Tag Archives: review

March 17, 2013 · 12:00 pm

Private Berlin by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Book Review)

 

Private, the world’s most respected investigation firm, has branches around the world, each staffed with the smartest, fastest, and most advanced agents, who have cutting-edge forensic tools that not even the most powerful governments possess.

At Private Berlin, agent Chris Schneider has disappeared. Chris had taken a secretive personal leave and hadn’t spoken to anyone from the office in days. The Private team retraces his footsteps to the cases he was investigating before his disappearance: a billionaire suspected of cheating on his wife, a world-famous soccer player accused of throwing games, and the owner of a seedy nightclub. They were the last people to see Chris—and they’re all suspects. And someone is lying.

The Private team is led to an abandoned Nazi slaughterhouse where all hope vanishes. As Private digs further into Chris’s past, a terrifying history is revealed, and they begin to suspect that someone very dangerous and very depraved is responsible for Chris’s disappearance. And he’s not finished in Berlin. PRIVATE BERLIN has more twists, action, and deception than any other James Patterson thriller ever.

The latest in the Private Novels had not one, but three mysteries weaved together to keep the readers engaged. Two of the cases investigated by the Private team were not that hard to figure out. Maybe it’s too many hours of watching crime shows such as Criminal Minds that made figuring out the conclusions relatively easy. 

On the other hand, the case of Private agent Chris kept me more on my toes. My heart broke for Mattie when she found Chris’ body covered by rats and again at the funeral during her eulogy. (His death is not a spoiler due to the fact his body is discovered very early on.) 

For the horrors the mothers and their children endured at the hand of Falk is unimaginable. He was a vile creature. However from our history books, we know that many monsters exited in the world back then and still do today. That, in itself, is a scary thought. 

 

Heart rating system:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)

Score: ❤❤❤❤

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March 10, 2013 · 12:00 pm

The ‘Lexi Steele’ Series by Cheyenne McCray (Book Review)

Includes The Edge of Sin by Cheyenne McCray


Blurb: Zane Steele lives a life of extraordinary danger as a government agent an has never let anyone get too close. Then he sees the one woman who will change his life forever

 
 
Reviewing only Cheyenne’s contribution:
Cheyenne hooked me from page one with the ice cream scene. As I was reading it, I had a hankering to make a trip to the local ice cream parlor. The restaurant sexcapade was funny and sexy. I like how C.M. stated the bathroom was clean. It would have to be squeaky clean for me to get busy in one. 🙂

The rest of the short story was just as hot and didn’t lack in funny moments. There was a brief encounter with some bad guys but that was quickly wrapped up and the story ended on a funny/sweet moment. 

 

 
Heart rating system 
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

 

An Elite Partnership
Alexi Steele is determined, relentless, and driven to protect the innocent. She’s a top agent of the NSA’s clandestine Recovery Enforcement Division, specializing in human trafficking and sex crimes. Her current mission: To infiltrate the inner circle of Boston’s exclusive S&M clubs in order to save young women who are about to be auctioned off to the highest bidders. But Lexi’s only way in is under the control of her new partner in crime, Nicholas Donovan.

An Erotic End Game
Nick will do whatever it takes to bring down the billionaire sex-ring mastermind who’s kidnapped his sister. But the games he must play as Lexi’s dominant are burning away his icy control, and blurring the lines between partners. Meanwhile, their enemies are closing in as they enter a devastating race against time…bringing them dangerously close to THE FIRST SIN.

 
~Quick Thoughts~
 
The emotional and physical torment Steele, Kristen, and the numerous unnamed ladies of the story went through was heartbreaking. I couldn’t imagine being in their predicament for a solitary minute. Unfortunately, human trafficking/sex slave rings are not a thing of fiction even though this story was one. 


Internally, I was screaming and clapping when Steele got her revenge on Cabot. Cheered louder when Kristin got the upper hand on the Professor. I wish all ladies and gents in their position were so lucky. 
 
 
Heart rating system 
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

BUY THE BOOK: IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

 

 

They are Bound by Duty and Desire

As an undercover agent for the NSA’s Recovery Enforcement Division, Alexi Steele is no stranger to the ways and means of the country’s most notorious sex criminals. Still, she’s never seen anything quite like this. Girls from across the globe are being recruited for a modeling competition in New York City, only to end up as enslaved prostitutes. Now it’s up to Lexi and her partner—and lover—Nicholas Donovan to infiltrate the operation.
Will Their Fight for Justice Tear Them Apart?
Finding the mastermind behind the sex trafficking is only one half of the challenge. The other is Nick. Even though she has always trusted him, Lexi can’t help but wonder whether he’s keeping something from her—a shocking secret from his past on the Special Forces unit. Meanwhile, time is running out for the victims—and Lexi may be forced to do the unthinkable to see that the job is done.


~Quick Thoughts~
In this installment, Lexi and Donovan are still on the hunt for Hagstedt, the head honcho. I won’t spill if they ride the world of him or if he evades capture. What I will say is, this story is action packed and violent. But like the last story, one major woman fights back. Dasha was horribly abused but in the end, she becomes the hero. How? Read the story and you’ll discover the answer. 

Trust me, you won’t be able to put this story down once you get started on it. 

Luckily for us, we don’t have to wait a year to read the next installment. It’s already out!  

 
Heart rating system 
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

 

 

Special Agent Lexi Steele is an operative with RED—the Recovery Enforcement Division, a highly secretive offshoot of the NSA. Her sexy, too-hot-to-handle partner, Nick Donovan, not only ends up in her bed but also gets inside her in a way no man has ever done before.

