Under A Silent Moon

I am such a fan of this author. My favorite book will always be Into the Darkest Corner because it freaked me out and had such one liners I could remember, but this one is pretty good as well.

Under A Silent Moon - Elizabeth Haynes

Two women share one fate.

A suspected murder at an English Farm. A reported suicide at a local quarry.

Can DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather the evidence and discover a link between them, a link which sealed their fate one cold night, Under a Silent Moon?

A tense, compelling and unsettling novel mystery brimming with source material and evidence set over just six days, Under a Silent Moon will keep you gripped until the very last page and asks:

Can you connect the clues and name the Killer? 

In the crisp, early hours of an autumn morning, the police are called to investigate two deaths. The first is a suspected murder at a farm on the outskirts of a small village. A beautiful young woman has been found dead, her cottage drenched with blood. The second is a reported suicide at a nearby quarry. A car with a woman's body inside was found at the bottom of the pit.

As DCI Louisa Smith and her team gather evidence, they discover a shocking link between the two cases and the two deaths-a bond that sealed their terrible fates one cold night, under a silent moon.

In this first entry in a compelling new detective series, Elizabeth Haynes interweaves fictional primary source materials-police reports, phone messages, interviews-and multiple character viewpoints to create a sexy, edgy, and compulsively readable tale of murder, mystery, and unsettling suspense.

Interesting thing about this book is that not only do we switch character point of view, but we also have police reports to read. All of it weaves an intricate story, but it was just... mediocre. I hate saying this because I am such a fan of Elizabeth Haynes. I am so used to her stories being fast paced and keeping me on my toes and this just didn't do that for me. I knew who the killer was right away and piecing the story together was fun, it just took far longer than it should. It was a fairly slow story for me and maybe it's because information is repeated between story, dialogue and the police reports. 

Another thing that made it hard is that none of these characters are great. The development is good, they just don't come across as good folk, they all have issues that make them unlikeable. I will say that with her professional background, the author knows what she is doing when it comes to police investigations and the inner workings of case work. It reads very much like an episode of Law & Order. I will say Elizabeth's writing is really great 

Here is what is fascinating- there were a LOT of suspects for Polly's death. I should hope I don't have that many people who'd like to kill me all at once. Good grief. The police miss a LOT of pretty obvious clues or directions to go so it's frustrating because as a reader, I feel like I shouldn't be smarter than the police. 

Overall? I'd give it 3/5 stars. It certainly wasn't terrible, it's just not what I was expecting or what I was used to from this author. 

The Book of You

Oh lawd... this book was creepy. It was very reminiscent of Elizabeth Haynes' Into the Darkest Corner.

The Book of You - Claire Kendal

A mesmerizing tale of psychological suspense about a woman who must fight to escape an expert manipulator determined to possess her, Claire Kendal’s debut novel is a sophisticated and disturbing portrait of compulsion, control, and terror that will appeal to fans of Before I Go to Sleep, The Silent Wife, and Into the Darkest Corner.

His name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns. At the university where she works. Her favorite sewing shop. The train station. Outside her apartment. His messages choke her voice mail; his gifts litter her mailbox. Since that one regrettable night, his obsession with her has grown, becoming more terrifying with each passing day. And as Rafe has made clear, he will never let her go.

Clarissa’s only escape from this harrowing nightmare is inside a courtroom—where she is a juror on a trial involving a victim whose experiences eerily parallel her own. There she finds some peace and even makes new friends, including an attractive widower named Robert, whose caring attentions make her feel desired and safe. But as a disturbingly violent crime unfolds in the courtroom, Clarissa realizes that to survive she must expose Rafe herself. Conceiving a plan, she begins collecting the evidence of Rafe’s madness to use against him—a record of terror that will force her to relive every excruciating moment she desperately wants to forget. Proof that will reveal the twisted, macabre fairy tale that Rafe has spun around them . . . with an ending more horrifying than her darkest fears.

Masterfully constructed, filled with exquisite tension and a pervasive sense of menace, The Book of You explores the lines between love and compulsion, fantasy and reality, and offers a heart-stopping portrait of a woman determined to survive. Claire Kendal’s extraordinary debut will haunt readers long after it reaches its terrifying, breathtaking conclusion.

Clarissa makes a terrible choice to accept a drink from Rafe and her life will never be the same since. She is fresh out of an adulterous relationship where she tried so hard to get pregnant only to end up a failure. She has lost friends and credibility, but that leads her to a book reading where Rafe is. It all goes down hill from here. He stalks her, he terrifies her, and those around here think she's losing it. Simultaneously she is a juror on a case of a woman who was brutally raped and tortured. Both women felt they couldn't tell others because they each had unsavory things in their history which would pull their credibility into play. 

