Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Feb 192016
 
Pimpernel  

Product Details

  • Title: Pimpernel
  • Author: Sheralyn Pratt
  • File Size: 3191 KB
  • Print Length: 280 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Wicked Sassy (January 18, 2016)
  • Publication Date: January 18, 2016
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B019DPEL0W
  • FTC, FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
  • Reviewed by : Sheila
Book Description:
Pimpernel by Sheralyn Pratt They seek him here; they seek him there. For centuries, the elite of the world have sought the Pimpernel everywhere. Some want to kill him, others want to hire him, but Jack Cavanaugh knows that the love/hate relationship comes with the job title. At present, Jack is trying to dismantle an investment scheme centered in Las Vegas, but “trying” is the operative word. It’s been a month since he put the face of the scheme behind bars, yet the scam is still going strong. As Jack tries to uncover who has stepped in as the new head, what miniscule evidence there is all seems to point him back to Claire Ramsey, an introverted PhD student studying at UNLV. If ever there as an unlikely head of a investment scheme, Claire’s it. She has a genius IQ, but from all Jack has seen, Claire’s intelligence is as much a blessing as a curse when paired up with her acute OCD. Claire can barely make conversation with the cute guy down the hall, which makes it hard to believe she could be the charismatic salesperson who is getting international businessmen to invest $5—50 million a pop. So what is Jack missing? What is the real story behind Claire Ramsey? And once Jack learns it, will he be able to walk away?

My Review: 
This book was not was I was expecting. It is not a story to read when you are tired, you need to be awake and alert or you will be lost. There is a lot to take in during the first half of the book. The set-up of characters and what is going on can be confusing at first, but soon you are piecing things together. At the middle point of the book is where the surprises start popping up and then you can’t read fast enough.

You have PhD student Claire who is a genius and also happens to have OCD. Right from the first, you know that she is involved in something where she is in over her head. Claire is a character where you really feel for her because of her strange family and her infatuation with her professor who is in jail. You never know what is going to throw Claire into a tail spin and a mental breakdown. With wealthy parents that have always been so cold, and she’s never been kissed, you want something good to happen to Claire.

Jack is the Pimpernel. He is a mystery and Claire isn’t sure if she can trust him. I wasn’t sure about him either as the story unfolded. It was hard to know who to trust at all. It’s crazy to read a book where you have no clue who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I was stumped for quite awhile. Jack is in neck deep with the organization trying to get to the bottom of the scam that Claire is in the middle of.

It’s really hard to describe what happens in this story without giving too much away. Let’s just say it is intense, exciting and edgy. As the romance starts blooming, you can’t help but wonder if it is real, or part of the scheme. Now that we have been introduced to the characters, main and minor, I hope that the author writes more of this series. I think now that you know them and what they do, the story would move more smoothly along. I liked this book, but felt like I should have been taking notes to try and figure things out. Author Sheralyn Pratt is a great writer, so she is able to pull this off and make you hungry for more of Jack, Claire, Margot, Nate and Ren. If you like to be challenged as a reader in figuring out a mystery, you will love this book and be happy that you read it.

