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PI Julie Collins #4.5
Guns and Roses
Murder She Writes presents a one-of-a-kind romantic suspense anthology with ten all-new, never-before-published short stories and novellas that promise thrills, chills, romance, intrigue, passion, danger, murder...and love. Penned by New York Times and award winning authors, some stories in this exclusive collection will make you laugh out loud while others will force you to sleep with the lights on.
"Dead Flowers" by Lori Armstrong
PI Julie Collins trails cheating lovers, which leads to questions about her relationship with Tony Martinez.
"Above Reproach" by Allison Brennan
Sex crimes detective Selena Black puts her career and life at risk to prove that high-profile attorney Greg Keller is the brutal River City Rapist before he strikes again.
"The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine" by Josie Brown
CIA contract assassin Donna Stone's idea of Valentine's Day? A couples massage with her mission's leader Jack Craig--not breaking out of a Mexican prison, then stopping a massacre by an international terrorist cell.
"Bobbie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding" by Toni McGee Causey
Bobbie Faye Sumrall, Cajun Contraband Days Queen, gun expert, and ultimate professional in being in the wrong place at the wrong time, absolutely positively does not want to go through with the wedding that Trevor's forcing her to agree to, but she soon finds out she has more important things to worry about--like surviving the plot to make her disappear when she's set up as a fall guy for the theft of a priceless religious icon.
"Blood and Roses" by Sylvia Day
When insurance investigator Anastasia Miller sets out to retrieve the rose-hued pink diamonds stolen in a recent heist, she finds herself working alongside former flame, deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Monroe-the man she loved enough to leave behind.
"Nightfall" by Laura Griffin
Alone on an icy road at nightfall, Holly Henriksen puts her trust in a charming stranger and soon discovers he is keeping a dangerous secret.
"King of Hearts" a Rough Riders short story by Lorelei James
Deputy Cam McKay deals with a murder/suicide case on Valentine's Day.
"A Punishing Night" by Sophie Littlefield
While investigating the stabbing death of a student at his own alma mater, Detective Joe Bashir confronts painful memories and makes an intriguing new acquaintance.
"Pick Your Poison" A Bullet Catcher Novella by Roxanne St. Claire
When Bullet Catcher Benjamin Youngblood sets out to track and trap an assassin, he's forced to trust a sexy flower farmer who could be as dangerous as her homegrown poison.
"Rebel Rose" by Karin Tabke
For Detective Cash Cantrell, hunting down a University serial killer is as routine as strapping on his gun each morning. Until he comes face to face with meddlesome coed, Rebel Yell Culpepper. He doesn't know if he should arrest her or kiss her, but one thing Cash knows for sure, Rebel is key to finding the murderer, and the killer knows it, too.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
MurderSheWrites.com is a six-year-old blog of suspense and romance writers who collectively have more than 150 books published, nearly two years on the NYT best seller list, and are the recipients of several major awards, including the RITA, the Shamus, the Anthony, and the Daphne.
These never-before-published stories and novellas were penned Lori Armstrong, Allison Brennan, Josie Brown, Toni McGee Causey, Sylvia Day, Laura Griffin, Lorelei James, Sophie Littlefield, Roxanne St. Claire, and Karin Tabke.
Visit MurderSheWrites.com for more information about the authors.
"Dead Flowers" by Lori Armstrong
PI Julie Collins trails cheating lovers, which leads to questions about her relationship with Tony Martinez.
"Above Reproach" by Allison Brennan
Sex crimes detective Selena Black puts her career and life at risk to prove that high-profile attorney Greg Keller is the brutal River City Rapist before he strikes again.
"The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine" by Josie Brown
CIA contract assassin Donna Stone's idea of Valentine's Day? A couples massage with her mission's leader Jack Craig--not breaking out of a Mexican prison, then stopping a massacre by an international terrorist cell.
"Bobbie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding" by Toni McGee Causey
Bobbie Faye Sumrall, Cajun Contraband Days Queen, gun expert, and ultimate professional in being in the wrong place at the wrong time, absolutely positively does not want to go through with the wedding that Trevor's forcing her to agree to, but she soon finds out she has more important things to worry about--like surviving the plot to make her disappear when she's set up as a fall guy for the theft of a priceless religious icon.
"Blood and Roses" by Sylvia Day
When insurance investigator Anastasia Miller sets out to retrieve the rose-hued pink diamonds stolen in a recent heist, she finds herself working alongside former flame, deputy U.S. Marshal Jake Monroe-the man she loved enough to leave behind.
"Nightfall" by Laura Griffin
Alone on an icy road at nightfall, Holly Henriksen puts her trust in a charming stranger and soon discovers he is keeping a dangerous secret.
"King of Hearts" a Rough Riders short story by Lorelei James
Deputy Cam McKay deals with a murder/suicide case on Valentine's Day.
"A Punishing Night" by Sophie Littlefield
While investigating the stabbing death of a student at his own alma mater, Detective Joe Bashir confronts painful memories and makes an intriguing new acquaintance.
"Pick Your Poison" A Bullet Catcher Novella by Roxanne St. Claire
When Bullet Catcher Benjamin Youngblood sets out to track and trap an assassin, he's forced to trust a sexy flower farmer who could be as dangerous as her homegrown poison.
"Rebel Rose" by Karin Tabke
For Detective Cash Cantrell, hunting down a University serial killer is as routine as strapping on his gun each morning. Until he comes face to face with meddlesome coed, Rebel Yell Culpepper. He doesn't know if he should arrest her or kiss her, but one thing Cash knows for sure, Rebel is key to finding the murderer, and the killer knows it, too.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
MurderSheWrites.com is a six-year-old blog of suspense and romance writers who collectively have more than 150 books published, nearly two years on the NYT best seller list, and are the recipients of several major awards, including the RITA, the Shamus, the Anthony, and the Daphne.
These never-before-published stories and novellas were penned Lori Armstrong, Allison Brennan, Josie Brown, Toni McGee Causey, Sylvia Day, Laura Griffin, Lorelei James, Sophie Littlefield, Roxanne St. Claire, and Karin Tabke.
Visit MurderSheWrites.com for more information about the authors.
523 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2012
About the author
Lori G. Armstrong
22 books279 followersLori Armstrong is the two-time winner of the Shamus Award given by the Private Eye Writers of America and a New York Times bestselling author of contemporary western erotic romance, written as Lorelei James. Her books have won the Willa Cather Literary Award and have been nominated for the High Plains Book Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She lives in western South Dakota - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/L...
Series
* PI Julie Collins
* Mercy Gunderson Mystery
Series
* PI Julie Collins
* Mercy Gunderson Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
February 27, 2012
Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire
Ohh how I miss the Bullet Catchers.. This short was about Benjamin Youngblood who we find Lucy firing at the beginning of the story due to botching a job with the Governor of Florida. Ben knows he was on to something and ask Lucy, if he can prove his theory could he get his job back. She agrees but says he is on his own in his investigation. His gut leads him to flower farmer named Callie Parrish. These two embark on a humorous and dangerous journey to find out what is really going on.
Nightfall by Laura Griffin
Holly Henriksen is on her way to deliver flowers to a wedding on cold and icy night. She hits a patch of ice and crashes. When she comes to and gets out of the van she starts getting shot at and runs into the woods. Colin is on an undercover op when he comes across the crashed van and thinks it part of his investigation. But what he finds is flowers in the back of the van and a frozen injured woman in the woods. Turns out his undercover op and her innocent delivery of flowers have collided. Even though this was a quick story - I still felt satisfied at the end. Not as satisfied if it had been me Colin was kissing but you can’t have it all.
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan
Wow.. Just wow.. This was a very powerful story. Selena Black is a detective in sex crimes. She has been after a rapist and knows who he is but cannot get the evidence needed to put him away. After the 5th rape victim dies before they could find out if she could id the rapist Selena feels she is never going to be able to prove he did it, She crosses the line and has a confrontation with him that leaves her scared and also puts her on leave of absence.
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong
I am a true Lorelei James fan but I have to admit I have never read her Julie Collins Series.. I knew that Julie was one tough bad ass chic but as this story shows even tough girls have insecurities. It's Valentine's Day a day Julie hates with a passion and after one too many jobs of watching cheating spouses she is even more cynical. She starts to think that her live in boyfriend is cheating on her. I loved this story - there were so many LOL moments and I could relate to Julie on many levels.. I may have to go back and read this series now :)
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day
Anastasia Miller comes from a family of grifters. She is an insurance investigator of art and jewelry. She left town 10 years ago because the love of her life Jake Monroe was an honorable man and she didn’t want to have to make him choose between her and his morals. Jack is now a deputy U.S. Marshal. When a heist goes bad for her Mom her brother and Jack’s brother, Ana has to step in to save them. Will Jake understand..?
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke
Detective Cash Cantrell is called to the University for a murder. He realizes this one is almost an exact match to one 5 years ago. He finds a 22 year old co-ed passed out in the closet who happens to be the victims’ best friend. Rebel Yell Culpepper is a feisty one. She wants to find who killed her friend and pushes her way into the investigation. I got the impression there might be another book in the future to continue the story of Cash and Rebel. I hope there is as these two belong together.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield
Detective Joe Bashir returns to his alma mater to investigate the stabbing death of a male college student. Rumors of date rape and fraternity hazing complicate a sensitive case as Joe tries to balance the demands of the investigation with caring for his elderly father.
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown
What a girl won’t do for her country. Donna Stone works for the black ops organization known as Acme Industries. Her mission is to break out one of Mexico's biggest drug runners out of a notorious prison in Mexico. This was my first time reading this author. The story had lots of humor and was part of an ongoing series but I didn’t feel to lost not having read the first book.
King of Hearts by Lorelei James
Deputy Cam McKay is called to a murder/suicide of Jim and Teresa Swensen. It’s one of the worst things he had ever seen. When both sets up parents get there they are understandably very upset and things come to blows. The father of Jim asks Cam why he never helped his son with his PTSD. That since he had been thru so much himself he should have helped his boy. Cam had no idea that Jim had been in the services and feels extremely guilty over this. He also wonders if one day he will do the same thing to his family. He refuses to go home but Domitri sends Colt after him to bring him home to her and his children who are his greatest healers. This was a very short read but it sure packed an emotion punch and brought tears to my eyes.
Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey
Seems this is the final Bobbie Faye story for a while according to the author. I had not read this series before and there were many characters in this story that I am sure had a lot of back story I didn’t know about from previous books but that didn’t take away too much for me. This was about Bobby Faye and Trevor Cormier wedding and hilarious blunders and an attempting kidnapping and an evil mother in law and all of Bobbie Faye's ex. I really enjoyed this story and was sad it was the last in the book..
Ohh how I miss the Bullet Catchers.. This short was about Benjamin Youngblood who we find Lucy firing at the beginning of the story due to botching a job with the Governor of Florida. Ben knows he was on to something and ask Lucy, if he can prove his theory could he get his job back. She agrees but says he is on his own in his investigation. His gut leads him to flower farmer named Callie Parrish. These two embark on a humorous and dangerous journey to find out what is really going on.
Nightfall by Laura Griffin
Holly Henriksen is on her way to deliver flowers to a wedding on cold and icy night. She hits a patch of ice and crashes. When she comes to and gets out of the van she starts getting shot at and runs into the woods. Colin is on an undercover op when he comes across the crashed van and thinks it part of his investigation. But what he finds is flowers in the back of the van and a frozen injured woman in the woods. Turns out his undercover op and her innocent delivery of flowers have collided. Even though this was a quick story - I still felt satisfied at the end. Not as satisfied if it had been me Colin was kissing but you can’t have it all.
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan
Wow.. Just wow.. This was a very powerful story. Selena Black is a detective in sex crimes. She has been after a rapist and knows who he is but cannot get the evidence needed to put him away. After the 5th rape victim dies before they could find out if she could id the rapist Selena feels she is never going to be able to prove he did it, She crosses the line and has a confrontation with him that leaves her scared and also puts her on leave of absence.
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong
I am a true Lorelei James fan but I have to admit I have never read her Julie Collins Series.. I knew that Julie was one tough bad ass chic but as this story shows even tough girls have insecurities. It's Valentine's Day a day Julie hates with a passion and after one too many jobs of watching cheating spouses she is even more cynical. She starts to think that her live in boyfriend is cheating on her. I loved this story - there were so many LOL moments and I could relate to Julie on many levels.. I may have to go back and read this series now :)
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day
Anastasia Miller comes from a family of grifters. She is an insurance investigator of art and jewelry. She left town 10 years ago because the love of her life Jake Monroe was an honorable man and she didn’t want to have to make him choose between her and his morals. Jack is now a deputy U.S. Marshal. When a heist goes bad for her Mom her brother and Jack’s brother, Ana has to step in to save them. Will Jake understand..?
