to pretend otherwise, but I know for a fact that Elysia has been on the FBI watch lists for years, so you’re not fooling everyone.”

“Eden Magdalene, you might be a woman grown, but that doesn’t mean you can take that tone of voice with me.”

Or speak too many truths, apparently. Eden stared at her coffee cup, suddenly exhausted. “I don’t suppose you know anything about a photograph showing up in my email yesterday?” It had all the hallmarks of one taken for an official police investigation, but that didn’t explain how it had found her. She’d had a friend in the tech department try to trace it, but it had been routed through several IP addresses before disappearing into the Internet-ether. Call her paranoid, but her first instinct was that her mother had something to do with it. How was the question, though.

Martha cocked her head to the side, frowning. “I’m not sure what you’re speaking of.”

Of course she wasn’t, though Eden was at a loss to decide if that was truth or because she didn’t want to admit to somehow being the leak in a murder investigation. She sighed. “What am I doing here, Martha? You know very well we couldn’t sit in the same room without going for each other’s throats when I was eighteen, and it would seem nothing’s changed since then.”

“I want what I’ve always wanted, baby. I want you to come home.”

There’s no home for me to come to, not now. Not ever. No matter how much I wish that wasn’t true. She cleared her throat. “I—” Think. Think fast. A hard no would just have Martha digging in her heels, and she wasn’t sure yet if Zach would change his mind. “I’ll think about it.” The lie rolled off her tongue with the ease of long practice. She wasn’t going back. She’d set herself on fire before she willingly walked through the gates of Elysia and put herself under her mother’s control again. The only reason she was here was to make sure no other girls turned up dead.

“It would mean so much.” Martha’s smile brightened, and a traitorous part of Eden brightened in response. It was how it always was with her mother. She rarely had to take the stern role when she could manipulate much more effectively with a soft word and a particular look. And when that wouldn’t work? Well, she wasn’t above getting her hands dirty, either.

Did you do it? Did you see that girl killed?

Eden couldn’t ask. The sheriff had already refused her help, and she’d have to be a special kind of stupid to go investigating on her own. There was nothing she could do without the power of the law on her side. If she tried…

Well, if she tried, there were plenty of unmarked graves in Elysia. What was one more?

A Stone Kissed Sea Release Week Blitz & Giveaway!

A Stone Kissed Sea

Elizabeth Hunter

Amazon / iTunes / Nook / Kobo / Smashwords

An immortal wanderer. A brilliant scientist. A centuries-old menace written in blood. Lucien Thrax, son of the earth and child of the ancients, is a healer of immense power. But years of work on a deadly vampire virus have not led to a cure, nor have they softened the wall he built around his heart. When he’s forced to work with Doctor Makeda Abel, Lucien is convinced he’s reached his limit of patience with humanity. Makeda Abel may be human, but she’s far from impressed with the brooding vampire healer, even if his mind draws her reluctant admiration. She’s learned how to survive in the immortal world, and it’s not by being afraid. Working together may lead them to answers, but it also pushes Lucien and Makeda’s attraction to the boiling point. When nightmares become reality, Makeda will have to trust Lucien with her life. Finding answers has never been more vital. Finding love has never been more deadly. To heal the Elemental World, Lucien and Makeda must follow ancient paths and ask for help from the most inhuman of immortals. Because even with a cure in hand, the battle has only begun.

My 5 Heart Review

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ELIZABETH HUNTER is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and paranormal mystery author. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided that middle school was far less frightening. She's the author of the Elemental Mysteries, the Irin Chronicles, and the Cambio Springs Mysteries.

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A Stone Kissed Sea Review

Title:  A Stone Kissed Sea
Series:  Elemental World #4
Author:  Elizabeth Hunter
Release Date:  Dec. 6, 2016
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  5 Epic, Magical ♥'s

Many thanks to the author for an arc of this book.




Synopsis:
An immortal wanderer. A brilliant scientist. A centuries-old menace written in blood. 

Lucien Thrax, son of the earth and child of the ancients, is a healer of immense power. But years of work on a deadly vampire virus have not led to a cure, nor have they softened the wall he built around his heart. When he’s forced to work with Doctor Makeda Abel, Lucien is convinced he’s reached his limit of patience with humanity. 

Makeda Abel may be human, but she’s far from impressed with the brooding vampire healer, even if his mind draws her reluctant admiration. She’s learned how to survive in the immortal world, and it’s not by being afraid. Working together may lead them to answers, but it also pushes Lucien and Makeda’s attraction to the boiling point. 

When nightmares become reality, Makeda will have to trust Lucien with her life. Finding answers has never been more vital. Finding love has never been more deadly. To heal the Elemental World, Lucien and Makeda must follow ancient paths and ask for help from the most inhuman of immortals. Because even with a cure in hand, the battle has only begun.

Review:

Once again, Hunter has gifted readers with an epic tale, beautifully orchestrated and rich in details.  One in which the landscape becomes a living, breathing character, carrying the reader on a magic carpet ride through faraway lands where all the elements of nature intertwine and become as one.  Complex, almost mythical characters and intricate plot lines are flawlessly woven with the landscape, fleshing out this epic paranormal fantasy.

