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Marian Moyer #2
Seduction, Deceit & a Slice of Apple Pie
Book 2 in the Marian Moyer series! It has been a little over a month since Marian was almost murdered. Thankfully, she's settling nicely back into her calm, somewhat boring Milwaukee life with Fred, the red betta fish. That is, until her mother calls with news that will turn everything upside down. With her niece missing and the suspect pool looking suspiciously familiar, it's up to Marian to find Riley before a long hidden secret threatens to rip her family apart. All of that while Marian simultaneously dates college crush, James, and handsome newcomer, Mika? Surely nothing can go wrong along the way.
235 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2014
273 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Allison Janda
15 books31 followersMy name is Allison, and I'm an author.
Please don't ask me to name my favorite book because I have no idea what it is.
Granted, that hasn't stopped me from telling people it's To Kill a Mockingbird for years. I delight in her imagery.
With or Without You by Carole Matthews broke my heart and pieced it back together again.
Eat, Pray, Love made me realize I wasn't the only one feeling painfully alone.
Elizabeth Bennet helped me believe in love again.
Me Before You reminded me I could lose love again.
Bossypants made me laugh. Hard and out loud.
Evicted made me feel sick and sad and horrified because of what I thought I knew.
My imagination ran wild with each new Harry Potter.
I want to read The Night Circus at least 100 more times.
Victoria Laurie helped me embrace the things that go bump in the night.
I was reminded of my own vulnerabilities reading Jemima J.
And the list keeps going.
So I'm an author. I'm an author because being an author can make people laugh and cry and question their beliefs and turn them on and turn them off and fall in love and all of the other things that humans should do in order to live a full life.
And I hope that in reading my books, you feel something–something that reminds you of why you read books in the first place.
Find me on allisonjanda.com and writerlust.com
Please don't ask me to name my favorite book because I have no idea what it is.
Granted, that hasn't stopped me from telling people it's To Kill a Mockingbird for years. I delight in her imagery.
With or Without You by Carole Matthews broke my heart and pieced it back together again.
Eat, Pray, Love made me realize I wasn't the only one feeling painfully alone.
Elizabeth Bennet helped me believe in love again.
Me Before You reminded me I could lose love again.
Bossypants made me laugh. Hard and out loud.
Evicted made me feel sick and sad and horrified because of what I thought I knew.
My imagination ran wild with each new Harry Potter.
I want to read The Night Circus at least 100 more times.
Victoria Laurie helped me embrace the things that go bump in the night.
I was reminded of my own vulnerabilities reading Jemima J.
And the list keeps going.
So I'm an author. I'm an author because being an author can make people laugh and cry and question their beliefs and turn them on and turn them off and fall in love and all of the other things that humans should do in order to live a full life.
And I hope that in reading my books, you feel something–something that reminds you of why you read books in the first place.
Find me on allisonjanda.com and writerlust.com
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 23, 2015
I'm not one to give up on a book. I think I've only done it two or three times, and this one tested me. From the very beginning, we are dealing with a heroine who is, by her own admission, gorgeous. Then we learn she has two equally gorgeous men vying for her affections, and poor her just cannot choose. Gag.
Then, as I get into the meat of the book, it's all feeling so familiar. And I realize that it's a strikingly similar formula as a Stephanie Plum mystery. Now, don't get me wrong: I love the Janet Evanovich versions. But this was like a made-up-on-the-fly knockoff. And not realistic at all. At. All.
Then, as I get into the meat of the book, it's all feeling so familiar. And I realize that it's a strikingly similar formula as a Stephanie Plum mystery. Now, don't get me wrong: I love the Janet Evanovich versions. But this was like a made-up-on-the-fly knockoff. And not realistic at all. At. All.
July 7, 2017
Author needs help with commas and objective pronouns. Some issues with head injury scene. More thriller or suspense than mystery since it was low on clues to bad guy, although I knew who did it before halfway in.
June 5, 2020
Not nearly as good as the first book
I'm pretty disappointed in this book. The first one was amazing. This one has no character development, a plot that gets narrated mostly in the last 10 pages, and no setting other than winter with snow. There was no way we could solve this (though I had the villain picked early, the intricate plot was far too convoluted, which is why it had to be narrated). And to top it all off, there's not even any romance. What happened?!
There were some pretty funny spots. This was one of my favorites:. Janet and Marian are in a spot of trouble. “Why?” I cried out angrily, shaking a fist toward the sky. “Why now? Is this so that I hurry up and make a decision [about James and Mika]?” “Is she becoming an illusion?” Thug 1 asked. “Delusional,” Boss Thug corrected him. “I’m not delusional, I’m just in need of an orgasm,” I vented. “And you,” I said pointing at Boss Thug, “have taken away my chance.” “Both chances,” Janet corrected. “Both chances!” I moaned.
