Gold Digger by Frances Fyfield--A Review

I love reading a book from a new to me author.  Such is today's subject of this blog.   I had never heard of Frances Fyfield, but she will definitely appear in future reviews.

SYNOPSIS:

The warmth of him, the glorious warmth, was fading by the minute.


In a huge old school house by the sea, full of precious paintings, Thomas Porteous is dying. His much younger wife Di holds him and mourns. She knows that soon, despite her being his sole inheritor, Thomas's relatives will descend on the collection that was the passion of both of their lives.

And descend they do. The two needy daughters, who were poisoned against their father by their defecting mother, are now poison themselves. The family regard Thomas's wealth as theirs by right, with the exception of young Patrick, who adored his grandfather and is torn between his parents and Di, the interloper.

The family know Di's weaknesses, and she has to learn theirs. After all, she met Thomas when she came to his house to rob him. With the help of an unlikely collection of loners and eccentrics, she sets a trap to hoist the family members on their own greed. And on the night they are lured to the house, Di will be ready.

Or will she?

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

I thoroughly enjoyed Frances Fyfield's Gold Digger.  This was the first of her books I had read; suffice it to say, I was not disappointed.  

The characters were unique and refreshing and best of all quirky and damaged.  Thomas Porteus, gentle, a collector, big hearted and misunderstood by most.   He shared his life with Di Quigley Porteus, a thief, his rescuer and his co-collector in the art world.   Jones, a retired cop, uncle of Di who had arrested her when she was young for breaking into the Porteous house in attempts to steal car keys.
Saul, Thomas's friend, believed to be gay, and loved the art world and the collection Thomas had accrued.  Peg, a stray, a runaway with legal problems of her own, taken in by Di and Jones.  Gayle and Beatrice Porteus, daughters of Thomas, hated him and hated Di.  Edward, Gayle's husband, with hungry eyes for all that was belonging to Thomas.   Quig, Di's father, fearing one another with the knowledge they each had on the other.   Patrick, the grandson that loved Thomas and Di.   And Monica, the beautician who was always sticking her nose in where it didn't belong.   Together this awesome cast of characters created a tale of greed, dysfunction, and mayhem.   I loved DI and her supportive cast of misfits and their efforts to protect DI from the dysfunctional family Thomas left behind.

I found the plotline to be entertaining and well plotted;   The characters were strong in who they were and complicated in their actions and desires.   The little secrets along the way, only strengthened the suspense and were revealed in timely essence.    You could feel the solid relationship Thomas had with Di.   I could easily mourn with her, if she would have had time to mourn at all.   But Thomas had thought to protect her from his own well before his death.   It was his plan put in motion that both put her in danger and saved her from it.   Definitely a thrill seekers book from start to finish!

I gave this a 5 Wink rating!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

Twilight by Sheryl Woods--A Review

Cloudy and  rainy here in the Midwest.  Can you believe how close we are to the middle of the month?   When you are a reader, the time flies, but you see so many different worlds and books create that passageway.

Today's review features author, Sherryl Woods and her novel, Twilight.    Trust me there are no vampires in this wonderful romance tale, but there is plenty of romance and tension between the characters.

SYNOPSIS:

New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods demonstrates that when faith and love are tested,they often wind up stronger than ever.

For former private investigator Dana Miller, there can be no peace of mind until she finds the person who killed her husband. Now a single mother to three boys, Dana wants closure. But it turns out she'll need to form an alliance with the man she holds responsible for the death. And uncovering answers may mean bringing down the program her husband believed in.  Rick Sanchez has no intention of letting Dana destroy all the good he and Ken Miller worked for. As he and Dana try to learn the truth about what happened, he discovers that he and his old friend have something else in common; an undeniable attraction toward this intrepid, high-spirited woman who fights for the people she loves.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

My mom gave this novel to read; her favorite genre being romance, clean romance.   I enjoy romance reads and have a couple yet to read this month.   Like her I do not really want the explicit details, I have an excellent imagination contained within my mind's eye.    I was quite surprised that Wood's book, Twilight, has met my standards of  intimate revelation.   There was a steamy night and some kisses too, but absolutely nothing explicit.   Go Sherryl Woods!

This book was actually a mystery romance, with both , Dana Miller and Rick Sanchez trying to ferret out who had slain the honorable Reverend Ken Miller.   By joining forces, they formed an unlikely alliance, challenged by mistrust of one another, and strengthened by a bulldog stubbornness to find those precious answers that could lead to truth, trust, and just maybe anther shot at love.

I enjoyed this book immensely.   The characters were strong and independent and with their conversations you could "hear" that spanish lingo.    The plot was well developed and although there were many bodies left for discovery,   it was very near the end when the murderers were revealed.  It was quite an interesting read.

I rated this read 5 winks!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I borrowed this book from my mother!