Lexi and Nick are on the trail of Karl Bachmann, a criminal mastermind who deals in sex slavery. To Lexi’s shock, her team is ordered to pull back. Despite the horrendous crimes Bachmann has committed, they are forced to stop their investigation. Lexi is furious—why would the government let a criminal like Bachmann get away?

Bachmann is out for revenge and is bent on destroying Lexi. When her family is targeted, it’s a run against time as Lexi and Nick search for a missing family member and the man behind it. They find themselves in a web of deceit and betrayal that goes to the very core of the U.S. Government itself.

In the midst of all the turmoil, Lexi fights her emotions for Nick, a distraction she can’t allow. Nick wants her trust and her love…something she doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to give.

The clock is ticking. Time is running out.

 

~Quick Thoughts~ 

Even though Nick and Lexi were the main characters of the book, the shining star of this installment had to be Rory, Steele’s sister. That girl went from a mouse to a lioness in two seconds flat. Way to go! 

I liked the brief moments when Ryan, Lexi’s brother, and Georgina were near each other. There was a noticeable connection between them so I’m hoping Cheyenne writes their story next. I’m dying to know why Georgina’s eyes were so haunted after she delivered vital intel to the team. Yup, there’s a backstory there. Write it up. Please. 

The ending of the book….. it was very sweet. 

 

Heart rating system 

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤

BUY THE BOOK: Pink Zebra | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

 

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March 3, 2013 · 1:00 pm

Wicked All the Way by Shayla Black (Book Review)

 
Retired military colonel Caleb Edgington has spent two long years trying to achieve the most important mission objective of his life—but not behind enemy lines. He’s trying to capture a woman with a broken heart. Having lost at love once, he understands being gun shy. The residual fears from Carlotta Buckley’s nasty divorce have stood between them, but he’s done with that. And he’s got the perfect strategy to lure her in…

Carlotta never thought she’d fall in love again. Once bitten, she’s now more than twice shy. And Caleb is everything she can’t handle—fierce, relentless, uncompromising…sexual. She’s managed to mostly avoid him, but now his son and her daughter need their help. Can Caleb and the spirit of the season convince her that she’s ready to take a chance on love again?

 

 

Outside of paranormal romances, I haven’t read or seen many erotic stories centered around people over the age of 50. I’m sure they are out there, but I’m simply not aware of any. 

In the 100+ pages, Shayla did a marvelous job of bringing Caleb and Lotta’s love to life. She showed passion doesn’t stop at 20-40 and it shouldn’t. 

The only section I wasn’t quite “feeling” was the usage of Hunter’s dungeon. For me, it was like “doing it” in your kid’s bedroom. I’ll pass!  

Besides that one snafu, I liked the story very much. 

 

Heart Rating System 

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 

Score: ❤❤❤❤ 1/2

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February 17, 2013 · 1:00 pm

Last Kiss Goodnight by Gena Showalter (Book Review)

 

THE SWEETEST TEMPTATION…


 Black ops agent Solomon Judah awakens caged and bound in a twisted zoo where otherworlders are the main attraction. Vika Lukas, the owner’s daughter, is tasked with Solo’s care and feeding. The monster inside him yearns to kill her on sight, even though she holds the key to his escape. But the human side of him realizes the beautiful deaf girl is more than she seems—she’s his.

THE ULTIMATE PRICE…

 Vika endures the captives’ taunts and loathing, hoping to keep them alive even if she can’t free them. Only, Solo is different—he protects her. But as hostility turns to forbidden romance, his feelings for her will be used against him…and he’ll be put to a killer test.

 


Once again, Gena has created a home run hit with the first book in the new “Otherworld Assassin” series.
I was glued to these pages, had to find out how Vika and Solo finally escaped the dreaded Cirque de Monstres. And, what a battle they had on their hands – black magic, cuffs that held many debilitating  functions, and more than one villain. 
Through all this, they found strength in each other and love. 
Bloody brilliant read! 

Book Two debuts – (November 2013)
 
Heart rating system:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
 
 

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February 10, 2013 · 1:00 pm

A Love Untamed by Pamela Palmer (Book Review)

 

They are called Feral Warriors—an elite band of immortals who can change shape at will. Sworn to rid the world of evil, consumed by sorcery and seduction, their wild natures are primed for release . . 

The newest member of the elite Feral Warriors brotherhood, Fox is eager to prove himself on the frontlines of battle against the Daemons. When paired with the legendary Ilina warrior Melisande, he expects the fierce beauty to quickly fall under the spell of his quite considerable charm. Instead, he finds himself spellbound by a woman who’s his match in every way.

Beneath Melisande’s brittle exterior lies centuries of pain and a violent hatred of all shape-shifters—a hatred that slowly crumbles after she and Fox are caught in a deadly and cunning Mage trap and she glimpses a surprising depth in her far-too-seductive partner. Their survival demands unconditional trust—and their salvation surrender to a wild, untamed love.
 
 
 



Out of all the series I read, and I read a ton, this one is definitely a series I’d love see hit the big screen. The action scenes would be epic with the strides Hollywood has achieved in special effects. 

In this tale, the Feral Warriors are on the hunt to reclaim their stolen Radiant. Fox and Mel, both determined not to fall in love, do in fact fall hard for each other. They tried to deny their feelings, more her than him, but when you find your mate… your heart can’t help but open up. 

Their first love scene was sweet and heart-breaking. The one following it was passionate. Would I recommend this story to others? Hell yeah! 

 
Heart rating system:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
 

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