BEFORE I WAKE by David Morrell

June 30, 2019

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It is to be expected that an accomplished author such as Morrell would handle any form of literary endeavor with the same masterful touch as any other. In this, Morrell’s third selection of short stories, the truth of the matter is that he does.

This current volume contains fourteen stories ranging in themes from science fiction to horror, all presented with a forward by Morrell indicating a short background of what he did with the stories. A few have characters from his novels as well as independent situations involving those individuals introduced elsewhere.

A review of a volume such as “Before I Wake” presents the difficulty of trying to capture all of a book filled with different situations. That part normally captured in a full length novel must merely include the comment that the author is the tried and true master of all his creations. I read all of the book in one sitting, liked most of the stories, some not so much, and did find that the experience is only different from the author’s novels in that the situation presented must be done in a shorter time.

In the accepted rating system of stars – one or more up to five -I can’t do anything else but give five stars because of the way the author has easily grabbed my attention and allowed me the pleasure of a wonderful reading experience. Read the book, at the very least you will find one or probably many stories to become fascinated with.

6/19 Paul Lane

BEFORE I WAKE by David Morrell. Subterranean; Deluxe Hardcover edition (June 30, 2019). ISBN 978-1596069121. 376p.

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A MATTER OF WILL by Adam Mitzner

June 28, 2019

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Will Matthews is a young man newly come to New York from a rural area with the intention of rising up in the corporate world, making both money and a name for himself. He landed a job with a huge brokerage house, but after two years of beating the bushes, cold calling for prospects, he finds himself on the verge of being fired for lack of productivity.

But Will’s luck turns when he gets a ticket to see a hockey game at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. He finds himself sitting next to Sam Abaddon and his girlfriend. Sam, who is an extrovert, strikes up a conversation with Will, which results in a friendship and a golden find for him. Sam turns out to be very wealthy, and decides to invest a great deal of money with Will. He does, and Will’s fortunes do a one eighty. Not only with Sam, but with a group of Sam’s wealthy friends. At the same time, Will meets the girl of his dreams, Gwen Lipton, and it looks like his life has turned out for the much, much better.

But things change completely when Will witnesses an act of extreme violence and becomes caught up in criminal activity when finding out where Sam actually gets his money from. Gwen, who is a rising attorney in a large law firm, decides that she cannot have her own career jeopardized by Will’s problems dumps him, completing the misery now permeating his life.

Mitzner proves himself a master at fleshing out the characters in his novels and this book is no exception to the rule. The ending is a good one and provides the means for Will and Gwen getting back together. Based on the characters described by the author the finale is one that would be appropriate for them and the novel.

6/19 Paul Lane

A MATTER OF WILL by Adam Mitzner. Thomas & Mercer (June 25, 2019). ISBN 978-1503905139. 316p.

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RULES OF ENGAGEMENT by David Bruns and J.R. Olson

June 27, 2019

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The authors have presented a modern story of war. This is opposed to descriptions of battle in past centuries such as “War and Peace,” “All Quiet On the Western Front,” and “Battle Cry”. Those presented descriptions of men and women fighting other humans face to face. ” Rules of Engagement” deals with computers against computers guided by men and women working behind the lines.

Rafid Roshed is one of the most wanted men in the world with years of violent crimes against the west. He has developed an arrangement with North Korea and helps them launch cyber attacks against their enemies, which are the U.S., China and Japan. His latest development is a computer virus that once inserted into a country’s command system can gain control and begin to learn how to carry on on it’s own.

As the story opens, Roshed’s virus has already gained control of China’s system and has guided the Chinese Air force and navy into attacking both the United States and Japan. This occurs without the permission and against the will of the Chinese government.

Don Riley, the head of U.S. Cyber command, with the help of three brilliant midshipmen loaned by the naval academy at Annapolis, take on the task of finding and destroying the deadly virus. At the same time their mission would be to kill or capture Roshed. As in any good war story the action is swift and constant. The book describes the systems utilized in the war and does not utilize an idiom outside of the normal reader’s complete understanding in doing so. Very engrossing and very well done, and an excellent reason to keep an eye out for more from the authors.

6/19 Paul Lane

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT by David Bruns and J.R. Olson.  St. Martin’s Press (June 25, 2019). ISBN 978-1250200310. 336p.

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THE ROGUE OF FIFTH AVENUE by Joanna Shupe

June 26, 2019

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Uptown Girls, Book 1

From the publisher:

Silver-tongued lawyer.
Keeper of secrets.
Breaker of hearts.

