Contemporary Fiction

Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks

Book Review Graphic
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks was an exciting book.  As I was reading this book, I remember why I love books in this genre so much.  I always feel like I am coming home when I read them.  I enjoyed this author and her writing.  I know that I will read more books by her in the future because I enjoyed it so much and fell in love with Piper right from the start of the book.  This book isn’t super suspenseful, but that didn’t bother me because I loved this book.  I read this book in two sittings because once I started reading it, I didn’t want to put it down until I  had finished the entire thing. It has been quite a long time since I have read a book that made me want to stay up and keep reading until I had finished reading the book.  If you like suspense books, I would surely pick this one up because I am sure you will love it.

About The Book

Genre: Suspense Published by: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: July 14th 2020 Number of Pages: 336 ISBN: 0785226184 (ISBN13: 9780785226185)
A powerful family with lots of secrets. A forensic artist with his own tragedies. And a hurricane drawing bearing down on their private island. Fifteen years ago Piper Boone’s only child died in a boating accident, and Piper’s almost perfect life came to an end too. After living through a divorce and losing her job, she retreats to Curlew Island and her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the politically powerful Boone family, who are practically American royalty. But Piper’s desire to become a recluse is shattered when a mass shooter opens fire and kills three women at a café where Piper is having lunch. The crisis puts her family in the spotlight by dredging up rumors of the so-called Curlew Island Curse, which whispers say has taken the lives of several members of the Boone family, including Piper’s father and sister. Forensic artist Tucker Landry also survives the shooting and is tasked with the job of sketching a portrait of the shooter with Piper. They forge a bond over their shared love of movies and tragic pasts. But when police discover a connection between the shooting and two more murders on Curlew Island, they face a more terrible lineup of suspects than they could have imagined: Piper’s family. Unraveling the family’s true history will be the key to Piper’s survival—or her certain death.

About The Author

Carrie Stuart Parks is Christy, Carol, and Inspy award-winning author, an award-winning fine artist, and internationally known forensic artist. Along with her husband, Rick, she travels across the US and Canada teaching courses in forensic art to law enforcement as well as civilian participants. She has won numerous awards for career excellence. Carrie is a popular platform speaker, presenting a variety of topics from crime to creativity.

Catch Up With Carrie Stuart Parks: CarrieStuartParks.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, & Facebook!

Buy A Copy

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Let’s Be Friends

Enter To Win

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Carrie Stuart Parks. There will be 1 winner of one (1) RELATIVE SILENCE by Carrie Stuart Parks (print). The giveaway begins on July 13, 2020 and runs through August 16, 2020. Open to U.S. addresses only. Void where prohibited. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read An Excerpt

(more…)Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2020 Margaret Margaret

Withstanding the Enemy by T.L. Mahrt

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Withstanding the Enemy by T.L. Mahrt was a book that took me a few chapters before I got into the book.  This book was a slow starter but once it picked up I really enjoyed the story.  I also wanted to make sure that everyone is aware that there are parts of the book that deal with domestic violence and if that is something that will trigger you I would skip this book.  It didn’t bother me but that is probably because I have never had to deal with anything like that.  This is the first book I have read by this author and I will read more by her in the future I am sure.  I also enjoy the narrator of the book and I wouldn’t mind listening to other books that they read in the future.  I also love Chance right from the start and spent the whole book hoping that he and Emma would end up with each other.  If you love romance novels I would pick this one up and give it a shot.

About The Book

Author: T.L. Mahrt

Narrator: Nyamukandawiri

Length: 8 hours 20 minutes

Publisher: Traci Hansen⎮2020

Genre: Romance

Series: With Emma, Book 1

Release date: Feb. 19, 2020

Emma Andrews was orphaned at a young age with no family to turn to. Tired of the broken foster-care system, and believing it was her only option, she runs to a multi-millionaire with a reputation of hiring young women. It is only then that she learns what real monsters look like…

Emma uses her overactive imagination to help her get through the toughest of days. By daydreaming a life full of love and freewill, she manages her colorless prison, but even in her wildest dreams, she would have never imagined it could become a reality. That is, until she meets Chance, a man willing to lay his life down to save hers.

But what Emma doesn’t expect is to fight her own personal demons – her heart.

About The Author

L. Mahrt is a former business owner, where she utilized her education in cosmetology, barbering and massage therapy for several years. She was raised on and is currently living on a farm in Nebraska, where you can find her running barefoot in the country side with her loving husband and inspiring children and massive dogs. 

