Carries Book Reviews

Hanover House by Brenda Novak
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Evelyn Talbot has spent her life trying to find out what makes a psychopath and how to better understand them. She was tortured and almost killed by her high school boyfriend, Jasper, and is dealing with that as best she can. Jasper has never been captured and Evelyn lives in fear of him each day of her life and of course when this story picks up 20 years after the high school incident Jasper has truly come back.

Evelyn’s managed to obtain funding for a facility in Alaska to house some of the top criminals to begin a study on the nature of these killers which will be known as the Hanover House. When the facility in Alaska is vandalized during construction she travels there to oversee the damage and hire security. Evelyn begins a friendship with Amarok, the local state trooper. For the first time in a long time she let’s herself begin trusting a man and feeling some sort of attraction.

I absolutely loved this book. Wonderful writing and a truly intense story with Jasper and the beginning of a beautiful relationship with Amarok. Evelyn is someone you can’t help but truly feel for when she tells about her life and absolutely admire her for what she is doing even though it has to be hard on her. Amarok is a true gentlemen that really seems to start caring for Evelyn and helping her start to heal. Their relationship is truly touching in what is otherwise an intense book.

A definite page turner and would recommend to anyone looking for a good thriller. My only complaint I can think of after finishing this book is it will be such a long wait until Whiteout, the next in the Hanover House series, comes out in September 2016.

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

Her Stepbrothers’ Demands by Trinity Blacio
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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

In Her Stepbrothers’ Demands, Jasmine is trying to leave after having a falling out with her mother. Her mother had gotten married to a Werewolf who has two sons Jasmine had never knew existed or that the new family were actually werewolves. And now the new stepbrothers have also claimed that Jasmine is to be their new mate.

At best I’d give this one 2.5 stars. It really started off all wrong to me by having the brothers come aboard the plane Jasmine was on and almost dragging her off of it. In this day you just don’t get on a plane without being a passenger let alone even past the security checkpoints in airports. Granted this is fiction and in that world I suppose anything can happen so even letting that part slide it really didn’t get better from there.

There first 75% or so of the story had problem after problem built up. I won’t list everything happening in the plot so as not to spoil it for anyone but it just had too much going on for a short story. Then I was rather disappointed in how it was all resolved quickly. Also, the guys say they have a mystical wolfie connection with Jasmine but the majority of the story she’s injured and there’s just no chemistry building up with the group.

Overall, not as fun or interesting as I’d experienced before from Trinity Blacio. Would have liked either to lighten this story up a bit to fit it’s length or to have the book go on longer to give a better conclusion to all that’s had been built up.

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More Deaths Than One: An Inspector Gil Mayo Mystery by Marjorie Eccles
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

More Deaths Than One is Detective Gil Mayo mystery/thriller. Rupert Fleming is found in his car with a suicide note and a shot gun at his feet having been shot in the head. What looks like a clear suicide is quickly determined a homicide though.

It is extremely rare for me to rate any book a 1 star and give up on it. For this book I made it up to 25% and I’ve decided it’s just not my taste at all. The plot would probably have no problem pulling me in under normal circumstances but with this book I felt I needed a dictionary on hand. The very first paragraph in the book uses the word ‘exophthalmic’. From there it just seems that the author had a dictionary and thesaurus both on hand and tried to use every uncommon word that could possibly be used. That just seriously breaks up the flow of reading for me even if I know the definitions or context I just wasn’t enjoying what I was reading. Found it rather boring to sit through lengthy descriptive text trying to toss in large words.

By the end of the first 5 or 6 chapters I really couldn’t say I cared what was happening at all any more or about any of the characters. I’m sure there would be some that would enjoy the story but have just found it’s not for me and personally wouldn’t recommend it.

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

The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Miranda has been down on her luck, without a job, gone through a divorce and looking at possible foreclosure. When her 85 year old neighbor Joy tells Miranda of her plans to drive herself from Chicago to Phoenix right before Christmas in her old RV along Route 66, Miranda reluctantly agrees to accompany her on the journey.

Joy has a website up to give helpful hints/tips all about Christmas and refers to herself as Christmas Joy. She has run a contest on the site to help spread Christmas cheer to a few deserving winners. Miranda and Joy decorate the RV and head out on the road to visit with the winners and try to make it to Phoenix where Joy will be moving with her sons.

A lovely story of the two ladies bonding and spreading Christmas cheer across the nation. The winners they visited did all seem to need the stop from the ladies to brighten their holidays. Enjoyed the interaction between the two and the way Miranda truly cared about Joy. Joy certainly had a mind of her own and a whole lot of determination to make the journey to see a little brightness given to the families that needed it for the holiday season.

If it weren’t for a bit of predictability with the story and the ending seeming a bit rushed with it being short this would have been easily a 5 star book. Still very enjoyable, quick read overall and would recommend it.

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

Eternidad: Cimmerian Rising by B. Thomas Harwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads.

Eternidad: Cimmerian Rising is somewhat of a supernatural fantasy adventure. You have Jeringas Mortifer who is a 2500 year old immortal that controls many of the islands and inhabitants of the Caribbean. Mortifer also has the Soul Collector working for him and just as him name sounds he collects the souls of their enemies. In the story we learn of a prophecy of a child that is going to be born that will eventually defeat Mortifer. A young fisherman and his wife have their child and a seer tells them he will be this child.

My only complaint with the whole story is that it ended way too soon and would love to continue reading. Loved the fact that even though we have the different immortals, prophets and even vampires in this story it takes place in the very real islands of the Caribbean which makes a lovely blend of fantasy and reality.