Goodreads is the place to find a number of reviews for Locked Out!
I discovered a number of the people who signed up to review my Locked Out Advanced Reader Copies are posting them on Goodreads. So far the feedback has been mostly positive! YAY! You can check out all the reviews HERE!
For those that aren’t into clicking on links, below are the reviews up until today. Enjoy and please add Locked Out to your reading list!
Dec 08, 2017 rated it [image error]
Shelves: honest-review-exchange, romance, mystery, cozy-mystery
Recently, when I saw the roll call for ARC readers for her latest book titled Locked Out, I signed up immediately! I had seen her post here and there on Facebook dropping hints about the novel and I just couldn’t wait to read it!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
She has done it again; I loved this book so much! I had to fight with myself to put it down when I had to go to sleep or work. I easily could have picked this up on a weekend morning and read straight through!
The overall plot was so interesting! I thought that the mystery element was done very well; I didn’t see the resolution of it coming at all! While the book was centered around the mystery element, there was also a fair amount of cutesy romance and thrilling suspense; both of which were also wonderful!
What amazing characters! The good characters were so funny and realistic, and the bad characters were super sketchy! I really enjoyed learning more about each character as they spent more time with the main character, Emeline. Brandon was my favorite character. I found myself laughing out loud with his little one-liners and pop culture references. He reminded me so much of my fiancé!
As the author warned me when she sent the book file, there were a few typos here and there. There were also a few areas that were a bit repetitive, but it didn’t take away from the reading experience at all! And of course, this is an ARC that the author is still working on, so I’d be willing to bet she has already fixed the issues I saw.
My favorite passages: POTENTIAL SPOILERS
(view spoiler)
My final thoughts:
I loved every second of this read! I would highly recommend picking this one up if you enjoy fast-paced, fun mysteries with elements of cutesy romance.
I cannot wait for book two to be published! These characters are definitely ones that I would happily read about time and time again!
· see review
Dec 06, 2017 rated it[image error]
Another new to me author and another wonderful surprise. This story is chock full of suspense, mystery, laughs and of course romance.
Emmie meets Ethan at her new job. Little does she know that she is smack dab in the middle of a sudden mystery in their small town. While not overt, these two are pretty combustible when they get together and while this may be the worst week of Emmie’s life, she also has this wonderfully beautiful man in her life although he has secrets of his own.
I was on the edge of my seat, trying to figure things out, trying to solve the mystery and L.M. Schukraft gives us a big time “I didn’t see THAT coming” ending. I look forward to more from this author and from this cozy mystery series.
· see review
Dec 05, 2017 rated it [image error]
“Sweetheart? You can’t just go around calling women that nowadays. It isn’t appropriate. Are you listening to me, Ethan?”
Yes, Buttercup. I’m hearing every word you’re saying Sweet Cheeks.”
This was my first read from this author. After reading this one, I can’t wait for book 2! The main characters are developed well and have excellent chemistry together. The bantering between Ethan and his brothers is dead on!!
Emeline has recently found herself both single and unemployed all because of her ex. Starting a new job at a local home improvement store, she and Ethan are thrown together during training. Attempting to keep him at arm’s length to avoid another heartbreak, she soon finds out how persistent and charming he can be, and she finds the walls she put up slowly crumbling.
A rash of recent break-ins, Ethan’s sudden appearance in town, and now a murder, there is a whole lot of mystery taking place in her little town. Are they all tied together somehow? When it looks like the target of all of it seems to be Emeline, can she trust Ethan to protect her? Can they put the puzzle pieces together and figure out who is behind it all? And why?
I loved the little ribbings that Emmie and Ethan give each other as they both skirt around their feelings for one another. I absolutely adored his brothers Brandon and Hawk, and I hope they each get their own stories at some point. I totally didn’t see the ending coming and I’m not going to spoil it here!! You just have to read it!!
· see review
Dec 14, 2017 rated it [image error]
I received an eARC from the author for free for a fair and honest review.
Locked Out by L. M. Shukraft is a first book of a new cozy mystery series. Shukraft gives us our protagonist Emmeline who finds herself thrown into a new job not by choice. Within this job, she meets Ethan to whom she forms a relationship not necessarily by the way she wishes. As the book progresses, there are many twists and turns to lead us to a very unexpected ending.
This lengthy book is not what I would expect from a traditional cozy mystery. This book is one of the longer books I have read in a while. As I was reading through the book, I was not a fan of the amount of swearing and sexual situation statements that were spread throughout the book. If you are a fan of many details, this is the book for you. I found at times that the details were a bit excessive, but a person can get a full picture of the author’s intent. In addition, the flow of the book became a bit difficult to stay on track. I had to go back and reread several pages a few times as I felt I missed something or was confused.
Overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5. I do believe that this book has an overall good mystery. If you prefer the more traditional cozy that does not have swearing or sexual comments within it, this book is most likely not for you.
· see review
Dec 05, 2017 rated it [image error]
Shelves: read-for-review
* I received an eARC from the author for review. This does not affect my review.*
I love a good mystery, and this one kept me guessing! I also enjoyed Ethan and Emmie’s relationship throughout the story and their shared chemistry. The story keeps the reader in suspense, and gives little tidbits of history, just enough to keep the reader on their toes! I loved the mystery in this one, and the surprises were well done! Such a fun story, can’t wait for more from this series!
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Dec 14, 2017 rated it [image error]
How much bad luck can one girl suffer? Poor Emmie had lost her father, dumped her boyfriend, asked to leave her teaching job, her friends house gets broken into, someone she knows gets murdered, her car blows up in an explosion to name but a few events over the course of a very short period of time.
Even with all this going on she trusts Ethan, an unknown colleague at her new job to move into her home to protect her. When Ethan turns up somewhere then disappears leaving her in the lerch, Emmie doesn’t push or question why.
When her friend gets broken into and Emmie rushes over to help her, she gets arrested by the police. However when she is unwittingly at a murder scene, the police let her go home no questions asked! Just seems a bit round the wrong way for me.
Overall the story is a fun mystery chick lit, with an undercurrent of desire brewing between Emmie & Ethan, her cat is funny, keeps stealing the food from their plates and is using Ethan as a pin cushion along with the poking of fun and camaraderie from Ethan’s brothers. Though with everything going wrong in a very short space of time for one girl the story does seem a bit far fetched. Even her new employer does not kick off over the amount of time off she & Ethan have during their first week.
I’d figured out one of the baddies before the end, but felt the real reason for their involvement was unresolved along with another event six months earlier.
I was sent this as an ARC for a honest review and I was warned there could be a few mistakes which did nit distract from the story. Odd spelling mistake, start of chapters not always in same position partway down page and full stops instead of commas at the end of speech at times.· see review
Dec 15, 2017 rated it [image error]
Very well written engaging book. the main characters emmie and Ethan really complimented each other. There was a bit of everything in this book. romance, excitement, murder, mystery even a crazy cat!
this was my first book by this author and now i cant wait for book #2
