Review: Go Find Daddy

Go Find Daddy by Steve Goble
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an entertaining, quickly-read novel (under 300 pages) that, in my mind, was written in a slightly noirish way. It was filled with twists and turns, and the culprit sort of (but not fully) surprised me.

I liked this, and I would have liked it, even more, had the author not stooped to adding politics into the pot. I wish authors would keep their politics to themselves, but in a way, I could see how this might have been germane to the story. I also didn't like the fact that the author could not keep Ed's manner of speaking- consistent.

All in all, this was well worth a read, and had I known then what I know now, I would have picked up the first two books in this series just to get the feel for the characters. It can certainly be a stand-alone, as I had no trouble following things.

A good book for a beach read or a vacation plane ride, just not if you are traveling to Ohio lol.

*ARC supplied by the publisher - Oceanview, the author, and NetGalley.

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SYNOPSIS: "A man on the run—can Ed Runyon find him and tell him about his dying daughter?

When a cop is murdered in rural Ohio on Donny Blackmon's property, the case seems open and shut. Donny must've done it—he's a known cop-hater, and he's already fled. Believing her husband is innocent, Donny's wife calls Whiskey River Investigations, the new one-man PI agency run by former sheriff's deputy Ed Runyon, to see if Ed can find her husband.

Ed isn't sure he'll take the case until he visits the Blackmon family home and meets Donny's daughter, who has just been diagnosed with cancer—and Donny doesn't know. When Donny's daughter asks Ed to "go find Daddy," Ed knows he has to find Donny before the police do, whether or not he's innocent.

Ed soon realizes finding Donny won't be an easy Donny trusts no one, and he's gone completely off the grid. But Ed finds something the police have missed and begins piecing the puzzle together. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger he finds. But he took the job, so Ed is going to find Donny Blackmon—or die trying.

Perfect for fans of Robert Crais and John Sandford

While all the novels in the Ed Runyon Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence"

Review: Magic Triumphs

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

READ IRON COVENANT BOOK 1 Iron and Magic BEFORE READING THIS BOOK. ---It is important to this story and will explain much.

Mostly I'm happy with this book and the ending of the series, but there are some threads (such as with Julie) that I'm not so sure I'm happy with. I'm not so thrilled that so many of our beloved secondary character's got left off of the roster, but I can understand why -the book would have been a thousand pages long, plus we had to make room for our surprise characters! So I'm going to read it again this weekend.

 SPOILERISH----------> I did love the baby, and since I have new kittens..................*grin*

On the second and third readings -I find that this book gets better and better. As I said before, a lot of our normal characters get left out or get short shrift, but it works for this type of book.
Many people got upset with Curran (in the last book and in this one) because of, uhm, what he was consuming...well, now we know why he did it. And it made me cry!

I hated losing our only secondary, long-running character, but then again, this is the last book, so we don't really have to mourn him too much.

I have a feeling that this won't be the last of this series that we will be seeing (and I mean over and above The Iron Covenant), and I wish the authors would let us know when the next book in that series is coming out!!! Though I do have a feeling that anything left of this series will be turned into something for young adults.

I already miss this series and have a hole in my heart that there will be no more Kate and Curran conflicts with the pack, Atlanta, and Daddy!

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SYNOPSIS: "Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She’s made friends and enemies. She’s found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate’s doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world."

Review: Magic Bleeds

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a pivotal book in that it is the book where Curran and Kate finally admit what they feel about each other. And thank goodness it works. In most media, once two such volatile characters get together, most of the personal tension is lost, and the series goes downhill, but not this series.

Kate had to let Curran in on some personal secrets, and Curran had to make some concessions himself. It is a perfect melding of two such uber Alpha characters. Although I'm sure that Kate would not think of herself as such!

This book is perfect from its opening prologue in which we find Kate having a very personal crisis (yes Curran's people can be butt-heads) to the very emotional yet supremely satisfying ending that can also be thought of as a personal crisis for both Kate and Curran. It is sort of unusual for Ms. Andrews to open AND close her book with personal scenes like this.

Throughout the book, we see that no matter what happens to her, Kate has not lost her dry and fatalistic sense of humor, and Ms. Andrews doesn't fail at making me laugh during the horror that is Kate's life.

A totally satisfying and sexy read.

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SYNOPSIS: "Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family…

Review: Magic Claims

Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book gives me great hope that the Kate Daniels series is going t go on. They are just going to live in a new place. Add in what is going on with Julie (or rather - Aurelia Ryder) and the fact that Kate may have another child (read Blood Heir)...well, that and we still have some issues we need to clear up with Hugh and Elara, AND issues with the Atlanta pack cracking. There you have it. Fingers crossed, this is a new/old series and a more exciting one too!

