Carries Book Reviews

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Andy Carpenter who is a defense lawyer with a new case that he thinks is going to be an easy win during the holiday season. His new client, Martha “Pups” Boyer, has spent years rescuing puppies, raising them until they can be adopted and can be put into good homes. Now however she has been reported to be against the zoning laws for keeping so many animals in her home.

What Andy didn’t expect taking on this case though was for the body of the man who made the complaint to turn up. Pups had loudly threatened the victim after he’d made the complaint and now all the evidence seems to be pointing to her as a murderer.

The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is actually the fifteenth book in the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt. This one seemed to read alright as a standalone novel though as far as the current case involved in the story was concerned. It had an interesting story to follow along with as the main character tries to seek justice for his client.

The one thing though with this book being so far into a series which I hadn’t realized when I’d picked it up was that I found I seemed to be lacking a bit of character depth not having read the earlier books. It took me a while to get comfortable with Andy and who he was as a character while he was trying to save his client.

Overall, 3.5 stars good mystery story with good writing which made me interested in possibly going back and picking up more of this series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Knight of Hearts by Suzie Quint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After Mac’s divorce he decides to visit his sister to get away and try to learn to be single once again. Rachel is a friend of Mac’s sister and when she meets Mac she immediately can tell he has no idea what women would want these days and begins to really feel sorry for the new bachelor.

Rachel however is single herself and not sure how to help Mac find love when she hasn’t been able to do it herself. Rachel though is in need of a date for an upcoming family wedding to get her family off her back about her single status. Mac and Rachel come up with a plan between the two for Rachel to help Mac with his dating game if he will pose as her boyfriend at an upcoming family wedding.

Knight of Hearts was a really cute romance with the couple starting off as friends helping each other and the relationship given time to slowly grow between the pair. The book starts off extremely funny in the beginning but became quite a touching story as you learn the background on the characters.

The one thing I found with this one though that to me just kept it from being completely amazing though was Rachel and her reaction to her family. She’s a grown woman and to me it seemed to go a bit over the top with her worrying what her family thought of her. I can understand their values and her past but there also seemed to be some point Rachel needed to stand up for what she herself wanted.

Overall, this one surprised me turning a friendly couple into a deeper connection through some emotional things to overcome. It was a great mix of funny, sexy and emotional.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

All Her Secrets by Kate Avery Ellison
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Victoria’s father is the famous inventor Bill Faraday who is considered a genius for all of his robotic technology that has slowly been replacing human workers. With that fame though comes danger from those opposed to her father’s inventions. Just a few years before Victoria had been stabbed and almost died in an attack geared towards her father. Now Victoria’s worse fears have come to pass yet again, alone Victoria is attacked yet again and kidnapped.

Having come along on what Sam thought was going to be a simple break in with his cousin he immediately recognizes Victoria when his cousin takes her hostage. Sam is no better than a prisoner himself but vows to get them both out of the clutches of his cousin and his girlfriend. While being held Victoria and Sam work together and grow closer as the pair try to find a way out.

All Her Secrets was a rather fast paced young adult thriller which for me lacked a bit of world building along the way to make this one a truly great read. There were details while reading that are left out that made parts of the story just not really make much sense until the very end. If some things had been given more depth earlier on without giving away the ending I probably would have enjoyed it a bit more.

Now the ending truly saved this one and made it an interesting read after finishing. The ideas behind the story of this not so distant future were certainly entertaining in the fact that you can see how the world might progress to this type of future with how technology is today.

Overall, 3.5 stars. I would have liked a bit more depth earlier on in the story to make the action a bit more intense instead of leading to questions for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

ECHO Campaign
Taylor Brooke
(Isolation #2)
Published by: Limitless Publishing
Publication date: November 1st 2016
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Brooklyn Harper’s worst nightmare has become her reality. She has been captured by Isolation…

Trapped in a white-walled labyrinth by Juneau Malloy, Brooklyn is faced with the horrors of Isolation’s finest training yet. The skills she learned as an Omen Operative in Camp Number Eleven are put to the test in the form of brutal assessments of her strength, skills, and fortitude. Confused and disheartened, Brooklyn and the group of renegade Omens prepare for whatever trials Isolation has in store for them.

Juneau has caged her once again, but Brooklyn is far from broken…

When Brooklyn finds out her best friend Gabriel is alive, she goes on a violent rampage in search of her, but instead earns herself a stint in solitary confinement. Juneau attempts to tame Brooklyn through grueling exercises before offering her one radical choice. Brooklyn must hand over her freedom in order to spare her friends. She’ll become a showpiece Juneau will auction off to the highest bidder for her skills in assassination, defense, and combat.