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke
Detective Cash Cantrell is called to the University for a murder. He realizes this one is almost an exact match to one 5 years ago. He finds a 22 year old co-ed passed out in the closet who happens to be the victims’ best friend. Rebel Yell Culpepper is a feisty one. She wants to find who killed her friend and pushes her way into the investigation. I got the impression there might be another book in the future to continue the story of Cash and Rebel. I hope there is as these two belong together.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield
Detective Joe Bashir returns to his alma mater to investigate the stabbing death of a male college student. Rumors of date rape and fraternity hazing complicate a sensitive case as Joe tries to balance the demands of the investigation with caring for his elderly father.
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown
What a girl won’t do for her country. Donna Stone works for the black ops organization known as Acme Industries. Her mission is to break out one of Mexico's biggest drug runners out of a notorious prison in Mexico. This was my first time reading this author. The story had lots of humor and was part of an ongoing series but I didn’t feel to lost not having read the first book.
King of Hearts by Lorelei James
Deputy Cam McKay is called to a murder/suicide of Jim and Teresa Swensen. It’s one of the worst things he had ever seen. When both sets up parents get there they are understandably very upset and things come to blows. The father of Jim asks Cam why he never helped his son with his PTSD. That since he had been thru so much himself he should have helped his boy. Cam had no idea that Jim had been in the services and feels extremely guilty over this. He also wonders if one day he will do the same thing to his family. He refuses to go home but Domitri sends Colt after him to bring him home to her and his children who are his greatest healers. This was a very short read but it sure packed an emotion punch and brought tears to my eyes.
Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey
Seems this is the final Bobbie Faye story for a while according to the author. I had not read this series before and there were many characters in this story that I am sure had a lot of back story I didn’t know about from previous books but that didn’t take away too much for me. This was about Bobby Faye and Trevor Cormier wedding and hilarious blunders and an attempting kidnapping and an evil mother in law and all of Bobbie Faye's ex. I really enjoyed this story and was sad it was the last in the book..
March 1, 2012
Well, this was an enjoyable anthology, for sure!
The Roxanne St. Claire Bullet Catcher novella was my favorite!! It was just really, really good. You can feel that Ms. St. Claire is so at ease, and in her element, in this genre, and even more so in the world of The Bulletcatchers. It was wonderful to revisit that world with the author.
On the other hand, sadly, I was just a tiny bit disappointed by Lorelei James' entry in this novella, a Rough Riders short which revisits Cam McKay (deputy and war vet). First, the story was WAY too short, even within the parameters of this anthology. Second, for my taste, it was too gruesome, especially in a series where that is not the norm. Third, I love when the whole McKay family has at least one scene together, and it was almost...weird...not to have that here.
Sylvia Day and Karen Tabke also offered up two nicely written novellas. Theirs were the only other two I read in the anthology, as I'm just not interested in the other authors involved. Both entries were really pretty good, and it makes me wish these ladies would write contemporary and/or RS again (in Sylvia's case, I think this was the first time, and she does it very well).
This anthology comes well-recommended from me. There's honestly something here for just about anyone, and the storytelling is very well done! Grab, read and enjoy!
The Roxanne St. Claire Bullet Catcher novella was my favorite!! It was just really, really good. You can feel that Ms. St. Claire is so at ease, and in her element, in this genre, and even more so in the world of The Bulletcatchers. It was wonderful to revisit that world with the author.
On the other hand, sadly, I was just a tiny bit disappointed by Lorelei James' entry in this novella, a Rough Riders short which revisits Cam McKay (deputy and war vet). First, the story was WAY too short, even within the parameters of this anthology. Second, for my taste, it was too gruesome, especially in a series where that is not the norm. Third, I love when the whole McKay family has at least one scene together, and it was almost...weird...not to have that here.
Sylvia Day and Karen Tabke also offered up two nicely written novellas. Theirs were the only other two I read in the anthology, as I'm just not interested in the other authors involved. Both entries were really pretty good, and it makes me wish these ladies would write contemporary and/or RS again (in Sylvia's case, I think this was the first time, and she does it very well).
This anthology comes well-recommended from me. There's honestly something here for just about anyone, and the storytelling is very well done! Grab, read and enjoy!
May 20, 2012
I bought this because it had a Bobbie Faye novella in it(the last short story of the book) And it goes back to the awesome, original title type of books one and two, Bobbie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding. I was worried about it being a novella, but I think a lot got packed into the short story and it didn't feel too abbreviated at all even with it's novella word length. The bad guys were comically inept, Cameron seems to have gotten over Bobbie Faye and possible had a new love interest, and it took place in New Orleans, woot! Though Bobbie Faye's brother Roy got kind of a silly plot line.
I'm torn on how to rate this, while I thoroughly enjoyed the Bobbie Faye novella the rest of the short stories were either so-so, at the beginning, and then progressively got worse. I wished the Bobbie Faye story had been at the beginning, in case other readers gave up before the end of the book because of the other stories.
The Bobbi Faye story was definitely four stars, while I'd generously give the rest of the book two stars and so I'll go with three.
I'm torn on how to rate this, while I thoroughly enjoyed the Bobbie Faye novella the rest of the short stories were either so-so, at the beginning, and then progressively got worse. I wished the Bobbie Faye story had been at the beginning, in case other readers gave up before the end of the book because of the other stories.
The Bobbi Faye story was definitely four stars, while I'd generously give the rest of the book two stars and so I'll go with three.
February 22, 2012
This review posted at
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
HOLY HELL!! This is one talent packed anthology! Two of my favorite and eight new authors I've never read before.
When I found out two of my favorite series were going to be in this anthology I got over the moon excited! I am even more excited to find EIGHT new authors/series I have never read before, they have all been added to my MUST READ list.
I'm not going to lie, I usually only read romances with HEA's, not HFN or continuing romance with one H/h throughout a series. Which means I have missed out on reading the authors featured in GUNS and ROSES, now I am hooked! Yes, you have that right, Guns & Roses has broadened my horizons and I am definitely reading more by all of these authors.
All I have to say is that there is 100% PURE TALENT and edge of your seat action throughout this collection of short stories!
For those of you who know I follow the Rough Riders by Lorelei James and Julie Collins by Lori Armstrong, I can guarantee you, that you will NOT be disappointed in either story. King of Hearts is sweet, sexy and emotional. DEAD FLOWERS, well let's just say I've already read it twice. I am still fanning myself over Tony Martinez and laughing at Julie.
To top off all the great talent, it's a great value! GUNS and ROSES will be available at all e-retailers 2/21, a 150,000 word collection for just $4.99!
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
HOLY HELL!! This is one talent packed anthology! Two of my favorite and eight new authors I've never read before.
When I found out two of my favorite series were going to be in this anthology I got over the moon excited! I am even more excited to find EIGHT new authors/series I have never read before, they have all been added to my MUST READ list.
I'm not going to lie, I usually only read romances with HEA's, not HFN or continuing romance with one H/h throughout a series. Which means I have missed out on reading the authors featured in GUNS and ROSES, now I am hooked! Yes, you have that right, Guns & Roses has broadened my horizons and I am definitely reading more by all of these authors.
All I have to say is that there is 100% PURE TALENT and edge of your seat action throughout this collection of short stories!
For those of you who know I follow the Rough Riders by Lorelei James and Julie Collins by Lori Armstrong, I can guarantee you, that you will NOT be disappointed in either story. King of Hearts is sweet, sexy and emotional. DEAD FLOWERS, well let's just say I've already read it twice. I am still fanning myself over Tony Martinez and laughing at Julie.
To top off all the great talent, it's a great value! GUNS and ROSES will be available at all e-retailers 2/21, a 150,000 word collection for just $4.99!
December 19, 2021
Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire 4/5
Nightfall by Laura Griffin 3/5
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan 3,5/5
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong 3/5
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day 3/5
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke 2/5
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield 3/5
The Housewife Assassin’s Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown 4/5
King of Hearts (A Rough Rider Short Story) by Lorelei James 3/5
Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey 4/5
Nightfall by Laura Griffin 3/5
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan 3,5/5
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong 3/5
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day 3/5
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke 2/5
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield 3/5
The Housewife Assassin’s Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown 4/5
King of Hearts (A Rough Rider Short Story) by Lorelei James 3/5
Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey 4/5
March 2, 2012
What an amazing collection of short stories! The only author I was really familiar with is Lori G. Armstrong, who never disappoints. Her Julie Collins series is amazing, and this short story just left me wanting more! But all the other authors were just as good and I look forward to reading more of their books.
February 10, 2016
Thanks Sherri for the lend. Very good read. Some of the authors are go to authors for me. Allison Brennan, Laura Griffin and Sophie Littlefield and I enjoyed their contributions. Some new authors for me, Roxanne St. Claire and Lori G. Armstrong. Loved Lori's contribution so much that I went and bought both of the first book in both of her series. The others were good, but didn't ring my bell.
May 26, 2016
Julie Collins and Selena Black are badasses and deserve the best.
March 23, 2012
I jumped at the chance to review this anthology, which is unusual for me. Anthologies are normally hit and miss for me, I like a few of the novellas and the rest are ho-hum. It takes an exceptionally talented author to give me a satisfying short read, so I’m always wary when it comes to this type of book. But this is a five-star lineup I couldn’t pass up, especially since I’ve read only a few of the authors featured here and have wanted to read a majority of the rest. Did my chance jumping so quickly pay off? Let’s find out.
***Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire
I’ve read only one Bullet Catcher novel and have wanted to read more. Alas, time isn’t a reviewer’s friend when there are so many books in a series. But when I get to enjoy little nuggets like this one that let me know what I have to look forward to some day, I can bide my time. One of the things I remember about that previous Bullet Catcher book is sexy hero and intelligent heroine. Ms. St. Claire has created a world where that, among other things of course, is a necessity, and she doesn’t fail one bit in this novella.
Benjamin Youngblood has worked with Lucy Sharpe for a number of years, but he’s been called on the carpet a few times on how he gets the job done. Finally Lucy has had enough when Ben costs the company a client this time around. Not wanting to lose this job that saved him when he was young and headed in the wrong direction, he talks Lucy into a deal – if he can solve the case and get the client back on the books, he can have his job back. Lucy puts her foot down on him using Bullet Catcher resources, however. Ben is on his own.
And he is a resourceful devil. His last assignment that went wrong, according to Lucy (but went right according to Ben’s gut), is Florida’s Governor McManus, who is receiving death threats. Ben knows the black roses and other items left at the defunct re-election event for the governor are clues that will lead him to the would-be assassin. He follows the rose angle and discovers a farm, almost in the politician’s backyard, that grows the flowers. Getting information from the pretty and feisty farm girl is another story, though. The woman is outdated when it comes to keeping sales records and not as initially forthcoming as Ben would like.
Callie Parrish has just discovered someone has snipped every last one of her rare Black Cherry roses and absconded with them – thousands of dollars worth. On the heels of that discovery comes a handsome and sexy man who barges into her store, asking questions about the very flowers that could be the end to her plans to take her grandmother to France. When she fills Ben in on the woman who bought – and then stole – the roses, as well as info on how dangerous they are when mixed with other elements, he doesn’t have to drag her kicking and screaming to find the culprit. She wants payment for all those lost blooms.
And from this point on, this short story doesn’t let up. The pace is fast and even twists a bit when you think you might have it all figured out. The scenes in the walk-in freezer are fun, even though there’s danger staring Ben and Callie in the face the whole time. I like the ingenuity the Bullet Catchers are trained for, and Ben doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Full of fun and excitement, plenty of sexual tension, this is a terrific start to the anthology.
***Nightfall by Laura Griffin
On her way to deliver flowers for a wedding, Holly Henriksen skids and slides on an icy and isolated road, taking out a guardrail and pitching nose first into a ditch. Injured but still able to make her way to the nearest house a mile or so back, she doesn’t get far when gunshots ring out all around her. And at her. Escaping into the dark woods, Holly can only pray whoever is gunning for her won’t be able to find her the deeper she runs.
Colin Denton is AFT and undercover, trying to take down a drug trafficker he’s been after for months now, but with no witnesses and now a botched meet, things aren’t going well. He spies a white van off the side of the road on his way home, but finds no one around – and the back full of flowers? He’d totally been expecting something else. Searching further he finds a cell phone and eventually the owner of the device. Scared but cautious, Holly decides to trust the man, especially because her options are limited as she tries to save her business with this upcoming wedding.
This is my first Laura Griffin read, and it’s definitely not my last. Another author who pulls you in immediately and gives you a story to sink your teeth into, despite the shortened length. These two characters are perfect with each other, Holly’s independence taking over her fright – enough to piss Colin off big time — and Colin’s trust in Holly when doing so could cause hell for them both. After a rough start, they work well together, and Holly trusts Ben just when she needs him most.
***Above Reproach by Allison Brennan
This is also my first read by Allison Brennan, and I have to say she knows how to push a reader’s buttons. My buttons don’t go off until the end, but more on that in a sec.
