Scandalous in Huntington Beach

Love Is a Beach, #3

by

Melody DeBlois

Rich and satisfying secret baby and a second chance at love story.

Scandalous in Huntington Beach is the third book in author Melody DeBlois’s Love Is a Beach women’s fiction series, and it features the single father of a surprise secret baby. Senate hopeful Bennett Browning is surprised to discover he’s the father of a baby girl when his former girlfriend, Rachel, passes away. Wanting to do the right thing and be the perfect father to this tiny being he never even knew existed, he’s still woefully unprepared for the day-to-day of caring for an infant when Social Services hands the baby over. But like a miracle, Emma Kuan, Rachel’s older sister, offers to act as nanny to her newly-discovered niece, and the immediate emergency is quelled. But as Bennett and Emma spend time together, bonding over their shared grief for Rachel and love for baby Madelynn Grace, life takes an unexpected turn for them all. 

The main characters, Bennett, Emma, and Madelynn Grace, absolutely stole my heart! Strangers to each other on page one, they slowly form a new family (and puppy makes four) from their starting point of an expedient business arrangement as their life priorities change. You can’t help but hope for the best and their relationship to become a love match. 

The story, though, is more complex and nuanced than initially imagined. Both Bennett and Emma have complicated pasts as children, and trust issues must be overcome before they can create a new life with new dreams. They experienced setbacks and breakthroughs that had all my emotions engaged on their way to their HEA. 

I recommend SCANDALOUS IN HUNTINGTON BEACH to readers of women’s fiction, contemporary romance, especially those who enjoy a satisfying second-chance romance or secret baby theme. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

Operation Nightfall:

The Web of Spies

by

Karl Wegener

An exciting espionage thriller set in post-WWII Poland.

Operation Nightfall: The Web of Spies is the second of Karl Wegener’s riveting post-WWII spy thrillers featuring Major Casper Lehman and Luba Haas. In this adventure, the focus is on Poland and the underdog national resistance fighting the Soviet takeover in the aftermath of the war. When the British intelligence service wireless monitors pick up a transmission from a dormant undercover operative they’d long thought as lost, it opens doors for Lehman and Haas to assist the Polish Home Army, who are hiding in the forests and hills fighting a clandestine, guerilla war against their brutal Soviet oppressors. Meanwhile, a skilled Soviet military investigator is on the trail of the resurrected in-country operative, and it is a race to see which side will get to them first. 

This story hits the ground running with a surprise ambush of a Soviet military convoy, and it never lets up. The plot is tense as Ada Bialik, the embedded operative, comes out of obscurity to bolster the efforts of the hidden Home Army insurgents. To cover her intentions, she takes a position as the new kindergarten teacher in the small town of Puck, and, naturally, she is under constant scrutiny. With only her instincts to guide her on who she can trust, she successfully connects with the leader of the local cell of resistance and contacts her handlers on the outside. Back in Bremen,  Casper Lehman and Luda Haas scramble to authenticate Bialik’s identity as she was one of Luda’s assets recruited during the war. 

What a satisfying and surprising story! I was immersed in the tale from the very start, courtesy of the author’s absolutely cinematic descriptions and suspenseful action sequences. The danger felt ever-present and was hammered home with graphic but believably realistic scenes of warfare carnage and personal violence. The details of the spycraft involved were mesmerizing and gave the entire story a robust realism and weight. The characters are well-drawn, and I quickly became engaged in their situations and invested in the successful completion of their missions. I am sadly ignorant of Poland’s history, so this story was an emotional surprise and covered new ground for me. 

As mentioned, this is the second book about some of these characters, but readers should be able to easily read and enjoy this book on its own as I did. I look forward to reading the previous novel and more of this author’s work. 

I recommend OPERATION NIGHTFALL: THE WEB OF SPIES to readers of historical fiction, especially those interested in stories about the aftermath of World War II and Poland. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through RABT Book Tours and PR.

