Carries Book Reviews

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Lady Cosa Nostra: Victoria’s Secrets
Contel Bradford
(Lady Cosa Nostra, #1)
Publication date: April 8th 2024
Genres: Adult, Mafia, Romance

Born to a struggling African American mother and a successful Italian American father, Victoria Russo is destined for greatness. But her journey is fraught with pain, drama, and trauma beyond her years. From the treacherous schoolyard to the shadowy depths of the mafia underworld, this coming-of-age story defies convention at every turn.

The first in a trilogy, Victoria’s Secrets: Lady Cosa Nostra spins a gripping journey of resilience, identity, and survival against all odds.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Victoria stammered into the living room, buzzed from healthy swigs of sweet and syrupy cheap liquor. She could hear her mother in the kitchen, bitching someone out on the phone. Rosaline was always in a pissy mood. No matter the time of day. The fact that school had let out hours ago meant she was probably incensed on another plateau of rage. Victoria strategically crept pass her mother and upstairs to her bedroom, hoping she hadn’t tipped off the drunken giant.

“What a day,” Victoria sighed as she flopped down on her messy bed. Physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from the events of the past ten hours, she stretched out, confident that she could sleep for another ten.

Sure, there were guys here and there, but Victoria never had what she’d call a boyfriend. On that note, she might have two to call her own in Donnell and Damon⸺—if she played her cards right. Commemorating an official relationship with either would bolster her presence by a few precious notches. Things were looking up. Well, minus whatever repercussions stemmed from that one-sided fight with big bad Keisha. Before she could further relish in the wonderful world of what-if, cold hard reality came banging at her bedroom door.

God dang it. Victoria huffed and braced for the inevitable showdown, knowing she couldn’t win this one. “Come in!”

Rosaline barged in and wasted no time in unloading a barrage of verbal fury. “I am so sick and tired of yo ole triflin ’ass! What you doin ’fightin ’in school? Huh?!”

Victoria sat up and instantly went into panic mode, mind scrambling to decipher how her mother got wind of the fight. She figured she could at least table the issue on the back burner

until tomorrow. In reality, none of that even mattered. Didn’t matter who or what instigated the incident. Heads were set to roll, and her noggin was square on the chopping block.

“Ma, it wasn’t even my fault,” Victoria pleaded her case. “She the one …”

“Shut the hell up!”Rosaline had heard enough. She silenced Victoria with a slap that echoed throughout the room, daring the rebellious teen to question her authority. “I don’t wanna hear it, Victoria! They talkin ’bout expelling you from school … permanently. Well guess what … you get kicked outta school, you kicked outta my house! I’m done wit your no good ass!”

Rosaline stomped out of the room, ire raised higher than when she entered. That’s that. No chance for Victoria to appeal with her version of the truth. Rosaline flew off the handle, straight into Psycho Mom town, where she then proceeded to lay the smack down. Victoria never spoke it. Hell, she tried not to even think it into existence. But right then and there, she declared seething hatred for her very own mother. The self-indulgent, crack blazing, booze guzzling whore who never cared for anyone other than herself. Certainly not her one and only child. If Victoria made good on a single promise, accomplished one goal in life, it was to get the hell out of Rosaline’s house ASAP.

 

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Contel Bradford is a seasoned freelance writer and author of multiple fiction tales. Though he is perhaps best known for reality-based hardcore urban fiction titles such as Thug Nation, he is quickly gaining a reputation as a compelling voice in the increasingly popular genre of erotica. Boasting a unique style that combines high-level writing with energetic, engaging storytelling, Contel has emerged as that author you must have in your reading rotation!

 

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Title: Murder Road

Author:  Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Page Count:  350

My rating: 4 stars

About the book:

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

Murder Road by Simone St. James is a paranormal thriller novel with a decades old mystery at the heart of the story. The story is a nostalgic one being set almost thirty years ago in the year 1995 before the explosion of cell phones and social media giving it an even more ominous feel if possible.

April and Eddie have taken the plunge and gotten married and are heading to a small resort town in Michigan for their honeymoon when the find they’ve taken a wrong turn. Heading down a dark and deserted road they spot a hitchhiker in need of assistance and stop to help but before they know it April and Eddie find that the hitchhiker is bleeding and they are being chased by a strange truck.

As quickly as possible to get away from the dangerous truck and try to get help for the young woman April and Eddie head to the nearest town and hopefully to a hospital for help. April and Eddie soon find their good deed has gotten them into more trouble than just getting lost though when they are caught in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police investigation after the young girl dies at the hospital.

