Carries Book Reviews

Unseen: (The Heights Book 1) | Vampire Romance by Lauren Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Coming home after work Addison finds a vampire lying near her garbage that has been staked but whoever had attacked him had missed his heart. In order to hide the fact there is an injured vampire from her human neighbor Addison brings the vamp into her home and chains him to her bed while she tries to figure out what to do with him.

Addison never expected when she brought a vamp into her life she was rescuing the vampire king and leader of the supernatural world, Rhyse. Rhyse had been attacked in an assassination attempt but when they failed he never expected to need help from a helpless human girl. But Rhyse soon finds that Addison is far from human which is also news to her too.

Unseen is a mixture of urban fantasy and paranormal romance and is the first book in a new series that features a wide variety of different races of supernatural beings such as vampires, werewolves, witches, seers, angels and demons. This first book is the beginning introducing Addison and Rhyse but each after will contain different couples but continue the story in this world.

I actually really enjoyed this read quite a bit. The one thing I’d say I’d liked to have seen more of is a little less focus on the romance and more on the prophecy and the world these characters are a part of. There was a lot of back and forth between Addison and Rhyse since they are complete opposites but eventually it became a steamy relationship which I didn’t mind but I felt it didn’t quite balance the time spent focusing on just them and the rest of the story. Enjoyed it just the same and would definitely pick up more books in this series.

Overall, great start to an adult mixture of urban fantasy and paranormal romance series.

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

Driving Me Mad
Lindsay Paige
(Sanity #1)
Publication date: July 6th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Romance

He was my therapist.

She was my client.

He’s the person I lean on and turn to.

She’s the person who brings me relief when there seems to be none.

He makes me smile and laugh when anxiety and depression consume me.

She helps me breathe when depression is choking me.

I don’t know how to live without him.

I don’t know how to be honest with her.

Are we driving each other mad?

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EXCERPT:

He’s quiet, lost in his own head, and most likely, he’s still worrying. So far, with this thing we have going on, he’s never really pulled away from me. Although, the opportunity hasn’t been there before either. That scares the hell out of me. He’s my rock, always has been. How am I supposed to stay steady and strong with him cracking?

When we walk outside and he goes to open the passenger door for me, I stop him. “Trace,” I start, but no other words come.

He sighs. The cold air is making his breath visible. “I know, Britt. I know.” He pulls me against him and wraps his arms around me. I’m glad he knows because I sure don’t. My head rests on his chest, my arms firmly around him, and I relish in the feel of his big,

strong, sturdy body. We stand there in silence for about a minute. “It’s going to be hard, you know.”

“Why?” Why does it have to be hard? Why does everything have to be so damn hard all the damn time?

“Because we’re both not quite sane,” he says with a half-sigh and half-serious tone.

I can’t help it; I laugh. I turn my face inward to press my forehead against his jacket, and I can’t stop freaking giggling. We’re not crazy; but he’s right. We’re not quite sane either.

Author Bio:

Lindsay Paige is the author of multiple Young Adult, New Adult, and Sports romances. She also coauthored sports romances with Mary Smith. Along with writing, she loves reading, watching hockey, especially the Pittsburgh Penguins, and finding funny terrible puns and recipes on Pinterest. All the while, she is also focused on completing college.

Lindsay resides in North Carolina and is inspired by the world around her and the people in it. She is currently working on numerous solo works.

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A Secret To The Grave by Jane Blythe
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Detective Parker Bell and his partner get put on a case of a serial killer. The killer has kidnapped a woman but left a list of clues to several other potential victims telling the police that if they save the ones from the list he will kill the missing woman but if they fail he will set her free.

After failing to save a few women from the killer’s list the investigation leads the detectives to Tessa Micah who may be a potential victim but Tessa refuses to talk to the police. Tessa and her friends have made a pact to keep a secret from their past even if it means their own deaths.

