BEST INTENTIONS by Erica Raskin

       BEST INTENTIONS by Erica Raskin

Marti Trainer is an obstetrician’s wife, mother of three, and a senator’s daughter. After years of being a stay-at-home mom, she makes a spur-of-the-moment decision to go back to social work which ends up having an irrevocable and life changing impact on all of their lives forever.

This women’s fiction novel, Best Intentions by Erica Raskin, is a very easy and quick read, has a plausible plot line, and relatable developed characters. I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: June 10, 2017. Novel Publish Date: August 15, 2017.

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RAW NEED by Cherrie Lynn

     RAW NEED by Cherrie Lynn

The premise of this story is about a grieving pregnant widow who falls for the brother of the man who accidentally killed her husband in a MMA cage fight. Rowan Dugas is first introduced to Zane Larson, her all-time favourite musician, at her husband’s funeral by her sister-in-law Savannah who happens to be dating Mike the “Red Reaper,” the famous MMA fighter who took Tommy’s life. Rowan realizes that it was a freak accident, but is torn between honouring her husband’s memory and moving on to being truly happy again.

Raw Need by Cherrie Lynn is the second instalment of the Larson Brothers series. This is not your typical storyline, right? I mean, who would start dating while pregnant and recently widowed? Turns out that Zane is more of a friend and support system then a wannabe lover and one can’t help but root for the pair even though the circumstances are less than desirable. Bravo to Cherrie Lynn who can wrote such a believable story. I totally lapped it up and am now a devoted fan! Can’t wait for what’s next!

This is a standalone novel, but if you want a little more background on how Zane and Rowan first met, I would recommend reading Raw Deal where they are first introduced (to read my 5 star review, visit https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/2016/12/22/raw-deal-by-cherrie-lynn/). Cherrie Lynn does a great job of developing the characters so you can read this book without having read the first. I rate this novel 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: June 2, 2017. Novel Publish Date: June 27, 2017.

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THE BREAKDOWN by B. A. PARIS

    THE BREAKDOWN by B. A. PARIS

The Breakdown by B. A. Paris is a mystery/thriller about a young woman named Cass who feels terribly guilty that she could have prevented the murder of an acquaintance after stopping to help her when her vehicle was sitting on the side of a secluded road on a stormy night. After stopping, she gets an uneasy feeling that it could possibly be an ambush and frightened, drives away leaving the woman alone. Cass finds out the next day that the woman was brutally murdered. Cass has also been forgetting things lately, but she cannot forget about leaving the woman alone. What other secrets are waiting to be exposed?

This book had me hooked from the get go and had a promising start full of intrigue and suspense; but lost some of its lustre about a quarter of the way through. There was a bit of a lull in the middle, but it picked up towards the end again. There were no shocking revelations or twists. It’s a pretty typical mystery, and a bit predictable, but still interesting enough to finish. Would make for a good beach read. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: May 27, 2017. Novel Publish Date: July 18, 2017.

Link to purchase via Goodreads

BEWARE THE CUCKOO by Julie Newman

   BEWARE THE CUCKOO by Julie Newman

Beware the Cuckoo by Julie Newman is not your typical mystery/thriller. It has very sensitive issues at the heart of the story which can be very disturbing for some to read (see below, if you don’t mind a spoiler) .

The story flashes back and forth between the past and present of two women who were best friends as young teenage girls who reconnect at at a funeral where secrets and lies from the past are about to be dredged up and painfully relived.

Karen has a loving husband, two adoring children and a seemingly wonderful life; however, she also has an incomprehensible and painful secret that could potentially ruin it all.

Sandra had a perfect life which is now in a shambles as her business is gong under, the man she loves has a cunning dark side, and Sandra knows a secret that could help her reclaim what is rightfully hers if she uses it to her advantage.

*Spoiler Alert* This novel was certainly not what I was expecting. I almost stopped reading it when I realized that a young girl was being groomed by her best friend’s father, and was frankly, hard to get through. After reading just over half the book, I did abandon it, which is something I very rarely do. I just couldn’t get through it as it. It took a long time for the story to progress and then it just stalled, there were grammatical errors that were hard to overlook, and I didn’t overly enjoy the writing style or author’s voice I guess you could say; it was written rather simplistically. I did love the book cover however; it was very eye-catching. I rate this novel 2 stars out of 5.

