Mind Me, Milady by Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks is another crime thriller that will keep you anxiously waiting as the conclusion of the case draws near.

This was the second novel that I have read featuring the main character, Jane Larson. The first I had read was Weave a Murderous Web. However, this book was written in a way where you didn't necessarily need to read the previous books to dive right into the story which I always appreciate! Instead, right from the first page, the reader is totally immersed into the story.

Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.

The cover was designed by Shelley Schmidt. This cover captures the tone of the book so well! I loved that the title is so eye catching, and then that your eye is drawn to the cityscape. It's only after looking at the cover for a few additional seconds that the bottom really pops out at you. When I first saw it, it made me gasp!

As mentioned above, from page one, we dive right into this tale and see Jane speaking with a client. It's clear from the start that Jane is still as independent and sassy as ever! We soon learn that Jane is working out her mother's old office, trying to close out the active cases and get everything organized after her mother had passed away. But while trying to do that, much to the dismay of her boss at her law office where she is employed, Jane takes on a case as a favor for one of her clients/friends. This case puts Jane into yet another situation where not only her life, but others around her, are at risk.

While Jane works to move through another web of tangled relationships, lies, heartbreak, and suppressed memory, the reader is taken on quite the roller-coaster ride. A few times I thought I had an idea of what was going on, but I could never have guessed what was going to happen at the end.

Each of the characters were so realistic! Many of them were enjoyable to read about and I loved the banter that went on between many of the characters. I felt so protective of Susan, even if many of the decisions that she made had me nearly yelling at my Kindle.

Some characters got my blood boiling with frustration and others made my skin crawl. And here I will warn you, there were many sections where sexual assault and molestation were part of the tale. If those are triggers for you, I would recommend steering clear. These scenes made me physically a bit ill because of how upsetting and disgusting it was. However, I will say that it was great writing!

My favorite passage:
Maybe it will always be a mystery. There are a lot of them in this world. The universe. Creation. Some would even say that love is a mystery.

My final thoughts:
If you enjoy crime thrillers filled with twists and turns, and a cast where you just don't know who the main character can trust, then I highly recommend this one to you!

This tale picks up right where we left off in the previous story. Riley is still hung up on the unnecessary death that she had a role in as well as the death she hesitated over and almost wound up getting herself killed.

Now, Riley and Ocken are determined to help save the innocents that they discovered on the ship. Not only that, but they demand that the task be completed before they take part in another job for Viper.

Of course, in the middle of that difficult situation, a wrench is thrown into the works by someone we haven’t seen in quite a while...

Yet again, the author did a great job adding in some detail that catches you up if you hadn’t read the previous work where we saw these three characters together for the very first time.

The action sequence was so fun to read, per usual! And that ending!! I cannot wait to see what happens next!

My favorite passages:
Viper slipped in and out of the darkness as if he owned it, and it took everything Ocken and Riley had to keep up with him. The streets were his domain and the night was his realm.

Riley didn’t waste another minute and was eating dirt a heartbeat later. The head of her opponent quickly followed and came to rest a few inches from her face.

Jennifer Brown's Journey by Angie Langley is a tale about a woman who suddenly has her life turned upside down. With the help from some great friends, both old and new, and a very strong determination to make something of herself, Jennifer goes through an amazing journey as she works to piece her life back together.

I had a bit of a hard time starting this story. At the very beginning, the main character is having some trouble with her marriage. This is a bit of a sensitive topic for me with my family history and such, so I was treading very lightly. I quickly realized that I was already rooting for the main character, so that kept me going. Soon enough, the story took a turn where the main character began to think more positively, and from that point on, I was absolutely hooked!

I loved how strong the main character, Jennifer Brown, was! She was so realistic as well and I felt that I could almost hear her literally talking as I was reading her dialogue and inner thoughts. I really enjoyed her sense of humor and the banter between herself and others around her. She was a bit aloof at times, which landed her in some hot water, but her inner thoughts of embarrassment or the comments she would make about the mistakes made me crack up.

I really enjoyed watching Jennifer grow as a person with each situation that she got herself into. It was really exciting to see her go through so much, but to also get so much out of each and every trip or job. I loved the variety of the situations that were covered; each of them were interesting and exciting in their own ways.

I especially loved when Jennifer would "woman up" and say these little one liners that got under the skin of the person who had been so awful to her. I wanted to hoot and holler and congratulate her for a wonderful burn!