Selena Black is a top-notch detective in the sex crimes unit, and she’s after a rapist who’s now turned killer. And he’s a high-powered local attorney, Greg Keller. She’s been after him for months and at every turn she’s smacked down when trying to gather more evidence on the man. He taunts her each time they come to face to face, and it seems as though Selena is losing her objectivity. She’s going about her job so out of character even her partner doesn’t believe her in certain situations anymore. Her past is beginning to haunt her, pushing her to help these current victims, to push Keller into doing something stupid. But he’s a smart, arrogant asshole. Her commanding officer finally puts on her leave.
What’s kept her sane so far is her lover, Dr. Gabriel Storm. He’s the harbor she goes to when things spiral out of control. The relationship works on so many different levels, but the understanding they have of the rigors and heartbreak of each of their jobs is what keeps them on an even keel amid danger. I wish there’d been more of Gabriel in the story, but what we do get is just right. I love the scene in the stairwell at the hospital. He knows just what she needs.
And now that ending. It’s one of those “It’s up to the reader’s imagination” endings. The twist is unexpected and perfect, but it’s never truly confirmed. Even Selena picks up hints and questions the very same things you do. Being who she is and what she does, you wonder if she can let it go. But then why not, when it gets her what she wants. So then why stop short of spelling it out completely? I’m not sure!
I also like the first person POV in this story. I’ve always enjoyed that and you don’t see it too often anymore, so it’s nice to read it here.
***Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong
Again, a first-time author read for me. I think this is one of those stories that needs backup of reading the previous books in the series. Not that I don’t like it or it’s not good, far from it. But I do feel out of sorts with the relationship between Tony and Judy. They’re having problems, at least as far as Judy is concerned, and it reads like they’ve been having problems for a while now. So having some history between them would be nice just to keep on an even keel as we move through the story. Especially because Tony seems to have some shady business dealings, so a reader just meeting him doesn’t know his history. So at first I’m not so sure about Tony.
Judy isn’t so sure about him either. She begins to suspect he’s having an affair. Little things she learns just don’t gel with what she seems to know. And the current case she and her partner, Kevin, are investigating eggs her on in her doubts about unfaithful men. Then the tables begin to turn – for me. Judy seems a little out of control with her suspicions, and she never confronts Tony until she’s nearly talked herself out of the relationship. Tony is of the same mind, why didn’t she just come out and ask. So now I’m feeling a little more for Tony, especially after everything he reveals to her to ease her mind. His explanation is heart felt and sincere.
There’s a bit of humor, which is nice. And though I do come to like Tony, I just wish I’d known him before, despite the fact he’s even now won my heart.
***Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day
Nobody does it like Sylvia Day. I especially love her heroes. I’m a sucker for an alpha hero, and Jake Monroe steals my heart completely when he’s faced with his heroine again after ten long years.
It’s Anastasia who broke it off with Jake when she left town, trying not to ruin his life, which would have happened if she’d have stayed. Which he obviously didn’t know. All he knows, now and then, is that Ana was gone, and he’s waited for her return ever since. In that ten years, Ana has taken her life experience to track down thieves as an insurance investigator. That’s what has brought her home. A huge jewel heist has just gone down, and she knows exactly who’s behind it. Her mother has never been able to curb her need to pull off the perfect con.
What Ana has never understood is that Jake would stand by her, no matter what. He loves her. End of story. And when he, with hardly any preamble, demands Ana she’ll be staying with him as long as she’s in town, my heart stuttered. Though it seems as though they’re picking up where they left off, Ana giving herself over to Jake’s domination – and their first scene together is simply moving and hot, hot, hot – they’re both more mature and realize the life they want together still may never be.
Ana tries to keep Jake out of the loop in her investigation – if he doesn’t know anything, his life and his job won’t be compromised or ruined. But Jake has other ideas and he forces his way in so they can work together to keep their families safe. Coming up against a crazed gunman, who has nothing to lose and only goes more berserk when cornered, and only hope and luck will get them out danger safely.
While the suspense and action has been front and center in these novellas so far, here it’s the emotion of the love of family and a man’s love for a woman and her love for him, one that doesn’t wither and die, one that is true and will overcome. It works beautifully because no one does it better than Sylvia Day
***A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield
This is my first time reading Sophie Littlefield, and I’m not sure this is the place I should have started. While the idea of this story is a good one, the pace is too slow and the resolution is really no surprise. We meet the heroine well into the story, and once the decision is made she’s the right one for our hero, that’s all we get. I don’t necessarily have to have steam between a couple, and while there’s empathy and sympathy, they barely get past the acquaintance stage, as the blurb talks about.
There is no action to speak of, the investigation Detective Joe Bashir is working on is a death in a college dormitory. So it’s interrogations of students amid his walk down memory lane while he was a student on campus, the racism he and his family faced, which is almost a bigger part of the story. Joe’s father was severely beaten post-911 and now must be taken care of in his childlike state. Joe makes the trek home on Sundays to help his mother out, spending time with his dad while she goes shopping and gets out of the house.
As the investigation heads toward solution, a red herring is tossed the reader’s way, but there’s too many ifs for that to work. The culprit really isn’t a surprise, and neither is the reason for his actions. It all just needs something more to get the story moving along better.
***Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke
I’m surprised I don’t like this novella by Ms. Tabke more. I love her books under her Karin Harlow pseudonym, which are full of action and exciting characters. So I’m a little perplexed that this story is so tame compared to her other work.
This involves another college murder which brings Cash Cantrell, the detective investigating the crime, and Rebel Yell Culpepper, a friend of the victim, together. Cash is half black, and in the south that’s still a problem for a lot folks. Cash has learned to work around such attitudes and obstacles, however. Wanting Southern Belle Culpepper is another story. He can’t get let himself want her because she’s involved in his case, the product of a true southern family, and he’s got just a week left before he heads to Raleigh and the new job he’s worked hard for.
With his current case mirroring a cold case from five years before, Cash ends up taking Rebel along during his investigation because she brings a different look at things that no one has noticed before, giving him new leads toward solving both murders. I doubt his superiors would have liked his new partner, but they do work well together – to a point. Problem is, Rebel can’t do what she’s told. That’s a bad thing and a good thing, depending on how you look at it and what’s happening at the time. Suffice it to say, she nearly botches the investigation only to turn around and pretty much solve it with her keen observations.
Once again, there is plenty of sexual tension, but the romance is left out and the happily ever after doesn’t happen when you expect. The villain seems to be a tad too convenient. It’s not a super complex case, so the officers from five years before should have been able to figure it all out, but it’s left to a college co-ed to help out. The last scenes with the villain are just a little too lax in conversation and deed to ring true.
***The Housewife Assassin’s Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown
Another first for me, reading Josie Brown. I thoroughly enjoyed Donna and Jack, their zeal for their missions and each other – done with humor and in the fun, inventive ways of James Bond.
Donna and Jack are in the process of liberating a prisoner from a Mexican prison – on Valentine’s Day. So they have some very nice plans to get to after they’ve accomplished their goal. Of course, those plans go awry at every opportunity. I kept grinning at how they come up with a Plan B whenever something does go wrong. James Bond doesn’t have anything on these two. Even when their prisoner gets only “halfway” to their destination, nothing deters them from finding the answers they need.
I’m going to be checking out the Housewife Assassin series by Ms. Brown. Very entertaining, and I’m now curious about these two characters.
***King of Hearts (A Rough Riders short story) by Lorelei James
I know when I read a Lorelei James story she’s going to rile up my emotions, especially when it comes to the McKay family. This short story is no different.
Sheriff Cam McKay has been called to a horrendous crime scene. On Valentine’s Day. A murder/suicide. Friends Jim and Teresa Swenson. And when the disbelieving parents of both deceased arrive, it takes everything Cam and his fellow officer have to keep them away, both for scene preservation and peace of mind for the bereft loved ones. And then the blows start. Father against father, mother against mother. Then it’s the accusations, and one is thrown is Cam – why didn’t you help my son when he left military service? Everyone knows Cam returned missing limbs and emotionally distant for years.
Thrown for a loop at the accusation, not even knowing Jim had been in the service, Cam retreats into the darkness and solitude that’s claimed him so many times before when reliving his nightmares. Even his rambunctious children and loving wife can’t cut through the guilt eating at him. But he quickly sees that barricading himself away from everything he needs does no one any good. Family is all that’s needed.
It’s that family along with the love and romance, no matter how it’s found, that always keeps me coming back to this series. Not once have I been disappointed.
***Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey
Another addition to an existing series, but Bobbie Faye doesn’t let you dwell on that fact. I have no idea all the trouble’s she’s ever gotten into – I just know she gets into it. A lot. I have no idea how and where she met Trevor. I just know they love each other as they are, come what may. The in-between shenanigans are hilarious and fun. Ms. Causey says on her web site this is the last of this series for a while. That just might be a cryin’ shame.
Bobbie Faye is in a tizzy trying to find a church to get married in, a dress to walk down the aisle in, and other such necessary things to take care of before her wedding day. She’s not happy with anything she finds. The Catholic church has ex-communicated her and no church in the nation will host her special day. All this because Trevor think she wants it. Well, she might, but some things have to be worked out first.
Like the bozos who kidnap her at church on the French Quarter, the one that Trevor forced into holding their wedding. Bobbie Faye is appalled at their inept unprofessionalism, even if they are criminals. I had to laugh at her restraint when she realizes they don’t really want her but something or someone else. And when that restraint finally lets fly, I’m as amazed as Trevor when he eventually figures out where she is and attempts his rescue. One terrific scene.
There’s a lot of secondary characters who I assume have been included in all other books in the series, but I never felt lost or frustrated with their involvement. I just had fun with them all. The love and romance is said and shown in the way Trevor doesn’t want to change Bobbie Faye, lets her go her own way in her own time, and does anything and everything to see that she’s happy. Throw in an evil mother who will stop at nothing to keep “trash” out of her family, and you’ve got one heck of a good time.
The old saying you can’t please all the people all the time is very true. While I enjoyed a good portion of these novellas, found a couple of authors whose books I’ll check out, there’s still a few that don’t work for me, though that won’t keep me from looking up their future reads. These are all very talented authors, and what may not work for me may work just fine for you. And that’s all that counts!
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
***Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire
I’ve read only one Bullet Catcher novel and have wanted to read more. Alas, time isn’t a reviewer’s friend when there are so many books in a series. But when I get to enjoy little nuggets like this one that let me know what I have to look forward to some day, I can bide my time. One of the things I remember about that previous Bullet Catcher book is sexy hero and intelligent heroine. Ms. St. Claire has created a world where that, among other things of course, is a necessity, and she doesn’t fail one bit in this novella.
Benjamin Youngblood has worked with Lucy Sharpe for a number of years, but he’s been called on the carpet a few times on how he gets the job done. Finally Lucy has had enough when Ben costs the company a client this time around. Not wanting to lose this job that saved him when he was young and headed in the wrong direction, he talks Lucy into a deal – if he can solve the case and get the client back on the books, he can have his job back. Lucy puts her foot down on him using Bullet Catcher resources, however. Ben is on his own.
And he is a resourceful devil. His last assignment that went wrong, according to Lucy (but went right according to Ben’s gut), is Florida’s Governor McManus, who is receiving death threats. Ben knows the black roses and other items left at the defunct re-election event for the governor are clues that will lead him to the would-be assassin. He follows the rose angle and discovers a farm, almost in the politician’s backyard, that grows the flowers. Getting information from the pretty and feisty farm girl is another story, though. The woman is outdated when it comes to keeping sales records and not as initially forthcoming as Ben would like.
Callie Parrish has just discovered someone has snipped every last one of her rare Black Cherry roses and absconded with them – thousands of dollars worth. On the heels of that discovery comes a handsome and sexy man who barges into her store, asking questions about the very flowers that could be the end to her plans to take her grandmother to France. When she fills Ben in on the woman who bought – and then stole – the roses, as well as info on how dangerous they are when mixed with other elements, he doesn’t have to drag her kicking and screaming to find the culprit. She wants payment for all those lost blooms.
And from this point on, this short story doesn’t let up. The pace is fast and even twists a bit when you think you might have it all figured out. The scenes in the walk-in freezer are fun, even though there’s danger staring Ben and Callie in the face the whole time. I like the ingenuity the Bullet Catchers are trained for, and Ben doesn’t disappoint in that regard. Full of fun and excitement, plenty of sexual tension, this is a terrific start to the anthology.
***Nightfall by Laura Griffin
On her way to deliver flowers for a wedding, Holly Henriksen skids and slides on an icy and isolated road, taking out a guardrail and pitching nose first into a ditch. Injured but still able to make her way to the nearest house a mile or so back, she doesn’t get far when gunshots ring out all around her. And at her. Escaping into the dark woods, Holly can only pray whoever is gunning for her won’t be able to find her the deeper she runs.
