Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 19

Book Review: Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws

Nine Month Contract by Amy DawsBlurb:

A brand new spicy small town romance by Amazon #1 Bestselling author, Amy Daws. 

This book is the start of a mountain man spinoff series based on the three Fletcher brothers featured in her previous release, Last on the List.

Help Wanted: Grumpy Mountain Man seeks baby momma. Job is an incubator position only. Surrogate must be impervious to grunting in the form of communication and nosey brotherly neighbors. Rustic mountain range housing available upon request.
I wanted to pummel my irritating brothers when they posted their own version of a wanted ad to help me with my life.
But I can’t fault the results once the right woman lands on my lap.
Becoming a single father is not a decision I made lightly. In fact, it’s the biggest decision of my entire life.
Which is why when I interview Trista, I know she’s perfect.
She’s wild, she’s opinionated, she wears cowboy boots. Even my pet goat loves her…
She’s the exact type of person I was holding out for.
And to my great horror, I realize on our first night of attempting this baby making dance…when the lights are low, the cheap wine is flowing, and the home insemination supplies are laid out on the kitchen counter…
I want to do a lot more than just make her my surrogate.
I want to make her mine.

My Review:

I first learned about this book when I saw an ad on Facebook. It sounded fun so I clicked through since I was looking for a vacation read anyway.

Guys, I’ve found a new auto-buy author! I devoured this book! It was hilarious, it was spicy, and it was so addictive!

Wyatt is a grumpy mountain man who shares a mountain with his two younger brothers, Calder and Luke. After they were all burned by the same woman ten years ago they promised to never let a woman get between them again – and Wyatt has sworn off relationships altogether. But he wants more than anything to be a father. So he’s looking for a surrogate…

Enter Trista. Animal lover and burned from her broken childhood she doesn’t want love or children. But she could use the money to open her own animal sanctuary so she decides to be a surrogate… except the agency says she’s too fat. When she meets Wyatt’s niece Everly by chance outside the agency, Everly decides Trista would be perfect for her uncle.

What follows is a funny, sexy rom-com that was perfect for a beach read or any other stolen moment. I knew immediately that I had to read more by this author.

Read if you like: grumpy/sunshine, plus size heroines, cute animals, meddling families you wish you were a part of, and laugh out loud moments!

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

Audiobook Review: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot #8) by Agatha ChristieBlurb:

Hercule Poirot is vacationing on the Cornish coast when he meets Nick Buckley. Nick is the young and reckless mistress of End House, an imposing structure perched on the rocky cliffs of St. Loo.

Poirot quickly takes a particular interest in the young woman. Recently, she has narrowly escaped a series of life-threatening accidents. Something tells the Belgian sleuth that these so-called accidents are more than just mere coincidences or a spate of bad luck. Something like a bullet! It seems all too clear to him that someone is trying to do away with poor Nick, but who? And, what is the motive? In his quest for answers, Poirot must delve into the dark history of End House. The deeper he gets into his investigation, the more certain he is that the killer will soon strike again. And, this time, Nick may not escape with her life.

My Review:

This one was one of my more recent Hercule Poirot favorites. Here we find Poirot and Hastings as they meet a charming young woman who has been the unfortunate victim of a series of accidents meant to kill her – or are they?

Hercule Poirot is on the case as her gets to know the people in Nick Buckley’s life. The house Nick inherited is a money pit. Her cousin and only living relative has no particular use for the house. And one of her closest friends thinks she’s making everything up. But Hercule is determined to get to the bottom of things – especially when a body turns up while everyone else at End House was watching fireworks.

Who has been trying to kill Nick Buckley? And why?

Through a series of twists an even darker agenda is uncovered. I really enjoyed the twist at the end of this one. I suspected, but it was still an enjoyable ending.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Knives!

Time Travel Thursday – 18 April 2024

Time Travel Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog where readers take a look back at what they were reading this time last year (or the year before or the year before that…) and compare it to what you are reading now.

18 April 2024

One year ago today I was reading this fantastic historical fiction novel about the doomed SS Morro Castle.

Currently Reading:

Today I’m finishing up this hilarious rom-com! So glad I checked it out after seeing a Facebook ad.

Comparison:

One book is historical fiction and the other is a fluffy rom-com. They have virtually nothing in common, although The Cuban Heiress does have a romantic subplot as well. One is set in the past, the other presumably fairly recently as the author mentions Taylor Swift’s eras tour. One is about a tragedy, the other is about a man who falls in love with the woman he hired to be his surrogate.

Have you read either of these books?

WWW Wednesday: 17 April

WWW Wednesday was created by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and was taken over by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. To participate answer the 3 W’s:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

I started this one on the plane to Charleston yesterday and I’m about 25% into it right now. To be honestly I wasn’t following it too well, it’s not one of my favorites by Alice Feeney. We’ll see if that changes.

Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws

I’m about 75% through this one and loving it! It’s hilarious and steamy! I can’t wait for the next book already.

Recently Finished:Mind Games by Nora Roberts

I finished this one last week and I loved it! It comes out on May 21st so be sure to check it out!

Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie

This was an alright read. I feel like Agatha kind of fakes us out in this one. The killer is obvious but Poirot claims it can’t be so only for… *spoiler* it to be so.

Reading Next:Murder Road by Simone St. James

This one is next up on my audiobook TBR and I’m excited to start listening!

Have you read any of these? What are you reading this week? What books would you bring on vacation?

Audiobook Review: The Mystery of the Blue Train

The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6) by Agatha ChristieBlurb:

When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again – for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are missing.

The prime suspect is Ruth’s estranged husband, Derek. Yet Hercule Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie reenactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board.

My Review:

When the daughter of a millionaire is murdered on a luxury train bound for the French Riviera, her face damaged beyond recognition none other than Hercule Poirot is on the case!

Was it the woman’s estranged husband who was broke and having an affair? Was it her lover? Or a complete unknown? Hercule Poirot will use his little gray cells to deduce the killer.

This is one of those mysteries that you never see the killer coming. It was a bit confusing at the beginning with the ruby that is purchased by the dead woman’s father and there seems to be an attempt to steal it and a few other characters that got jumbled along the way but eventually all reveals itself and the killer turns out to be someone I didn’t expect at all.

Overall I liked the story and the cast of characters not withstanding the confusion I had at the beginning, that was probably just a me thing.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Knives!

Audiobook Review: Impact Winter Season 2 by Travis Beacham

Impact Winter Season 2 by Travis Beacham

Audible Original, July 13, 2023

Blurb:

The hit Audible Original series from executive producers of The Walking Dead and the writer of Pacific Rim returns for its highly anticipated second season.

Six months have passed since the Vampire Queen fell silent, and the world balances on a knife’s edge. Rejoin the courageous Dunraven sisters, Darcy and Hope, as they navigate the vampire apocalypse in a sunless, endless winter that grows deadlier with each passing day. Brace yourself for a frigid realm of sacred daggers, mighty swords, secret seaside caves, unthinkable human blood farms, and a superpowered vampire villain on the hunt. Will Darcy emerge from hiding to save her sister? Will Hope venture from the castle refuge and find Darcy first? When all paths converge, everyone in Hope and Darcy’s orbit is in mortal danger, including the sisters themselves.

Dare to listen in the dark again as this thrilling saga expands to new lands, new loves, new weapons, and new warriors. Presented in Dolby Atmos spatial audio, the second season of Impact Winter is designed to haunt you like never before. Hear your heart stop.

Please note: This content is for mature audiences only. It contains adult language and themes. Discretion is advised.

©2023 Shoe Leather Digital, Inc (P)2023 Audible Originals LLC

My Review:

It’s been a while since I listened to season one of Impact Winter but I was able to jump right back in after a little recap.

In this series, which plays like podcast episodes strung together into an audiobook with a full cast of narrators, we follow the Dunraven sisters, Darcy and Hope as they try to survive the post apocalyptic world after a comet hit earth plunging it into eternal night and eternal winter where vampires rule.

Darcy, the Winter Child, the newly turned vampire that is supposed to save the world now has her love Felix at her side as they try to figure out her place. Back at the castle compound Hope is trying to adjust to the new reality that her sister is a vampire along with her budding feelings for a new girl who was rescued from a dark fate.

I loved both of the sister’s journeys in this one. It was interesting to see them grow – and sometimes not for the better. I also loved Penelope. Like Lydia says, she’s almost like a 3rd Dunraven sister.

The story keeps a fast pace that keeps you interested and I loved re-exploring the worldbuilding in this story.

I also love the full cast narration. It brings the story to life so vividly.

I was a little thrown by the ending but I’m definitely going to tune in to season 3 to see what it will mean for all of the characters.

My Rating:

4 of 5 Knives!

The Sunday Post: Explained Absence, Catching Up, and Packing

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Explained Absence, Catching Up, and Packing

Hey Book Blogger Friends! I’ve been a bit absent lately and I’ll get to that in a minute. How is your month going so far? Do you have anything exciting coming up?

I haven’t been posting regularly lately. I’ve been tired from trying to balance work, editing my next book, and life. I also spent most of March sick on and off. I had a terrible pain in my right side and wasn’t keeping food down well. I went to the doctor at the beginning of the month and as I expected, it’s an issue with my gallbladder. I’ve changed my eating habits and things seem to be improving. I had an ultrasound done on my gallbladder on Wednesday and I have 2 gallstones so I have an appointment later this month to see a surgeon to find out next steps. I’m just thankful it didn’t require emergency surgery.

I finally caught up on some reviews, which I posted over the last few days and I’ll be posting a few next week since I’ll be on vacation.

Yes, even though I’ve been having gallbladder issues I’m not cancelling my vacation. I’m heading to Charleston on Tuesday for a few days of relaxation. I really need it and have been looking forward to it. I’m just getting the last few things packed.

Last Week on the Blog:

ARC Review: Mind Games by Nora Roberts

ARC Review: Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

Audiobook Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

This Week on the Blog:

Audiobook Review: Impact Winter Season 2 by Travis Beacham

Audiobook Review: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

WWW Wednesday: 17 April 2024

Time Travel Thursday – 18 April 2024

Audiobook Review: Peril at End House by Agatha Christie

New Book Mail on My Shelves:Physical:

This week I got my preorder of Wild Love by Elsie Silver. I’m trying to decide if I want to take it on vacation with me.