When the author sent me a copy of this book, she commented, "I hope it makes you giggle!" Oh my goodness... the number of times I was crying laughing! The humor included in this book really hit my funny bone! I had so much fun while reading this book!

When I was logging this in Goodreads, I saw "The first in a series of three" and I just about flung my laptop onto the floor! I would LOVE to see where the story goes next!


My favorite passages:
'You know what I did?'
'What?'
'Went into Ann Summers and bought some mucky underwear. Leather. Not for him. Not really. Just to cheer myself up.'
'Nice.'
'Except it isn't. I look like an over inflated tyre.'
Will spat coffee onto the table. He wiped at it with a napkin.
'It's not funny! I hated myself in it. And, to cap it all, I was sweating so much, I couldn't get the bloody thing off! I had to take the scissors to it!'
'Bloody hell.'

We cling to life by a system of delicate threads held by others. When most of my threads had frayed and snapped, Viv and Roger had thrown a rope around me and held on tight.

Life could be good, it seemed. Perhaps it was just a matter of how you chose to look at it.

The white blossoms had fallen from the weeping cherries in the courtyard and Spring was shedding its cardigan and gearing up for the short sleeves of Summer.

'Welcome to life! It's a bit shit. But not always.'

'Don't wait.'
I looked blank.
'To do the things and say the things that matter. Don't hesitate.'


My final thoughts:
The characters were lovely. The adventures were exciting. The overall story arc was interesting and kept me totally engaged. This book was just so much fun to read!

If you enjoy fun tales about women who are dealt the worst, but wind up back on their feet again, then I highly recommend this one!

Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost was a wonderfully atmospheric Christmas murder mystery!

This was a book that I really struggled to put down! I was do drawn into the story. I just couldn't wait to see what would happen next, if the killer would be caught, and of course, if that slow burning romance would blossom!

I absolutely love when the first chapter of a cozy murder mystery begins sweet and slow, but then ends the first chapter with a bang! I was so drawn into the wonderfully warm small town holiday atmosphere already and then to have the murder happen so quickly totally captivated me!

The town of Mistletoe, Maine, where the story is set, sounds so wonderfully cozy for the holidays; murder aside of course! I love the idea of the twelve days of Reindeer Games at the farm and that people travel from near and far to attend every year.

The cast of characters was also lovely. The White family was such a perfect little family, and it was so nice to see the dynamics between each of the family members play out. I also really enjoyed learning more about the characters that were close to the White family, like the always bubbly Cookie, and the reindeer keeper, Mr. Fleece. There were also various town people and tourists that we met, many of which were so much fun! But of course, there were also characters that were more grumpy, but still interesting! And of course there was the wonderful Sheriff!

Holly White was the main character, and she was back in town living in her parents guest house on the farm after her Christmas Eve wedding was suddenly called off when her fiancé left her for a yoga instructor. While totally heartbreaking, I loved that Holly didn't let that bog her down too much. I really appreciated her strength and positivity. It was also super refreshing to see that she understood her self worth and was able to bounce back from the breakup rather quickly. I just loved that she didn't sit and wallow in her sadness or anger like I've seen in so many other books.

When Holly is the first to discover the murder scene, she and Sheriff Gray cross paths. Of course the first conversation they had was darker, and more focused on the matter at hand, but they begin to loosen up around one another shortly afterward. I thought that the banter between Sheriff Gray and Holly was so much fun right from the start! It was clear that this was going to be quite the interesting relationship.

There was so much humor and fun included in this story! I especially enjoyed the scene at a diner between Sheriff Gray, Holly, and the waitress; I laughed right out loud and immediately had to tell my husband about it.

Wonderfully written, and even though some of the general storyline arc was predictable, there was plenty that still caught me off guard and I loved every second of it!


My favorite passages:
Mom manifested from the kitchen in a puff of sugar and cocoa powder.

Strange how a town can be exactly the same and completely different at the same time.

I wanted to argue, but he was right about the pain. My body felt like a piñata after the party.


My final thoughts:
I loved this book so much. It was a perfect cozy murder mystery for the holiday season and I would highly recommend it!

This is definitely an author that I need to read more from ASAP. I've already requested book two in this series from my local library!

To kick off February, I wanted to read a cutesy romance novel. Luckily, I had this one on my TBR stack that I had been meaning to get to for ages. This is one that I won in a giveaway from Books à la Mode, so a quick thank you to Karielle for hosting the giveaway!

