Short and Sweet Reviews on Road Trip Reads

I read a lot on my trip but did not do any reviews.  I decided to do short and sweet reviews on all the Netgalley book I read for review.  Here is the list.  No links, no covers just short reviews posted here and on Goodreads.

The Brigadier’s Runaway Bride by Erica Ridley – It seems that a return from the dead does not mean a happily ever after for Edmund and Sarah. There is till love on both sides so there is a HEA.

Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark – Just did not see the point of this one.  It was all backstory and world building and then it was just like the author got tired of writing and just quit.

Good Earl Gone Bad by Manda Collins – Easy to read with a familiar story line.  Another won at cards romance but with a twist. Well done with some interesting twists.

A Winter Wedding by Brenda Novak – There is a new love story in Whiskey Creek.  Novak keeps up the tension in another romance that seems doomed to fail.  Of course that is not going to happen in Whiskey Creek

The Colton Bodyguard by Carla Cassidy – A good addition to the series.  Each author does a great job keeping everything on track.

Primal Force by D.D. Ayres – Book three in the K-9 Rescue series this is another great story with two wounded people who connect because of a service dog.  Good addition to the series.

Christmas in Mustang Creek by Linda Lael Miller – A new character with a good story line.  Another fun romance for Miller fans.  Look for Mrs. Llozz and see who you think she is.

Evergreen Springs by RaeAnne Thayne – New addition to this series.  The story is a great fit and the characters are interesting.  I liked Thayne’s previous series and this one is shaping up to be just as good.

The Last Chance Christmas Ball by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Joanna Bourne, Particia Rice, Nicola Cormick – Each author did a very good job with each short story.  Each had good characters.  Each was a short story and there were no wasted words in any.  Great for when you want a quick satisfying read.

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn – Raybourn has another winner. I was kept guessing the entire book.  The clues were there.  Everything from the plot to the back-story added to the mystery.

Heirs of Empire by Evan Currie – Currie writes exciting stories and Heirs of Empire is a good example.  There is danger, tension, and betrayal mixed with an interesting plot and great characters.  It has a lot of interesting concepts that make it Sci-Fi but not Space Opera.

Wish Bound by J. C. Nelson – Book three in the series.  I found that I was a little lost as I had not read book 2.  Even so a good story that continues to keep the world building and back story going while moving the series forward.

Protecting the Colton Bride by Elle James – Those Colton just keep finding trouble while falling love.  Very nice series where each story is written by different authors and everything still holds together.

Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood – Great story.  Every action has an reaction and that is the basis of Inherit the Stars.  Asa is the main character and I loved the fact that her actions were always about others.  This is character driven with twists and turns in every chapter. 

 

 Fool's Quest by Robin Hobb – This was a Did Not Finish.  I just could not get into the story this time.

Four Short and Sweet Reviews

I carried four physical books from my TBR pile with me on my month long trip and read all four.  Here are the Short and Sweet reviews for each.

Abracadaver by Laura Resnick – An Esther Diamond Novel, I love Esther and Connor her sometimes boyfriend.  This time they are off to another unusual adventure and again Connor just cannot accept what is going on right in front of him.  Great addition to the series.

The Thorn of Dentonhill by Marshall Ryan Maresca – A Novel of Maradaine,  I picked this one up because I loved A Murder of Mages set in the same world.  I was disappointed.  The Thorn of Dentonhill  did not catch me like his other series did.  I am still not sure where the series is going.   I will try book two.

The Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato – A Clockwork Dagger Novel,  A two book series which is unusual.  It was an exciting story with great characters.  There is a very satisfying ending. 

The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin– a SPI Files Novel,  A nice start to a new series.  I loved the background of  the main characters.  The world building and character development are right on target.  The back-story adds to the plot.  Book two is already out.  Guess my TBR pile will continue to grow.

4000 Miles of Listening

I have been off on a trip where I drove over 4000 miles.  I listen to books on CD from my library all the time and load up when I am going on a really long trip.  Here are the book I listened to this trip.

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase – I read this one a long time ago and listened to it again several years after.  It is one of my favorites.  Dane is such a hoot and Jessica is his perfect match.   The story is great, the dialog really funny.  All in all a keeper.