Colin Denton is AFT and undercover, trying to take down a drug trafficker he’s been after for months now, but with no witnesses and now a botched meet, things aren’t going well. He spies a white van off the side of the road on his way home, but finds no one around – and the back full of flowers? He’d totally been expecting something else. Searching further he finds a cell phone and eventually the owner of the device. Scared but cautious, Holly decides to trust the man, especially because her options are limited as she tries to save her business with this upcoming wedding.
This is my first Laura Griffin read, and it’s definitely not my last. Another author who pulls you in immediately and gives you a story to sink your teeth into, despite the shortened length. These two characters are perfect with each other, Holly’s independence taking over her fright – enough to piss Colin off big time — and Colin’s trust in Holly when doing so could cause hell for them both. After a rough start, they work well together, and Holly trusts Ben just when she needs him most.
***Above Reproach by Allison Brennan
This is also my first read by Allison Brennan, and I have to say she knows how to push a reader’s buttons. My buttons don’t go off until the end, but more on that in a sec.
Selena Black is a top-notch detective in the sex crimes unit, and she’s after a rapist who’s now turned killer. And he’s a high-powered local attorney, Greg Keller. She’s been after him for months and at every turn she’s smacked down when trying to gather more evidence on the man. He taunts her each time they come to face to face, and it seems as though Selena is losing her objectivity. She’s going about her job so out of character even her partner doesn’t believe her in certain situations anymore. Her past is beginning to haunt her, pushing her to help these current victims, to push Keller into doing something stupid. But he’s a smart, arrogant asshole. Her commanding officer finally puts on her leave.
What’s kept her sane so far is her lover, Dr. Gabriel Storm. He’s the harbor she goes to when things spiral out of control. The relationship works on so many different levels, but the understanding they have of the rigors and heartbreak of each of their jobs is what keeps them on an even keel amid danger. I wish there’d been more of Gabriel in the story, but what we do get is just right. I love the scene in the stairwell at the hospital. He knows just what she needs.
And now that ending. It’s one of those “It’s up to the reader’s imagination” endings. The twist is unexpected and perfect, but it’s never truly confirmed. Even Selena picks up hints and questions the very same things you do. Being who she is and what she does, you wonder if she can let it go. But then why not, when it gets her what she wants. So then why stop short of spelling it out completely? I’m not sure!
I also like the first person POV in this story. I’ve always enjoyed that and you don’t see it too often anymore, so it’s nice to read it here.
***Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong
Again, a first-time author read for me. I think this is one of those stories that needs backup of reading the previous books in the series. Not that I don’t like it or it’s not good, far from it. But I do feel out of sorts with the relationship between Tony and Judy. They’re having problems, at least as far as Judy is concerned, and it reads like they’ve been having problems for a while now. So having some history between them would be nice just to keep on an even keel as we move through the story. Especially because Tony seems to have some shady business dealings, so a reader just meeting him doesn’t know his history. So at first I’m not so sure about Tony.
Judy isn’t so sure about him either. She begins to suspect he’s having an affair. Little things she learns just don’t gel with what she seems to know. And the current case she and her partner, Kevin, are investigating eggs her on in her doubts about unfaithful men. Then the tables begin to turn – for me. Judy seems a little out of control with her suspicions, and she never confronts Tony until she’s nearly talked herself out of the relationship. Tony is of the same mind, why didn’t she just come out and ask. So now I’m feeling a little more for Tony, especially after everything he reveals to her to ease her mind. His explanation is heart felt and sincere.
There’s a bit of humor, which is nice. And though I do come to like Tony, I just wish I’d known him before, despite the fact he’s even now won my heart.
***Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day
Nobody does it like Sylvia Day. I especially love her heroes. I’m a sucker for an alpha hero, and Jake Monroe steals my heart completely when he’s faced with his heroine again after ten long years.
It’s Anastasia who broke it off with Jake when she left town, trying not to ruin his life, which would have happened if she’d have stayed. Which he obviously didn’t know. All he knows, now and then, is that Ana was gone, and he’s waited for her return ever since. In that ten years, Ana has taken her life experience to track down thieves as an insurance investigator. That’s what has brought her home. A huge jewel heist has just gone down, and she knows exactly who’s behind it. Her mother has never been able to curb her need to pull off the perfect con.
What Ana has never understood is that Jake would stand by her, no matter what. He loves her. End of story. And when he, with hardly any preamble, demands Ana she’ll be staying with him as long as she’s in town, my heart stuttered. Though it seems as though they’re picking up where they left off, Ana giving herself over to Jake’s domination – and their first scene together is simply moving and hot, hot, hot – they’re both more mature and realize the life they want together still may never be.
Ana tries to keep Jake out of the loop in her investigation – if he doesn’t know anything, his life and his job won’t be compromised or ruined. But Jake has other ideas and he forces his way in so they can work together to keep their families safe. Coming up against a crazed gunman, who has nothing to lose and only goes more berserk when cornered, and only hope and luck will get them out danger safely.
While the suspense and action has been front and center in these novellas so far, here it’s the emotion of the love of family and a man’s love for a woman and her love for him, one that doesn’t wither and die, one that is true and will overcome. It works beautifully because no one does it better than Sylvia Day
***A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield
This is my first time reading Sophie Littlefield, and I’m not sure this is the place I should have started. While the idea of this story is a good one, the pace is too slow and the resolution is really no surprise. We meet the heroine well into the story, and once the decision is made she’s the right one for our hero, that’s all we get. I don’t necessarily have to have steam between a couple, and while there’s empathy and sympathy, they barely get past the acquaintance stage, as the blurb talks about.
There is no action to speak of, the investigation Detective Joe Bashir is working on is a death in a college dormitory. So it’s interrogations of students amid his walk down memory lane while he was a student on campus, the racism he and his family faced, which is almost a bigger part of the story. Joe’s father was severely beaten post-911 and now must be taken care of in his childlike state. Joe makes the trek home on Sundays to help his mother out, spending time with his dad while she goes shopping and gets out of the house.
As the investigation heads toward solution, a red herring is tossed the reader’s way, but there’s too many ifs for that to work. The culprit really isn’t a surprise, and neither is the reason for his actions. It all just needs something more to get the story moving along better.
***Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke
I’m surprised I don’t like this novella by Ms. Tabke more. I love her books under her Karin Harlow pseudonym, which are full of action and exciting characters. So I’m a little perplexed that this story is so tame compared to her other work.
This involves another college murder which brings Cash Cantrell, the detective investigating the crime, and Rebel Yell Culpepper, a friend of the victim, together. Cash is half black, and in the south that’s still a problem for a lot folks. Cash has learned to work around such attitudes and obstacles, however. Wanting Southern Belle Culpepper is another story. He can’t get let himself want her because she’s involved in his case, the product of a true southern family, and he’s got just a week left before he heads to Raleigh and the new job he’s worked hard for.
With his current case mirroring a cold case from five years before, Cash ends up taking Rebel along during his investigation because she brings a different look at things that no one has noticed before, giving him new leads toward solving both murders. I doubt his superiors would have liked his new partner, but they do work well together – to a point. Problem is, Rebel can’t do what she’s told. That’s a bad thing and a good thing, depending on how you look at it and what’s happening at the time. Suffice it to say, she nearly botches the investigation only to turn around and pretty much solve it with her keen observations.
Once again, there is plenty of sexual tension, but the romance is left out and the happily ever after doesn’t happen when you expect. The villain seems to be a tad too convenient. It’s not a super complex case, so the officers from five years before should have been able to figure it all out, but it’s left to a college co-ed to help out. The last scenes with the villain are just a little too lax in conversation and deed to ring true.
***The Housewife Assassin’s Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown
Another first for me, reading Josie Brown. I thoroughly enjoyed Donna and Jack, their zeal for their missions and each other – done with humor and in the fun, inventive ways of James Bond.
Donna and Jack are in the process of liberating a prisoner from a Mexican prison – on Valentine’s Day. So they have some very nice plans to get to after they’ve accomplished their goal. Of course, those plans go awry at every opportunity. I kept grinning at how they come up with a Plan B whenever something does go wrong. James Bond doesn’t have anything on these two. Even when their prisoner gets only “halfway” to their destination, nothing deters them from finding the answers they need.
I’m going to be checking out the Housewife Assassin series by Ms. Brown. Very entertaining, and I’m now curious about these two characters.
***King of Hearts (A Rough Riders short story) by Lorelei James
I know when I read a Lorelei James story she’s going to rile up my emotions, especially when it comes to the McKay family. This short story is no different.
Sheriff Cam McKay has been called to a horrendous crime scene. On Valentine’s Day. A murder/suicide. Friends Jim and Teresa Swenson. And when the disbelieving parents of both deceased arrive, it takes everything Cam and his fellow officer have to keep them away, both for scene preservation and peace of mind for the bereft loved ones. And then the blows start. Father against father, mother against mother. Then it’s the accusations, and one is thrown is Cam – why didn’t you help my son when he left military service? Everyone knows Cam returned missing limbs and emotionally distant for years.
Thrown for a loop at the accusation, not even knowing Jim had been in the service, Cam retreats into the darkness and solitude that’s claimed him so many times before when reliving his nightmares. Even his rambunctious children and loving wife can’t cut through the guilt eating at him. But he quickly sees that barricading himself away from everything he needs does no one any good. Family is all that’s needed.
It’s that family along with the love and romance, no matter how it’s found, that always keeps me coming back to this series. Not once have I been disappointed.
***Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey
Another addition to an existing series, but Bobbie Faye doesn’t let you dwell on that fact. I have no idea all the trouble’s she’s ever gotten into – I just know she gets into it. A lot. I have no idea how and where she met Trevor. I just know they love each other as they are, come what may. The in-between shenanigans are hilarious and fun. Ms. Causey says on her web site this is the last of this series for a while. That just might be a cryin’ shame.
Bobbie Faye is in a tizzy trying to find a church to get married in, a dress to walk down the aisle in, and other such necessary things to take care of before her wedding day. She’s not happy with anything she finds. The Catholic church has ex-communicated her and no church in the nation will host her special day. All this because Trevor think she wants it. Well, she might, but some things have to be worked out first.
Like the bozos who kidnap her at church on the French Quarter, the one that Trevor forced into holding their wedding. Bobbie Faye is appalled at their inept unprofessionalism, even if they are criminals. I had to laugh at her restraint when she realizes they don’t really want her but something or someone else. And when that restraint finally lets fly, I’m as amazed as Trevor when he eventually figures out where she is and attempts his rescue. One terrific scene.
There’s a lot of secondary characters who I assume have been included in all other books in the series, but I never felt lost or frustrated with their involvement. I just had fun with them all. The love and romance is said and shown in the way Trevor doesn’t want to change Bobbie Faye, lets her go her own way in her own time, and does anything and everything to see that she’s happy. Throw in an evil mother who will stop at nothing to keep “trash” out of her family, and you’ve got one heck of a good time.
The old saying you can’t please all the people all the time is very true. While I enjoyed a good portion of these novellas, found a couple of authors whose books I’ll check out, there’s still a few that don’t work for me, though that won’t keep me from looking up their future reads. These are all very talented authors, and what may not work for me may work just fine for you. And that’s all that counts!
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
July 26, 2012
A pretty decent anthology from the authors over at the Murder She Writes Blog, though not a favorite. Where most book this length take me a day or two to read, this one took me the better part of a week...Some stories were really pretty good, and kept me going, while others helped me get some dreaded chores done, just to avoid reading!
Here's the breakdown, in order:
Pick your poison Roxanne st Clair
Never been much of a RSC fan, something about not being able to connect with her writing...so while I'm not exactly a bullet catchers aficionado, this was an overall not-nearly-as-quick-as-I-expected story, while somewhat unbelievable, still managed to surprisingly capture my attention ESP by the end! 3.5 stars
oh yeah, the plot...A bullet catcher, our H, has lost a client for the team, and his job is on the line...the basic story is that he's gotta prove one, that H's instincts are correct and 2 get the Client back, if he wants to remain part of the BC team.The h, not a BC, is someone he meets along the way...
