Friday, January 29, 2021

Driven by Rebecca Zanetti

Driven by Rebecca Zanetti

A gripping, unpredictable new serial killer thriller by acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti, perfect for fans of the chilling novels of Kat Martin, Laura Griffin, and Jayne Ann Krentz.

Unswerving: Angus Force is determined to hunt down the serial killer he’d once shot dead—or so he thought. But an anonymous source reports that Lassiter is alive. Force hasn't slept since, knowing it’s only a matter of time before “the Surgeon” strikes again. And soon, a body is found, bearing Lassiter’s same maniacal MO. It’s just the beginning of a murderous trail blazing through DC and Virginia, right to Force’s backyard...

Unstoppable: Nari Zhang is the shrink for the ragtag Deep Ops Unit, though she isn’t Force’s shrink—which is a very good thing. Because once they’re thrown together on the case, their attraction is explosive and irresistible. They’ll just have to fight that much harder to keep the heat between them from flaming out of control. But things are about to become far more challenging, and deadly, than they could have imagined...

Unhinged: Once the killer catches a glimpse of Nari, she becomes his new obsession. She is now the focus point—for both Force and Lassiter—in a dangerous dance for survival...

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Deep Ops series!
For book one, Hidden, click HERE.
For book novella, Taken, click HERE.
For book two, Fallen, click HERE.
For book three, Broken, click HERE.

 

Add to Goodreads

 

Driven by Rebecca Zanetti

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
Kensington

 

 

Reviews


Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Ruthie☆☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the series, and to be honest, the one that we have all been waiting for... Angus Force has contended that Lassiter was still alive, indeed his team within Homeland Security was convened to try and prove it. I really do recommend that you read the books in order to really understand the importance of this one.

The storyline is really all you could wish for, the buildup over the last three books didn't do justice to how intense this one would be, I had to put it down a few times to take a breath! Very clever and tightly plotted. Add in the simmering fire between Angus and Nari, which finally gets to take hold of them both and phwoar, the story went to a new level. I loved that we had all been waiting for the chance to arise, and to be honest it is even more entertaining than I was expecting! And how could I forget to mention Roscoe? – Angus's quirky dog, who is a key part of all the stories, but this one features him doing his duty and his mischief in equal measure.

I am not going to reveal any of the plot but, the excellent news is that this is not the last book in the series – which I had feared it might be when I realised early on that the team had been disbanded and then with how it ended. Never have I been so grateful for a “coming next” at the end of a book!


Avid Reader☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Mystery

Angus knows that the serial killer everyone else thinks is dead isn't. He knows in his bones that his team is in danger. What he doesn't know is who might be helping the serial killer and why his team is being targeted by someone who may or may not be his serial killer.

Nari isn't one to shy away from something but keeping her dad's identity a secret is her own way of sticking it to him. She knows he doesn't really want her working near him, but she takes the job that nobody wants to prove to him that she is really good at what she does.

With their team in jeopardy, both Nari and Angus set out to figure out who is killing now and why. This story is full of family drama, romance, and twists and turns. You will want to know, but won't want the story to rush either.

This was a very entertaining story and while I didn't really think that Angus and Nari had much chemistry, they did work well together.


Sarah☆☆☆
This is an exciting, if somewhat confusing, addition to the series. After a year of improbably successful investigations, Angus Force’s crew of misfits is suddenly disbanded. With the team scattered, Angus must face the re-emergence of his old nemesis and the threat he now poses to the team.

This is the most complicated storyline in the series so far. The disbanded shadow team inside the shadow government agency inside the bigger agency feels part Matrix, part season one of 24, and part Alias. I’m glad we finally get Angus’ story, but I feel like his and Nari’s personal story gets a little lost among the layers of conspiracy, suspicion, and murder.

I don’t feel like this book has the strongest plot in the series. There are a couple of big twists and revelations which still don’t quite make sense to me. And there is far too much happening for one novel. A couple of subplots feel totally unnecessary.

The strength of this series so far has been the characters and the dynamics between team members. This book is so plot-heavy and the team so spread out that some of the camaraderie and playfulness that made the previous books so enjoyable is lost.

The one redeeming element of this book is Nari. She’s a surprisingly capable heroine with skills I didn’t even suspect until this book. I love her parents and her complicated relationship with her birth father. Nari is an unlikely match for Angus but they actually fit well as a couple. Nari kept me reading when everything else got too complicated and messy.

