Beneath by H.B. Moore

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jan 062015
 

18398614Beneath

Author: H.B. Moore

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Published: September 26th, 2013

ebook: 30 pages

ASIN: B00OL1HTGC

FTC FYI: Received a Kindle copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Chalice Stratford’s hands won’t stop shaking, and not only is she required to give up her medical practice, but she’s forced to enter the witness protection program since the serial killer who brutally scarred her is still at large. Working in a museum in Bordeaux, France, the last thing she expects is to be abducted in a museum theft gone wrong. Omar Zagouri, the man behind the heist, is not who she expects, and Chalice soon learns he might be the one man who can put her demons to rest.

My Review

Beneath is a fantastic companion story to the amazing Finding Sheba.  This short story takes place before Finding Sheba, and gives us a glimpse of Omar.  I was immediately pulled into the story and was once again reminded what a fantastic character Omar is.  He’s enough to keep the pages turning and your heart pounding.  I loved how he took control of a situation that could have been even worse for Chalice.  She suffered a lot from someone else’s hand and couldn’t handle much more.  His take-charge attitude and sweet bedside manor are evidence to what a great character he is.  I loved how the author ended this story, it had me wanting more!  I love it when authors don’t necessarily tell you everything, and keep you on your toes.  Perfect way to draw the reader in and keep them reading.

Author Links 

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Purchase Links

Amazon

About the Author

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen historical novels and thrillers, written under pen name H.B. Moore. She writes women’s fiction, romance and inspirational non-fiction under Heather B. Moore. This can all be confusing, so her kids just call her Mom. Heather attended Cairo American College in Egypt, the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah.

Alternate Goodreads Page: Heather B. Moore
Please join Heather’s email list at: http://hbmoore.com/contact/
Blog: http://mywriterslair.blogspot.com
Website: www.hbmoore.com
Twitter: @heatherbmoore
Facebook: Fans of H.B. Moore

Literary awards: 3-time Best of State Recipient for Best in Literary Arts, 3-time Whitney Award Winner, and 2-time Golden Quill Award Winner

From the Ashes by Julie Coulter Bellon

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jan 052015
 

23520395From the Ashes (Hostage Negotiation Team 2.5)

Author: Julie Coulter Bellon

Publisher: self

Published: November 8th, 2o14

ASIN: B00PEHD376

ebook: 85 pages

FTC FYI: Received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

**This novella is a continuation of Colby and Sophia’s story from Ashes Ashes (Hostage Negotiation Team #2)**

As a suspect in Senator DeMarco’s murder, Sophia Naziri worked hard to bring the true killer to justice and prove her innocence. But she pays a high personal price trying to clear her name when she’s held hostage and nearly killed—and Sophia can’t put it behind her just yet.

Matters get even more complicated when classified information regarding the murder is leaked. Sophia is besieged by the press and trapped even further by the memories that won’t let her move on. In order to escape the situation, Sophia heads to a secluded cabin with Detective Colby Black so they can lay low and figure out who the leak is. But can Sophia find the peace she craves? Or will the circumstances that brought her and Colby together now drive them apart?

My Review

I really enjoyed this novella after-story for Colby and Sophia.  I love how we are able to see what happened to them after their first adventure in Ashes Ashes.  While reading, I was able to recall events from Ashes Ashes and was reliving all that these poor characters endured.  Julie does a fantastic job of building suspense and raising suspicions.  One character in particular was not so forgiving.  I enjoyed how Julie built the suspense and threw me off track to who was causing the trouble.  The pages turn quick in this engaging story and I hope that Julie will give us more after-their-story novellas from her other Hostage Negotiation books.

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Catching June by Shannen Crane Camp

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jan 022015
 

20505003Catching June

Author: Shannen Crane Camp

Publisher: Sugar Coated Press

Published: December 6th, 2014

ISBN13: 9781502805461

Paperback: 284 pages

FTC FYI: Received a PDF from the author in exchange of an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

June Laurie’s life in the spotlight of Hollywood is anything but normal. Between paparazzi watching her every move, and online fandoms voicing opinions on her relationship with her boyfriend and co-star Ryan Hex, things can get confusing. But June is more than confident that she has her life planned out perfectly, with her childhood friend Joseph Cleveland coming home from a mission soon, and a successful television show under her belt, things seem to be falling into place perfectly. But when jealousies both on set and off start to shake the foundation of perfection that June has tried to build up, she’ll be forced to, once again, assess just how important her deeply seated standards are, and who really fills the empty spaces in her life. With the overbearing threat of popular opinion constantly hanging over her, will June be able to clear the clutter in her life and come to terms with what will bring her true happiness?

My Review

Can I just tell you how much I love this series?  Okay, I will.  I love this series.  June is an absolute doll.  I love, love, love how Shannen writes her.  And isn’t this cover adorable?!?  June handles herself so well when it comes to keeping her head and her standards in Hollywood.  I read this book in a 24 hour period.  I easily fell in love with the characters once again.  As much as I like Ryan, I love Joseph, and I enjoyed the journey that all the characters take.  Benjamin and Candice are still around and have some great one-liners.  But, one of my very favorite characters, who stands in the shadows, is Gran, she is a joy.  She is always there for June to give her enduring advice.  The ending has a fun surprise and I am thrilled!

4 out of 5 stars.  If you are new to the series, I would start with Finding June, then Chasing June.  You will care more about the characters and get to know the beauty that is June.