Singularity Sky by Charles Stross – This is one that I will listen to but would never read.  Like all of his Science Fiction it is filled with unusual characters and situations.  It was interesting to listen too.  The ending was open ended and I wonder if there is a secquel with the same two main characters.  I just saw that it is book one in a series on Goodreads so there is more to come.

The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop – This is part of The Black Jewels series.  I got hooked on Bishop with her Courtyard series.  I liked the story.  Lady Cassidy is a great character and just what was needed to bring Dena Nehele back to its former greatness.  Of course there were some who did not agree.

Spider Woman’s Daughter by Anne Hillerman – She is continuing ther father’s series using some of the same characters.  I found the story interesting but a little slow.  This is the first book and so a lot of backstory is included. That slowed the story line down a lot.  

The Skull Throne by Peter Brett – Book four in the series it seemed to just quit with no resolution at the end.  There will be plenty to cover in the next book.  Lots of information and character development.  It is truly a middle book.

Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton – This is an early Hamish Macbeth Mystery.  I have read and listened to these out of order.  Once again Hamish is the one to solve the murder but he wants to stay where he is so someone else gets the credit. 

Machines of the Little People by Tegon Maus Virtual Tour and Ggiveaway

Machines of the Little People

by Tegon Maus

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BLURB:

When Ben Harris' sister passes away, her husband, Roger Keswick, is mysteriously absent from her funeral. It's not until 6 months later that Ben is pulled back in to Roger's life, only to find that he's moved on. His new wife may be called Jessica, but she's the spitting image of Ben's sister. Things escalate when Roger claims there's a factory under his house run by little people called the Katoy.

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EXCERPT

"What was the problem, Roger?  Why are they here?" I asked, still trying to figure out what had happened to make him call the cops.

The officer shifted uncomfortably, staring at the ground but said nothing.

"Roger?  Why are they here?" I asked, pulling him by the arm, turning him to face me.

"I heard voices under the house," he said flatly.  It was clear his mind was struggling with it.

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"I heard voices under the house," he repeated, giving me a stern look.

The officer kicked at the ground as if waiting for me to give him permission to leave.

"Roger," I began...

"They were talking about me.  Three of them.  I could hear them shushing each other.  But, Ben...   I heard them."  His voice held a level of desperation.  His face twisted, his eyes begging me to believe him.  "Benjamin.  I swear to you... I heard them."  His voice, little more than a whisper, quivered.

Before I could react the harsh crackle of  the  officers walkie-talkie burst to life.

"Ten four," he said into his shoulder.  His eyes, clearly serious, shot to me.

"Thank you, Officer." I barely got the words out of my mouth and he was marching toward the gate.

I turned to follow him but Roger made a beeline in the opposite direction.

"Benjamin, come over here.  They've just begun working.  Come on.  I don't know how long it will last.  Hurry," he called excitedly, running back and forth.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I was raised pretty much the same as everyone else... devoted mother, strict father and all the imaginary friends I could conjure. Not that I wasn't friendly, I just wasn't "people orientated". Maybe I lived in my head way more than I should have, maybe not. I liked machines more than people, at least I did until I met my wife.

The first thing I can remember writing was for her. For the life of me I can't remember what it was about... something about dust bunnies under the bed and monsters in my closet. It must have been pretty good because she married me shortly after that. I spent a good number of years after inventing games and prototypes for a variety of ideas before I got back to writing.

It wasn't a deliberate conscious thought it was more of a stepping stone. My wife and I had joined a dream interpret group and we were encouraged to write down our dreams as they occurred. "Be as detailed as you can," we were told.

I was thrilled. If there is one thing I enjoy it's making people believe me and I like to exaggerate. Not a big exaggeration or an outright lie mine you, just a little step out of sync, just enough so you couldn't be sure if it were true or not.  When I write, I always write with the effort of "it could happen" very much in mind and nothing, I guarantee you, nothing, makes me happier.