 

 

Author Bio



REBECCA ZANETTI is the author of over fifty romantic suspense and dark paranormal romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. The New York Times reviews has found that in her books, “humor surfaces in even the tensest moments, giving the high-stakes drama humanity and warmth.”

She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat… and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off… and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out
.

Connect with Rebecca

Facebook  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Kensington Books


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Driven (Deep Ops #4) by Rebecca Zanetti to read and review.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

Prince Charming by K. Webster Blog Tour

Prince Charming by K. Webster Blog Tour

Winston Constantine is no prince charming...

I crave him so badly I think I might be losing my mind. He's right in front of me, but he’s just as remote as my dreams of getting away from my stepbrothers. I keep playing his twisted games, and I want to stay just as distant as he is. But I can’t. I never could. I’ve fallen for him. Hopelessly. Irrevocably.

But Winston isn’t a lover, he’s a business venture.
A way for me to pay for college.
A ticket out.

He’s never pretended to be anything other than that.
I can’t blame him for making me fall in love.

There can be no happily ever after between a maid and a prince, no matter what the stories say.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Cinderella series!
For book one, Stroke of Midnight, click HERE.

 

Add to Goodreads

 

Prince Charming by K. Webster

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Paperback (US)

 

 

Reviews


Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Mary☆☆☆☆☆
I needed this book since I finished the first book, and this one picks up where the first one ends. With Ash stuck at home after her stepbrother triplets got a hold of her. She calls Perry, Winston's brother, for help and he is all too happy to help her.

As Ash and Winston navigate through their venture, exchanging money for favors in and out of the bedroom, Ash has to figure out how to not fall in love with Winston. He is no Prince Charming after all, he is the villain. Although he might need Ash to save him in the end.

Will Ash get away from the terrible triplets and be able to go to college? Can Winston help keep her safe? Will they give in to their feelings and let love win in the end? Why does Leo want to destroy Winston?

I love this series and I need more now. Winston and Ash need something that only the other can provide and it makes their relationship perfect. This story, although a little unconventional – which is all K. Webster – is dirty, filthy, funny, sexy, twisted, ruthless, caring, and any other words you can think of. When can I get my hands on The Glass Slipper in April 2021?


Shelby☆☆☆☆☆
Prince Charming is the second book in K. Webster's Cinderella series. Now most second books, I've found, tend to be filler. This was not the case.

Winston, and Ash are enjoying playing together. But their play is of the filthy, kinky, naughty sort. Unfortunately, there is an evil trying to destroy both Winston and Ash, and that evil is known as The Terror Triplets. There's just constantly something nefarious lurking behind the scenes.

As in true royalty form, Winston is calm, collected, and superior to everyone, a true alpha male. He knows what he wants, and he can afford to buy it. Period. Ash, on the other hand, is part of a respectable family but isn't "well off" herself. Her father remarried a plastic surgeon, she now has three [terrible] stepbrothers. Ash is just counting down the days until she starts college.

I'm totally invested in the story. I need to see people pay, and I love what I've seen so far. I totally understand Ash's position. I also get Winston's – but what I need to see is that they come together. I need to see all the bad guys punished. I need the Constantines to accept Ash, to actually accept her place in their lives.

The sexy scenes are hot. They're degrading. They're filthy. Ash and Win totally complement one another, and I'm rooting for the happy ending. I need the third book!


Shannan☆☆☆☆☆
Prince Charming is the follow-up to Stroke of Midnight. You should read these in the order that the author intended to completely understand the storyline.

Winston has finally found someone that is completely willing to play the degrading games he craves. But that's all it can be… or is it so much more than he ever expected? Ash is willing to play the games that Winston wants in exchange for money for college. She's having fun and falling for Winston in ways that she never saw coming. The Terror Triplets, her stepbrothers, keep trying to ruin her at every turn, but can Winston stop them?

I am so very invested in this story. I need to know where it goes next. I love the softer side of Winston he only shows to Ash. The sex scenes are explosive between them. This one is definitely a series you need in your life.

 

 

Author Bio



K. WEBSTER is a USA Today bestselling author.  Her titles have claimed many bestseller tags in numerous categories, are translated in multiple languages, and have been adapted into audiobooks.  She lives in “Tornado Alley” with her husband, two children, and her baby dog named Blue. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and researching aliens.