Murder Road is not the first book I’ve read by author Simone St. James and it certainly won’t be the last with finding yet another winner with this latest read. The author is know for her creepy supernatural thrillers that slide into horror territory and I’m all for the mash up of genres that I found in Murder Road. The remote setting and eerie investigating had me hooked from the very start and again I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see how it would all unfold. Definitely a book and an author I recommend and will look forward to reading again and again myself.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel and The Broken Girls. Her debut novel, The Haunting of Maddy Clare, won two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada.

Simone spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives just outside of Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled rescue cat.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

Title: The Piper’s Promise

Author: Leah Cypess

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: April 18, 2023

Page Count:  296

My rating: 4 stars

About the book:

The Pied Piper’s little sister is determined to rat out the truth behind her brother’s bad behavior—and save the children of Hamelin! The third book in the Sisters Ever After series, perfect for anyone who loves fairy tale retellings about sisters and magic!

Clare’s brother, Tom, also known as the pied piper, has stolen away the children of Hamelin. But Clare knows that’s only half the story. Tom isn’t the easiest person to love, but she’s certain that he couldn’t be so cruel. There has to be a good reason why he stole the Fae Queen’s magic pipe and led the children to a faraway land, never to be seen again.

Together with Anna, the mayor of Hamelin’s daughter, Clare embarks on a journey into the Faerie Realms. In order to succeed, she will have to dodge faerie traps and stay out of the evil Rat Prince’s claws. Only she can save the children of Hamelin and clear her brother’s name.

But who will she have to betray to do it?

The Piper’s Promise by Leah Cypess is the third book in the middle grade fantasy Sisters Ever After series. The books in the Sisters Ever After series are all retellings of fairy tales with each book bringing a new story done in a new and creative way of being told from a sibling of someone in the original tales. Each of these books can be read in any order or as a standalone if choosing to do so.

This third book of the series is a retelling of the Pied Piper fairy tale with this new story being told from the Pied Piper’s little sister, Clare. Clare is determined to figure out just what is going on in the small town of Hamelin when she finds out that her brother has been accused of stealing the town’s children away. Clare knows this isn’t the actions of the brother she knows, the one that protects her over anything else.

Clare learns that her brother used the Fae Queen’s magic pipe to lure Hamelin’s children away so that is where she must begin investigating. With the help of Anna, the mayor of Hamelin’s daughter, Clare ventures into the Faerie Realms and follows what she believes is the path that will lead to her brother and the missing children.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, yes I know I’m a little (a lot) older than who is meant to be reading middle grade novels. Heck, I was probably too old for them by the time I did hit middle grade all those decades ago. But that being said I just love a good story and don’t really care if it is marketed for me or not so being a fan of fairy tales I was curious when I first noticed the series and dove right in. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed each tale and The Piper’s Promise was no exception. I definitely recommend picking up this book along with the other’s in the Sister’s Ever After series if you enjoy and exciting new twist on the old classics.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

Leah Cypess wrote her first story in first grade. The narrator was an ice-cream cone in the process of being eaten. In fourth grade, she wrote her first book, about a girl who was shipwrecked on a desert island with her faithful and heroic dog (a rip-off of both The Black Stallion and all the Lassie movies).

After selling her first story while in high school, she gave in to her mother’s importuning to be practical and majored in biology at Brooklyn College. She then went to Columbia Law School and practiced law for almost two years. She kept writing and submitting in her spare time, and finally, a mere 15 years after her first short story acceptance, she sold her first novel.

Leah currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with her husband and children.

**This post contains Amazon affiliate links which will allow me as an associate to earn a small commission on any purchase made through the link of the products I share. This commission in no way changes the pricing of any items for the buyer.**

The Omega Archives: Escalation
Erik Melendez
Publication date: January 31st 2024
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Alex Connors returns for a new mission in The Omega Archives: Escalation. But this time, he must take on the most dangerous man in the world: Axel. A super soldier with years of combat experience, Axel is seemingly one step ahead of Alex in every way. What Alex thought would be a breeze turns out to be anything but. He’s still fighting the brainwashing from his training in the Omega Project, which prevents him from feeling fully human. Alex must figure out a way to outsmart and stop Axel . . . without losing what’s left of his humanity.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

We sprinted after the last guy who was running through the desert area. My heart pounded as I sprinted after the guy. All I could think about was tackling this guy to the ground and beating the shit out of him. The field seemed like an endless desert of sand and dried-out plants. The last guy made a hard turn into what looked like a cave entrance. The entrance hand a big concrete shaft leading inside with black water pouring out of it. We stopped and shined our flashlights into the cave, but saw nothing. Barns and I went inside. It was dark and smelled like a port-a-potty that hadn’t been cleaned in years; we heard rats squeaking and the echoes of water dripping in the distance. Being in there made my stomach feel like it was going to blow up and I felt like I would never eat again. We walked on until we arrived at a very large room. I went in, and the gate slammed shut behind me. The slamming echoed throughout the room and it froze my heart.

