Book Review: Friendly Temptation by Elaine Radley

Ever since Katherine Ainsley's divorce, a hazy line has emerged in her relationship with best friend Dominic Corvalis — one teetering between companionship and lust. When he proposes a dare, she rises to the challenge, even after she finds herself in a place she's never imagined. Besides, Dom is there to support and tease, and the sexual tension percolating beneath their naughty errand is simply too tempting to resist. Perhaps they are meant to be more than just friends. She'll never know until she pushes him across that line...and into the bedroom.

So this book went kind of against what I usually read in two ways ... it's a novella (which I RARELY read) and an erotica (which I also very rarely read). But ... this was by an author that I enjoyed reading and when she asked that I give two of her novellas a go ... I thought, why not!

Here's the deal ... I'm not going to say much because this little gem is only 40-some pages long. I could say one sentence and ruin the whole thing! 

What I WILL say is that the reason I don't usually read novellas is because they are just too short. I've found that authors rarely have enough time to establish characters and the whole plot of the book and then finish it out in so few pages. But that wasn't the case with this one. 

I really enjoyed getting to know Katherine and Dom. I enjoyed them together even more. They brought some amazing chemistry and fireworks to the pages that I hadn't expected to experience so quickly. 

While this is a short story, it will keep you entertained and leave you a satisfied reader because it was entirely fleshed out (no pun intended) (or maybe it was) and you're left with no unresolved issues or feelings. It was just a great short story that I kind of wish went on longer because of how much I liked Dom. And I liked him. A lot. 

Another one knocked out of the park for Radley. I'll definitely be a reader of whatever she comes up with ... no matter the genre or the length. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: Impossible (Huntsford Hearts #1) by Laurel Ulen Curtis

One Accident. Two losses. Three years.

Veronica Russo chases storms, but runs from her past by staying firmly in the present. Unwilling to consider the possibility of a future, she’s checked out of life by using solitude and standoffishness as her armor and a sharp tongue and quick wit as her weapons.

Coleman Cade is a walking contradiction- just like his mismatched eyes. A rough and manly bull rider with a playful side. A ladies man with thousands of willing victims, but what he really wants is one woman. The right woman.

Will Roni be able to let go, move on, and find a way to fulfill her dream of having everything? Or will unsubstantiated choices and unresolved demons stand in the way of their happily ever after?

In order to overcome past tragedies and find true happiness- in order to have everything- Roni needs to do one thing. Find the impossible.

This is the first book that I've read by Laurel Ulen Curtis, so I didn't really know what to expect. From the very beginning, I connected with Impossible and I think it was because it's about Roni and she's a storm chaser. I grew up in Oklahoma City with storm chasers and tornadoes being very familiar and our way of life. As crazy as storm chasers seem to outsiders, they are necessary during storm season and we've relied on their knowledge on more than one occasion. Anyhow, I connected quite quickly with the novel because of that. 

The story was one that surprised me on more than one occasion. I thought that I knew what was going to happen in quite a few of the situations in this book (you know how you think you know what is going to happen next and most of the time you're right?) but I was sorely mistaken quite a few times. There were many situations that took me by surprise and kept me on my toes with this one. I liked how the story was written, you're left a bit in the dark with the main character, Roni, as she searches for herself within these unfamiliar situations and feelings. It made the book read quite smoothly and scoot right along. 

Roni is the perfectly flawed character that I'm always searching for when I read. I like how she was so incredibly broken and you're right there with her as she tries to figure out herself, her past and her future. I think it's interesting to be there with a character at rock bottom and see where they are able to go from there and the author did a great job with that regression and progression. I also enjoyed Coleman Cade. A lot. I can't really pinpoint anything in particular that I loved because it was just about everything about him. (And the bonus scene at the end was AWESOME!! Major thanks to the author for including that.) 