Nightfall by Laura griffin
Now this story was just as short as I was expecting . And IMO LG writes much better then this. I'm trying to give it some leeway because of the constraints of a novella, but it just didn't work for me...maybe If I liked the characters better... Or rather knew them better, it may have been different...as it is I'm just glad it's over...I was going to try and do at least a small plot summary or at least give an idea of what this story was about, but I forgot. ...something about a snow storm and I think the h gets mixed up with ...I wanna say gun runners...meh, 2 stars
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan
Okay, now I've never actually finished an AB title...or maybe I did, and I just don't remember it...either way, I've never had a reason to pick up another one of her titles...from what little I do remember they are chock full of gritty suspsense. Which I'm usually good with, just so long as their a good romance to go with it...which is where, IMO AB had failed before. .
this was the 3rd story, ( the first, i think written in first person) and the first to really engross me...There's a serial killer on the loose, and our h, Selena black, a detective is out to get him...but he's a smug, connected bastard, and she has to deal with his manipulations of the system and her own friends/ partners distrust all at the same time...there was a surprise ending, and I'm not toally sure how I felt about it. Talk about getting thrown for a loop! So yeah, now, I might give her another chance...3 stars
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong
A NTM author whose first person story is part of the julie cooper, PI series...hat stars a cigarette smoking heroine... so maybe it's unfair but I'm not a fan of smokers in my fiction esp when it's either of the mc's... A least that's what I was thinking until I actually read the rest of the story .. And now im pretty sure I have to read this series. This is like book 3.5 so the h is already with who I'm assuming is her H and its valentines day, and things aren't going the way she wants/expects...I won't say the storyline was all that original, it's def. one you've come across before... But LA managed not only to make me give a damn, but she made me do so despite my dislike of smoking MC's, and my love/ hate relationship with stories written in first person...so yay. 4 stars.
Blood and Roses by Sylvia day
SD's another author I've never really got despite my many attempts at her books...another author whose writing i just can't seem to connect with...and this didn't really change my mind...if you're a fan of hers though, you might enjoy this one a lot more then I did... Let's see, the H and h are soul mates, but the h left along time ago, because for h, there were irreconcilable differences...what story the there is, ( this one seems shorter then the others) is mainly about her coming back home, but there's also a heist subplot...in which the H and h seem to go from being adversaries to partners instantly... It felt, ESP near the end, that like the story was more just a bunch of connected scenes then begining, middle , end story. It had one love scene, more erotic then the other stories, which for me, felt out out of place. 2 stars.
Rebel rose by Karen Tabke
Now I have a very vague idea that I've read a KT title before, but I don't remember it... So I'm just gonna call her a NtM author for expediency's sake.
This story probably. Had the worst first line...it wasn't bad, bad...it was more, like, seriously? That's were your starting. Line?
So the plot...Cop in podunk town, wants to move on to a bigger city, but has one last case to solve...murder of a girl at a frat party...h is girls "big sister"...h comes into the story hungover and falling out of a closet...ready to help solve this crime! And because of course small town cops are all idiots, she can help the big H to solve the crime despite her lack of any training whatsoever...yeah, I really wasn't too fond of this story... Despite its length, knowing it would be over soon, I still found reasons to not read this...washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the cats litter...yeah all that came ahead of wanting to read this one.. The suspense bit was okay, if not believable but the h...I think she was supposed to be a charming southern belle, but not ony does she give a bad name to southern gals everywhere, but I wanted to smack the ever living shit out of her....
But, I didn't completely hate it so let's say 2 stars.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield
NtM author number... i lost count!
The story: Muslim american cop, as the H, the h took a little longer to decipher...but I liked her...and, her kid too...though if this had been a full on novel I might've gotten sick of her (sorry if that offends, but I generally don't like little kids in my fiction)... A death on a college campus, the H is working to solve, though unlike most RS stories, he's not the major cop, he really is just part of the team... they're all doing their parts equally....which I liked--it's not about being the hotshot, but solving the case!
So the suspsense part of the story was almost like a side story-- The h didn't even play a part on any of it...But then the romance didn't even really exist either...it was very low key...
However, I still think this was one of the better story's in this anth...3 stars..if there'd been more on the romance front this would've been at least 3.5 maybe even 4 stars...def got me interested in checking out ms littlefield's full length work!
The Housewife Assassins Bloody Valentine by Josie brown
Hmmm don't think I'll be reading this series by another NtM author, though don't know if I an explain why...Wait, let me rephrase that...it's not that I won't ever read this series, it's that this novella didn't make me want to.
We're dumped into the story with the H and h are already together, ( where this worked in the Lori A. story, here it doesn't ) and work as I'm guessing spies for a group called acme...they have to get a bad guy outta Mexico, so he can give them the goods to go after the worlds worst bad guys...so yeah...choppy (more like scenes, thena conneted story) and comic bookie...and just not my cuppa. This is another story I kept finding excuses to avoid...2 stars.
King of hearts by Lorelei James
It's been ages since I've read any LJ and this one...well it wasn't really a story but a vignette...from one of her other titles...it wasn't bad, but never having read said tile, i probably missed out on a lot... It sorta felt out of place...the rest there's a suspense/ mystery that needs solving...there wasn't one in this story...and the H and h are already together...soo guess my issue is that this story didn't really seem to have a point. I could see this as an extra posted on LJ's site, rather then a legitimate part of the anthology...it was over, literally in minutes! Again, if I'd read the book it follows, I may have liked this one a lot more...but that's half the problem, I shouldn't have to read it in order to enjoy this one, and besides that, it should've make me want to read them! Can you say disappointed? 2 stars.
Bobie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey
3.5 stars..While I haven't read the series, I was still able to get into the story...and it's a quick,fast paced one, that made me laugh :D
Let's see, I don't want to ruin it, so I'll just say its Bobbie Faye's wedding, with most/all the characters I'm assuming from previous books making an appearance, and everything's not what it seems....now as entertaining as this novella was, I don't think it did what it meant to...I'm pretty sure I won't be reading this series...Not because t wasn't good (it very much was) but in a full length book, I think this just may be a little too crazy for me!
At the very end of the anthology, there's lists of different titles by the many manya author's, so while I'll be checking a few out, there's also quite a few I'll be skipping altogether...So altogether, I'd give this a solid 3 stars.
Here's the breakdown, in order:
Pick your poison Roxanne st Clair
Never been much of a RSC fan, something about not being able to connect with her writing...so while I'm not exactly a bullet catchers aficionado, this was an overall not-nearly-as-quick-as-I-expected story, while somewhat unbelievable, still managed to surprisingly capture my attention ESP by the end! 3.5 stars
oh yeah, the plot...A bullet catcher, our H, has lost a client for the team, and his job is on the line...the basic story is that he's gotta prove one, that H's instincts are correct and 2 get the Client back, if he wants to remain part of the BC team.The h, not a BC, is someone he meets along the way...
Nightfall by Laura griffin
Now this story was just as short as I was expecting . And IMO LG writes much better then this. I'm trying to give it some leeway because of the constraints of a novella, but it just didn't work for me...maybe If I liked the characters better... Or rather knew them better, it may have been different...as it is I'm just glad it's over...I was going to try and do at least a small plot summary or at least give an idea of what this story was about, but I forgot. ...something about a snow storm and I think the h gets mixed up with ...I wanna say gun runners...meh, 2 stars
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan
Okay, now I've never actually finished an AB title...or maybe I did, and I just don't remember it...either way, I've never had a reason to pick up another one of her titles...from what little I do remember they are chock full of gritty suspsense. Which I'm usually good with, just so long as their a good romance to go with it...which is where, IMO AB had failed before. .
this was the 3rd story, ( the first, i think written in first person) and the first to really engross me...There's a serial killer on the loose, and our h, Selena black, a detective is out to get him...but he's a smug, connected bastard, and she has to deal with his manipulations of the system and her own friends/ partners distrust all at the same time...there was a surprise ending, and I'm not toally sure how I felt about it. Talk about getting thrown for a loop! So yeah, now, I might give her another chance...3 stars
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong
A NTM author whose first person story is part of the julie cooper, PI series...hat stars a cigarette smoking heroine... so maybe it's unfair but I'm not a fan of smokers in my fiction esp when it's either of the mc's... A least that's what I was thinking until I actually read the rest of the story .. And now im pretty sure I have to read this series. This is like book 3.5 so the h is already with who I'm assuming is her H and its valentines day, and things aren't going the way she wants/expects...I won't say the storyline was all that original, it's def. one you've come across before... But LA managed not only to make me give a damn, but she made me do so despite my dislike of smoking MC's, and my love/ hate relationship with stories written in first person...so yay. 4 stars.
Blood and Roses by Sylvia day
SD's another author I've never really got despite my many attempts at her books...another author whose writing i just can't seem to connect with...and this didn't really change my mind...if you're a fan of hers though, you might enjoy this one a lot more then I did... Let's see, the H and h are soul mates, but the h left along time ago, because for h, there were irreconcilable differences...what story the there is, ( this one seems shorter then the others) is mainly about her coming back home, but there's also a heist subplot...in which the H and h seem to go from being adversaries to partners instantly... It felt, ESP near the end, that like the story was more just a bunch of connected scenes then begining, middle , end story. It had one love scene, more erotic then the other stories, which for me, felt out out of place. 2 stars.
Rebel rose by Karen Tabke
Now I have a very vague idea that I've read a KT title before, but I don't remember it... So I'm just gonna call her a NtM author for expediency's sake.
This story probably. Had the worst first line...it wasn't bad, bad...it was more, like, seriously? That's were your starting. Line?
So the plot...Cop in podunk town, wants to move on to a bigger city, but has one last case to solve...murder of a girl at a frat party...h is girls "big sister"...h comes into the story hungover and falling out of a closet...ready to help solve this crime! And because of course small town cops are all idiots, she can help the big H to solve the crime despite her lack of any training whatsoever...yeah, I really wasn't too fond of this story... Despite its length, knowing it would be over soon, I still found reasons to not read this...washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the cats litter...yeah all that came ahead of wanting to read this one.. The suspense bit was okay, if not believable but the h...I think she was supposed to be a charming southern belle, but not ony does she give a bad name to southern gals everywhere, but I wanted to smack the ever living shit out of her....
But, I didn't completely hate it so let's say 2 stars.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield
NtM author number... i lost count!
The story: Muslim american cop, as the H, the h took a little longer to decipher...but I liked her...and, her kid too...though if this had been a full on novel I might've gotten sick of her (sorry if that offends, but I generally don't like little kids in my fiction)... A death on a college campus, the H is working to solve, though unlike most RS stories, he's not the major cop, he really is just part of the team... they're all doing their parts equally....which I liked--it's not about being the hotshot, but solving the case!
So the suspsense part of the story was almost like a side story-- The h didn't even play a part on any of it...But then the romance didn't even really exist either...it was very low key...
However, I still think this was one of the better story's in this anth...3 stars..if there'd been more on the romance front this would've been at least 3.5 maybe even 4 stars...def got me interested in checking out ms littlefield's full length work!
The Housewife Assassins Bloody Valentine by Josie brown
Hmmm don't think I'll be reading this series by another NtM author, though don't know if I an explain why...Wait, let me rephrase that...it's not that I won't ever read this series, it's that this novella didn't make me want to.
We're dumped into the story with the H and h are already together, ( where this worked in the Lori A. story, here it doesn't ) and work as I'm guessing spies for a group called acme...they have to get a bad guy outta Mexico, so he can give them the goods to go after the worlds worst bad guys...so yeah...choppy (more like scenes, thena conneted story) and comic bookie...and just not my cuppa. This is another story I kept finding excuses to avoid...2 stars.
King of hearts by Lorelei James
It's been ages since I've read any LJ and this one...well it wasn't really a story but a vignette...from one of her other titles...it wasn't bad, but never having read said tile, i probably missed out on a lot... It sorta felt out of place...the rest there's a suspense/ mystery that needs solving...there wasn't one in this story...and the H and h are already together...soo guess my issue is that this story didn't really seem to have a point. I could see this as an extra posted on LJ's site, rather then a legitimate part of the anthology...it was over, literally in minutes! Again, if I'd read the book it follows, I may have liked this one a lot more...but that's half the problem, I shouldn't have to read it in order to enjoy this one, and besides that, it should've make me want to read them! Can you say disappointed? 2 stars.
Bobie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey
3.5 stars..While I haven't read the series, I was still able to get into the story...and it's a quick,fast paced one, that made me laugh :D
Let's see, I don't want to ruin it, so I'll just say its Bobbie Faye's wedding, with most/all the characters I'm assuming from previous books making an appearance, and everything's not what it seems....now as entertaining as this novella was, I don't think it did what it meant to...I'm pretty sure I won't be reading this series...Not because t wasn't good (it very much was) but in a full length book, I think this just may be a little too crazy for me!
At the very end of the anthology, there's lists of different titles by the many manya author's, so while I'll be checking a few out, there's also quite a few I'll be skipping altogether...So altogether, I'd give this a solid 3 stars.
February 29, 2012
This review was posted at Under The Covers
Let me start out by saying that I have not read less than half of the authors in this anthology before picking this up, so I was very excited to get to sample some new authors! This anthology is more on the mystery side than the romantic suspense, even though there is a romantic undertone to all the stories. Just don't go in expecting a lot of hot and heavy action. I'm giving the anthology in general a rating of 3 stars but there were some stories that stood out, which make this anthology 100% worthwhile. So lets break it down.
