Book Review: Digital Velocity (McAllister Justice #1) by Reily Garrett

The deadliest weapons are the ones we never see.

Keyboard prodigy, Lexi Donovan has risen from teenage orphan of the streets to complete independence with little help along the way. When a friend is threatened, Lexi’s anonymous message sends police into a firefight, leading to a wounded cop.

Detective Ethan McAllister’s well-ordered life turned upside down the day an obscure text message led to a sexual predator’s identity. Since then, Callouston PD’s finest can’t trace the elusive hacker. The latest tip leads him to a brutal mutilation and a riddle indicating the identity of the next murder victim.

The dark net houses a playground for the morally depleted and criminally insane. When Lexi discovers the killer’s digital betting arena, she finds herself centered in a cyber stalker’s crosshairs bearing equal talent.

Street life strengthened Lexi while toughening her protective shell, but nothing could shield her from the shrewd detective forging a path to her heart.

This is the first book I've read by Reily Garrett and while I jump into this one totally blind, I really didn't know what to expect on these pages. I found the blurb to be pretty interesting, so when the author asked me to give it a read, I jumped on it. 

The beginning of the book was a little slow for me and I think that it's because you're meeting multiple characters and you're caught in a game of catch up at first while you're delving into the plot. It's all completely necessary information but it did slow the book down a little bit for me. I found out after the fact that there is a novella that precedes this book. While I'm under the impression that it's not a "must read" for the series, I'm fairly certain that the back story included in that novella would have enriched what I was reading in this one and maybe make things seem more like a reintroduction rather than an overwhelming jumble. 

Now once you get into the book and past the beginning where you're meeting everyone, things do speed up. I was blowing through pages but then it slows down again and speeds up. I soon found myself on a literary roller coaster. Which made the book lag and then add in the fact that personally, it was just a little too descriptive and you have another lag. I just prefer to have a lot of excitement and a book that chugs along at a fairly quick pace. I'm pretty sure it's because I have to put down and then pick up whatever I'm reading multiple times throughout the day so I need something that chugs along quickly or I become lost and bored within the plot. 

The characters were okay. I really didn't have this massive connection to Lexi and like I said before, I'm pretty sure I would feel differently if I had read the novella. Apparently, that is where you get to know Lexi on a deeper level and really dive into who she is and what her motivations are. I did like Ethan but ... this will sound weird ... I liked him better when hew as with his brothers. When you first meet Ethan's brothers ... you'll fall in love with them immediately. I'm totally serious; all of them were absolutely fabulous and the camaraderie between them was wonderfully ornery and endearing. 

So when Ethan was with his brothers, the story came to life for me. 

When it comes down to it, I think that the reason this wasn't a five star book for me was because it was a little too descriptive for my tastes and I didn't really connect with the main characters. But those are all just personal things and this book is rated highly on Goodreads and Amazon, so don't take just my word for it.

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

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Book Review: Bottom of the Sky by Shae Ross

Tragedy set his course for revenge. One woman stands in his way.

John
The last thing I need is to be saddled with the on-the-run niece of the family I’m about to take down. Gianna Silva wants me to help her find her missing mother. But I’ve got bigger fish to fry—namely, her cousins Stefano and Santos Silva. I’m working on the inside, feeding information to the FBI, and I'm about to drop the net on their ring of counterfeiters. To keep Gianna out of my way, I’ve agreed to help her but under one condition: What I say goes. No questions. No pushback. I make the rules.

The problem is Gianna Silva doesn’t know the meaning of the word “rule” and she’s on to me. For two years, I’ve hidden my true identity behind a wall built from stone-cold revenge. I thought it was indestructible—especially against someone with the last name of Silva—the family I’ve vowed to destroy…

Gianna
If I could find my missing mom by myself I would, but the only enemies she’s ever had are my dead father and his powerful family. Confronting the Silvas alone is too dangerous. I need an insider who knows how to play their game. John Rossi, with his cool, bad-boy confidence and access to the family is my best hope. I’ve bargained away the last dollar in my savings account in exchange for his help, but I’m beginning to think I made a deal with the devil.