Do I need to read books before this one: in not sure; I did
Would I read more of the series: 1 more
Cliffhanger: not really
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS
Sex: heavy petting
Language: 0 F words, 10 Lord's name in vain, 0 S words
Violence: kidnapping, guns, car accident, murder, drugs
I'm pretty disappointed in this book. The first one was amazing. This one has no character development, a plot that gets narrated mostly in the last 10 pages, and no setting other than winter with snow. There was no way we could solve this (though I had the villain picked early, the intricate plot was far too convoluted, which is why it had to be narrated). And to top it all off, there's not even any romance. What happened?!
There were some pretty funny spots. This was one of my favorites:. Janet and Marian are in a spot of trouble. “Why?” I cried out angrily, shaking a fist toward the sky. “Why now? Is this so that I hurry up and make a decision [about James and Mika]?” “Is she becoming an illusion?” Thug 1 asked. “Delusional,” Boss Thug corrected him. “I’m not delusional, I’m just in need of an orgasm,” I vented. “And you,” I said pointing at Boss Thug, “have taken away my chance.” “Both chances,” Janet corrected. “Both chances!” I moaned.
Do I need to read books before this one: in not sure; I did
Would I read more of the series: 1 more
Cliffhanger: not really
POSSIBLE TRIGGERS
Sex: heavy petting
Language: 0 F words, 10 Lord's name in vain, 0 S words
Violence: kidnapping, guns, car accident, murder, drugs
June 30, 2021
Relaxing, enjoyable, entertaining
Needs better editing. I don't think there are any regular vehicles anymore that seat nine adults. (That's just the last example.) It was cute. Obviously going for the "Stephanie Plum" thing (down to the two strikingly different, but totally sexy guys that she can't decide between.) Parts of it were relatively easy to see through, but it was fairly well written. Easy, relaxing, enjoyable, entertaining read. I'll probably read the next book.
Needs better editing. I don't think there are any regular vehicles anymore that seat nine adults. (That's just the last example.) It was cute. Obviously going for the "Stephanie Plum" thing (down to the two strikingly different, but totally sexy guys that she can't decide between.) Parts of it were relatively easy to see through, but it was fairly well written. Easy, relaxing, enjoyable, entertaining read. I'll probably read the next book.
December 21, 2016
Another romantic cozy with a very fickle heroine...as a photographer of crime scenes and the friend of cops and private eyes, Marian is hot of the trail of her niece's kidnappers and drug dealers. Who knew that family friends, older members of their community, and even family members would be so deeply involved? Who comes to visit her in the end? Hmmm...not Mika or James, I think.
September 1, 2018
Ok get there already
Well written, a few typos but hey i can get past them. Characters still going strong, did not learn anything new about them. Main character a bit flighty and why does everything happen to her. Keep reading!!
Well written, a few typos but hey i can get past them. Characters still going strong, did not learn anything new about them. Main character a bit flighty and why does everything happen to her. Keep reading!!
Read
February 18, 2023Surprising turn of events
The drawing into a story filled with romance, love, intrigue and characters worth following make the reader yearn for more of the picture. Am glad to have enjoyed this novel. An easy yet complicated plot, full of surprises.
The drawing into a story filled with romance, love, intrigue and characters worth following make the reader yearn for more of the picture. Am glad to have enjoyed this novel. An easy yet complicated plot, full of surprises.
May 31, 2018
another good mystery, looking forward to reading the next in the series
September 6, 2018
Great story, well fleshed out characters.
Really enjoyed this book, but needs editing for grammar.
Really enjoyed this book, but needs editing for grammar.
September 6, 2018
Food porn, double dating in a new way gets involved in kidnapping and more.
Slightly confusing story line but fun
Slightly confusing story line but fun
November 2, 2018
Glad this was a short book; the story line was not very believable at all.
October 7, 2018
I felt like I have read books with this kind of character range before. It took a while for me to get the satire and comical aspects. It reads like a 1970’s cop show or a B movie script. Intentionally in parts. Marian’s niece disappears and with her impromptu PI team of the two men she is dating, her reporter friend, and her intrepid PI friend Janet, they uncover a drug ring that is responsible for kidnapping the niece to keep her mom, Rachel, married to Marian’s brother, accountable. However, there are way too many gaps in the story, like who ordered the kidnapping and why the perpetrator sends Marian to the bookstore in the first place. It’s all a comedy of errors. I read it all the way through, mostly to find out who HE is.
February 14, 2017
Follow the money
This book deserves 5 stars. You never who was involved with the kidnapping and who was the HE until the end.
This book deserves 5 stars. You never who was involved with the kidnapping and who was the HE until the end.
October 27, 2016
Really, don't bother. It's incoherent.
First off, neither seduction nor apple pie figure in the plot except as incidental. Why name it after these?
Also, as other reviewers have noted, Janda does not have a decent grasp on when to use "I" vs "me", a grammatical failing I find especially irritating, especially in a purportedly professional's writing. Lorelei Lee can get away with "a girl like I", but that's a part of her voice! and telling, character-wise. Here, it's just a sloppy mistake, repeated often.
