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Something Lost by Bernadette Marie – Review by Char Wahtomy-Alba

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Something LostSomething Lost by Bernadette Marie
My Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Craig Turner and Rachel Diaz have come together again when Craig returns to help bury her father and his beloved coach. They had an intense romance in high school and thought they would be together for the long haul. With Rachel being a few years younger than Craig, she was left heartbroken when he graduated and went off to college. Maybe her father was being an overprotective father, but Coach Diaz forbade them from seeing one another and made them promise to keep their distance. The attraction and feelings couldn’t be ignored though. Now 10 years has passed and those intense feelings are coming back to life. They had kept their promise to Coach while he was alive and they are trying their hardest to keep that promise now that he is gone. Will they be able to build a friendship or will they cross that line and become something more?

I love second chance romances! These two were great together and I’m glad I picked up this book. Not only was this a second chance at romance, but it was a renewing of old friendships that was nice to read about. When we get busy living life we can tend to lose touch with those we were close with during our school days. Sparking up those old friendships and being able to pick up where you left off no matter how much time has passed is amazing.

Family Secrets by Shawn McGuire – Review by Char Wahtomy-Alba

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Jayne O’Shea is back in Whispering Pines after 16 long years. She was deemed the one in her family to pack up her grandparents home after her grandmother passes. She thinks it will be a quick trip lasting no more than a few days, but that l goes out the window when she discovers that the home has been vandalized. She is also in for a treat and will need to put her detective hat on to do some investigating when her dog finds a corpse on the family property. Who was this girl and who would want to harm her? The local Sherriff doesn’t want her snooping around, but he doesn’t seem at all interested in finding the culprit. Is he covering for someone or in the worst case himself?

This was a captivating book and kept me hooked. The character building and development of the story was great. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of books that end on a cliffhanger, but I am invested in finding out who is behind the murder and any other mysteries Jayne may uncover.

Remember His Name (Remember My Name Book 2) by Laurencia Hoffman – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Book two in Remember My Name series was just as good as the first one. This book follows the story of Wren who was born an empath. Wren’s past is tragic and I kept hoping for him to find happiness as I turned the pages. The twists and turns in this book kept me hooked and I was determined not to put this book down until it was finished. When Wren found his husband I was happy for him, but then he becomes a prime suspect when the love of his life is found murdered. Who is the culprit? Will Wren be able to find justice for his love before there is another victim? I have enjoyed this series so far and I hope there are more to come.

Remember My Name (Remember My Name Series Book 1) by Laurencia Hoffman – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Shane has many secrets that he doesn’t want anyone to know about. He keeps people at a distance and has a wall built around himself to protect those he loves, or so he thinks. His prickly, tough guy attitude keeps people from prying, but it’s not always so easy to keep up the facade. Scarred by a dark past, loss of a young love, and later on being abandoned by his first love make his outlook on what love is not so great. When his ex shows back up in town wanting a second chance Shane is unsure how to proceed. Callan has always been able to see through the walls he has so carefully built and he won’t give up trying to find out why Shane is the way he is. Should he forgive him for leaving and start up their romance again? Or should he move on from Callan and never look back?

Callan is back in town and wants a second chance with Shane, but he is being kept at an arms length. He wants to uncover what happened to Shane to make him this way, but how far will be too far? There are those out there willing to do whatever it takes to make the secrets stay hidden.

This is a MM mystery/romance written by Laurencia Hoffman. I found the book intriguing and look forward to starting book 2 shortly.

Brink of Denial (Sons of Sindicato Book 2) by Sonya Jesus and Cam Johns – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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11 years. That’s how long Mila has been away from home. She has dreams of owning her own clothing line, but being the daughter of a Mafia boss, she doesn’t really want that association. She signs a modeling contract that has her moving to California and leaving behind the man that she loves. After so many years in the industry she is starting to be considered old and is more than ready to close the lens on the cameras. She is ready to take her rightful place back in the Sindicato, but will she be welcomed with open arms?

Dane Giodano has been using the last decade to try and get over his first and only love. The night she left him she took his heart as well. Even after all this time he can’t let her go. When she turns back up in Jersey he wants to hate her, he wants to turn her away, but she won’t go without a fight. Being by his side is where he wants her, it’s where she belongs, but what is she willing to do to get there?

I do believe this series is my first taste of a Mafia romance. These ladies have done a great job pulling me in as a reader and making me want to keep turning the pages.

