"Into The Fire" (Gorgeous Entourage Book 1) by E. L. Todd

                                              Buy "Into The Fire" on Amazon: click here!

"I'd been an escort for a year now. A few friends of mine bought the company and gave me a job. But its not what you think. I'm not a prostitute. I just pose as a girlfriend to men who need to put on a show. There are strict rules for this type of relationship....."     Alessandra

This is the first book in the new series "Gorgeous Entourage." A story of a beautiful escort named Alessandra. Not a prostitute mind you, but a paid escort for men who need to have someone in their life for a family function or a business event.  It's all business until she meets Ash. 

Ash is a veteran, having served three tours in Afghanistan. He's given everything he can to his family and yet they want more. In fact they won't do what's right until he proves himself to them.  Ash has had some adjustment issues according to mom and dad. The tattoos, the jail time and the bad boy behavior has his family on a mission. Ash wants to open a business, but his parents are standing in his way.  Instead of letting him make his own way in life they're trying to make his decisions about how is life should go for him. They agree to help him if he agrees to settle down with a nice girl.

Ash hires Alessandra to fool his family. If he can pull this off he can get what he needs from his parents and open his own tattoo shop. The trick is can they do it? A friendship develops and the story takes a turn. This was a fun, contemporary romance.  

Can they find a way to be friends or something more? I love the characters, you will too.  An ending that will leave you smiling, even if things don't go the way that you think they will.

Thank you E.L. Todd

"The Hysterics" A Standalone Rock Star Romance by Kristen Hope Mazzola

                                                                                  

                                      Buy "The Hysterics" now on Amazon: click here!

"Right then the world stopped around me. I was standing in front of Fallon Dunbar, the former drummer of Regicide Assisted, a band that had just broken up because rumor had it their drummer had died from an overdose of coke. She was a legend in the underground circuit, but she had flown in under my radar. I decided to not let Fae-Fallon- know I'd figured out her alter ego and went along with the sheer  surprise of standing in the presence of t his awesome chick..."

Fallon Dunbar isn't herself anymore. She lost her rising rock star identity when she nearly died of a drug overdose. Now she's Fae Dunham and starting her life over. As a favor to her family, Payton hires her at his music magazine, "Raging Underground." Being a musician is who she was, a drummer in a punk rock band, and now she's an assistant editor.

Moonlighting on the magazine is Dane Pearson, also a drummer. His band "The Hysterics" are doing well enough for themselves. Dane is drawn to Fae though. He knows a secret she's keeping.  Not everything is out in the open though for either one of them. Still drawn to each other,  can they make something out of what they have in their lives? Will Fae really turn her life into the new one she craved,  or are old habits hard to break?

We meet the band consisting of Colt (lead guitar), Maverick (bass player), Rodney (front man). and then there is Dane. Bars and drinking, groupies and late nights. The life of a musician with a little romance is a great story line! Told from alternating points of view between Dane and Fae.  It was impossible not to be drawn to these two. I hoped that somehow they could find a way to each other, complications and all.

Another great read by Kristen Hope Mazzola. Once you start reading her work you'll be looking to see what else she has out there. I read her "Crashing Back Down" military romance series and loved that as well. Check my blog for other reviews by this author. I highly recommend her. Sometimes romance books get a bad name, too far fetched to be believed would be my usual take. The key with this author is you will believe everything she writes and that her characters exist. Well written, timely situations, people you would know in your own life. There is plenty to love about this author and her work.

Are Fae and Dane right for each other? Will outside influences ruin it all? Truth is probably the only thing that can save them.  What happens if the world discovers that Fallon isn't dead after all? What if the secrets they try so hard to keep come spilling out? You'll have to read this one and find out!

                                                  Thank you Kristen Hope Mazzola

"Final Departure" by Steve Pickens

                           "Final Departure" on sale on Amazon Feb. 15th 2016: click here!

                                                                                  

"Susan Crane was something different though. Chris Aponte's murder had been marked by a stunning lack of evidence. There had been nothing to go on, little physical evidence, no suspects, and no obvious motive. With Susan Crane there seemed to be any number of suspects and plenty of motives, and he knew there had to have been tremendous amounts of evidence in that trunk, It was all being brushed under the braided rug. Why?......"

The story starts with Jake working on a ferry boat and returning home, waiting on his partner Sam to return from abroad. Taking place in Seattle, I like how the background is set up first. Describing Jake's job and his home with Sam. Their friends and the area they live in makes you feel like you may know them and the area. It always appeals to me when an author does a thorough and descriptive set up.

Turns out that a bad day for Jake and his co-workers is about to get worse, as a well known tabloid reporter is found dead. Locked in the trunk of her car on the ferry and shot in the head. Susan Crane's death is ruled a suicide, even though it's obvious it is not. What is going on here?

Memories of an unsolved past murder of a friend haunt Jake. Jake can't let it go even though Sam wishes he would. Together, with friends, they may figure out the real story. Their mutual friend Alex is keeping some things to himself as well. A nagging feeling is getting the best of Jake and he's determined to know more.

The problem with investigating Susan's life is inviting the interest of someone that might not like it. Danger lurks for all involved. Someone is following Jake and Sam. Can Jake  solve this crime himself, with the help of the people he knows he can trust? A steady paced story, interesting characters will keep you turning the pages.

A great mystery. I really enjoyed this story. Characters were well written. There was a fine balance of humor, mystery, friendships and relationships.

Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books

Release Blitz for "Paradise Fought: Abel" by L.B. Dunbar

Title: Paradise Fought: Abel

Series: Paradise #1

Author: L.B. Dunbar

Genre: Contemporary New Adult Romance/MMA

 Release Date: January 25, 2016

Blurb

I'm not a fighter.

I was born into a fighting family. As the middle child, I was overlooked in favor of my older brother.

He took the negative attention, too. In comparison, there's nothing special about me.

I’m not as big as Cobra. I’m not as strong as Cobra. He's the alpha.

I'm a beta.

The second son.

The lesser one.

The one never encouraged to fight, never encouraged to do anything, but stay out of my father’s way.

I'm not a lover either - but I wished to be – that’s why I needed her.

I met a girl in the pouring rain.

Sounds cliché, but it's true. It changed everything.

Because of love, I learned to fight.

Betas come second, but in this fight, my story is first.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Links to Buy

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Excerpt

If I thought I was going to make a speedy getaway, I was wrong. My savior caught up to me, half way down the walk, outside the finance building. He was quick and a large hand wrapped around my upper arm.

“Whoa, sister,” he said, slightly out of breath. “You almost got away from me again.”

“What?” I questioned. I had no idea what he meant: again.

“Never mind,” he muttered, his hand still on me. I looked down at it and he immediately released me. My eyes pinched as I realized I didn’t mind his hand on my skin. There was something nonthreatening about him. He seemed rather innocent, studious, actually. His shirt was buttoned almost to the top and tucked into his pants. The sleeves secure at the cuffs. His jeans were snug and hugged him well. He wore dark rimmed glasses that screamed smart. Brown boots looked too new on his large feet. It was like he had the right parts but the wrong combination.

His blue eyes were soft and easy to look into. They practically spoke to me, but I had no idea what he was saying. His dark hair was disheveled, a bit shaggy, but cool looking. He kind of looked like a pop star, which was a little too sugar sweet for me. His form was questionable. It was hard to tell what kind of body he had under those clothes. He looked rather preppy, like half the guys at this university. I didn’t want to think about it. I’d just sold my soul for another semester.

“So when do you want to do this?” I asked. His blank stare told me he had no idea what I meant.

“Us,” I said, pointing between him and me.

“I…” His voice trailed off as he gawked at me. His expression changed from confusion to shock.

“I didn’t buy you to sleep with you,” he said, a touch of disbelief in his voice. His face turned crimson, then fell. “Why, have you done that before?” It was my turn to be surprised and offended.

I turned on my heels and began stomping away from him. He was too quick and he caught me again. His hand on my arm halted me. This time he didn’t release me when I peered down at his fingers wrapped around my bicep.

“Look. I need help,” he blurted. His face pinked a little, and it was sweet. “I don’t need help with sex. I need help with before.” His tone dropped, and he looked side to side to see if anyone would hear him. I took his meaning.

“You don’t know how to do foreplay?” I questioned in a loud whisper, trying to hide my astonishment. How could anyone have sex and not know a touch of foreplay?

His face pinked again.

“Not that,” he said, sounding like a child. “The flirting. The dating. The…other stuff.”