The plot makes no sense. It starts as a kidnapping and turns into a drug ring for no obvious reason, and the resolution doesn't even hold up to casual inspection.
Similarly, the charcters behave in essentially random ways. OK, this makes them unpredictable, so the plot is full of surprises!!!! but it also makes those surprises stupid and arbitrary. People keep secrets for no apparent reason, then tell them again for no apparent reason. And if the Big Bad were that reluctant to take care of things himself, why do him minions fear him? it's a clear weakness.
It does start out pretty solid, but don't be fooled- it devolves into a hot mess.
Don't bother.
First off, neither seduction nor apple pie figure in the plot except as incidental. Why name it after these?
Also, as other reviewers have noted, Janda does not have a decent grasp on when to use "I" vs "me", a grammatical failing I find especially irritating, especially in a purportedly professional's writing. Lorelei Lee can get away with "a girl like I", but that's a part of her voice! and telling, character-wise. Here, it's just a sloppy mistake, repeated often.
The plot makes no sense. It starts as a kidnapping and turns into a drug ring for no obvious reason, and the resolution doesn't even hold up to casual inspection.
Similarly, the charcters behave in essentially random ways. OK, this makes them unpredictable, so the plot is full of surprises!!!! but it also makes those surprises stupid and arbitrary. People keep secrets for no apparent reason, then tell them again for no apparent reason. And if the Big Bad were that reluctant to take care of things himself, why do him minions fear him? it's a clear weakness.
It does start out pretty solid, but don't be fooled- it devolves into a hot mess.
Don't bother.
October 29, 2016
Chick lit pretending to be a thriller
Janda's "plucky heroine" gets caught in the stupidest undercover scheme ever, in between trying to decide between two gorgeous heartthrobs. Basically, wish fulfillment dressed up in crime scene tape. Janda's grammar is terrible and her plot completely unbelievable. We're supposed to care which man Marian chooses, but I'm left hoping they both leave her dumb ass.
Janda's "plucky heroine" gets caught in the stupidest undercover scheme ever, in between trying to decide between two gorgeous heartthrobs. Basically, wish fulfillment dressed up in crime scene tape. Janda's grammar is terrible and her plot completely unbelievable. We're supposed to care which man Marian chooses, but I'm left hoping they both leave her dumb ass.
December 4, 2015
This was excellent. A bit sexier than the normal cozies I read, but fun and action packed. No real sex scenes but a lot of teasing and innuendo, so some may not want to read this. The action is jam=packed and trouble seems to follow Marian everywhere. Hold onto your hats and enjoy the ride, it's a great read!
April 24, 2016
Go Milwaukee
Nice reading a story about where you live, but some things don't ring true and are hard to ignore because of the hometown familiarity. Aside from that this is a fast read that will keep you turning pages till the end. Head trama does help explain the smart but dumb aspects of the story.
Nice reading a story about where you live, but some things don't ring true and are hard to ignore because of the hometown familiarity. Aside from that this is a fast read that will keep you turning pages till the end. Head trama does help explain the smart but dumb aspects of the story.
November 12, 2016
Good suspense. References were made to the first story in this series but not too much. This book definitely held my interest. I had a good idea who the kingpin was. Still, the author had me guessing until the reveal. Marian is a likeable character. So were the two guys she's dating. I wish she'd make up her mind. LOL
April 16, 2015
Glad I didn't pay for this. A bunch of coincidences poorly strung together with unrealistic characters and the supposed protagonist is annoying and vapid. The only reason I kept reading was because of my stupid OCD.
May 30, 2015
I opted out of this book very quickly. I think I was expecting a cozy mystery but it was all too sexual for me.
Prob my fault for not looking at more of the description but also not a type of book I have any interest reading.
Prob my fault for not looking at more of the description but also not a type of book I have any interest reading.
January 8, 2017
You will never guess this one
Interesting plot but, you are not given enough info to follow it. Lots of laughter and suspense. Marion has 2 boyfriends and several girlfriends involved in solving this mystery.
Interesting plot but, you are not given enough info to follow it. Lots of laughter and suspense. Marion has 2 boyfriends and several girlfriends involved in solving this mystery.
June 7, 2016
fun read, like the characters looking forward to reading the first one as this was book 2.
November 13, 2016
Very Good read.
The plot was interesting and a little different. There was just enough sexiness to pique the interest. who would she choose?
The plot was interesting and a little different. There was just enough sexiness to pique the interest. who would she choose?
January 2, 2017
A page turner!
A well written book , however I didn't like the ending. Still don't know which guy she chose. That was to remain a mystery I suppose.
A well written book , however I didn't like the ending. Still don't know which guy she chose. That was to remain a mystery I suppose.
January 23, 2017
Take a grammar lesson
The story was fine but the grammatical errors were annoying. "I" is NOT used in the objective case, e.g. Give that to Addison and me (not to Addison and I).
The story was fine but the grammatical errors were annoying. "I" is NOT used in the objective case, e.g. Give that to Addison and me (not to Addison and I).
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews