Review: The Bitter Season (Kovac and Liska #5)

The Bitter Season (Kovac and Liska #5) by Tami Hoag
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: January 12th
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

A murder from the past. A murder from the present. And a life that was never meant to be... As the dreary, bitter weather of late fall descends on Minneapolis, Detective Nikki Liska is restless. After moving to the cold case squad in order to spend more time with her sons, she misses the rush of pulling an all-nighter, the sense of urgency of hunting a murderer on the loose. Most of all she misses her old partner, Sam Kovac.

Sam is having an even harder time adjusting to Nikki's absence, saddled with a green new partner younger than pieces of Sam's wardrobe. Sam is distracted from his troubles by an especially brutal double homicide: a middle-aged husband and wife bludgeoned and hacked to death in their home with a ceremonial Japanese samurai sword. Nikki's case, the unsolved murder of a family man, community leader, and decorated sex crimes detective for the Minneapolis PD, is less of a distraction: Twenty years later, there is little hope for finding the killer who got away.

On the other end of the spectrum, Minneapolis resident Evi Burke has a life she only dreamed of as a kid in and out of foster homes: a beautiful home, a family, people who love her, a fulfilling job. Little does she know that a danger from her past is stalking her perfect present. A danger powerful enough to pull in both Kovac and Liska and destroy the perfect life she was never meant to have.

♥ ♥ ♥

Fans of the Liska and Kovac series won’t be disappointed with this latest installment. Once again, Ms. Hoag delivers a tightly written mystery with solid three-dimensional characters.

If you haven’t already discovered this series, this is a great place to start. Ms. Hoag delivers the story in a way that readers can enjoy this book without having read the previous ones in the series and not feel like they are missing something.

Book Blitz: La Vie en Rose {Life in Pink}

La Vie en Rose {Life in Pink} by Lydia Michaels
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Emma Sanders has always dreamt of being a bride, wearing fancy gowns, pretty pearls, and—of course—falling madly in love. Then life happened. Finding herself one fiancé short of her happily ever after, she leaves the fairytales behind. Some days are simply too perilous for pink gowns and pearls.

Riley Lockhart is the sort of man who can make a woman lower her gaze with only a smile. That he doesn’t realize his charm makes him all the more enchanting. Determined to save Emma the pain of her breakup, he steps in as a friend, but soon finds himself wanting more.

She was just a girl, but she somehow winds up being the strongest woman he’s ever known. Losing her is not an option and when life can’t be tied neatly in a pretty little bow, he holds tight to all that he loves—his Emma. His hero.

Sometimes the greatest scars are worn on the inside.


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

It was amusing how the girls on the subway watched Riley. Emma supposed he was above-average handsome, but since he was Rarity’s older brother she never looked too hard.

Now, seeing him in his element, riding the subway in a Pet Shop Boys T-shirt, jeans, and battered chucks, she recognized what the other women on the train were seeing. Riley was hot.

His brown eyes were so clear they shined as though they were blue. Sloppy chestnut waves curled in perfect careless disarray, complimenting his naturally tanned olive skin. He even had the five o’clock shadow down to an art.

Scanning the surrounding female passengers, she counted six of them gawking at him, begging with their eyes for him to glance their way. Amazing. The pheromones could choke a prostitute.

Skimming the male passengers, she frowned. Not a single one was looking at her.

What if she was Riley’s girlfriend? They were standing close enough, but the other girls didn’t seem to notice her at all.

Book Blitz: Wrecked (Wrecked #1)

Wrecked (Wrecked #1) by Elle Casey
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: January 1, 2012
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

If you liked The Breakfast Club and The Swiss Family Robinson, you’ll love WRECKED!

An ill-fated Caribbean cruise and four teenagers: a nerd, a jock, a mouse, and a beauty queen…an island, a treehouse, some nefarious interlopers…life and death…fear and loathing…love and laughter.

Follow Jonathan, Kevin, Candi and Sarah as they find their typical high school lives and their worlds totally WRECKED.





♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

“I can’t believe you roped us into this stupid cruise,” Sarah said in a tone of voice that clearly carried her frustration with parents who never appreciated her very important social calendar. She stood in the middle of her parents’ bedroom with her hands on her hips, chin stuck out for emphasis.

“Sarah, we don’t want to hear another word about this. You’re going, and that’s final. Now go pack your bag.” Sarah’s father turned his back on her to walk into his large bedroom closet. She lost sight of him as he turned the corner. The closet, trimmed entirely in dark cedar, was larger than many of her friends’ bedrooms.

Sarah’s mom stepped over and took Sarah’s hands in hers. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but your father is right. We’re all going, and you can’t stay behind. It’s important for your dad’s business that we all be there. But don’t look so glum – it’s going to be fun!”

Book Blitz: Dark & Twisted Games (Hearts of Faeylon #1)

Dark & Twisted Games (Hearts of Faeylon #1) by Heidi Acosta
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: April 1, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Nothing ever happens in the small town of Copake Falls, and no one knows that better than sixteen-year-old Eden Day. Her life is a mundane carousal, rotating between caring for her alien obsessed aunt and dealing with her freak status at school. Until two brothers move into town and turn her life completely upside down.