Can't find a certain book? Maybe it's too hot for Amazon! Don't worry because titles like Bad Bad Bad, This is War, Baby, The Wild, and Hale can all be found for sale on K's website in both ebook and paperback format.

Connect with K

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Krazy for K Webster’s Books

 

 

Make the call while sitting on my desk. Don’t mind me. I’ll be indulging in some one on one time with my girlfriend’s pussy.

 

Hosted by

Candi Kane PR


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Prince Charming (Cinderella #2) by K. Webster to read and review for this tour.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Forgiven by Garrett Leigh

With each new touch, each moment of forgiveness, old hurts heal and the future they’d hoped for ten years ago becomes possible again.

High school sweethearts Mia and Luke get a second chance at love in this brand-new contemporary romance from award-winning author Garrett Leigh.

When Mia Amour returns to England to open a florist shop, all she wants to do is put her lousy ex behind her and never look back. But getting a fresh start is easier said than done when her first love, the boy who once broke her teenage heart, strolls back into her life. He’s every bit as sexy as she remembers, and the urge to melt back into his arms almost makes her forget how devastated she was when he took off without a word. Almost.

Left with no choice, Luke Daley did what he had to do, leaving town to earn enough money to save his broken family, though it just about broke him, too. But now he’s back, running his uncle’s business and trying desperately to forget about Mia, the girl he left behind all those years ago. When he runs into her in town, the shock of seeing her again brings an intense rush of emotions: love, guilt… and an overwhelming urge to find out if it’s still as amazing between them as it used to be.

It doesn’t take either of them long to give in to desire and discover the fiery passion they once shared burns hotter than ever. With each new touch, each moment of forgiveness, old hurts heal and the future they’d hoped for ten years ago becomes possible again. But their fragile connection is tested by a threat neither of them saw coming—a threat that could end their second chance before it even gets started.

 

Add to Goodreads

 

Forgiven by Garrett Leigh

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)
Carina Press (Harlequin)

 

 

Reviews


Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Ruthie☆☆☆☆
This is a really, really good read. I have read many of Garrett Leigh's books, and they all have something very special about them – and that is they are raw, real, and do not hold back on being incredibly honest. When people are upset, they really are upset, sometimes they may even be upset for entirely the wrong reason, but they reveal it, and even revel in it. Not every action that a character takes is sensible, or forgivable, or rational. At times, they feel almost too real. This is fiction which does not gloss over the uncomfortable, or the (almost) unforgivable; it forces us to acknowledge that love can be rediscovered, even after hurt. That there may be anger, animosity, misunderstandings, but that it takes time, effort, and energy on both sides to arrive at a compromise which enables a relationship to move forward.

And that is what I always love about Leigh's books. They are not a smooth ride into the sunset. They are so much richer for the complexity of the environment around them, and the resolution of the conflict that leads to a truly meaningful ending.

So if you have not read a Garrett Leigh book before, and that sounds like the kind of writing you like, then you have a wonderful adventure ahead. This is a great place to start, as Mia and Luke's story is intense, exciting, and laden with a chemistry that even they can't fight. It makes for a great read – and I am very excited that Billy and Gus are going to get their chance in the next installment!


Sarah☆☆☆
I’m usually a huge fan of Garrett Leigh’s writing, but this was painful. As a disclaimer, I do tend to avoid m/f romance – but I enjoy a good second-chance romance and I love Leigh’s writing enough to overlook most things. Or I thought I did.

Mia Amour arrives back in England after a messy divorce. She’s still grieving her mother and she’s avoided her brother, her hometown, and everyone she grew up with for years. She’s a bit of a mess. As she starts a new floristry business, she is blindsided by the appearance of her first love, who has also returned to town.

I really didn’t warm to Mia. She’s prickly and emotionally messy. I feel like she takes advantage of her brother and she plays emotional games with Luke. But many of Leigh’s characters are similarly messy. Leigh’s writing is at its strongest when it gets to the heart of difficult characters, but I don’t feel like we ever get to properly know Mia. And honestly, there is a point when it becomes ridiculous for a grown woman to harbour debilitating resentment towards an ex-boyfriend for decisions he made as a grieving teenager.

Luke is an easier character to warm to. He feels solid and good – but I really didn’t understand why he kept running back to Mia. Luke doesn’t deserve the head games Mia plays and I found myself losing respect for him every time he ran back to her.

