Carries Book Reviews

Rookie Mistake
Alice Ward
(Beasts of Baseball, #1)
Publication date: October 1st 2016
Genres: Adult, Romance, Sports

I thought I’d achieved everything I ever wanted. Then I lost her…

Standing on the pitcher’s mound for a professional baseball team has been my dream since I was a small boy. Now I’m here, pitching for the newest team in the league — the New York Beasts — with the woman I’ve loved since high school by my side.

Calvin and Whitney forever! Wow, we made it.

But there’s a downside to instant fame and fortune, a trap that unleashes self-control and morals. A gilded cage that separates us from the real world. This is the big city, the major leagues — the big time. And temptation is around every corner. People change. We changed. Neither for the better. I don’t even recognize us anymore.

Calvin and Whitney forever? I used to think so, but the beasts that had been hibernating in both of us have taken control, and now I’m not so sure. The dream has become a nightmare. Can we wake and find our way back to each other?

Rookie Mistake is the first sexy installment in Alice Ward’s brand new sports romance series, The Beasts of Baseball. But don’t worry, this book has an emotionally charged HEA you won’t soon forget, and no cliffhanger.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Q&A WITH ALICE WARD

What motivated you to start writing?

I was a shy kid so lived out many of my fantasies through the stories I read. In time, I decided that I wanted to write some of my own. What a blessing it is that there are readers who want to read them!

What kept you going throughout the writing process?

Nothing keeps me going. I mean, I don’t need anything to keep me going. I absolutely love writing and look forward to it every day.

Who is your most meaningful character and why?

This is a tough question. It’s like asking me to choose between my babies. But if I’m forced to answer… I think all the characters in my first book, Reckless, were my most meaningful. That story… those characters… helped show me that I might actually be able to do this. Tell stories that other people want to read. So it will forever hold a special place in my heart.

What experiences from your past do you find yourself drawing upon repeatedly for inspiration in your work?

I think this is, for me, the opposite. I was a shy kid so a big part of why I started to write was so I could have the adventures in my own head that I thought other people were having in real life. So, I guess I might be writing about the things I might want to do and then I just let my imagination take off from there.

Since you are a storyteller, please tell one good lie about yourself.

Well, my mother brought me up to never lie so I guess I’ll have to tell you now that all my books are based on my own life. Before I settled down and got married, I had one hell of time!

What do you think makes a good story?

The characters – if I don’t care about them as I write them, then the reader won’t either. And, if the reader doesn’t care about them, having the best story in the world won’t save the book to make it an enjoyable read.

Do you ever experience writer’s block and if so, how do you overcome it?

If any other writers are reading this – please don’t hate me! I have so many overflowing ideas that my biggest problem is having enough time to write them all. So, no – I don’t experience writer’s block. At least, not yet. Hope I haven’t just jinxed myself!

What was the scariest moment of your life?

Hitting “Publish” for the first book I ever uploaded to Amazon. What a deliciously terrifying time that was! All my hopes and dreams went into that moment and I had no idea how it would all turn out. That book is called Reckless and I haven’t looked back since. I count my blessings every day.

What would we find under your bed?

Isn’t that where the monsters lurk? Oh wait, I’m a romance writer not a horror writer! Under my bed… probably a couple of dust bunnies and a paperback or three.

What hobbies do you actively pursue?

Reading… I tend to have a one-track mind. But I also enjoy scrapbooking. I have one dedicated to potential hot male characters and go to it when I need some inspiration.

If it was mandatory for everyone to read three books, what books would you suggest?

Any three books. It doesn’t matter what they are. Just read. Discover the joy of losing yourself in a good story.

Author Bio:

Alice Ward is the bestselling author of dozens of hot and steamy contemporary romances. She’s an amazingly prolific writer, releasing a new book almost every single month. Her books are widely read, especially by women and any other lovers of the romance genre. My Stepbrother, My Lover, was her first smash hit.

Alice lives in Miami with her hunky husband. The beach is her all time favorite place to relax with her laptop and write.

She might or might not have a thing for Gerard Butler (it’s the accent).

To find out what Alice is up to currently, visit authoraliceward.com.

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Pretty Wicked
Kelly Charron
Publication date: September 30th 2016
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

The daughter of a local police detective, fifteen-year-old Ryann has spent most of her life studying how to pull off the most gruesome murders her small Colorado town has ever seen.

But killing is only part of it. Ryann enjoys being the reason the cops are frenzied. The one who makes the neighbors lock their doors and windows on a hot summer’s day. The one everyone fears but no one suspects.

Carving out her own murderous legacy proves harder than she predicted. Mistakes start adding up. And with the police getting closer, and her own father becoming suspicious, Ryann has to prove once and for all that she’s smarter than anyone else—or she’ll pay the ultimate price.

Written in a mature YA voice. Some graphic content.

Goodreads / Amazon

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READ CHAPTER 1:

Some people are called to certain things in their life. That’s what hunting is for me. An urge. A desire. The closest thing I have to a calling.

