Adele Downs's Blog, page 6

Gull Gang by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs #beachlife #writerslife

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Some of us will never give up the beach, no matter the season.

Photos copyright Adele Downs 2019

Book Review-Hide Away by Jason Pinter #HideAway #BookReview @JasonPinter #NetGalley

Hide Away

A Rachel Marin Thriller, Book 1

by Jason Pinter

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Thomas & Mercer

General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 01 Mar 2020

Description:

From the bestselling author of the Henry Parker series comes a page-turning thriller about a vigilante who’s desperate to protect her secrets—and bring a killer to justice.

On the surface, Rachel Marin is an ordinary single mother; on the inside, she’s a fierce, brilliant vigilante. After an unspeakable crime shatters her life, she changes her identity and moves to a small town in Illinois, hoping to spare her children from further trauma…or worse. But crime follows her everywhere.

When the former mayor winds up dead, Rachel can’t help but get involved. Where local detectives see suicide, she sees murder. They resent her for butting in—especially since she’s always one step ahead. But her investigative genius may be her undoing: the deeper she digs, the harder it is to keep her own secrets buried.

Her persistence makes her the target of both the cops and a killer. Meanwhile, the terrifying truth about her past threatens to come to light, and Rachel learns the hard way that she can’t trust anyone. Surrounded by danger, she must keep her steely resolve, protect her family, and stay one step ahead, or else she may become the next victim.

Adele’s Review:

4.5 Stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed Hide Away by Jason Pinter; a well written, well paced mystery/thriller that kept me turning the pages from the first chapter to the last. I especially liked the protagonist, Rachel Marin, and look forward to reading the next book in the series. Rachel is an intuitive, strong, and empathetic character. Highly recommended. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of the story for review.

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Shell Hunters by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs #beachlife #writerslife

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A grandmother and child hunt for shells on the beach as fall arrives.

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2019

Book Review-Mine by Courtney Cole #NetGalley @Court_Writes #Mine #Thriller

MINE by Courtney Cole

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Description:

Tessa was prepared for the hurricane. Lindsey was the storm she didn’t see coming.

When Tessa Taylor unlocked her husband Ethan’s iPad to discover nude photos from a twenty-six-year-old bombshell named Lindsey, her seemingly perfect life came to a screeching halt.

With a hurricane barreling toward Florida and Ethan stuck on a business trip, Tessa finds herself imprisoned in her own home with a choice to make: Does she ride out the storm until she can confront Ethan in person, or does she take matters into her own hands?

Increasingly restless and desperate for revenge, Tessa resolves to act. And when she lures Lindsey over a few hours later, there’s no turning back.

What ensues is a battle of wills between two well-matched opponents, blinded by love for the same man but driven by demons of their own. Like storm-ravaged Florida, neither woman will be the same when the skies clear.

He’s mine. Both wife and mistress would stake their lives on it. But only one of them can be right.

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format

ISBN 9781501184543

PRICE $16.00 (USD)

Adele’s Review:

4.5 Stars!

MINE by Courtney Cole is a compulsive read that’s hard to put down. I rooted for the wronged wife through the entire novel and considered her relatively easy on the mistress during the violent confrontation at the heart of the story. The defiance of the other woman, who considered herself entitled to her affair with her married lover, made her less than sympathetic. As the story progressed, however, the author tightly wove the tale of the two women in love with the same man in a way that made readers understand them both. Cole brought the story to a satisfying conclusion with a series of clever plot twists. Highly recommended read. Received an ARC of the book from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Beach Pal by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs #beachlife #writerslife

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This little guy sat next to my chair on the beach for four hours. LOL. My new friend.

Photos copyright Adele Downs 2019

Christmas In July! SANTA TO THE RESCUE by Adele Downs #romance #christmasinjuly #shortread @entangledpub @Adele_Downs #Christmasstory #sweetromance #sweet #books

“[Adele] Downs does a great job of packing a full-fledged romance into such a tiny package, giving readers an uplifting story.” ~Romantic Reads and Such

This sweet novella, suitable for all ages from teen to adult, has received outstanding reviews and is the perfect story for Christmas in July. I hope you’ll pick up a copy for your eReader or tablet.

Can be read in about an hour and costs only .99!

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“Really puts you in the Christmas spirit! Loved it! 5 stars! ” ~ Curling Up With A Good Book

“Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!” 5 Stars! ~ Cat’s Reviews

*****

About The Story:

Firefighter Jamey Tucker knows three things in life to be true: An honorable man doesn’t go back on his word, never hurts a woman, and lasting love isn’t a myth. But with his recent move to a new job at the Appleton Fire station, the long hours don’t offer hope of finding the love he’s looking for.

