The Invisible Crown by Charlie Cottrell

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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I was invited to join the blog tour of Charlie Cottrell’s first full length novel, which will be published December 19, 2016!

“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to Royal James Publishing for the invitation to read and review The Invisible Crown by Charlie Cottrell. The Invisible Crown is the first full length novel about Eddie Hazzard, “the hard-boiled detective” in the Hazzard Pay series that Charlie Cottrell has written.

The Invisible Crown is a detective story involving a wife looking for her missing husband. Science fiction and humor add to this quick read detective story, 3.5 stars! The sci-fi in this novel includes interesting genetically modified characters and the humor is all Eddie Hazzard’s personality. These details make the book fun to read and leave you wanting more from the city of Arcadia!

Synopsis:

About The Invisible Crown:

The city of Arcadia is a craphole, but it’s my craphole. I’ve walked its streets my entire life, always searching for something: a purpose, a suspect, or a stiff drink. My name’s Eddie Hazzard, and I’m a hard-boiled detective. Yeah, laugh it up. It’s a ridiculous job description, but this is a ridiculous town. It’s full of every cliché you can imagine: corrupt city officials, police officers on the take, greedy businessmen, and crime so organized it has an accounting department, a health plan, and retirement benefits. Which is more than I can say for myself.”

Meet Eddie Hazzard: he’s tenacious, a certain kind of clever, and usually drunk. When a beautiful woman comes into his office and asks him to find her husband, Eddie takes the case because the alternative is having his creditors show up at his door and do terrible things to his limbs. But the case takes a series of bizarre turns, getting Eddie caught up in a tangled web of reluctant cops, sketchy businessmen, and shadowy crime bosses. The deeper he gets, the worse things look. Will Eddie solve the case? Will he save the day? Most importantly, will he get paid?

The Invisible Crown is the first full-length novel of a series featuring Detective Hazzard and the bizarre, bewildering array of tough mobsters, genetically-modified creeps, and ruthless scumbags who inhabit the city of Arcadia.

The Lost Property Office

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review The Lost Property Office by James R. Hannibal! This book is interesting from the dedication and onward. Steampunk genre with the iridescent clockwork beetles add to the fantasy feel. The main character, thirteen-year-old Jack Buckles, lives with his mom and eight-year-old sister, Sadie. Sadie believes she sees their dad and when Jack looks down to talk to her, she has disappeared. Jack catches up with Sadie and they both end up in The Lost Property Office. They discover that their dad belongs to the Ministry of Trackers. A clerk, Gwen, becomes Jack’s guide and they follow clues to the man in black (the Clockmaker) who seems to know what happened to Jack’s father and Gwen’s uncle, who worked with Jack’s father. He tells them to find the Ember and meet him at the Great Clock Tower at midnight to find Jack’s father. I enjoy the mix of English and American characters, cultures and humor! Steampunk and fantasy combine for a fun tale of mysterious secrets, intrigue and surprises – 4 stars!

The Tru and Sloane Series by Tera Lynn Childs

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru by Tera Lynn Childs is contemporary realistic fiction with romance thrown in to make a well rounded story. Sloane is a new resident of Austin, Texas and she misses everything she left behind in New York. Tru is Sloane’s new neighbor who is dealing with troubles that he hides well. Sloane’s mom has told her to stay away from Tru; supposedly he is a troublemaker. On Sloane’s first day at her new school, the principal asks Tru to show Sloane around. All of the faculty seem to respect Tru. The story explains why Sloane and her mother left New York and the same thing happens in Austin, only this time it wasn’t Sloane. Dynamic characters and relationships make the story unpredictable in a good way – 4 stars!

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review”.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Falling for the Girl Next Door by Tera Lynn Childs! This story begins right where Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru leaves off. Tru admits he has a drinking problem and breaks off his relationship with Sloane until he can fix the problem. Sloane wants to convince her family that they should live together in Austin, but she finds out that her parents’ marriage might be in jeopardy. Sloane is also the victim of a blackmail attempt because she is receiving emails from someone claiming to know she’s the creator of Graphic Grrl and threatening to expose her unless she bargains with him. Tru and Sloane mature and learn to deal with the feelings they have for each other while trying to keep their relationship strong no matter how many “bumps and turns” get in the way. This story has depth and dynamic main and side characters and includes young adult romance – 4 stars!

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Touch by Jus Accardo

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Touch by Jus Accardo!