Heart of Stone (The Stone Series Volume 1) AUDIO BOOK by Dakota Willink – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Krystina Cole is working to make ends meet at her local grocery store. She has been trying to find a job to put her marketing degree to use, but isn’t having any luck. When she meets Alexander Stone after a mishap it seems she may have found the man of her dreams. He is the first man that has caused any kind of desire to rise up inside of her after two years of being not only single, but celibate. After having her heart crushed by her college boyfriend she has sworn off men thinking that they are all the same, jerks. Will she be willing to open her heart again and give Alexander a chance?

Alexander Stone is a millionaire real estate tycoon who has his mind set on having Krystina for his own. After their chance meeting he sets out to make her his submissive, but that may be harder than he imagined. Not only is she a strong willed and confident woman, she is also feisty and not afraid to tell him exactly what she thinks. Will he be able to get her to submit to him the way he wants her to or will he be the one to submit to her?

Red Coat by Isobella Dunn – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Sara Flemming went from being a troubled youth to helping them as a social worker. She had someone that was willing to fight for her and she wanted to do the same for those that were following in her footsteps.

Rachael is running away from a foster home due to her foster father who was abusive. She is reluctant to trust Sara, but when she finally realized that Sara wasn’t just going to brush her off like everyone else has she opens up and tells her everything. Now that she knows there is someone that is standing in her corner she feels safe until she gets a phone call that sends her running for the hills once again.

Colin Fulton has never left the small town of Victory and is now a Sheriff. When he catches a young girl that had an APB out on her he never thought she would be the reason that the love of his youth would return. Would Sara remember him? Would she want to try and rekindle a relationship that had been dormant for all these years?

 

Nightfall by TK Lawyer – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Tamara has caught the nose of a wolf, but the eye if his human form named Josh. She isn’t up for a relationship since her fiance left her. When a stray dog continuously shows up on her doorstep she decides to take him in. Unbeknownst to her he is not a regular dog. Josh, or Nightfall as Tamara has named him, has other plans to make Tamara fall in love with him. He wants to be more than just her pet, but he must find the right time to reveal the truth. Will Tamara stick around once the truth comes out or will she freak out and run away? Will she be willing to open her heart and love again?

This was an alright read. I have read many shifter/werewolf books and this one was different than what I am used to.

Sons of Sindicato by Sonya Jesus and Cam Johns – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Braelynn Shaw has been kicking butt and taking names in the courtroom. She has been working her way toward making partner at Braxton & Wexler. She is the criminal defense attorney that one of the top Mafia families keep on retainer. She met Seth Giordano when she defended him on a case and they struck up a forbidden relationship. Their professions say that they shouldn’t be together, but the Sindicato wants his son to marry an Italian woman which Braelynn is not. When Braelynn goes to confront Mr. Wexler about how he treats her, things get out of hand and she ends up on the wrong side of the law. When Seth calls in reinforcements to help clean up the scene their secret relationship is no longer secret. They say to keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. What will the Sindicato do? There is now an enemy out there that Ms. Shaw and the Sindicato share, but will that be enough to keep her within the Giordano family’s good graces? Will her relationship with Seth be able to survive?

The Earl’s Scandalous Wager by Wareeze Woodson – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Emily Brumville has been placed up for collateral against a bet that her step-brother made. He was sure that he would be the winner, but he lost on the last role of the die. Although the marriage between Emily Brumville and Phillip Beckley Benton, Earl of Lenbridge was not expected to happen they do try to make the best of it. As they get to know one another and make a go of their marriage there are those that are trying their hardest to sabotage them. Will this fledgling marriage be able to weather the storm? Who is behind trying to tear these two apart? Everyone is a suspect when strange things start to happen and they all have a good reason.

This was the first time I have read anything by this author and I enjoyed her writing style. I especially enjoyed Emily’s character. All the characters were great, but she was my favorite. Though she was young, she was determined to make the best of the situation she found herself in.

Maggie (Maggie Trilogy Book 1) AUDIO BOOK by Mya O’Malley – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Naomi is a writer that lives at the edge of a cemetery that has graves dating back to the 1700s. Having recently started dating a man named Ryan, she is trying to start fresh after leaving her abusive boyfriend Nick. Even though she is happy in her relationship with Ryan she feels that the romantic part of their relationship is coming to an end. She meets a single father, Bryce, and his daughter and feels the attraction. What is she going to do? She doesn’t want to lose Ryan, but she can’t help the feelings she is developing for her neighbor. When she gets writers block she hopes that she may be able to find inspiration from a name out there in the cemetery, that’s when she comes across Maggie’s headstone. Her creative juices start flowing and words start flowing from her pen as she jots down ideas. Soon she starts to see apparitions of a woman in her home and wonders who she is and what she wants. This ghost wants her story told, but Naomi can’t quite figure out what the woman is trying to tell her. She starts to have dreams where she is seeing Maggie running being chased by someone, but she can’t quite see who it is. With her love life in tangles she decides to throw all of her efforts into finding out everything she can about Maggie’s death. It is Naomi’s goal to find out what truly happened to this young woman not only so she can get her story written, but also so the family gets the answers they have been seeking. She is also hoping that this will help Maggie get the peace that she deserves.

