Bookish Bluebird: crime

Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Dual Review: THE WORD IS MURDER + THE WHISPER MAN

I keep telling myself I want to read more Mystery/Thriller books that don't include the In Death series. I've read three last year, and that's including these two up for review. 2021 will be the year I try to incorporate more into my reading! I have quite the little to-be-read collection piling up. Both Anthony Horowitz and Alex North were new authors to me. One blew my socks off and the other left me conflicted. It goes to show how much my mood and impressions of a character can greatly affect my enjoyment of a story. Both books have this minimalist cover-look though that I absolutely am a fan of.

Review: LOVE YOU MADLY by Ashlee Mallory

Title: Love You Madly

Author: Ashlee Mallory

Meredith Sanders was the golden girl in high school—a homecoming queen with a trail of worshipping minions. Now she's all grown up with a trail of failed marriages. The only good thing she has in her life is her brilliant and beautiful teenaged step-daughter...who's missing. But the best man for the job has a serious hate-on for her.

Back in high school, queen bee Meredith made Travis Brennan's life miserable. Since then, he's gone from class geek to a hardened, former SEAL, specializing in private security. As much as he wants to help Meredith's step-daughter, he can't help but clash with the gorgeous woman who once made his life hell.

But as they investigate the increasingly mysterious disappearance, their conflicted past threatens to turn into a very provocative present...

"If someone didn't want you, then to hell with them. Lesson learned.

Because loving someone was a risk—it left you vulnerable."

Based on the cover (I'm all heart eyes over here!), I thought this would be a sexy kind of romantic suspense. Turns out there was very little [read: hardly any] sexy times/romance and a heck of a lot of heart-racing suspense. I didn't really mind the lack thereof but I felt kind of misled by the cover and title. The suspense aspect of the novel was great though! Love You Madly reminded me of a certain Liam Neeson movie, so I had no problem visualizing the setting and many important scenes. Doing so actually made the book more enjoyable for me.

Review: ACE'S REDEMPTION by A.C. Bextor

Title: Ace's Redemption

Author: A.C. Bextor

Cherry
Memories alone can ruin you. Fear has a paralyzing effect, and love isn't always enough to keep you safe.

Ace was the gateway to freedom I hadn't known since I was fifteen. He offered his protection from the demons that haunted me; both living and dead. Although I knew I wasn't enough to keep him, this didn't deter my hope that one day he'd love me for who I was, not the broken girl he tried so desperately to save. In the end, the ghosts of my past found me. Their malevolence knew no bounds, and I was forced to succumb to their will of darkness. Each threat named against those I loved made any escape impossible; choosing my life for theirs became my desolate absolution.

Inevitably, it was my own weakness and self-doubt that became my undoing.

Ace
Emotional ties are sometimes severed. Friendships down always endure their hardships, and love offered isn't always returned.

I was in love once. For me, leaving her back in Ohio was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. For her, moving on with her life that included her son and the man she loved was no less than she deserved—unconditional happiness. My reasons to bring Cherry home to California were obvious. I needed help with my family, and she needed help staying clean and convincing her parents she was ready to give her son the life he deserved. It was the perfect plan. However, the best laid plans often get lost amidst their best intentions.

Cherry fell in love with me, and in return my love for her acted as the catalyst to her destruction.

*This novel contains material that is not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. Content includes: drug use, explicit language, violence, rape, and other scenarios with content that readers may find offensive. Please use caution when deciding on this book, as every reader has the right to understand the product before purchase.

**ARC was kindly provided by author A.C. Bextor via The Book Nuts in exchange for an honest review**

"I don't think it's possible to forget, but eventually you'll make other memories—

good ones that will outlive the bad ones."

I really, REALLY enjoyed this one!! It wasn't what I was expecting, which was a story centering around a male motorcycle club member (the name Ace just screams 'hot biker' you know?) falling in love with a distraught woman that club saves. I wasn't entirely off the mark though. Ace was a MC member, specifically the Lights of Peril MC. He gave up his cut and returned home to California, to his sister, grandmother and his friends, because he couldn't stand seeing the woman he loved (Sadey) be happy and in love with the club President. Peril was actually where Ace first met Cherry. She was the 'club whore'.

Raegan, aka Cherry, had an extremely rough past. She was caught up in drugs and terrible people. She was forced to give up her baby boy at a young age because of it. Eventually, Cherry became a club whore at Peril for a place to stay and belong. She was intimately acquainted with Ace and was there for him during the times he wallowed over Sadey. From there, they became friends. And as a friend, Ace agreed to take Cherry with him to Cali and help get her life back on track if she helped with his family and stayed clean.

"I'm your friend, and you can talk to me... even if you want to talk about her."

I loved Ace and Cherry's relationship. Ace was protective of her and cared for her but he couldn't bring himself to love her because of his lingering feelings for Sadey. They were just friends, but he couldn't imagine Cherry being with anyone. The just the thought pissed him off. He was a controlling alpha but he was also very sweet. Then there was Cherry. Words cannot express how much I felt for this girl. She's certainly become one of my favorite heroines! Having gone through what she did, she was still sassy and strong. She didn't let the past define her. The fact that she wanted to get clean for her son was admirable as well. Learning about her unrequited love for Ace made my heart ache. Cherry's the kind of character that you can't help but cheer for.