After having her son, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, she made the life altering decision to stay home to care for her two children and pursue her love for writing. She has a love for romance and poetry where, her overactive imagination, along with her adventures and up beat lifestyle drives her inspiration for her writing. 

L. Mahrt has a thirst for knowledge, and is currently working on her Bachelor of Applied Science in Communication Studies degree.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

Buy A Copy

Amazon⎮Audible

Let’s Be Friends

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2020 Margaret Margaret

15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart was a fun book to read.  I was almost always left wondering what crazy thing Maizie was going to do next.  She was always doing or saying crazy things that would get on my nerves from time to time.  As I was listening to the story Maizie would do something crazy and I would always wonder how she always managed to mess just about everything up.  As the book went on and on I wished she would have just shut up for a few minutes so that she wasn’t always making everything even worse.  I did love that this book wasn’t intense and it made me laugh quite a bit even though it isn’t a comedy book.  I also really enjoyed the narrator in this book and the author.  I know that I will for sure be listening to more books that this narrator read because I loved her voice.  With everything going on in the world right now I chose this book because it is a light hearted story and was able to give me a world to escape into when I need a break from my life for a little while.  If you love mystery books but aren’t wanting to read anything that is intense I would pick this one up because in the end it was a super fun book to listen to.

About The Book

Author: Larissa Reinhart

Narrator: Joan Dukore

Length: 10 hours 26 minutes

Publisher: 1969⎮2020

Genre: Mystery; Amateur Detective

Series: 

Release date: May 28, 2020

She played a detective on TV, but now that her life depends on it, can Maizie Albright play a detective for real?

For fans of romantic comedy mysteries like Meg Cabot’s Size 12 Is Not Fat and Stephanie Bond’s Body Movers, The Wall Street Journal best-selling author Larissa Reinhart brings her listeners the first in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series, Hot Mystery Reviews’ “Top 10 Mysteries for Book Clubs”.

”Child star and hilarious hot mess Maizie Albright trades Hollywood for the backwoods of Georgia and pure delight ensues. Maizie’s my new favorite escape from reality.” (Gretchen Archer, USA Today best-selling author of the Davis Way Crime Caper series)

Three Teen Choice Awards, one Emmy nomination, and several Maxim covers later, Maizie Albright was an ex-teen star, stuck in reality show hell, and standing before a California judge. She has one chance for a new life: return home to Black Pine, Georgia, and get a job that has nothing to do with show business. So why not become a private detective – the person she played during the happiest days of her life?

Maybe because…

First: She’s got 10 days to get and keep the job. 

Second: She has to convince the only private investigator in town to hire her. 

Third: She lost the client’s wife on the first day. (And the woman may be dead…) 

Fourth: She just might be falling in love with her new boss. And she just might have lost him his business. 

But what has she got to lose, other than imprisonment, her dignity, and possibly, her life?

Start the Wall Street Journal best-selling series and download 15 Minutes today! 

“Sassy, sexy, and fun, 15 Minutes is hours of enjoyment.” (Phoebe Fox, author of the Breakup Doctor series)

About The Author

The Wall Street Journal bestselling author Larissa Reinhart writes the award-winning Cherry Tucker Mystery, Maizie Albright Star Detective, and Finley Goodhart Crime Caper series. She loves to tell funny stories about women, looking for love (and sometimes dead bodies) in all the wrong places.

Larissa, her family, and Cairn Terrier, Biscuit, lived in Nagoya, Japan, but have returned to Peachtree City, Georgia. You can see them on HGTV’s House Hunters International “Living for the Weekend in Nagoya” episode. Larissa loves books, food, and traveling with her family. You can often see her adventures on Instagram (and her little dog, too).

Visit Larissa’s website to join her VIP Readers email group and get the free prequel to The Cupid Caper plus other exclusive bonus content! http://www.larissareinhart.com

Website⎮Facebook⎮Goodreads⎮Instagram

About The Narrator

Born in Honolulu, HI, Joan DuKore began her performing career as a ballet dancer, and attended Virginia School of the Arts to continue her education. Her hobby of magic later became her profession, and she continues to perform in Las Vegas and around the world. Her love of reading eventually led to voice acting. She has produced over 30 audiobooks in numerous genres such as thrillers, romances, memoirs, mysteries and fantasies. She loves locking herself in her booth and living in the worlds that authors create.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook

Buy A Copy

Amazon⎮Audible

Let’s Be Friends

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2020 Margaret Margaret

Ignite My Heart by Loni Ree

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Forever Write PR in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Ignite My Heart by Loni Ree was a good book but it did seem rushed to me that always happens when the books are short.  I always wish that short books like this were long so that I could have gotten to know the characters and I wanted to spend more time with the characters because I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book. I did enjoy that I was able to read the entire book in just one sitting which I love because it is just long enough to make me forget what is going on but not so long that it takes forever to read them.  I love reading short books while I am eating because I am able to get through most of the book in about 30 mins which make my lunches go faster and gives me a short break to walk away from my desk and escape into another world. This is also the first time I have heard or read anything by this author and I am going to check out more books by her in the future.  I also can’t wait to read more books in this series in the future.  If you don’t have a ton of time to read I would pick up a short book like this one and give it a shot.