I didn’t expect his rules to include sharing a cabin—and a bedroom with him—northwest of Nowheresville. I don’t trust him, or my attraction to him. But to find my mom, I’ll break every one of his damn rules, regardless of the consequences…

 

I really went back and forth on my rating for this one ... I kept bouncing between three and four stars. The reason I kept wavering is because the beginning of the book did not keep my attention in the least. I actually started reading this book a couple of months ago and then put it down because I just wasn't feeling it. I wasn't attached to the characters, I wasn't attached to the story line or anything else in the story, for that matter. Sometimes I do get into a book funk and what I'm reading irritates me like nails on a chalkboard - since that's usually at no fault of the book, I have learned to just put the book down for a bit and then pick it back up later. Which is what I did this time. 

I still had that feeling at the beginning of the book - not connecting to anything - but once I delved deeper into the following pages, that feeling eventually dissipated. I ended up really enjoying Gianna and John. I liked the chemistry between these two and I found myself not so patiently waiting for their next heated interaction. There was a lot of push and pull between these two that made their exchanges exciting and extremely amusing. 

For the most part, I liked all of the characters. Except two ... Stefano and Santos. I could not keep these two dudes separate. I couldn't remember which was which to save my life. Even after finishing the book, if someone asked me which one was getting married in the book and they would give me a million dollars for the right answer, I couldn't tell you for sure. I would totally guess. And I would probably get it wrong. I don't know what it was ... Stefano and Santos seemed like a single entity to me. 

There were a few surprises that threw me for a loop. I figured some of them out before the secrets were revealed but a couple got me and that's always nice. For the most part, a pretty good book once my mind let me get into it. I'll probably pick up another book by this author - she writes a pretty nice suspense novel. 

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

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Book Review: Seeing Red by Sandra Brown

Kerra Bailey is a television journalist on the rise, and she's hot on the trail of a story guaranteed to skyrocket her career to even greater heights: an interview with the legendary Major Trapper. Twenty-five years ago, the Major emerged a hero from the bombing of the Pegasus Hotel in downtown Dallas when he was photographed leading a handful of survivors out of the collapsing building. The iconic picture transformed him into a beloved national icon, in constant demand for speeches and interviews--until he suddenly dropped out of the public eye, shunning all members of the media. However, Kerra is willing to use any means necessary to get to the Major--even if she has to wrangle an introduction from his estranged son, former ATF agent John Trapper.

Still seething over his break with both the ATF and his father, John Trapper wants no association with the hotel bombing or his hero father, and spurns the meddling reporters determined to drag them back into the limelight. Yet Kerra's sheer audacity and tantalizing hints that there's more to the story rouse Trapper's interest despite himself. And when her interview of a lifetime goes catastrophically awry--with unknown assailants targeting not only the Major, but also Kerra--Trapper realizes he needs her under wraps if he's going to track down the gunmen before they strike again . . . as well as discover, finally, who was responsible for the Pegasus bombing.

Kerra is wary of a man so charming one moment and dangerous the next, and she knows Trapper is withholding evidence collected during his ATF investigation into the bombing. But having no one else to trust and enemies lurking closer than they know, Kerra and Trapper join forces and risk their very lives to expose a sinuous network of lies and conspiracy running deep through Texas--and uncover who would want a national hero dead.

 

Sandra Brown is just IT for me. That's the easiest way to try and convey how much I love her books. Every. Single. Book is a massive hit for me. I always love them and usually, I pick them up totally blind - not having read the blurb or not. Not reading a blurb is completely crazy and not something I regularly do. But when you've written 978 books and I've loved every one of them, well ... there's no point reading a blurb when I could just pick up the book, right?

Anyway, so it was no surprise that when I got this one, I immediately dove into it head first. Then, I was shocked ... I had a hard time pushing through the first dozen or so pages. I'm talking, I felt as if I was in quicksand and with each word that I read, I was just being bogged down. That's a pretty heavy thing to say. One of my favorite authors writing a bad book? Absolutely not. But this book is about a bombing. I'm from Oklahoma City. My dad was a criminalist for the state at the time of the Murrah bombing and this book just hit REALLY close to home. It just took me a couple of days to wrap my mind around a book about that kind of horrific action and I kept picking up then putting the book down. 