My name is Ryann Wilkanson. I’m fifteen years old.

And I’m a killer.

It was hard to pick my first. Call me sentimental, but it had to be just right.

I knew what I wanted. What I needed. Someone worth the risk, the challenge. Somebody who deserved it. Now, I’m not talking about the horrible, abusive assholes you see on TV. I wanted someone who I thought deserved it…

And to be honest, that could’ve been just about anybody.

Some people might think it’s odd to contemplate killing someone, but it was the most natural thing in the world to me. I didn’t dare talk about it—I somehow knew that much—but my thoughts raced with vivid, red-tinted images.

While my fantasies were fun, I had to wait. I still lacked the skill and organization to actually go through with it.

And, as I matured, I realized part of me was still hesitant. A piece of the puzzle was missing. It was as though I was waiting for permission. Something to give me the final push into action.

Funnily enough, I got that that clarity six years ago, when I was nine. My dad thought he was simply giving me a ride to school, but he initiated the defining moment of my life.

I remember it like it was yesterday. He’d just come off nights and wasn’t in the best of moods when my mom asked him to drive me and Bri. I’d raced to the car first, winning shotgun, leaving Brianna to storm behind me. She was a sore loser, and it only made my grin bigger.

We were just a few blocks from the house when Dad started with one of his commentaries on all that was wrong with society.

“Jesus. People like that make me sick.”

We had stopped at a red light, and I spotted a guy standing on the corner with a sign that read Please Help.

At first I felt kind of bad for him, and I didn’t understand why Dad was upset. “At least he’s not dealing drugs,” I suggested.

“Brilliant observation. Maybe we could put that on a T-shirt for him,” Bri said. My father laughed and my stomach dropped. She never wasted an opportunity to make me look stupid.

Dad grunted. “Don’t be naïve, Ry. He’s probably scraping enough together to get his fix. People like that are after one thing—and it’s not a job.” He rolled his eyes, disgusted. Not a minute later, while we were still waiting at the light, a kid in a fancy sports car passed us. “See, look at that. Punk probably had it handed to him from Mommy and Daddy. He’s what—seventeen? Probably hasn’t worked a day in his whole goddamn life. Entitled brat. This is the problem with the world. You got two lazy bums on opposite ends of the spectrum, and neither are worth their salt.”

My father didn’t have a whole lot of empathy for anybody, and he certainly didn’t entertain excuses. I had to be the best if I wanted him to love me. “People need to either lead, follow—”

“Or get out of the way,” I finished. He patted me on the head. I knew this rant well and kind of understood my father’s reasoning. The homeless guy couldn’t even be bothered to walk up and down the rows of stopped cars to beg. He just stood there with an empty cup. He really was a waste.

I fought the urge to point out to my dad that I was nothing like those people—and never would be—but I knew he wouldn’t care. He loved me, but nothing I did seemed to impress him, especially since my older sister Brianna, the golden child, had perfected every- thing before I even had a chance to try.

I had to do something really big to make an impression.

I had to be a leader.

In the car, all those years ago, I realized that my desires could turn into something much more. Those entitled, useless people my dad despised were taking our hard-earned money, space, and air. And I was someone with deadly urges who wasn’t afraid to do something about it. Not everyone could say that.

But unfortunately, I would have to wait. I was much too young to execute my plans in the way I wanted.

My thoughts, however, were uninhibited, and I became enamored with the power and control that selecting the right kill could bring. The foreplay was intoxicating. I daydreamed about the countless ways I could do it. About all the places I could sneak up and strike. About the legacy I would leave behind.

For years I researched and studied serial killers— or as I liked to call them, The Greats. Most of The Greats hadn’t started until well into their adulthood. Call me an overachiever, but I wanted more kills in less time. I had all the qualities required: above-average intelligence, inside information (Dad was a cop), and a sweet cherub face.

But I also had something more. Tenacity. I knew what I wanted, and come hell or high water, I was going to get it. By fifteen, the thirst inside me could finally be quenched.

Cue my first planned victim—a snotty little brat who lived only a few streets away from me. Olivia McMann. Ugh. She was exhausting. Spoiled. Whiny. Brianna used to babysit her. I’d be dragged along because my parents usually worked overtime at their respective jobs. I was twelve and old enough to stay home alone, but they insisted. Like I had nothing better to do.

Brianna would be online with her friends or texting her boyfriend, and she’d stick Livy with me. Olivia wouldn’t leave me alone. One night she pestered me for hours on end until I lost it on her. Then she got the quivering lip and teary eyes and went crying to Bri.

Bri’s voice ripped across the room. “Ryann, what did you do now?”

“Nothing! Why do you always assume it was me? Maybe Livy is being a little crybaby over absolutely nothing,” I said, arms crossed tightly across my chest.

The brat came running up behind me. “You’re mean, Ryann. I hate you!”

I swept my hair into a ponytail and turned my back to her.

