Tag Archives: Mystery/Thriller

Dirty, Reckless Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbour #3)

By Lexi Ryan

Synopsis

I’m in love with a man who tried to kill me. At least that’s what they tell me . . .

Six weeks ago, paramedics found me unconscious in my apartment. Beaten. Bruised. Hardly breathing. When I woke up, I couldn’t remember the last three years or anything about my life in Jackson Harbor. They tell me my fiancé, Colton McKinley, is on the run for what he did to me. They tell me I’m safer if I stay away.

I don’t care if my memories ever come back. I want nothing to do with those missing years . . . until a sexy stranger with angry eyes shows up on my doorstep and demands I stop ignoring him.

Levi Jackson is my fiancé’s best friend, but seeing him sparks something inside me. As the truth unravels in my mind, I know they’re wrong about Colton. My own secrets are far more dangerous than the man I was engaged to.

I return to Jackson Harbor to search for answers and find myself running from a faceless boogeyman and seeking refuge in Levi’s arms. And in his bed.

I can’t deny my feelings for Levi. But as the pile of lies between us grows, I realize that sometimes the truth can’t set us free. Sometimes, it’s the very thing that can destroy us.

Review

Levi, Ellie, and Colton each brought their own vulnerabilities to this love story which makes you fall in love with all of them.

Dirty, Reckless Love is full of twists, lies and lust and love that goes deep in your bones.  Ellie is passionate, confused, headstrong and determined for a better life full of love.

The story is past and present and we move between the two effortlessly as the author weaves her tale.  As the ending nears the gap in Ellie’s memory connects the two periods of time until they clash.  There are moments you think you know who the danger is and I did not pick this twist.

The dynamic between Ellie, Colton and Levi’s friendship provided moments of heartache and passion Whilst not a full on love triangle which I hate, this is told really well.  I put that down to Levihonoringg his friendship with Colton at the beginning but then like all romantic love stories the heart takes over.

What i loved about the ending was how the author gave Ellie her time at the conclusion to find herself before she found her true love.

Whilst this is a series, I have not read the others and this story is a standalone.

Quote:  “Yes, but if you’ve only ever seen sunshine, how do you know you can face the storm”

Dirty, Reckless Love (The Boys of Jackson Harbour #3)

My Rating:  

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Memento Mori (Masters and Mercenaries: The Forgotten #1)

By Lexi Blake

Synopsis

Six men with no memories of the past
One leader with no hope for the future

A man without a past

Jax woke up in a lab, his memories erased, and his mind reprogrammed to serve a mad woman’s will. After being liberated from his prison, he pledged himself to the only thing he truly knows-his team. Six men who lost everything they were. They must make certain no one else gets their hands on the drugs that stole their lives, all while hiding from every intelligence organization on the planet. The trail has led him to an unforgiving mountainside and a beautiful wilderness expert who may be his only hope of finding the truth.

A woman with a bright future

River Lee knows her way around the Colorado wilderness. She’s finally found a home in a place called Bliss after years lost in darkness. The nature guide prefers to show her clients the beauty found in the land, but she also knows the secrets the mountains hold. When she meets Jax, something about the troubled man calls to her. She agrees to lead him to the site of an abandoned government facility hidden deep in the forest. She never dreamed she was stepping into the middle of a battlefield.

A love that could heal a broken soul

Spending time with River, Jax discovers a peace he’s never known. Their passion unlocks a side of himself he didn’t even know he was missing. When an old enemy makes his first move, Jax and River find themselves fighting for their lives. But when his past is revealed, will River be caught in the crosshairs of a global conspiracy?

Review

I hope that I can effectively express how Memento Mori blew me away.  I fell for this book in the acknowledgments.  Memento Mori was not a term I had not heard before but the meaning could be felt throughout this book.