Blissful Tragedy--Promo

Author Amy L. Gale's debut novel Blissful Tragedy

is now ONLY $0.99 for a limited time

 

BUY NOW ON AMAZON 

 

Ambitious 22-year-old Lexie Waters is intent on taking the advertising world by storm.  When she’s offered the soon to be open position she’s been vying for at a swanky advertising agency, there’s only one last summer separating her from dreams of corporate success.  Still bitter from catching her boyfriend cheating, she heads out for a night of fun to see her favorite band, Devil’s Garden, but fun turns into utter embarrassment when she insults the enticingly confident lead singer, Van Sinclair.  Van is intrigued by Lexie’s ability to resist his charm and secretly obtains her cell number.  Shocked but eager to get to know this captivating rocker, Lexie accepts Van’s invitation to see his next show, which requires an overnight stay.  The overwhelming feelings that follow take them both by surprise, and with two months left before starting her sought after new position, Lexie joins the tour. As she’s catapulted into the world of groupies and wild parties, she questions Van’s commitment to her. So what happens at summer’s end when time runs out?

Praise For Blissful Tragedy

This book is very good and I couldn't get enough of Van and Lexi's story. I was so sad that the book ended. I can honestly read about these two all day long! - Amazon Customer

Their whirlwind fling and the intensity of new love where every phone call, every text, takes your breath away captures the essence of what it’s like to be twenty something and in love. - BookChickLovesLit (Amazon)

AMAZON/ BARNES AND NOBLE 

WEBSITE/ FACEBOOK/ TWITTER/ GOODREADS

About Amy L. Gale

Romance author by night, pharmacist by day, Amy Gale loves rock music and the feel of sand between her toes.  She attended Wilkes University where she graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. In addition to writing, she enjoys baking, scary movies, rock concerts, and reading books at the beach.  She lives in the lush forest of Northeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, six cats, and golden retriever.

         

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The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman--A Review

What was the scariest thing in your childhood?  I remember a lavender room at the end of the hall and at night you could see a red flashing light against the night sky.    Now I remember a stairway in the closet, but my mom told me the house did have two sets of stairs, but it never had a stairwell in my closet.   Well, I hated that room and I would sleep with my brothers or my parents every chance I got.    I do not know why that room scared me so, but I absolutely detested it.    It took years for me to enjoy the color purple in any shade and now it is a favorite.   But even if that house still stood, I would never return to that lavender room!

Today's review is a childhood memory of a 7 year old boy, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman.

SYNOPSIS:

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

I had never read Neil Gaiman's work before and it was enjoyable and exciting.    He certainly knows how to evoke the emotions of the reader.  The story was strong and well developed, read smoothly and hooked the reader immediately.   I was drawn into the world of a seven year old boy, and I became afraid for him and his family.

It is never really explained who the Hempstock family was or what they were, more to the point.    But they were neighbors and the only people our little boy trusted and felt comfortable with.   Without them, I doubt he would have survived his childhood.    And his childhood memories soon became jumbled with reality, never to be remembered correctly again.

This was an extremely frightening and gripping read and it felt like I lived it with the main character.   I felt his angst, his fear, and his heartbreak.

I gave this book a rating of 4 Winks!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

Top Secret Twenty-One by Janet Evanovich--a review

Ok readers and friends...I have to admit, Janet Evanovich is my favorite author for making me laugh and I feel so perfectly at home reading a Stephanie Plum book.   When I read about Stephanie and her adventures, I feel like I am home and among friends!

In the last few Plum books, I have felt like maybe Janet was tired of Steph, but with Top Secret Twenty One, I felt like Evanovich was back!!

SYNOPSIS:

Catch a professional assassin: top priority. Find a failure-to-appear and collect big bucks: top score. How she’ll pull it all off: top secret.

Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Poletti, was caught selling a lot more than used cars out of his dealerships. Now he’s out on bail and has missed his date in court, and bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is looking to bring him in. Leads are quickly turning into dead ends, and all too frequently into dead bodies. Even Joe Morelli, the city’s hottest cop, is struggling to find a clue to the suspected killer’s whereabouts. These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. So Stephanie is going to have to do something she really doesn’t want to do: protect former hospital security guard and general pain in her behind Randy Briggs. Briggs was picking up quick cash as Poletti’s bookkeeper and knows all his boss’s dirty secrets. Now Briggs is next on Poletti’s list of people to put six feet under.

To top things off, Ranger—resident security expert and Stephanie’s greatest temptation—has been the target of an assassination plot. He’s dodged the bullet this time, but if Ranger wants to survive the next attempt on his life, he’ll have to enlist Stephanie’s help and reveal a bit more of his mysterious past.