There was one thing that I detested in this novel. Sweet baby Jesus, it drove me absolutely crazy. I know that people have phrases that they use all the time (sometimes ad nauseum) and this was one of those. I shit you  not, when I read this one word each of the 21 times that it was in the book, I wanted to smash my Kindle into oblivion. It was irritating and all together, too much. Too damn much. Roni said this phrase so much that it almost made me just put the book down altogether. That sounds silly, right? Well, I think it's because the phrase just didn't seem to mesh with the character at all. It didn't seem authentic and if the purpose was to keep Roni from cussing, I think that there would be other words that she could use because it made Roni sound like a 15 year old instead of the 30-something woman that she was. And no, I'm not going to tell you the word, you need to read the book and see if you pick up the same thing that I did. Hopefully it was just me being pissy and nit-picky. 

All in all, it was a great book and I'll read something else by this author, for sure. Well, as long as she doesn't use that damn word again. Holy cannoli. If I never read that word again, it will be too soon. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: One & Only (Canton #1) by Viv Daniels

One night they can't forget...

Tess McMann lives her life according to the secrets she's sworn to keep: the father who won't acknowledge her, the sister who doesn't know she exists, and the mother who's content playing mistress to a prominent businessman. When she meets the distractingly cute Dylan Kingsley at a prestigious summer program and falls in love, Tess allows herself to imagine a life beyond these secrets. But when summer ends, so does their relationship -- Dylan heads off to Canton College while Tess enrolls at the state university.

One love they can't ignore...

Two years later, a scholarship brings Tess to Canton and back into Dylan's life. Their attraction is as strong as ever, but Dylan has a girlfriend…who also happens to be Tess's legitimate half-sister. Tess refuses to follow in her mother's footsteps, which leaves her only one choice: break the rules she’s always followed, or allow Dylan to slip away for a second time.

...And only one chance to get things right.

 

I've never read anything by Viv Daniels before and I wasn't totally for sure what to expect. This New Adult genre is pretty diverse and you never really know what you're going to get when you crack one of these open. Thankfully, I was pretty impressed with One & Only. It was a bit deeper than I had suspected it would be and it read more like a contemporary romance novel than a New Adult. But is there really much difference in those two other than the age group of the characters? I'm beginning to suspect not. 

I enjoyed getting to know Tess and delving into her family life ... which was a disaster, by the way. Tess knows her dad but no one else (other than her mom) knows about her dad. Tess has been told from a very early age to never tell anyone about her father, who he is or anything. It's a bit like a fatherly fight club. The first rule of FFC is that you don't tell anyone about FFC. The second rule about FFC is that you don't tell anyone about FFC. It was a bit surreal, actually. She can't acknowledge her father in any setting, if she sees him outside of her house, she can't call him dad and a bunch of other things. It was wild. What kind of life is that for a kid? So many things happen in your childhood that your father should be involved in. This isn't a case of abandonment, no ... her father is in her life. This isn't a case of him not loving her, no ... he does. I've just never read a book with a situation in it like this and to say the least, it kept my attention. 

The whole thing with her dad is going on in the background of the story. At the forefront is her education and (of course) a boy, Dylan. I found it hard to not become attached to Dylan. He's a sweet and honest character that had this adorable sense of humor that never ceased to make me smile. I won't lie ... he pissed me the hell off at a couple of points in the story but that didn't last for long because he's such a sweet guy. 

The storyline was interesting. I didn't get bored or tired of reading about their science stuff when the book would geek out for a little bit. I really enjoyed the flow of the novel ... it wasn't slow in any parts and it kept up at a pretty quick pace for pretty much the entire read. I'm looking forward to getting some free time so that I can read the next novel in the series. I'd like to see how this story continues. And keep in mind ... there is an ending to this one ... it doesn't leave you hanging with the Tess and Dylan story but the next book does cover some of the secondary characters from this one. All in all, I really enjoyed this one and I'll be reading this author again. 

* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *

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Review: At Any Price (Gaming the System #1) by Brenna Aubrey

Achievement Unlocked: Geek Virgin

When Mia Strong, proud geek-girl and popular gaming blogger, auctions off her virginity online, she knows she'll make waves. But what she will not be making is a love connection. Her rules are set in stone: One night. No further contact.

It's a desperate step, but it's the only way she can go to medical school and pay her mother's mounting hospital bills.