I just hope that the Andrews team doesn't forget about this book as she did with Julie's and Hugh's books.

Now about this book. We have Curran and Kate coming to the rescue of a nearby town. They have been offered, I think it was 82,000 acres of land to help this town out. And what they encounter is just Amazing. I really don't want to give much away because the ending of this book is just so damned exciting and amazing. Only the Andrew's team could dream up something this good!

We have the usual sword and pack fights-nice and bloody like the fans of this series appreciate. Nobody we care about a lot dies, a sizzling sex scene, Conlan grows up a bit, and Kate deals with her Father and Aunt again.

The new animals are just so cool! We don't see but a couple of characters from the old series, but interestingly enough, Luther the Wizard shows up in the epilogue.

I highly recommend this book to old fans and even new readers who are looking for something that mixes shapeshifters, vampires, and magic.

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SYNOPSIS: "A new town, new friends, new challenges…. And a new heart-stopping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ilona Andrews. Kate, Curran, and Conlan may have left Atlanta for Wilmington, but the usual magic mayhem has also hitched a ride!

Kate and Curran have just settled into their new home and their 'low prolife,' when a local businessman approaches them with an offer they can’t refuse. A mysterious evil has spawned in the nearby forest and is holding a defenseless town hostage. The ‘due date’ is rapidly approaching.

It’s exactly the kind of fight the Lennarts can’t resist, not for the prize the town offers, but for the people who will surely die if they ignore it. If they succeed, they’ll be rescuing an entire community and can build a strong new base for their family and the Wilmington Pack. If they fail...well, fail is a four-letter word.

Nothing comes without a price. Now Kate must decide if she has what it takes to pay it.

Review: An Evil Heart

An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Some trigger warnings---drugs, physical violence, rape, gang rape, and of course, murder.

Finally, after all the ups and downs, Kate and  Tomasetti are going to make it to the altar...or are they?

Just days before their wedding, a horrible and unusual murder occurs. One of the town's young Amish men, someone who is beyond reproach, is murdered in the most grisly way. I was actually struck dumb by this murder. Naturally, this falls into Kate's jurisdiction, and she rushes headlong into it, wedding or no wedding!

Meanwhile,  Tomasetti has his own horrible case to take care of—a double kidnapping.

I can't believe that I read most of this book believing that I had outsmarted the author and I knew exactly who did it and why. *smacks self in head* Nope, I should have never been so cocky to think that I could beat the Queen of this genre!

After 15 books, you would think that this author would be running out of steam or that the series would be going stale. Ms. Castillo I nowhere close to going stale or losing her steam. This series is actually getting better and better with each book published. Time for me to do a series re-read!

I can hardly believe that I was one of Ms. Castillos first fans. I had just read her first book and was excitedly talking about it to a friend at a book convention. Ms. Castillo happened to be standing behind me in line as I was speaking and heard me. She introduced herself and graciously (and somewhat breathlessly) thanked me for my kind words. I'll never forget that.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books, the author, and NetGalley. My thanks to all.

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SYNOPSIS: "Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates the brutal death of a young Amish man in An Evil Heart, the latest installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo.

On a crisp autumn day in Painters Mill, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder responds to a call only to discover an Amish man who has been violently killed with a crossbow, his body abandoned on a dirt road. Aden Karn was just twenty years old, well liked, and from an upstanding Amish family. Who would commit such a heinous crime against a young man whose life was just beginning?

The more Kate gets to know his devastated family and the people—both English and Amish—who loved him, the more determined she becomes to solve the case. Aden Karn was funny and hardworking and looking forward to marrying his sweet fiancé, Emily. All the while, Kate’s own wedding day to Tomasetti draws near...

But as she delves into Karn’s past, Kate begins to hear whispers about a dark side. What if Aden Karn wasn’t the wholesome young man everyone admired? Is it possible the rumors are a cruel campaign to blame the victim? Kate pursues every lead with a vengeance, sensing an unspeakable secret no one will broach.

The case spirals out of control when a young Amish woman comes forward with a horrific story that pits Kate against a dangerous and unexpected opponent. When the awful truth is finally uncovered, Kate comes face to face with the terrible consequences of a life lived in all the dark places.

Review: Forever Hold Your Peace

Forever Hold Your Peace by Liz Fenton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Is this a beach read? Yes, it is. Is it a light and fluffy beach read? No. Is it even a good beach read? Not in my opinion.

I have never read anything by these two authors, so please forgive my ignorance. I see that many reviews have read them and enjoyed them. I am not enjoying this depressing book at all.

It was difficult enough for me to become engaged in the romance of what I consider young adults (sorry, I'm in my 60's). However, I do understand the quickness of the romance and marriage of Zach and Olivia. My husband and I met and married within 4 months! We have been married for over 41 years!  

