Social Death by Tatiana Boncompagni

Publish Date March 5^, 2014

Clyde Shaw’s best friend, Olivia Kravis, has been brutally murdered in her New York City apartment.  Olivia is also the daughter of FirstNews’s founder; FirstNews is where Clyde is the news producer.   As the networks fight to report the news, Clyde fights to solve the crime.   She has to make difficult choices and risk a lot to find justice for Olivia.   There are secrets and cryptic messages that send Clyde chasing leads and into dangerous situations.

My Review:

From the minute that I saw the cover of this book I needed to read this.   The red lips on the cover pulled me in.    I think of power and wealth then add the title Social Death, I knew I was in for a great ride.  I was not disappointed.  It had everything I expected plus so much more.   With every turn I read the clues and thought I was catching on.   I was so wrong.   I had no clue and loved the surprise ending. 

Clyde was amazing.   Even with Olivia’s death she managed to stay strong and fight for what she knew she had to do.   She is the best friend that everyone wants.  She knew something was off and that there was a cover-up within the network and the Kravis family, never giving up until she solved all the mysteries including finding the killer.   I loved watching her stay away from Alex, the reporter on the show she produces.   You could feel the sparks, but knew he could break her heart with his playboy ways.  Her struggles with alcohol and drugs was not a secret and were dealt with in such considerate ways, that I felt sympathy for her struggles and was thrilled watching her overcome them.

The secondary characters, including the doorman, Andrew and the police, Panda, were perfect characters.  They added so much to the story.   The clues and information they shared with Olivia were enough to keep me guessing, but hoping to know the truth soon.   The way they interacted with Olivia throughout the entire story was so entertaining to read. 

I loved this entire book from the first page to the last.  The next book cannot be available soon enough.   It is hard to find a good murder mystery book, that tells a tale that isn’t the same old story.   I highly recommend Social Death and look forward to much more from Tatiana Boncompagni.

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Pack Up the Moon by Rachael Herron

After being apart for a few years, Kate and Nolan, high school sweethearts, meet again at college.   Their relationship starts right off where it left off when Nolan was forced to move with his parents to Hawaii.  The only stipulation is not to talk about the past, to just move forward from their college years on.  

Fast forward many years later, they are married and have a son, Robin, who is not healthy and failing fast.   A tragedy tears their family apart, Kate and Nolan do not talk for three years. 

 As Kate starts to put her life back together, she hosts an art show and meets Pree, her daughter that she gave up for adoption. There are lots of questions to some very tough questions, questions Pree and Kate are not sure they are ready to ask or answer.  

My Review:

Pack Up the Moon is a book that is full of heartbreak, but despite the tough theme of the story it is so heartfelt and uplifting.  It is the story of a mother and wife who has lost her son and then found her daughter, who was never forgotten.   Even the sadness of losing Robin is told in way that does not pull the reader down.  Kate handles the loss with grace and dignity.   As expected, she has her days where it is impossible to even get out of bed and face life without Robin, but she manages to pull herself together and know that Robin needs her to keep living.  

Pree is the second part of this story.  Not really a secondary character, as her character had a huge part of the story.    Pree is the daughter that Kate gave up so that she could have a better life than a sixteen year old could give a child.   When she comes back into Kate’s life the reader can feel the hope coming back to Kate’s world.   Kate starts to come back alive and live life again.   Pree has a lot of tough questions and doesn’t hesitate to ask them and Kate is extremely honest with almost all the answers.   The question she doesn’t answer truthfully is who Pree’s biological father is.   That is a secret she has kept since she found out she was pregnant and isn’t sure how to tell the father or the daughter about each other.   I absolutely love Pree.  She has spunk and character, while keeping it real and not getting caught up in the I was adopted, poor me, attitude.  She understood better than many would why she was given up.

This is a book I could not put down and am sad that it is over.   I have no doubt that it is a book I will reflect on often and will stay with me for a long time.  Obviously, I highly recommend Pack Up the Moon and cannot wait to read more by Rachael Herron.