I also got my special edition of Corrupt Shadows by Rebecca L Garcia and CM Hutton from the Kickstarter it’s a stunning edition!

Around the Book Blogging World:

(Caffeinated Reviewer) Death At The Drive In By Angie Fox

(Sara’s Reading Nook) CATATHON READATHON ANNOUNCEMENT!

(Novel Suspects) Mysteries & Thrillers We’re Reading This April

Audiobook Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Adult, Mystery, Thriller

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 352 pages

March 5, 2024 by Celadon Books

Blurb

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

My Review:

When a book is called by multiple reviewers, bookstagrammers, and booktokers the “best thriller of the year” you know I had to check it out.

I got the audiobook, narrated by January LaVoy (my favorite audiobook narrator) and Will Damron.

I immediately got pulled into the story which goes back and forth between present-day Lucy, 5 years ago Lucy, and clips from Ben Owens’s podcast Listen for the Lie.

Lucy is sarcastic, which I loved. She’s been so dogged down by everyone (including herself) believing that she killed her best friend that she’s a little rough around the edges and doesn’t trust easily.

Then there is Ben. Charismatic, attractive – Lucy should steer clear of him and yet they form a tenuous friendship which blooms into more. But what will happen when it’s time for the podcast to end? Will Ben say Lucy is guilty? Or will her buried memories of that night five years ago remind her what really happened and who killed Savvy?

Add in a meddling grandmother and I’m sold.

I devoured this book and it’s definitely in the top three of the thrillers I’ve read so far this year.

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

ARC Review: Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

Every Time I Go on Vacation Someone Dies (Vacation Mysteries Book 1) by Catherine Mack

Adult, Cozy Mystery, Thriller, The Vacation Mysteries #1)

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 352 Pages

April 30, 2024 by Minotaur Books

Blurb:

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

“Quick, captivating, and oh-so-much-fun! This delicious mystery is as spellbinding as Knives Out.”—Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of the Finlay Donovan series

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series—is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life—the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can’t get out of her life—Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary competitors, rabid fans, a stalker—and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly—theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.

My Review:

Look no further for your next favorite vacation read! Seriously, this is the book you’ll be sticking in your carry on, throwing in beach bags, and glued to the pages of this spring and summer!

Bestselling author Eleanor Dash is plotting a murder. The murder of her main character in her bestselling series, that is. What? Agatha Christie did it to Hercule Poirot.

Now on a book tour in Italy with her assistant/sister who always dreamed of being an author, her ex Connor – the inspiration behind her most famous character who has been blackmailing her since before the first book hit the shelves, Connor’s ex-wife (oops), Eleanor’s other ex Oliver, and a gaggle of other authors that have all risen to fame in the wake of the crime that inspired Eleanor’s first book – and did I mention a group of Eleanor’s “biggest fans” who couldn’t pick her out of a line up… things are just a wee bit complicated and crowded. Add in an attempt on Connor’s life and things are about to get a lot more interesting in Italy…

This book was so much fun! Everything you could ask for out of a fun vacation mystery. There was humor, suspense, old jealousies brought to light, and a little bit of heat. I also loved the author’s footnotes and the Poirot references.

I can’t wait for the next book to see where Eleanor will end up next! I’m just glad nobody dies when I go on vacation

My Rating:

5 of 5 Knives!

ARC Review: Mind Games by Nora Roberts

Mind Games by Nora Roberts

Adult, Thriller, Romantic Suspense

eBook, Hardcover, Audiobook, 432 pages

May 21, 2024 by St. Martin’s Press

Blurb:

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Identity presents a suspenseful new novel of tragedy and trauma, love and family, and the evil that awaits.

As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.

Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.

The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse―because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them―and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…

My Review:

There was a space and time where Nora Roberts was one of my go-to authors but over time I’ve gotten off track. Mind Games was the perfect book to dive back into one of my all-time favorite authors.

Thea reminds me a little of Tory Bodeen from Carolina Moon with her psychic gift, I kept thinking so all the way through and since that is one of my favorites by this author I really enjoyed it.

Thea, Rem, and Grammie endure a great tragedy but thanks to Thea’s gift the police are easily able to capture the man who killed her parents. But when Thea’s gift links her to the killer who shares the same gift and has twisted it into an ugly, cruel thing, it will open a door that Thea will battle to keep closed for years to come.

I love how the author always builds up a great group of supporting characters for her main character. I also loved Thea’s bond with her grandmother. It reminds me of the bond I had with my late grandmother and I got emotional reading this one at times.

I loved Thea’s chemistry with Ty and Ty’s son’s bond with Thea’s dog, Bunk. They all fit together so well. I also loved the setting of this book. It made me want to buy a cabin in the woods of Kentucky.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was well written, the characters were well developed, and the setting was easy to picture. My only draw back was that the showdown at the end seemed a little rushed, but not enough to ruin the reading experience.

My Rating:

4.5 of 5 Knives!