I turned and ran towards the gate. “Hey let me out!” I said. I tried pulling on the bars and kicking the gate down, but it was too strong. “Come on, let me out!”

I tried contacting Max on my radio. “Max, do you copy?” I asked.

“Alex… can you hear…” Max said. My radio went static.

“Long live the Union,” Barnes said as he backed off and sunk into the darkness of the cave. My heart dropped into my stomach as he backed off.

“Long live the Union, indeed!” Another man said in a British accent.

Some lights flashed behind me. I slowly turned around.

it was Axel.

“Alex Connors, we meet at last,” he said in a soft voice as he took a few steps towards me. “I have been looking forward to this for so long.”

A wave of anxiety hit me like a truck. He was a lot bigger in person, but not too big just big enough to pose a threat. I couldn’t take my attention off of how much bigger he was in person.

All around was rock and water. I could hear water flowing nearby only to pour out into a drain. I immediately pulled out my rifle and aimed it at him, ready to shoot as that feeling in my stomach came back.

“Please put down the weapons. You can’t kill all of us,” Axel said.

I looked up, and saw the next level up; a large group of Axels ’men were armed with machine guns and assault rifles. My entire body was covered with laser sight dots like a Christmas tree. My heart froze up as I pictured myself getting blown away.

“They all have armor-piercing bullets, and clear shots,” Axel said.

I put down my rifle, pistol, and knife. The clank of my rifle and pistol hitting the ground echoed in the room. I stood there feeling naked as I took some breaths, trying to calm myself down.

“So you’re Axel? What do you want?”

“Ah, straight to business huh?” he said, smiling.

“You know I have orders to bring you in, right?” I said.

Axel walked closer to me, seeming to grow bigger with each step. “Oh, I am aware of your mission, indeed,” he said “You think I don’t know you, Alex? I’ve been watching you for some time now,” he said while still speaking in his soft voice.

I started to sweat. I wiped my head while I tried to process my thoughts. I continued to try and get my mind off my feelings as I focused on Axel.

“Yeah. Well, to me, you are just another terrorist on some kind of mission. An anarchist,” I said as Axel laughed.

“Ah, so young and still so much to learn. I have been doing this far longer then you have,” he said.

“Age does have its advantages,” I said.

“As well as its disadvantages,” Axel replied.

“Why did you attack the Pentagon?” I asked as I walked closer to him.

Axel started to walk to me. “Easy. I needed to draw attention.”

“By killing innocent people?”

“Ha! Just another stereotypical word: Innocent. Please, Alex, those people were just expendable assets, just like everyone else.”

“We will see about that,” I said as I walked towards him.

At that moment, all I thought about was beating Axel to a pulp. I ran up to him and struck at him with all the strength I had. His steel-like body just absorbed the strikes, taking little to no damage whatsoever. I threw another right hook. He blocked it and threw an uppercut elbow to my face, knocking me back, then a spin kick to my chest, kicking me into a pile of bricks. I felt like someone had hit my solar plexus with a sledgehammer as I tried to breathe. All I could think about was the pain as I lay there like I was a plant being eaten by rodents. I rubbed my jaw, trying to ease the pain, and my body was covered in sweat and dust. The Mercenaries just stood by and watched.

“Your confidence has gotten the best of you. You have been fighting so much of these mere humans that you believe yourself to be unstoppable. You proclaim that you are a super-soldier. But really you are just a boy,” he said.

As I laid there, feeling like my body was crushed by a wrecking ball, I kept thinking about my training. I could still hear the trainer shouting at me to control my emotions. I closed my eyes and breathed, trying to get my mind off of my feelings.

“I’ve beaten people like you before,” I said as I got up slowly, trying to fight through the pain.

I did a spin kick to his face with Axel leaning back, slightly dodging it. I then did a spin side kick to him, with him blocking it, followed by a spin jump kick to his chest, which seemingly did nothing to him. I threw more hooks to his face with every bit of strength I had. When I went to throw the third, he grabbed my fist and started squeezing it like an empty Coke can; several snapping sounds emerged from my hand. I could feel the bones in my fist being slowly crushed like wood, and it was all I could focus on. I screamed in pain as I slowly dropped to my knees. I tried to break his grip, but it was as strong as steel. My right hand was practically destroyed.

