Review: Perfectly Good Crime by Dete Meserve

Perfectly Good Crime

by Dete Meserve

Publisher: Melrose Hill Publishing

Pages: 288

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  When the estates of the 100 wealthiest Americans are targeted in a series of sophisticated, high tech heists, Los Angeles TV news reporter Kate Bradley must venture inside the world of the super rich to investigate the biggest story of the year. 

As the heists escalate, Kate’s search is thwarted when the Los Angeles police detective she’s been working with mysteriously disappears, her senator father demands that she stop reporting on the heists, and the billionaire victims refuse to talk to the media. Kate uncovers clues that those behind the robberies have shocking, yet uplifting, motives—it just may be a perfectly good crime that brings about powerful change. 

Further complicating her life is a dream job awaiting her in New York, a choice that could shatter from her deepening relationship with Fire Captain Eric Hayes. Kate must trust her instincts—and her heart—in a high stakes search that will test everything she believes and force her to decide where she belongs. 


Kritters Thoughts:  Most who dun it mysteries have a murder in them, this one did not.  Instead of trying to find a killer and their motive, this book the reader is trying to find the robber and their motive when explained is interesting and intriguing.  

I love mysteries, they are by far my favorite kind of story at the moment.  I have read quite a bit where a murder is the investigation and I still enjoy those, but I liked that this one was different.  If you like an investigation, but have read a lot of murders or through the eyes of police - this one will be a refreshing break.  

I loved following a journalist through the ins and outs of the investigation - especially when she is dating a fireman and may have an inside loop into the police force.  I loved how she got information and then her approach to journalism.  Of course it made it even more interesting that she was the daughter of a senator.  So in all this, I loved the character of Kate which was vital in this story as she is the reader's only in to the story.  

I had no idea when I was pitched this book that it was book two in a series, I feel like I was missing a little bit from not having read book one, but I will definitely be going back and reading it before I venture onto the next book.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from BookSparks PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Last Treasure by Erika Marks

The Last Treasure

by Erika Marks

Publisher: NAL

Pages: 368

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  As students with a shared passion for shipwrecks, Liv, Sam, and Whit formed a close bond searching for the mysterious Patriot, a schooner that disappeared off the Carolina Coast in 1812 with Aaron Burr’s daughter Theodosia aboard. But as the elusive ship drew them together, love would bring them even closer—and ultimately tear them apart.

It’s been seven years since Liv left Sam to be with Whit, and the once close-knit triowent their separate ways. Liv has given up her obsession with Theodosia Burr to focus on her career as a salvage diver and her passionate but troubled marriage to the reckless and hedonistic Whit. But when a diary of Theodosia’s is discovered in a collector’s estate, she is pulled back to the world of the Patriot, this time with startling new clues to what might have really happened. 

Diving back into the lost history of the Patriot could be just what Liv needs to find closure to a mystery that still haunts her. But when she and Whit reunite with Sam for one last salvage in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, buried romantic tensions begin to resurface, and once again Liv must choose between two men with very different hearts.


Kritters Thoughts:  Three's a crowd.  A love triangle.  Three's a crowd.  This book was completely about how a group of three never works out.  Two men and one woman and there are feelings flying around from their college years to their reunion for one last adventure.  With chapters taking place both in the current place time and from their college years and into their adult years, I loved how this story was told.

The other part of this story that was beyond interesting was the focus on underwater excavation - maybe not the exact terms, but the fun of discovering abandoned ships and maybe even treasure deep underwater.  I am not a diver and don't know much about this hobby or professional, so I just loved reading about people pursuing this type of work and finding joy in discovery.

This is my first Erika Marks read and I am excited to see she has quite the backlist.  Has anyone else read anything by her?  Where should I go next?  


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley NAL.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

It was my birthday week, so had some fun festivities planned and had a lot of baseball games to attend, but some reading still happened!
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The Last Treasure by Erika Marks
Results May Vary by Bethany Chase
Hungry Heart by Jennifer Weiner
Perfectly Good Crime by Dete Meserve

Currently Reading:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Next on the TBR pile:

Swear On This Life by Renee Carlino

Review: Results May Vary by Bethany Chase

Results May Vary

by Bethany Chase

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Pages: 336

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  She never saw it coming. Without even a shiver of suspicion to warn her, Caroline Hammond discovers that her husband is having an affair with a man—a revelation that forces her to question their entire history together, from their early days as high school sweethearts through their ten years as a happily married couple. In her now upside-down world, Caroline begins envisioning her life without the relationship that has defined it: the loneliness of being an “I” instead of a “we”; the rekindled yet tenuous closeness with her younger sister; and the unexpected—and potentially disastrous—attraction she can’t get off her mind. Caroline always thought she knew her own love story, but as her husband’s other secrets emerge, she must decide whether that story’s ending will mean forgiving the man she’s loved for half her life, or facing her future without him.


