Tag Archives: Cliffhanger

The Executioner (The Family Creed # 1)

By Shauna Allen

Synopsis

~ Five brothers, one family tragedy, untold heartache. ~

A stray bullet ended my Army career, forcing me to follow in my father’s prison guard footsteps.
My sister’s disappearance ten years ago annihilated my family, forcing each of us to find a way to cope.
But I’ve survived. Adapted.
At least until Genevieve Stone showed up, digging into the truth in the name of journalism and finding her way deep under my skin. I’m determined to do whatever it takes to find my sister, but when the case is blown wide open by the sexy reporter, I’m left with the ultimate question . . . can I trust her?
I’m a soldier, heart and soul.
I don’t do love.
War and death and pain are my church.
My name is Asher Creed.
I am the Executioner.

***Reader note: This is the first of a 6-part emotional family saga series. Each story is 100% male first-person point-of-view, and while each full-length novel is guaranteed to have a complete HEA romance, their family mystery remains unsolved until the end of the series.

Review

THE EXECUTIONER starts with a quick prologue that shows Claire being abducted ten years ago, before continuing on in the present day. Asher’s family has been left devastated by Claire’s disappearance, but Asher is also saddened at how his once-close family has drifted apart over the years, as each family member has suffered alone and in silence.

Asher is a very hard working, honest and down to earth man. What you see is truly what you get. While working as a prison guard is not his dream job, he takes pride in his work and is respectful, which translates into being somewhat respected by most of the inmates he works amongst. Genevieve is a crime reporter who doesn’t just focus on the crime when writing her stories, but also on the victims and their families. Being a victim herself, she understands that it’s the people who are left behind that tend to suffer the most. She’s perfect for Asher in that she too is very hard working, respectful and has a lot of integrity.

While THE EXECUTIONER does involve a romance between Asher and Genevieve, the bulk of this story revolves around the Creed family members as they deal with Claire’s disappearance, even ten years later. I’ll be honest, I don’t remember much about the romance between Asher and Genevieve, but I am very intrigued by Claire’s disappearance and would love to know how that story plays out.

THE EXECUTIONER is told only in Asher’s POV and ends in a cliffhanger. It is considered a family saga, so the books cannot be read as stand-alones and they will need to be read in order. Asher is the oldest of five brothers, and each brother will get their own story: Asher; Levi; Jamison; Joshua; and Silas. Although, considering this will be a six-part family saga, I’m not sure who the sixth book will be about. I have a theory, but it’s one I’ll be keeping to myself. Looking at Amazon, the next three books are being released at the end of May, June and July. If that’s the case, I’ll be very happy that we won’t have to wait too long to find out what exactly happened to Claire.

The Executioner (The Family Creed # 1)

My Rating:

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The Family Creed Series

Physis (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 4)

By Michelle Irwin

Synopsis

Finding a new normal is never as easy as it seems.

Phoebe Reede has suffered unimaginable tortures at the hands of her captors. Now home and safe, she can’t let go of the things that happened to her. No amount of therapy or coaxing by her parents can draw her from her shell.

How can she learn to live again, when everything she loved about herself is gone?

**Due to strong language and sexual content not intended for anyone under the age of 18. Some books in this series contain content, including sexual assault and violence, that may trigger emotional distress in some readers.**

Review

I’m going to start this review with a warning that PHYSIS is not for the faint of heart. What Phoebe endured during her three month captivity is not pretty, and you will read about most—if not all—of it in this book.

I’d gone to America broken-hearted and had come home broken everywhere.

The story takes place two months after BEASTLY, which ended with Phoebe being taken back to Australia by her father, Declan, and leaving Beau behind. At home with her family, she doesn’t feel safe and is haunted by nightmares, flashbacks and gentle touches. Most of this story is focused on Phoebe and how she’s trying to live with what happened to her, but it also showed how Phoebe’s ordeal is affecting those close to her.

I didn’t survive three months imprisonment. My body might have, but the girl I’d been was dead.