I was terrified for Clarissa. Half of the book is her diary entries and it's heartbreaking. You feel the fear she feels, you feel the escalation of Rafe's aggressiveness and yet.... you can't put this book down. I was reading this before bed this past weekend and I'll tell you I had the most terrifying dreams I have had in quite awhile. The only thing I could have done without is the growing relationship with one of her jurors. It turns intimate and to me, I kept thinking this is the WORST thing ever for a person in a position such as Clarissa. Engaging in this kind of relationship seems a bit reckless, but given her state of mind- it's not surprising. I didn't love the ending, it made me not really care for Clarissa. Except given her terrible her history with men, it makes sense. 

If you like a thriller, this is a good one for you. 

Requested Surrender

Talk about being totally late to THIS party. As it turns out, this is book four in the series but even if you are late to the party, it's fine. You'll catch on, just as I did.

Requested Surrender - Riley Murphy

She knows he’s dangerous for a woman like her.
He knows she’s perfect for a man like him.
From their first meeting, David Hollan is intrigued because Lacy Pembrook is subconsciously hiding someone. Herself. And David wants to know why. He’s patient at first. Willing to give her space, but when she breaks the rules they’ve set between them, he’s ready to hold her accountable. One way or another, he’s going to find the piece of her that’s yet to be uncovered. And when he does? He intends to own it.

Given an ultimatum after she got caught coloring outsides the lines of their “trial” relationship, Lacy decides to fall in with David’s plans. She’ll cancel her trip and spend her vacation time at his house making up for her transgression. No sweat, right? Wrong. What she doesn’t count on when she gets there is him going full-out Dom on her. She quickly learns why they call him the quiet one. He’s dead sexy, watchful and stern at the best of times, and now that he has her all to himself, each of those things are magnified tenfold.

By the time Lacy realizes that he’s completely subjugated her—by way of an emotional striptease—it’s too late. She’s bared her soul to him, so when he requests her surrender she has no choice but to give it to him. Or does she?

Can I just say it? I will because I can. I am kind of completely over the lead female in so many of these BDSM books having ridiculous trust issues. I expected Lacy to have some kind of severe trauma in her childhood to justify her unreal level of immaturity and lack of trust in David. But no. It's not even that traumatic. Is it terrible? Yes. Are her parents absolute assholes? Is her brother a jerk? Yes. Does all of that equal something would justify Lacy's ridiculousness? No. Not even a little bit. 

Now, having not read the previous three books, I feel like maybe I missed some key part of the book because honestly, David isn't much better. His issues with his ex, Elaina? Um, kind of lame. Maybe there is more to it mentioned in previous books but for what I read in this book? Lacy needs to calm the hell down. Slow your crazy train, lady. 

I also have found that almost every BDSM book I read are all copies of Fifty Shades of Gray. Maybe that also is following a script line that everyone else does, but they are all similar. Except this one is a little different because some of her "discipline" is basically him giving her orgasms. I don't know about you, but I would purposely do things wrong if that's the kind of discipline or punishment I'd receive. Sign me up and let me knock everything off this table just to get a double header. But we get the reluctant sub, the eager Dom, then she has trust issues, he gets angry and makes her leave, she tries to run away but oh god she loves him after all, and they make up. Blah. It's the same and it's so unfortunate. I have read other BDSM books that don't follow this prescription and they are great. So great that you almost want to figure out how you can find a secret room in your basement or something. 

While this book was certainly entertaining and the sex scenes were great (Are nipple clamps worth it? I don't know how anyone could say, "sign me up for those!" and really mean it.), and it'll be hard to put down because you do root for them, damn it all. I will say, David's habit of leaving trails of post-it notes with sexy clues and instructions is kind of hot. I mean, I'm saying the next time they are on sale I might pick up some. 

If you are in need of sexy time reading, pick this one up either at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

How are we still tornado dumb? And stress is catchy?

I'm sitting here watching news coverage of all of the violent storms working their way across the lower Midwest. It's tragic and so sad to see people lose their homes and families because of a natural disaster.

But.

It's 2014, we have lots of warning systems in place and we all know what to do in the event of a tornado. We know to go to our basement or to the center most point of your home, in a bath tub, etc. We know that if we are outside to go lay down in a ditch and cover your head to protect from flying debris. I can understand if you live in an area that does not normally have tornadoes and all of a sudden you're dealing with one. Panic would set in and it would be terrifying.

Except these people deal with several tornadoes every single year.

Yet.

They will still get in their car and try to out drive it, then they end up dead in their cars on the side of the road. People stand there saying they just can't believe it. Um, really? They got in a vehicle which would be the equivalent to a tin can in a wind storm, and we wonder why they died?

Then I am watching online interviews and some woman is wailing, asking why God is punishing them.

