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Leaving No Traces (A Commissario Scala Mystery in Rome) by P.J. Mann – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Leaving No Traces (Commissario Scala #5)Leaving No Traces by P. J. Mann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Leaving No Traces is Book Five in A Commissario Scala Mystery in Rome Series. It is an action-packed, fast-paced, crime thriller that centers around the character of Detective Scala. In his newest case, Detective Scala is attempting to solve the mysterious circumstances around a missing woman whose car is discovered abandoned at a service station. Blood splatter on the driver’s seat indicates that the woman has been murdered and Detective Scala is determined to find her killer and bring the person to justice. As he works to unravel the clues and solve the murder, he finds himself deep in the underbelly of the criminal world where lives do not matter. Detective Scala finds himself fighting for survival against an evil villain. The ensuing story is full of action, suspense, danger, murder, intrigue, corruption, criminals, villains, and twists and turns that will keep you riveted to the very end. The storyline is multi-layered and well written, and the characters are engaging. Detective Scala will stop at nothing to solve a mystery and is ruthless in his quest for justice. I love that he follows the clues and found myself following them as well and trying to solve the murder. This book will keep you reading to the end to find out whodunit. I highly recommend this book!

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Fortune’s Favorite (Soulbound Journeys Book 2) by C. L. Schneider – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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Fortune's Favorite (Soulbound Journeys #2)Fortune’s Favorite by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fortune’s Favorite is Book Two in the Soulbound Journeys Series. It is an action-packed, dark fantasy book that centers around the story of Ian and Jarryd. The two explorers have been at sea for awhile so when they get to the port of Maldarehm it seems like the perfect place to stop and re-supply. The port seems like a normal bustling place on the surface but Ian senses that there is far more to it than that. Something about this place makes him uneasy and gives him a sense of dread. Jarryd, on the other hand, is anxious to explore and see if the stories he has heard about the place are true. Both Ian and Jarryd set off on their own adventures, taking vastly different paths. Ultimately, fate leads them both to danger and they must fight for their own survival. This was a fast-past, action-filled, thrill ride as Ian and Jarryd fight for their lives against the forces of evil intent upon destroying them. The storyline was riveting and captured my attention as I found myself flipping the pages right up until the very end to see what would become of Ian and Jarryd. The author did an amazing job of creating engaging characters that you find yourself rooting for as they navigate through the perils that befall them. Each scene is so vividly described that you are fully immersed into each scene along with the characters. This book had action, suspense, mystery, intrigue, drama, danger, magic, Gods, and the paranormal. I cannot wait to read the next book in this amazing series!

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I Am An Outer Space Alien (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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I Am An Outer Space Alien (I am an Alien)I Am An Outer Space Alien by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I Am An Outer Space Alien is part of the I Am An Alien Series. It is a children’s book geared towards children from the ages of four to eight years old. The story centers around a little girl named Shirley who feels like she does not belong on Earth. She does not like her name because she thinks the letter “y” droops like a dog’s tail, so she calls herself Shirl. Shirl feels like an alien because she does not remember being born, does not like Earth food, and does not like to play Earth games. When a space ship lands, and an alien girl gets off the ship, she and Shirl become instant friends. Shirl finally feels like she has something in common with someone and feels as though she belongs. A cute and quirky story about inclusion, friendship, individuality, and acceptance. The bright illustrations really made the story pop off the pages and brought the story to life. I highly recommend this book!

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This Time Around by Jane Suen – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes

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This Time AroundThis Time Around by Jane Suen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Katie finds an old friend’s wedding invitation buried amidst her junk mail she feels compelled to attend. Although it is a hasty, last-minute decision she decides to take some much-needed time off work from her high demand, high pressure job and return to her hometown. Katie gives no thought to the fact that she has not RSVP’d that she will be attending nor that she has no date for her friend’s wedding. When she arrives in her hometown, she calls the bride to let her know that she will be attending her wedding and is promptly told that she must be paired up with someone else. Expecting this person to be a stranger Katie reluctantly agrees. What Katie never anticipated was to be paired up with her old high school boyfriend, Chase, who she has not seen since she dumped him ten years ago.

Chase has never gotten over the hurt he felt after Katie’s rejection. For ten years he has buried his feelings for her and kept himself busy with work and raising his orphaned nephew. Chase still harbors resentment towards Katie because of how she so coldly broke up with him and therefore he has hardened his heart towards her. When his cousin tells him that Katie will be his plus one at her wedding Chase is less than pleased but reluctantly agrees because he loves his cousin.

What neither Katie nor Chase expected is to feel the same spark they did while dating all those years ago. The attraction they feel towards one another is instant, yet how can they act on it when so much time has gone by? Chase is still angry over Katie’s rejection and her leaving town so abruptly after their graduation and he refuses to be hurt by her again. What Chase does not know is how terrible Katie feels for breaking it off with him with no explanation. She thought she was making the best decision at the time by pursuing a career in the big city. Life has also changed considerably for both Katie and Chase over the years. Katie must return to her career in the big city and there is no way that Chase will uproot his nephew and leave everything behind. Will their reunion be destined to fail again with so many obstacles in their way?

I loved the characters of Katie and Chase because they were real and relatable. I enjoyed watching the characters evolve and seeing how each character grew from being awkward teenagers into mature, hard-working adults. I could not put this book down because I had to see what would happen between Katie and Chase and if their love for one another would be enough to overcome what life had thrown at them. This book was a great read, and the author did an amazing job of bringing the reader into the world of Chase and Katie, making you feel as though you know them. I highly recommend!
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