Carries Book Reviews

The Watcher, Crossing Realms Series Book 2 by Rebecca E. Neely
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The Keepers are meant to help out humans whenever they can and often come to the rescue of those in danger when they receive transmissions from the Watchers from another realm. Humans have no memory of a Keeper when coming in contact with one but when not protecting humans the Keepers are normal hardworking members of society.

Keeper Dev Geary wants to avenge his own death so he eagerly accepts a task from the Watchers to return to the human realm to discover the secret for rendering Similitude, the very thing that killed him. Dev’s been granted seven days in the human realm and will need to convince Meda Gabriel, a human who wants nothing to do with him to work with him to stop the Betrayers.

The Watcher is the second book in the Crossing Realms series by Rebecca E. Neely. While the book does pick up the action after the ending of the first book in the series it could also possibly be read as a standalone since the characters featured in each book have changed, the story is explained well enough that it may not be necessary to have read the first. The series is a bit of a mix of paranormal fantasy with a bit of romance thrown into it so we have an new couple involved in the second book but the first are mentioned a bit.

For me I think I enjoyed the first book a tad more than the second in this series basically because with starting over with new characters the story spends a lot of time with Dev explaining things to Meda, the same that we had in the first story. I think I would’ve been a bit happier with just picking up the action and excitement after the ending of the first book but instead I felt it go a bit slower than I would have liked while getting to know the new couple which is a rarity for a fantasy series.

Overall, 3.5 stars for this installment of the Crossing Realms series. Still an interesting world that has been created and will be interested to continue reading if the series continues but would have liked more action after the exciting ending to book one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

The Seven-Course Christmas Killer: A Holiday Novella from the Italian Kitchen by Rosie Genova
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Victoria Rienzi’s family is planning a traditional Christmas Eve celebration, including seven Italian seafood courses, at their restaurant Casa Lido which is going to be a charity event. Among the invited guests is Mayor Anne McCrae who is not exactly popular in the town but will be doing a photo op during the event.

When the Mayor has what seems to be an accident climbing a step stool she then pulls Vic to the side and insists that someone is trying to kill her and she expects Vic to find the culprit by the time the dinner is over. With a long list of suspects the investigation begins as they dinner is being served.

The Seven-Course Christmas Killer is a companion novella to the Italian Kitchen Mystery series. I haven’t read the rest of this series myself which had me a bit concerned picking this one up but I really didn’t need to be concerned at all as this one read fine as a standalone novella.

The characters and situation in this story were very well developed especially for such a short read. I never felt that I didn’t know what was going on or questioned who I was reading about. The author did a wonderful job to introduce everyone in the story as it went along all the while making a lovely little cozy mystery story line. This is definitely one that I would recommend checking out.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Taming His Montana Heart by Vella Munn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Haley Walters immediately thought her new boss, Shaw Chamberlin, the manager at the Lake Serene resort was one sexy man. Haley knew she needed to keep to her work managing the snow mobile rentals knowing she needed to prove she deserved the job opportunity.

When Shaw calls for a meeting to be updated on Haley’s department and any changes that need to be made the pair find themselves both drawn to one another but with each having a rough past the question is will they allow themselves to find love?

Taming His Montana Heart is the fifth book in the Montana Lakeside series but will read perfectly fine as a standalone novel as with many of these Montana romances each feature different couples with only brief mentions of previous characters or situations.

Haley and Shaw each had a traumatic event in their past so they easily became a couple that you can’t help but root for to find their happiness. My only complaint was waiting so long to hear the full stories these two had to share with their tragic pasts but it’s also nice to have a slow build between the pair as they got to know one another.

Overall, lovely couple in a lovely setting, would definitely recommend this edition of the Montana Lakeside series.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Trillionaire Boys’ Club: The Clothing Mogul
Aubrey Parker
Publication date: December 6th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

“You have to fall in love,” Alyssa suggests. And then, because she’s my publicist, she adds the key word: “Publicly.”

My name is Ashton Moran, and I’m CEO of the $2.2 billion Hurricane Apparel company. You’d think that’d be enough, but it’s not. Not for Alyssa. She says my public image sucks. She says my being a womanizer is hurting Hurricane’s brand.

