New Review! Dark Corners by A.M. Madden, 5 Cranky Stars

Dark Corners by A.M. Madden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



***** 5 Cranky Stars *****

"A real hero can protect and serve, but a true hero knows how to love."



David Cavello is out of the Army now, but the Army isn't out of him. He has seen the casualties of war, been witness to the loss and destruction and is now suffering from PTSD. He is trying to find his place in the world but his demons haunt him relentlessly.



There's one thing that actually quiets his demons and he just happened to knock her on her butt while spilling coffee all over her.



Maygen Whitney is a very independent woman. She's worked hard in the fashion industry so that she can eventually start her own line of clothing. Having lost her mother at a young age has made her father take his overprotective tendencies to the extreme. One chance meeting, running into a wall of muscle and the eyes attached change everything. Can chemistry and a strong connection defeat betrayal?



This series has everything. AM Madden brings the suspense along with the heat. Her characters are strong willed and free thinking. You won't find any wilting flowers here. What you will find is a book that will captivate you from page one and keep you enthralled and wanting more by the end.



This is a highly recommended series that this reviewer would gladly give more stars if I could.

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New Review! Rise by Luis Almonte, 3.5 Cranky Stars

Rise by Luis Almonte
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



*** 3.5 Cranky Stars ***

Alexia is the middle child of a family of witches and her parents were their coven’s high priest and priestess, which meant a lot of expectations, surrounded Alexia, her older brother, Ryan and her younger sister, Sam when it came to their craft.



Every witch had to pass a test called the Pre-Trials to qualify to the Annual Trial which is an important rite of passage in the witching world. It’s not determined by age but rather the mentor who trains young witches nominates their charge when they think they are ready. All three were nominated and would face the Pre-Trials at the same time.



The story reminded me of several different popular books out there: Divergent, Hunger Games, Harry Potter and a bit of Twilight. The witches live among the humans in secret. Aside from training for the Trials, Alexia has to go to high school and be involved in high school life and drama while keeping her other life hidden as it’s forbidden to disclose their existence to non-magical people.



Then another set of supernatural beings turned up and muddled the waters a bit more.



I liked the story but there were so many subplots embroidered into it that made falling in love with it difficult. There were also a few inconsistencies in the plot I would rather not say to avoid spoilers.



Granted, Alexia is only fifteen years old and the unwillingness of the adults to disclose vital information to the teens could explain all the bad decisions she made throughout the book. Let’s hope that book 2 will step up a notch.

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New Review! Out of Love by RC Bolt, 4 Cranky Stars

Out of Love by R.C. Boldt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Foster Cavanaugh, the vagina whisperer, is a former Navy Seal. He's broody and sarcastic and owns a private security consulting firm with other members of the armed forces ranging from a Green Beret to a paratrooper.



He's never without his Belgian Malinois, Harley who is his service dog of sorts. He hired Noelle Davis as his office manager.



Noelle had a bad former relationship and this job was her reinvention at life. She immersed herself into this ragtag group of misfits and became one of them. All the while Noelle and Foster have been having lusty thoughts about each other. Where could this go wrong?



The whole I'm not good enough for you so ill let you go troupe has been done a million times and I really want a character that feels they are good enough despite flaws. Noelle and Foster have an island of secrets and flaws. Seriously, buy them a boat.



Anyway I did enjoy this book. They were genuine people who had some awesome sarcastic banter. Their sexual chemistry was steamy. I kind of felt at times it did drag a little and I think I wanted the main drama to be a little more. All in all as a whole it was a good book and I hope to see more of Foster and Noelle.

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New Review! The Stalker by Marina Martindale, 3 Cranky Stars

The Stalker by Marina Martindale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



*** 3 Cranky Stars ***

He's out there. Everywhere I look he's there.



Rachel has lived with a stalker for years. She's closed out all of her social media and he still manages to find her. He knows everything about her. He contacts her job, her friends and her family. She lives a life constantly looking over her shoulder.



Shane is reacquainted with Rachel at their high school reunion. He gets a front row seat to the Crazy that is Craig Walker, Rachel's stalker. It takes a lot more than that to scare Shane off.



The storyline is great and has potential. I think that this book was long and could have been split into 2 books. At times it felt as if the details were taking over and I wish that some parts could have been left to the reader's imagination.



I do see great potential with this author and look forward to reading more.

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New Review! Pop Rock by Charity Ferrell, 4.5 Cranky Stars

Pop Rock by Charity Ferrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



***** 4.5 Cranky Stars *****

Knox Rivers is a musical bad boy. He dances, sings, plays guitar and even writes his own songs pair that with a killer smile and you have one dangerous boy on your hands. Ladies swoon and throw their unmentionables at him. He lives the life.