I was stunned. I stared at him, taking in his features again. He was kind of cute, leaning toward the potential for good looking. He couldn’t possibly need help with this request. The confusion on my face made him speak.

“I don’t know how to flirt.” The words swirled between us.

“I don’t understand.” I didn’t. I didn’t know what he wanted from me.

“I need lessons how to be…cool: with girls. Call it a tutoring session. I need to learn how to be…seen.” His voice took on a touch of sadness. He couldn’t possibly be serious. I continued to stare at him. My mouth might have actually dropped open a bit, and I noticed he was watching my lips. It was a little exciting the way he stared at them. I licked them and his pupils dilated, filling in more black over the blue. His expression changed. Knowingly, he blinked when he realized I was teasing him. His lip quirked up and a dimple showed in his cheek.

“I need to date you,” he blurted. “To learn how to do, what you just did to me.”

Author Bio

L.B. Dunbar loves the original legend of King Arthur. Inspired by this classic tale, she pulled over to the side of the road to take notes when it hit her that if King Arthur lived today, he'd be a rock star. A lover of fairy tales, myths, legends, and anything with happily ever after, she loves to read and write contemporary romance. Her Legendary Rock Stars series is complete with the final tale: The Trials of Guinevere DeGrance, but the story began with The Legend of Arturo King. She also wrote The Sensations Collection, which includes five stand alones based on the five senses in a small town setting near Lake Michigan. Raised on one side of that lake, she grew up in Michigan, but now lives on the other side, in Chicago. Mother to four, wife to the one and only, and teacher to hundreds of former students, she looks forward to sharing more stories in the future.

Author Links

WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM
PINTEREST

NEWSLETTER

AMAZON
GOODREADS

"The Bitter Season" by Tami Hoag

                                   Buy "The Bitter Season" now on Amazon: click here!

"He was dog tired. Not for the first time-or the hundred and first time-he thought. I'm getting too old for this. In the next thought, he wondered what Liska was doing. He wondered how bored she was. He thought of cold case squads as the place old Homicide dicks went when they couldn't keep up anymore. Then he remembered with no small amount of depression that he was an old Homicide dick. ..."

The Bitter Season returns as the fifth book in the Detectives Kovac and Liska series. Its November, 25 years ago in cold Minnesota for sex crimes detective Ted Duffy. Burned out on the everyday horror, dragged down by those closest to him who can't understand him. He becomes a homicide case.

Move to present day. Nikki Liska is on a new job for a cold case unit. Giving her regular hours to spend with her kids, making this a good fit for her. Against her judgment of which cases are solvable, the Duffy murder becomes her next case.

Meanwhile, her ex partner Sam Kovac is running through new partners and missing Liska. Working the homicide unit with the current "trainee' Michael Taylor. They have their own serious things to deal with when Professor Chamberlain and his wife are brutally murdered in their home.

On the other side of town a young woman by the name of Evi is living a good life. So much better than the one she started out with. Coming from a foster home and turning her life into something so much better. Something or someone from the past is about to reach out and try to take it all away from her. Memories for everyone involved in these crimes come back to haunt them. Some things you never forget.

Who killed Ted Duffy? After all this time is there really anything to go on? What about Professor Chamberlain and his wife? Who would want them dead? Gruesome and scary. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is the answer to an old situation or even a new one. The answers you think you know will surprise you.

From there the story is tied to together in some surprising turns. In classic Tami Hoag writing, an exciting fast paced story. I'm never let down by her work. If you like crime and detective series this is definitely an author you'd want to read. If you already read her you'll know what I'm talking about and you'll want to read this book for sure.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Books Dutton

"Find Her" (Detective D.D Warren) by Lisa Gardner

                                  

                       Buy "Find Her" on sale Feb. 9th 2016 on Amazon: click here

"She hugs me then, hard and fierce. The way I know she's always hugged me. And I force myself to stand there. To not flinch, to not go rigid. To remind myself these arms are my mother's arms. Her hair smells like my memories of my mother's hair. This is the woman who tucked me in at night, and read me stories, and offered me warm milk when I couldn't sleep, and made me cinnamon toast when I was sick. A million tiny moments......."

Boston detective D.D. Warren is back in this exciting police suspense series. The eighth book in this series, but a standalone read, as are all of them. This author, Lisa Gardner, is one of my favorite in this genre of writing. If you've not read anything from her I highly recommend her books.

We start with a young girl locked in a coffin type box. Only taken out to be abused and mistreated. She is able to survive and is eventually released. What happens to Flora Dane after the fact is the true story here. At times a victim or has she become a vigilante?

Detective Warren has her own things to deal with personally. Events in the past have led her to where her job has her on restrictions. Her team is struggling to deal with this new version of D.D.. Strong and intent on making things right again, she's on a case where Flora has been found at the scene of a kidnapping and murder. Who was the victim and who is the criminal now? Lines become blurred and D.D. isn't about to let Flora off easy, victim or not.

Fast paced, twists and turns you never see coming. I love how it's not predictable. The characters are well written, and you just jump in and go for an exciting ride. D.D. is discovering things about Flora and is concerned to what it all adds up to. Then Flora disappears. Can D.D. and her team find her? Was she taken or did she go off the grid on purpose? The 472 days that Flora spent in her captors hands is still with her. The damage is done. The past is coming back for Flora.

There are other murders of young girls and there might be a link. Can Flora can connect the dots for them? She may be more important to saving a life than they realize.  All D.D. Warren knows is she must "Find Her."

Once again Lisa Gardner writes a great book! If you like criminal suspense, cops and killer stories, this is definitely for you!

Thank you Netgalley and Dutton (Penguin Group)

"Far From True" A Promise Falls Novel (Promise Fall Trilogy) by Linwood Barclay

"Far From True" on sale March 8th on Amazon: click here!

"Now," Duckworth said, "it may be just one huge coincidence that this same number keeps popping up. But maybe it isn't. That's why I'm asking for the public's help. If you know of someone with a fixation on this number, if you have any idea how these various incidents might be connected, we want you to get in touch with us. All tips will be treated confidential".....

This is the second book in the "Promise Fall" trilogy. No sooner had I started this one than I wished I'd already read the first one. I will go back and do just that. I was able to put together what was in the first one and it was very intriguing, enough to make me want to read it too!

Set in upstate New York, this story starts out with a horrible disaster on closing night at the local drive-in. People are dead and everyone wants answers. Detective Barry Duckworth is working on more than one thing involving some recent and past murders. Noticing connecting evidence he set out to solve these. Are they connected to the drive- in deaths?

Meanwhile, Cal Weaver is asked to look into the accident at the drive-in by the daughter of one of the victims, Lucy Brighton. Cal is a private detective and discovers some very unsettling things in the home of Lucy's dad. Cal is still recovering from things that happened to him in the first book, but is the kind of man you want there when you need someone. Now he's trying to figure out why some things were taken from the drive- in victims home the same night they died. What are these items and how does it fit in to their deaths?

Promise Falls has all kinds of secrets it's been holding quietly. I enjoyed each of the characters as they played into the story. Even though I haven't read the previous book, there is enough information to interest you in these people. It will make you want to know more, I had that feeling thorough out.  I really want to read the first one more than ever now.  

As the lives of the town residents intersect we see into the lives of the former mayor, a news reporter without a newspaper, a college campus cop, a woman fighting to keep her child. Who is going to find the real reason behind the deaths at the drive-in theater? Was there an ulterior motive or was it an accident? Steady pace and some pretty good surprises. A jaw dropping ending!  A well woven tale that will pick up with the next book. I look forward to it and now after reading this one, the first one and the next one are "must" reads.

Discovery of the facts will find that some things are "Far From True."

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group

"Darktown" by Thomas Mullen

                                 "Darktown" is available for pre-order on Amazon: click here!

"Someone falsified Boggs report, deleting Brian Underhill, protecting an ex-cop who by all right should be the principal subject of an investigation. Why? Like at Jameson's funeral, he felt the wrathful eye of his neighbors on him, judging him a failure, unworthy. There was nothing Boggs could do about the Jameson case. But the Jane Doe case was different. Boggs vowed that, when Mr. Ellsworth showed up at the station, he would be there to meet him..."

Black officers Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith work for the Atlanta Police Dept. It's set in a time before civil rights in the deep south. The officers report to an all black YMCA as their headquarters. This gives you a feel for what these men are about to face.