Without trying to give too much away, Beau does appear in this book and he’s still as sweet as ever. He makes his presence known to Phoebe but lets her know that any and all contact with him will be on her terms. That helped Phoebe heal more than anything else since she got home.

“I didn’t think I’d ever find anyone who I thought was worthy of my Pheebs, but he’s proven himself to be the best man for you.”

PHYSIS is told only in Phoebe’s POV and⎯I think for the first time ever⎯doesn’t end in a cliffhanger. There are still more books to come in Phoebe and Beau’s story, but for now we ended on a happy note. To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m so used to Michelle’s cliffhangers leaving me on the edge of my seat feeling shocked, scared or angry, that this turn of events has me nervous. Is this just the calm before the storm? I read PHYSIS in one day and I’m greatly looking forward to PHANTOM, which comes out in June.

Physis (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 4)

My Rating:

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Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story Series

Liar (Karma Inc. # 3)

By Gillian Zane

Synopsis

Karma doesn’t get an off day. Working for Karma Incorporated might sound like the best job in the world, but there’s one really big catch: you’ve got to die to get it. Cassandra Mercier died at the ripe old age of twenty-one and is now gainfully employed by the Afterlife Corporation as a Karma operative. She’s still working nine to five, undercover as Cassidy Hail to deliver some much needed cosmic payback.

Her next target is a big, fat liar.

Lori Kay Biggly, Lori Kay, not Lori by itself. There was another Laurie, but the other Laurie spelled her name with an ‘AU’. To set herself apart she must be called Lori Kay. Kay as in the middle name, not the letter. Her last name was Biggly. Lori Kay Biggly. Maiden name Craig, but she goes by Biggly only. No hyphenation or ‘feministly’ holding on to old last names for this girl. And Lori Kay Biggly was a liar. She lied. She sabotaged others at her work, she manipulated the boss with sexual favors…and she was getting her just desserts. Courtesy of Karma, Inc.

While on the case, Cassandra also has the matter of her own death that she must solve, a goddess that has decided to take a more “hands-on” approach to management and a curious private investigator who she finds it hard to maintain her own lies with. It’s just another day working for Afterlife Corporation.

Review

LIAR is the third book in the Karma Inc. novella series and continues on from where the previous book—SHARK—ended. As with the previous two books, Cassidy spent a small portion of her time working on her current Karma case, but most of the book is focused on her finding out what happened to her in her past life.

I don’t know if this is a continuation error or if I just misunderstood, but I was under the impression that Cassandra had been missing since her disappearance a year ago and that no-one knew what had happened to her. Yes, foul play was suspected, but no-one knew for sure. Here it was sprung on us that her body was in fact found the day after she went missing and she had been brutally murdered. Like I said, maybe I just misunderstood, but as soon as I read that scene my first thought was “Ummm…Wait…What?”.

Moving on, we knew from the previous book that there was something special about Cassidy because she could see through the glamour of a god. In this instalment we learn that there’s at least one other god who is “involved” with her life/afterlife—but we don’t know who—and that she is changing in ways she shouldn’t be.

She spent a lot of time with Drake in this book and they finally take their “relationship” to the next level. She confessed to him who she really is and that she hired him to find out what happened to her. He obviously has some experience with the paranormal because he took her confession extremely well. We know Drake isn’t exactly human, but we still don’t know what he is. I don’t even think he knows what he is; he just knows he’s different.

LIAR is told only in Cassidy’s POV and ends in a cliffhanger. Each book in this series is connected and cannot be read as stand-alones. I don’t know the name of the next book or when it will be released, but I’ll definitely be reading it when it comes out.

Liar (Karma Inc. # 3)

My Rating:

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Karma Inc. Series

Shark (Karma Inc. # 2)

By Gillian Zane

Synopsis

Karma does have a list…and Cassidy Hail is currently working on it.

Working for Karma Incorporated might sound like the best job in the world, but there’s one really big catch: you’ve got to die to get it. Cassandra Mercier died at the ripe old age of twenty-one and is now gainfully employed by the Afterlife Corporation as a Karma operative. She’s taken on the persona of Cassidy Hail and she’s going undercover to deliver some much needed cosmic payback. Her next target is a Shark.