Thank you NetGalley and Urbane Publishers for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: May 22, 2017. Novel Publish Date: May 18, 2017.

Link to purchase via Goodreads

THE IDENTICALS by Elin Hilderbrand

   THE IDENTICALS by Elin Hilderbrand

The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand is a women’s fiction novel based on the lives of two identical twin sisters who haven’t spoken to each another in over fourteen years but are forced to reconnect when the unthinkable happens. Years earlier, when the girls were seventeen, their parents made a decision that would change their lives forever and their relationship inextricably.

This novel is told from the perspectives of the twins, Harper and Tabitha, and Tabitha’s daughter Ainsley.

Harper seems like a desperate and lost soul constantly making the wrong choice with men and the wrong decisions in life. She’s flailing through life with no purpose, or so it seems…

Tabitha is the complete opposite of Harper; she is self-assured and hoighty-toighty. She uses her sister’s life-choices as a measuring stick or moral compass in which to gage her own decisions against, making sure to do one better and not something “Harper would do.”

Ainsley, Tabitha’s teenage daughter, is a spoiled, egocentric brat who has no boundaries and no respect for those around her.

I’ve read all of Elin Hilderbrand’s novels and thoroughly enjoyed this particular story. My favourite type of narrative is when the author tells the story through the eyes of all characters — so telling! I found my jaw drop on more than one occasion reading this novel; it has a few surprises. It would make an excellent beach read where you could delve right in undisturbed and just enjoy. I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Link to purchase via Goodreads

Reviewed: May 7, 2017. Novel Publish Date: June 13, 2017.

 

SILENT RAIN by Karen Salvalaggio

    SILENT RAIN by Karen Salvalaggio 

Silent Rain by Karen Salvalaggio is book 4 in the Macy Greeley Mystery series.

Grace Adams, changed her name to Grace Larson and relocated from Collier to Bolton to give college a try and escape the ghosts of her past. However, thanks to Peter Granger her past soon catches up with her and she finds herself smack dab in the middle of another murder investigation. Lara, her overbearing, overindulging and somewhat unpredictable, roommate who is a struggling writer is also connected to the murder victim.

Macy Greeley, a police detective who lives with her son Luke and mother Ellen, is sent to Bolton to investigate the fire, which turns out to be a double homicide. She soon uncovers that one of the murder victims, Peter Granger, has crossed several people in the community and his marriage is a farce. What she discovers leaves the town roiling.

This is the first novel I’ve read by this author and I quite enjoyed it; it had me intrigued from the get-go. It’s a typical whodunnit mystery, but had enough appeal to keep me interested and wasn’t overly predictable. This novel is part of a series but can stand alone – that is – you didn’t have to have read the previous three in the series to enjoy this book. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: April 22, 2017. Novel Publish Date: May 9, 2017.

Link to purchase via Goodreads

THE BILLIONAIRES by Calista Fox

       THE BILLIONAIRES by Calista Fox

The Billionaires by Calista Fox is part of the “100 Shades of Sin” erotica series where three longtime friends embark on a sexual relationship together after not seeing each other for more than seven years. Vin is the down-to-earth yet guarded, quintessential bad boy, who won’t allow his heart to be captured by anyone. Rogen, the elite and ever romantic, sensitive man every woman would die for, wants to give his heart away, and Jewell, confident and assured yet confused, continually runs away in order to avoid the deep connection, inevitable heartbreak, and growing desire for both men. Unbeknownst to all three, their lives are about to change forever beginning with a lucrative business deal.

This is the first novel I’ve read by this author and I quite enjoyed it. It’s descriptive, has a great storyline, and has developed characters with believable backstories. I didn’t know what to think of the ménage a trois scenario, but quickly got over it. The sex scenes were vivid and hot! I will definitely be reading more from Calista Fox. There are a few mechanical errors; however, I’m sure these will be caught before the final publication. I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review. https://moesbookblog.wordpress.com/

Reviewed: April 15, 2017. Novel Publish Date: April 4, 2017.

Link to purchase via Goodreads