Your Dark Secrets by Elle Marr New Release

 

Help me congratulate Elle Marr on her new book! Here’s the blurb:

Addison Stern is unparalleled when it comes to spinning a story. A ruthless PR executive, Addison is the star employee of the infamous Ovid Blackwell Group where the rich and famous go to hide all their secrets.

Connor Windell, on the other hand, is in the business of finding out information others would rather keep hidden. He used to be LA's top private investigator until a betrayal from his ex-girlfriend ruined his reputation and sent him into early retirement. That ex? None other than Addison Stern.

Connor has one chance to redeem himself and salvage his career, but he needs Addison’s help. Addison would rather lick the bottom of her Jimmy Choos than assist, but with some good old-fashioned blackmail, she agrees to team up for one job. But when that job proves bigger than either imagined and they uncover a dangerous hidden web of influence led by Hollywood's most vindictive and powerful people, they’ll have to rely on each other to expose the truth…and stay alive.

From the Vegas Strip to the beaches of Monaco, this globe-trotting adventure is filled with misplaced trust, competing motivations, and more than a little sexual tension. This gripping romantic thriller will have you up reading all night!

The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy.

I’m in trouble. I’m afraid I’ll have to add this author to my ever-growing go-to author list. I really enjoyed this darkly twisted tale of The Garden Girls. It hit pretty much all the ‘notes’ for me. Not to mention the very intriguing cover.

I had never heard of this author until I had the opportunity to read this tale and now I want to explore the rest of the Strange Crimes Unit series. I couldn’t even bring myself to read the back matter as that would only make me want to read the next book … now, and it’s not due out until 2025.

In The Garden Girls, you’ll find kidnapping, tattooing, grooming, lost relationships, rekindled relationships, close-knit friendships, and a group called Family of Glory.

Tiberius (Ty) is the main FBI agent in this tale and these ‘lighthouse crimes’ bring him face-to-face with his past, a past that he was ashamed of and had yet to face. Bexley (Bex) is a part of his past that he has to confront, which led him to Josiah. Not to mention his own messed-up childhood … the darkness that lurked there until he was able to see some light.

Ty’s best friend Owen. Owen was his ‘ride or die’ and he took that very seriously, they both did. I enjoyed the fact that both of these characters could call to mind a movie or a line in a song in the worst of circumstances; their personalities really shine through.

There are a lot of different characters in this tale, but that makes this story all the more intriguing. I also liked the fact that there is an underlying faith theme throughout these pages, not a lot, just enough to make Ty a more relatable character because one of the things he struggled with was the ability to believe in something higher than himself. There is also a vulnerability to some of these characters and yet an inner strength, especially concerning the women who were involved. And the bad guy? Yeah, that was a surprise. There are some nuggets interspersed leading readers down a couple of different paths, will they take the right turn in figuring out who it was? I sure didn’t.

 

Find Ms. Patch:

Website: https://jessicarpatch.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessicarpatch

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicarpatch/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jessicarpatch

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-r-patch

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@readjessicarpatch

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13544350.Jessica_R_Patch

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Garden-Girls-Jessica-R-Patch/dp/1335463070/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VZPSE3JMFR31&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3rPmuXV7sm6yxLiE1a6728cLbXNkuFIT2TCgnjv5Sx1qIYqyeNnm6BUUsL6L_XYkTr6koSOEnnsZxG0RgACxUsvX2Q2HkNQi0TeFLi9UKo0hrBMPz6B4WUHU9cCGLBWL6r1ROi23uxHcdGT_iB4SL5Iaf3pPuDbRkz12-ASejNb5jPdM2q_ojkYse2nSPPALe28AKbtqBED3siVBaSFg_rC8PfQNWmUG492ohF_2N-g.etWkFkPn80xu5lAQyLtTYaqjGXah8iZTWSyeXH5yneg&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+garden+girls+by+jessica+patch&qid=1713632069&s=books&sprefix=the+garden+girls%2Cstripbooks%2C168&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-garden-girls-jessica-r-patch/1143623825?ean=9781335463074

 

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Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon Book Review and New Release

 

I received a gifted copy.

The premise of this tale is Vienna and Madison … their story is one of meeting and becoming best friends. Their friendship lasted even after they graduated from high school. They had each other’s backs. They even went on to form a duo – they called themselves EmVee. Their band grew into The Bittersweet, a quite appropriate name, until tragedy struck.

You’ll meet Isabel; Evelina and her sister, Gabi. You’ll meet Roger, the band’s agent. You’ll even meet Libby who traveled with the band as a documentarian. These folks make up such a vast rollcall of characters, each one bringing their own bit of personality to this tale. You’ll even meet Madison’s parents; they’re quite hoity-toity, but essential to this tale. And Guy … can’t forget Guy.

This is exactly the kind of book I enjoy reading for various reasons. Best friends who are like sisters until they’re not. Characters you want to root for but then not.

This is the kind of book that had me thinking – Oh, I know what’s going to happen. Nope – another plot twist. Then again – Oh, I know who did it. Nope – wrong again. I was kind of right about whodunit, but not the exact reasons.

If you’re looking for a tale that you can spend the day with, or maybe a weekend, be sure to pick this one up. I’m sure you’ll enjoy these characters as much as I did. Twisted, sometimes dark, a bit of a love interest which is always a nice touch. And those quiet background characters. I think this is this author’s best one yet!

