5 Star Review - Mind Games by Nora Roberts

 

 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…

 

I loved this story.  I am a fan of small-town romantic suspense because the characters are so connected.  I am also reading Kay Hooper's Bishop series and exploring the various psychic gifs.  Thea, the heroine, and her grandmother Lucy also have psychic gifts.  The gift of sight is a fascinating component of the story.  The atmospheric elements of the story add insight and make the town and its inhabitants endearing. 

At the story's beginning, Thea Fox and her brother Rem are off to visit her grandmother for a fun summer vacation, which turns into a nightmare for these twelve and ten-year-old children.  Over the years, Thea's unique gift of sight has often been a hindrance rather than a help, and she works hard to deal with it and the fear it sometimes causes.  As the story moves forward, the characters develop beautifully.  We feel all their emotions, fears, love, and successes.  By the end of the story, we know the characters as friends. 

The family dynamics enhance the suspense, and when the love interest comes on the scene, the level of joy and trepidation increases.  It wouldn't be a respectable romantic suspense if the lovers didn't have a flair-up, which is very tense in this case.  Their disagreement is my only negative, as I thought the issues were resolved a little too quickly to be realistic, but then it is fiction. 

Reading Mind Games reminds me of the riptides in the Florida waters lately.  It pulled me in from the start and would only let me go once I reached the end.  I can't say enough how much I loved all the characters: a kind and loving heroine, support characters that add dimension to the story, a wonderfully evil bad guy, a loving and protective grandmother, and a sexy love interest.  All these elements work together perfectly to make a wonderfully enjoyable story.

#Netgalley #NoraRoberts #romanticsuspense #paranormal

5 Stars

REVIEW CALAMITY RAYNE GETS HITCHED by Lydia Michaels

 

 

 

Calamity Rayne—fiancée of very sophisticated and powerful billionaire hottie, Hale Davenport—has a wedding to plan! With no clue how she managed to out-Darwin a bazillion other women and land one of the world’s most desirable bachelors, she becomes the paparazzi’s newest target. Receiving a crash course in charm school and wedding etiquette, she fights tradition and ends up following a lazy bride's guide to catastrophes and chaos in this laugh-out-loud, opposites-attract, billionaire romantic comedy from bestselling author, Lydia Michaels.

Save The Date! Here comes the awkward bride—with a heap of poor judgment and tequila on the side!

 

 

I must start with a disclaimer.  I accepted this ARC without realizing it is part of a series, and I don’t believe the book works well as a standalone.  That said, Lydia Michaels is a talented writer, and I will look for other books by her in the future. 

What I liked:

Some funny scenes made me laugh out loud.  I can sit with a good romantic comedy and zip the story.  A few scenes also touched my heart and made me a little teary, especially with Rayne and her father.  There are a wide variety of characters; some I liked and some not so much.  For me that is a good book, as it is close to real life.

Rayne’s relationship with Remmington, her future father-in-law, is special.  She is devoted to him, and he treats her as someone special.  He supports her relationship with Hale.  I’m sure there is much information about him in the previous books, but I understand him a little. 

Barrett.  He broke my heart.  It is difficult not to feel for him.   Often I found him more likable than Hale.

What didn’t work too much for me:

The intro chapter put me in the wrong headspace.  I don’t like dishonesty or cheating. As the story progresses, we go through the three months prior to the prologue and the run.  Michaels tries to explain why Rayne is in the room with Barret, but at one point, we are told that Rayne and Barret have never talked about the event since that night.  Why?  What really happened?   They told Hale they would never betray him, and I believe that is true, but something is fishy. 

Elle is selfish and should never be the maid of honor.  Rayne needed to replace her with Seraphina.  I understand that Rayne was trying to hang onto her best friend, but is it necessary?  Seraphina was there to help Rayne every step of the way.  Elle not so much.

Hale took over the wedding to make it what he wanted.  If Hale loves Rayne, let her do the wedding she wants.  I understand he is wealthy, but many wealthy people don’t need their big day in the papers.  Maybe this is explained in one of the previous books, but reading this one alone, it feels like Hale wants what Hale wants and too bad for Rayne. 