amazon get itExcerpt:
The high-pitched scream from the other side of her apartment door shattered Claire’s thoughts. “Daniel?” That shriek had been way too high to come out of a man. “Help!” Daniel’s voice cried out from the other side of the door. Claire unlocked the door and pushed it open, finding Daniel cowering on the couch in sailor-themed boxer briefs. Classical music played from his bedroom, indicating Daniel had been sewing before he ended up on the couch. On the ground between them lay the lounge robe Daniel had made in his fashion design class along with his house slippers. They looked like they’d been flung at random. “Move!” he shrieked at her, stabbing his finger at the ground like a mad man. “Take the high ground and leave the door open. Maybe it will go back to the gates of hell, where it belongs!” Claire followed the direction of his manic gesturing, freezing when her eyes locked on something the size of her fist with eight hairy legs. “Daniel? Please tell me that is a toy.” “That. Is. NOT. A. Toy!” The spider chose that moment to make its move—which happened to be sprinting her way. Claire shrieked as Daniel motioned for her to join him on the couch. “High ground!” Was he insane? She would have to leap over the tarantula to get to him. Why in the world would she do that when she could just run away and go to a hotel for the night? “Voldemort?” a man’s voice said from behind her a split second before Claire backed into a male body blocking her retreat. Not only did Claire scream, but her body was suddenly possessed by an Olympic hurdler as she scampered across the living room and flung herself into Daniel’s arms on the couch. “You found her!” a flagpole of a man from the doorway said as Claire latched onto Daniel, hiding her face against his shoulder. If she didn’t see the spider, maybe it would cease to exist. “Found it?” Daniel scoffed. “That thing tried to duel me for my sandwich before I batted him off my kitchen table.” Claire shuttered, only vaguely realizing that the shoulder she was hiding her face in was bare. I’ve never hugged a guy who was only wearing underwear before, she thought a moment before Daniel pulled her keys out of her hand and flung them at the ground to join his slippers and robe. “Don’t chase it this way!” Daniel yelled at the other guy. “Come on, Voldemort,” the spider guy cooed. “Let’s get you back into your habitat—Don’t run!” Wait, it was running? Claire didn’t want to see that, yet something compelled her to turn and look anyway. People always said that horrible things seemed to happen in slow motion, but Claire could have sworn the giant arachnid was coming at her in fast-forward mode. In a heartbeat, she had climbed up to ride piggyback on Daniel while he responded by flapping his hands in panic as if he could fan the thing away with a light breeze. Not only did the spider keep running, it was sprinting like an arachnid with a plan—heading straight for the couch. When Daniel backed away, Claire felt her back thump into the wall. Before he could move again, she pushed off his back to stand on the back of the couch, dropping her purse when it threatened her balance. On the way down, it ended up in Daniel’s hands and he wasted no time finding items inside and tossing them at the spider while its owner moved in to act like a human shield. “No!” the tall guy cried as he tried to corral the beast. “Don’t throw things at her. You might hurt her.” Just then, Claire’s favorite lip gloss bounced off the hairy spider, stunning it. That lip gloss was dead to her—not just the tube, the actual brand. She’d never be able to look at it the same again.

add to goodreads     Meet: Author Sheralyn Pratt

SheralynSome describe Sheralyn as a girl who’s been around the block and worked at every shop. This isn’t far from the truth. Writing is what she loves most, however. There’s a magical power in stepping into new perspectives time and again, and seeing the world through different eyes. Few things increase empathy more than walking in another’s shoes for 100,000 words or so. At least that seems to be the trend so far.
Some random things to know about Sheralyn: * She’s a wanderer (geographically) * She can write a novel, but doesn’t have the attention span for one page in a journal * She vehemently disagrees with Stephen King’s stance that authors should not watch TV * She is pretty much incapable of sleeping before midnight

The Kiss That Launched 1000 GIFS by Sheralyn Pratt-Blog Tour Review

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Jul 212015
 
The kiss25763490Product Description
Title: The Kiss That Launched a 1000 GIFS
Author:Sheralyn Pratt
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Wicked Sassy
Published: July 6, 2015
ASIN: B00ZONLBVK
FTC, FYI: I received a review e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by: Sheila

 
Book Description 
Each weekday from 2:00-4:00 p.m., Grace and Ashton cohost Battle of the Sexes, a radio program arguing the he-said/she-said issues of the day. Their fiery debates often have listeners wondering if there’s more to their relationship than just talk, even though Grace has been dating Phillip, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Perfect, since long before she ever met Ashton Miller. Yet when news comes that Battle of the Sexes is on the bubble for cancellation, Grace and Ashton need to step up their efforts to engage their audience to keep the show alive. When a charity organization approaches them and proposes that the two of them kiss for a fund raiser, Grace and Ash agree to kiss for a good cause. A kiss is just a kiss, right? 