Jax is the perfect character to start this lost boys spin-off series.  He is instantly likable in his dealings with other people and his brothers. He has been through so much and is learning with each interaction with everyone how to be a complete man again.  When he falls for River, his world became more complex.  He now is torn between his brothers and the person he loves.

River is a woman who has lost a lot.  Her first husband turned out to a horrible human being and then she lost her father.  She definitely has trust issues.  Jax coming into her life confuses her that much more.

The beginning of Memento Mori instantly transported me back to Bliss before I knew Sophie Oak and Lexi Blake were one in the same.  I love all the characters new and old.  Getting to know Nell again was so much fun.  She and Henry are perfect together. Also we were revisited by other residents of Bliss. I also really enjoy Ian Taggart.  He has a way of adding his special brand of advice and commentary that makes everyone think.

I can’t go into too much more without giving away major spoilers but I loved the Masters and Mercenaries series and this spin off series has captured the same magic for me.  I can’t wait to read about all the lost boys.

Memento Mori

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author:  Lexi Blake

Keeping 6 (Rock Point #1)

By Freya Barker

Synopsis

Bookstore owner Kerry Emerson finally seems to be back in control of her life. Her failure of a marriage firmly in her rearview mirror and her recent business expansion a success, she is in charge of her own future. One that is looking better than ever.
The sight of the tall man, with the familiar salt and pepper goatee pushing open the door of her store, sets her hair on end. He doesn’t exactly bring good memories.

FBI Special Agent in Charge, Damian Gomez, is just looking for a decent cup of coffee when he walks into the small store offering books and brew. The pretty, feisty woman behind the counter is an unexpected surprise. Not at all unpleasant, especially since her finger that used to hold a wedding ring is now bare.
Her wild hair, boho style and silvery grey eyes suddenly hold a lot of promise. But when his office is pulled into an international investigation into the trafficking of rare books and manuscripts, the straight-laced SAC realizes he has to keep his distance from the woman who might well be involved.

Easier said than done, since fate seems determined to throw them together. 

Review

Keeping 6 is a wonderful mystery romance with great pace and a variety of characters to keep the story interesting.

The romance between Damien and Kerry builds really well, it is realistic for their age.  Kerry and Damien are mature characters so both have life experience and issues to overcome. Damien was a typical alpha but learned quickly about being with a strong independent woman.  Their love built up with moments in life that make you adjust your expectations.

Damien’s family were funny and frustrating and their parts in the book helped tie these two people together. Kerry needed to see what family was all about and this made her yearn for different.

The law enforcement story was a slow simmer throughout the story and built to a good climax.  I did not pick the double cross.

Would love to see if Myra gets a story after her traumatic involvement. I kind of felt a connection with Keith.

Keeping 6 was an enjoyable story that kept me entertained with a wonderful mix of characters.

Quote:  This is trust. The need to share every flaw, every thought, every honest moment. This is love.

Keeping 6 (Rock Point #1)

My Rating:  

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Emilia: Part 2 (Trassato Crime Family #4)

By Lisa Cardiff

Synopsis

I’m the head of the Masciantonio family. I’m a dangerous, ruthless, unforgiving man, and I know how to fight dirty.

Fate put Emilia Trassato in my path. I saw a future with her—I saw hope. But she didn’t agree, and I let her walk away.

Now she’s back, but I’m no longer free to claim her. However, the minute our eyes meet, I know there’s nothing in this entire goddamn world strong enough to keep me from her.

She’s the only woman I’ve ever wanted, and I don’t care how many promises I have to break, or how many lives I have to destroy…I’m not letting her go. Not again.

Because this time…she’s mine. 

Review

Firstly you must read Emilia: Part 1 which was released in May 2017, this will set up the love triangle and where Emilia finds herself at the start of this book.  As it had been a year I re-read book 1 and still loved the drama and suspense around this mafia family.

Salvatore and Marcello provide again great tension, however, I was happy this was not dragged on.  The choice by Emilia is made swiftly in the beginning and I was very satisfied, she chose the right man for her. Their passion was perfect and I loved how we learned so much more about Emilia’s family history.  Her father finally stood up for her.  That was a favourite turn of events in this story for me, to learn more about her mother.