Phillip Liam Nixon. Millionaire. COO of Butterfield Advertising Group. Chronic gambler, chronic womanizer and part-time embezzler. He’s going down and Cassidy’s the one who’s going to help him on his way. That’s if she can manage her own afterlife in the process, which is now brimming with Gods and Goddesses she didn’t know existed, an overly curious investigator who has his sights set on Cassidy, and the budding suspicion that something isn’t quite normal about the way she died.

Welcome to the Afterlife Corporation, where the currency of choice is souls…

Review

SHARK is the second book in the Karma Inc. novella series and continues on from where the first book⎯CHEAT⎯ended. Only about a third of the story is spent on Cassidy’s current Karma case, while the rest of it is focused on her personal life (and death). She still wants to know about how she died, but she no longer wants Drake to investigate her past life; he sees too much and turns her on too much. But Drake is intrigued, not just with the case but also with Cassidy, so he’s continuing with his investigation. In this novella we saw the appearance of a couple of people from Cassidy’s past life, as well as Persephone, the goddess in charge of Karma Inc. I think things are about to get a whole lot more interesting for Cassidy. SHARK is told only in Cassidy’s POV and ends in a little bit of a cliffhanger that leads us into the next book, LIAR. Each book is connected and can’t be read as stand-alones.

Shark (Karma Inc. # 2)

My Rating:

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Karma Inc. Series

Beastly (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 3)

By Michelle Irwin

Synopsis

Not all things are exactly as they appear.

Beau Miller thought his happily ever after had returned in the form of the girl with the seafoam eyes. He never expected a second heartbreak at her hand.

When her father, Declan Reede, turns up with murder in his eyes, Beau discovers that the break-up might not have been what it seemed. He must solve the mystery if he’s to find his girl.

How can he and Declan rescue their princess when she’s been taken by someone with beastly intentions? And will they make it in time?

Review

After the scary cliffhanger in PHOBIC, I knew I was going to be in for a rough ride in BEASTLY, but I had my fingers crossed hoping that it wouldn’t be as bad as I feared. Sadly, it was. But WOW…what a read! My heart was pounding for four and a half hours straight as I read this non-stop from beginning to end, and this is definitely a book that you’ll be thinking about days later.

“No one cares that Phoebe’s missin’. It’s like my heart’s been torn from my chest, and no one else realises the world stopped spinnin’ the moment she disappeared.”

I love Beau and he’s totally a keeper, but I will say that I wanted to strangle him for being so dumb. Obviously we all know who has taken Phoebe, but he had his suspicions and never voiced them. WTF??? I realise the story would have been super short if he had, but GRRRRRRR! I felt bad for him when everyone suspected that he had something to do with Phoebe’s disappearance, because he wouldn’t hurt a fly. I liked the bond he ended up having with Declan and I really look forward to seeing those two build on their relationship. I think Declan knows that there is no better man for his little girl than Beau. Although, I was getting an iffy feeling in the scenes involving Beau and Angel, and if Michelle is reading this, I hope she doesn’t go down “that” road. I mean, I don’t want to tell an author what to do, but please don’t do “that”.

BEASTLY is told only in Beau’s POV and ends in a really sad cliffhanger, so have some tissues handy. It cannot be read as a stand-alone, so you do need to read the first two books in the series before starting this one. It’s usually nice to see Declan again, but it wasn’t this time and my heart broke for him when he realised who had his little girl and what had been done to her. When it comes to Phoebe, we’ve only scratched the surface of what she suffered, and I think we’ll learn more about it all in PHYSIS, which comes out in April this year and will be told in her POV.

Please Note: This story contains scenes/topics that may be triggers for some people.

Beastly (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 3)

My Rating:

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Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story Series

A Harmless Little Ruse (Harmless # 2)

By Meli Raine

Synopsis

She has no idea what she’s doing. Loose cannons never hit their targets.
And they take out plenty of collateral damage.