My Review:
This romance has strong characters that is the key to pulling you into this story. From the very first chapter you are hooked and wanting more of the banter that is between Grace and Ashton, co-hosts of a talk radio show called, Battle of the Sexes.

The thing I love even more in this book is Ashton’s relationship with his 15 year old niece, Megan. He has helped raise her and is a true parent figure in her life. her mom, Ashton’s sister hasn’t always been there for Megan. This truly showed what a great guy Ashton is. He even made her put an app on her phone that will track her whereabouts so if she needs him to come help her, he’ll be there. There are so many reasons to love the man Ashton is in this story.

Getting back to the romance…it takes a lot of tension and fiery interaction between Grace and Ashton before they give in to the attraction that has always been there between them. Oh, there is a certain kiss in the middle of the novel that is…Wow!

I read this book in just a few hours because I could not put it down. I loved the ending and the epilogue was sigh worthy. If you are wanting to read a cute romance, with humor, and also playing out the ups and downs of a relationship, The Kiss That Launched a 1000 GIFS is the one for you. I would recommend this book for anyone 18 and older because of some subject matter that is discussed on their talk show. This book gets 5 stars***** from me! This modern day romance needs to be on your Summer reading list and moved to the very top.

Excerpt

“Good afternoon, and welcome to the newest edition of Battle of the Sexes,” Grace said, starting off the show. “With me today is the man who has just proven that the Instagram app is truly foolproof—my no-longer-technically challenged cohost, Ashton Miller.”
Ash leaned forward into the mic. “And with me is the woman I’ve recently learned feels compelled to alert the world via photograph every time she finds a pair of shoes she likes—the woman who takes the ‘anonymous’ out of Shopaholics Anonymous—my lovely cohost, Grace Vasquez.”
Grace was unapologetic. “A good pair of shoes is worth sharing.”
“Oh? Does that mean I should post pictures of my shoes?” Ash asked, picking up his phone and pressing the camera icon.
“You’re wearing hiking boots.”
“That’s right,” Ash said, putting his shoes up on the table and snapping a picture. “These are Salomon Quest 4D GTXes. I wear them any time I go on a shoot that requires some hiking. They’re light, durable, and provide great stability. Is that the sort of thing you share on Instagram?”
“Not really,” Grace said. “But I’m sure Salomon doesn’t mind the free advertising you just handed them.”
“Well, I’m totally posting a picture,” Ash said, in his best valley girl tone. “It’s not every day a man finds comfort, function, and fashion all in one shoe.”
“Indeed,” Grace replied. “I’m still waiting for that day to happen for you.”
Ash smiled against his will and set his phone to the side. He’d post the photo later. Grace was clearly in a mood that required his full attention. “So what are we talking about today? And, please, don’t let it be shoes!”
Grace glanced at her computer screen, giving Ash a view of her stunning profile. Seriously, how was her skin so smooth?
“Today the most up-voted topic is…” She blinked, looking confused. “Huh.”
“Huh?” Ash echoed, intrigued by the look of confusion on Grace’s face.
“Cupcakes,” she said.
“Cupcakes?”
Grace nodded and frowned at her monitor. “Why do men hate cupcakes? is the trending topic at the moment.” Grace looked Ash’s way, visibly confused. “Do men hate cupcakes?”

Purchase your copy

Meet Author Sheralyn Pratt

Sheralyn’s first job was as a karate instructor, which taught her that practice does not make perfect; practice makes habit–good or bad. Martial arts also taught Sheralyn that a master is simply a person who can effortlessly do all the actions a beginner finds difficult or maybe even impossible. Sheralyn has worked in many fields throughout her life, but her 12 years as a karate instructor have shaped how she does everything, including writing and mentoring. She likes to keep things light and fun, but she’s also aware that life is journey and that if you’re going to buy a book, your life should better for it. So, fiction or nonfiction, know that each of Sheralyn’s books are designed to take you to a new place. Maybe that book is designed to help you escape for a few hours, or maybe it’s a book designed to teach you a new skill. Either way, Sheralyn hopes it’s unforgettable…in a good way. ;)