Running alongside Mia and Luke’s reunion is an odd sort of stalker storyline. It’s odd because there isn’t really any escalating suspense and when it is all over, readers are still left with far too many questions about Mia’s life in France and her relationship with her ex-husband.

This feels like a very different author to the one who has written so many of my favourite stories. I don’t think the difference is totally down to the m/f romance, but I did find myself more curious about the potential relationship between Luke and Mia’s brothers than I ever was about Luke and Mia. Which probably says something about both me and the book.


Avid Reader☆☆☆
M/F Second-Chance Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Mia knows that sometimes, hoping for love can blind you to who a person truly is. After a bad divorce, she heads home to buy and open a flower shop. With help from her brother, she digs in and works hard to open her shop. When she sees her old love, she can’t help but be a little blindsided.

Luke left years ago to be able to help his family. But in leaving, he had to leave Mia too. He knows that he didn’t do a fantastic job of leaving, but at the time, he didn’t know another way. Now that he has seen Mia again, he can’t help but feel a little frustrated with her view towards him, not to mention these strange things that have started to happen to him.

With Mia and Luke trying to figure out if their present can include a relationship from the past, they will have to navigate old hurts, family, and mysterious events that will either bring them closer together or tear them further apart.

This book, for me, was a little slow. I liked how protective Luke was, but it was a lot of history and I’m sorrys, which made it feel somewhat redundant.

I do hope that Mia’s brother gets his own book, as his life seems very fun and mysterious too.

 

 

Author Bio



GARRETT LEIGH is an award-winning British writer and book designer.

Garrett's debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at
Black Jazz Design, and co-owns the specialist stock site M O O N Stock Photography with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Connect with Garrett

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Blog  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Garrett’s Den

 

 

Carina Press


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Forgiven (Forgiven #1) by Garrett Leigh to read and review.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Dare to Stay by Carly Phillips Release Blitz

Dare to Stay by Carly Phillips

He’s the one who left.
She’s the one he left behind.


Willow James, athletic trainer for the Miami Thunder football team, knows abandonment and hurt. A child of foster care, she’s been moved around and left behind more times than she cares to count. Just when she was starting to let her guard down with Braden Prescott, he left for a two year stint with Doctors Without Borders. Now he’s back.

Dr. Braden Prescott always felt like an outsider in his family of professional sports players. He’s traveled the world and is better for it, but now he’s home with a job for the Miami Thunder. When he comes face to face with the woman he left behind, their chemistry still smolders. She’ll give him her body again but not her heart.

He knows leaving her once was the biggest mistake of his life. Can Willow learn to trust him not to leave, especially when adventure comes calling again?

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Dare Nation series!
For book two, Dare to Tempt, click HERE.
For book three, Dare to Play, click HERE.

 

Add to Goodreads

 

Dare to Stay by Carly Phillips

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)

 

 

When his mouth touched hers, all thoughts, good and bad, fled completely.

 

Reviews


Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Ruthie☆☆☆☆
This is the fourth book in the series and as Phillips fans will know, links to other of her series, so whilst you possibly don't need to have read them all, you will definitely get a very rich experience if you have.

Braden is the one of the brothers who did not excel at sports, but rather was very bright and became a doctor. For this, his father berated him constantly and so in order to make his own way, he went off with a friend to do a stint with Doctors Without Borders. In so doing, he may have benefitted himself, but he upset his family and broke the heart of Willow, his then girlfriend. Her past made his desertion all the worse, and now he is back, she is not inclined to trust him again.

As Braden learns just how much hurt he caused, he is genuinely remorseful, and I enjoyed seeing him grow as he took on board the effect his actions had on his family and most especially Willow. This is a good second-chance romance, without too much angst and with plenty of chemistry.

Another good addition to the series, and another reminder of how much damage a verbally abusive parent can do long term – thankfully, these guys are all finding that love is a great healer!


Avid Reader☆☆☆☆
M/F Second-Chance Romance

Willow loves her job. She works with pro athletes on their training programs and is fantastic at her job. She knows that her life hasn’t been the easiest, but she has made something of herself and prides herself on being able to compartmentalize her emotions.

Braden didn’t know who he was growing up. He was the odd man out. But when he takes a chance and joins Doctors Without Borders, he knows that he’ll be finding himself, but he doesn’t realize what he might be giving up. Now that he’s home and working with his brother’s team, there is one person he knows that he needs to make up with... Willow.