That being said, when I finally got through the initial shock of the subject of this book, I absolutely adored it. The characters are absolutely flawless and you'll find yourself falling in love with both Kerra and Trapper just like I did. As with all Brown books, the plot moves swiftly and covers a lot of ground in just 300 short pages. There are tons of surprises and twists that I never saw coming and I was constantly kept on my toes with what was happening. I always have my ideas on how one of her books is going to go and then it ends in some unfathomable way that I just never even suspected. So the suspense was great and the romance portion didn't leave me wanting in any way either. The pages practically crackled with the sparks that kept shooting between Kerra and Trapper. 

Just like I say with every single Sandra Brown book that I read, I think that this one is my new favorite and there is no way that she can top this one. No possible way. I'm sure this will be proven wrong with whatever book she cranks out next. Thank goodness for Sandra Brown - she makes me fall in love with reading every time I crack open one of her books.

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

Available: August 15th, 2017

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Book Review: Feel Me Fall by James Morris

Emily Duran is the sole survivor of a plane crash that left her and her teenage friends stranded and alone in the jungles of the Amazon. Lost and losing hope, they struggle against the elements, and each other. With their familiar pecking order no longer in place, a new order emerges, filled with power struggles, betrayals, secrets and lies. Emily must explain why she's the last left alive.

But can she carry the burden of the past?

Discover the gripping new adventure novel that explores who we are when no one is watching, and how far we'll go in order to survive.

Lately, I've been really sticking to romance novels. It's not often that I've gone out of that genre in the past 6 months so when I was approached about giving this book a read, I was a little hesitant. Between it not being a romance and it being YA and a survival story ... I just didn't know what to think. But the blurb pulled me in and I knew that if I didn't read the book and learn what it was all about, it would haunt me. 

In the end, I'm glad that I decided to give it a chance. Throughout the entire book, my emotions were really on a crazy rollercoaster. I found myself hopeful, then sad, then sick to my stomach, then confused and around and around it went. I really didn't know what to feel at the end of the book. Did I like it? Did I not like it? I really didn't know. I finished this book two days ago and I've had to just set it aside for a while just so that I could really process what my final thoughts were. 

At the beginning, the abundance of characters was a little much. Then when you throw in the flashbacks to multiple different time periods ... I just honestly didn't know if I would make it through the book. It felt like these flashbacks were coming at you ninety to nothing and changing so fast that you can't get your bearings. After a while, the flashbacks grow on you and you start to realize why the story needed to be told the way that it was. And now, days later looking back on my reading experience, you realize that it was actually kind of genius. The story wouldn't have had the same impact on the reader if it wasn't written this way. 

The characters themselves were very well written. By the time I was finished reading the book, I felt like I really understood whom each of them were and I had a firm grasp on what made them tick and why. It's nice to read a YA book and have fully fleshed out characters to go on a journey with. 

Yes, I enjoyed the book. So why did I only give it four stars? Well ... it's because there were some parts that I just kind of skimmed over. For my reading preferences, it was just a little ... too descriptive at times. But that's just a personal thing and while it did detract from the story for me, it didn't ruin the novel for me. The story ends in a way that it seems like there might be a second book following it but it's nothing that really leaves you hanging ... it just opens a door and leaves you wondering. All in all, a pretty good book. 

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

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Book Review: Serenade (The Nightmusic Trilogy #1) by Heather McKenzie

Kidnapped and held hostage in the Rockies, a teenage heiress falls for her abductor while her corrupt father and devoted bodyguard fight to get her back. The discovery of true love and dark family secrets turns deadly in this epic coming of age adventure.

Kaya Lowen dreams of living like a normal eighteen-year old, but being heiress to a billion-dollar company has put her life in constant danger. Fiercely guarded by her powerful and corrupt father, she develops close bonds with those who protect her, especially Oliver a bodyguard who has proven his devotion to her time and again. He wins her heart - until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger has her questioning everything she believes in.