Face of Greed

Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, #1

by

James L’Etoile

Authentic feeling police procedural with a strong investigative team.

When a wealthy businessman is killed and his wife injured in a home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are tasked with the investigation. The mayor and chief of police, both acquainted with the couple, put undue pressure on the team to close the high-profile case as quickly as possible while also serving as roadblocks to finding the answers they need. What initially looks like a crime of opportunity, a simple home invasion gone desperately wrong, may be something much more sinister. 

Face of Greed is the first book in author James L’Etoile’s Detective Emily Hunter Mystery series, and it quickly establishes the main character as a strong, talented, and capable female protagonist. Emily’s story not only hits the ground running with a murder investigation but may also hit close to home with the many readers who are struggling with caring for an aging parent. 

Besides Emily’s considerable strengths, she is joined by a compatible partner in Detective Javier Medina. The rapport between these two was comfortable, and I felt like a deep-held trust multiplied their effectiveness as a team. Their dialogue was snappy, and their ability to communicate with each other had already progressed to certain “looks” even though they’d only been paired a mere six months. 

The author did a great job laying out an authentic feeling police procedural without getting readers bogged down in the minutia. Emily and Javier make all the right moves, and some subtle commentary is sprinkled in as internal dialogue explaining why certain things were done the way they were. Having both the mayor and the chief of police majorly involved in the conduct of the investigation created a constant overhanging shadow, adding extra edginess to the situation. The disconnect between the police administration and boots on the ground compounded the tension. I greatly enjoyed the story, made more complex with additional subplots, and was completely absorbed in trying to solve the case along with the characters. I also enjoyed the Sacramento, California, setting, which was a nice change from the usual locations of LA, San Francisco, or some fictional small town. 

I recommend FACE OF GREED to mystery readers who like police procedurals, strong female protagonists, or an off-the-beaten-path but a genuine California setting. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Deathwish

Superhero, #2

by

Justin Richman

Fast-paced and exciting, Adam's a regular guy with superhuman ability, and his story may be better than the debut of the super series.

Adam's body has the unexplainable ability to heal itself almost instantaneously, and he's been supplementing his income from his retail position by fighting for money in the alley behind his best friend's bar. But one night, after an encounter in Decker City with the vigilante crimefighter known as The Gray Hood, he begins to consider the possibility that he, too, could put his special ability to better use. After he loses his day job, he goes on a ride-along with a police friend, Lt. Shane Cranston, and Adam's smitten: he wants to fight crime. 

At this time, Decker City is a hotbed of violence and criminal activity, but Adam's hometown, nearby Mapleton, is fairly quiet until Adam and Shane get involved in some of Decker City's investigations. Suddenly, both their lives are on the line, and Adam is finding out firsthand how much damage his body can take and still come back. 

Deathwish is the second novel in author Justin Richman's great new Superhero series, and I believe it is even better than his debut outing. It's a fast-paced, exciting, and entertaining story about a regular guy with a superhuman ability to heal even his most grievous wounds instantly. Adam was dealt a tough hand when the ability was discovered and has really been on his own his whole life. I really liked the clever and snarky guy, even his (at times) "Dad joke" dialogue. He's an extrovert and ready to take action, shake things up, and make things work. I loved that he jumped into action even as bullets were flying, knowing absolutely nothing about what he was doing or heading into. I laughed out loud quite a bit and would have read this book cover to cover in one sitting if I hadn't had to deal with real life. 

As in Richman's first Superhero book, there are some great secondary and supporting characters. Shane Cranston, Adam's friendly connection in the Mapleton PD, is a nice guy who is good at this job and genuinely tries to help the wayward Adam find his way. The same can be said for Adam's best friend, Chuck, who is the only other person who knows Adam's secret. I liked Adam's flirtation with Kate Phillips and would love to see that go somewhere for Adam. However, there is a particularly interesting lock-picking officer, Liz McKenzie, who would be fun to get to know better. 