The mystery and suspense were tied up really well by the author, it was worth the wait and I did not pick the dangerous connections.  My only complaint was Part 2 does not have all the angst and drama that Part 1 had and it would have been great to have this whole story in one book to keep the momentum.

Emilia: Part 2 (Trassato Crime Family #4)

My Rating:  

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Devoted to Pleasure (A Devoted Lovers Novel)

By Shayla Black

Synopsis

BOUND BY DUTY…

Bodyguard and former military man Cutter Bryant has always done his duty–no matter the cost. Now he’s taking one last high-octane assignment before settling down in a new role that means sacrificing his chance at love. But he never expects to share an irresistible chemistry with his beautiful new client.

…TEMPTED BY PLEASURE

As the star of a steamy television drama, Shealyn West knows fame well, but it has come at the expense of her heart. With a blackmailer watching her every move and the threat of career-ending exposure looming, Shealyn hires Cutter to shore up her security and keep her safe, never imagining their attraction will be too powerful to contain.

As Shealyn and Cutter navigate the scintillating line between business and pleasure, they unravel a web of secrets that threaten their relationship and their lives. When danger strikes, Cutter must decide whether to follow his heart for the first time, or risk losing Shealyn forever.

Review

In this first full length cross-over book between the Wicked Lovers series and the Devoted Lovers Series we find Cutter having to decide between his heart and his loyalty to his best friend.

This book captures everything that made the Wicked Lovers series so good.  It picks up at the end of Holding on Tighter.  Cutter and One-Mile definitely hate each other.

Cutter is a great guy who believes in loyalty.  He is even willing to sacrifice is own heart to save his friend from small town ridicule and her fathers wrath. When he starts to fall for the woman he is protecting he has to make serious decisions.

Shealyn is also just a good person but she has been caught in a complicated situation with no easy way out. People are depending on her for the show and their personal lives.

I loved Devoted to Pleasure.  It has great characters that just build on each other.  It was fast paced and over too soon.  I really liked the internal struggle that Cutter was having between what to do with his best friend and Shealyn.  And I really liked the mystery in this story. I can’t wait for the next addition to this series to come out.

Devoted to Pleasure

My Rating:  

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Hell Upside Down

By Mia Villano

Synopsis

Scarlett Ferguson wanted out of her dreary life in Cutler, Maine. Every day was only an existence living in poverty in a run down trailer with her dad and his girlfriend. Working a dead end job in a restaurant, Scarlett’s life changes the day Hugh Cruz walks into her world.


He is gorgeous, rich and charming, sweeping Scarlett off her feet after a few dates. When he wants to marry her in a rush, she thinks nothing of it, other than it is true love. That changes on the night of her honeymoon. The night Scarlett realizes, things are not what they seem. It doesn’t take long for Scarlett to become someone she swore she never would be, in a life she swore she never would want.

Heartbroken and confused, Scarlett realizes that the life she ran away from is the life she truly wants.  Secrets unravel as Scarlett discovers the real reason Hugh came into her life. No one is who she thought they were and the people she trusted are soon revealing their true identity. Hell Upside Down is a dark, emotional standalone novel filled with suspense. Each page has you wanting more. 

Review

Hell Upside Down I literally finished in a just a few days, I could not put this mystery romance down.  The author begins her novel perfectly, we are given a taste of Scarlett’s life, we then go back to where it begins.  The first half of the story we are heading to that pivotal moment in her future.  I was simply on the edge of my seat knowing this and the hell she was going to endure.  The pacing was perfect to me, giving me enough to keep turning the pages.  The second half of the story is forging a new life for herself and this is where she simply shines.

Scarlett is such a strong and resilient character, she was my purpose to continue this often dark and dangerous tale.  Her marriage and will to survive in an abusive environment was simply heartbreaking.