Haunted by true love and reeling from a guilty conscience, Kaya's world unravels when she's kidnapped. Held captive in a rugged wilderness fraught with raging storms, mystical caves and deadly predators, Kaya's father scours the forest and her bodyguard fights to get her back. But, the discovery of a dark family secret makes Kaya wonder if staying in the arms of her blue-eyed abductor, a captivating stranger with dark secrets of his own, is a safer place to be. At least, that's what her heart is telling her, her head is saying run...

An epic adventure centered on a smoldering love-triangle, Serenade sings a timeless tale of courage, self-discovery, and life-or-death love that will leave you breathless.

 

When I received this book (from who I think was an editor for Heather McKenzie), I really didn't know what to think. I don't really read Young Adult novels any more and when I saw that it was published by Clean Teen Publishing ... I REALLY didn't know what to think. What I DID know is that the blurb for this book was intriguing. Here's the deal, it's not any secret that I appreciate a well placed f-bomb or a steamy sex scene in a book. While I don't seek those things out when choosing a book, I also don't mind them. But the words 'clean teen' made me think that there would be scenes that were a bit watered down. Dude. Not the case. I didn't find this out until after I finished the book but Clean Teen is all about just letting the reader know what they will find within the pages - kind of like a rating on a movie. 

Anyway, onto the book. THE. BOOK. Holy crap. I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. And maybe I went into it with some preconceived notions but those were all shot down VERY quickly and I was able to immerse myself into the interesting life of Kaya. Kaya is this amazing girl that has been through so much yet, amazingly enough, it didn't kill her spirit. I think that she is a super strong character that needs to be seen more in Young Adult novels. 

I don't really want to get into any secondary characters because well, I don't want to ruin the twists and turns on these pages. But I will say this, as a reader, you're going to REALLY struggle with whom to support. The author did a great job of putting the reader through the push and pull of good and bad. Who is good and who is bad? Don't worry. Your alliance will shift quite a few times as you steamroll through Serenade. 

The story moves along quite swiftly but not jarringly so. It's just the perfect pace. I didn't find myself getting bored or skipping even a single sentence. It was a little shocking, how fast I flew through the words on these pages. I just couldn't get enough of Kaya and her life - how things were, how things became and what could be for her future, if there was one. It's nice getting to the end of the book and being left with absolutely NO questions about characters or the plot.

It's been a long time since I've enjoyed a romantic suspense this much ... probably since my last Sandra Brown and that is saying something. ESPECIALLY for a first book from an author. Are you kidding me?!? THIS is what you're coming out of the gate with? Geez. I'm in trouble. I'll be stalking library shelves indefinitely for this author - she had me hooked after the first page. Lifetime fan. SO good. 

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

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Book Review: A Merciful Death (Mercy Kilpatrick #1) by Kendra Elliot

FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been waiting her whole life for disaster to strike. A prepper since childhood, Mercy grew up living off the land—and off the grid—in rural Eagle’s Nest, Oregon. Until a shocking tragedy tore her family apart and forced her to leave home. Now a predator known as the cave man is targeting the survivalists in her hometown, murdering them in their homes, stealing huge numbers of weapons, and creating federal suspicion of a possible domestic terrorism event. But the crime scene details are eerily familiar to an unsolved mystery from Mercy’s past.

Sent by the FBI to assist local law enforcement, Mercy returns to Eagle’s Nest to face the family who shunned her while maintaining the facade of a law-abiding citizen. There, she meets police chief Truman Daly, whose uncle was the cave man’s latest victim. He sees the survivalist side of her that she desperately tries to hide, but if she lets him get close enough to learn her secret, she might not survive the fallout…

 

Before I really delve into this review, I need to tell you that I'm in the minority with my feelings on this book. Almost 1800 people have read this book as of right this moment and it's rated at almost 4.5 stars. So my one star rating is ... not common. 

After I finished this, I was a little surprised to find out that this was a romantic suspense. I mean, I must have known that at some point because I picked this book and romantic suspense is my favorite genre. But I completely forgot and this book didn't remind me with how it was written. I didn't get romance ... at all ... I mean there were parts ... but this wasn't the kind of romantic suspense that I'm used to, maybe. 