Difficulty Level: Millionaire CEO

Adam Drake, the enigmatic auction winner, is a software prodigy who made his first million at seventeen. Now, in his mid-twenties, he's sexy, driven and--as CEO of his own gaming company--he's used to making the rules. Before Mia knows what's happening, he's found the loophole in the rules of her auction. Every stipulation she's made to protect her heart gets tossed by the wayside.

She can't tell if he's playing her...or if he's playing for keeps.

Mia believes that being a virgin is simply an inconvenience. She doesn't agree with the connotation of being a virgin and she will be more than happy when that part of "growing up" is done and she can focus on more important things in her life. So she decides to auction her virginity off to the highest bidder. Her bestie helps with drawing up a contract that includes several stipulations, the very most important being this is a one night situation ... nothing permanent will come from it and she will not have contact with the highest bidder after the act is over. Little does Mia know that this one little auction could change everything that she thought she knew and everything she thought she was. 

The idea behind this book was quite intriguing ... auctioning off your virginity? Pretty interesting. You know, this is the first book I've read by Brenna Aubrey and it most definitely will not be the last. I really enjoyed just about everything about this book except one thing, but I'll go over all of that later. 

The characters were some of my favorites that I've read this year. I felt an instant connection with Mia and her best friend Heath. I could understand where she was coming from due to her background and I found myself being super empathetic to her situation. Actually, I think that I enjoyed Heath's character about as much as I enjoyed Mia's. I'm really hoping that there is maybe more about Heath in the following novels ... it would be disappointing if there weren't because I would love to read more about this interesting fellow. Now on to the hero of the story ... Adam Drake. Dear, sweet, Adam Drake. Without giving away any spoilers ... the first scene with him in it is PERFECT. I just died and I knew that he's one of my favorite leading males of all bookish times. I just really liked everything about him and I hate to say anything more because you just need to experience this interesting man for yourself but I'll just say this ... you won't be disappointed and you better have room on your book boyfriend list for this dude because he will most definitely be on it. 

The storyline was fast paced (thank you, very much!) and it kept my attention quite well. Actually, I just chewed this book up like some ADHD riddled weed-eater. I was completely useless at home ... dishes didn't get done, laundry was piled up ... I was a total waste of space for about a day. But it was completely worth it!! I'll read this one again and probably soon.

OMG!! I totally forgot to talk about the one thing that I didn't like!! It's that this book isn't over ... there is more to the story and it's in the next book! Ugh. So incredibly frustrating!! There being a second book isn't really a bad thing ... it's just plain mean to break up a story (hint, hint all you authors out there!).

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Review: Venice in the Moonlight by Elizabeth McKenna

Considered useless by his cold-hearted father, Nico Foscari, eldest son of one of the founding families in Venice, hides his pain behind gambling, drinking and womanizing.

After her husband’s untimely demise, Marietta Gatti returns to her hometown of Venice in hopes of starting a new life and finding the happiness that was missing in her forced marriage.

When Fate throws them together, friendship begins to grow into love until Marietta learns a Foscari family secret that may have cost her father his life. Now, she must choose between vengeance, forgiveness, and love.

Elizabeth McKenna’s latest novel takes you back to the days of eighteenth century Carnival, where lovers meet discreetly, and masks make everyone equal.

 

Marietta is stuck in a horrible marriage that her father arranged when she was a young girl. Marieta's husband forces himself on her, cheats on her and abuses her. To make matters worse, her mother-in-law looks upon her disapprovingly because she hasn't produced an heir. Fortunately, Marietta escapes the grasp of the family she was married into and rushes to start a new life in Venice. Things aren't as they seem in Venice and that goes doubly for a dashing man she meets along the way ... Nico. 

I'm always nervous when I pick up a novel by an author that I'm not familiar with. I (selfishly) worry about wasted time and effort for a book that I just don't mesh with. But luckily, that wasn't the case with Venice in the Moonlight. I'm a big lover of historical romance novels, something about them is just enchanting to me. And this one did not disappoint. I found myself fairly invested in Marietta's life from the very beginning. McKenna has a way of endearing characters to the reader and making them feel like they are part of your family. And that is EXACTLY how I felt about almost all of the characters in this novel. I felt like I really knew them and that made me more attached and invested in the outcome of the story. 

