Review: Shadow of Intrigue (Lantern Beach Romantic Suspense #2) by Christy Barritt

About the Book

For her entire life, Lisa Garth has felt like a supporting character in the drama of life. The designation never bothered her—until now. Lantern Beach, where she’s settled and runs a popular restaurant, has boarded up for the season. The slower pace leaves her with too much time alone.

Braden Dillinger came to Lantern Beach to try to heal. The former Special Forces officer returned from battle with invisible scars and diminished hope. But his recovery is hampered by the fact that an unknown enemy is trying to kill him.

From the moment Lisa and Braden meet, danger ignites around them, and both are drawn into a web of intrigue that turns their lives upside down. As shadows creep in, will Lisa and Braden be able to shine a light on the peril around them? Or will the encroaching darkness turn their worst nightmares into reality?

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

Shadow of Intrigue is the second book in the Lantern Beach Romantic Suspense series. If you haven't read any of the other Lantern Beach books, that's fine. This book stands alone great.

I think I like Lisa even more after this book. She's sweet and super likeable. She was my favorite supporting character in the Lantern Beach Mysteries so it was great to finally get her story. She's this quirky chef who comes up with all kinds of unique flavor combinations that just somehow work and are totally delicious. I want her to be my friend. She's awesome.

Braden was an interesting character. He's paranoid but has every right to be. Someone's trying to kill him. There's been multiple attempts on his life and with his memory acting up, he feels like he's losing his mind and starts to wonder what's real and what's not. I really liked him. He's struggling but trying so hard to overcome it all. I couldn't help but root for him.

Shadow of Intrigue was a little slower paced than previous books but in no way does that mean it was any less great. I really enjoyed this trip back to Lantern Beach and can't wait to visit it again soon!

Four Stars

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Prose and Cons (A Magical Bookshop Mystery #2) by Amanda Flower

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring a fun cozy mystery that I recently finished - Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower.

About the Book

Magic, books, and cats collide in a village near Niagara Falls in the latest mystery from the author of Crime and Poetry...
 
In Cascade Springs, New York, Violet Waverly and her grandma, Daisy, are the proprietors of Charming Books, where the power of the written word is positively enchanting...
 
October in Cascade Springs means tourists are pouring in for the annual Food and Wine Festival, and Daisy hopes to draw those crowds to the store. She asks Violet and the local writing group, the Red Inkers, to give a reading of the works of Edgar Allan Poe in the shop’s back garden to entertain the revelers. Everyone eagerly agrees.

Yet their enthusiasm is soon extinguished when Violet discovers one of the writers dead during the event. After the shop magically tells Violet she’ll need to rely on Poe’s works to solve the murder, she enlists the help of her trusty tuxedo cat, Emerson, and the shop’s crow, Faulkner. But they must act fast before someone else’s heart beats nevermore...

Book Beginning

A petite teenage girl stood in front of the display of sports biographies that was tucked away in a small corner of the bookshop Charming Books, which I co-owned with my grandma Daisy in the village of Cascade Springs, New York, and chewed on her lip.

Friday 56

I blinked as if to make sure I wasn't imagining the dead woman at my feet.

What have you been reading lately?

Review: Mark of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga #1) by Morgan L. Busse

About the Book

Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person's dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate.

As she discovers her family's dark secret, Selene is torn between upholding her family's legacy--a legacy that supports her people--or seeking the true reason behind her family's gift.

Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who will also bring about the downfall of her own house.

One path holds glory and power, and will solidify her position as Lady of Ravenwood. The other path holds shame and execution. Which will she choose? And is she willing to pay the price for the path chosen? 

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

I loved Morgan L. Busse's Soul Chronicles and got so excited when I saw that she had a new series coming out. I couldn't wait to dive into it. I was expecting to really enjoy Mark of the Raven and, I've gotta say, it exceeded all expectations and was even better than I thought it'd be. It's fast-paced and I couldn't read it quickly enough. I ended up neglecting everything else and read the last quarter of the book in one sitting.

There was a lot of pressure on Selene to restore House Ravenwood to it's former glory. She's extremely conflicted about how her family's gift is used. She feels a deep sense of wrong but to not use her gift would send her family and their people into ruin. It's such a dilemma for her. The journey she goes on to discovering herself is truly captivating.

And Damien! Oh my! He's such a good and noble guy, always looking to do the right thing even when it's the most difficult thing to do. He's definitely one of my favorite leading men that I've read about lately.

The characters were so great. All of them, even the minor ones, were distinct and fully fleshed out, seeming like real people I could easily picture in my mind.