Or I guess it could be the fact that this book couldn't keep my attention. That's not a good thing. I shouldn't look forward to putting the book down. And I did. A lot. Now this book wasn't badly written, it just read very dry to me. The conversations were extremely stiff and almost robotic. The further I got into the book, it wasn't just the conversations that I found dry. It became everything. And once that hit ... it was all downhill from there. 

I didn't enjoy even one portion of this book. I didn't like Mercy or Truman and I couldn't have cared less what happened to them in the past or what was going to happen to them or if they were going to get together or what happened with the case that they were working on. This was just not a good fit for me this time. 

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

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Book Review: Deadly Omissions by Lauren Reign

Harper Sloan is a warrior. She’s survived the childhood from hell and clawed her way out on her own. But no amount of life experience could have prepared her for the heartache Colton would bring. He was the best man she’d ever dated, until he shattered that flawless image with his unthinkable deception. Colton is a liar, but so is Harper. And now her own secrets may have deadly consequences.

FBI agent Colton Brady made a choice. He faked his death, going undercover to save his best friend's life from a serial killer, but it cost him the woman he loves. When he learns Harper is involved with a dangerous loan shark, he forces his way back into her life. Harper may hate him, but there is no line Colton won't cross to protect her.

I seem to have read a completely different version of this book than everyone else or something. This book received super high ratings and I'm a little shocked by how much I just didn't get and/or like this book. 

One of the first things that I noticed was the fact that there was more talking about conversations than the characters actually having them. Basically what would happen is the characters would think about half of the conversation in an inner dialogue and then finish the conversation in a ... you guessed it ... actual conversation. It was very strange. I found that I wasn't getting to know the characters as much as I wanted to because about half of the time, you never got to experience them interacting with anyone else. Because of all of this, the book reads more like a monologue. 

The timeline in the book is also muddied beyond recognition. I have absolutely no clue how long it was between some of the scenes. It's insinuated that a long time has passed in some of the inner dialogues but it isn't always stated. It's difficult to get your bearings in a book when you feel like you're caught in a vortex of timeless space where no one talks to each other, they just think about it.

There were about 75 zillion characters that you have to keep up with. Unfortunately, they kind of just meld together after a little while. That's not good. All of the male characters seemed to be exactly the same, they just had different names and different women that they hovered around. Maybe it feels this way because there were 10 different stories going on at once and you were never able to fully invest into any of the story because there was so much going on. 

I'm not sure if there is a book that preceded this or what. I felt like I never fully understood why certain things were happening in the book or why characters were behaving the way that they were. In addition to so many things going on, there was tons of shit that was completely omitted. The characters would be at the beginning of a situation and then it would just skip over what happened and then the characters would vaguely touch on it later. HEY!! I want to read that shit! It's the entire reason I picked this book up - to read about this story that the blurb on the back of the book hinted at. I don't want stuff skipped over. 

The only reason this book got two stars from me is because there were hints of a good story in there. I liked the bones of the book but there was too much going on, too many characters that were too similar, main characters I barely knew, a ridiculously vague timeline and too much skipped over. If it weren't for that and a few more things, I would have liked this book. Not for me but there are a ton of people who just loved this. I don't understand what they saw that I didn't but I'm glad that they had a better reading experience than I did.

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

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Book Review: Unhinged (Unlikely Series #1) by J.B. Schroeder

Tori Radnor’s future is looking brighter after scoring a big break with her start-up venture. Mega-successful Aiden Miller has agreed to help. Although business isn’t the only thing drawing Tori to her new partner, she determines to keep it strictly business. She owes that to her teenager, after letting her almost-ex nearly destroy them. When she and her son become an elusive villain’s target, her carefully constructed plans begin to unravel. Is Aiden somehow involved—or is he the safest bet?

Aiden is facing a cross-roads personally and professionally when the police discover his Poconos store is part of a well-established drug ring. Alluring Tori and her employees are not complications he needs. And inexplicably, as his desire for the kind-hearted social worker increases, so does the danger—leaving protective Aiden is between a rock and a hard place.

As the villain’s taunts escalate into terrifying attacks, Tori and Aiden must confront their worst fears—before it all becomes Unhinged.