*sigh*

God isn't punishing you, tornadoes are a natural weather phenomenon that have gone on for all of time and will continue to do so long after you're gone. This right here is why we need to increase science education in schools because people still believe God is in charge of weather.
***

Also on the news was a study being conducted on the effects of stress and if we can pass our stress onto others.

Why is money wasted on stuff like this?

Of course stress is passed onto people. If you have a man losing his shit on the bus and you're seeing it, you will begin to feel anxious and have elevated heart rate. Think of every stressful situation you've witnessed- you will feel stressed out or at the bare minimum a level of anxiety and/or concern.

Yet, we waste money on this.

The Idea of Him (and pretty awesome giveaway!!)

You know why I picked this book to review? Because there is a LOT of buzz for it. It's all over Facebook, it has ads all over all of the book websites, Goodreads keeps including it in the "book you might like" feature, it's everywhere. So I'm like, obviously, I should read this.

The Idea of Him - Holly Peterson

Allie Crawford is a once aspiring screenwriter turned successful public relations executive, mother of two young children, and wife of a hotshot magazine editor whose power base spans the worlds of finance, fashion, culture, entertainment, and society. At 34, she finds herself at a crossroads: between the office and her home, her life has become an endless rotation of people pleasing-whether pulling rabbits out of hats for her mogul boss, entertaining advertisers and phony A-listers for her husband's magazine, or making elaborate costumes for children's school plays. At least, that is, until she meets a head turning, traffic stopping beauty at the bar of the famed Four Seasons Grill Room-where many of the novel's players regularly convene-and shortly thereafter finds the same woman and her husband in an apparently compromising position in her own apartment.

And so begins the story of two very different women bound by similar missions-to uncover the crimes and betrayals of various men in their lives and finally put their own interests front and center. For Allie this ultimately means leaving a husband who is ideal in theory but not in practice, and deciding to risk security for self-fulfillment and a new life on her own. Like so many women, Allie fell for the man she married when she was in her twenties only to realize years later that it wasn't him she fell for as much as it was the idea of him-the idea of a savior who would protect and provide and ferry her from her past into the future. But the guy who seemed so right at the time turned out to be nothing more than a fantasy.

Right off the bat, I will tell you that as I was reading this book I wanted to smack Allie up the head. Not only is she completely clueless to what her husband, and those around her, are doing, but she's kind of a moron. After realizing her life is basically a mess: her son is having friend issues at school and she wants to make it better, she can't give enough attention to her daughter Lucy, her husband isn't living up to being the partner and lover she needs or wants, work is a hot mess, and she's struggling in her screen play writing class. It's a lot for anyone to deal with, but us moms do it. All of the time. 

Enter Jackie, the self admitted mistress of Allie's husband, who for an unknown reason is trying to uncover the secret dealings of Wade (Allie's husband) and the other men in the tight knit swanky circle. She's sure it's dangerous and illegal, and though she regrets sleeping with Wade knowing he was married, she decides to warn Allie. She's really cloak and dagger about it, not giving clear or full answers to Allie's questions and frankly- I'm still not sure why Allie would keep meeting with her. Jackie's character is a bit bizarre and even though you do find out why she's so involved at the end, it felt kind of lame. Like it wasn't really thought out and it was a quick way to tie up the loose end of her character. 

But Allie is no saint here. She meets Tommy, a fellow student in her writing class who she is attracted to. She gets dangerously close to the affair line with him and we see her inner struggle. Sure, she's married and has vows to uphold. At the same time, who really cares because Wade clearly doesn't care? He just can't keep it in his pants to save his life, so why should she deny herself? Then we have James, the man she declares her soul mate and her inner struggles with not picking him when she could have. I also think the entire James story line had good intentions, but honestly could be completely left out because it was pointless. 

Anyways. 

I got to the end of the book and it was alright, it certainly isn't the best chick lit I have read but it also wasn't the worst. There are several areas that could be cut out completely because they don't add to the story in a meaningful way, but this would be ideal as a beach read. But easily, the most interesting thing was at the end I realized how similar to Allie I actually am. In the book Jackie essentially encourages Allie to just have sex with Tommy and be done with it. But Allie knows herself, she isn't a one time and be done. She's a one time and want more and fall in love kind of girl. She can't have no strings attached relationships, she needs those strings. Even her declaration to James that she really can't do it without him hit home. She doesn't always take into consideration that with her waffling, others get hurt. I know, especially when I was younger, I was scared to even date anyone. I knew I would have my heart broken and I knew it would be awful and I didn't trust myself to just be cool and handle it. So I just didn't date. I didn't date until my senior year of high school. Well, the summer before my senior year. I had such low expectations of guys that I figured even if it didn't work out it would be fine, I wasn't that invested. At times I feel like Matt doesn't fully know me, I give him just enough. I give everyone just enough. It's something interesting for me to ponder, to say the least. 

Giveaway time!!