I also enjoyed the crossover between this and book one, The Silver Hood. Usually, a series will maintain the same setting throughout, but in the second Superhero book, we're actually in a nearby city. It was interesting to see the towns all used the same radio dispatcher until Decker City got so busy and crime-riddled that they had to set up a separate system. It was reasonably true to life regarding the lack of cooperation and exchange of information that can arise between agencies. I appreciated that the author didn't let Shane and Adam "poach" on Decker City's jurisdiction without the DC PD initially asking for assistance and, later, the two rightfully anticipating repercussions for overstepping. 

The action in the story is steady, with exciting, almost frantic moments regularly kicking the pace up a notch (to "Eleven"). A major plot twist made me exclaim aloud; I was that surprised. There is a bit of a cliffhanger ending, and there are still some shadowy things and people lurking in the background that predict this author has much more planned! There is also an intriguing explanation for how Adam acquired his unique healing ability.

 With its entertaining premise and non-stop excitement and action, I recommend DEATHWISH to readers who enjoy fantastic superhero tales. (This book has some death and destruction and drinking, but no drugs or "kissing scenes," if that is a consideration for sharing with a younger audience.) 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

Dragon of Denmark

Valiant Vikings, #1

by

Jennifer Ivy Walker

Exciting and enthralling start to this new historical romance series.

Dragon of Denmark is the first book in author Jennifer Ivy Walker’s new Valiant Vikings historical romance series and what a fabulous beginning it is! Engaging, sympathetic characters, a history-rich plot with a wonderful romance, and paranormal mythical elements combine for a fantastic story that I didn’t want to end! 

The main characters, Ylsa Rikardsdðttir and Skårde Haraldsson, come from different worlds but have much in common. Both the illegitimate children of 10^th-century political heavy hitters, they are forced together to forge an alliance between their people. She’s a Druidic priestess and Celtic healer, the daughter of a Breton healer and Viking conqueror Richard the Fearless. When Richard abandoned Ylsa and her mother for a more advantageous Christian marriage, they became village outcasts, the symbol to their former neighbors of their Viking subjugation. Reading of her younger days was heartwrenching as she and her mother were both blamed for a situation, not of their making. I loved the descriptions of her preparations of herbal remedies and potions, learning magical spells and skills from Úlvhild, and her devotion to Divona and the visions she experienced. 

Skårde is the son of Harald Bluetooth, the King of Denmark, and a captured concubine. Although reared to lead his people, the heir to his father’s throne, when the king marries, and the union produces another son, Skårde is set aside in favor of the now legitimate heir. Skårde, though, decides to excel in the service of his father and his people as their greatest warrior. But when he’s promised to wed to seal a political alliance in far-off Normandy, he’s deeply hurt, outraged, knowing he’s being sent to the far reaches of his father’s influence to neutralize his potential as a threat to much younger half-brother’s future. Skårde is an accomplished warrior and leader of men who has never been interested in colonizing or farming, let alone matrimony, and feels dishonored and trapped. However, he, once again, steps up to the plate. I loved his studied acceptance of this and Ylsa’s shared fate, his kindness and gentle, surprising gestures of understanding of her fears, and the scorching kisses they share early on as he and his bride begin to learn about each other. I especially enjoyed how Skårde’s grandmother, Gyda, and her people did so much to ease Ylsa’s feelings throughout this arranged and unwanted marriage, taking her under their wings as if she were one of their own. 

Besides romance, the plot is filled with intrigue, suspenseful political machinations, myth, and magic, putting everyone in danger. The expansive cast of characters includes fictional and historical figures, and the descriptions of life at that time and in those places of the story were vivid and immersive. I didn’t want anything to interrupt me while I was reading, first because of all the interesting, detailed world-building and then because I was so caught up in what was going to happen with these characters that I’d become so invested. 

I recommend DRAGON OF DENMARK to readers of historical fiction who enjoy mythical, magical, and paranormal elements, as well as those who enjoyed the recent Viking series on television. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.