When they witness a black woman being assaulted by a white man, nobody seems to really care, except Boggs and Smith. Their conscience bothers them more when they find her dead. Since this is a white man that formerly worked for the A.P.D.,  they must tread carefully or risk their lives and their jobs.

On the other side of this store are white officers Denny Rakestraw and Lionel Dunlow. Dunlow isn't above beating a black man for no good reason, accept that he has the power to do so. While Rakestraw doesn't participate, he does nothing to stop it either.

It's a good story line and probably a pretty good representation of a time when people acted like this. I really don't care to hear/see/read the "N" word and it was frequent in this book. While probably relevant to the characters involved, it certainly didn't make me like these guys. These kinds of stories always make me sad. To think people lived in fear and were abused/murdered/mistreated for nothing more than the color of their skin. This book really drives these facts home.

Boggs and Smith do their best to wade through to find out who this woman was and to see justice served. Of course there are many roadblocks for them to get to that point. While the story goes at a steady pace there are some jaw dropping unexpected twists towards the end that not only pulled the whole thing together in a interesting way but also surprised me. I ended up becoming a little more fond of the story as I went, even though I was put off by racism at first. Not only a good story but a lesson in the history of this country. You can't walk away from this story without feeling empathy for the suffering of others.

Boggs and Smith do what they can to get the facts in spite of the roadblocks put up by other police officers. Only one, Rakestraw is actually willing to cross a line to them. There are a couple of allies they won't see coming. Can they solve the slaying of this woman? Is working in "Darktown" really what anyone wants? Even the people they try to help are resistant to what they see as interference and perhaps even betrayal by Boggs and Smith. The path to justice will be littered with bodies, beatings and murderers.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books: Division of Simon and Schuster.

"The Passenger" by Lisa Lutz

Pre-order "The Passenger" on Amazon now: click here!

"That was the shortest funeral service I'd ever attended. Even I took the time to drink a hand of whiskey as I said goodbye to Frank. Then again, I didn't kill Frank. If you kill someone, I'm not sure a eulogy is in order. Or maybe it's even more in order...."

This wild ride begins when Tanya leaves her husband's dead body in their home and flees. Changing her identity.. once again.  She makes a new friend, Blue, who feels drawn to Tanya.  Leaving Tanya behind Amelia is born briefly before again changing her name. While she thinks she is outrunning her past, her past may be keeping tabs on her. Think "Thelma and Louise" here for a moment.  Blue and Amelia do a few shocking things together.

Hard to put this book down because you can't be sure what's coming next.  One thing they do decide on is new names and identities. When they get to that point though I had a gnawing suspicion that that one of them might just be a touch more evil than the other. There are surprising things that Blue and Tanya do to keep themselves going. One is not too afraid to use a gun either. Is Tanya a murderer or a good liar? Is Blue a killer or just a liar? Secret agendas come to light.

While on the run there are a series of emails between Tanya/Amelia/Debra and a man she left behind in her real life. So interesting trying to piece together what actually happened that put her on the run to begin with. I looked forward to these little emails throughout trying to figure out this puzzle.

A thrilling ride with secrets and lies, this psychological thriller takes you to all kinds of place you won't expect.  Tanya will do all kinds of things to survive. Her crossing paths with certain people puts her on a road that makes her end up where she probably should have gone all along. With a surprising conclusion, I was really enthralled with this book. What a great read!

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster.

Happy New Year!

                 

I just want to say thank you for all your support in 2015. My book blog was new and I was new to Netgalley. So far things have taken off better than I imagined when I started this in late July. I decided to go after something that I've always loved and to share it with as many people as I could. I am so grateful for all your support. I love what I do. I may not always  have my commas in the right place, but I hope you know that everything I write comes from my heart. 

I read 60 books last year. 48 of those were from late July on. I would have never guessed I could accomplish so much. You reading what I wrote makes it matter. Sharing a book you might love too I feel successful. There is no money involved. What I get from this no money could buy.

I have found some wonderful books and made some great friends. I've come to know some authors and  I'm honored to know you. You write what I love, what makes my life happy. The only way I can thank you is to help promote your books and share you with others. 

So please help me make this year great for books and for you my friends and authors!

KEEP READING

Visit me on Facebook: click this link!

Visit Michelle's Book Ends on Goodreads: click this link!

Visit Michelle's Book Ends on Twitter: click this link!

Want me to review a book for you? 

mmshealy@aol.com