When Jamey meets beautiful pediatric nurse Heather Longhurst after hearing her sing Santa Baby in a supermarket aisle, he offers her a promise he discovers he can’t keep. Heather has been betrayed by men in the past, making it hard for Jamey to gain her trust. Determined to find a way to win her heart, Jamey uses firefighter engine-uity and Heather’s favorite song to prove he’s got Christmas spirit she can believe in all year.

Only .99!  Amazon  Kobo   B&N    Apple 

Spring Beach 2019 by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs #beachlife #writerslife

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May and early June is the most relaxing and enjoyable time for me to visit the beach. The temperatures are moderate and the crush crowds of summer haven’t yet arrived.

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2019

Mornings By The Bay: Personal Shell Collection #amwriting #WritingCommunity #writerslife #beachlife

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Good morning from the beach! A friend of mine found this large, round basket at the Home Goods store, which turned out to be the perfect container for the oversized shells in my collection. They’d been displayed individually throughout my house, but I think showcasing them together creates more impact. There’s a story behind each item in the basket, collected over the course of my life. To name a few:

-The starfish my daughter found as a child, attached to a bulkhead at Gordon’s Pond beach.

-Driftwood my late husband found while we walked along the shoreline in Rehoboth.

-The horn shell I bought from a fisherman on a beach in Jamaica.

-The conch shell I found while exploring The Bahamas.

-Brain coral given to me by my parents decades after their 1960’s Caribbean cruise.

Each item inside the basket is a cherished memory, and I look forward to adding to the collection for years to come. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to display your own collection of personal treasures to beautify your home and brighten your spirit.

Speaking of collections, I finished writing a short story for an anthology scheduled for publication in February 2020. If the story is accepted by the publisher, I’ll be sure to tell you about this exciting project.

Have a great week!

Best–Adele

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2019

Book Review-The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton #Thriller #ThePerfectGirlfriend #BookReview @KJHAuthor @AgentSophieL @HarlequinBooks #NetGalley

The Perfect Girlfriend

by Karen Hamilton

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HARLEQUIN – Graydon House Books (U.S. & Canada)

Graydon House

General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 26 Mar 2019

YOU’VE NEVER READ A LOVE STORY AS TWISTED AS THIS.

Juliette loves Nate.

She will follow him anywhere. She’s even become a flight attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him.

They are meant to be.

The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to win him back.

She is the perfect girlfriend. And she’ll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants.

True love hurts, but Juliette knows it’s worth all the pain…

If you love someone, set them free.

If they come back, they’re yours. If they don’t, make them.

OFFICIAL BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The Last Mrs. Parrish meets Fatal Attraction in this riveting, voice-driven domestic suspense novel about a woman who will stop at nothing to reclaim her ex-boyfriend, including training as a flight attendant at the airline that employs him.

Juliette has everything going for her: she’s young, pretty, and driven, and she’s training for an exciting new career as a flight attendant.

The darkness in her past doesn’t matter, because she’s moved beyond all that, and she’s building a great new life for herself—one that will impress her ex-boyfriend, Nate, who left her in a foolish moment of commitment-phobia, one that he surely regrets now. But he’ll be so proud of her once he sees how much she’s grown. And he will see her. After all, he’s a pilot at the very same airline where Juliette is training

What kind of man wouldn’t appreciate the effort Juliette has taken to win Nate back? She cleans his apartment when he’s not there, and makes sure to leave all his favorite foods in the fridge. It’s only a matter of time before he leaves his airheaded new girlfriend and realizes Juliette is the only one for him.

He will realize it. Juliette will make sure of it. After all, she is the perfect girlfriend.

ISBN 9781525831737

PRICE $16.99 (USD)

Adele’s Review:

4 Stars

This was a fun book to read. It’s not often a suspense novel is written from the point of view of the antagonist, but The Perfect Girlfriend offers us insight into the twisted mind of a sociopath. Elizabeth/Lily/Juliette takes absolutely no responsibility for her behavior, lives her life to “get even” for her jealousy of others, and causes havoc in the lives of those she resents. She’s manipulative and relentless and stretched my suspension of disbelief almost to its breaking point with her antics.

The Perfect Girlfriend is well-written and clever, although I would have liked the pacing to be quicker in the last few chapters of the novel. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and thank NetGalley and Harlequin Graydon House Books for the opportunity to read and review the book.

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Beach in Spring 2019 by Adele Downs #photography @Adele_Downs

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Spring temperatures in Delaware have varied wildly–from the 40’s and 50’s to a day or two of sunny 70 degrees. Walks along the beach and boardwalk are exhilarating and make me anxious for steady warmer weather!

Photo copyright Adele Downs 2019