There must be a way out, and the renegade Omens have to find it…

Brooklyn has no intention of becoming Juneau’s latest achievement. During a mind-warping training simulation, Brooklyn uncovers Isolation’s greatest secret and their darkest mistake. Juneau Malloy has created something far more sinister than the Omens, and it’s ready to eat the world alive.

As the battle with Isolation intensifies, Brooklyn is faced with her most dangerous choice yet…

Save her friends—or save humanity.

Add to Goodreads

*Designed by Deranged Doctor Design*

Sequel to:

Author Bio:

Taylor Brooke is the author of the sci-fi adventure trilogy The Isolation Series. She started out as a freelance makeup artist, and quickly discovered her love of elves, zombies, mermaids, kaiju, and monsters of all kinds. After receiving eight professional certifications in special effects makeup, working on countless projects, and fleshing out a multitude of fantastical creatures, she turned her imagination back to her one true love — books. Taylor has had a knack for writing since she was a little girl, and received recognition for her skills throughout grade school and junior college. When she’s not nestled in a blanket typing away on her laptop, she can be found haunting the local bookstore with a cup of steaming hot tea in her hands, scanning the shelves for new reads, or hiking one of the many mountains that surround her home in Oregon.

Tumblr / Goodreads / Twitter

Oak & Mistletoe
J.Z.N. McCauley
Publication date: October 11th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult

A Druid Curse, A Prophesied Love, A Consuming Vengeance…

Catherine Green, along with her twin sister and older brother, travels to Ireland on a college graduation trip. Her vacation takes a permanent turn when she lands her dream job at an art and history museum on her beloved Emerald Isle. She meets a handsome stranger named Bowen, an expert of sorts on local ancient studies. Though their first meetings are turbulent at best, Catherine finds herself drawn to him.

Unaware that she is the key to breaking a hidden curse, Catherine unleashes the evil madman Conall and his druid followers, imprisoned since ancient times. Tragedy and loss ensue, sprouting within Catherine the deep seeds of rage that thrust her onto the damaging path of vengeance. Confused by the enigma that is Bowen, his mixed signals, and her own feelings, she is swept away with him on an unexpected journey surrounded by myth and long-forgotten knowledge. In order to stop the evil plans of Conall and his reunified army, Catherine must entwine her fate with peril. Her survival is trivial to her as long as Conall dies. She’ll do whatever it takes.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Are you a reviewer?

You can request a review copy here!

—

Q&A with J.Z.N. McCauley!

· What was your inspiration for Oak & Mistletoe?

One day, I was studying ancient Roman history, and somehow I was led to articles regarding Pliny the Elder, and Julius Caesar’s account of the ancient druids. It was fascinating. Reading the only ritual known from them, the ritual of oak and mistletoe, I suddenly imagined the basic plot of my book.

· Which character in Oak & Mistletoe do you identify with most, and why?

I suppose that would be Catherine, my main character. For many reasons, but we both love Ireland and strawberry ice cream.

· What was your favorite part about writing Oak & Mistletoe?

I loved it all, but I will say it was especially fun writing the villain scenes.

· What was the hardest part about writing Oak & Mistletoe?

Writing Conall’s character was a struggle because it was easy to make his special level of crazy go too far. Luckily my editor helped me bring it back a bit and smooth it out.

· What’s one thing you want readers to know about Oak & Mistletoe?

This is a book about many things. Different sides and levels of evil, suffering, loss. But ultimately it’s about good vs evil, love and having the courage to keep going.

· Who is your favorite rogue character from a book, TV show, or movie?

So many, but I’d have to say Killian (aka Captain Hook) from ABC’s TV show Once Upon a Time.

Author Bio:

J.Z.N. McCauley resides in lovely New England, where she loves wearing jackets and boots in the unpredictable weather there. She is a wife and mother who enjoys life to the fullest. Also, being a nerd across many genres is something she expresses openly.

McCauley spends most of her spare time writing, drawing, or reading. She loves archeology, mythology, history, music and many other forms of art as well. Always having a variety of interests and talents, she could never pick just one. When the chance pops up to travel to any of her favorite places, she takes way too many pictures. Otherwise she is exploring a mystical land in a daydream. Which all provides fuel to her immense joy of writing.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway