Carries Book Reviews

The Murder Game by Julie Apple
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Meredith Delay has been working as a prosecutor for the past ten years. She’s hard working and her life revolves around her work while her personal life has been a bit up in the air. When a high profile case crosses Meredith’s desk she’s in a bit of a shock to see that the defendant is an old law school friend of hers, Julian, and he’s been accused of murder with a very rare and risky defense.

Not only is the defendant an old friend but he is being represented by Meredith’s ex-boyfriend, Jonathon. Meredith, Jonathon, Julian and Lily had been a tight knit group in law school and Meredith immediately thinks there is no way she should stay on this case with her history with all involved but her boss insists she’s the one for the job.

The Murder Game is told by alternating the timelines between the current day where Meredith finds herself prosecuting her old law school friend and flashing back to the past when the group met and their time in law school. With this book I found the alternating timelines worked very well and brought so much more into the story as far as the character building was concerned.

This is one read that didn’t take me any time at all to become completely hooked in trying to unravel this story. Meredith is a strong female lead that I immediately liked and it was certainly intriguing to find that she knows all those involved extremely well and to follow along with getting to the bottom of the case and whether Julian had committed the murder.

Overall, an intense legal thriller that had the pages turning, definitely one I’d recommend checking out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Perfect Sense
Amanda Cowen
(Perfect Series #1)
Publication date: March 22nd 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

He’s gorgeous.

He’s reckless.

And he’s every woman’s dirty fantasy in the state of California.., except one… Quinn Ashby.

Recent graduate of Penn and top of her class, Quinn is whip smart, ambitious and interning as the new marketing coordinator for the Bexley Bruisers American Hockey League team. The last thing she needs is to waste her time on guys…especially one as lethal to her focus as Cash Brooks.

But once the bad boy hockey star tempts her into his world, threatening her professional future, she’s forced to decide whether to let him into her heart…or to leave him behind forever.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Walking up the twisting staircase, we head into Coach Bartley’s home full of men accompanied by beautiful women drinking and talking over loud music. Theo’s hand finds the small of my back as he weaves us under the dim lighting through the foyer and into the kitchen.

“You look great tonight, Quinn.” His words are soft and warm as he brushes past me, leading the way. “That purple dress you have on really makes your eyes pop.”

“Thanks,” I reply.

I glance at my reflection in the floor to ceiling windows and admire my strappy nude heels and purple bustier dress. I love the way the padded bust and structured silhouette flatters my body in all the right places.

My entire body stiffens, when his familiar warmth surrounds me, his hands finding my hips. “Nice dress.”

Theo turns around with a scowl on his face and stares Cash up and down. He holds out his hand and they embrace in a firm shake. “Great game tonight, Brooks. Can I get you something? Like a drink?”

“Soda water and lime,” Cash says, his finger creeping along the back of my thigh and up to the hem of my dress. “Would you like anything, Quinn?” The calm possession in his voice alarms the hell out of me. I can barely let out a breath, never mind speak with his hand cupped around my ass.

Theo locks eyes with me and waits for my response, oblivious to Cash’s wandering hands.

“Sure,” I say, letting out the breath I’ve been holding.

“Tell him what you want,” Cash whispers against my ear.

My body trembles from the warmth of his breath. “A water, please.”

Theo nods. “Quinn, come with me to get the drinks?” But his tone is all off. It’s not really a question, it more like he’s insisting.

“No, she’ll stay here, with me.” Cash is insisting too.

“Quinn?” Theo repeats.

“I’m fine, Theo. I’ll wait here.”

Theo looks at me one last time, lets out a deep breath, and then heads over to the makeshift bar set up in the great room.

When he is out of sight, I whip around. “Are you crazy? This place is crawling with my colleagues.”

“You like it and you know it,” Cash says, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

I whack his hand away. “You’re unbelievable.”

A flicker of intensity flashes in his eyes, nostrils flaring. Moving closer, his scent—honey and cinnamon—washes over me. “Don’t pretend you didn’t feel something in that locker room, Mittens.”

“Yeah, I felt my dignity being ripped right out of me. And I don’t understand why you even care? I can already see that you’re onto the next,” I nod over at a group of girls staring us down from the corner.

“Would that bother you?” He glances at the blonde girl he bench-pressed earlier today. “If I fucked her tonight instead of you?”

We stand there, eyeing each other up as I try not to let my real feelings for this arrogant son-of-a–bitch seep in.