ABOUT RACHAEL HERRON

Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of the Cypress Hollow series (HarperCollins/Random House Australia) and of the memoir, A Life in Stitches (Chronicle). Her newest novel, Pack Up The Moon, will be available in March 2014 from Penguin (USA) and Random House Australia (NZ/AUST). Rachael received her MFA in writing from Mills College and is a 911 fire/medical dispatcher when she's not scribbling. She lives with her wife, Lala, in Oakland, California, where they have more animals and instruments than are probably advisable. Rachael is struggling to learn the accordion and can probably play along with you on the ukulele. She's a New Zealander as well as an American. She's been known to knit

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Giveaway 10 of 52

A sophisticated page-turner about a wealthy New York family embroiled in a financial scandal with cataclysmic consequences. 

Now that he's married to Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling, attorney Paul Ross has grown accustomed to New York society and all of its luxuries: a Park Avenue apartment, weekends in the Hamptons, bespoke suits. When Paul loses his job, Carter offers him the chance to head the legal team at his hedge fund. Thrilled with his good fortune in the midst of the worst financial downturn since the Great Depression, Paul accepts the position.

But Paul's luck is about to shift: a tragic event catapults the Darling family into the media spotlight, a regulatory investigation, and a red-hot scandal with enormous implications for everyone involved. Suddenly, Paul must decide where his loyalties lie-will he save himself while betraying his wife and in-laws or protect the family business at all costs?

Cristina Alger's glittering debut novel interweaves the narratives of the Darling family, two eager SEC attorneys, and a team of journalists all racing to uncover-or cover up-the truth. With echoes of a fictional Too Big to Fail and the novels of Dominick Dunne, The Darlings offers an irresistible glimpse into the highest echelons of New York society-a world seldom seen by outsiders-and a fast-paced thriller of epic proportions

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Many of the giveaways are extended from publishers, we simply send them your information. If you do not receive your prize within 6-8 weeks please email us and we will contact the publisher. We can not guarantee delivery. 

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We have never had any issues from giveaways, but as a reviewer I have not received books and have had packages opened. We love sharing great books with you and hope to never have any of the above issues :)

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Crash by Ruby McNally

Lights and Sirens Book 1

Publish date March 4, 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18853613-crash

A year ago, after a gut-wrenching shift at work, Taryn Falvey made a huge mistake: she fell into the arms of fellow paramedic Nick Kanelos-and into his bed. Since then they've kept their distance, knowing their lives are too messy to mesh.

Taryn's got her hands full keeping her many siblings and alcoholic mother from slipping into grinding poverty. A normal relationship-a normal "life"-isn't even on her radar.

After that desperate night of passion, Nick retreated to the big, empty house on the edge of town he used to share with his late wife. Now it's just him, his mutt, and his memories rattling around the empty rooms. He's taught himself not to need anything or anyone too much, but he hasn't been able to get Taryn off his mind.

As inevitable as gravity, life brings Taryn and Nick spiraling back into each other's orbit. As their attraction reignites, the only question remaining is whether two professional rescuers are capable of saving themselves-and each other-or if they're diving heart first into certain disaster.

Warning: This work contains two sexy, screwed-up paramedics, a slobbery mutt, and enough countertop sex to change how you view your kitchen entirely.

My Review:

Crash has me hooked, from the very first page I could not put it down.  My family had to wait for dinner for me to finish reading. Taryn is possibly the strongest character that I have ever met.  Not only does she have a high stress job, but she also has a messed up home life.  With money always being an issue, she gives all that she has to keep her family in their house with heat and food.   Her mother is not very supportive, usually being drunk and unable to be even able to take care of herself.  Yet she manages to hold it all together, at least on the outside.  On the inside she is in need of someone to take care of her, love her, and support her.