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Tegon Maus will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other participating blogs for additional chances to win:

August 17: Rogues Angels
August 18: Unabridged Andra's
August 19: The Blog of C.R. Moss
August 20: Blog of author Jacey Holbrand
August 21: BooksChatter
August 24: Kit 'N Kabookle
August 25: Archaeolibrarian - I dig good books!
August 26: Undercover Book Reviews - review
August 27: The Reading Addict
August 28: Romorror Fan Girl - review
August 31: Books and Other Spells
September 1: Blood Moons and Nightscapes
September 2: SolaFide Self-Publishing and Book Blog
September 3: fuonlyknew
September 4: Booklover Sue
September 7: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
September 8: It's Raining Books
September 9: Mixed Book Bag
September 10: Welcome to My World of Dreams
September 11: Long and Short Reviews

What Else I Read in August 2015

Books:

Second Chance Summer (Cedar Ridge #1) by Jill Shalvis – This is an interesting mix of characters and setting in a brand new series.  Cedar Ridge, Colorado is a resort town and the Kincaid Family Resort has been there for years.  Now they have a limited time to overcome the damage done by their Father and have the money for an balloon payment fro the loan he took out that is due in just a year.  The Kincaid’s are a very interesting blended family.  It seems that Dad was not only a bad business man but also had three families.  Now the children from all three families are living and working together.  This is Aidan Kincaid and Lily Danville’s story.  Both have secrets and it takes a book for them to work them out.  Great start to the series.

The Temptation of Dr. Colton (The Coltons of Oklahoma #3) by Karen Whiddon – The Coltons are an interesting family.  This time we meeet Dr. Eric Colton and MW (Mystery Woman).  There is the usual romance and like previous books the mystery woman has someone trying to kill her.  It is a fun read with a good plot.  The solution is pretty tame but it did fit the series.   This is a series written by different authors.  Each book can stand alone but there are elements that are present in every book.  I enjoyed reading about MW and Eric.

Brown-Eyed Girl (Travis Family #4) by Lisa Kleypas – It has been almost six years since the last Travis Family book so I had forgotten a lot about the previous books.  That did not matter as this on worked well as a stand-alone.  The story follows a familiar pattern.  A successful woman who has locked up her heart and a man who is determined to unlock it.  Throw in a secondary romance and a wedding that needs to be stopped and you have a very good story.  Kleypas always delivers and Brown-Eyed Girl is no exception.Eyed Gir(Travis Family #4) by Lisa Kleypas – It has been almost six years since the last Travis Family book so I had forgotten a lot about the previous books.  That did not matter as this on worked well as a stand-alone.  The story follows a familiar pattern.  A successful woman who has locked up her heart and a man who is determined to unlock it.  Throw in a secondary romance and a wedding that needs to be stopped and you have a very good story.  Kleypas always delivers and Brown-Eyed Girl is no exception.


Tracker (Foreigner #16) by C. J. Cherryh- Tracker is a set up for the next two books in the series.  We do get to see a lot more of Cajeiri as he and his friends from the ship become more important to the story line.  The Kyo are back but just as a plot point.  There should be more about them in the next book. 

This is book 16 in the series and the books are much better read in order.

Summer of the Eagle by Susan Edwards Virtual Tour and Giveaway

SUMMER OF THE EAGLE

by Susan Edwards

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BLURB:

 The most powerful woman in her tribe, Blaze can heal with a touch, control the elements, merge her mind with any living creature and more. Yet, she is an outcast. Her people fear her and she herself is afraid of the things she can do. There is darkness in her visions, along with a tall, buckskin-clad stranger with golden-brown hair and eyes as green as the leaves on trees. Somehow, he is her destiny.

Luc Cordell is done with trapping.  He yearns for civilization and a normal life.  His only regret is leaving behind his family. But his father’s second wife is a SpiritWalker, and now, so is his father.  How can Luc live with people who run with the wolves or soar across the heavens with the owls? Yet when a haunted healer with stars in her colorful eyes enters his life, he is drawn into the mystical world whether he likes it or not.

The winds of change are sweeping across the land, taking Luc and Blaze into a world of lies, deceit, and murder. Together, they search for truth and must turn to the eagles for answers.

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EXCERPT

Follow your heart. She put a hand to her chest and felt the small leather bag given to her by Wise Owl. She pulled the clear stone from the pouch and held it up to the sunlight. She studied the patterns in the smoky-white center. Last night, it had been completely clear. In the sunlight, she spotted four tiny golden flecks that hung like stars trapped in the crystal.

“You are a special stone,” she murmured as light fell on one flat surface and radiated through the crystal, bringing it to life. She felt something in the crystal, some greatness, a power that seeped into her and sang in her veins.