The secondary characters of Ace's Redemption were wonderful. I loved them all, even man-whore Hayden! Ace's friends were a funny bunch and a part of a band called Devil's Despair. They accepted Cherry into their folds easily, as did Ace's grandmother Bean and little sister Sarah. Cherry hadn't spoken with her parents since dropping off Decklan (her son) with them long ago. You really notice how much love she had to give, so seeing her have a close relationship with Ace's family was heart-warming.

"You can't always protect those you love from everything, and feeling guilty
about it doesn't help the circumstance."

I did love that Cherry reconnected with her dad. But most of all, I got all teary-eyed when she was finally face-to-face with her son! I had a feeling Cherry's past would come back to haunt her though. And when it did, I couldn't stop reading. I was on a mission to get to that happy ending!! I felt disgusted and angry learning the details of her horrid history. I wanted those responsible to suffer a painful death. Although, I could understand her actions as a means to protect her loved ones, I wanted to shake her when she tried to 'escape' the way she did. I cried a good amount during the last 30% of the book, let me tell ya.

The only reason I docked half a star was because there were some time jumps. I would have loved to have witnessed Ace and Cherry's romantic relationship develop the first few months after they finally got together. Overall, Ace's Redemption was an intense and incredible read! Great romance and character dynamics. Ace and Cherry first appeared in the Lights of Peril series but I thought, having not read that series myself, A.C. Bextor did a spectacular job in 'introducing' them and their complicated relationship quickly. I will probably end up reading Lights of Peril anyway though haa. I can't wait for the next book in the Devil's Despair series! :D

"No more escapes. You never need an escape again and most certainly never from me."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Bean

The wise and loving grandma.

She refers to texting as "sending words" (how adorable right? heh).

She didn't have much dialogue but when she did, you shut up and listen.

I loved when she gave Ace the 'you're worth it' speech.

I'm right here

"I'll give you anything as long as you don't go anywhere without me. I miss you, Rae."

Every time Ace called Cherry by her real name my heart got all warm.

This scene made me teary-eyed! He was laying out his feelings without actually saying I love you.

And to me, it was just as meaningful, if not more, given their history.

Extras: Character Casting

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Review: HOW TO KILL YOUR BOSS by Krissy Daniels

Title: How to Kill Your Boss - An Erotic Love Story

Author: Krissy Daniels

When Tatum's daydreams of murder become reality, all fingers point to her.

In Tatum Wood's opinion, murdering her boss on a daily basis within the safety of her thoughts is better than therapy. Until he takes a swan dive off a building and all evidence points to her. Thank goodness she has Franklin Reed. Her mysterious, overprotective and drop-dead gorgeous coworker is all too eager to play hero. With two attacks in her building and her stalker with a penchant for roses, Franklin's injection into her life couldn't have come at a better time.

As Tatum and Franklin scramble to discover who's behind the murder, secrets are unearthed that question his motives...as well as his identity.

**A complimentary copy was kindly provided by author Krissy Daniels via The Book Nuts in exchange for an honest review**

“I protect what's mine. At any cost.”

How To Kill Your Boss was humorous, suspenseful and HOT! The heroine, Tatum, works at a PI investigations firm that was once owned by her father but eventually given to Wallace Cruse, the star of her fantasies. Not her sexual fantasies mind you, she dreams about killing him. When Mr. Cruse winds up dead, all evidence points to her.

The story was told solely in Tate's pov. I loved Tate! She had sass and a backbone. She often said whatever was on her mind without filter and she didn't take crap from anyone, not even our hero Franklin when he calls her 'baby'. I enjoyed reading the fantasy murder schemes, though I found them amusing at the beginning it started feeling redundant after the first four.

“I want you consumed, mind, body, and spirit with want for me, for us.”

Franklin Reed (isn't that an awesome name?) I liked him. He was the new guy at work that Tate got along with and instantly became friends. They had major chemistry. I had suspicions early on about who he really was, though there were times I actually thought he was the bad guy haha. He's incredibly protective of Tate, bordering on extreme even. Why he is the way he is though becomes clear as the novel progresses and my heart melted during that scene.

“Love me, hate me. I don't fucking care. Just be with me.”

I thought the relationship developed a tad too quickly but it may have just felt that way because of the two month time leap after their first introduction. I wouldn't have mind the story being a little longer just so I could see how they started off and connected!

The mystery and intrigue aspect was wonderful and kept me guessing the who and why. I was glad that, for an erotic story, a lot of the novel was plot development rather than constant mindless sex scenes. But let me tell you, those sex scenes were incredibly steamy! *fans self* Overall, a fantastic and unique read!

“You’ll never be alone. Even when you can’t see or touch me. I’ll be there, keeping you safe.”