Author Links

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Purchase Links

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Run by JoLyn Brown

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Dec 312014
 

23715657Run

Author: JoLyn Brown

Publisher: Walnut Springs

Published: November 15th, 2014

Paperback: 300 pages

ISBN13: 978159159224

FTC FYI: Received a PDF from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

When Supermom joins Dad on his latest project, sixteen-year-old Morgan is left at her aunts. Instead of dating the cute boy from the track team, she will now have to spend the summer keeping a sane distance between herself and her aunts six boys.

Morgan plans on the summer being awful. Encountering an army of spiders and getting lost while running should not surprise her. What she never expects is to stumble across an abandoned house her parents own an abandoned house her uncle committed suicide in. Someone ought to have mentioned that before now.

The past haunts Morgans dreams. The more she remembers and learns, the more she realizes even her cousins are not what she thought they were. Worse, she has somehow become a reflection of her uncle and everything her parents are running from. Morgan wants to hold on to the things she loves running, her cousins, the bits of her family still intact but as the summer passes, she starts to wonder if she s going to lose everything instead.

My Review

JoLyn does a great job of capturing teen-age issues in this book.  But, poor Morgan had quite a few.  Her parents are shipping her off to the small town where her aunt, uncle and crazy cousins live.  Morgan lived there too, when she was younger, but doesn’t remember the sad events that took place before her parents left.  At first Morgan’s attitude about her circumstances make it worse for her, but as time goes on, she realizes how much she needs to be where she’s at.  I really, really liked this book and I found that I didn’t want it to end.  I appreciated where the author went with the story and I loved the relationships that develop.  A tragedy occurred when Morgan was young that she has blocked out, and I loved the journey she takes to help herself and her parents heal.  The characters are strong and the story reads quick and is very well written.  I look forward to more from this author.

4 out of 5 stars.

Author Links

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Purchase Links

Amazon / Deseret Book

Remembrandt by Robin King

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Dec 262014
 

22920573Remembrandt

Author: Robin King

Publisher: Walnut Springs

Published: October 2014

ISBN13: 9781599929484

Paperback: 240 pages

FTC FYI: Received a PDF copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Alexandra Stewart doesn’t just walk down memory lane, she lives on it. Her eidetic memory records her experiences and plays them back, DVD style. It’s great when she wants to ace a test, but not so great when she topples over a cute boy in the hallway and the humiliation plays back over and over and over . . . Brown University seems like the perfect place for the seventeen-year-old to forget her past. Hope for a normal life comes in the form of a handsome new running partner who makes her heart race and body perspire even before she laces up her shoes.

When her Russian professor gives her a puzzle that seems impossible to solve, Alex discovers that he has a secret – one that will catapult her into a world of cryptic codes and covert missions. As she tries to find a balance between the two different worlds vying for her attention, Alex wonders if she can have relationships with the ones she cares about while hiding a clandestine life, uncovering the truths of an underground enemy.

One thing is for certain, whatever happens will be forever etched into her memory. And some things are better left forgotten.

My Review

I really enjoyed this book.  Alex is an amazing girl.  I was fascinated by her eidetic memory and all of its possibilities.  This book has one adventure after another. I loved how Alex was a strong young woman, who could literally think her way out of anything.  I thought the author did a great job of introducing Alex’s back story with her mom and brother.  Her father teaches at Brown.  I did love how she had a great support system in her roommate and her professors.  All the characters are fantastic and entertaining.  William especially.  He’s a doll.  Alex’s adventures are very page-turning and I can’t wait to see what is next for her.

4 out of 5 stars.  I can’t summarize anymore without giving it all away.  Hold on for a great adventure!

Author Links

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Purchase Links

Amazon / Deseret Book

 

Sky Jumpers: The Forbidden Flats by Peggy Eddleman

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Dec 242014
 

The Forbidden FlatsSky Jumpers: The Forbidden Flats

Author: Peggy Eddleman

Publisher: Random House

Published: September 23rd, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-307-98131-8

Hardcover: 262 pages

Middle grade fiction

FTC FYI: Borrowed a copy from the library, intend to purchase my own copy.

Goodreads Summary

Escape one danger. Jump into another. . . .

Twelve-year-old Hope has always felt a little different from everyone else who lives in White Rock. She tries hard, but she doesn’t always think before she acts. She takes big risks. Sometimes her risks pay off, but sometimes they fail. Sometimes she fails.

Hope knows that the most dangerous thing about living in White Rock is that it’s so close to the deadly Bomb’s Breath—the invisible, fifteen-foot-thick band of compressed air that’s hovered over the earth since the Green Bombs of World War III. The citizens of White Rock live in fear of the Bomb’s Breath. Only Hope has figured out a way to go through it—and lived to tell the tale.

But when a massive tremor rips across the earth, the Bomb’s Breath begins to lower over White Rock. It’s up to Hope and her friends Brock and Aaren to make the dangerous journey far from home across the bandit-ridden Forbidden Flats to the wilds of the Rocky Mountains to obtain the one thing that may be able to stop it—before the Bomb’s Breath sinks too far and destroys them all. This time, Hope can’t fail.

My Review

White Rock is in trouble once more, Hope and her town must find a way to save the them all.

Peggy Eddleman triumphs again with this enjoyable sequel.  I found myself reading and reading, and suddenly I was half way through.  Forbidden Flats reads fast, and just like the first one, has lots of action and heart.  This time Hope finds herself on a journey to save her town once again.  They are accompanied by a stranger, who seems familiar to Hope, but she can’t place it.  Hope is my hero.  This girl is amazing.  I love her willingness to try anything and the way she jumps in and helps anyone at any time.  I love books where the main lead character is a strong girl, and the Sky Jumpers series is definitely at the top of my list of favorites.

5 out of 5 stars!  Need a last minute gift?  The Sky Jumpers series is it.

Author Links

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Purchase Links

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