Dez lives with her father and on her way home from a party one night, she meets Kale and everything she has believed about her life explodes. She discovers that her father is dangerous and has been lying to her for years about her mother’s “death”. Kale has a touch that kills, literally. Dez has walked into a world that she had no idea existed and her father is the leader. Her life becomes more complicated than she could have imagined and she has to rely on the few people she feels she can trust to save herself and the people she loves. Science fiction and young adult (a heads up about a sex scene, if that bothers you). I rate Touch by Jus Accardo 4 stars, for a creative science fiction world that pulled me in! This is also the second book of Jus Accardo’s that I have read and I am excited to dive into more of her books!

Infinity by Jus Accardo

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Infinity by Jus Accardo!

An Army general’s daughter is trying to spray paint a mural in remembrance of her mother. The police and her father don’t appreciate it. The general has to leave town, so he has two soldiers watch over Kori, but she sneaks out to get a look at her progress on the mural before the mayor has it painted over. While out, she’s attacked by a stranger named Dylan and she is terrified. The two soldiers, Cade and Noah, save her. Kori unwittingly discovers alternate dimensions and family secrets while running for her life. Science fiction usually isn’t my favorite genre, but Jus Accardo put all of the pieces together flawlessly and interestingly. I love everything about this book – 5 stars for suspense, creativity and dynamic characters!

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Synopsis and buy the book links:

About the Book

Book Title: Infinity

Author: Jus Accardo

Release Day: November 1, 2016

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

There are three things Kori knows for sure about her life:

One: Her army general dad is insanely overprotective.

Two: The guy he sent to watch her, Cade, is way too good-looking.

Three: Everything she knew was a lie.

Now there are three things Kori never knew about her life:

One: There’s a device that allows her to jump dimensions.

Two: Cade’s got a lethal secret.

Three: Someone wants her dead.

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220742-infinity

Amazon Buy Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Barnes & Noble Buy Link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/infinity-jus-accardo/1123132853

iBooks Buy Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/infinity/id1105088032

Kobo Buy Link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/infinity-38

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/Infinity-Jus-Accardo-ebook/dp/B01E3PS7OS

Entangled Publishing: http://entangledpublishing.com/infinity/

Excerpt of Infinity by Jus Accardo:

“Is that something people lie about around here?” His blue jeans were worn, pulled over battered black combat boots. The sole of the left one was peeling away from the shoe. Did he think he could slack because Dad wasn’t here? That no one would see him and report back? Even if they had permission to be in civies, there were strict standards. While off duty, a soldier had to maintain a neat, well-groomed appearance. This was more an outfit worthy of a high school rebel, which, honestly, this guy didn’t look much older than.

           The one in the back pushed him aside and came forward. Black hair fell just below his ears and had a slight wave to it. It was fuller than normally allowed, not even close to regulation. On some of our previous bases, hair standards weren’t strictly enforced. But at Hannity, they were sticklers. High and tight. Those were the rules.

           Like the other guy, he had on a leather jacket with black fatigue pants tucked into slightly worn combat boots. Unlike the first, though, this one had seen some trouble in his day. There was a thin scar on the left side of his face. It went from just above his eyebrow, down across his eye and to the tip of his chin.

           My pulse spiked a little as his gaze raked over me. Down and up, then up and down, lips parting slightly. I didn’t go for greenies, but this one sent the butterflies in my stomach tripping crazy. It was the scar. It added character to his angular face, suggesting that maybe there was more than meets the eye. Or possibly it was the way he was looking at me. With a spark of hunger and something close to wonder in his expression. I’d never had anyone look at me that way. Like I was something mythical and rare. A creature that shouldn’t exist. I twisted, shifting so that the door obscured just a little more of me from his view.

           He hesitated, focus still trained on me, and for a moment I thought he might poke me to be sure I was real. Clearing his throat, he finally said, “I’m Private First Class Cade Granger, and this is…” He paused to glance over his shoulder. “Recruit Noah Emeal.”

           “A private and a fuzzy Really?” I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or insulted. I mean, why bother sending supervision at all if you were going to scrape the bottom of the barrel?

           “I promise you’ll be safe with us, Miss Anderson.”

           Miss Anderson. Huh. Maybe there wasn’t more to this guy. He sounded just like the rest of them. Formal and uptight. “That right? So you’re here to save me from myself?” Because, really, that was the problem, right? I couldn’t be trusted to keep myself out of trouble.

           “I’m not sure I understand.” He tilted his head to the left, confused, but didn’t take his eyes off me. In fact, if anything, his gaze grew more intense. It was like he and I were the only ones in the room. In the world…

           “I’d really appreciate it if you could stop staring.” I snapped. “I can’t tell if you’re mentally trying to strip me, or contemplating which way to cook my skin for Sunday dinner. Either way, it’s creeping me the hell out.”

Forget Me Always

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Forget Me Always by Sara Wolf! This second book in the Lovely Vicious series is as wonderful as the first!