Death glare in full force, Brianna dug into me. “Why are you being such a pest? Leave Olivia alone already. Go find something to do, and don’t think for one second I’m giving you any of the money.”

She proceeded to get Olivia some licorice. A reward for her evilness. Maybe they were in on it together and shared private laughs while discussing different ways to torture me.

Brianna was seventeen at the time, and she hated me. No matter how hard I tried, she always dismissed me like I was an annoying pain in her ass.

“Not everything is my fault, you know,” I said, determined to stand my ground.

“Well, she’s not the one in my face right now. Go play with her for an hour until her bedtime, and maybe I won’t tell Mom.” Smiling smugly, Bri tilted her head. I wanted to punch her. As soon as we were out of her sight, Olivia stuck her tongue out at me and danced around, joyous in her victory.

“See, I told you I’d get you in trouble. I always get my way. You have to do what I say.” She laughed.

I promised myself I’d never forget.

Back then, I’d imagined choking her or holding one of her mom’s embroidered pillows over her face until her squirming stopped. I knew her parents were well-off. Only the best for their princess. Olivia was the type of kid who tantrumed, tattled, and fake-cried to get what she wanted, no matter the cost to anyone who got in her way.

Olivia was going to turn into the same kind of spoiled, manipulative bitch I’d seen time and again at school.

I knew how to deal with someone like her. After all, I had killed. Once.

Author Bio:

Kelly Charron is the author of YA and adult horror, psychological thrillers and urban fantasy novels. All with gritty, murderous inclinations and some moderate amounts of humor. She spends far too much time consuming true crime television (and chocolate) while trying to decide if yes, it was the husband, with the wrench, in the library. She lives with her husband and cat, Moo Moo, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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His Jingle Bell Princess by Barbara Dunlop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When the private plane that Crown Princess Jasmine Arcules has been flying in makes an unexpected stop near the small town of Tucker, Maine Jasmine can’t help but sneak off to get some air during the repairs. But when Jasmine comes back to board the plane she finds that it has already left the airport.

Now, stranded Jasmine has no idea what she will do. Used to having a security detail and surrounded all the time the princess is at a lost on her own and has left all her belongings on the plane including her phone. When a kind lady comes to her rescue and offers Jasmine a place to stay she can’t turn down the kindness but doesn’t admit to being a princess. So now Jasmine find herself staying in the home with along with widower Sam Cutler and his two daughters just before Christmas.

His Jingle Bell Princess is a really sweet Christmassy clean romance. Stranded Jasmine has no idea how to get along in the “real” world and Sam is overcoming the loss of his wife over the holiday a few years before. Bringing Jasmine into their lives was just the medicine that Sam and his daughters needed to bring joy back into the holiday.

One of my favorite types of romance reads is when the couple is given time to interact and develop feelings for one another along with bringing in their family lives to make the hoped for happily ever after a bit more realistic. Jasmine was immediately taken in by Sam’s daughters and that’s always a heartwarming story when the kids are excited about a potential relationship.

Overall, a lovely little holiday small town romance.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

High school student Maia Finley has been holding in a secret for a few days now. She knows that one of her idols must have died because now Maia has been chosen to take her place as the new Fire Effigy. There are always four Effigies at any given time and when one dies another young girl will be chosen by fate to inherit the magical abilities of one of the four elements.

When the city of New York comes under attack from phantoms with the protection system down Maia finds herself tossed into the middle of battle without a clue what to do. Luckily Belle, another Effigy shows up and saves the day but it won’t be long until Maia’s secret is out and she is pulled into battle with the other girls and the secret government program, the Sect that is in charge of the Effigies.

Fate of Flames is one of those books that really starts off with a huge bang to really grab a reader’s attention within the first few pages. Being dropped into the middle of a phantom attack you can’t help but wonder what is going on in the story. And steadily over the course of the book everything is developed quite nicely to always kept my attention throughout the book.

My one complaint with this story was that I never found out one thing I was wanting to know when this one ended. It’s not a huge part of the plot but it would have been nice to have it addressed before this one ended but overall this was a wonderful start to a new series and I can’t wait to see what Maia, Belle, Lake and Chae Rin do in the next installment.

Overall, 4.5 stars. Great first book of a new series with just enough to look forward to finding out about in the upcoming books to really be excited to continue.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

White by Tim Lebbon
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

White by Tim Lebbon is a really quick horror novella at only a little over sixty pages. In a snowy dystopian setting a few survivors are in fear for their lives as they are being stalked by the unknown in the frozen tundra.

This novella is one that there wasn’t a lot of depth to the story but instead jumps right into a fearful situation. The problem with this is that none of the characters really stand out or the setting make much sense when tossed into the story.

At one point during this read I was kind of wondering if a group of college kids maybe just went skiing and started partaking in some illegal narcotics if you get my drift. With a little blood tossed in and some phantom like happenings and I suppose this little horror story would be a great read for some but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Overall, 2.5 stars. Quickie horror novella that just didn’t have enough depth to it for my taste.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.