Chick Lit · Contemporary · Mystery/Crime · Romance

Whiskey and gunpowder – Liliana Hart

37655464| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something…bedazzled?

In twenty-four hours, Addison Holmes will be a married woman. Maybe.

A week to plan a wedding in the south is not for the fainthearted, but Addison (along with the help of her neurotic mother, unreliable sister, and unpredictable Aunt Scarlet) are determined to pull it off.
There’s just one problem. Okay…two problems.

Problem #1: The preacher is missing.
This seems like a bad omen to Addison, and all the best investigators she knows are taking part in the pre-wedding festivities (that’s code for drunk).

That leaves one man for the task: FBI Special Agent Matt Savage. But Addison isn’t sure he’s the man for the job. She and Savage have a complicated history, and Savage could make the preacher disappear forever if it served his own agenda.

Problem #2: Rosemarie Valentine is in charge of booking the bridal party for a spa day. Enough said.

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My thoughts:

The sixth book in the series about Addison Holmes starts of as usual, with her complaining about something and in a situation beyond her control but still, somehow her fault. The sixth and hopefully last book was unfulfilling, repetitive and shallow. I’m so tired of her constant bitching and talk about how fat she gets from just looking at a cinnamon bun. You could feel that even the author was tired of writing the series and just no longer cared. And that is pissing me of. I overall really liked the series and if this indeed is the last book, it was not up to it full potential and I feel as readers deserved more.

Contemporary · Romance · Young, New adult/College

Rhythm, chord & Malykhin – Mariana Zapata

26148083._SY475_| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Twenty-six-year-old Gaby Barreto might be a lot of things (loyal, sarcastic, one of the guys and a pain in the butt depending on which family member you ask), but dumb isn’t one of them. When her twin brother invites her to go on tour as his band’s merch girl, she isn’t exactly screaming at the top of her lungs with joy.

With no job opportunities pounding on her door, an ex-boyfriend she would still like to castrate, and no end in sight to moving out of her parents’ house in Dallas… it would be dumb to say no to the chance of a lifetime. Two bands, three continents, one tour. Spending the next ninety-plus days with three beloved idiots and eight complete strangers shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

If only the singer of the headlining band didn’t have tattoos… a great personality… a fantastic body… and if he wasn’t so funny….

Let’s be real: Gaby never had a chance against Sacha Malykhin.

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My thoughts:

I have to say that I really enjoyed this one, but I usually do when written by Zapata so why I expected anything less, I can’t say. It was funny, light and sweet. Just what I needed to take the edge of the stress I experienced in the beginning of July.

I love Zapata’s way of writing, which always seems to capture me right from the first word. She is the queen when it comes to slow burns and characters with many layers and this is certainly the one to top the list. It was almost a little to slow for my taste. It made it feel like it went by in a flash at the end when “finally” things started to happen.

Overall happy but I just didn’t quite love it.

Chick Lit · Contemporary · Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Romance

The husband’s secret – Liane Moriarty

17465450| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: My Darling Cecilia
If you’re reading this, then I’ve died . . .

Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret – something so terrible it would destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others too. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive . . .

Cecilia Fitzpatrick achieved it all – she’s an incredibly successful business woman, a pillar of her small community and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia – or each other – but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s devastating secret.

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My thoughts:

I really, really liked The Husband’s secrets. Never read anything by Moriarty before but keep seeing her name circulating out there in the bookish community. So when I found one of her books in my grandma’s bookshelf I just had to buy myself a copy and give it a try. Grandma has great taste in books.

At first I was a little confused. Judged by the synopsis, I thought that the letter would have had a much bigger part of the story than it actually has. But it is the three main characters, Cecilia, Rachel and Tess, and what was happening in their day to day life, that’s actually was the focal point. I like the history twist of the story, the character and their relationships. It is not disappointed at all that it was not what I first had foreseen. It is relatable, believable and realistic. Really well written and even though it is suppose to be a chick flick, the mystery feel of it and the dark emotions certainly made it a lot more likable for me. It made it more captivating, if you understand what I mean. And that ending was both wonderful, heartbreaking and you sit there thinking, what could have been and are not in your own life and on the butterfly effect.

Non of Moriartys books has interested me but after this I certainly feels that I should look into them to. Maybe I have missed something big here. Either way, I would differently recommend The Husband’s secrets. A perfect book for those late summer days.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Romance · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Forgotten Secrets – Robin Perini

29643051| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: At age ten, Riley Lambert watched helplessly as her sister was abducted from her bedroom. Fifteen years later, she’s channeled the pain of her past into a career as an FBI profiler. Riley devotes her life to bringing violent criminals to justice…and secretly uses government resources to search for her sister, who was never found.

When Riley gets a call from the only man who’s ever swept her off her feet with a killer two-step and dangerous smile—ex-Navy SEAL Thayne Blackwood of Singing River, Wyoming—it stirs up dark memories. Thayne’s sister, Cheyenne, has been kidnapped. There are no leads, and the only witness is the victim’s Alzheimer’s-afflicted grandmother.