A Secret to the Grave starts off with a really intriguing idea that I thought that I would absolutely love but unfortunately from there the book just seemed to go downhill for me. At the end I still think the general idea for the story was a great one but I wasn’t a huge fan of a lot of the wrap up to the story and the secret that had been kept.

The characters in this story really didn’t feel very real for me with some of the actions going on. If the group in question that was keeping the secret were still fairly young it might make a bit more sense but as adults I didn’t get why they would rather die than tell what had happened. Plus in the middle of trying to chase down a serial killer our lead detective gets a crush on the potential victim and we have a rushed romance type of situation written into the story which just felt off even as much of a fan of romance that I am.

On top of all everything else I think at one point I was just rolling my eyes thinking OK, that’s a bit too much to be tossed onto one particular character in this story. Flawed characters from horrible backgrounds can be extremely compelling to read about but in this case I just felt the author piled on a bit too much to be anywhere near believable to me.

Overall, not my cup of tea I’m afraid although it seems a lot of others have enjoyed this one.

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

Broken Pieces
Kelly Moore
(Broken Pieces, #1)
Publication date: October 20th 2015
Genres: Adult, Romance

His touch is scorching hot and rough just like I like it. It’s just sex. I don’t believe in love, but he makes me feel things I have never felt. I want to try. I want to trust him with my secrets, but there is a good chance he will leave, he will see how broken I am. He is what I need to fix the broken pieces of my heart.

At a very young age, violence and secrets forced Brogan to escape the only life she knew. Now a young woman with a good career, she hopes to finally forget her past. She is tormented by demons in her dreams, they threaten every sexual relationship she has ever had.

Brogan meets Kyren Nolan, a sexy ex-military man. He is a yacht builder who has made his own wealth. He knows what he wants the minute he meets Brogan. He wants her and his first meeting with her lands him on the ground. He doesn’t take no for an answer. They start a passionate affair that turns into more. He teaches her that a gentle touch can create as much heat between them. They both struggle for control. But Kyren has his own scars and secrets. When their pasts collide, will they be able to overcome the broken pieces of both their lives together?

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CHAPTER 1:

“Sex sex sex is that all you ever think about?” My roommates high pitch laughter brings my mind back to the here and now.

“What? Just because I’d like to leave my teeth marks in the pizza guys ass doesn’t mean I am having sex.”

“No Brogan it doesn’t but you should be your mind is always in the gutter. ”

This is true, I can’t deny my thoughts had moved from his ass to his anatomy in the front. Damn it. Cadence knows me too well. We became immediate friends our first day of college. Eight years later, she’s the only person, outside my brother Zade, I trust. I would give my life for either one of them.

“Cady don’t you have anything better to do than harass me about my sex life?”

“Ha!” a snort of laughter escapes her lips. “Admittedly, you have no sex life Brogan, that’s why we are sitting at home on a Saturday night eating pizza and watching a chick flick. Besides, I felt the need to protect the pizza boys ass from your teeth.”

“I love you dearly Cady, but why are you spending a Saturday night with me rather than with your hot to trot boy toy?”

“Brogan!” she yells in an irritated tone. “He’s my finance not just some boy toy! I swear sometimes I don’t get you. What is it with you and your lack of belief in love. You are gorgeous, smart, funny, have a great job, mad skills, much less a body to die for. Everywhere we go men drool all over you and you could care less.”

“Cady men only love what they see, they dont see the real me. You know my shit Cady. You know all my secrets. If you were a guy once you got past my looks you would run too.”

“Yes Brogan, I know your shit and I love you anyway, probably because of your shit and who I know you are, just as anyone would if you would give them more than a minute.

“Love is not for me or anything I ever want. I am glad you have Jon and that you will have your happily ever after. That is what you want and need Cady, not me. My only love comes from a pair of double a batteries.” Cady spews coke across the room. I love embarrassing her, she’s just so innocent when it comes to sex. Her sex life with Jon is plain old vanilla. Her cell phone rings and she’s running off to her room giggling like a young girl in love.