That is where Nick comes in.  What starts as a no string attached, just for fun, friendship quickly turns into more for both Nick and Taryn.   Nick is still grieving after the loss of his wife.   He has a house that he bought with the intentions of living there with his wife, but after losing her has a tough time fixing it up.    His heart starts to open up and let Taryn in, little by little.   The road to having a relationship is not easy, but it was entertaining to watch them circle each other and let each other into their respective lives.  

I will happily recommend Crash to all my romance readers.   This is a book I will not forget quickly and am looking forward to reading future books by Ruby McNally.

About the Author

Ruby McNally double-majored in psychology and cognitive linguistics before ultimately deciding her talents lay elsewhere. She grew up hiding her diary from her five brothers, who will never know she wrote this book. She lives in Boston, and has no cats. Crash is her first novel.

Author Links: rubymcnally.tumblr.com, @Ruby_McNally

Book Links: on amazon, as well as Samhain's website

Crash Links
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Hold Her Down by Kathryn Biel

Elizabeth Zurlo is lost. She's a wife, a mother, a teacher, a PTA volunteer - but somewhere along the way,
she's lost her sense of self.  Depression and despair can lead to desperate measures and when she is pulled back from the brink of suicide, Elizabeth slowly tries to rebuild her marriage and reclaim her life. Just when she's finally started to put herself back together, a scandalous novel rocks her small town...and costs Elizabeth her social standing, friendships and ultimately, her marriage. However, the man who seemingly destroyed Elizabeth's life, helps her realize who she is and what she needs to do to become the woman she's not only capable of being, but the woman she used to be.

My Review:

Elizabeth is a character I could immediately relate to.   The wanting to be the perfect mom and wife, letting her own needs and wants go.   Luckily, I have a husband who supports me and helps me not lose myself, at least not very often.   Elizabeth started as a very week and unsure character.  She stays this way through most of the story.  Watching her get torn down over and over again by her mother and her husband was so hard for me.  I wanted to yell wake up, grow a backbone, stand up for yourself, but this is all part of her story and what made her the woman she eventually becomes.  

The two men in her life are so opposite.   Her husband, Peter, tears her down and the other, Jack, tries to build her up.    Neither one understand what she really needs, luckily Elizabeth is figuring it out.  I really did not like either man.   Peter does not seem to have ever loved her, not her him, but married her for the ideal of what he wanted.   His control over his life and hers was so out of control.   Jack is good that he wants to build her up, but he does it in the wrong way causing more harm than help.  

Hold Her Down is a book that I will not forget.  Even now, finished with it, I am not able to stop thinking about it.   I hope that women read this and love it as much as I have.    I will happily recommend.

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Fates by Lanie Bross

Fates #1

Published February 11, 2014

From Goodreads:  

One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again--this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die. In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?

My Review:

I love the unknown…the paranormal… the fairies, gnomes, etc.  When asked to read this I had to say yes.  Then it arrived at my doorstep and I saw the beautiful cover and fell in love with it before I even read a word.   With a cover this beautiful the story had to be beautiful also, right?   It was. It was truly a beautiful story.  

 

The two main characters, Lucas and Corinthe, were fun to follow throughout their travels to different worlds.   I felt for Corinthe, banished from her home and everything she has never know to Earth with all its craziness.   Then she had Miranda to guide her, the reader knew early on that Miranda was not what she appeared but yet Corinthe was in the dark.   I enjoyed watching Corinthe come to term with her doubts and learn how to feel.  The relationship between Lucas and her was interesting.  It seemed it was almost a love at first sight, which I found interesting due to the fact that Corinthe did not know what love was.  Their relationship was full of turmoil from before they even met.

Lucas was devoted.  He was responsible for his sister and took no qualms in doing everything  in his power to protect her.  Lucas is truly a good guy.  He comes with a ton of baggage and believes things are not going to get better, but yet he comes out on top over and over again. 

Fates is a young adult book.  I enjoyed it and may read book two when it is released.   This is the perfect book for you if you are a reader who pictures the scenes as you read them.  The descriptions and the imagination of the different worlds were amazing.  I really enjoyed reading Fates.

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