One lucky winner (US only) will win one copy of the book and one really amazing Andrea Schroder candle. (Also connect with Andrea on Twitter HERE) 

Leave a comment on this post WITH YOUR EMAIL by Friday, May 2! I will draw a winner that evening. 

To get more information on the author, Holly Peterson, head over to her website, Facebook and/or Twitter! 

An Unexpected Sin

Just be prepared- I am on a romance novel run as of late. You're going to see quite a few reviews come up in the next few weeks. What can I say? I was in a mood when I organized reviews.

An Unexpected Sin -  Sarah Ballance

Colonial Salem
 
The moment the stranger's dark eyes meet hers, Anne Scudder's world is immediately overthrown by chaos. That single flare of desire is immediate, driving away all notions of propriety. Instead, Anne is consumed with sinful thoughts - ones that no unmarried girl should ever have for a man who isn't her husband... 

But Josiah Cromwell is no stranger. 

It's been six years since Josiah stole kisses from Anne, his best friend's younger sister. Six years since Josiah left after his best friend's death, burdened by the knowledge that he was responsible for destroying Anne's family. Now he's returned to claim the woman he can't live without. But even as their desire threatens to consume them both - body and soul - the dark workings of suspicion and witchcraft are afoot. 

Because in Salem, too much passion can lead a woman to ruin... and condemned to death.

I keep trying historical romances because I have friends who swear by them but I don't know- I just can't get into them. Maybe it's the dialogue, maybe it's being chaste but wanting to really let go anyways, I don't know. One thing that did get me to stick with it was the secondary story line of witch craft in Colonial Salem, something that I've always found fascinating. 

The story centers around Anne and Josiah. Anne loses her brother to a tragic incident years ago. Josiah, her brother's best friend and the man Anne loves, is essentially banished because of that and his own mother's death, he's believed to be the reason for both. Fast forward a few years and Josiah returns and their love story picks up from there. Anne wants nothing but Josiah, but Josiah fears that once her parents know his true identity (because he's working for them now but they don't recognize him), they would never give their blessing for Anne to marry him. Never mind that Anne is fearful of the witchcraft accusations so she needs to be careful in her own actions. Also add in Anne's grandmother who essentially doesn't speak but periodically says random and cryptic things to Anne and Josiah, and Anne's mother seems determined to not let Anne figure out what's going on. We, of course, do find out what the grandmother is alluding to and I kind of pieced that together as the story went on. Not all is what it seems and that's OK. 

It's not the greatest romance I've read, but as far as historical romance goes it's fairly solid. If you are a fan of historical romance, you would likely really enjoy this one. 

You can find this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and at the time I'm typing this- it was on sale for $.99. The author, Sara Ballance, has a website and a blog as well that you should check out if you are in the market for other historical romances or want to learn more about her. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Secrets and Sins: Raphael

You guys. If you know anything about me, you know one of my most favorite authors is Linda Howard. I don't even care what the story is about, but if she writes it, I'm all over it- just take all of my money.

This?

This is everything I love about Linda Howard... just a different author. LOVE

Secrets and Sins: Raphael

When Greer Addison finds her future husband in bed with another woman, she runs…right into the arms of dark and dangerous Raphael Marcel. Angry and hurt, she throws caution to the wind 
and spends a hot night with the sexy security specialist. But when her fiancé is found dead, Greer becomes the main suspect of a crime she can’t remember. 

Raphael is stunned and suspicious when Greer shows up on his doorstep claiming she’s carrying his baby. Worse, she’s the target of a stalker bent on making her pay for a murder she doesn’t recall. As Raphael begins to trust Greer, they must race against the clock to uncover a killer. 
Because Greer’s memory is returning...

Actually, this is very similar to a Linda Howard story which is maybe why I loved it so much. We have Greer, our really upset over her fiance cheating on her with her friend, also has a terrible family who basically are the worst assholes ever. Then we have Raphael (Rafe) who runs a security firm, is sexy as hell, but also has childhood demands and issues from his past that prevent him going after Greer the way he wants to. 

THEN!

Greer finds ex-fiance dead, she has amnesia from being knocked out cold after she finds him, someone is clearly after her, and Rafe is the person she runs to. Which (dun, dun, dun) he is stunned to learn she is pregnant with his baby after a really hot one night stand in the back of the car but that drums up old hurt from a previous relationship so he starts being a douchebag to her and she just takes it. 

*sigh*

Don't fret pets, Rafe does come around and things end well, but not before we find out who the killer is and why. I will tell you I figured out who it was almost immediately and maybe that's because I have read so many romance novels that center around the same plot. It doesn't even matter though, because this book keeps you engaged the entire time. Rafe is amazingly sexy, Greer isn't a baby that is all, "my life suck so bad, everyone feel sorry for me", and then you have murder happening. Overall? Pretty solid romance novel. It's everything we expect in a romance and more. I loved it.