Willow and Braden have to find out if what they had before they grew up is still something that is possible now that they have lived a little more. These two will face small hurdles, emotional challenges, and walls that need crumbling, but you’ll be cheering for them.

I can’t wait to see what happens next, especially with Aurora’s story!

 

 

“There’s been no one since you,” she admitted, hating how that sounded. Like she’d been pining for him. “There’s not going to be anyone else.”

 

Author Bio



New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller, CARLY PHILLIPS gives her readers alphalicious heroes to swoon for and romance to set your heart on fire. She married her college sweetheart and lives in Purchase, NY along with her three crazy dogs: two wheaten terriers and a mutant Havanese, who are featured on her Facebook and Instagram. The author of 50 romance novels, she has raised two incredible daughters who put up with having a mom as a full-time writer. Carly’s book, The Bachelor, was chosen by Kelly Ripa as a romance club pick and was the first romance on a nationally televised bookclub. Carly loves social media and interacting with her readers.

Connect with Carly

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: Carly’s Addicts

 

 

He had to go at her pace. It was a road worth traveling. One she didn’t even realize they were on.

 

Hosted by

Wildfire Marketing Solutions


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Dare to Stay (Dare Nation #4) by Carly Phillips to read and review for this tour.

Monday, January 25, 2021

My Beautiful Sin by J. Kenner

My Beautiful Sin by J. Kenner. January 26, 2021.

Everything Ellie thinks she knows is about to change.

Despite his dangerous past, billionaire Devlin Saint finally has Ellie Holmes in his life—and in his bed. Yet shadows still cling to Saint, obscuring his dark secrets and the confidences he swore never to reveal.

An investigative reporter, Ellie is certain the man she loves hasn’t told her everything. And when she starts receiving anonymous warnings about Devlin, she vows to investigate. Soon it becomes clear that Devlin isn’t the only one with things to hide, and the more Ellie learns, the more she realizes how dangerous it is to love Devlin Saint.

His touch is her sin…

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Fallen Saint series!
For book one, My Fallen Saint, click HERE.

 

Add to Goodreads

 

My Beautiful Sin by J. Kenner

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Paperback (US)

 

 

Reviews


Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Avid Reader☆☆☆☆☆
M/F Romance

This is the second installment of the series. You need to read book one first, because this book begins where book one left off.

We get to see Devlin try and figure out if his secrets are going to be too much for Ellie to handle. He's juggling his present, the future, and his past, but when things start to collide, Devlin will have to hope that everything doesn't fall apart.

Ellie is hot on the trail of her uncle's past, as well as a potential new story of who might be the vigilante taking out the worst of the worst. Ellie loves Devlin with everything she is, but the questions that she is asking about her uncle, she knows some of them might hurt Devlin. Despite knowing that, Ellie isn't quite ready to quit her digging.

As things heat up for Ellie, Devlin and his crew have to decide if they can truly trust Ellie and her crew. Pieces are put in place for Ellie, but more questions are revealed. Someone is sabotaging them and it's a race to figure out who.

This book will be just as fast-paced as the first one and again, Kenner sucks you in and doesn't let go. Will Ellie and Devlin's connection hold everything together or blast them apart? I can't wait for the next installation, as this book leaves several unanswered questions.


Ruthie☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and there is no question at all that you must read book one to get to grips with what is happening here.

Ellie is having quite a hard time coming to terms with her head and her heart where Devlin is concerned because the revelations keep coming. Overall though, one gets the feeling that the blows can keep coming, but they will sort it out, because their history and the trust they have is deep set. That said, the tension is high and they both are feeling the vulnerability of love.

I enjoyed the side characters a lot, and they enable us to see the less biased side of some of the incidents, which is valuable as passions rise.

This is a classic, intense, passionate, and complicated story from J. Kenner, and I am loving it – roll on the next installment!

 

 

Author Bio



J. KENNER (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over one hundred novels, novellas, and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of wide variety of genres.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swoon for them.” A six time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s RITA award, JK took home a RITA trophy in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me, and again in 2017 for her novel, Wicked Dirty.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.


Connect with J. Kenner

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Facebook Group: J. Kenner Krew

 

 

Devlin Saint finally has Ellie Holmes in his life—and in his bed. Yet shadows still cling to Saint, obscuring his dark secrets and the confidences he swore never to reveal.