I was so excited to finally read this one! Unfortunately, this was not a book for me in any way, shape, or form. I considered DNFing when I realized that it was centered around a topic I cannot stand. But silly me, I pushed on…

It’s been a while since I’ve written a negative review… so buckle up!

I’m going to start this review differently, however, and call out this one line that I really enjoyed:

It was beautiful up here. Full of pine and mountain views, and the kind of quiet that made your thoughts loud.

Unfortunately, this was the only bit I enjoyed about this book.

Beware, the negatives:
There were three key elements that affected my overall feelings about this one.

First, this book centered around the fact that one of the characters cheated on the other, which I just cannot stand reading about. It actually put me in a bit of a funk.

Second, I wanted to just scream at the characters to talk to one another. The entire plot could have been avoided if one of them was honest with the other and just said four little words.

But it was really the repetition that totally ruined the story for me. I found myself skimming quite a bit because it was incredibly repetitive to the point where I didn’t care to read it.
And yet… I still finished the book.

I wish I could say that the situation at the end that got pretty nerve-wracking for a minute there made up for it, but it didn’t. And then when I hit the Epilogue, I realized that I didn’t care for the characters in the slightest. They were both wildly selfish and very quick to make both rash and stupid decisions, and I couldn’t stand either of them.

There were also some major consistency issues with the backdated sections; like the author didn’t have a timeline in place so it all ended up a bit jumbled. For example, we were following a timeline from three years ago, but suddenly there was one instance where it said “One and a half years ago” which was actually the day after the last chapter we saw from three years ago…

I’m kicking myself for not DNFing this one…

My final thoughts:
For me, this was a one star read. However, please don’t just take my word for this one and write it off.

I would still recommend this book to people who enjoy light romance with slow pacing and a dash of both spirituality and suspense! There are loads of people that LOVED this book!

The Hiding Place, also known as The Taking of Emily Throne, is a thriller that centers around guilt and grief, and is filled with intense situations that will keep you totally immersed in the story.

This book began with a terribly brutal and dark prologue that really set the tone for the rest of the book. Compared to C.J. Tudors first book, The Chalk Man, this one felt much darker!

This story is about a man named Joe Thorne. Joe has wound up in a tight spot due to his gambling addiction. To kill two birds with one stone, he decides to accept a teaching position back in his hometown so he could get the money that he needs to bail himself out and settle some things from his past that have been weighing on him.

Joe seems to think that this trip will be rather quick. However, things don’t go quite as he as planned…

Right from the start, it is made clear that he wasn’t welcome back in town. Certain characters warn him not to stir things up. But as Joe digs and gathers more information, he winds up ticking off some powerful people. Just when he thinks that he had the upper hand, he soon finds that the other players at the table have a few tricks up their sleeves.

While reading, I couldn’t help but feel that there was this lingering sense of dread that just wouldn’t go away. Just when I thought the story was going to follow one path, I was shocked by what came next! Needless to say, I couldn’t put this book down; I devoured it in just one day.

This book had so many little one-liners that hinted at what was to come. I loved that there were hints for what would happen in the present-day timeline as well as hints for what was soon to be revealed about their past. Each of these lines were so wonderfully placed in the narrative!

I loved that the book took its time. Nothing was rushed, but it certainly wasn’t slow either. I really enjoyed that we got little flashbacks into the past only as they were necessary to fill in just enough backstory to keep the story line in present day going strong. As we were given more information about the past, things quickly became more and more intense. It was really interesting to see just how deep the story would go.

The characters were all so interesting and so wonderfully developed for their roles. Each of them were so realistic! I could really picture each of them and hear them in my head. It doesn’t happen to me very often, but this was a case where I could practically see this story as a film playing out in my mind because of how vivid it was.

I will note that many of the characters were a bit unlikable, but the author really hit the nail on then head when describing the people in a toxic hometown. Joe himself certainly had many faults, but I couldn’t help but root for him and hope that everything would turn out okay.

My favorite passages:
The past has a habit of repeating on you. Like bad curry.

But I do believe you can still feel the echoes of bad things. They imprint on the fabric of our reality, like a footprint in concrete. Whatever made the impression is long gone, but you can never erase the mark it left.

Everyone has a pair of boogie shoes. The ones they sling on when they want to feel comfortable and at ease. Some days you need them more than others.