So she found this girl, Jenna, who I’m supposed to pretend I’m in love with for the press. I’m not supposed to sleep with any other women for as long as this farce goes on. Only with Jenna — if she’s into it, which she will be.

I understand what Alyssa is trying to do by making Hurricane more “family friendly,” but … Me? In love? With only one woman?

There’s no way this is going to work.

The Clothing Mogul is part of the Trillionaire Boys’ Club series by Aubrey Parker. Each book tells the story of one of the Club’s powerful members … and you’re going to want to collect them all.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

“Ashton? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” He slides closer. “Not anymore.”

I turn to look at him. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing’s gotten into me.”

But it’s too much. Too weird. I sit up straighter. I watch his dark eyes in the sparse light filtering up from the street. “Don’t you want to …?”

“What?”

“Don’t you want to have sex?” For a second I’m embarrassed — ridiculous, given the things we’ve done.

“Very much.”

“Well?”

“I just wanted to take a moment.”

“Why?”

“To do without. As if you’ve denied me.”

“I’m not denying you.” The words stir something. My hair against my shoulder, bare but for the straps of my nightshirt, is like the brush of my lover’s fingers. I forget why I was put off by the idea that he’d come here and simply expect to fuck me.

This change is even stranger than the one at dinner. Stranger than the one I saw when he spoke to my father, deferring to the older man’s authority like a proper suitor. His lack of action is making me more aroused, not less. I want to be the aggressor. I want to take him all without asking.

“I know,” he says. “But you could.”

“Anyone can. What’s so special about denial?”

“You don’t know, Jenna. You can’t know what it’s like to be me. Everything is so hard at first, but at a certain point everything gets too easy. You’re the only person who challenges me, who pushes back, who made me work to have you.”

“I’m yours.” I lick my lips, finding control harder to summon. “You don’t have to work to have me anymore. We have a deal.”

“Don’t mention it. Don’t talk about our deal.”

“Why not?” I don’t understand. I’m uneasy, nervous.

“Because I’m sorry we made it. Too many lies to keep track of.”

“You mean the lies about us being together?”

“I mean the lies about how we’re not.”

I look down at him. He can’t mean what he seems to. His hand is at my breast. He’s stroking it idly, almost as if he doesn’t realize what it does to me. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t really know who I am anymore, Jenna. I thought I did, but tonight I found I was wrong. The old me would have been different. He would have lapped it all up. But I didn’t want to. It just made me angry. All I could think about, the entire time, was coming here.”

To my house? It’s so ridiculous.

“You’re Ashton Moran.” It’s such an empty thing to say, but some of the disorientation and confusion leave his expression. I don’t know if it’s what he honestly needs to hear, or if it’s more that he needs me, of all people, to say it.

“Am I? We’ve lied so much, I’m not sure. There’s the old story of Ashton Moran, and now there’s this new one. I’ve been in the new story for months now, but tonight I re-entered the old one. I didn’t feel comfortable in it, like I don’t know or like the old Ashton anymore. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Because if I don’t like the old Ashton, it means I like being the new one instead. But the new one is a lie. The new Ashton doesn’t exist.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because it’s all bullshit. Everything we’ve said in those interviews … bullshit.”

I look down. I don’t know what to say.

“Tell me it wasn’t all bullshit, Jenna.”

“I … I don’t know.”

“All I know is that tonight, I didn’t feel like myself. I didn’t like me or who I’d become. I only like myself these days when I’m here, in the belly of the lie.”

He raises my shirt and bares my breasts. He kisses them sweetly, one by one. His hand his on my leg, moving slowly, warming me.

Then his hand goes to the center of my chest. To my heart. It’s ironic — he made his billions manufacturing clothing that monitors vital signs, relaying them to an app. But right now the great clothing titan is feeling my vitals using only the biometric device of flesh and bone offered by God. A connection born not of Bluetooth, but skin to skin.

He comes to my lips and kisses them.

“Don’t deny me now.”

Author Bio:

I love to write stories with characters that feel real enough to friend on Facebook, or slap across the face. I write to make you feel, think, and burn with the thrill that can only come from getting lost in the pages. I love to write unforgettable characters who wrestle with life’s largest problems. My books may always end with a Happily Ever After, but there will always be drama on the way there.

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