Yet he's not all heart throb and one night stands. He gives to multiple charities and visits children's hospitals whenever he can.



Knox grew up in a life that was barely scraping by. Struggling for his next meal for him and his brother he was lucky to have a grandma that stepped in when she could. Evelyn gave Knox his first guitar and as they say the rest is history.



He's only had one serious relationship in his life and it was very on again and off again. Stella would use him to make her look good in the public eye. She was a model and very manipulative.



Libby Graves is the princess of rock. Her dad is a world famous rockstar who made some bad decisions that lead him to jail and Libby struggling for money. She sells most of her stuff and lives with her best friend in order to pay for college. She's adjusting and doing it very well. A family friend named Thomas offers her a job as Knox Rivers' assistant. She's reluctant at first because past experience has gave her epic trust issues when it comes to rock stars.



They embark on a USA tour that has lots of dressing up in disguise and Friends marathons on the tour bus. Libby becomes good for Knox's image and of course sparks fly. Due to trust issues you can see where this will go. These two will go on a rollercoaster of emotions and steamy sex.



I really enjoyed this book. Knox wasn't a typical rock star in the sense he was more in my opinion a Justin Timberlake. Libby at times annoyed me with her inability to commit. All her excuses were exhausting. Also lets talk about the constant comments about Knox and his kitty eating ( i'm trying to put this in polite terms people). It was like ok he was good at it but to mention it that often was a bit overkill.



It seemed at the end we tried to rush it and wrap it up in a pretty package and there was some spelling errors that I'm not sure were overlooked or it was a rush job. The story was good it made me happy and made me laugh. I can't wait to see what future books this lady puts out.

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New Review! My Friends Are All Strange by Margaret Lesh, 4 Cranky Stars

My Friends Are All Strange by Margaret Lesh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



**** 4 Cranky Stars ****

I found the first few chapters of the book strange and silly and suspected that the author might have been on some kind of mind altering drug, until I realized that she was describing the leading character's mental breakdown...



17 Year old Becca maintains a 4.6 GPA as well as being Chief Editor of her school paper, besides that she still has not fully processed the death of her father two years previously. The pressure becomes too much and she suffers a mental breakdown in the high school cafeteria. She awakens to find herself in Brookside, a psychiatric care facility specifically for teens and young adults with psychiatric issues.



This is the story of Becca's journey to wellness and the relationships that she forges with other residents of the facility.



Aimed at YA I strongly recommend that this book be read by teachers and parents who place pressure on young people to achieve more and more. This book was an eye opener for me.



I award 4 stars to this offering.

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Media Blitz! Seaside Whispers by Melissa Foster

Seaside Whispers
Melissa Foster
(Seaside Summers)
Publication date: November 30th 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance

Having a mad crush on her boss’s son, Matt Lacroux–an intriguing mix of proper gentleman and flirtatious bad boy–is probably not the smartest idea for single mother Mira Savage. Especially when the company, and her job, is already on shaky ground. But as a Princeton professor, Matt’s life is hours away from Mira’s home on Cape Cod, keeping him safely in the fantasy-only zone. And as a single mother to six-year-old Hagen, with a floundering company to save, fantasies are all she has time for.

With hopes of becoming dean off the table, and too many months of longing for a woman who lived too far away to pursue, Matt’s publishing contract couldn’t have come at a better time. He heads home to Cape Cod on a brief sabbatical, intent on starting his book, and finally getting his arms around sweet, seductive Mira.

A surprise encounter leads to white-hot passions and midnight confessions. The more time Matt and Mira spend together, the deeper their relationship grows, and the love and attention Matt showers on Hagen is more than she has ever dreamed of. But Matt’s sabbatical is only temporary, and Mira’s not saving his father’s company so she can leave it behind. Will their whispers of love be enough for one of them to change their life forever?

Seaside Summers is a series of stand-alone romances that may also be enjoyed as part of the larger Love in Bloom series.

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Author Bio:

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance (M/F, M/M, F/F), romantic suspense, thrillers, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa's emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented. Her books have been recommended by USA Today's book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the World Literary Café. When she's not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success.

Melissa has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Her interests include her family, reading, writing, painting, friends, helping others see the positive side of life, and visiting Cape Cod.

Melissa is available to chat with book clubs and welcomes comments and emails from her readers. Visit Melissa on Facebook or her personal website.

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