I really enjoyed how the novel took place in Venice. It reminded me a lot of my trip through that captivating city which may have played a part in why I loved this novel so much. I could picture these places in my mind because of McKenna's on-point descriptions and it felt like I was right there again feeding the pigeons in the Piazza. I would bet that McKenna's imagery could help any reader place themselves in the center of Venice, not only just someone who had been there before. Before I go any further, I wanted to clarify a little bit. Were the descriptions too much? Did it take away from the novel? Did I find myself skipping because of the descriptions? The answer to all three of those with this novel is a resounding no. I didn't feel bogged down or bored or even find myself wishing that it was over already. Just like the depth of the characters, I found that the light descriptiveness just added so much more to an already fabulous novel.

Basically, I loved this book. I blew through it today and I just couldn't put it down. If you're a fan of historical romances, this is definitely one to add to your library.

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Review: Die For Me: A Novel of the Valentine Killer (For Me #1) by Cynthia Eden

Katherine Cole thought her fiance was the perfect man until he turned out to be the perfect killer. He left his victims stabbed through the heart holding a telltale single red rose and was deemed the Valentine Killer. Three years ago he vanished. Now he's back. And he's hunting the one who got away. In New Orleans, Katherine dared to hope she was finally safe, yet somehow he found her. This time, Katherine won't just sit silently by; she'll do anything to stop the monster she once loved, even trust the sexy cop promising to keep her safe? Detective Dane Black never lets his emotions interfere with the job, even as the Valentine Killer surfaces in New Orleans to stalk his prey. But when Dane agrees to protect the killer's ex-fiance, he can't ignore the passion kindling between them. After a single unforgettable night binds them body and soul, Dane won't rest until Katherine is safe in his arms and the Valentine Killer is dead.

 

This novel is the perfect example of a complex book with a complete and satisfying ending. All too often these days, authors are so keen on writing a series where the books totally leave you hanging at the end and you have to wait months and sometimes over a year for the next installment. I don't know about anyone else, but that is just so long to wait and the majority of the time, I totally forget about the whole damn thing and move on to other books and then I don't even realize when the next book comes out. Yes, this one is the first in a series, but it could be a stand-alone novel. Everything is buttoned up all nice and for me, that almost intensifies my reading experience. 

You've probably read the blurb on this one (or if you haven't, go ahead and read it) and let me tell you, the blurb makes you think that awesomely scary things are going to happen within these pages and it does not in any way disappoint. I love this whole romantic suspense genre and I can't seem to get enough of it (thanks a lot, Sandra Brown). Not very often do these romantic suspense novels actually meet my expectations ... I've just read so many of them that I've become a bit stingy with my ratings of them. I just expect too much sometimes, I guess. But not with this one. 

Die For Me is romantic and thrilling and gory and downright scary at times. It's not the "normal" type of book for this genre because it is so much more gory ... no one likes normal anyway, right? You're thrust into the nightmare life of Katherine Cole ... she was engaged to this diabolical monster and then he just vanished basically into thin air but THEN things start happening around Katherine and she thinks that he is back. DUDE! That's all you need to know. Go get the book. It really is good. Here's the deal ... if you like Sandra Brown, then pick this book up. If you like watching Criminal Minds or any shows like it, then pick this up. It will keep you on your toes from the very first page to the last period. And the ending ... the ending is awesome. 

Except. And here it is. The reason why this amazing book didn't get 5 stars from me. The ending is only mostly awesome. Here's how it went ... the book is chugging along (do doodo) when all of the sudden, BAM!! It turns into the movie Seven (or Se7en). If you've ever seen the movie Seven just think of the ending (WHAT'S IN THE BOX?!?) ... yeah. I don't want to say anything else because this really is a good book and you should totally pick it up but that's what I had a problem with. Anywhoo ... good read. For the most part. 

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Review: Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.

Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.

I used to be that person who read just a handful of authors. I never strayed from them. Ever. I think that I inherited that from my mom because she is the same exact way. Trying to get that woman to try out a new author when she still has some James Patterson to read? Not going to happen. And like I said, I used to be the same way but one day, something changed. I'm not sure exactly what it was but I wanted to try something out of the norm ... a new author, a new genre and it really paid off. Since then, I haven't stuck to my "safe choice" authors and I enjoy taking a risk and trying someone new. 

