Thursday, September 17, 2015

Thrill Me by Susan Mallery

Maya Farlow learned the hard way to depend only on herself, so when she fell too deeply for the bad-boy charms of Del Mitchell, she did the only thing she could—she ran. Stunned, Del left Fool's Gold to make his name and fortune in extreme sports. Now ten years later, Maya's been hired to promote her hometown's new slogan, The Destination for Romance. The celebrity spokesman is none other than Del, the man she dumped but never forgot. Awkward!

Although Del's not the type to hold a grudge, he's determined to avoid falling a second time for the woman who broke his heart. He's a daredevil, not an idiot. Trouble is, in all his adventures, he never found a rush as exhilarating as Maya's kiss. Maybe risking his heart will prove to be the biggest thrill of all


REVIEW:
I really enjoyed this latest entry in the Fool's Gold series, mostly I think because it was just such a sweet and believable story. I loved that neither character was holding long-term grudges for youthful actions, and that both seemed capable of reacting to one another as adults. I also loved that neither character was looking to settle down with a nice house and a white picket fence- finally a couple that are seeking travel and adventure! Even the sometimes overly-quirky characters were toned down to seem sweetly eccentric rather than full-on nutters. Highly recommended!

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Devoted in Death by J.D. Robb

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D...

Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.

As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve...


REVIEW:
This was a solid addition to a series that has been a bit uneven as late. I enjoyed the addition of Deputy Banner and the additional insights into Eve's police colleagues in the aftermath of the last book. I missed Trina, Charles, and Mavis though- not even a cameo here for fans. The story lacked some of the urgency that I felt during the Groom investigation (which has certain race-against-the-clock similarities to this book), but I still couldn't put it down once I started reading. I'm not sure how this would work as a stand-alone as so much inside knowledge is necessary to understand some of the subtleties of the characters, but I'm definitely glad to see a series that I love feel like it is getting back on track!