Reviews by Saph has moved....again

In an effort to streamline and make things easier for me, I've decided to move this blog to a separate gmail email address, hence a new blog.

You may find the new review blog here:

https://reviewsbysaph.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

Amber

#Book #Review: In Her Sights (Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters, Book #1) by Katie Ruggle #RomanticSuspense #Romance @KatieRuggle @SourcebooksCasa

Book Details:

Print Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: March 26, 2019
ASIN: B07HK4KGRG

Purchase Link: Amazon

About In Her Sights:

Five bounty-hunting sisters
Deep in the heart of the Rockies
Fighting to save each other
...and the men who steal their hearts

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the bail recovery business she shares with her sisters into an unqualified success. So when their sticky-fingered mother jumps bail and puts the childhood home up as collateral, Molly's horrified. To make matters worse, every two-bit criminal in the Rockies now sees her family's misfortune as their next big break.

She needs help, stat.

Enter rival bounty hunter John Carmondy: six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match. John's the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly's ever had the pleasure of defeating...and he may be her only hope of making it out of this mess alive.

My Review of In Her Sights:

This new series by Katie Ruggle features bounty hunter sisters, a nice change from male leads to female leads. As a huge fan of the author, I was excited to get my hands on In Her Sights, book one of the Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series. The story focuses on Molly Pax, the oldest sister in the bounty hunting family.

Molly lives with all of her sisters and their mother in a home the sisters worked hard to pay off. When their irresponsible, sneaky, lying mother is accused of grand larceny, dear old mom bonds out of jail using their home as collateral and then skips town. Now, Molly has to turn to John, another bail bondsman, in order to try and locate her mother before her trial date. One problem - Molly tries to avoid John at all costs due to his attempts to steal her bond jumpers and his smugness and cockiness. Unfortunately for her, and much to John's and her sisters' entertainment, she needs him. She soon discovers she needs him for far more than she knows.

The chemistry between Molly and John doesn't jump off the page at first fut you feel its subtlety. Molly denies it but everyone else sees right through her. The duo reminds me of two kids on the playground teasing each other instead of saying they like each other. I really enjoy their interactions and the tension.

The writing is well-done but there is a bit of suspense lacking. I wasn't on the edge of my seat with this book as I usually am with stories by Katie Ruggle. Of course, I'm chomping at the bit for the next book since book 1 ended without a definite conclusion. There are certain aspects that are tied up, however, others will most likely take the entire series to be fleshed out. That's okay though, I'll just sit here and patiently wait....

My Rating:

#Book #Review ~ The Time for Murder is Meow (A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mystery, Book 1) by T. C. LoTempio @RoccoBlogger #CozyMystery

The Time for Murder is Meow (A Purr N Bark Pet Shop Mystery, Book 1) by T. C. LoTempio

 

Publisher: Midnight Ink 

Publish Date: August 8, 2019 

Paperback: 312 pages 

ISBN-10: 0738760366 

ISBN-13: 978-0738760360 

Digital ASIN: B07HL4F1Z6
Purchase Link: Amazon

 

About the Book:

Shell and her two furry sidekicks must cat-ch a killer to save their pet shop

Crishell "Shell" McMillan sees the cancellation of her TV series as a blessing in disguise. The former actress can now take over her late aunt's pet shop, the Purr N' Bark, and do something she loves.

While getting the shop ready for re-opening, Shell is asked to loan her aunt's Cary Grant posters to the local museum for an exhibit. She finds the prospect exciting—until a museum board member, who had a long-standing feud with Shell's aunt, votes against it. When she discovers the board member dead in the museum, Shell becomes suspect number one. Can she, her Siamese cat Kahlua, and her new sidekick—her aunt's Persian Purrday—find the real culprit, or will her latest career go up in kitty litter?

My Review:

The Time for Murder is Meow by T.C. LoTempio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed The Time for Murder is Meow. For being a Hollywood star, Shell is down-to-earth, friendly, and a wonderful protagonist. Bringing Shell back to Connecticut to run her late aunt’s pet store is a unique setting and foundation for this new series. When she’s informed that the local museum board has rejected her offer to loan the museum an extensive collection of Cary Grant artifacts for an exhibit, Shell can’t believe their decision. Then she learns the reason why: apparently there’s a long-standing feud between her aunt and one of the board members, Amelia Witherspoon. On a quest to get those who voted against the loan, Shell confronts 3 other board members and Amelia. The discussions are heated, things are said, actions taken, then, when Shell thinks she’s going to get to talk some sense into Amelia, Shell finds Amelia dead in the museum. Even though there are many people who dislike Amelia, Shell finds herself a person of interest. Now she must navigate her new town, put plans to open up the pet store on hold, and figure out who killed Amelia before Shell finds herself unemployed and behind bars.