Kritters Thoughts:  Caroline Hammond finds out in the most interesting way that her husband has not only been having an affair but an affair with a man and starting in the first chapter, her world is turned upside down and she spends the entire book trying to find a new north.  

As a happily married gal, I don't always like to read divorce books, negative thoughts going in just doesn't seem all that great, but when I read the synopsis for this one, I thought I could enjoy this journey.  And I did!  I loved how real Caroline's thoughts and actions were and it was so interesting to read the ins and outs of how she was making decisions.  I loved that it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows and it reiterated the thought that sometimes life is really hard and you have to take the good and the bad to have a full life.

This isn't Bethany Chase's debut, so I am excited to go and read The One That Got Away because even though this premise may not be a read that I typically like, I loved how she approached it and her writing was just easy to read.  Don't get me wrong it was thought provoking and on a hard subject matter, but it was just easy to read.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2016 Challenge: 23 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Random House.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Cover Reveal: Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey

We may be just shy of a year away from another Kristy Woodson Harvey, but I can't wait.  

I don't do too many cover reveals here because I love the content of really reading and reviewing books, but I couldn't wait to share the cover and the synopsis!  

So without further ado . . . 

From the next “major voice in Southern fiction” (New York Times bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand) comes the first in an all-new series chronicling the journeys of three sisters and their mother—and a secret from their past that has the potential to tear them apart and reshape their very definition of what it means to be a family.

Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she'd spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.

Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley's life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open.

Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and plenty of heart.

Review: Watching Edie by Camilla Way

Watching Edie

by Camilla Way

Publisher: NAL

Pages: 304

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Beautiful, creative, a little wild… Edie was the kind of girl who immediately caused a stir when she walked into your life. And she had dreams back then—but it didn’t take long for her to learn that things don’t always turn out the way you want them to.

Now, at thirty-three, Edie is working as a waitress, pregnant and alone. And when she becomes overwhelmed by the needs of her new baby and sinks into a bleak despair, she thinks that there’s no one to turn to…

But someone’s been watching Edie, waiting for the chance to prove once again what a perfect friend she can be. It’s no coincidence that Heather shows up on Edie’s doorstep, just when Edie needs her the most. So much has passed between them—so much envy, longing, and betrayal. And Edie’s about to learn a new lesson: those who have hurt us deeply—or who we have hurt—never let us go, not entirely…

Kritters Thoughts:  Creepy!  Told from two different perspectives but also in two different ways one is before and one is after.  Edie narrates the story after and Heather narrates before.  The reader doesn't know what event is deeming it before or after and unfortunately it isn't revealed until the end, making the lead up slow and sometimes painful!  

First there is Edie.  She is telling the story that takes place after this "event" and her side of the story I had this feeling that I was being watched the entire time.  It was almost like watching that horror movie and you say to the screen DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!  I was worried about Edie and her new baby and very untrusting of this Heather character.  

Then there is Heather.  Heather narrates the before and the author did a fantastic job making her a character that you just can't put your finger on.  Most of the time I didn't trust a word out of her mouth and then she would do something or say something and I was starting to put some trust in her and then it was snatched away!  

I liked this book, but it wasn't one of my all time favorite creepy books.  I maybe would have liked it more if the "event" had been revealed a little earlier so I as the reader could have spent less time wondering what it was and more time enjoying the creepy factor!  Camilla Way has two previous books and I may have to read another to get a feel for her as an author.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley NAL.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Adult Coloring Book: Magical Jungle

Magical Jungle Book
by Johanna Basford

Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 80
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

For a little change, I received an adult coloring book from Penguin Books to "review!"  I had already owned an adult coloring book, but hadn't dived in yet.  With a Nationals baseball game on the tv and a glass of wine in hand, I took over the dining room table and colored for 9 innings!

It was a change of pace and enjoyable to be away from the phone and email and being connected and just listen to the baseball game and color.  I didn't comment to my husband that coloring was sometimes overwhelming because there are a lot of decisions to be made and there isn't a right or a wrong!  Can you tell that I don't have a creative bone in my body?