Isis puts her memories of Jack together slowly and bit by bit, while Jack believes he should have been quicker to stop Leo from harming anyone. Isis and Sophia become friends and it seems that even more secrets are hidden with Sophia. Isis is released from the hospital and tries to get back to normal life. Jack has taken up boxing to deal with the frustrations and guilt he feels in not keeping Sophia or Isis out of danger. Leo’s trial is coming up and Jack wants to testify so Leo will be put away and unable to harm Isis or her mom again. Kayla and Isis keep trying to figure out what happened all those years ago with Jack, Avery, Wren and Sophia. Suspense, intrigue, loyalty, clever wit and endearing charm and humor round out this book – 5 stars!

The humor Isis brings to the story helps to lighten the darkness that the group has been dealing with. I appreciate the author adding the bonus content and writing in Wren’s point of view to give readers a glimpse of what’s to come and we don’t get to know what Wren is thinking most of the time. The author’s note shows empathy and personal experience with tragedy.

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I reread Love Me Never by Sara Wolf before I dove into Forget Me Always and the book had me laughing out loud all over again!  When Isis is having a mini rant and Kayla tells her that she’s thinking out loud again, it’s too funny to contain!  Isis’ rants are amusing because she is such a clever and witty character.  Some swearing, just a warning for people who don’t like that.  The swearing is humorous and fits with the dialogue and sometimes silliness of the characters.  Clever writing and intelligent characters bring a myriad of backgrounds to the book and make it hard to put down, even though this was my second time reading Love Me Never.  I appreciate the strong character that Isis is and how she doesn’t feel sorry for herself, even though she went through something terrible.  Isis knows it could have been worse, but she also knows how it made her feel.  Oh, that ending is a tremendous cliffhanger, but now I have the sequel in my hands!

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Sara Wolf, the amazing writer of the Lovely Vicious series with her two books Love Me Never and Forget Me Always ready to read.  I am anxiously awaiting the third book in the Lovely Vicious series: Remember Me Forever.  I just spotted it on Amazon and it will be available May 2, 2017!

Chapter by Chapter Blog Tour Button for Forget Me Always

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Forget Me Always Tour Schedule

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Enjoy this wonderful series!

Touching Fate

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read and review Touching Fate by Brenda Drake! This fun and interesting story kept me entertained. Alternating points of view with Reese, a young man with a family curse which will make him die on his eighteenth birthday, and Aster, a young woman who unknowingly has a family curse that can change people’s fates. The two meet at a local carnival and Reese discovers that Aster is a fate changer. Since his family has known about the curse, Reese realizes that Aster can change his soon-to-be future fate. At first, he just wants to get to know her so that she will help him, but they fall in love with each other. Aster discovers her family curse because of a psychic at the carnival and her grandmother eventually explains everything to her, after tragedy has already struck. Aster’s grandmother has kept the curse a secret to protect the family, but she learns that this was narrow minded. Some swearing and a small sex scene that is vaguely detailed – just a heads up for people who might not want to read that. The story’s cohesiveness and charming characters made me a happy reader – 4 stars!

Before Tomorrow

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Before Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn! The Forget Tomorrow series belongs in the dystopian genre, but also contains a touch of romance. Before Tomorrow dives into Logan’s life and is told from his point of view, while the other books in this series, so far, are from female points of view. The story is enjoyable and it’s definitely nice to see Logan’s perspective in this world! 4 stars!

Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter is the final book in the Shadow Falls series, which I have thoroughly enjoyed because of the clever wit, dynamic characters, in-depth world building and the suspense that each book carries along with its own story.  I am sad that this series is ending and I hope to see more works from C.C. Hunter.  I give Midnight Hour a 5 star rating!

“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter! The instant I began reading Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter, I was drawn back into the supernatural world of Shadow Falls. I am sad that this book marks the end of the Shadow Falls series, but I am glad the author chose to write about Miranda as the main character. Miranda and her half-sister, Tabitha, visit an old witch that can supposedly tell anyone their future love story. As soon as she gets started with Miranda and her love story, things become chaotic.

C.C. Hunter is a wonderful storyteller and brings the reader up to speed flawlessly. Miranda and Tabitha are witches and are struggling to come to grips with the fact of their father having two families because he chose to cheat on his first wife (Tabitha’s mother). Miranda and Tabitha unwittingly discover an age-old cult that uses young witches to reproduce their progeny, so they can rule the world with witchcraft.

Midnight Hour fits perfectly in the supernatural genre and has mystery, suspense, romance and conflict added into the mix. I give it 5 stars for an indulging read!

Here is the link to the Midnight Hour booktrailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdCkKyDDjVw

Here is the link for a Midnight Hour giveaway:

http://us.macmillan.com/smp/promo/midnighthoursweepstakes