Durango did not disappoint, I had hopes for him in the beginning and he plays his part to perfection.

The most surprising of this whole story was all the mystery and players in the second half, this story is no way finished when Scarlett gets rescued.  The story literally begins and we learn so much about all the people in her life.  I never picked all the knights in shining armor that were silently there in the background nor the hidden dark players.

Hell Upside Down

My Rating:  

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The Men with the Golden Cuffs (Masters & Mercenaries #2)

By Lexi Blake

Synopsis

A woman in danger…

Serena Brooks is a bestselling author of erotic fiction. She knows how to write a happy ending but hasn’t managed to find one of her own. Divorced and alone, she has no one to turn to when a stalker begins to threaten her life. The cops don’t believe her. Her ex-husband thinks she’s making the whole story up. She has no one left to turn to except a pair of hired bodyguards. They promise to guard her body, but no one can protect her heart.

Two men in search of love…

Adam Miles and Jacob Dean are halves of a whole. They’ve spent their entire adult lives searching for the one woman who can handle them both. Adam is the playful, indulgent lover, while Jacob is the possessive, loving Dom. When Serena comes into their lives, Adam is certain that she’s the one. But Jacob’s past comes back to haunt them all. He is suspicious of Serena’s story, and his concerns are driving a wedge between him and Adam. But when the stalker strikes, they will have to come together or lose each other forever…

Review

Book 2 of Masters and Mercenaries takes a different path from the first.  Ian Taggart is doing a favour so the Mr. Black storyline is put aside for a moment. This story has lots of twists and turns and I did not guess the final result of who the danger was.  It was surprising and provided for an action-packed ending.

Serena is lovely, is an author and very passionate and creative.  Adam and Jake were two characters in book 1 that I immediately connected to. I am very happy they have found such a lovely lady they get to share and make a new life.  I enjoyed that both men had their own characteristics, Adam more sensual and Jake definitely was the dominant of the two, it balanced the story.

The sexual scenes in this story are hot and steamy, there are individual but also Menage.  The flow is perfect and Serena’s danger is always underlying amongst the romance.

There were moments in this story that my heart hurt and I teared up.  Serena takes so much to heart and when she shuts down on the guys, that was some hard and heavy reading.  When the trust is broken it does take some strong teamwork by Jake and Adam to bring her back to them.

Again all the crew from McKay-Taggart play a part and we learn more about them.  I for one am incredibly interested in Alex and Eve.

The Men with the Golden Cuffs (Masters & Mercenaries #2)

My Rating:  

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A Shameless Little Bet (Shameless #3)

By Meli Raine

Synopsis

How do I prove a negative?

I need to prove Jane is innocent, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Mirrors, smoke, and lies can conjure a truth that isn’t real. Money, bribes, and power can twist reality. What we call proof is all an elaborate magic act.

So is love.

How do you prove you’re in love? How can you know with unrelenting certainty that the person you can’t live without really loves you?

It’s all about what you believe. Who you believe. And I believe Jane. I love her. But it might be too late.

Or, worse – it might all be an illusion. If proof is just a magician’s sleight of hand, then we’re caught in a sick trick.

A deadly one.

One that doesn’t end with applause.

But with a bang.

Read the entire Shameless series now!

A Shameless Little Con (#1)
A Shameless Little Lie (#2)
A Shameless Little Bet (#3)
The trilogy is complete!

Review

A Shameless Little Bet has brilliantly completed this series.  This final installment has answered all my thoughts on not only Jane & Silas but also Lindsay & Drew.

In a Shameless Little Bet,  Jane’s emotional state continues to unravel yet she begins to trust her instincts more. Lindsay and Jane both became stronger and determined together to find answers.

This final installment is a major read, it has revelations that have always been there.  Throughout this series, I have questioned characters and motives for which I am glad to have been answered.  It is strange how characters up front and center whom I dismissed have come back to play.