My chest twists tightly, painfully. “Alright, Brooks, I see what you’re trying to do here. But here’s the thing, I don’t give a shit what you do. Women throw themselves at you constantly and you gladly fuck them. Good for you. I bet you’ve already nailed a whole bunch since the locker room, so what’s another?”

He shakes his head and loosens his tie. “Nope. Not one.”

“Aw, how sweet. I must have made quite the impression”

Author Bio:

Amanda Cowen can be found eating cupcakes, singing off-key, or watching a good RomCom when she isn’t trapped on her computer writing stories and delighting her imagination. She has been writing since the ripe age of twelve about ponies and princesses in brightly colored duo-tangs with metallic pens. Thankfully, she now has a Mac with a keyboard where she can write about love, sex and relationships. She is an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fanatic, a hater of roller-coasters and a country music junkie. She lives in Thunder Bay, ON where the summers are short and the winters are long.

Her next Contemporary Romance/New Adult Fiction novel TAINTED (The Wyatt Series #1) will be available in Summer 2014.

Amanda would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, www. amandacowen.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow her on Goodreads, or visit her blog.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

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Infinity by Jus Accardo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kori is a typical rebellious teenager with one exception, her father is an Army general who is extremely overprotective. When away her father sends in a couple of soldiers to watch Kori but it’s not in her nature to sit back and do what she’s told but when Kori’s life is threatened she begins to see her life was not what she thought.

Kori’s life has become a lot more complicated when she learns that her father is the head of a special division called the Infinity Division. Those working for Infinity have discovered the ability to jump dimensions. Life is just not the same when you learn you have doppelgangers in other worlds and someone from another dimension is out to kill you.

Infinity is one that has a lot of great elements involved in the story to keep it interesting while reading along. Secret government projects, a character finding out that she’s been lied to all her life, traveling to other dimensions, a bit of a romance trying to blossom… plenty to stay entertained all throughout.

The one thing I would say though is that while I enjoyed reading this one I don’t think it completely jumped out as new and original. The characters are great, the plot entertaining but all of it reminds me of a few others that I had read so while this was a good one I would have liked a bit more to make it pop out on it’s own.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Perfect Love
Amanda Cowen
(Perfect Series #2)
Publication date: Winter 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Sports

The story that started with PERFECT SENSE continues…

Cash Brooks held a secret from Quinn that destroyed any chance they had at a happy ending.

Everything she believed their relationship to be was a lie.

Quinn left heartbroken for Harvard, unable to stop loving him even though she knew his past ruined any chance they had at a future.

Now, she’s in Boston completing her MBA and learning to move on without the only man she ever loved. Starting over isn’t easy… especially when an unlikely circumstance pulls her into Cash’s world once again. The truth will come out, hearts will be broken, and Cash will have to battle the mistakes from his past and fight for a second chance to be with the woman he loves.

Their love isn’t perfect, but will it be enough for Quinn to learn to trust him again? Or will the burden and mistakes from his past keep them apart forever?

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Author Bio:

Amanda Cowen can be found eating cupcakes, singing off-key, or watching a good RomCom when she isn’t trapped on her computer writing stories and delighting her imagination. She has been writing since the ripe age of twelve about ponies and princesses in brightly colored duo-tangs with metallic pens. Thankfully, she now has a

Mac with a keyboard where she can write about love, sex and relationships. She is an “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” fanatic, a hater of roller-coasters and a country music junkie. She lives in Thunder Bay, ON where the summers are short and the winters are long.

Her next Contemporary Romance/New Adult Fiction novel TAINTED (The Wyatt Series #1) will be available in Summer 2014.

Amanda would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, www. amandacowen.com, become a fan on Facebook, follow her on Goodreads, or visit her blog.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook

Fish Out of Water by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Harlow Bevans was a changling mermaid that was working for the Earthen Conclave as a diving consultant. Now though Harlow is currently a patient at the Edelweiss Mental Institution after Charybdis, a serial killer, possessed her body and wrecked her mind.

One night the door to Harlow’s room opens and she finds herself lured to the scene of a murder by the call of a haunting song. Being found over a dead body is not good news for Harlow and she finds herself needing to regain her strength and discover who is now killing in the hospital she’d found as an escape.

Fish Out of Water is a bit of a fantasy mixed with mystery/thriller along with a side of romance, yes sign me up for this one please. This is one of those novellas that when I finished reading I just think wow, now that is how you pack a good story into a short read.

This one has a complexity to the characters and the fantasy elements that you wouldn’t think you could get into a short read and still have a plot that is entertaining. The story was fast paced as it needed to be being shorter but it also gave enough depth to the world and character building to make it a very interesting read.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.