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of My Beautiful Sin (Saints and Sinners #2) by J. Kenner to read and review.

Friday, January 22, 2021

The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill

With the fate of queen and country at stake, Kit and Rian must learn to trust each other, or else the Isles will fall...

Chloe Neill brings her trademark wit and wild sense of adventure to a stunning seafaring fantasy starring a dauntless heroine in a world of magic and treachery.

Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles' Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte's fleet. Her ship is small, but she's fast--in part because of Kit's magical affinity to the sea. But the waters become perilous when the queen sends Kit on a special mission with a partner she never asked for.

Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, may be a veteran of the Continental war, but Kit doesn't know him or his motives--and she's dealt with one too many members of the Beau Monde. But Kit has her orders, and the queen has commanded they journey to a dangerous pirate quay and rescue a spy who's been gathering intelligence on the exiled emperor of Gallia.

Kit can lead her ship and clever crew on her own, but with the fate of queen and country at stake, Kit and Rian must learn to trust each other, or else the Isles will fall...

 

Add to Goodreads

 

The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)
Berkley

 

 

Reviews


Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Sarah☆☆☆☆☆
This is such an insanely fun read! It’s the story of Kit, an orphan turned ship’s captain and secret agent, as she fights pirates and enemies in the name of the Queen. Set in a historic fantasy world that almost resembles our own, the story is full of fabulous characters, thrilling action scenes, and a little bit of magic.

Kit is my new favourite leading lady. An orphan with a chip on her shoulder, Kit is formidable, competent, and highly entertaining. I love her adopted family as much as the sailors she leads and I love her tumultuous relationship with Rian.

While there is a hint of romance in this story, the focus is on the action. Kit works directly for her queen as a secret agent of sorts. I love Kit’s adventures and the exuberant battle scenes. There’s a sense of fun behind her brave escapades that I thoroughly enjoyed.

This is a book that completely rewrites and defies genre. It is almost fantasy, almost historic fiction, almost a romance, almost a comedy, and almost an action thriller. It is none of these things and all of these things. It will take some time for readers to fully engage with Kit’s world, though much of the history is loosely borrowed from early 19th century Europe. This feels like the start to a new series and I’m already eagerly awaiting the next book. This is a completely new side of Chloe Neil – but it is definitely a great read.


Erica☆☆☆
The Bright and Breaking Sea is the first in a new series by Chloe Neill.

I need to be quite frank, I struggled for months to read the beginning portion of the novel. I wasn't hooked at all. I would barely make it a page before my eyes crossed. This happened several times per week, attempting to persevere.

The reason is because it felt as if I was dropped in the middle of the second or third book in a series, amid a major event that was occurring on page, and I had no idea who these people were, what they were doing there, where they were going, or how they got there in the first place.

It was a majorly confusing beginning with zero hook for me. I wasn't eased into it, just dropped into a ship and expected to float. Battles are info-dumped as if I read them in real time during the last installment. A mass of characters are spoken about as if I know who they are and what they mean to the main character.

To be honest, time and time again, I got frustrated and just closed the book. I was unsure of what I just read needed to be retained, like I was reading a textbook and should take notes for later.

I was at a precipice where I either just gave up or gave in. Being that Chloe Neill tops my all-time favorite list, I gave in. What does that even mean, I skimmed past it, retained or not didn't matter.

In my quest to be completely honest, I struggled to stop skimming. The issues didn't abate for me. I never fully connected to the storyline because I was always inundated with too much information, unsure what I needed to retain. Chaos, because there wasn't much downtime for me to digest what was happening on the pages before Kit was yet again thrust into more action.

I like to think myself as intelligent, hoping it was my mood at the time. Being that I struggled for months, at least twenty or more attempts to finish the novel... overall, I just felt it was too complicated, no easing into the information, the setting, or the characters.

Kit was exactly my favorite type of heroine. Strong and capable and loyal, deeply emotional but doesn't let anyone in. A strong role model. Add in pirates and ships and adventuring and forbidden romance and political intrigue and magic, it should have been a page-turner for me.

I just couldn't connect with the story, and that truly upsets me. I wanted to love it. I so badly wanted a new series by Neill that I'd be just as hooked with as Chicagoland and its spin-off. Sadly, that wasn't the case. In the future, I'll attempt a reread, hoping by then my view of the story will change.

Definitely recommend readers check out The Bright and Breaking Sea, assuming responsibility that it just wasn't for me.