What starts as a light, fluffy romance soon becomes a gigantic mess. This mess is because of this couple's parents, who knew each other way back when. I won't go into the sordid details but suffice it to say it was NOT pretty - but as older adults who cannot get their act together for their kids...*sigh*.

Ad the inner dialoguing and angst that goes on for pages at a time, and I was ready to dump this book unfinished.

All this, and I am only 45% finished with this book!

The following third of the book deals with this group of frenemies and how they try to plan a wedding, all while stabbing each other in the back in the nicest of ways. After something  (which was expected) happens at Zach and Olivia's engagement party, this book turns into one big blame game, with each person blaming themselves and others for what had happened at the party 26 years ago. Whew, I was exhausted by this time!

The last chapter or two is our happily ever after-did you think there wasn't going to be one? Please!

No, this wasn't an extraordinary novel; the characters were flat, with hardly anything to differentiate them. You could see the ending coming a mile away, even though it was somewhat creative.

It should be a good beach, or plane read, even if it isn't all that fluffy until the end.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Penguin/Random House, the authors, and NetGalley.

To make this a TACKY mess, the authors reviewed their own book. What nerve.

SYNOPSIS: "Father of the Bride meets Bride Wars in Forever Hold Your Peace, in which two ex-best friends find themselves shockingly entangled after more than two decades apart, for fans of Good Company.

When their newly engaged kids ask all four divorced parents to meet each other over brunch, everyone RSVPs yes--secretly hoping someone at the table will get to the bottom of the bottomless mimosas fast enough to say what they’re all thinking: that this engagement, coming after a whirlwind romance between two people barely out of college, is too much too soon.

But at that brunch, it’s not the impulsive couple's decisions that end up under the microscope, as it turns out June, mother of the bride, and Amy, mother of the groom, certainly do know each other--they're ex-best-friends who haven't spoken since their explosive falling out more than twenty-five years ago. Reeling from their unwanted reunion and eager to shift the spotlight off their past as decades-old secrets and rivalries come to light, the two moms battle it out for the prize of Most Enthusiastic About This Wedding.

But when their history—and their present-day shenanigans—threaten to crack the foundations of the happy couple’s future, June and Amy find themselves becoming unexpected allies in an all-hands-on-deck effort to get their kids (and themselves) a happily-ever-after two generations in the making.

Forever Hold Your Peace is perfect for readers who love messy, complicated family novels like All Adults Here and stories that bring the past and present together like One Italian Summer.

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Review: Only Bad Options

Only Bad Options by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 stars rounded up.

This was so good that I have already paid for my pre-order of the next in the series.

A lot of magic use, a possible enemies-to-lovers scenario (we shall see), space ships abound---yet so do stone castles! A bit of a mix of worlds. Clean sexually-wise, with a lot of longing glances and thoughts but no actual nookie.

I recommend it if your tastes lean toward drama and subterfuge.

Recommends this product 

✔ Yes

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A WOMAN WHO SEES EVERYTHING . . .

Few people know the name Vesper Quill. To most folks, I’m just a lowly lab rat who designs brewmakers and other household appliances in the research and development lab at the powerful Kent Corp. But when I point out a design flaw and a safety hazard in the new line of Kent Corp starcruisers, everyone knows who I am—and wants to eliminate me.

I might be a seer with a photographic memory, but I don’t see the trouble headed my way until it’s too late. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by enemies and fighting for my life.

I don’t think things can get any worse until I meet Kyrion Coldren, an arrogant Regal lord who insists that we have a connection, one that could be the death of us both.

A MAN WHO CAN’T FORGET HIS PAST . . .

The name Kyrion Coldren strikes fear in the hearts of people across the Archipelago Galaxy. As the leader of the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite fighting force, I’m used to being a villain, as well as the personal assassin of Lord Callus Holloway. Even the wealthy Regals who live on the planet of Corion are afraid of me.

But everything changes when I meet Vesper Quill. I might be a powerful psion with telepathic, telekinetic, and other abilities, but Vesper sees far too many of my secrets.

Thanks to an arcane, unwanted quirk of psionic magic, the two of us are forced to work together to unravel a dangerous conspiracy and outwit the dangerous enemies who want to bend us to their will.

Review: Sunshine Nails: A Novel

Sunshine Nails: A Novel by Mai Nguyen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

At 50%, I was getting ready to write a DNF review. However, I read some of these higher-starred reviews and thought that perhaps this book would become less depressing. It did not. It just became somewhat more evil-filled. It did manage to keep me reading until I was done.

ARC Was supplied by the publisher Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Publishing, and ATTL/Edelweiss.

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