Ancient life.

“What is your purpose?” she asked as she watched the center come alive. She focused. Visions often came to her on shiny surfaces, things she could see and others could not. Many times a vision was her first warning that she was needed in the village.

She focused on her questions. The clouds inside the crystal seemed to move and change color until, finally, there in the center of the stone, there sprang the image of a broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped buckskin-clad trapper with golden-brown hair. One of the stars pulsed over his heart.

Holding her breath, Blaze brought the crystal closer to her face. She couldn’t see his features clearly, just the shape of a face, but as though he sensed her gaze upon him, he turned his head toward her and Blaze couldn’t help her gasp of amazement. His face became clearer until that was all she could see. It was like looking into a mirror and seeing the face of another.

His eyes were a rich, warm green like the thick carpet of ferns growing in the deepest shade of the forest. His face was covered with hair, as most trappers seemed want to wear it, but his mouth was firm and his nose long and straight. But his eyes drew her again, mesmerized her. They were deep pools of soothing green.

“Who are you?” Her voice was a soft whisper.

The stranger stared into her eyes, then his image grew smaller. He held out one arm. Long fringe swung back and forth, and his fingers curled out and toward her.

“Help me."

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Susan resides in California with her husband of thirty + years. She love animals. Cats currently number six as she just rescued a kitten named Luna last fall. She now considers herself to be a crazy cat lady! She also has three dogs. Two adorable Chiweenies named JJ and Abbey and  temporary (ha!) custody of Shasta, her daughter’s six year old, Great Pyrenees mix.

Susan also enjoys crafts of all sorts including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch and knitting. Knitting and crochet are her current passions although with the arrival of her first granddaughter, her sewing machine as seen the light of day. She is also an avid gardener. Through her love of all things Native American, she designed a 26-foot Medicine Wheel Garden. It’s a big project but one that she loves, except when the weeds threaten. Right now, with her crazy, busy schedule, the weeds are winning the war!

Camping, fishing, biking and hiking (when not hot) are other outdoor pursuits she and her husband enjoy. She is of course, an avid reader and hates cooking and housework. While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music, including Neil Diamond, Celtic, Native American, New Age, Classical, and mood music (bagpipes and howling wolves drive my family nuts). Her current favorites are Blackmore’s Night and David Lanz.

Native American/Western romance writer Susan Edwards is the author of the popular “White” Series. She was nominated for the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Western Historical and Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award. She is very pleased to be able to offer to her readers her White series in Digital Format, along with her SpiritWalker series.

           

Email:                        Susan@susanedwards.com

Website:             http://susanedwards.com

Twitter:                 https://twitter.com/susan_edwards

Facebook:             https://www.facebook.com/susanedwards1

Blog:                     http://susanedwards.wordpress.com

Goodreads:            https://www.goodreads.com/susanedwards

Pinterest:            https://www.pinterest.com/susanedwards2u/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Susan will award a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Breakout (Dred Chronicles #3) by Ann Aguirre

Science Fiction

From Goodreads:

All hell is breaking loose in the edge-of-your-seat follow-up to Havoc and Perdition from New York Times bestselling author Ann Aguirre…

The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred’s soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence’s trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station.

If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp.

In Book Three there are not that many characters left alive on Perdition.  That does not stop Dred and crew from trying to breakout.  It seems like an impossible thing to do but of course after many trial and troubles they succeed.

Now what do they do?  How do they live?  Well that is the interesting part of the story.  

While Dred was in charge on Perdition Jael takes charge after their escape.  They need a very different mindset after the escape and Jael provides it.  There is a world of difference between the first half of the book and the second half.  The first half is very violent.  The second is about building a new life and leaving the old behind.

One interesting fact and a small spoiler: Information about Silence helped them to set up their new life.

It is a good ending to the series even though it seems a little to good to be true.  Aguirre crafted characters who I should have hated and made them into characters I was pulling for.  I was glad we got to know how they all did after breaking out.  It put a nice period to the end of the series.

The Dred Chronicles is set in the same universe as the Jax books.  I saw what I thought were hooks that could be used for future stories.  I would not mind a new series in the same setting.

ACE published Breakout by Ann Aguirre in 2015.

I received an ARC of Breakout from Netgalley in return for an honest review.