He can solve any problem . . .

In serving the wealthy power brokers of New York society, Frank Tripp has finally gained the respectability and security his own upbringing lacked. There’s no issue he cannot fix . . . except for one: the beautiful and reckless daughter of an important client who doesn’t seem to understand the word danger.

She’s not looking for a hero . . .

Excitement lies just below Forty-Second Street and Mamie Greene is determined to explore all of it—while playing a modern-day Robin Hood along the way. What she doesn’t need is her father’s lawyer dogging her every step and threatening her efforts to help struggling families in the tenements.

However, she doesn’t count on Frank’s persistence . . . or the sparks that fly between them. When fate upends all her plans, Mamie must decide if she’s willing to risk it all on a rogue . . .

Shupe kicks off a new series in historical New York City, which is very reminiscent of London in the same time period. The wealthy live in a small enclave and the rest of the city is in dire need around them, yet completely invisible to the elites. Except for Greene girls. They are very much aware of the poverty and turmoil below 42nd Street and strive to help the families that the church turns away. They make money by gambling in places women are not allowed and that brings Frank Tripp into the picture.

Tripp is the family attorney and he is trying to help his client, the girls’s father, by protecting the daughters. But there is no stopping Mamie Greene, and Tripp greatly admires her – both her feistiness and her looks. These two are constantly verbally sparring, which adds friction to the chemistry between them. When one of Mamie’s families gets into trouble, she looks to Tripp to help them.

Tripp is hiding some secrets of his own but he agrees to help Mamie, he simply can’t say no to her. And anything that will get them to spend more time together works for both of them. So he agrees to defend a woman accused of murdering her husband. She did it, but it was self defense, but the cops don’t care about that. The victim was related to a police detective. The NYC police department is rife with corruption that goes all the way to the top. I laughed when Teddy Roosevelt comes riding in towards the end. This intrigued me so much that I looked into Teddy Roosevelt and the NYC police department and found this terrific piece from NPR.

While this is an engrossing tale, it’s the little touches of reality that really make the story shine. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE ROGUE OF FIFTH AVENUE by Joanna Shupe. Avon (May 28, 2019).  ISBN 978-0062906816. 400p.

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A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by M.T. Edvardsson

June 25, 2019

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This book is the story of a murder trial involving a young, eighteen-year-old girl. The author uses the technique of three narratives in telling his story.

There is the girl’s father, a Pastor and a man dedicated to the truth; her mother, a criminal defense lawyer; and of course Stella Sandell, the lady on trial. The technique, employed quite successfully by Edvardsson, is to utilize three separate sections of the novel, each dedicated to the thoughts and actions of the three people involved. Each part supplies the reader with different facts making up the plot and certainly causes many changes of opinion as the novel progresses.

Stella is a girl that certainly has her own mind and is more than a little rebellious. She is a student reaching the end of high school with the one ambition of taking a trip of several months to Asia. Important to her, and to the story, is her best friend who has been with her almost all of her short life. Amina, her friend, is the exact opposite of her, immersed in studies with the intention of becoming a doctor.

Both Stella and Amina have drifted into a relationship with a man fifteen years older than they are. Each tries to keep her role with him apart and attempting to keep the other thinking that they are not involved with him. It is this man that is killed and circumstances put the blame on Stella. She is arrested and brought to trial.

The strength of the story is the steady building up of suspense and the maintaining of the flow keeping the reader glued to the novel. While it was written in Swedish and takes place in a small city in Sweden, the translation is an excellent one allowing the nuances of the English I read it in to be quite clear. A definite five star novel and one showcasing the work of an author at the top of his game.

6/19 Paul Lane

A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by M.T. Edvardsson. Celadon Books (June 25, 2019). ISBN 978-1250204431. 400p.

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THE UNBREAKABLES by Lisa Barr

June 23, 2019

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From the publisher:

A delicious, sharp novel about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while rediscovering her own joie de vivre—a lust for life, art, and steamy sex.

“Artful, feminist, and emotionally gripping. The Unbreakables is a remarkable tribute to a woman’s strength in the face of heartbreak and adversity.” — Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

The worst birthday ever might just be the gift of a lifetime…

It’s Sophie Bloom’s forty-second birthday, and she’s ready for a night of celebration with Gabe, her longtime, devoted husband, and her two besties and their spouses. Dinner is served with a side of delicious gossip, including which North Grove residents were caught with their pants down on Ashley Madison after the secret on-line dating site for married and committed couples was hacked. Thirty-two million cheaters worldwide have been exposed…including Sophie’s “perfect” husband. To add insult to injury, she learns Gabe is the top cheater in their town.