My favorite movie The Notebook is on, but I’m not hearing any of it. I am lost in my own dark thoughts. Chills run down my spine and I am suddenly cold and I shudder at old ghosts.

Cady and I graduated with are Bachelors in Nursing at 22. I continued on to be a Nurse PR actioner. At 27, we have both found jobs that we love. Cady works at a local hospital as a critical care nurse. I work in a Plastic Surgeons office three days a week in a nearby town. We live in a small cottage on the bayside of the island of Redington off of Florida. It’s a very small town, one way in and one way out other than boat, which is my preferred way to travel. My first purchase when I moved here was a 26ft Regal with a cabin. I would live on it, but Cady would call me a hermit and invade my small space. Cady and Jon are getting married at the beginning of next summer and moving to Jacksonville were Jon is Interning to be a Cardiologist. I will probably live on my boat at that time, but for now, I’m enjoying the roominess of our cottage.

Cady cries every time she thinks about leaving me and begs me to go with them. I am happy here. It’s peaceful. I have no fears, no worries and I plan on keeping it that way. I will desperately miss her, but I will let her go.

The credits are now rolling, it’s late. I peek in on Cady and she is curled up sound asleep. I slip into my favorite sleeping shirt and swallow an Ambien. Every night I tell myself this will be the last night I take one, but then a wave of terror runs through me

and I willing gulp it down. Thank god the effects kick in quickly, I hate being alone in the dark.

I wake up with a jolt, the clock reads 3:21a.m. I am soaking wet from head to toe. My only solace, thanks to my sleeping pill, is that I don’t remember my nightmares. But I know there are demons behind my eyelids and I shiver with the knowledge that I know what they are really about and from where they come.

I go ahead and get up. I know there will be no more sleep. I quietly slip-on my running clothes and shoes, careful to not wake Cady. I grab my phone and earbuds, slip out the door and crank up Cruise by Florida George Line, the remix version with Nelly.

One good thing about a small town is the safety you feel and running this time of morning is beautiful. I run until I’m exhausted. I always stop on the beach until the sun is up. I breathe in the fresh air, it is so cathartic. Life has never been so simple and I cherish it because I know one day everything will catch up with me and it will all fall apart.

Author Bio:

Kelly Moore was raised in Mt. Dora, Florida, a true southern girl with a sarcastic wit. Gypsy traveling nurse by day and romantic author by night. Loves all things romantic with a little spice and humor. Loves two characters who over comes their pasts to fall in love and have a happy ending. Wife, mother, grandmother and dog lover. Travels the US in a fifth wheel making memories and making friends.

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Night and Day by Iris Johansen
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Night and Day is the twenty first book in the series by Iris Johansen featuring the character Eve Duncan. This particular story line though began in book nineteen and has been it’s own little trilogy within the overall series so I won’t give any details directly about this story so I don’t spoil it for anyone at this point but just a brief glimpse at the overall plot involved in all three books. This third of the trilogy picks up right at the ending of Hide Away.

Eve Duncan is a forensic sculptor, she gives a face to children who have been found murdered in an effort to try to bring justice to their killers. When she gets a phone call from a sheriff in California she agrees to work on the skull of a 9 year old who begins to speak to Eve as she works. Jenny can’t remember much at first but she insists that Eve was meant to help her find out what happened to her. Eve becomes determined to find justice for Jenny and help bring in her killer.

While I’ve enjoyed reading all three books in this story line the first was definitely my favorite as it was the one that dealt with the forensic side of the case. But all three have been a high intensity action packed ride all involving that first case that Eve started working with. There’s a paranormal element added to each of the stories with the first and the third seeming like that was more prominent in the books.

Overall, 3.5 stars, Iris Johansen is definitely a great writer and while I haven’t read everything by her I’d definitely recommend checking out her work from what I have read. If interested in this book you should really go back and start at book nineteen to get the start of the story.

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