The character development was done well. We get a good look at Shell’s character, who she is, why she’s back in CT, and past relationships – boyfriends, co-stars, and managers, etc. Shell meets a lot of people in this book and the characters are written well. Bringing in Shell’s former co-start, Gary, into Fox Hollow was a nice touch. He brought a nice, supportive element to Shell’s life and is more than willing to help her solve the murder. The author also provides plenty of suspects for Shell, Gary, and their cohort to investigate.

The world created by the author is described well and I was able to visualize the setting, characters, and scenes. The only issue I had with the book is that I knew exactly who did it very early on. I didn’t have a clue as to why though. Knowing who murdered Amelia did not, at all, change my views of the book. I still enjoyed the characters, setting, and path taken for the reveal. There is the potential for a love interest and I am very excited to see where the author takes it through the series.

I was given this book to read.

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Book #Review ~ Mr. Serious (Mystery Christmas #2) by Danica Winters #RomanticSuspense

Book Details:

Print Length: 256 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Intrigue; Original edition

Publication Date: October 1, 2017

ASIN: B06XW7SH8Z

Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Book:

Duty and danger bring an alpha hero to Mystery, Montana 

Waylon Fitzgerald had a life of adventure all planned out--one that did not include returning to his family's ranch to bring his missing ex-wife into custody for murder. With so much bad blood between them, the sexy military police officer understands why his ex's sister, Christina Bell, hates him. And yet he and Christina spark a sizzling attraction.

What changes everything for Waylon is Winnie, Christina's adorable ward...and the startling revelation that he's her father. When she goes missing--her mother a killer at large--Waylon's world is upended. Will he redeploy to follow his passions around the world...or stay where his heart has found an unexpected Christmas present?

My Review:

Mr. Serious by Danica Winters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Waylon Fitzgerald’s life plans did not include returning to his family’s ranch to help search for Allie, his ex-wife. Yet, here he is doing just that. Her murder spree and disappearance has shaken the town and his family to the core. Allie’s sister, Christina, adds to Waylon’s tension but not necessarily in a bad way. Then he finds out he has a daughter, a secret everyone in his family kept from him. Nothing about his visit appears to include any positivity, except his daughter, Winnie.

As Waylon begins to unravel the last few days before Allie’s disappearance, oddities present themselves. He and Christina work to figure out what really went on with Allie. As he and Christina begin to put pieces together, the ranch is robbed and Winnie is kidnapped. The race is now on to find out where Winnie is before it’s too late.

Mr. Serious has some awkwardness that detracted from my enjoyment of the book. When Waylon returns home, he has no clue to the identity of Christina. How does he not know that Christina is his former sister-in-law? Also, the interactions between Christina and Waylon gave me whiplash. She was cold and emotionless one minute and had feeling of lust the next. Waylon wants her but isn’t sure he’s willing to stay in Mystery. Both characters have qualities and interactions that remind me of episodes of Jerry Springer. Once Christina and Waylon get on the same page, things smooth out a little more and they begin to work together. The romance moved too quickly for me, especially with everything else that was going on.

I must say that despite the awkward character interactions, I enjoyed the novel. Trying to figure out where Allie went and what her motives were kept me interested and engaged in the story. Winnie’s kidnapping kept me on the edge of my seat. The twist at the end was shocking and heartbreaking but the author concealed the twist well.

I was given a paperback to read.

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Book #Review: Knot on Her Life (A Quilting Mystery) by Mary Marks #CozyMystery

Book Details:

Knot on Her Life

A Quilting Mystery, Book 7

Cozy Mystery

Kensington

July 30, 2019

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages 

ISBN-10: 1496720504 

ISBN-13: 978-1496720504 

Digital ASIN: B07K5ZJRYX
Amazon

About the Book:

While quilter Martha Rose awaits the birth of her granddaughter, a neighborhood girl appears at her door with a mystery that can’t be pinned down . .

Martha’s eager to finish the baby quilt she’s making for her new granddaughter, but she scraps those plans when a young girl rings her doorbell begging for help. Poppy Halaby, the foster child of Martha’s neighbor, is an orphan whose parents were murdered by a killer who was never caught. When Poppy’s doting foster mom falls suspiciously ill, Martha is determined to keep the child safe. But she’ll have to unravel more about Poppy’s parents to stitch a broken family back together again—and prevent another crime cut from the same cloth . . .