This time, it was super successful. I had never heard of Aimee L. Salter but when I saw the blurb for this book, I just had to give it a shot. Spoiler alert: It was really good and completely unexpected. I believe that this is Salter's first novel and that in itself made this reading choice a bit of a crap-shoot. I hate talking specifics about a book because I'm always afraid I will give something away but I'm going to be super careful this time. The whole idea behind this book ... looking into the mirror and seeing an older version of yourself who is trying to help steer you in the right direction without trying to tell you what to do ... was intriguing to say the least. I've never read anything like it and it totally worked.

While Every Ugly Word is incredibly sad since it has to do with extremely harsh bullying, it was also refreshing, uplifting and thought provoking. I dealt with bullying when I was younger ... nothing this extreme but it was bullying, none the less. If I could have let myself know that I would get through that time period and that what others think wouldn't matter in the end, that would have been nice to hear. When you are at that impressionable teenager, bullying can feel like it is never going to end and you're always going to be the butt of everyone's joking. This novel shows you that that isn't the case. It makes you think long and hard about each choice that is made and the repercussions that can happen due to every word that you say and every action that you make.

Anyway ... a bit of a derailment ... the book is really good. I found myself really pulling for Ashley at times and wanting to shake some sense into her during other times. She was that girl next door that you can't help but cheer on because she is that one girl in every school who is so incredibly talented and original that the kids pick on because she's different. I thought the way that she talked about her art was interesting and it made me wonder if the author was (or is) an artist because it seemed like something that was close to her for so much feeling to be put into the characters about it.

And OMG. I hate using that acronym but it is warranted here. The ending. That is all I'm going to say. Well, probably not ... but the ending is nothing short of AH-MAZING. I was completely surprised and thrown off and excited and sad and everything in between. It was the perfect ending for this book. Perfect.

I didn't really have any issues with Every Ugly Word except that it slowed down a bit for me at the end and that is the time when I wanted things to speed up a bit. It just lagged for me and that could be because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next ... I get a little impatient when a book is really good. I'm excited to see what else Salter comes out with and I'll be at the front of the pack to get my hands on it. 

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Review: Bully (Fall Away #1) by Penelope Douglas

My name is Tate. He doesn't call me that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he'll barely even speak to me.

But he still won't leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I've been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I'm done hiding from him now, and there's no way in hell I'll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It's time to fight back.

I'm not going to let him bully me anymore.

 

This is my first 5-star book this year and it was a super good one! I had first heard about this book a couple of years ago and it sounded awesome so I immediately put it on my To Be Read list. Unfortunately, when that list has about 700 books on it ... well ... things get lost in the mix. The other day, I saw one of my friends reading it and I put down what I was reading (which is super heavy and sad) and dove into this one. I sure am glad that I did!!

I've never read anything by Penelope Douglas before but I will most certainly read things by her in the future. She's one of my new favorite authors!!! Let's see ... why is she one of my new favorites? Because she writes a character that loves Seether, which happens to be one of my absolute favorite bands, EVER. She also writes a character that loves Die Hard and I adore those movies - I could watch them over and over and never tire of them. And most importantly, she writes characters so realistic that I feel like they are my close friends.

Speaking of characters, I really enjoyed watching the transformation that Tate and Jared went through in this novel. Getting to watch each of them grow individually and then towards and away from each other was just mesmerizing. I really couldn't get enough of it. Maybe that's why I blew through this novel in less than a day. Back to the characters ... they were deep. And by deep, I mean that they were really full and realistic characters ... you discover the back story and why they are the way that they are but it doesn't just get all thrown at you in the first couple of pages. You learn it as the story progresses and I've never really found a New Adult novel that is this in depth while keeping things interesting and not bogging you down with useless information.

The whole premise of the story was pretty interesting ... a girl and guy are close friends until one summer and then things change and the boy makes the girl's life a living hell. Reading the back and forth between Tate and Jared was entertaining and heart wrenching at the same time. You wanted to root for them but you didn't know if you should because was he bullying her? Was she bullying him? It was hard to figure out who was doing what and it made you read that much faster just so you could find out what was going to happen next.