Pick Your Poison by Roxanne St. Claire - 3 Stars
The story was cute. I see it's part of the Bullet Catchers series, which is a security firm basically. They are hired to serve as bodyguards to a politician but then get fired when they actually do their job on what seems to be a false alarm. Benjamin Youngblood is the agent that had followed a hunch and lost the client so he gets fired. In order to get his job back he wants to prove that he was right and keeps digging into the case. Then he stumbles across Callie Parrish and the pieces start to fall into place, now all he has to do is get the proof. This was pretty good until the ending then it got a little silly. But still very entertaining read.
Nightfall by Laura Griffin - 3 Stars
This story was extremely short. When it comes to stories that short is really hard to form an opinion on how good they are, especially when you don't already know the characters from somewhere else. Basically Holly is at the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong vehicle. She is mistaken for a drug trafficking player and crashes her van loaded with flowers that she was supposed to deliver for a wedding. Now she's in the middle of an investigation and she doesn't even know it. I had a few eye-rolling moments with this story, especially when she gets rescued by a perfect stranger and when he leaves her alone at his house, she thinks its ok for her to "borrow" his car to make her flower delivery.
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan - 3.5 Stars
Now this story I liked a lot better. There's a lot less romance and it's a grittier story. Not all the fluff and humor. A serial rapist is escalating his game and has now killed his first victim. Selena Black is the detective that has been after this guy for a while and she KNOWS who it is. Except he's a highly respected member of the community. She makes mistakes that can cost them the investigation and her past comes poking its little ugly head as well. But all I could think of after I finished this story was that I wouldn't mind reading more about her and her surgeon boyfriend, Gabriel, because he seems dangerous and dirty, and I would love to know what happens next!
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong - 4.5 Stars
I am kicking myself in the butt right now for not starting to read the Julie Collins series sooner. I have no clue where this short story falls in the timeline but I can say that Julie is my kind of heroine. Kick ass and headstrong. I mean, she starts off the story by describing how much she hates Valentine's Day, she can drink and she even watches Myth Busters! I gotta know more about this PI! She's struggling with following up on a couple of PI cases where she's dealing with cheaters and drawing comparisons with her own relationship, and thinking her boyfriend is cheating on her. I kept going back and forth between wanting him to be found guilty so she could get it on with her PI partner, or wanting it all to have a sweet ending. And I won't tell you which way it goes. I will be reading the rest of her books hopefully soon because I love Julie!
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day - 3.5 Stars
This was the hottest story of the bunch, and even though it wasn't very long I think the story was developed very well. Anastasia goes back to her hometown following up on a lead for her job as an insurance investigator. See, some major jewels were stolen and she knows her mother was the mastermind behind the heist. Of course being back in town somehow translated into being back in Jake Monroe's bed. He's a cop, she comes from a family of thieves. Even though she mostly tries to do good, sometimes she lets things go. And this is why she thought they could never work as a couple. Jake though has no plans of letting her walk out of his life again.
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke - 3 Stars
I started out this story thinking I would love it. I have read this author before, in this genre, as short stories, and loved them all. This one fell a bit flat though. There's been a murder at a frat house party and Detective Cash Cantrell is called in to investigate. The murder is very similar to a case years ago. He only has the victim's friend to help in the investigation. And he's attracted to her. Not only there's an age difference, but he's black and she's white. As much as he wants to fight what's going on between them she is helping with the investigation. The mystery or suspense was ok but the rest fizzled out for me.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield - 3 Stars
Going back to college stories, there's a dead body, male in an all female dorm. Joe Bashir is going back as a detective in the case after having dropped out of this same college a while back. I was scared there would be another cop-college girl romantic interest in this book so I was happy to see it wasn't. While Joe is investigating, his knowledge of school rituals from before comes into play, even though he was originally called in due to his heritage and language skills. Muslim hate crimes rendered Joe's dad pretty much an invalid, affected his own life and now have again shown up in this case. The romance in this story doesn't even come into play until the end of the story but it was a nice addition.
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown - No Rating
I couldn't get into this story and stopped about halfway through.
King of Hearts by Lorelei James - 4 Stars
This is a Rough Riders short story. A bad day in the life of Cam McKay as a cop. He's called in to the scene of a murder/suicide on Valentine's Day. He went to school with the husband. They seemed like such a happy couple just days before. Cam has to deal with the parents, the investigation, and the fact that the reason why this all might've happened is because the husband never recovered mentally after coming back from war. A lot of the issues hit home for Cam. But at the end of the day when he gets to go home, the love of his family pulls him through.
Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey - 3 Stars
I can just let that title speak for itself! LOL This story was funny and a bit whacky but it was enjoyable if you like your heroines a bit eccentric, who can't go anywhere without a gun, even their own wedding, and who almost everyone is scared of.
*Review copy provided by author
Let me start out by saying that I have not read less than half of the authors in this anthology before picking this up, so I was very excited to get to sample some new authors! This anthology is more on the mystery side than the romantic suspense, even though there is a romantic undertone to all the stories. Just don't go in expecting a lot of hot and heavy action. I'm giving the anthology in general a rating of 3 stars but there were some stories that stood out, which make this anthology 100% worthwhile. So lets break it down.
Pick Your Poison by Roxanne St. Claire - 3 Stars
The story was cute. I see it's part of the Bullet Catchers series, which is a security firm basically. They are hired to serve as bodyguards to a politician but then get fired when they actually do their job on what seems to be a false alarm. Benjamin Youngblood is the agent that had followed a hunch and lost the client so he gets fired. In order to get his job back he wants to prove that he was right and keeps digging into the case. Then he stumbles across Callie Parrish and the pieces start to fall into place, now all he has to do is get the proof. This was pretty good until the ending then it got a little silly. But still very entertaining read.
Nightfall by Laura Griffin - 3 Stars
This story was extremely short. When it comes to stories that short is really hard to form an opinion on how good they are, especially when you don't already know the characters from somewhere else. Basically Holly is at the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong vehicle. She is mistaken for a drug trafficking player and crashes her van loaded with flowers that she was supposed to deliver for a wedding. Now she's in the middle of an investigation and she doesn't even know it. I had a few eye-rolling moments with this story, especially when she gets rescued by a perfect stranger and when he leaves her alone at his house, she thinks its ok for her to "borrow" his car to make her flower delivery.
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan - 3.5 Stars
Now this story I liked a lot better. There's a lot less romance and it's a grittier story. Not all the fluff and humor. A serial rapist is escalating his game and has now killed his first victim. Selena Black is the detective that has been after this guy for a while and she KNOWS who it is. Except he's a highly respected member of the community. She makes mistakes that can cost them the investigation and her past comes poking its little ugly head as well. But all I could think of after I finished this story was that I wouldn't mind reading more about her and her surgeon boyfriend, Gabriel, because he seems dangerous and dirty, and I would love to know what happens next!
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong - 4.5 Stars
I am kicking myself in the butt right now for not starting to read the Julie Collins series sooner. I have no clue where this short story falls in the timeline but I can say that Julie is my kind of heroine. Kick ass and headstrong. I mean, she starts off the story by describing how much she hates Valentine's Day, she can drink and she even watches Myth Busters! I gotta know more about this PI! She's struggling with following up on a couple of PI cases where she's dealing with cheaters and drawing comparisons with her own relationship, and thinking her boyfriend is cheating on her. I kept going back and forth between wanting him to be found guilty so she could get it on with her PI partner, or wanting it all to have a sweet ending. And I won't tell you which way it goes. I will be reading the rest of her books hopefully soon because I love Julie!
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day - 3.5 Stars
This was the hottest story of the bunch, and even though it wasn't very long I think the story was developed very well. Anastasia goes back to her hometown following up on a lead for her job as an insurance investigator. See, some major jewels were stolen and she knows her mother was the mastermind behind the heist. Of course being back in town somehow translated into being back in Jake Monroe's bed. He's a cop, she comes from a family of thieves. Even though she mostly tries to do good, sometimes she lets things go. And this is why she thought they could never work as a couple. Jake though has no plans of letting her walk out of his life again.
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke - 3 Stars
I started out this story thinking I would love it. I have read this author before, in this genre, as short stories, and loved them all. This one fell a bit flat though. There's been a murder at a frat house party and Detective Cash Cantrell is called in to investigate. The murder is very similar to a case years ago. He only has the victim's friend to help in the investigation. And he's attracted to her. Not only there's an age difference, but he's black and she's white. As much as he wants to fight what's going on between them she is helping with the investigation. The mystery or suspense was ok but the rest fizzled out for me.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield - 3 Stars
Going back to college stories, there's a dead body, male in an all female dorm. Joe Bashir is going back as a detective in the case after having dropped out of this same college a while back. I was scared there would be another cop-college girl romantic interest in this book so I was happy to see it wasn't. While Joe is investigating, his knowledge of school rituals from before comes into play, even though he was originally called in due to his heritage and language skills. Muslim hate crimes rendered Joe's dad pretty much an invalid, affected his own life and now have again shown up in this case. The romance in this story doesn't even come into play until the end of the story but it was a nice addition.
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown - No Rating
I couldn't get into this story and stopped about halfway through.
King of Hearts by Lorelei James - 4 Stars
This is a Rough Riders short story. A bad day in the life of Cam McKay as a cop. He's called in to the scene of a murder/suicide on Valentine's Day. He went to school with the husband. They seemed like such a happy couple just days before. Cam has to deal with the parents, the investigation, and the fact that the reason why this all might've happened is because the husband never recovered mentally after coming back from war. A lot of the issues hit home for Cam. But at the end of the day when he gets to go home, the love of his family pulls him through.
Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey - 3 Stars
I can just let that title speak for itself! LOL This story was funny and a bit whacky but it was enjoyable if you like your heroines a bit eccentric, who can't go anywhere without a gun, even their own wedding, and who almost everyone is scared of.
*Review copy provided by author
March 4, 2012
With so many novellas in this wonderful romantic suspense anthology, I am going to review each of them as I read them and then give a final rating--which is FIVE STARS! This book is like March--it roared in like a lion with Rocki St. Claire's Bullet Catchers and ended up with some awesomesauce crazy in the form of Toni McGee Causey's indomitable Bobbie Faye. In between is an amazing collection of new and old characters from these talented authors.
First up, Roxanne St. Claire's "Pick Your Poison"--a Bullet Catcher's story. I'm a big fan of the Bullet Catchers and Ben Youngblood is a fitting addition to the company. He's met his match in Callie Parrish, a Florida flower grower who's drawn into an assassination plot. A rollicking read with Roxanne at her Bullet Catcher best. Action, suspense, and a few sniffles at the end for the HEA.
The second entry is Laura Griffin's "Nightfall." Stuck on a highway in Montana in the winter, Holly Henriksen faces a big fear--being stranded after an accident and forced to rely on Colin Denton, a charming stranger with a secret. Should I mention someone wants her dead? Yeah. That, too. I couldn't put this one down until I hit the end.
Allison Brennan brings readers a psychological tale of a veteran cop going after a high profile rapist in "Above Reproach." Sex crimes detective Selena Black is after the River City Rapist. She *knows* who it is but the suspect is on the Attorney General's staff. Her colleagues are doubting her, the perp plays her, and her only refuge is emergency surgeon, Dr. Gabriel Storm. Taut action and suspense with a twist at the end--vintage Brennan!
Oh, Julie and Martinez, how I have missed your explosive chemistry! In "Dead Flowers," Lori G. Armstrong revisits PI Julie Collins and her live-in, Tony Martinez, international president of the Hombres motorcycle club. It's Valentine's Day and Julie hates the sentiment and everything else to do with the day--despite her deep feelings for Martinez. It doesn't help that she's been neck-deep in cheating spouses cases. When Martinez shows all the classic signs, Julie has to make up her mind on what to do about it. I chewed nails, I cheered, and I....well...no spoilers. Read it for yourself. And enjoy the heck out of it!
Sylvia Day's "Blood and Roses" amps up the heat in this tale of reunited lovers ostensibly on opposite sides of the law, though Anastasia Miller refined her grifter upbringing to make money on the other side of the legal coin. Returning to her hometown, she's on a quest to save her brother and his best friend--in way over their heads. The fact that her former lover, US Deputy Marshal Jake Monroe's litter brother is that best friend only paves the way for a reunion that reignites their passions. Turn the fan on when you read this one!
Karin Tabke introduces readers to a brand new heroine and hero. In "Rebel Rose," we meet Rebel Yell Culpepper and Detective Cash Cantrell. This southern belle and small-town cop have more than just a serial killer to contend with in Lockerby, North Carolina. Rebel is just as much fun as her name implies and Cash is sexy and focused. Too bad Rebel drives him to distraction! Well...too bad for Cash, but a whole lot of fun for the rest of us!