My Review:

Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Martha Rose is back and expecting a grandchild any day now. While she’s waiting, she’s making a quilt for the new baby. When her neighbor Sonia’s new foster child, Poppy, comes knocking because there’s been a medical emergency under suspicious circumstances, Martha’s attention is diverted. Poppy’s parents were murdered, and the killer was never apprehended, raising suspicion in both Martha and her fiancé, Crusher. Circumstances behind how Poppy ended up in the foster care system puzzle Martha, as well, since both of her parents come from wealthy, prominent families. Be prepared for an emotional trip that will not only tug at your heartstrings but infuriate you, as well.

Martha Rose has really developed as a crime solver/fighter. She does the best she can in the situations presented to her. She’s not nearly as daft and is a little bit better at taking precautions. She still bends the laws on occasion but either it’s not as often as in the first few books or I’m just getting used to her methods. In this book, she manages to accomplish more than those assigned to the murder case. When you have a rapport with people like Martha does, it’s no wonder she gets adults and children to open up to her.

I love all the characters in the Quilting Mysteries by Mary Marks. The relationship between Martha and Crusher is sweet and I’m honestly glad she is with him. He is so devoted to Martha and her to Crusher. The quilting group, which now includes Giselle, Martha’s half-sister, is a riot and totally have Martha’s back. I really feel like they are all my friends since we’ve now been together for seven books. I hope we continue to get more books in this series.

Mary Marks does another wonderful job building up the mystery and keeping everything a secret. The truth of the situation is revealed at the perfect time and the person responsible is not the person I thought it would be. The writing flows well and is concise. The author's writing style is fluid and smooth and so easy to get lost in. The romantic elements of Knot on Her Life are subtle and don't overshadow the mystery. The entire novel is engaging; never a dull moment.

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#Book #Review ~ The Day Job is Murder McKinley Mysteries, Book 1 by Carolyn Arnold ~ #CozyMystery

McKinley Mysteries

by Carolyn Arnold

Series Information:

Romance. Humor. Murder. Are you looking for a murder mystery without all the graphic violence and foul language? Something that you can enjoy in an afternoon and walk away feeling good about afterward? How about a dash of humor and romance? If so, meet former detectives Sean and Sara McKinley. When a billionaire leaves them all his money, they no longer have to work, but they find themselves sticking to what they’re good at—solving murders. Undercover, off the books, and around the world, they’ll get to the bottom of things…and romance it up along the way.

This is the perfect book series for fans of Hart to Hart, Castle, Colombo, Monk, Rockford Files, Psych, and Magnum PI.

Book Overview (in published order):

The Day Job is Murder (2014)

Vacation is Murder (2014)

Money is Murder (2014)

Politics is Murder (2014)

Family is Murder (2014)

Shopping is Murder (2014)

Christmas is Murder (2014)

Valentine’s Day is Murder (2015)

Coffee is Murder (2015)

Skiing is Murder (2016)

Halloween is Murder (2017)

The Day Job is Murder:

The bad guys aren’t the only ones on his radar…

For Albany PD homicide detective Sean McKinley, catching killers is the easy part of his job. Working next to his beautiful partner, Sara Cain, is what’s difficult. It might have something to do with the fact that he’s fallen in love with her, though. Fortunately, she feels the same way about him. But she’s convinced they should just be friends.

If only there was some way to change her mind…

Major Retailer Links for this book:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Apple

Google Play

Read My Review:

The Day Job is Murder by Carolyn Arnold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Day Job is Murder is more of an unrequited love story than an actual mystery. Sean and Sara are partners on the Albany police force. They are in love with one another but Sara has convinced herself and Sean to only be friends. Co-workers and romance don’t always work out. There is a crime committed in the novella and Sara and Sean work hard to solve it. However, this is more of a laying of a foundation for the series.

Partway through the novella, Sean is made aware of the death of someone from his past. As Sean reconciles the death, his grief, and his regrets, something unexpected occurs. Something life-changing for Sean and potentially allowing a shift in the relationship between Sean and Sara. While the ending was not realistic to me, overall the book kept me interested.

The Day Job is Murder is a short, cute novella paving the way for a multi-book novella series. The story is simple, easy to read, and fast paced. We get history of how Sean and Sara met and history surrounding Sean’s relationship with the deceased person. I was engaged in the story, interested in the dynamics between Sean and Sara, and empathetic to Sean’s regrets over the death of someone he knew. I look forward to reading the next novella.

I purchased my copy of this book from Amazon.

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