Death threats, highly trained assassins, highly untrained assassins, and Stark Street being overrun by a pack of feral Chihuahuas are all in a day’s work for Stephanie Plum. The real challenge is dealing with her Grandma Mazur’s wild bucket list. A boob job and getting revenge on Joe Morelli’s Grandma Bella can barely hold a candle to what’s number one on the list—but that’s top secret.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

I can't quite define it, but I felt there was a difference in the writing of Top Secret Twenty-One and the past few Stephanie Plum books.  In the previous few books, it seemed like Evanovich herself may be tiring of the Plum series, but in Top Secret Twenty-One, the bond between author and character had returned.   And I appreciated that so much!

Morelli was still the hot Italian cop boyfriend, Ranger was still the cool cuban temptation, and Grandma Mazur was still the life of the party....she is a hoot and her bucket list items were hysterical!   Stephanie was a little more real(maybe more mature even).   She did less eye rolling, was able to say no to Ranger, and handled her involvement with Morelli and Ranger a little bit wiser.  

Of course the Evanovich humor was still much in evidence.   Grandma Mazur scratched at least two items off her bucket list, Lula was enjoying specialty pizza at Buster's pizza shop, and Bob, Morelli's big golden retriever ate some evidence, so there were plenty of things to laugh out loud about.

I enjoyed the characters from the annoying to the dangerous and from the sexy to the hungry.   It was good to catch up with Ms. Plum who stated she liked her life as it was.    That's always a good place to be.

I rated this enjoyable read 5 Winks!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I purchased this book for my personal collection.  

The Island Trilogy Box Set by Jen Minkman--Promo

Jen Minkman's, The Island Series is now available in a boxed set!    For anyone following my reviews, you know I have read and reviewed the entire series and I enjoyed it very much.   This was a unique read with a unique perspective and as a result, it is very thought provoking.

I invite you to read the entire series and stimulate your mind with the what if?

From my Review of The Waves (October 20 2013):

"Once again Jen has created a unique and interesting story and it was fun to reacquaint myself with  the characters in these bizarre cultures.   These stories lend themselves to reviewing internally how our own society's religions were passed down to each generation and what we may have changed or lost in translation.   Alas, I leave that review up to each reader as a personal and intimate choice.

I thank Jen Minkman for her writing prowess.   I love books that make me think!"

About Jen Minkman:

Jen Minkman (1978) was born in Holland, in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn. When she was 19, she moved between The Hague, Salzburg (Austria), Brussels (Belgium) and Cambridge (UK) to complete her studies in intercultural communication. She is currently a teacher of English and Dutch at a secondary school in The Hague, Holland. She tries to read at least 100 books a year (and write a few, too!). She is a published author in her own country, and translates her own books from Dutch into English for self-publication.
In her spare time, she plays the piano, the guitar and the violin. For every novel she writes, she creates a soundtrack. 

'I have always been drawn to writing. My first book was a sci-fi novel at the age of eight, which I painstakingly typed out on my dad's typewriter and illustrated myself. Nowadays, I stick to poetry, paranormal romance, chicklit and/or fantasy. In my home country, I am the first-ever published writer of paranormal romance, and I will gradually make my books also available in English (seeing I have to re-write and translate the books myself, this will take some time!).

June Reading Recap

June is now a memory...and Iowans are headed for a lot warmer weather.   I am not a summer girl anymore....I have learned I could die in the hot, humid sunlight of summer.    And, I am not ready to go there yet.

So in June I surrounded myself with three Christmas romance stories.  These reviews will be posted in December's 25 days of Christmas.   I enjoyed chillin with these Christmas reads.

I also finished Jen Minkman's trilogy, The Island series, by reading The Deep.  This was a very unique and interesting series.

I also read Mystery Rises by Marilyn Phillips.   This is a paranormal love story and I so love the hero, Shadow.    What a heart throb!







As a special treat to me, Janet Evanovich realeased Top Secret Twenty-one and Sarah Jio released Good Night June in June, so I read both of those books as well.   Good Night June was blogged during June and Takedown Twenty-One will be blogged during July.   Both authors grace my favorite author list as does...

Colleen Hoover.   I couldn't resist
the first and third in the Slammed series.    Oh such good stories and a new favorite author!

Another favoirte author is Shauna Allen and I got ahold of Cupid's Last Stand, the last in her Cupid's Chronicles Series.   I really hate to see that series come to a close!

I was asked to read and review the second in the Hollis Morgan mystery series, Sticks & Stones by R Franklin James.

Listening to A Life Redefined, was my first opportunity to review an audio book.  Although it was different for me, I also realized what a tech tard I really am.  I could barely hear it on my kindle and once I had completed the book, my don-in-law showed me where my volume control was.....BIG DUHHHHH!

More Than a Cowboy was a fun little Christian based story.

The Qualities of Wood was a uniquely written mystery and well worth the read.









June's grand total was 14 books.    Wish I could read that many every month and I would be able to meet my goal of 150 books this year, easily.   My goal for July is to read from my Kindle TBR pile.    I only have 323 titles to select from!
Wish me luck!!


Miss Beth