Blog Tour Review for The Guy Next Door by Kate Palmer

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Oct 262012
 

Product Details

  • Title: The Guy Next Door
  • Author: Kate Palmer
  • Paperback
  • Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc. (September 2012)
  • Genre: Mystery/Romantic Suspense
  • ASIN: B009958AH2
  • FTC FYI: I recieved a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
  • Reviewed by Sheila

 

 

 

 

Book Description:
On the surface, Eva Black’s life seems practically perfect. The small-town
kindergarten teacher is set to wed ambitious lawyer Sean Langley, and
their plans for a dream wedding are well underway. Eva accepts that she
will soon live life in the spotlight as a member of the prestigious
Langley family, but can she overlook her fiancé’s tendency to dominate
the details of her life and push the limits of her standards?
Mere weeks before the wedding, Eva is thrown into a traumatic, life-changing event that
changes her view of family commitment and creates a sharp contrast
between her ideals and Sean’s. With her engagement to Sean in jeopardy,
Eva finds herself relying on the support and encouragement of Peter, her
kind and attentive next-door neighbor. Faced with a choice between her
penitent fiancé and the increasingly mysterious Peter, Eva is unprepared
for the consequences—and peril—that come with her decision.
My Review:(There will be spoilers in this review)
The Guy Next Door is a wonderful mix between a Romance, with a thriller mixed in half way in the story. The story starts with such sadness and shock. The sense of loss, main character Eva goes through, is so heartbreaking. Eva’s parents are dead and soon her only sister and brother-in-law pass away leaving Eva to mother and raise her newborn niece, Melody. Eva was engaged to super rich and handsome, Sean, but he has a hard time accepting Eva’s new role as “mother” to Melody. To add things into the mix, Eva’s next door neighbor Peter, is a kind and rather ruggedly handsome man who attracts Eva’s interest. There is a major love triangle in this story, but I really liked the way it all played out.

I liked Eva, a school teacher, and someone dedicated and loyal to family and friends. This LDS Romantic/ Mystery Suspense shows her struggle to learn to trust, have patience and faith. As the two men try to win her love, she is caught up in things she never would have imagined. Some of the shocking things revealed near the end I kind of guessed what was happening, but there were still many surprises. I always like when an author can surprise me with twists and turns along the way. This truly is an enjoyable read that keeps you on your toes at the end. My favorite male character is by far, Peter. Even though he was a mystery through most of the book, I loved his values and kindness. He is the type of man I could go for. This book also has a very satisfying ending. You will cheer for Eva as she gains strength in herself as a woman and mother.  Author Kate Palmer’s first book is a job well done. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Blog Tour Schedule
October 10: Ranee S. Clark – Review
October 13: Bookworm Lisa – Review
October 14: Geo Librarian – Review
October 14: LDS & Lovin’ It – Review
October 19: Gamila’s Reviews – Review
October 21: Books Are Sanity – Review
October 22: Debbie’s Inkspectations – Review
October 25: Tristi Pinkston – Review
October 26: Why Not? Because I Said So! – Review
October 26: LDS Women’s Book Review – Review
October 29: The Book Bug – Review
Giveaway:
As part of the tour, Kate is generously offering a grand prize giveaway of a copy of The Guy Next Door plus Junior Mints (Eva’s favorite candy), and a copy Eva’s lemon chicken recipe.
To enter to win these prizes, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form
provided. (Each tour stop will have the same Rafflecopter form)
  • Open from October 2 to November 2.
  • Must be 13+ years of age to enter
  • US mailing addresses only
Earn entries by doing any/all of the following:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:
Kate began her career as an elementary school teacher, but was soon promoted
to full-time mom. She is the mother of six living in the country. Her
husband is trying to teach her to be a farm girl. She can’t saddle a
horse, but she knows how to butcher a chicken. After a day of chasing
children, cooking meals, and folding laundry, she likes to escape into a
good book.
Social Networking Links:
Purchase Links:

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Blog Tour Review of Venom by K.C. Grant

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Feb 102012
 

Product Details:

  • Title: Venom
  •  Author: K.C. Grant
  • Paperback: 216 pages
  • Publisher: Covenant Communications Inc.; 
  • Published:1st edition (January 3, 2012)
  • Genre: Romantic Suspense
  • ISBN-10: 1608611426
  • ISBN-13: 978-1608611423
  • FTC:FYI I was given a review copy of Venom. In no way did this influence the honest review given.