My finished masterpiece!

Review: No Kidding by Romi Wittman

No Kidding

by Romi Wittman

Publisher: CreateSpace

Pages: 260

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Knocked up and laid off. What else could possibly go wrong?

Kate Martin is about to find out.

Unexpectedly pregnant, facing a huge restructuring at her job and doomed to play bridesmaid for her perfect Barbie sister, Kate Martin's world is in turmoil.

As a happily married, modestly ambitious editor of a you’ve-never-heard-of-it trade magazine, motherhood would seem to be coming at the perfect time for Katie. But she’s just not sure she’s ready for the Mommy-track. She has career aspirations beyond the crappy little magazine where she works, U.S. Water Works, and editing fun and informative articles like ‘When Sump Pumps Go Bad,’ and ‘Wastewater and You: Win-Win or No-No?’

She’s not sure these goals will mesh with diapers and lullabies and the selfless, 24/7 world of being a mom. It’s not that she doesn't want to be a mom; she just doesn’t want to be one right now. Why can’t ovaries have ‘pause’ buttons? Like biological Tivo.

Add to this the horror of the wearing a Barney-purple, Scarlett O-Hara-ready bridesmaid’s dress at perfect baby sister Melanie’s wedding. And the anniversary party for her parents Katie has been saddled with planning. Parents who, like a couple of sullen teenagers, seem most concerned about having an open bar.

But the real question is, will she even have a job? In a time of downsizing and cutbacks, Katie fears that, the larger her belly grows, so does the target on her back. 

Kritters Thoughts:  Kate Martin is pregnant, her baby sister is bridezilla, and her professional life is up in the air and life is a little crazy.  This book is the story of how Kate must deal with all the stress while on the verge of welcoming her first child that she isn't quite sure she is ready for.

A lot of books share the joys of pregnancy and impending motherhood and this one felt real.  I loved how honest the character Kate was about her fears and insecurities and how unsure she was about the whole becoming a mother thing.  I loved that it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows and beautiful onesies!  I did think that this book was chock full of drama, at times maybe a little too much and a little amped up.  I couldn't believe that she had all these things going on at once and was trying to juggle it all.  

I have had this ebook in my inbox for awhile and I am definitely glad I picked it up to read it during the summer time when I like to read more easy breezy things.  That is why I would rate this book as the perfect put on your ereader book for a summer weekend or vacation.



Rating: perfect beach read

Ebook 2016 Challenge: 23 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The French War Bride by Robin Wells

The French War Bride

by Robin Wells

Publisher: Berkley

Pages: 432

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  “I never knew what he saw in you.” 
 
At her retirement home in Wedding Tree, Louisiana, ninety-one-year-old Amelie O’Connor is in the habit of leaving her door open for friends. One day she receives an unexpected visitor—Kat Morgan, the ex-fiancée of her late husband, Jack.
 
Kat and Jack were high school sweethearts who planned to marry when Jack returned from France after World War II. But in a cruel twist of fate, their plans were irrevocably derailed when a desperate French girl overheard an American GI’s confession in a Parisian church. . .
 
Now, Kat wants to know the truth behind a story that’s haunted her whole life. Finding out how Amelie stole Jack’s heart will—she thinks—finally bring her peace. As Amelie recalls the dark days of the Nazi occupation of Paris, The French War Bride reveals how history shapes the courses of our lives. . .for better or for worse.

Kritters Thoughts:  A historical fiction that ups the ante for me and sets the bar high for how a historical fiction book can be presented and packaged in such a great way.  Told as a story by one elderly woman to another about her love story with a man that was the other's ex fiancee.  Are you confused?  I hope not!  It works just perfectly as these two women almost rap battle their love stories in this perfectly put historical fiction set in World War II.  

Amelie was living in France and trying to avoid World War II when it landed on her doorstep!  She goes farther back in her story than meeting Jack to tell his ex fiancee how she got to be with Jack and how their romance occurred.  I loved that she took her story WAY far back and seeing the war invade Paris through her eyes was just phenomenal.  I have read my fair share of World War II books, but I may be pushing this one to the top.

This is the second in the series, but honestly it felt as a complete stand alone, although the small town of Wedding Tree makes an appearance, this story takes place everywhere but there (minus a few pages).  