Golden boy, Cardelian Foster is the talk of the town, and it seems his sights set on Eden. However, she finds herself drawn to the dark and elusive Jaxson instead. Caught between her fear of what he might be and her attraction to him, Eden makes it her mission to find out exactly who or what Jaxson Foster is.

Eden begins to dig for the truth, but the deeper she looks, the more her life seems to be in danger. Everyone around her thinks she’s going crazy, and Eden begins to agree until she finds herself pulled into Faeylon—a world that nightmares are made of. Caught in the center of a dark game, Eden realizes there can only be one winner, and she is the prize.

♥ ♥ ♥

Book Blitz: Burnout (Legal Heat #2.5)

Burnout (Legal Heat #2.5) by Sarah Castille
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 3, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

She vowed to uphold the law.
He’s determined to break it.
Together, they just might bend the rules.

Rookie cop, Sophie Nichols, knows the dangers of a one-night stand with a sexy stranger. Unable to resist the pull of cocky, badass biker, Ace Logan, she indulges in one steamy night of raw, unbridled passion.

At least, that was the plan…

As the new sergeant-at-arms for the Rogue Riders MC, Ace doesn’t need complications in his life—especially a curvy, captivating cop with a kick-ass attitude who has the power to wreak havoc on his club. So why can’t he stay away?

When Sophie’s brother is kidnapped by a ruthless criminal gang, Ace might be her only hope to find him. But once he has the rookie in his arms, he’ll never let her go. Now, Sophie must make a choice: break the law or break her heart?


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

A thud on the door startled her. No one could get into the building unless she buzzed them through the front door, and she hadn’t met any of the other tenants.

“Who is it?” She balled the chip bag and walked over to the door.

“Ah...”

She heard whispers and then the smack of flesh hitting flesh.

“Tuscan Movers. We’re here to...ah...finish the job.”

Puzzled, she pulled open the door only to step back when a burly man wearing a Tuscan Movers T-shirt was thrust in her face. Sophie recoiled, barely recognizing the mover who had laughed when she’d asked him to finish unpacking her stuff. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, his eyes were black, and his shirt stained red with blood.

Book Blitz: Catching Summer (Second Chances #6)

Catching Summer (Second Chances #6) by L.P. Dover
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Former nurse Summer Jacobs has seen her fair share of suffering, but she never expected tragedy to hit so close to home. After watching her husband die in the MMA ring, Summer spends the next two years fighting her way through the darkness. 

The last thing she needs is another hardheaded athlete turning her life upside down. But that’s exactly what happens when she meets a gridiron star who’s as skilled at stealing hearts as he is at snagging passes.

Carolina Cougars wide receiver Evan Townsend usually has no problem winning fans, so he’s intrigued when Summer shoots down his go-to plays for winning a woman’s attention. Never one to back down from a challenge, Evan turns up the heat, setting off sparks that neither can deny. 

But as his slow seduction begins to chase away Summer’s pain, he gets the feeling that someone is desperate to keep them apart. Now Evan will do anything to protect her—because he never misses a chance to make a perfect catch.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Once out the door, I breathed a sigh of relief and slowed my pace. “Come on, Summer, stop acting like an idiot.”

“Talking to yourself now?” Evan teased from behind.

I stopped mid-step and closed my eyes. “Do you enjoy provoking me?”

When he circled around me, I opened my eyes. “Not really, but I do love seeing you blush. I didn’t realize I had that effect on you.”

“You seriously are full of yourself, aren’t you?” How could I be so stupid? There was no way in hell I could hide my face now. I didn’t want him to know how flustered he made me.

Chuckling, he shook his head and kept his gray eyes solely on mine. “I’m really not. I was just hoping to hear your laugh again. I guess I didn’t get enough of it yesterday.”

Book Blitz: The One Who Got Away (An Alpha Billionaire Romance)

The One Who Got Away (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) by Ava Claire
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 27, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

It was supposed to be the best day. I was marrying the love of my life–and nothing would ever be the same.

And then he left me at the altar.

Five years later, I get a job offer I can’t refuse. The trouble is, the boss just so happens to be the one who got away…








♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Even from behind, he was something to behold. He had on a black leather jacket with a charcoal gray hoodie. On anyone else, it would have looked juvenile, hipster even. Like someone emulating ‘rugged’ based on what they saw in a magazine or on some TV show. This guy was all man, all testosterone with his broad shoulders and jeans that gripped an ass that I was dying to grip.

Realizing that I was staring at some stranger’s behind, my eyes shot up to tamer territory, but his dark wavy hair was even more dangerous. It was just long enough that he could do that man-bun thing that was all the rage. But nothing about this man was forced. He didn’t follow trends; he made his own. His dark locks were wild and free.

I hadn’t even seen his face, but I knew he was trouble. With a capital T. Which meant I was in trouble, because if I wasn’t sure I was gonna take the job before, well, I was positive now.