 

Help me congratulate Hannah on her newest release! Here’s the blurb:

Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead…

All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she’d take it—as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce, was sharing the spotlight and singing lead. And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs…

Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careens off an icy mountain road during a blizzard—leaving one member dead and another severely injured.

In order to survive the frigid night, the rest must take shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna’s dreams devolve into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members meet a gruesome end…and Madison simply vanishes in the night.

Has Vienna’s closest friend finally decided to take center stage on her own terms?

She doesn’t want to believe it.

But guilty people run.

Show Game by Steve Anderson Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy.

This is definitely a different take on your ‘average’ thriller/mystery. Plus, part of it is set in the city I grew up in Portland, Oregon, so mentions of different areas in Portland brought back some memories.

The premise of this story is ‘Alex’ is going after some bad folks, at least folks ‘Alex’ considers bad. The thing is, ‘Alex’ doesn’t want to hurt these folks, ‘Alex’ just wants them to make an admission and an apology. Basically – humiliation. Bringing forth the truth of what the bad guys did.

Enter news reporter Owen. Owen made a really big mistake in his career, one he’s trying to right, but when he gets assigned to this story, he has to rein himself in not to jump to conclusions … again. Then, of course, the paper he writes for is bought by Mason Snead who immediately wants to make changes and pulls Owen into his circle, for reasons Owen did not understand in the beginning. There’s more to Owen’s story.

Here's the thing … the reader will definitely be able to figure out the whodunnit in this tale, and I think that was the idea, it’s just the why that takes a while to get to and it is a really big WHY. Most intriguing is the lack of violence on the whodunnit’s part. I thought another character was somehow involved, but that turned out not to be the case.

If you like a tale that involves a vigilante who is trying to make folks take responsibility for what they did, a second-chance relationship, a mother trying to get her daughter back, and what I would consider some hometown justice, give this one a try. The classic good versus bad with a few twists thrown in.

I liked being able to connect to the City of Portland. I liked the struggle Owen had – between righting wrongs and siding with the whodunnit and not wanting to mess up again, and feeling he was wrong in what he came to believe. Mason Snead made for a pretty good character too along with his cohort, Viktoria. There’s a lot more to Viktoria’s story which was a twist I liked.

 

Find Mr. Anderson:

Website: https://www.stephenfanderson.com/

Twitter: https://x.com/SteveAwriter

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveawriter/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/steve-anderson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3518909.Steve_Anderson

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Show-Game-Steve-Anderson/dp/1504086775/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=O2HSx&content-id=amzn1.sym.cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_p=cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_r=137-4040560-8682302&pd_rd_wg=NnG9P&pd_rd_r=962c6d21-59ba-4bb8-840a-373563fe4b5a&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/show-game-steve-anderson/1143844638?ean=9781504086776

 

 

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Map of My Escape by Cheryl L. Reed Blog Tour and Book Review

 

I received a gifted copy.

This was such a good book. I started this one on a Sunday and finished it by Tuesday. I imagine, if I had the time, I could’ve read this in one sitting. I have to admit that I picked this one because of the cover and the title intrigued me, Map of My Escape. I was not disappointed.

The premise is Riley and what she did. Thirteen years ago, she was at a school where there was an irate student who entered the gym. That was the day she met Reece. After that day, their friendship was solid through adulthood. Because of that day, Reece because a police officer and Riley became an activist. Someone else in Riley’s life was there that day as well, but it wasn’t until years later … Something happened in Riley’s adult life that made her leave her family and her home of Chicago.

Enter the island of Angelica, a very remote place with very secretive people. Once you become an Islander, you are protected by the people there no matter what you did. Angelica was the perfect place for Riley to hide. She also met another group of folks that she probably would never have met had she stayed in Chicago, opening her up to a new world of possibilities, a new place of dreams, even if they did get snowed in for weeks at a time in the winter.

I liked the characters. I liked the storyline. I liked the fact that Riley and Reece maintained a friendship throughout the years. This story didn’t just focus on what happened in the past, but it brought in some of the obstacles that Riley faced on her ‘escape,’ and planted clues as to how this map was being built. Angelica was not so remote that she never received any news from back home, it was just a few days late. I liked the fact that Riley is a very strong young woman and was able to at least make an attempt to move on with her life, even if it meant leaving everyone she loved behind. I found this to be a really well-written story and now I need “all the books.” Another one to add to my go-to author list.

 

Find Ms. Reed:

Website: https://www.cherylreed.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthrCherylReed and https://twitter.com/JournoReed

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryllynnreed/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/cheryl-l-reed?list=followers

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/250468

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Map-My-Escape-Cheryl-Reed/dp/1960018175/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.O8Z6QQw2AROv0ofpYwL9ryGyVW3z69Ti4XXEArXKdbmWM-7RaHJnT4K0pt1Wz7eUhzDNxa4jSXb9mhMPW04gJ4aeHd0uCIZoOtxUPMZvuNpukIQu_-oq9P4kODkeMtOoWckCzzO2nw9-RFxBDAcEtZWQnKLUTHwPtQPW6UI_lRs.dJEODPJwEli4GHGSt5WPEskKeIGvzXfZg86ZC-VFHAM&qid=1713631754&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/map-of-my-escape-cheryl-l-reed/1143839927?ean=9781960018175

 

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