Funny how the biggest bluffs are the ones you pull on yourself.

Gloria might look like a delicate china doll. But the only doll she has anything in common with is Chucky.

If the eyes are the windows to the soul, Gloria’s reveal nothing but empty rooms covered in blood-spattered sheets.

That’s the problem with life. It never gives you a heads-up. Never offers you even the slightest clue that this might be an important moment. You might want to take some time, drink it in. It never lets you know that something is worth holding on to until it’s gone.

“We’re all still children inside. The same fears, the same joys. We just get taller, and better at hiding things.”

“People say that life finds a way. Perhaps, sometimes, death does too.”

My final thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book and I will definitely be rereading it time and time again! The story line flowed really well, the authors writing style was wonderful, the cast was amazing, and the elements of darkness, violence, and suspense were so well done! This is a book that I really wish would have a movie or series adaptation; it’s just screaming to be on the screen!

I cannot wait to see what C.J. Tudor writes next!

If you enjoy character-driven thrillers with a wonderful suspense build up, sprinkled with moments of intensity before things get really crazy, then I highly recommend this one to you!

We pick up just seconds after the last story ended. I found myself reading as fast as I could to see how the previous situation would work out. While the action slowed just a smidge, the duo found themselves in a situation that could very easily take a turn for the worst yet again. So of course that didn't calm my anxiety.

I really enjoyed that a character from the past was brought up. Again, this was written in a way that gave plenty of information for readers new to this series, or to remind readers that may have forgotten. This short discussion between two characters has me very hopeful that we're going to see that person they were speaking about again (fingers crossed!).

I also really loved seeing Ocken play-fight in front of Callum to prove that he hasn't lost his touch!

I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment!

My favorite passage:
The assassin was on him an instant later, the dagger thirsting for his blood now as its tip sailed downward.

What an awesome collection of three stories based in the world of the Soul Stones!

The first couple of pages of the first story did a wonderful job catching the reader up to speed. This quick summary would be effective for both people that have read the other short stories and books in the series as well as new readers entering this world for the first time.

Each of these tales were action packed and SO exciting to read! My goodness, the stress that the situations these two got into caused me... Phew! The action was perfectly written, per usual. I love how intense it is! For example: “The first two guards regained their composure and came at him again, but Ocken used the impaled man as a weapon, swinging his swordstaff and catapulting the body into his comrades. They fell down beneath the body’s weight. Ocken quickly descended on them, and thrust his weapon through the heart of one man and cut down the second as he started to rise.”

Each tale had an ending that left me anxious to see what happens next! I highly recommend checking these stories out!!

Phew! This one had so much action, and so much blood! Per usual, the action was so wonderfully written and the suspense was very strong!

This short had me ready to stand up and cheer! I loved seeing Riley back in action and kicking major butt while she tried to save the princess. 

Once A Liar by A.F. Brady was a tale about a horribly unlikable man who seems to have lost his humanity. But when he is accused of murder, he swears that he didn't do it. As the scale begins to slowly tip against him, his precious and meticulously designed life starts to unravel.

I'm very thankful to TLC Book Tour for giving me the chance to read this novel!

I had such an interesting experience reading this novel. For the most part, I absolutely hated the main character, disliked many of the supporting characters, and really didn't care for many elements about the plot.

And to be clear, I received an uncorrected proof, so this next comment may not be true for the final copy. But with this dual timeline, there was quite a bit of recapping that came off as repetitive for me, but we all know that's my usual bookish irk.

However, the story was so wonderfully organized, that I couldn't help but keep reading! This was certainly a case where the dual timelines really helped to support the narrative and create a sense of suspense and mystery.

As I had mentioned above, this book centers on a man who had no sympathy, no empathy, and no guilt. He was very manipulative and had a total lack of regard for other people. He was also charismatic, so many people played right into his ploys. This man was only out for himself. He was an absent father unless being seen with his son was helpful for his public appearance. He cheated on his wife and later his long-term girlfriend, which we all know is a massive no-no when it comes to reading or media for me.

I think it's safe to say that I hated this character, so bravo, A.F. Brady!!

When things started to unravel, I could not care less for how this character felt or was being treated.

And finally, we hit the conclusion, which was quite satisfying!

My final thoughts:
While not a book that I would read again because of the elements of cheating and repetition, I would still definitely recommend this book to fans of mysteries with unlikable characters and a heavy dose of suspense!