“All this strength and no coordination. You are truly an amateur,” he said as he pushed me to the ground. He then did a powerful bottom fist strike to my back, which felt like being hit by a pipe wrench.

I took another breath, trying not to explode with anger so I don’t throw up, then got up and went to do another spinning jump kick. While I was in mid-air, Axel punched me directly in the solar plexus, knocking me down. All the air was knocked out of me again, and I could barely breathe. He then picked me up and threw me into a wall. A bang followed as I hit the floor. My body felt like all the bones were broken into bits, and I could not get up. My mind was glued to the pain as it settled. As I lay there, Axel walked up and crouched next to me.

“I understand what you are going through. You’ve spent half of your life training, and now you are split. Every day you contend with adapting to human life. These humans have corrupted your mind, but I can help you. I can save you from them. Please let me help you,” he said. His voice was pretty calm and soothing for a terrorist.

I slowly picked myself up, feeling like my body was going to break into pieces at any second. My arms felt like they were weighed down by trucks, and my chest weighed a ton. I gripped my broken wrist as I tried to find my balance.

“I don’t need your help!” I said, standing ready.

“Very well then,” he said as he did a spinning heel kick to my face, knocking me out. From there it was just blackness and nothing.

 

Author Bio:

Erik Melendez is a young adult novelist, graduated from t Henry Ford College, and martial arts enthusiast. He holds a black belt in Kung Fu and is skilled in firearms and other weaponry. In high school, he worked his way up to a cadet lieutenant junior grade for the NJROTC program, where he participated on the drill team, physical fitness team, and academic team. An avid fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, and Doctor Who, Erik gleans plenty of inspiration for writing action-packed sci-fi stories. He is the author of The Omega Archives and lives in Livonia, Michigan.

Website / Goodreads

 

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Title: Tourist Season

Author:  Brenda Novak

Publisher: MIRA

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Page Count:  405

My rating: 4 stars

About the book:

A great new beach read from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookstore on The Beach

A summer by the ocean promises new beginnings—until old secrets resurface.

Ismay Chalmers is ready for a relaxing summer reconnecting with her fiancé at his family’s luxurious beachfront cottage. But before Remy can join her, a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island. Alone in the large house, Ismay makes a disturbing discovery in Remy’s childhood closet. She’s not sure what to make of it, but is relieved when the property’s caretaker, Bo, checks in on her. 

Bo’s home is damaged, so they temporarily shelter together, and Ismay is comforted by his quiet strength. But the unannounced arrival of a family member puts Bo back at his place and changes Ismay’s summer into something other than what she wants—or ever expected. With so many reasons to feel unsettled, Ismay finds herself turning to Bo, who gives her more than a sense of security; there’s something about him that makes her feel alive, stirring her to wonder what life might be like if she chose a different path… 

As Ismay grows closer to Bo, she begins to hope the reclusive caretaker might eventually let down his guard. But when she finds out that he has secrets, too, she begins to question how well she knows any of the men in her life—and how well she can trust her own heart.  

Tourist Season by Brenda Novak is a women’s fiction title that takes a contemporary romance story and weaves in a mystery for the characters to solve. The story in Tourist Season is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters giving both sides to the story.

Ismay Chalmers has headed to Mariners Island for a long relaxing break after all of her years of studying to become a lawyer. Ismay is going to be staying in her fiance’s family’s beachfront cottage for a few weeks by herself until her fiance finishes medical school exams. What Ismay didn’t count on was a strong storm heading through just after her arrival.

With the power out and the storm swirling around her in the cottage Ismay goes in search of anything that may help. In her fiance’s room she finds a hidden panel and while hoping for some kind of light instead she finds a mysterious duffel. As Ismay puzzles the discovery help arrives in he form of Bo, the family’s cottage and property caretaker. After Bo helps Ismay he in turn ends up in need of a hand dealing with the storm damage to his own cottage so Ismay offers dry shelter for the night with her.

Several years back Brenda Novak quickly became a go to author for me when I just need to know I’m going to enjoy a novel. None of her books have rated below four stars for me and Tourist Season wasn’t an exception to that at all. I think the fact one thing that isn’t high on my list is starting a romance with someone already in a couple is the theme to this story and I still absolutely loved the book is probably all that I need to say. I will however add that the setting was great, the main characters enjoyable while the side characters are questionable to say the least with the mystery so all that combination had me flying through this latest Brenda Novak release!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online:

Goodreads  /  Amazon

About the author:

New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak has written over 60 novels. An eight-time Rita nominee, she’s won The National Reader’s Choice, The Bookseller’s Best and other awards. She runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity that has raised more than $2.5 million for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). She considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and married to the love of her life. www.brendanovak.com