 

When I was approached by the author to read this book, I jumped on it. I'm always looking for new romantic suspense authors because it's my absolute favorite little genre. Anyway ... you never really know what you're going to get when you read a new (to you) author and this one most definitely did not disappoint. 

Right off the bat, there were exciting things happening within the pages of this one. I immediately loved Tori and her son and that fact alone built up a lot of momentum getting into the book. When you love characters that an author has created, you just want to keep reading! Speaking of characters ... I did have a bit of a back and forth thing going with the antagonist of the story. Here's the deal ... the first (approx) half of the book, you don't know ANYTHING about the antagonist. You don't know if they are male or female, you don't know how old they are or what their name is ... like I said, NOTHING. Now that's not a bad thing, but it does make it a little difficult to form that character in your head when you're reading. That being said, if I had the power to change this, would I? Absolutely not. The mystery surrounding the bad dude/dudette really ratchets up the suspense and I found myself loving every second of the mysterious psycho plaguing these pages. But it did throw me off a bit, and it was worth mentioning. 

I think that the way that this story came together quickly shot the book up to the top of my favorites list. There are quite a few things going on but the fast paced way in which it was written doesn't leave you feeling weighed down with all of the details that you'll find yourself quickly consuming. There were a couple of things that the characters talked about needing/wanting to do and then you don't really know if that happened or not but it doesn't detract from the story too much. 

All in all, I adored this book and I'm excited to see what the next book in the series has to offer because this one was buttoned up pretty tightly! I can't believe how lucky I was to get asked to read this one. Great author, great book and now I'm a lifelong fan. 

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

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Book Review: Billionaire Blackmail (Billionaire Blackmail #1) by Alison Aimes

After a childhood spent on the streets, ruthless billionaire Nik Valenti has had his share of dealing with crooks. He thought that was behind him. Until the woman he's been casually dating turns out to be the biggest con artist of them all. Now, with pride, money, and his company's survival at stake, he won't rest until she's experienced his own brand of justice.

Sara Turner knows she's no angel, but a few deliberate omissions...well, compared to the rest of her family, that's choir girl behavior. But now the one man whose heart she'd hoped to steal is accusing her of embezzling from his company. Worse, he wants answers. And he's come up with a foolproof way to ensure he gets them. One Sara must accept if she doesn't want to end up in jail.

Nik might be trying to save his company, but he has a tough time ignoring the way Sara makes him burn. The passion between them is all-consuming, and each time he peels away a layer, he discovers there’s more to her than first meets the eye, but he can’t give in to his need. Nik will put everything on the line to find the truth...except his heart.

 

I have to say, this was a pretty good start to a series! I've not read anything by Aimes before but after looking at the books under her belt, I'm a bit intrigued by her sci-fi romance series. 

Romantic suspense is kind of my go-to genre. They are what I  enjoy reading the most and let me tell you, not all authors can handle both the intrigue AND the romance. Usually one or the other is an author's niche and then that part comes out shining while the other is lagging behind like a sad dog on a leash. But Aimes did pretty well with both! I was pleasantly surprised. New (to me) authors are always a crap-shoot when you first pick up a book by them.

I loved the story line, it grabs you from the very first sentence of the book. There were quite a few things going on at first and it did feel a bit weighty but the further you got into the book, the more everything started to fit together nicely. It was still a lot going on though. 

Thankfully, since the storyline was pretty busy, the characters were stout enough to pull everything together. I walked away from this book really knowing and understanding why each character was the way that it was and what their part in the story was and why they needed to be included. I'm kind of excited to see who would be the focus in the next story ... I have my top picks but we'll have to see.

Now the bad dude. I like not being able to pick out the villain but sometimes, it happens. I actually knew who it was pretty quickly this time. And that's okay ... it was fun seeing if I was going to be right but who are we kidding, I'm a mom. So I'm always right. Right? More often than not, being able to pick out the bad guy can just ruin a book because you already figured everything out in your head and there's no fun in that. This time, I was still able to really enjoy the book because there were so many other twists and turns and the bad dude was a lot worse than I had first anticipated. 

So ... great book, great new (to me) author and an interesting series. I can't wait to see what happens next! This one is a fast moving page-turner, so be ready to lose some hours in your day!

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

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