About The Book

 

It only takes a spark…

Trace Remington
I’m used to my nice quiet life in Juniper. I usually save Mrs. Jacob’s cat from its own bad luck once or twice a week and, on occasion, deal with a real emergency. When Paige Reilly moves in, the little firecracker wakes up our sleepy small town and sets my blood on fire.

Paige Reilly
I was looking for somewhere quiet to settle down, and Juniper, Colorado looked like the perfect place. Little did I know, the quiet little town would welcome me with a bang. When the hottest guy I’ve ever seen shows up at my door to give me advice on fitting into the town and neighborhood, sparks start flying between the Fire Captain and me.

Are you ready for sparks to ignite? This book is guaranteed to set your kindle on fire.

About The Author

Loni Ree is a very busy mom of six who loves to read, and she finds that it helps her escape the chaos of everyday life. She likes quick reads that are red-hot and on the excessive side. Writing has also been a passion of hers, and Loni decided to share the stories floating around in her mind. Her short, steamy stories have a tiny bit of suspense and are a little over the top because she believes reading should be an escape from real life. Her books always have a happy ever after, guaranteed!

Follow: Website | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon |  Instagram

Buy Your Copy

Let’s Be Friends

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2020 Margaret Margaret

Scarlet Oaks and the Exposed Photographer by Michaela James

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Scarlet Oaks and the Exposed Photographer by Michaela James was a great listen and I enjoyed this book more than the first one that I listened to. I enjoyed the plot of this one more than the first book. I also loved all of the crazy things that the characters did in this book just like I did in the first book. If you want to see my thoughts on the first book you can click here and read it here. Like I said in my review of the first book I really enjoy this narrator’s voice and the author of this book as well. I spent the entire book waiting to see what crazy things that characters were going to do next. I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book more than I did the mystery aspect of the first book. This book didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat as I was listening to it but that didn’t bother because this story was a great escape and I loved listening to it while I was working. If you are looking for a mystery book to listen to I would check this one out.

About The Book

Author: Michaela James

Narrator: Kimberly M. Wetherell

Length: 12 hours 30 minutes

Publisher: LW Media Group Ltd.⎮2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scarlet Oaks Cozy Mystery Series, Book 2

Release date: Feb. 6, 2020

Something sinister is going on at Bay Radio. Is it possible there’s a connection between the mafia-type men who show up after dark, the terrified young women they have in tow, and the ominous commune Scarlet’s sister calls home?

A troubled caller’s cryptic clues point to a man from Scarlet’s past. Could he be the key to breaking her sister Violet out of a seemingly impenetrable commune? 

Scarlet’s new boyfriend gets a crash course on the life and times of Violet, as they enter a world of shadows, sex, and secrets. With more than her own life on the line, Scarlet fights to save her sister.

Can Scarlet and friends, armed with only a harebrained scheme and spy store gadgets, solve this mystery? All roads lead back to the cryptic caller. Expose the photographer from Scarlet’s past, and the thick, scandalous web starts to unravel.

Jump on this speeding cable car with Scarlet and hold on for dear life. This fast-paced, clever mystery will have you laughing one minute and gasping the next. Spend time with the characters you’ve grown to love and make room in your heart for more. 

If you grew up reading or listening to Nancy Drew, you’ll love Scarlet Oaks. This is the second book in the Scarlet Oaks series. Continue the adventure – buy Scarlet Oaks and the Exposed Photographer today!

About The Author

Michaela lives near Reno, Nevada, where there are lovely walking trails and lots of sun. She was born and grew up in Hampshire, England, where there is less sun, but better chocolate! A professional voice over artist and the voice of a local radio station, Michaela enjoys watching great movies with her husband and grown sons, playing tennis and  and drinking lots of tea.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

About The Narrator

A bright, versatile, broad-next-door type, Kimberly M. Wetherell is rapidly becoming a sought-after talent in the voiceover market, specializing in audiobooks, commercials, and animation.