A near-perfect fantasy, Mark of the Raven is not to be missed. I wish I could give it more than five stars; it was just that good. And with that ending, goodness, I need the next book, like, right now!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Five Stars

Can't Wait Wednesday: Mind Games (Kaely Quinn Profiler #1) by Nancy Mehl

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm featuring Mind Games (Kaely Quinn Profiler #1) by Nancy Mehl releasing December 4, 2018.

About the Book
Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.

When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.

Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else--including Kaely herself--is killed.

Why I Need It

I'm always on the lookout for new romantic suspense and this one sounds like it's right up my alley. Kaely's job as an FBI behavior analyst is really interesting and the fact that she's the daughter of a serial killer adds another layer of intrigue.

What upcoming release are you excited about?

Review: Wait for Me (Montana Rescue Book #6) Susan May Warren

About the Book

Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, a series of mistakes on the job have cost lives, and Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he's no longer interested. When a terrible fight between them sparks an impulsive decision, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw. And just when she thinks things couldn't get any worse, she and Esme are taken captive and into the untamed Montana wilderness—with murderous intent.

Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man. Pete will have to use everything he's learned to find Jess and Esme—and pray that his past mistakes don't cost him the life of the woman he can't stop loving. 

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

Wait for Me is the conclusion to Susan May Warren's exciting Montana Rescue series. I'm sad that this is the end. It's become one of my favorite series and I'm gonna miss these characters who've come to feel like friends to me. But, wow, what a way to end!

This is finally Jess and Pete's story. They've had an off and on relationship since the first book and I've been so anxious for them to settle things once and for all. And my goodness, this book brought all the feels! It was almost impossible to put down. There was so much suspense and a foreboding sense of danger. The stakes felt higher. There were twists and turns that I did not see coming. I couldn't read it fast enough.

I seriously can't recommend this series highly enough. It's perfect for anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

Five Stars

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Shadow of Intrigue (Lantern Beach Romantic Suspense #2) by Christy Barritt

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring the newest release from Christy Barritt - Shadow of Intrigue.

About the Book

For her entire life, Lisa Garth has felt like a supporting character in the drama of life. The designation never bothered her—until now. Lantern Beach, where she’s settled and runs a popular restaurant, has boarded up for the season. The slower pace leaves her with too much time alone.

Braden Dillinger came to Lantern Beach to try to heal. The former Special Forces officer returned from battle with invisible scars and diminished hope. But his recovery is hampered by the fact that an unknown enemy is trying to kill him.

From the moment Lisa and Braden meet, danger ignites around them, and both are drawn into a web of intrigue that turns their lives upside down. As shadows creep in, will Lisa and Braden be able to shine a light on the peril around them? Or will the encroaching darkness turn their worst nightmares into reality?

Book Beginning

Lisa Garth trudged up the wooden outdoor steps, propping a paper bag full of groceries on her hip.

What a day.

What a week, for that matter.

Friday 56

As he glanced at the muffin, his gaze skimmed his hands.

His bruised hands.

He stretched out his fingers and examined the wounds there.

What had happened last night to injure his hands like this?

What have you been reading lately?

Review: Dead Spots (Scarlett Bernard #1) by Melissa F. Olson

About the Book

Scarlett Bernard knows about personal space: step within ten feet of her, and anything supernatural is instantly neutralized—vampires and werewolves become human again, and witches can’t cast the slightest spell. Scarlett uses her status as a null to cover up crime scenes for Los Angeles’s three most powerful magical communities, helping them keep humanity, and the LAPD, in the dark.

One night Scarlett gets caught at the scene of a grisly murder by the all-too-human LAPD cop Jesse Cruz, who blackmails her into a deal: he’ll keep quiet about the supernatural underworld if she helps him crack the case. Their pact doesn’t sit well with Dashiell, the city’s chief vampire, who fears his whole empire is at stake. And when the clues start to point to Scarlett herself, it’ll take more than her unique powers to catch the real killer and clear her name.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed Melissa F. Olson's Boundary Magic series and have been meaning to go back and read her Scarlett Bernard series for awhile now. Dead Spots, the first installment, is so good!

Scarlett is a “null” meaning all magic and supernatural beings lose their power when she's within ten feet of them. It's quite the interesting ability. Some people find it very useful while others are very leery of it. Because of this Scarlett often finds herself in some interesting situations, but she's a strong and capable young woman who has learned to handle any situation she's thrown into.

There is a love triangle which I don't normally enjoy and I can't say that this one has changed my mind. Both guys are great which just makes things more difficult. I'm curious to see this play out, but I'm not the biggest fan of this plot point.

Dead Spots wasn't my favorite of Olson's books but I still really enjoyed it and will definitely be continuing the series. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy.

NOTE: This book does contain some strong language.

Four Stars