Four years ago Lindsay experienced the unspeakable right before me, and I couldn’t stop them.
But that’s all changed now.

When her father, Senator Bosworth, contacted me to ask — demand — that I protect her, it was a second chance. A shot at redemption.
An opportunity to right an unspeakable wrong.

Controlling Lindsay as she seeks her revenge on the monsters who hurt her won’t be hard.
Containing my own out-of-control feelings for Lindsay and keeping up this ruse of cold-blooded distance will be.

Even harder than admitting to her what really happened that night four years ago.
It turns out I don’t have to, though.
Someone else did it for me.
And I’ll make sure they regret it.

Review

A HARMLESS LITTLE RUSE continues on from A HARMLESS LITTLE GAME, however in this part of the trilogy we are seeing the story from Drew’s POV. Again, this review will be kind of vague because I can’t say anything without giving away spoilers.

At the end of book 1, Drew and Lindsay rekindled their relationship and appeared to be on the same page. But in the beginning of this book, Lindsay does something that has him questioning her feelings and intentions. While she spent most of the first book questioning whether she could trust him, now it’s his turn to question whether he can trust her. They spend this book trying to heal old wounds while Drew works on his revenge plans against those who hurt them, but they always seem to be one step ahead of him, as proven by the cliffhanger we are left with. I’m still not a fan of her parents, who seem to care more about the election than their only child, and I still don’t know who is friend or foe.

We learn more about what happened that night four years ago, and I honestly didn’t think I could hate those three monsters more, but I was wrong. Despite the new information, all the questions I had from the first book remain unanswered, and I truly hope they will be answered in the next book. This was another quick read that easily held my attention.

Please Note: This book contains scenes that may be triggers for some people.

A Harmless Little Ruse (Harmless # 2)

My Rating:

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Harmless Series

A Harmless Little Game (Harmless # 1)

By Meli Raine

Synopsis

Four years ago I lost my virginity on live, streaming television.
Too bad I wasn’t awake for it.
The video went viral. Of course it would. A Senator’s daughter on camera? Wouldn’t you click “share”? Besides, that’s what three of the four guys in the video did.
Share.

They shared me.

But that fourth guy? The nondescript one in the background in the upper left corner of the screen, just sitting on the couch? The only one who did nothing?
Not one single thing.
That was my boyfriend, Drew.
And that was the last time I saw him.

Until today, when my father—now on a path to the White House—hired him as head of security for my new team as I return home after four years of “recovering” in an undisclosed location that involved white lab coats, needles, pills and damage control.

You see, the other three guys never went to jail. Never had charges pressed.
Never faced consequences.
Until today.
Game on.

Review

WOW! A HARMLESS LITTLE GAME is a book that grabbed me right from the very first page and did not let me go. I know a book is good when I’m up until 1am reading. Since this is the first book in the Harmless trilogy that focuses on Lindsay and her desire for revenge, I can’t say much, so this will be a fairly short review.

What Lindsay went through four years ago was horrific. What’s worse is that the men involved got away with it. If that doesn’t fire up your anger, I don’t know what will. I really felt for her and I admired the strength and courage she displayed to stand up for herself. I also liked Drew, who is a very quiet and controlled man. I have a feeling that when his control slips, the fallout will be huge and it’s going to be a sight to behold. I absolutely hated her parents, especially her mother. Honestly, if it turns out that she had something to do with what happened to her daughter, I would not be surprised at all. The scene where Lindsay stood up to her mother was awesome and I was so cheering her on.

This book left me with a lot of questions. Questions that I’m sure will be answered in the following two books. How did those men get away with it? Who is protecting them? Why did they do it? Did someone put them up to it? Who is her friend? Who is her enemy? Who is telling the truth? I have so many more questions, but I can’t list them here without giving away some spoilers.