Kimberly has worn multiple hats in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. A graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, Kimberly has been an actor, a singer of musical theatre, director of both opera and film, and producer of opera, film, and most recently, commercials.

She speaks French, Italian, and German (all thanks to her 15-year career in opera), and, as a lifelong lover of language, has a large catalogue of dialects and accents from around the world at the tip of her tongue.

Equally active in the literary world, Kimberly is a published essayist and contributing editor of The Nervous Breakdown. She founded and hosted DISH, a monthly food & drink reading series at SoHo’s Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, as well as having hosted other reading series around NYC, such as NPR’s Dime Stories at Brooklyn’s Barbès and TNB’s Literary Experience at Chinatown’s Happy Endings.

Voiceover artistry is the perfect marriage of her life’s two passions, and she couldn’t be happier with this new career pursuit.

Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

Buy A Copy

Buy on Audible

Let’s Be Friends

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2020 Margaret Margaret

Scarlet Oaks and the Serial Caller by Michaela James

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Audiobookworm in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Scarlet Oaks and the Serial Caller by Michaela James was a good audiobook.  I really enjoyed the characters in this story and I was always left trying to figure out which person was the most insane in her group of friends and family.  These are the types of characters that I wish I knew in real life because they are a never-ending source of entertainment. I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook and I wouldn’t be mad if I were to listen to other books that she reads. I loved listening to this book because it wasn’t super intense but it did give me an escape from all of the crazy events that are happening right now.  I did enjoy the comedic parts of this book and those moments are the reason that I finished the entire audiobook in just a couple of days. I also enjoyed the author’s writing and I can’t wait to see what crazy things the characters are going to do next. There is one more book in this series that I am going to review next week so come back then to see how I feel about this series then.

 

About The Book

Author: Michaela James

Narrator: Kimberly M. Wetherell

Length: 10 hours 2 minutes

Publisher: LW Media Group Ltd.⎮2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scarlet Oaks Cozy Mystery Series, Book 1

Release date: Nov. 9, 2019

Synopsis: Is it possible Scarlet Oaks, the reluctant new host of a men’s call-in show, inspired the first serial killer San Francisco’s seen in some 40 years?

Struggling to pay the rent after her boyfriend’s sudden departure, continue her role as mediator in an unconventional family, and feed a micro pig who appears less micro by the day, Scarlet’s life is far from perfect. But when an eerie sounding caller is identified as the bay area’s latest serial killer, it appears her life will never be the same.

With the killer continually calling into Scarlet’s show, while managing to stay one step ahead of the San Francisco police, Scarlet begins to fear she’s his next victim. Enlisting best friends Niles and Tom and their often-hilarious help, Scarlet sets out to find the elusive Serial Caller…before he finds her.

Root for Scarlet during this heart-pounding and alternately humorous mystery thriller. Fall in love with unforgettable characters, recognize familiar family members, and hold on tight for an adrenaline-filled ride.

If you’re a Stephanie Plum fan, make room for Scarlet Oaks!

This is the first book in the Scarlet Oaks series.

About The Author

Michaela lives near Reno, Nevada, where there are lovely walking trails and lots of sun. She was born and grew up in Hampshire, England, where there is less sun, but better chocolate! A professional voice over artist and the voice of a local radio station, Michaela enjoys watching great movies with her husband and grown sons, playing tennis and  and drinking lots of tea.

Website⎮Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

About The Narrator

Kimberly M. Wetherell

A bright, versatile, broad-next-door type, Kimberly M. Wetherell is rapidly becoming a sought-after talent in the voiceover market, specializing in audiobooks, commercials, and animation.

Kimberly has worn multiple hats in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. A graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University, Kimberly has been an actor, a singer of musical theatre, director of both opera and film, and producer of opera, film, and most recently, commercials.

She speaks French, Italian, and German (all thanks to her 15-year career in opera), and, as a lifelong lover of language, has a large catalogue of dialects and accents from around the world at the tip of her tongue.

Equally active in the literary world, Kimberly is a published essayist and contributing editor of The Nervous Breakdown. She founded and hosted DISH, a monthly food & drink reading series at SoHo’s Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, as well as having hosted other reading series around NYC, such as NPR’s Dime Stories at Brooklyn’s Barbès and TNB’s Literary Experience at Chinatown’s Happy Endings.

Voiceover artistry is the perfect marriage of her life’s two passions, and she couldn’t be happier with this new career pursuit.

Twitter⎮Facebook⎮Instagram

Buy A Copy

Buy on Audible

Let’s Be Friends

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2020 Margaret Margaret