In "A Punishing Night," Sophie Littlefield introduces the reader to Joe Bashir, a police detective of Pakistani descent. He's on the case of a murdered frat boy and is confronted with date rape, his very traditional family, and a decidedly non-traditional neighbor, Holly Herron. Difficult subjects are handled with aplomb and I truly hope Sophie will bring her readers more of Joe!
Josie Brown is a new-to-me author and her entry, "The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine" contained what I figure just might be a huge reveal to her fans. Nope. My lips are sealed. I don't believe in spoilers. Ms. Brown writes in first person, which is not a favorite POV of mine, but she does so with an engaging style and interesting characters. And hey...who doesn't love a woman who saves the world and then returns home to her kids?
Lorelei James (no relation, darn it!) is known for her hot, sexy cowboys and erotic romance. In "King of Hearts" offers up another member of the huge McKay clan. This time, it's Cameron "Cam" McKay, injured vet of the war in the Mideast and deputy sheriff. A horrible murder-suicide in the small town of Sundance, Wyoming cuts a little too close to home for Cam. Emotions run high in this story and Lorelei rips the heart out of the reader and the characters. This was a powerful look at guilt, PTSD, and family healing.
Bobbie Faye is back with a vengeance! Toni McGee Causey revisits one of my all-time favorite heroines in "Bobbie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding" I cried. From laughing so hard. I scared my dogs. From laughing so hard. Oh, Bobbie Faye and Toni, I have missed you both like damn and whoah. There aren't enough superlatives for this novella. If you love Bobbie Faye, this story is worth the price of the anthology alone!
But then I pretty much felt that way about almost every entry. A few formatting and typo errors but all and all this anthology is a rollercoaster ride of sexy suspense! Read it. You'll thank me. Seriously.
First up, Roxanne St. Claire's "Pick Your Poison"--a Bullet Catcher's story. I'm a big fan of the Bullet Catchers and Ben Youngblood is a fitting addition to the company. He's met his match in Callie Parrish, a Florida flower grower who's drawn into an assassination plot. A rollicking read with Roxanne at her Bullet Catcher best. Action, suspense, and a few sniffles at the end for the HEA.
The second entry is Laura Griffin's "Nightfall." Stuck on a highway in Montana in the winter, Holly Henriksen faces a big fear--being stranded after an accident and forced to rely on Colin Denton, a charming stranger with a secret. Should I mention someone wants her dead? Yeah. That, too. I couldn't put this one down until I hit the end.
Allison Brennan brings readers a psychological tale of a veteran cop going after a high profile rapist in "Above Reproach." Sex crimes detective Selena Black is after the River City Rapist. She *knows* who it is but the suspect is on the Attorney General's staff. Her colleagues are doubting her, the perp plays her, and her only refuge is emergency surgeon, Dr. Gabriel Storm. Taut action and suspense with a twist at the end--vintage Brennan!
Oh, Julie and Martinez, how I have missed your explosive chemistry! In "Dead Flowers," Lori G. Armstrong revisits PI Julie Collins and her live-in, Tony Martinez, international president of the Hombres motorcycle club. It's Valentine's Day and Julie hates the sentiment and everything else to do with the day--despite her deep feelings for Martinez. It doesn't help that she's been neck-deep in cheating spouses cases. When Martinez shows all the classic signs, Julie has to make up her mind on what to do about it. I chewed nails, I cheered, and I....well...no spoilers. Read it for yourself. And enjoy the heck out of it!
Sylvia Day's "Blood and Roses" amps up the heat in this tale of reunited lovers ostensibly on opposite sides of the law, though Anastasia Miller refined her grifter upbringing to make money on the other side of the legal coin. Returning to her hometown, she's on a quest to save her brother and his best friend--in way over their heads. The fact that her former lover, US Deputy Marshal Jake Monroe's litter brother is that best friend only paves the way for a reunion that reignites their passions. Turn the fan on when you read this one!
Karin Tabke introduces readers to a brand new heroine and hero. In "Rebel Rose," we meet Rebel Yell Culpepper and Detective Cash Cantrell. This southern belle and small-town cop have more than just a serial killer to contend with in Lockerby, North Carolina. Rebel is just as much fun as her name implies and Cash is sexy and focused. Too bad Rebel drives him to distraction! Well...too bad for Cash, but a whole lot of fun for the rest of us!
In "A Punishing Night," Sophie Littlefield introduces the reader to Joe Bashir, a police detective of Pakistani descent. He's on the case of a murdered frat boy and is confronted with date rape, his very traditional family, and a decidedly non-traditional neighbor, Holly Herron. Difficult subjects are handled with aplomb and I truly hope Sophie will bring her readers more of Joe!
Josie Brown is a new-to-me author and her entry, "The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine" contained what I figure just might be a huge reveal to her fans. Nope. My lips are sealed. I don't believe in spoilers. Ms. Brown writes in first person, which is not a favorite POV of mine, but she does so with an engaging style and interesting characters. And hey...who doesn't love a woman who saves the world and then returns home to her kids?
Lorelei James (no relation, darn it!) is known for her hot, sexy cowboys and erotic romance. In "King of Hearts" offers up another member of the huge McKay clan. This time, it's Cameron "Cam" McKay, injured vet of the war in the Mideast and deputy sheriff. A horrible murder-suicide in the small town of Sundance, Wyoming cuts a little too close to home for Cam. Emotions run high in this story and Lorelei rips the heart out of the reader and the characters. This was a powerful look at guilt, PTSD, and family healing.
Bobbie Faye is back with a vengeance! Toni McGee Causey revisits one of my all-time favorite heroines in "Bobbie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding" I cried. From laughing so hard. I scared my dogs. From laughing so hard. Oh, Bobbie Faye and Toni, I have missed you both like damn and whoah. There aren't enough superlatives for this novella. If you love Bobbie Faye, this story is worth the price of the anthology alone!
But then I pretty much felt that way about almost every entry. A few formatting and typo errors but all and all this anthology is a rollercoaster ride of sexy suspense! Read it. You'll thank me. Seriously.
May 23, 2012
I saw this advertised for $2.99 via a tweet from Lorelei James/Lori Armstrong (same author) and knew this was probably a good one, so I took the plunge and bought it. I'm so happy I did. This was one of the best anthologies I've ever read and definitely a recommended read!
Here's the lowdown:
Pick Your Poison by Roxanne St Clair - NTM author but I like her style. Not too serious and not too humorous, with a bit of flirtation between two people thrown together in a murder plot. Think the old TV show "Moonlighting". B+
Nightfall by Laura Griffin - really good, believable story about a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time and the ATF agent who helps her. Griffin is an edge of your seat writer and this is no exception. A-
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan - wow. I loved this story about a tough female cop trying to nab a serial rapist who has escalated to murder. Smartly written and with a great whodunnit! I was blown away by the ending and the deep meaning and emotion by that person's actions. Solid A rating.
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong (aka Lorelei James) was a kickass story about a female PI who suspects her Biker boyfriend of cheating on her. I've never read Lori Armstrong before but I can tell you she brings every bit of the sass and blistering hot vibes from her Rough Riders series to this. I know what I will be glomming next! A+
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day. The daughter of a grifter who treads the line between right and legal returns to her hometown and the boy (now man, and cop) she never stopped loving. Well written story but I found the meat of it a little implausible. I blame that on my career in law enforcement and knowing the mentality of most of us. B+
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke is the first in this anthology that I didn't like and here's why: the Southern accents. Having lived all over the world but primarily in the South, I can say without a doubt that no one outside of Savannah, GA talks that way. And even then I'd have to say Tabke made this over the top. I also found the underlying "attitude" of the story demeaning to Southerners and it turned me off. The heroine - Rebel (and who names their child Rebel??)- acted more like a 16 year old than a 22 year old. I did like that this was an interracial story though, and that neither character had a "problem" with color. D+
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield was out of my comfort zone but I ended up liking the story overall. It was both interracial and interfaith and while I wasn't comfortable with the second one, I read it with an open mind and found myself understanding the faith mentality of the character a little bit more than what I've previously learned about that particular faith. (For those wondering, it's Sunni Muslim - not the Shi'ite which are the fundamentalists) I also enjoyed reading a story with a 911 dispatcher (like myself) who wasn't portrayed as an idiot (which happened in a Diana Palmer book) or a slut (which happened in a book I've since forgotten the author of). The mystery in this one was good and the story is told from the point of view of the male lead. Overall grade B+
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown. I'm thinking maybe I just don't "get" her voice in this story. It seemed cutesy and like she was trying too hard to be hip/cool. I also wasn't a fan of first person in this one - it didn't work for me. D+
King of Hearts by Lorelei James. This is a short Rough Riders story featuring Cam McKay and Domini, and centers around a brutal murder/suicide on Valentine's Day. This was a well thought out, well written (as always) story that eventually made me cry like a baby. A+
and lastly but certainly not least was Bobbie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey and I absolutely loved it! Causey's style reminds me of G.A. Aiken's without the cursing. It's fast paced, makes you laugh and yet is endearingly romantic all at the same time. Featuring Bobbie Faye from Causey's series by the same name, this is one of those stories that was perfectly timed at a point in my life I *NEEDED* to laugh. Bobbie Faye is no helpless female and she gives as good as she gets. A+
While almost every story in this anthology is part and parcel of another series, they are written in a way that leaves a new reader comfortable with the stories and easily able to follow along. All can be read as standalone stories. If I just have to pick, the one by Lori Armstrong was my absolute favorite. Anytime as a reader I can get excited about a character or a storyline that's a huge thing, and Armstrong made this almost too easy to do.
Overall rating 4.5 stars
Recommended read: absolutely
Here's the lowdown:
Pick Your Poison by Roxanne St Clair - NTM author but I like her style. Not too serious and not too humorous, with a bit of flirtation between two people thrown together in a murder plot. Think the old TV show "Moonlighting". B+
Nightfall by Laura Griffin - really good, believable story about a woman in the wrong place at the wrong time and the ATF agent who helps her. Griffin is an edge of your seat writer and this is no exception. A-
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan - wow. I loved this story about a tough female cop trying to nab a serial rapist who has escalated to murder. Smartly written and with a great whodunnit! I was blown away by the ending and the deep meaning and emotion by that person's actions. Solid A rating.
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong (aka Lorelei James) was a kickass story about a female PI who suspects her Biker boyfriend of cheating on her. I've never read Lori Armstrong before but I can tell you she brings every bit of the sass and blistering hot vibes from her Rough Riders series to this. I know what I will be glomming next! A+
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day. The daughter of a grifter who treads the line between right and legal returns to her hometown and the boy (now man, and cop) she never stopped loving. Well written story but I found the meat of it a little implausible. I blame that on my career in law enforcement and knowing the mentality of most of us. B+
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke is the first in this anthology that I didn't like and here's why: the Southern accents. Having lived all over the world but primarily in the South, I can say without a doubt that no one outside of Savannah, GA talks that way. And even then I'd have to say Tabke made this over the top. I also found the underlying "attitude" of the story demeaning to Southerners and it turned me off. The heroine - Rebel (and who names their child Rebel??)- acted more like a 16 year old than a 22 year old. I did like that this was an interracial story though, and that neither character had a "problem" with color. D+
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield was out of my comfort zone but I ended up liking the story overall. It was both interracial and interfaith and while I wasn't comfortable with the second one, I read it with an open mind and found myself understanding the faith mentality of the character a little bit more than what I've previously learned about that particular faith. (For those wondering, it's Sunni Muslim - not the Shi'ite which are the fundamentalists) I also enjoyed reading a story with a 911 dispatcher (like myself) who wasn't portrayed as an idiot (which happened in a Diana Palmer book) or a slut (which happened in a book I've since forgotten the author of). The mystery in this one was good and the story is told from the point of view of the male lead. Overall grade B+
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown. I'm thinking maybe I just don't "get" her voice in this story. It seemed cutesy and like she was trying too hard to be hip/cool. I also wasn't a fan of first person in this one - it didn't work for me. D+
King of Hearts by Lorelei James. This is a short Rough Riders story featuring Cam McKay and Domini, and centers around a brutal murder/suicide on Valentine's Day. This was a well thought out, well written (as always) story that eventually made me cry like a baby. A+
and lastly but certainly not least was Bobbie Faye's Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey and I absolutely loved it! Causey's style reminds me of G.A. Aiken's without the cursing. It's fast paced, makes you laugh and yet is endearingly romantic all at the same time. Featuring Bobbie Faye from Causey's series by the same name, this is one of those stories that was perfectly timed at a point in my life I *NEEDED* to laugh. Bobbie Faye is no helpless female and she gives as good as she gets. A+
While almost every story in this anthology is part and parcel of another series, they are written in a way that leaves a new reader comfortable with the stories and easily able to follow along. All can be read as standalone stories. If I just have to pick, the one by Lori Armstrong was my absolute favorite. Anytime as a reader I can get excited about a character or a storyline that's a huge thing, and Armstrong made this almost too easy to do.