 

 

Author Bio

CHLOE NEILL was born and raised in the South, but now makes her home in the Midwest. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Chicagoland Vampires series, the Heirs of Chicagoland series, the Dark Elite series, and the Devil’s Isle series.

Connect with Chloe

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

I can feel the sea, the rise and fall, like an echo of my heartbeat.

 

Berkley


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Bright and Breaking Sea (Captain Kit Brightling #1) by Chloe Neill to read and review.

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Every Waking Hour by Joanna Schaffhausen

Each second that ticks by reminds her of her own lost hours, how close she came to death, and how near it still remains.

The fourth book in Joanna Schaffhausen's heartpounding Ellery Hathaway mystery series, Every Waking Hour...

After surviving a serial killer’s abduction as a young teenager, Ellery Hathaway is finally attempting a normal life. She has a new job as a rookie Boston detective and a fledgling relationship with Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her years ago. But when a twelve-year-old girl disappears on Ellery’s watch, the troubling case opens deep wounds that never fully healed.

Chloe Lockhart walked away from a busy street fair and vanished into the crowd. Maybe she was fleeing the suffocating surveillance her parents put on her from the time she was born, or maybe the evil from her parents’ past finally caught up to her. For Chloe, as Ellery learns, is not the first child Teresa Lockhart has lost.

Ellery knows what it’s like to have the past stalk you, to hold your breath around every corner. Sending one kidnapped girl to find another could be Chloe’s only hope or an unmitigated disaster that dooms them both. Ellery must untangle the labyrinth of secrets inside the Lockhart household—secrets that have already murdered one child. Each second that ticks by reminds her of her own lost hours, how close she came to death, and how near it still remains.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Ellery Hathaway series!
For book one, The Vanishing Season, click HERE.
For book two, No Mercy, click HERE.
For book three, All the Best Lies, click HERE.

 

Add to Goodreads

 

Every Waking Hour by Joanna Schaffhausen

Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Hardcover (US)

 

 

Reviews


Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Avid Reader☆☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Ellery survived a serial killer when she was younger and it's shaped her past and present. Now a Boston detective, she knows how to solve crimes and get results. Because of her past, she prefers her solitude. However, she is in a relationship now, with her rescuer, and he brings with him a whole different dynamic.

Reed knows that he is good at his job. He also loves his daughter. He is trying to learn to juggle his demanding career with raising his daughter and co-parenting with his ex-wife. While visiting Ellery, his daughter, Tula, and Ellery are slowly getting to know each other. What they weren't expecting was to be embroiled in a kidnapping.

The family of Chloe is beside themselves. Not a stranger to heartbreak and trauma, Chloe's parents don't know why their family is being targeted again for tragedy. This mystery will leave you on the edge of your seat. In reality, there are two mysteries to solve and it was fun watching them unfold, intertwine, and resolve.

You won't be disappointed with this mystery and despite the relationship between Ellery and Reed in constant flux, you won't be disappointed in their story either. I think that both are trying to do what's best for the other and sometimes that doesn't align.


Sarah☆☆☆☆☆
Ellery’s first big case as a Boston Police detective sees her tracking down a missing child. Elements of the case are very similar to Ellery’s own abduction as a child and Ellery has to fight to stay professional – and stay in the present – as she tracks down the missing girl.

This is easily the best book in the series so far. The writing is excellent. The complicated, twisting plot has been exactingly crafted. I loved every twist, turn, and dead end in Ellery’s investigation and I love the way the author builds almost painful tension as time runs out for the missing child.

Ellery feels functional and competent for most of this story. I feel like I was meeting her fresh this time. For the first time, she is almost likeable and almost relatable. Her relationship with Reed is an unsteady constant and this book sees them mixing families and lives more than ever before. I love Ellery’s sister and I even enjoyed Reed’s daughter here.

This new angle – Ellery as a detective – really works for the series. Ellery is easier to engage with in this role. Her past trauma is still an enormous part of her life, but here we see Ellery use her experience to be a strong cop. She feels more of Reed’s equal here and they almost make sense as they live and work together.

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to more in the series.

 

 

Author Bio

JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN wields a mean scalpel, skills developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain—how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and daughter. The Vanishing Season is her first novel.

Connect with Joanna

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Minotaur Books


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Every Waking Hour (Ellery Hathaway #4) by Joanna Schaffhausen to read and review.