Just from looking at the cover of this book I thought I would be hearing about a woman that was running for her life from some sort of evil. I felt that the first couple of chapters were a little slow, but once I got past that I began to get into the story and truly enjoyed it. I thought I had this story figured out on several occasions, but then had to back track to look at it from a different angle. Everything made sense when it all came together in the end and I’m very glad I stuck with this book.

Murder at Honeybee Lake (Shadow of Doubt Book 2) by Jessica Aiken-Hall – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Randy Fletcher and his boyfriend, Ben, are living a nice quiet life on Honeybee Lake in the small town of Murray, New Hampshire. He feels safe here and finds solace after getting out of an abusive relationship. While out enjoying the beauty of the lake Ben discovers a dead body. When the body is later identified as his ex-boyfriend Randy doesn’t want to believe it. How can that be his ex when his ex was supposed to have died a few years prior? When he is arrested for murder he doesn’t know what to do or who to call. His sister Mandy steps in and calls the last person Randy wants to see. Will he refuse the help and take his chances or will he accept the help and hopefully beat this charge? When Mandy hears the news about Randy she drops everything to prove her brothers innocence. But when her sister-in-law who can communicate with the dead points the finger at Randy who is she to believe? Will they be able to find the culprit before Randy has the book thrown at him?

This is the second book in the Shadow of a Doubt series. Just like with the first book in the series, Rebecca Remains, the main characters keep you invested. I have come to enjoy books by this author very much. Due to some of the content talked about in this book I would not recommend it to anyone under the age of 18. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series. I can’t wait to see what the author has up her sleeve.

Love Unexpected by Marina Hanna – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Julia “Jules” Connors is a young woman trying to make a name for herself in advertising and marketing, but the company she is currently with doesn’t want to make changes no matter how much they like her ideas. She heard about a job opening at Foster Advertising and Marketing so she decides to make the move to that agency. While out at the bar with her girlfriends she meets eyes with a handsome stranger. When he goes to leave he unexpectedly pulls her in for a mind blowing kiss that she can’t stop thinking about. When she walks into her new job the following Monday 10 minutes late she shares an elevator with the mysterious stranger who she comes to find out is her boss.

Adam Foster wasn’t expecting to run into the beautiful blonde, but he is pleasantly surprised when he finds that she is one of the new recruits. Although there is a no fraternization clause in the contracts he is willing to bend the rules for this woman. Normally he doesn’t have relationships that last more than a month, but there is something about Jules that makes him want to keep her forever. Is he willing to open himself up to a serious relationship or will he push her away like all the others?

This books title describes perfectly what this book entails. There is some crude language used in the book so I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of maybe 16. I would say even 18, but I’m sure most 16 -year-olds have either used this same language themselves or heard it being used by friends. There were some moments in here that the main characters kind of got on my nerves as they were either rushing to judgement or not using their words to express how they truly felt. Over all though I did enjoy the book as it was easy to read. The pace and tone of the book were well set and it drew me in.

Ready For Flynn, Part 1 (Ready for Flynn Series) Audio Book by K.L. Shandwick – Review by Charlisa Wahtomy-Alba

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Valerie is a 15-year-old who developed a crush on her brothers roommate when he was brought home for Thanksgiving. Sparks fly between the two, but Flynn is warned off by her brother. Because of his love and respect for his roommate he doesn’t act on his feelings. Flynn feels that the best course of action is to leave Valerie alone until she is ready to move forward with a relationship if she so chooses. At first she is upset that he left without a good-bye, but over time she does her best to get over him. She soon starts to date a young man that she grew up with and whom her family seems to like very well. Flynn of course has always been in the back of her mind and she has kept up to date with him once she found out he dropped out of school to become a rock star. When tragedy strikes and she loses several people she loves in an accident, Flynn is there by her side to help her though it all. Will there ever be a time when he doesn’t answer her call? He is a big celebrity now and has millions of people watching every aspect of his life while Valerie is a small town girl living on a farm. Listening to all the heartache that Valerie endured while she was going through her teen years was tough. I admit I cried a bit, but there were also moments that made me smile and laugh. I enjoy reading books, but to hear the emotion behind words is sometimes more powerful than what is written on the page. Both the author and narrator did a great job bringing these characters to life and making them relatable.