Humiliated and directionless, Sophie jumps into the unknown and flees to France to meet up with her teenage daughter who is studying abroad and nursing her own heartbreak. After a brief visit to Paris, Sophie heads out to the artist enclave of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. There, for the first time in a long time, Sophie acknowledges her own desires—not her husband’s, not her daughter’s—and rediscovers her essence with painful honesty and humor, reawakening both her sensuality and ambitions as a sculptor.

As she sheds her past and travels the obstacle-filled off beaten path, Sophie Bloom is determined to blossom. Allowing her true self to emerge in the postcard beauty of Provence, Sophie must decide what is broken forever…and what it means to be truly unbreakable.

I don’t remember where I first heard about this book, but it kept coming up in various emails and websites with glowing reviews so I opened it. I was immediately surprised by the whole Ashley Madison plot line and thought why hasn’t anyone else written about this. It seems like a really good jumping off point for a novel and Barr took it and ran with it.

If you aren’t familiar or forgot the salacious details, Ashley Madison is a “dating” site for married people who wanted to have affairs. Yuck. But it was very successful, financially at least, until hackers broke in and started releasing lists of names of the married cheaters. You can read all about it here: Fortune and you can search the database if you really want to here: CNN helps you figure out how to do that. And of course, Wikipedia has an overview. In case you thought this huge, embarrassing data breach would cause the site to shut down, think again. Ashley Madison survived and is still going. No, I’m not linking to it. Again, yuck.

Sophie, Samantha and Lauren have been best friends since childhood and they dub themselves the unbreakables. But life has a way of laughing at such proclamations, and the damage done by the Ashley Madison scandal is immediate and devastating. This is a story of a woman who has to start over at age 42. I didn’t agree with all her choices, but I cheered her on regardless. I will say that having an unlimited stream of money seemed most helpful here so if this happens to you, plan ahead and save up for it.

I was immediately absorbed into the story and was alternately shocked, saddened, angered and inspired; sometimes, I swear, all on the same page. This definitely falls under emotional reads for me. Barr does a really good job of making the reader care about Sophie and all her life choices. This should make good fodder for book groups.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE UNBREAKABLES by Lisa Barr. Harper Paperbacks (June 4, 2019). ISBN  978-0062895394. 352p.

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FIX HER UP by Tessa Bailey

June 22, 2019

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From the publisher:

A steamy, hilarious new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey, perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne!

Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since.  Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means.

Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)

Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)

Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?

Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…

This is a fast, fun read with lots of humor, pathos, and steamy sex – what more could you want? I couldn’t help but get emotionally involved with both Travis and Georgie. Retiring from professional baseball with an injury in his twenties really messed with his head. He found solace by hiding and drinking alone. Until Georgie comes by, throws some old lo mein at his head and forces him out of bed. And to clean. His best friend’s little sister is showing him something he’s never had before; someone who cares about him

A difficult childhood left Travis alone and aloof but Georgie is breaking down those walls. And she can’t stand how her family still treats her like the baby they think she is. She may be all grown up but her work as a clown for children’s birthday parties isn’t convincing anyone to treat her as an adult – except Travis.

Suspend your disbelief and enjoy this funny, sexy book. I sure did.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FIX HER UP by Tessa Bailey. HQN Books; Original edition (June 11, 2019).  ISBN  978-1335659972. 368p.

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MAN OF THE YEAR by Caroline Louise Walker

June 21, 2019

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It is a truly wonderful feeling to pick up the first published novel by an author and realize that she has hit the jackpot on the first try. Hopefully, there will be many more of the same category allowing her readers to look forward to her books and picking them up when available.

The story begins, as the title indicates, with Dr. Robert Hart receiving the Sag Harbor award for the Man of the Year. Dr Hart has it all: a thriving medical practice, a beautiful home, a beautiful and charming wife. His setting is in a lovely and upscale community on Long Island away from the mad hustle and bustle of New York City, hours away by car. His boat sits in the harbor and his dream is to get an even fancier boat in the near future.

His son, Jonah, has just come off the normal teenage rough patch and is apparently entering an adulthood that involves better relationships with his parents. Jonah has a very good friend that he met in the college he is attending and brings Nick home with him for the summer vacation. And therein enters the fly in the ointment.

After a time, Robert comes to the conclusion that Nick is having an affair with Elizabeth, the beautiful wife in the picture. Walker brings out Dr. Hart’s suspicions via innuendos he perceives in watching the interaction between the two. Clues are available for the reader which seem to point in that direction.