I love Robin Wells and her writing is just spot on.  I hope there is another Wedding Tree book in the works!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2016 Challenge: 21 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Berkley NAL.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Another week of reading, but with a crazy weekend I didn't get as much done as I thought!  
A meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. 

Finished this past week:

The French War Bride by Robin Wells
No Kidding by Romi Wittman
Watching Edie by Camilla Way

Currently Reading:
The Last Treasure by Erika Marks

Next on the TBR pile:

Results May Vary by Bethany Chase

Review: Divorced Girl Smiling by Jackie Pilossoph

Divorced Girl Smiling

by Jackie Pilossoph

Publisher: Createspace

Pages: 294

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Smile! It's not just the end of your marriage, it's the beginning of your second chance! Missy Benson has a two and a half carat diamond engagement ring with color grade H, VS2 clarity and a value of $36,000. It's absolutely gorgeous, practically awless, and let's be honest, really big! But what the successful Chicago realtor doesn't have anymore is a husband. After 12 years of marriage, her husband, Paul, a handsome, wealthy attorney has devastated her by breaking up their marriage for Priscilla Sommerfeld, a young, personal trainer, who according to Missy's sassy assistant, J.J., looks more like a Las Vegas stripper than a fitness expert. Not sure what to do with her ring, and with no financial issues to worry about, Missy decides to put it up for sale on Craigslist. The price: 99 cents! The catch: She gets to pick the buyer. In essence, she's looking for the perfect guy, but not for herself. Her hope is to regain faith that good men do exist, and that marriages can last forever. Now referring to herself as "the divorced girl," Missy interviews dozens of young men who are vying for the huge ring. It's a contest that includes outrageous characters, hilarious and sentimental stories, and two nalists, both of whom Missy adores and who she must choose between. Then there's Parker Missoni, the sexiest contestant by far, who drives her crazy with his brutal honesty, and at the same time stops her heart with his deep brown eyes. Divorced Girl Smiling is the story of a woman's journey to do whatever it takes to heal herself from divorce. It's about acceptance, re ection, taking accountability for mistakes, and appreciating all of life's wonderful gifts. In other words, if you have the guts to put the past behind, admit your mistakes, embrace your future, and give love another chance, you will surely be a divorced girl smiling."



Kritters Thoughts:   Missy Benson realizes that she is in a loveless marriage and she wants to turn it around, but when her husband tells her that he has found a new love, it is a little too late.  She uses her huge diamond ring as an excuse to get her to see true caring men who adore their partners enough to try to win them an engagement ring, her engagement ring.  This contest takes her on a self discovery journey to realize how she defines a good marriage and mate and the qualities she wants a marriage to have.

I loved this book.  It was interesting to see her as an almost 40 something trying to find herself and maybe a little self discovery later in life.  It was nice as a 30 something to see that at any age a woman can find herself in a rut and make some changes to turn her life into something that she wants it to be and find joy.  

I loved the ups and downs of the book.  Once Missy realized her marriage was done, she took a hard look not only at her romantic relationships but her friendships and family.  She saw flaws in them all and due to her own self conscious ways - and she fixed them.  Again, I loved her as a character she felt real and personal and I want her as a friend of mine!

This is my second Jackie Pilossoph read and there are two more in her backlist that I intend to read soon and hope to see more from her!


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2016 Challenge: 20 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale

Everything We Keep

by Kerry Lonsdale

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Pages: 306

Format: ARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.

As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.

Kritters Thoughts:  Aimee was headed down a path that she had been building since her childhood - a great guy, a plan to own a restaurant, the house and everything.  Right before she is about to walk down the aisle her fiancee heads out on a work trip and never returns.  Aimee must bury her husband instead of marry him.  BUT she internally feels like he is still alive and keeps getting hints that he could be, so she must go and find the truth and make decisions with that truth in hand.

Usually I like my books to be really realistic, not a fantasy reader here!  But for some reason when I read this book, I easily suspended my need for reality and just got swept up in Aimee's story and need to find the truth.  I didn't fall on the fence of wanting him alive or not, but I did want Aimee to be able to accept the truth and live with whatever that truth was.  I loved her as a character and I think that helped me go on this journey with her with reckless abandonment!

I loved the writing in this book and the pacing was spot on.  Be forewarned that once you get to the back half there are things happening on each and every page and you may need to not start on the back half until you are ready to stay in once place until it ends!

I am excited about what is coming next for Kerry Lonsdale and I will be on the lookout for her!


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.