I never guessed all the final outcomes, who would have thought we would come this far from A Harmless LIttle Game.  I loved the way the author completed this story, we are given happiness and contentment and above all else peace and silence for Jane & Lindsay.

A Shameless Little Bet (Shameless #3)

My Rating:  

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Order of Protection (A Courting Justice Novel)

By Lexi Blake

Synopsis

To high-end defense attorney Henry Garrison, Win Hughes is a woman he met during one of the most trying times of his life. She’s soft and warm, and he finds solace in their brief relationship. But Win has a secret. She’s actually Taylor Winston-Hughes–born to one of the wealthiest families in the country, orphaned as a child by a tragic accident. Win moves in the wealthiest circles, but her lavish lifestyle hides her pain.

When her best friend is murdered in the midst of a glittering New York gala, Win’s charged with the crime, and the only person in the world she wants to see is Henry.

Henry is shocked at the true identity of his lover, but he can’t reject the case. This trial could take his new firm into the stratosphere. Still, he’s not getting burned by Win again. And yet every turn brings them closer together.

As the case takes a wild turn and Win’s entire life is upended, she must look to the people she’s closest to in order to find a killer. And Henry must decide between making his case and saving the woman he loves…

Review

Order of Protection takes us on an emotional journey.  Two people who are very successful but are both missing pieces of their lives.

Henry meets Win and falls for her but doesn’t really know who she is.  Win meets this incredible guy who she has great chemistry with but knows that there is an expiration date on their relationship. When she is charged with murder Henry is there to save her.  Even if he can’t trust her again.

I loved this story.  The characters are well developed.  I definitely have a true sense of who Win and Henry are and why they rushed to judgement.  I also love that this series has a connection to the Lawless series.  Noah another sibling of the Lawless clan shows that he is just as brilliant as the rest of the family.

This story also had a definite theme that everyone’s vision of perfect is different.  And I liked the fact that Win suffered with an eating disorder challenged her perception of what perfect is. This part of the story took more personal turn for me but didn’t dominate the rest of the story lines.

I really found this story to be fast paced and full of surprises. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Order of Protection

My Rating:  5 Hearts

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author:  Lexi Blake

The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters & Mercenaries #1)

By Lexi Blake

Synopsis

A routine mission…

Sean Taggart is hunting a deadly terrorist, and his only lead is the lovely Grace Hawthorne. She’s the executive assistant for an employment agency Sean suspects is a front for illegal activities. To get the truth, he is going to have to get very close to Grace, a task he is all too eager to undertake when he discovers her deliciously submissive nature.

…turns into a dangerous seduction.

Soon, Grace Hawthorne is living a double life. By day, she is the widowed mother of two college-aged sons. By night, she submits to Sean’s every dark desire. She’s living out her wildest fantasies of pleasure—intimate acts of trust she’s only read about. As passion engulfs her, a murderer strikes, and Grace learns that Sean has a deeply hidden agenda. Will Sean choose his mission and break her heart or be the Master of her dreams?

Review

The Masters & Mercenaries series was recommended to me by a friend.  I also wanted to know more about the McKay-Taggart group having read the Lawless Series by this author.

I could believe the attraction with the age difference between Sean & Grace.  Sean Taggert has seen a lot in his 32 years.  A favourite part for me was their connection and growing relationship.  Sean is creative and nurturing yet dominating and highly intelligent and I loved him.

A pivotal moment for me was when Grace mentions that word “Elephant”.  After this period her strength and determination shine through.  She was such a strong and integral character in this story.  She changed peoples perceptions including Ian Taggart whose dominance just beats below the surface of this story.

Following their romance story is the mystery intelligence operation.  We get to meet the many characters who make up the McKay-Taggart group. The double-crossing within the story is by no means finished at the conclusion.

I look forward to seeing more of this couple in the coming books.

The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters & Mercenaries #1)

My Rating:  

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