We are swept up in the story by the method and style used by the author and it is a book that cannot be put down before finished. There is a surprise ending which is satisfying based on what has gone before it. This in no way is any sort of detriment for the reader. I leave with the hope that I will have the pleasure of reading more Walker books in the near future.

6/19 Paul Lane

MAN OF THE YEAR by Caroline Louise Walker. Gallery Books (June 11, 2019). ISBN 978-1982100452. 304p.

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THE SUMMER OF SUNSHINE & MARGOT by Susan Mallery

June 19, 2019

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From the publisher:

The Baxter sisters come from a long line of women with disastrous luck in love. But this summer, Sunshine and Margot will turn disasters into destiny…

As an etiquette coach, Margot teaches her clients to fit in. But she’s never faced a client like Bianca, an aging movie star who gained fame—and notoriety—through a campaign of shock and awe. Schooling Bianca on the fine art of behaving like a proper diplomat’s wife requires intensive lessons, forcing Margot to move into the monastery turned mansion owned by the actress’s intensely private son. Like his incredible home, Alec’s stony exterior hides secret depths Margot would love to explore. But will he trust her enough to let her in?

Sunshine has always been the good-time sister, abandoning jobs to chase after guys who used her, then threw her away. No more. She refuses to be “that girl” again. This time, she’ll finish college, dedicate herself to her job as a nanny, and she 100 percent will not screw up her life again by falling for the wrong guy. Especially not the tempting single dad who also happens to be her boss.

Master storyteller Susan Mallery weaves threads of family drama, humor, romance and a wish-you-were-there setting into one of the most satisfying books of the year!

This book falls somewhere between women’s fiction and romance, but whatever you want to call it, it is an engrossing read. The characters are skillfully brought to life and I liked the two storylines, one following each of the sisters. They briefly overlapped now and again as the sisters are not estranged, just living their own lives as most of us do.

Sunshine is determined to turn her life around. She loves working as a nanny, but regrets the kids she left behind to follow after random men who invariably ended up hurting her. This time she is not going anywhere; she loves the young boy she is caring for and she is taking her first college class as well. The problem arises when she realizes she is very attracted to her recently widowed boss.

Margot loves helping people and this job is proving to be the most challenging one of her career. Bianca is living with her son and Margot is completely besotted – with the house. It is an old monastery that has been renovated and turned into a home, leaving much of the original intact. Bianca’s son is an historian who wants nothing more than to be left alone with his ancient documents, so he is surprised to find himself so strongly attracted to Margot. And she is equally surprised to find herself attracted to him.

Once I started this book, I was drawn completely into the lives of these sisters. If you like family stories with some romance, then you will enjoy this. I sure did.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SUMMER OF SUNSHINE & MARGOT by Susan Mallory. HQN Books; Original edition (June 11, 2019).  ISBN  978-1335659972. 368p.

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TO TAME A WILD COWBOY by Lori Wilde

June 18, 2019

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Cupid, Texas Series, Book 7

From the publisher:

What would it take to tame a wild cowboy?

One minute, Rhett Lockhart is a love ‘em and leave ‘em bull rider with a slow, sexy smile, a swagger, and not a care in the world. The next, he learns his free-wheeling days are over: a baby has been abandoned in the hospital, and there’s no question: he’s the father. But from the first moment he gazes into his daughter’s eyes, he knows the moment has come to say ‘no’ to no-strings. It’s time to grow up.

Standing in his way is the baby’s foster mother, Tara Alzate, who doesn’t quite believe Rhett is ready to change his ways. Still, she’s not not immune to his considerable charms. So when he proposes a marriage of convenience and shared custody, against her better judgement, she says “I do.” Can Tara tame this wild cowboy and make her own, long-buried dreams come true?

This was a great read – made me wish I had read the six previous books in the series! Guess I’ll be hunting them down.

These characters were really brought to life and I couldn’t help but get caught up in their stories. Tara is a neonatal nurse who has taken this abandoned baby home with her. When she finds out who the father is, she knows there may be some issues as they have history. And Rhett suffers from Peter Pan syndrome. Having a baby forces him to grow up in a hurry, especially a baby with all the problems of an early premie.

If you like these contemporary cowboy romances, then pick this one up. If you haven’t read any, this is a terrific place to start!

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

TO TAME A WILD COWBOY by Lori Wilde. Forever (May 28, 2019). ISBN 978-1538748718.  400p.

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