I loved this one and while I want to dive right into the next book, I have other things that I should read. But I don't want to. I'll be getting back to this series soon to see if the others stack up to this one and I really hope that I'm not disappointed. Maybe I should just read this one again right now. It was that good!

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Review: The Face Transplant by R. Arundel

Dr. Matthew MacAulay is a Facial Transplant Surgeon at a prestigious New York hospital. His friend and mentor, Tom Grabowski, dies under mysterious circumstances. Matthew is forced to investigate. He uncovers his friend's secret. A new technique that allows perfect facial transplants. No incisions, no scars. The surgeon is able to transplant one person's face to another with the perfect result. Tom was able to accomplish this monumental feat with the help of Alice, a supercomputer robot with almost human abilities. While trying to find the people responsible for murdering his friend Tom, Matthew realizes he is the prime suspect. Matthew must flee for his life with the help of Dr. Sarah Larsson, a colleague and reluctant helper who has a secret of her own. Alice helps them make sense of a baffling series of seemingly unrelated events. Matthew is forced to undergo a facial transplant to hide his identity and help to uncover the truth. The clues carry Matthew and Sarah around the world. Matthew stumbles onto a sinister plot of monumental proportions, the real reason Tom was murdered. This discovery leads Matthew all the way to The White House with a dramatic conclusion. Matthew never wavers in his quest for the truth and perseveres against all the odds. He must race to stop a major catastrophe, ratcheting up the excitement until the thrilling conclusion. The Face Transplant is a powerful medical suspense thriller of the first order. The novel was written by a surgeon. The novel has a realism that only a surgeon can bring. The plot weaves politics, medicine and espionage into a tightly paced, intelligent thriller. The novels crescendos page by page to a totally unexpected conclusion.

What in the hell was that?!? I did NOT want to start my new year off like this but (Whoomp!) there it is. Haha ... that song jumped into my mind when I wrote "there it is" ... back on track ... let me just say this ... there was no "shocka locka" going on while reading this. I don't know what that means but it was part of the song that now won't get out of my head and if there were such a thing as shocka locka, I bet this book wouldn't have it.

When I first read the blurb on The Face Transplant, I should have known. I should have known that it was going to just really stink because of how much information was put into the summary!! Why in the world would you put all of the important parts of the book on the back?!? Why not leave something for a surprise? The only thing surprising about this novel is the fact that it didn't come with a refund. I know that sounds harsh but here's the deal ... as a reader, I want to be entertained. If I wanted to be bored out of my mind, I would read the dictionary. Now I do believe that I have an ARC version of this book and maybe a lot was changed before the final product was put out onto the market but the version I read was not good. At all. Oooh ... and I take offense to the phrase "crescendos page by page". Crescendo means increase. Increase means to become more. This most certainly did NOT crescendo.

I cracked this book open (metaphorically, since I read it on my Kindle) and the first thing that I read was this introduction or something titled The Beautiful Life. It felt like I was being preached at ... I don't have any clue what this had to do with the damn story. Then again, I will be honest ... I tried to finish this book and I just couldn't. I would rather try and scoop my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon and dirty bald eagle talons than read any more than my 109 pages that I tortured myself with. I hate leaving a book unfinished but in order to preserve my sanity, I had to chunk this one.

After the whole "Beautiful Life" debacle, I wanted to just get into the story. Thankfully, I found that the main character was boring as hell and not in a sexy/mildly-interesting way. He was boring. There's this one part at the very beginning when he is talking about maybe contracting three deadly diseases while he was operating on someone and you know what his response was? Was it freaking the hell out like any normal person? Or being upset? Or crying or wondering what the rest of his life might be like if he gets to live for much longer?!? No it was "WHAT A PITY". No sane person is going to have that kind of reaction if they were in that type of situation. It just won't happen.

The writing was unrealistic, stiff and extremely stilted. I could have been reading a textbook of some kind rather than this "thriller" for all the emotion that was in it. I don't think I'll be picking something up by this author ever again. Ever. Well, Whoomp, there it is.

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