 

 

 

Book Description:

Samantha Evans is determined to make a name for herself in the cutthroat world of advertising. Newly hired by a prestigious ad agency, she volunteers to work on location in Mexico City as a personal assistant to the beautiful and driven creative director Katrina Edwards. At first the association seems promising. But Ms. Edwards seems preoccupied in a way that makes Samantha increasingly uneasy. In fact, many in the group seem like they are not being completely open about the project including David Ayala, the mysterious and moody photographer for whose attention the two women find themselves competing. After several strange accidents and numerous appearances by an unknown man, Samantha discovers the truth: not everyone on the team is in Mexico to create a stellar advertising pitch. When her sleuthing leads to her abduction, she is brought to the pyramids of Teotihuacán and comes face-to-face with the venomous evil of the South American crime boss known as “The Serpent.” Now Samantha must not only fight for her life, but she must also discover if she can trust the man she’s come to love.

My Review:

Samantha’s main goal is to forge ahead in her career. She volunteers herself to join a group on an advertising job to Mexico. With her being fluent in Spanish, because of her serving a Spanish speaking mission, she was the perfect candidate. Little does she know what danger she is putting herself in, both physically and emotionally. Working for her boss, the beautiful and fashionable Katrina Edwards, she never feels quite up to her level. Then Samantha is attracted to freelance photographer, David Ayala, who is also the object of Ms. Edwards interest. What was supposed to be a simple business trip turns into something strange and scary. Odd things start happening that don’t add up and everyone around her looks guilty. Samantha notices that a strange man starts following her. Then, accidents start happening to her, which don’t seem so “accidental”.

 

To make things worst, back in the USA, Samantha’s father is diagnosed with cancer. Not only is she worried about the alarming events taking place in Mexico, but she wonders if she should leave, to head home, and support her parents through this trial. As Samantha starts discovering things about her boss, and other members of her team, she doesn’t know who to trust. The unfriendly co-workers,Lin and Mike, who are keeping secrets, and the over friendly co-worker, Seth, coming on to Samantha, lead her to start delving into what is really going on. Meanwhile, Samantha is falling in love with the allusive David, and she’s not entirely sure she can even trust him.

 

K.C. weaves a mystery that is very difficult for the reader to unravel. With so many people suspect, you also have a hard time figuring out who the bad guys really are. It takes awhile to get into the intrigue, but you learn so much about the history of Mexico and its people. With the author’s colorful writing, this country and it’s beauties, and the gray areas, are brought to life. The majesty of the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, are detailed so dramatically, you feel as if you are there. The sadness of so much poverty is also shown. I loved the added history that was found in this book. Most people reading this book will be surprised by the ending. Who you first thought was involved with “The Serpent”,the South American crime boss, will change with the unexpected happenings.

 

Venom’s exciting ending will not leave you disappointed. Just taking the ride, and seeing who falls in the end,(Literally!!), makes this a welcome read.

 To purchase Venom, go here to Amazon.com or Deseret Book.

  

 

About K.C. Grant:

 

K.C. Grant was born in rural Idaho, but has made Utah her home for most
of her life. After serving an LDS Spanish-speaking mission to Anaheim,
California, USA, she returned and continued her studies at Weber State
University, participating in a study abroad program that allowed her to
study at the Centro Mexicano Internacional in Michoacan, Mexico. She has
been a freelance writer for eight years. Much of her work appears
in family-oriented magazines such as LDSLiving, Latter-Day Woman, Back Home, Parents & Kids, and Natural Life and  also The Deseret News/Mormon Times. She
served as president of the Bountiful chapter of the League of Utah
Writers for three years and is  also a member of the Association for
Mormon Letters and LDStorymakers. Though raising her children is still
her most important task, she combines it with the demanding job of
working out the numerous plots she has for future novels. She and her
husband of seventeen years love to travel and scout out new settings for
books. While ancient Mexico was the setting for her first published
novel, Abish: Daughter of God, which was released by Covenant in 2010 and its sequel, Abish: Mother of Faith, released March 2011–modern Mexico was perfect for her suspense novel titled, Venom, recently released in 2012. Other publications include short stories published in Covenant’s seasonal compilations, How Will Christmas Find Us? and A Christmas to Remember, by various LDS authors.

To learn more about K.C. Grant or would like to contact her, here are some helpful links:

Website: http://www.kcgrant.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authorkcgrant


Blog: http://www.kcgrantwriterscorner.blogspot.com/