The Elemental World story arc continues as Lucien, earth vampire, is joined by Makeda Abel, a blood specialist, in a battle against time and unknown enemies to find both the source and a cure for the virus Elixir as it ravages both human and immortals.  Both resent the chemistry sparking between them and turn to mental sparring as a weapon against emotions raging out of control in a classic love/hate relationship.  A devastating event occurs early in the story that will forever change their lives as well as their fate.  Realizing that they're losing the race against the clock, they align paths and begin a quest for answers. I won't elaborate more on the story as it simply must be experienced firsthand.

A Stone Kissed Sea is a beautifully written story rich in imagery and characterizations that will carry you away to another place and time.  While part of the overall Elemental World story arc, Hunter incorporates sufficient background information for it to be read as a standalone - although reading previous books will be high on your list upon finishing this one!  Magical, passionate, and suspenseful, A Stone Kissed Sea is another Page Burning Must Read by Elizabeth Hunter!

My Rating:  5 Epic, Magical ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

 Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

Bound by Temptation Review

Title:  Bound By Temptation
Series:  Bound By #2
Author:  Trish McCallan
Publisher:  Trish McCallan Inc.
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  3.5 Humorous, Sexy ♥'s







Synopsis:
Bound By Temptation is a 175 page novella (estimated) set in my Red-Hot SEALs world. 

Dumped and disillusioned… 

Emma Janssen’s perennial good luck has run dry... 
First there’s the weekend of heated sensuality she’d shared with Lucas Trammel, followed by three months of humiliating silence. And then there’s her testy new home, which is slowly nickel-and-diming her to death. Add in a band of ruthless killers hot on her tail, and her perfect life is in a nasty meltdown. Even so, the very last thing she needs is Lucas racing to her rescue. She’d given the man her love once and he’d abandoned her. She’s not about to let him close enough to hook her heart for a second time. 

Deadly and dangerous… 

Lucas has been lying to Emma for years… 
As a special operator with ST7, life has taught Lucas to hold his Navy credentials close to his ballistics vest. It doesn’t pay to let civilians know what he does for a living. When one hot as hell weekend threatens to become more than a three-night stand, Lucas takes a giant step back. Emma is the kind of woman a man marries. But she’s a civilian. Civilians and black ops don’t mix. So he bails on her. He’s convinced he’d made the right call…until he finds out she’s in danger. The thought of a world without Emma? Wasn’t going to happen, even if that means kidnapping her himself. 

Driven and Desperate… 

Injured pride is all good and well until it gets you killed... 
Emma isn’t stupid. After narrowly escaping an abduction thanks to Lucas’s timely intervention, she accepts his protection. But as the days drag on, and their passion rekindles she finds herself fighting two battles—one against the unidentified killers intent on taking her life, and one against the sexy Navy SEAL determined to steal back her heart. 

Review:
After an erotic, sex-filled weekend together that promised to develop into something more, Lucas decides to take a step back from Emma. She's too tempting, too delicious, too deserving of a better life than he can give her as a SEAL. The temptation to call her is removed when his team is deployed. Emma felt certain she would hear from the hot, gorgeous Lucas after spending a weekend in his king-sized bed. But her phone didn't ring, and her calls were not returned. To add injury to insult, the new home she purchased on impulse isn't all it was advertised to be. And now, someone has broken in and ransacked it, destroying everything in the process. Nothing was stolen so what were they looking for? A friend of Lucas's is the investigating cop and when he suspects Emma's life is in danger, he calls Lucas who is now back in town. Sparks fly when Lucas rides in to save Emma and thus the fun begins.

Sexy banter, laugh out loud moments - a toothless dog rescued from the pound as a guard dog - car chases, suspense, romance - it all adds up to a fun-filled yet romantic read with a couple who must come face-to-face with the reality of losing it all before they wake up and smell the coffee. Short on pages, but another Must Read!

My Rating:  3.5 Humorous, Sexy ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

The Alibi Review

Title:  The Alibi
Author:  Sandra Brown
Publisher:  Hachette Books
Release Date:  First publ. in 1999
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  4 Intertwining ♥'s







Synopsis:
Born into a fine old Charleston family, Hammond Cross is determined to be the city's next district attorney - without sacrificing his integrity. 

Prosecuting the sensational murder of a real estate magnate could be his ticket into office. Yet, while Hammond anticipates his success, someone near him is plotting his downfall. Is it Steffi Mundell, colleague, ex-lover and rival? Rory Smilow, homicide detective and Hammond's avowed enemy? 

Is it the dead man's widow, wily, beautiful and Hammond's lifelong friend? Or is it Hammond's prime suspect, the mysterious woman who shares the secret that would be fatal to Hammond's ambitions?

Review:
One night of "escaping reality" turns into a long, ominous nightmare for Prosecutor Hammond Cross. A spur of the moment decision turned into a night of passion with a mysterious woman who was gone by dawn's light. Hammond doesn't even know her name. He will before long, and it just may be his downfall.

Intriguing characters flaunt their way through The Alibi. At first they didn't seem to have any connection to one another, leaving me wondering where it all was leading. It soon becomes apparent as the "i's" are dotted and the "t's" are crossed, and their paths intertwine. The characterizations are masterfully written - each character is unique, working their own agenda. I found myself fascinated with them all as the story played out, and I racked my brain trying to figure out their motives and connections to one another. Hammond appears to be on a suicide mission as his actions belied his position, threatening to destroy his future. My heart raced through the last few chapters . . . and I may have screamed "NO" out loud a time or two. Another Must Read by Sandra Brown!

My Rating:  4 Intertwined ♥'s . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