Desperate to find Cheyenne, Thayne needs Riley’s expertise. With time running short, they delve into dangerous small-town secrets while fighting against an increasingly ruthless adversary. But when her past and his present collide in a shocking revelation, can they overcome the secrets that have kept them apart?

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My thoughts:

 

I have had this, and I’m not kidding, in my kindle cloud since 2016. It was time to get this one read and I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised.

First of, I did not like Perini’s writing at all. It had no flow and was at times confusing and almost rough to read, if it makes sense. Even some names are “terrible” and extremely hard for me to figure out how to pronounce. That’s not pleasant feeling to have and most of the books I have DNF:ed have been because of the writing. When starting it I actually though for myself that this would be a one, two star rating if I got through it but most likely I would DNF it. Imagine my surprise when the story, character and plot captivated me to such a degree that I devoured the book and ended on a four star rating.

Yes it was great. Surprising, hard to foresee what would happen (Except a few things) and it kept throwing curve balls at you. Great plot building and character development.

I’m happy and satisfied and even though I don’t like the writing that much, I can actually see myself reading the second book about the little town, Singing River.

Graphic Novels/Comics

Death Note Vol. 2 – Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata

7544945| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Light Yagami is an ace student with great prospects–and he’s bored out of his mind. But all that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. Will Light’s noble goal succeed, or will the Death Note turn him into the very thing he fights against?

 

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My thoughts:

It was good but quite repetitive. When comparing the first volume with the second, I actually like the first a lot more even though I gave them both the same rating.

You keep thinking you know where the story is going and it keep throwing curve balls at you. It is fun, keep you on your toes and totally captivating. We are introduced to some new characters and left on a huge cliffhanger. My feelings for Light have not changed that much but now I totally love L and his quirkiness. He is special in ways that I cant describe and I’m looking forward seeing where the story will take me.

The third volume is already ordered. 🙂

 

 

Romance · Suspense

Hidden star – Nora Roberts

34775583| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: She couldn’t remember a thing, not even who she was. But it was clear Bailey James was in trouble. Big trouble! And she desperately needed Cade Parris to help her live long enough to find out just what kind.

The moment the cool-headed private eye laid eyes on the fragile beauty, she almost had him forgetting who he was. If Bailey was a criminal, Cade would eat his hat. But what was she doing with a satchel full of cash and a diamond as big as a baby’s fist? And how could he unravel this mystery if he kept tripping over his heart?

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My thoughts:

“She is such a pussy who wimps out at every turn of event and every headache that surface together with a flash of memory. “

First off, I did not know this was part of a trilogy where the ending is both unsatisfying and kind of a cliffhanger are happening. It was not quite what I expected but good enough. The plot itself is kind of good and believable. A little easy at the end and everything went by so fast. Entertaining but not enough to continue the series. Nothing I would recommend in the first place and that only due to my “hate” for the characters.

The character Bailey is infuriating. She is such a pussy who wimps out at every turn of event and every headache that surface together with a flash of memory. Then she keeps getting angry at Cade for trying to help. Then she gets angry on him for not only focusing on helping her. Come On? Show some backbone. I just can’t take those type of characters. I was surprised because that is not something I associate with an author as Roberts who is a queen when it comes to write strong, leading, female characters.

Cade on the other hand is an underdeveloped character where you get the feel of much more but never receive it. He is descent enough but noting to shout hooray for. His “love” for Bailey is shallow and uninteresting and the dynamic between those two just don’t work. I felt more of a sparkle between Cade and one of his old flames who visited the story in like, one page. That is not a good thing.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

The Breakdown – B.A. Paris

29438850| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside—the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…

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My thoughts:

“Unfulfilling, a little melodramatic and anticlimactic.”

It is the first time I read anything by Paris and I have to say that I’m surprised over how little I liked it. Had its moments of course, but it was not what I had expected and not really for me and I love Thrillers.

I would call it a straight forward, light, predictable, thriller, where you are not supposed to think too much. The writing is mediocre and the last 50 pages was filled with misspellings. It makes me wonder how many misspellings there was in the whole book. Since English is not my first language, misspellings is mostly something I do, not detect and if I do see some, there is usually a lot more that I do not see. And that it was so many makes me feel that both author and editor just gave up in the end. And the whole “mystery unravelling” through SMS is, for me, a cheap and unimaginative way of unravel all the secrets. The ending is nothing to boast about either. Unfulfilling, a little melodramatic and anticlimactic.

And I didn’t like the character that much. Specially the main one, Cass. How can you be so gullible, naive and whining but still be so “smart” in the end? There are just several things that are contradicting each other and that makes me want to throw the book away. Unfortunately I had made a commitment to read it and in the end it did have some moments and I’m satisfied enough to finish it. I would however not recommend it to a fellow reader.

 

Fiction/Science Fiction · Thriller/Horror

Code Zero – Jonathan Maberry

19433029| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: For years the Department of Military Sciences has fought to stop terrorists from using radical bioweapons—designer plagues, weaponized pathogens, genetically modified viruses, and even the zombie plague that first brought Ledger into the DMS. These terrible weapons have been locked away in the world’s most secure facility. Until now. Joe Ledger and Echo Team are scrambled when a highly elite team of killers breaks the unbreakable security and steals the world’s most dangerous weapons. Within days there are outbreaks of mass slaughter and murderous insanity across the American heartland. Can Joe Ledger stop a brilliant and devious master criminal from turning the Land of the Free into a land of the dead?