Finally, Rayne and Hale are getting married, but she can’t be honest with him about the credit card.  What kind of foundation are they building their forever life on?  BTW, billionaires don’t have credit limits on their AMX cards.  That whole reason for running was childish and didn’t work for me. 

I know this sounds more negative than positive, which isn’t how I feel. This is a decent romantic comedy. It could be on the Hallmark Channel. I really believe if I had read the previous books and not been thrown into the disastrous first chapter, I would have had a very different experience with this book.  

 

3.5 Stars

REVIEW - THE HUNGRY DARK by Jen Williams

 

Macabre murders plague a rural town as a scam-artist psychic races to find the answers in this haunting thriller from award-winning author Jen Williams, perfect for fans of Camilla Sten and Alex North.

As a child, Ashley Whitelam could often see odd things nobody else could: quiet, watchful figures she called the Heedful Ones kept a strange vigil wherever she went. As an adult, she keeps these visions to herself, but she’s turned her taste of the beyond into a career as a “psychic”­ – parting people from their money with a combination of psychology and internet research. When the Lake District is gripped by a series of grisly child murders, Ashley offers her services to the police for the free publicity. But as Ashley leads the police on a fruitless search around the small town of Green Beck, she catches a glimpse of those old ghosts of her childhood and, following them into the woods, she finds something she never expected: the corpse of the latest missing child.

The press fly into a frenzy and the police grow suspicious: either Ashley’s psychic abilities are real, or she is guilty of murder. Hounded by interviews and interrogations, Ashley teams up with Freddie Miller, a podcaster covering the crimes. As they investigate, Ashley realises that there’s no way to distance herself from these murders: whoever or whatever it is that’s haunting the Lakes is haunting her, too.

Master of unsettling suspense Jen Williams is back with another chilling, dark read that will draw readers into a gruesome and atmospheric nightmare.

 

In 2004, Ashley Whitelam was selected to visit the lavish Red Rigg house for an adventure at the home of the wealthy Lyndon-Smith family.  Every year they sponsor a program for the disadvantaged youth in the London area.  From the start, the place is creepy, but Ashley becomes friends with the daughter of their host.  She brushes aside her fear until the Heedful Ones (as she calls them) give her a vision of a fire.  She called her parents to beg them to come and get her.  Her mother accused Ashley of being ungrateful and refused to take her home early.  No one would listen to Ashley's warnings and assume it was a little craziness because she is homesick.  In the end, Ashley is the only survivor of the house fire.  The other children were all killed. 

This childhood trauma sets up Ashley's future.  She is the primary breadwinner for her family by scamming people desperate to talk to their dead loved ones.  Her father controls her venues, and her brother helps her pull off the deception.  However, even though we know Ashley's game, she is a likable character with a psychic gift that she doesn't use. 

I never know what to expect when I find a new author.  I'm thrilled that I tried this book by Jen Williams.  I liked the story, for the most part.  I found the narrative engaging, with a fair number of good guys and bad guys.  The dual timelines, 2004 and present day, are well done. 

When Ashley volunteers to help the police find The Gingerbread murderer, her past is revisited, and the police are suspicious of her knowledge.  She decides to work with Freddie, a true crimes podcaster, to find more clues. 

I suspected the murderer early in the story, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of following Ashley's growth and development.  I was disappointed that we didn't see Ashley's reconciliation with Freddie.

Although I liked the epilogue and seeing Ashley after the case was solved,

The Hungry Dark is filled with suspense, and the setting is eerie and well done, making Green Beck another scary character in the story. 

Emmy Fenney does an excellent job as the narrator.  She sets the stage and the darkness surrounding the story.  Her portrayal of the characters is fantastic, and how she lets the fear creep into her voice adds another dimension to the performance.  She also highlights the story's atmospheric weird and creepy elements.  Well Done! 

If you like ghost stories with a bit of drama, murder, and a slow-burn love story, The Hungry Dark is a book for you.  

 

#Netgalley

3.5 Stars