This first part of the trilogy takes place over two to three days and ends in a cliffhanger. I did find it a little repetitive at times, and I also got annoyed when Drew kept telling Lindsay that she had no idea what she was in for. I wanted to yell at him to just tell her already, but I guess that would have shortened the story quite a bit. A HARMLESS LITTLE GAME is told only in Lindsay’s POV, with the next book in the trilogy being told in Drew’s POV, which I’m really looking forward to because I can’t wait to get inside his head.

Please Note: This book contains scenes that may be triggers for some people.

A Harmless Little Game (Harmless # 1)

My Rating:

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Harmless Series

Coma Girl: Parts 1-6

By Stephanie Bond

Synopsis

In COMA GIRL, a victim of a tragic event lies in a hospital bed, at the mercy of friends and relatives who think she can’t hear them. But she SO can.

COMA GIRL, Part 1 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in July.
COMA GIRL, Part 2 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in August.
COMA GIRL, Part 3 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in September.
COMA GIRL, Part 4 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in October.
COMA GIRL, Part 5 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in November.
COMA GIRL, Part 6 novella is a month’s worth of daily segments taking place in December.

Review

I decided to review all six parts of COMA GIRL as one because I didn’t see the point of every review saying “She’s still in a coma” and “Another secret and/or confession was revealed”. All six parts take place between July 1st and December 31st and total about 600 pages. Apart from Part 6, every novella ended with a cliffhanger that I didn’t see coming.

Marigold was involved in a terrible car accident in June which left her in a coma, however she’s able to hear everything that is said around her. Throughout the months she has regular visits from her family, her best friend, a scary but hilarious nun, the detective investigating her accident, a mystery man who reads poetry, and a doctor who won’t give up that one day she will wake up. Almost every person who visited her confessed their secrets and personal problems, and it was evident very early on that her parents treated her differently from their other children and that her entire family is not involved in her life and know nothing about her. Which is scary because her family now have the right to make medical decisions on her behalf.

I’ll be honest, there’s not much of a romance element to this story, at least there isn’t until you reach the end of November. Assuming she would one day wake up, I kept trying to figure out who she was going to end up with as there were a couple of possibilities, even though she was pining for a man who was marrying someone else. Spoiler Alert: She does wake up. She tells a few people that she could hear everything, but when it came to her family she decided to keep their secrets and start fresh. Her quick forgiveness of her entire family for all they said and did was probably the only disappointing part of this entire series. No-one can heal and move on if everyone is still keeping secrets.

COMA GIRL is told only in Marigold’s POV and to get the most out of the series, it needs to be read in order. The author calls it a daily serial and it is written almost like a journal, with each new chapter being a new day and just a few pages long. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book laid out in such a way, and I found I didn’t mind it. There is no epilogue, which was disappointing as I would have loved to have seen a glimpse into Marigold’s future.

Coma Girl: Parts 1-6

My Rating:

Coma Girl: Part 1 Buy Links: Amazon
Coma Girl: Part 2 Buy Links: Amazon
Coma Girl: Part 3 Buy Links: Amazon
Coma Girl: Part 4 Buy Links: Amazon
Coma Girl: Part 5 Buy Links: Amazon
Coma Girl: Part 6 Buy Links: Amazon

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Coma Girl Series

Phobic (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 2)

By Michelle Irwin

Synopsis

Sometimes starting over is the only choice.

Broken-hearted and looking for revenge, Phoebe Reede heads back to the US to take up a new challenge. Only, when she discovers who her teammate and rival is, the challenge might prove too great.

While she knew life away from home wouldn’t be easy, she never expected to be faced with an unpleasant surprise from her ex-boyfriend, or to be as drawn to him as ever. She needs to remain professional and push aside her feelings for him, but will she let someone else steal her heart away instead?

What will it take to prove she’s not afraid to take the risk?

Review

PHOBIC continues on from the cliffhanger in PHASE, where Beau broke up with Phoebe before she could surprise him with the news that she was moving over to the US to race and to be with him. She decides to go over anyway, determined to race for the next fourteen months and do her best to move on from Beau.

I loved Beau in the first book, but I was so angry with him in this book and I had to keep reminding myself that he really was a nice guy who was just doing shitty things. I had a fair idea about why he broke up with Phoebe, but even knowing that, it was still hard listening to all the cruel and hurtful things he would say to⎯and about⎯her. I get it, he wanted to hurt her the way she had hurt him, but the way he lashed out at her and toyed with her emotions was terrible and my heart was breaking for her before I even hit the 5% mark.

Phoebe was very loud and in-your-face in the first book, and I noticed that her personality had toned down considerably in this book. Heartbreak made her a little softer in some ways, and I found I liked it. Don’t get me wrong, she was still tough when she needed to be. However, I was surprised that she didn’t go ape-shit when she and Beau discovered the truth about their breakup. But maybe that’s just me; I’d built up that scene so much in my head that nothing short of hell on earth would have satisfied me.

“I told you once that love can destroy you if you let it, and it has, Beau. It’s broken me.”

PHOBIC is told in only Phoebe’s POV and it cannot be read as a stand-alone; you have to read PHASE first. Michelle Irwin is one of those few authors that, when starting one of her books, I have to prepare for it. I have to make sure that my housework and blogging responsibilities are up-to-date because I know that once I start, I won’t be stopping. I only put this book down when I absolutely had to, and I ended up reading it in one day. Be prepared for tears and for a cliffhanger that comes out of nowhere; a cliffhanger that has me both desperate and terrified for BEASTLY, the next book in the series.

* Note: This book includes scenes of sexual harassment and sexual assault, which may be triggers for some people.

Phobic (Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story # 2)

My Rating:

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Phoebe Reede: The Untold Story Series

Dark Desires (The Hunter Chronicles Book 2)

By Claire Marta

Synopsis

Jasmine Hunter finds herself knee deep in a decadent vampire nest in Prague. A killer lurks the medieval city and is preying on blood donors who frequent the home of the local Vampire Mistress.

With her teammates from Scotland Yard in tow Jasmine, must attempt to discover the murderer’s identity.

But will things go to plan? Sex dungeons, submissive human pets, and sexy dominant males are a lot for a rookie to cope with.

Especially when Eric is the last person she expects to see…

Requested to assist with the hunt for a vicious serial killer by an old friend, Eric is left speechless to find Jasmine offering herself up as food. The attraction between them is burning as red hot as before, and his lust for the feisty female is just as deep.

More disturbing, his emotions which he normally has leashed, once more slip in her presence. Yet this time they feel different. Darker, primal, and savage yet Eric cannot explain why. The insidious pull of the other predators around him is also more than a sweet temptation he finds himself unable to resist.

Combining forces, Jasmine and Eric must play the parts of Master and submissive.

But nothing is as it seems.

Can they work out who the killer is in a household full of deception and secrets before it is too late? Or will a price be paid in blood….

Review

Dark Desires is book two in The Hunter Chronicles Series. It picks up months later after Eric and Jasmine’s night in Paris. We come to find out that Eric has had no communication with Jasmine since that night. Which has left Jasmine a little confused and frustrated.

Eric is still hot but doesn’t seem to understand women very well. He is still very protective and is just beginning to realise what he wants.

It seems that Jasmine has decided that she is done waiting on Eric. She dives into work. She wants to prove herself to her coworkers and her boss that she can be a great field agent.

On her first assignment, she goes undercover in a vampire nest that leads her right back to Eric. As they start working together to track down a killer, Eric starts having stronger feelings than he has ever had before. He is not sure what is going on with him just that he has to have Jasmine.

Claire Marta has seamlessly put a cast of characters that work so well together. There is a really family feeling between Jasmine, Twitch and Gemma. Their banter is so funny. There was also a laugh out loud moment between Twitch and Eric that even when I think about it now brings a smile to my face. New characters were also added to this book: Asier, Kane and Conall. There is a complicated relationship between Asier and Eric when it came to Jasmine. Each want to keep her safe but there are other forces at play that interrupt a long lasting friendship.

This book as mystery and suspense. It will be interesting to see where Clarie Marta takes Eric and Jasmine’s relationship in the future.