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My thoughts:

“Thank you so much for not following those impulses I’m certain you had while writing, and that you gave me an ending which gives me hope for a future.”

I want to use several swearwords right now. All toward Maberry who once again gave me a scare that this will not end as I wish. He is a master with curveballs and surprises. Many of them not that great and I cried. Yes I cried at the end, thinking it would be the end for me, for this series and for Joe Ledger. But thank you! Thank you so much for not following those impulses I’m certain you had while writing, and that you gave me an ending which gives me hope for a future. A future where I feel the will to read more, know more and once again need more.

First off, out of all the six books I have read now, I’m thinking Code Zero to be the weakest of them all. The plot  is nice and it ties together nicely with the first book (Patient Zero) but I found it a little boring and it did not keep me captivated and interesting. At 60% I had the desire to put it down.

Second, there is not enough Joe. He is the sole reason I read this series but it is so many POV and Joe is not one of the main ones you get to follow. He has not enough “page time” in my opinion.

And third, there is so much fighting and all the scenes is starting to blend together and are not that interesting anymore. To be hones I have started to skim those parts of the book due to that it no longer interests me.

Overall a strong three star rating and I would love to see this one as a movie. I think it would be perfect for the silver screen. Note that several say that if you don’t want to read book 2 to 5 you don’t have to. I however do not recommend that. There is so much stuff happening that makes a difference and sense to why the plot line is going the way it goes. Maberry does a great job with briefly and concisely explains what have happened in the past, but it is shallow and it will not give you the dept I personally think you need. I, who have read the books, do not need more but I can imagine that if you have not, it would not be sufficiently to the meaning of the plot.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Vanish – Tess Gerritsen

591908| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Medical examiner Maura Isles is looking at another body in a slab. Not a new experience for her, but she’s in for another shock when the body opens its eyes and proves to be alive. And violence swiftly follows, as the mystery woman–strikingly beautiful–kills a security guard in the hospital she’s taken to, before capturing a group of hostages. One of them is a pregnant woman–Detective Jane Rizzoli, no less. And if Jane can find out what this lethal abductor wants, she may be able to save her own life–and those of the other hostages. But the clock is ticking.

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My thoughts:

“A brilliant thriller with a topic we cannot forget about.”

Done with the fifth book and even though I did not find it as good as the third and fourth one, it was still a great book. The plot line, even though it was published back in 2005, is still relevant to this day and it’s terrible to think how true it actually is. A brilliant thriller with a topic we cannot forget about. Human trafficking is a multibillion dollar industry and there is a lot of sick and powerful people out there who defends it. I’m not turning this review to a political debate, but it is disgusting to know that there is people out there who do and enjoy this is making me sick.

The characters feel a lot more stable and grounded which gives the book a feel of completion. It is warm, nice and captivating in a way where it is hard to put it down. I did not find it just as good as the last two due to some parts I feel went by too fast. But other than that, this is still a great series I want to read more from. It’s so good and to think that this one is almost 15 years old is quite impressive when you think about how far the technology have gone forward in those few years. Just imagine what is to come when continuing and reading the next 7 books.

Fiction/Science Fiction · Mystery/Crime · Suspense · Thriller/Horror

Body Double – Tess Gerritsen

591907| GOODREADS | MY RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥|

Goodreads synopsis: Dr Maura Isles stared at the corpse in the car, at the face illuminated by Rizzoli’s flashlight beam.

It’s me. That woman is me…

Maura Isles deals with death. As a pathologist in downtown Boston, she has seen more than her share of corpses. But never before has the body on the medical examiner’s table been her own.

There can be no denying the evidence though. The dead woman is her mirror image right down to the most intimate physical details. Even more chilling is the discovery that they share the same birth date and blood type.

Then a DNA test confirms that Maura’s mysterious double is indeed her twin sister, and suddenly an already bizarre murder investigation becomes a disturbing excursion into a past full of dark and deadly secrets.

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My thoughts:

“Filled with secrets and mystery that is unraveling into a believable and realistic plot, but without all that gory stuff that is so popular.”

This series is only getting better and better. I threw myself over this one right after I finished the third book and now I feel the need to throw myself over the fifth book to. That is how good this series has turned out for me. This is just another fantastic continuation in the “lives” of Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles and I’m in love. And wow what a plot. Filled with secrets and mystery that is unraveling into a believable and realistic plot, but without all that gory stuff that is so popular.

The story line is not at all like the ones in the TV series and it was perfect. You get to know new things about the characters that has been changed when writing the TV series and that made me even more attached. We also get to follow Isles the most of the time and even though I’m not as huge fan of the book Isles as I am for the TV Isles i enjoyed it immensely.

It is a real page turner. The ending took me by total surprise, fitting but not what I would have wanted. It only fueled my need for more and not surprisingly, I threw myself over the fifth book to. Damns this is good.