Overall rating 4.5 stars
Recommended read: absolutely
September 30, 2015
"Pick Your Poison" by Roxanne St. Claire
3 stars.
Meh.
"Nightfall" by Laura Griffin
3 stars.
Okay. Not much could be done with the length but would try author again.
"Above Reproach" by Allison Brennan
3.5 stars.
Really liked this story. Was surprised by the ending. Would've liked a more thorough wrap-up, especially if what I'm led to believe happened did indeed happen.
"Dead Flowers" by Lori Armstrong
3 stars.
Was okay. The secrecy was stupid & not logical but without it there wouldn't be a story.
"Blood and Roses" by Sylvia Day
2.75 stars.
Not sure why there was a separation for 10 years if it was so easily resolved. The heist stuff was confusing and I skimmed the climax.
"Rebel Rose" by Karin Tabke
1 star.
Terrible police work. Tons of errors. The heroine wakes up hungover & pukes on the hero, then proceeds to flirt. She finds out her friend has been murdered & has a moment of grief then back to flirting. Not a romance ending. No HEA/HFN. Possibly a prequel to another book.
"A Punishing Night" by Sophie Littlefield
3 stars.
Dick-lit, not romance. Focus was on police investigation with very little appearance by heroine.
"The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine" by Josie Brown
2.5 stars.
Chick-lit, not romance. Boring.
"King of Hearts" by Lorelei James
3 stars.
I'm a fan of this couple's full-length book. This story was good but not what I expected. More about the hero's state of mind than romance. Very little heroine. Would've liked to see Cam talk things out with Dom.
"Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding" by Toni McGee Causey
2 stars.
Too many POVs which repeated information. Not enough forward momentum. Too much time catching the reader up on past events. Too much zany for my taste.
3 stars.
Meh.
"Nightfall" by Laura Griffin
3 stars.
Okay. Not much could be done with the length but would try author again.
"Above Reproach" by Allison Brennan
3.5 stars.
Really liked this story. Was surprised by the ending. Would've liked a more thorough wrap-up, especially if what I'm led to believe happened did indeed happen.
"Dead Flowers" by Lori Armstrong
3 stars.
Was okay. The secrecy was stupid & not logical but without it there wouldn't be a story.
"Blood and Roses" by Sylvia Day
2.75 stars.
Not sure why there was a separation for 10 years if it was so easily resolved. The heist stuff was confusing and I skimmed the climax.
"Rebel Rose" by Karin Tabke
1 star.
Terrible police work. Tons of errors. The heroine wakes up hungover & pukes on the hero, then proceeds to flirt. She finds out her friend has been murdered & has a moment of grief then back to flirting. Not a romance ending. No HEA/HFN. Possibly a prequel to another book.
"A Punishing Night" by Sophie Littlefield
3 stars.
Dick-lit, not romance. Focus was on police investigation with very little appearance by heroine.
"The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine" by Josie Brown
2.5 stars.
Chick-lit, not romance. Boring.
"King of Hearts" by Lorelei James
3 stars.
I'm a fan of this couple's full-length book. This story was good but not what I expected. More about the hero's state of mind than romance. Very little heroine. Would've liked to see Cam talk things out with Dom.
"Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding" by Toni McGee Causey
2 stars.
Too many POVs which repeated information. Not enough forward momentum. Too much time catching the reader up on past events. Too much zany for my taste.
February 28, 2012
There was such a variety in this anthology, I'm going to rate the individual stories below. I read this because I love Roxanne St. Claire's Bullet Catcher series, but I ended up putting a couple new authors on my tbr list. Overall, a really good anthology, definitely worth reading.
Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire- 4 stars. The story was good but I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters like I usually do with St. Claire's work. Liked it but didn't love it.
Nightfall by Laura Griffin- 5 stars. Loved it! I've never read Griffin's work before, but I will now.
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan- 3.5 stars. This one was just okay for me but I did really like the ending.
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong- 5 stars. Best story in the anthology in my opinion. I've never read Lori Armstrong but she just went to the top of my tbr list.
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day- 5 stars. Loved this one too, great story, great chemistry.
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke- 4 stars. Pretty good, hinted at a continuation of the story, which I would read.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield- 3 stars. Just okay for me, nothing special about this one.
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown- 3 stars. I'm surprised I got through this one, it was too far-fetched for my taste.
King of Hearts by Lorelei James- 3 stars. I've never read Lorlei James, probably would have liked this better if I'd read the series it goes with.
Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey- I won't rate this one, because I couldn't finish it. It was another one that was just too far-fetched and silly for me. Again, probably would be better for someone who's read the series.
Pick Your Poison (A Bullet Catchers Novella) by Roxanne St. Claire- 4 stars. The story was good but I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters like I usually do with St. Claire's work. Liked it but didn't love it.
Nightfall by Laura Griffin- 5 stars. Loved it! I've never read Griffin's work before, but I will now.
Above Reproach by Allison Brennan- 3.5 stars. This one was just okay for me but I did really like the ending.
Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong- 5 stars. Best story in the anthology in my opinion. I've never read Lori Armstrong but she just went to the top of my tbr list.
Blood and Roses by Sylvia Day- 5 stars. Loved this one too, great story, great chemistry.
Rebel Rose by Karin Tabke- 4 stars. Pretty good, hinted at a continuation of the story, which I would read.
A Punishing Night by Sophie Littlefield- 3 stars. Just okay for me, nothing special about this one.
The Housewife Assassin's Bloody Valentine by Josie Brown- 3 stars. I'm surprised I got through this one, it was too far-fetched for my taste.
King of Hearts by Lorelei James- 3 stars. I've never read Lorlei James, probably would have liked this better if I'd read the series it goes with.
Bobbie Faye's Whacked-Out, No-Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding by Toni McGee Causey- I won't rate this one, because I couldn't finish it. It was another one that was just too far-fetched and silly for me. Again, probably would be better for someone who's read the series.
March 9, 2012
[4.5 stars]
I'm generally not a huge fan of novellas & anthologies-- I'm a fast reader, and a novella-length story is over entirely too quickly! This anthology features stories from many of my favourite romantic suspense authors, so getting it seemed like a no-brainer. Each of the MurderSheWrites ladies knocks it out of the park with a well-written story featuring a short mystery, excellent characterisation, and a love story that progresses quickly (given the length) but doesn't feel rushed or unrealistic. The stories in the anthology are a mixture of new characters (e.g. Laura Griffin, Karin Tabke), new characters in the context of one of the author's series (e.g. Roxanne St. Claire, Josie Brown, Allison Brennan), and a novella set fully in the context of (and featuring characters from) the author's series (e.g. Lori Armstrong, Lorelei James, Toni McGee Causey)-- but each story stands alone and can be read & enjoyed even if you are not familiar with the author's series.
Definitely worth a read!
I'm generally not a huge fan of novellas & anthologies-- I'm a fast reader, and a novella-length story is over entirely too quickly! This anthology features stories from many of my favourite romantic suspense authors, so getting it seemed like a no-brainer. Each of the MurderSheWrites ladies knocks it out of the park with a well-written story featuring a short mystery, excellent characterisation, and a love story that progresses quickly (given the length) but doesn't feel rushed or unrealistic. The stories in the anthology are a mixture of new characters (e.g. Laura Griffin, Karin Tabke), new characters in the context of one of the author's series (e.g. Roxanne St. Claire, Josie Brown, Allison Brennan), and a novella set fully in the context of (and featuring characters from) the author's series (e.g. Lori Armstrong, Lorelei James, Toni McGee Causey)-- but each story stands alone and can be read & enjoyed even if you are not familiar with the author's series.
Definitely worth a read!
August 28, 2012
This book was fun, filled with stories from some of my favorite authors within the series they write. My review is based only on the following stories.
I liked the Roxanne St. Claire, I have missed the Bullet Catchers, so it was nice to revisit that world again.
Allison Brennan's story was interesting. I liked the twist that was at the end.
Lori Armstrong's story with Julie Collin's made me laugh. I really like the series and wish there would be more within it.
Sylvia Day's story was fun, set in the world of Bared to You, but you don't have to read the book to enjoy this story.
Lorelei James's story with the cop of her cowboy series really drives home a couple of important points. Cops have crappy jobs at times and soldiers time can change them. What they need to learn is to find a way to let it all go. Cam did that is a great way!
I liked the Roxanne St. Claire, I have missed the Bullet Catchers, so it was nice to revisit that world again.
Allison Brennan's story was interesting. I liked the twist that was at the end.
Lori Armstrong's story with Julie Collin's made me laugh. I really like the series and wish there would be more within it.
Sylvia Day's story was fun, set in the world of Bared to You, but you don't have to read the book to enjoy this story.
Lorelei James's story with the cop of her cowboy series really drives home a couple of important points. Cops have crappy jobs at times and soldiers time can change them. What they need to learn is to find a way to let it all go. Cam did that is a great way!
April 12, 2012
Well, I'm not really done with the whole book, but I did race through my reason for getting it, which is Toni McGee Causey's latest installment of her Bobbie Faye series. As always, it didn't disappoint! “Bobbie Faye’s Whacked Out, No Good, Really Sucky, Hot Mess of a Wedding” has our favorite disaster-prone heroine approaching her wedding day with more worries than the normal nerves of a typical bride. This novella does a good job of re-introducing all of the main characters we've come to know and love to new readers, and also throws us into the midst of Bobbie Faye's latest escapade before we know what's happened. I loved it but it reminded me how much I've missed this character. A fun, satisfying story!
January 4, 2013
I downloaded this to read Sylvia Day's Blood and Roses which I'd give four stars on its own. It was a fun little action mystery with lots of sex appeal. Plus for Crossfire fans there is a Gideon Cross reference; unfortunately the man himself doesn't make an actual appearance. It had a beginning, middle and end. Some of the other shorts lacked that. Some times it felt like a story was heading down an easy path to follow and then bam it would take a hard right and just end; gave the story an unfinished feel. I think shorts just aren't for me. The novellas were the same in that some felt incomplete.
January 30, 2013
First of all, this book was very long. It obviously took forever to get through, but it was also because I was reading other books along with this one. Some of the stories were good, others not so much. I started reading this book mainly because it had an Allison Brennan short story located within, but I didn't feel right crossing this book off my list until I had read the entire thing. So I finally finished it, and I will read the other authors in time.
Read
April 16, 2012Mostly I got the book for Lorelie James' Rough Rider installment. Unfortunately I was really disappointed in it.
I haven't previously read any of the other authors, but thought I'd give their stories a try, maybe find some new reads, but apparently I've moved on, and this book moves to the unfinished shelf.
I haven't previously read any of the other authors, but thought I'd give their stories a try, maybe find some new reads, but apparently I've moved on, and this book moves to the unfinished shelf.
February 22, 2012
So far I've read Dead Flowers by Lori Armstrong and King of Hearts by Lorelei James.
awww Tony you are so sweet - and Jimmer who would have thought the big bad tough guy could blush.
Cam - you are stronger that you sometimes give yourself credit for. Never doubt it. Doc you are a wise woman - and Happy Valentines Day to you.
awww Tony you are so sweet - and Jimmer who would have thought the big bad tough guy could blush.
Cam - you are stronger that you sometimes give yourself credit for. Never doubt it. Doc you are a wise woman - and Happy Valentines Day to you.
February 22, 2012
Read both Lorelei James' and Lori Armstrong's stories right away. It was good to read about Julie and Martinez again. I love her feistiness. Good to see Cam and Domini again and their crew. I' ll be back to read more. Started Sylvia Day's story. Good writing in short bursts!
June 11, 2012
This book is every suspense reader's wet dream!
If you're a fan of any one of these authors, even if you've never read them, you're going to love this book! A collection of stories that will have you on the edge of your seat and wishing the stories didn't end.
Love this book!!
If you're a fan of any one of these authors, even if you've never read them, you're going to love this book! A collection of stories that will have you on the edge of your seat and wishing the stories didn't end.
Love this book!!
April 19, 2013
This was a pretty fun anthology. I'm familiar with all the authors and I loved reading their shorter stories - especially when the stories were spun from some of their novels. Worth every penny. I'm just kicking myself for not taking the time to read it sooner.
February 2, 2016
This review is for Above Reproach by Allison Brennan, the other books are reviewed under the individual books.
Revealed the whodunit way to early and then proceeded to make me wonder if the cop was nuts
Revealed the whodunit way to early and then proceeded to make me wonder if the cop was nuts
February 22, 2012
5 Stars - Lorelei James' King of Hearts
March 13, 2012
Started off REALLY great, and then fizzled out for me. Only liked about half the stories.
May 15, 2012
This was a great anthology with just a bit of everything. Great way to meet some new authors and characters. Well worth the price.
March 13, 2012
I just have to say I think it's GREAT that the good Doc Monroe has a date with the Two West boys! ;). I want their story!!!
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