City Limits by Sheralyn Pratt

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Aug 172011
 

City Limits

Author: Sheralyn Pratt

Publisher: Bonneville Books

Published: 2010

Softcover: 213 pages

ISBN:  978-1-59955-423-5

FTC FYI-I purchased my own copy

“Whoever he was, the man was a scoot from death.  He sat with both legs dangling ten stories above street level, his hands gripping the ledge and pushing his body into a precarious forward lean.  A hundred feet below, a large crowd gathered to witness the potential suicide of a man whose name no one knew.” page 1

This is the second book of Sheralyn’s that I have reviewed.  Why? Because I love them! The Rhea Jensen series just gets better and better.  City Limits does not disappoint.

Rhea’s “missionary” (the one who converts Rhea to the LDS church) Andy is in town.  He is getting ready to start BYU, and is staying with Rhea’s boyfriend.  Rhea’s best friend Kathryn, who has recently moved to town, is suspicious of Andy’s true feelings for Rhea.

When a huge news story breaks, Kathryn needs Rhea’s help.  But that favor leads to a lot trouble for Rhea when men from a secret society show up at Rhea’s door “suggesting” she not help Kathryn with the story.  Where the story goes from here is so exhilarating and heart pounding, I didn’t breathe until I was finished, and it was way past my bedtime.

I love Sheralyn’s books.  They are so fast-paced and exciting.  The ending of City Limits is amazing.  If you are looking for a fun summer read, the Rhea Jensen series is for you.

5 stars out of 5

Content:

Car chases, explosions, kissing

City of Angels by Sheralyn Pratt

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Mar 232011
 

City of Angels

Author: Sheralyn Pratt

Publisher: Cedar Fort/Bonneville Books

Published: 2010 (originally published in 2003 as Spies, Lies, and a Pair of Ties)

Paperback: 215 pages

ISBN: 978-1-59955-404-4

FTC FYI: I borrowed from the library

“A joyful sob mingled with the happy chatter of birds in the outdoor restuarant. “Yes!” the woman three tables down on my right cried out, just before leaning to drop a kiss on the man kneeling before her.  The proposal and acceptance earned a gentle clap from older couples at surrounding tables.

… And my date was late” (page 1)

Rhea Jensen is my kind of girl.  Spunky, fun, smart, and real smart alec.  City of Angels starts off fast and never lets go.

Rhea is on a case.  Her date is late, so she practices trying to get out a handcuffs with a special device she’s made.  She seats herself in a secluded corner in the restaurant and “tags” her best friend/reporter Kaye.  Rhea is trying to stop a serial date rapist by posing as one of his dates, even down to faking being drugged by a tainted drink.  While pretending to bob her head, she pulls out her cop-style cuffs and hides them under the table.  Date man shows up, thinking she is out of it, and what he gets is the surprise of his life.

Rhea is a private investigator, one of the best.  Her boss Elliott, has another case for her.  A big shot at Jock Stock, Stephan Martel, is suspected of embezzling from his company, but here’s the catch.  The amount of money, isn’t a lot to shake a stick at, 200k.  But enough to land him in jail.  Martel is sure he knows who is it, but once she takes the case, Rhea has her own suspicions.

Of course, I’m paraphrasing.  Lots of things happen. I haven’t mentioned her crazy roommates that drive her nuts, Ben, (who needs a couple paragraphs to explain their relationship) and Kaye.  And oh yeah, LDS missionaries.

What I like most about Sheralyn’s books is the action.  But also, she has a perfect way of adding things that you’ll care about and want for Rhea.  How it’s added in, is great.  Especially the missionaries part.

4 out of 5 stars.  I have also read book 2 in this series, Welcome to Stalk Lake City.  I would give that one 4.5 stars out of five.  There are two more books: City Limits and Kay’sville. Kay’sville was nominated for a 2010 Whitney.  On a personal note, Sheralyn is a great gal, and an awesome author.  I picture her as Rhea as I’m reading.  She is awesome to be around, very spunky, and fun!