Review: Through the Fire by Katie Ruggle

Through the Fire (Rocky MountainK9 Unit #4) by Katie Ruggle
Publication date: August 28th 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
My rating:  3.5 Stars
Pages: 416
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He's tall.
He's dark.
He's brutally handsome...
And he may be her only hope.

Kit Jernigan despairs of ever fitting in with her new tight-knit K9 unit—they've been through too much to welcome a stranger. So when a killer strikes, it's a fight to convince her fellow officers to trust her long enough to catch the woman she knows is responsible.

She can't do it on her own. What she needs most is a partner: local fire spotter Wesley March.

Wes knows in his heart that Kit is right, and he's willing to leave his lonely tower to help her prove it. But the more time they spend together, the hotter the fire smolders...and the more danger they're in. A member of the K9 unit's inner circle is determined to have her revenge—no matter who gets burned in the process.

This time, it's personal.

My Thoughts:

Kit has moved up to Monroe, Colorado to get away from a bad situation in her previous job as an officer with K9 companion.  But Kit doesn’t realize the drama that’s gone on in Monroe since she’s applied for and accepted her position.  It’s obvious when she first starts that it’ll be a while before her fellow officers accept and trust her, and this is a bit discouraging to Kit. They all seem to love her bloodhound Justice, though.  Then there’s Elena, also a new arrival who sets off all kinds of alarms.  Her damsel-in-distress act doesn’t fool Kit one bit, but just about everyone else including her fellow officers seems to buy her act. Despite some of these obstacles Kit is determined to work hard and gain trust. Plus, there’s Wes a gorgeous, but awkward forest ranger, as she’s arrived in to town doesn’t hurt. 

Really liked Kit and Wes.  The way she just got Wes and found him to be so utterly attractive even with his awkward social interactions.  Wes was immediately attracted to Kit and was over the moon that she didn’t seem repelled by his lack of social skills.  She seemed to understand and accommodate the fact he got overwhelmed in a group.  AND (!) he didn’t fall prey to Elena’s helpless girl act was a huge positive in my book!

Loved the relationship Kit had with her adorable bloodhound K9 tracker partner, Justice, and that she was willing to help Sam with his training of Fifi, another bloodhound.

I’ve really enjoyed Katie Ruggle’s romantic suspense stories, and her Rocky Mountain K9 Unit has been filled with thrills and danger! I had fun with Through the Fire, but I wasn’t pleased that Kit’s concerns over Elena were ignored or brushed aside. It seemed unbelievable in a few instances. Didn’t like that it took so long for the guys to believe Kit after enough red flags pointed Elena’s direction. Just the fact that Sam didn’t like her should’ve registered with Jules and the gang!  Still, the fact that I loved the awkward and sweet romance between Kit and Wes made up for the disappointment.

 

Review& Giveaway: Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) by Ilona Andrews
Publication date: August 28th 2018
Publisher: Ace
My rating:  4.5 Stars
Pages: 336
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Mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear in this epic, can't-miss entry in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series.

Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.

Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later, a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows their time is up.

Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.

For her child.

For Atlanta.

For the world. 

My Thoughts:

Magic Triumphs!  Wow! I closed the book thinking wow, I can’t believe this is the last book! But after being disappointed by the ending of another favorite series (I’m looking at you Iron Druid!) I was soooo happy Magic Triumphs does not disappoint!  So much to love here!  Conlan!  Too cute!!!  Hugh, Julie, Derek, and of course, Curran! That’s not to say that I’m not sad that the series is over, but I do have hopes of spin-offs with Hugh, Julie, Derek and though I thought I’d never say this, Kate’s morally ambiguous Aunt Erra!  

As with the previous books Magic Triumphs has its own mystery/conflict, along with the continuing story arc of Roland (Kate’s father) and his mission to kill or subject Kate to his will.  Kate must put aside all her other investigations when a whole neighborhood just disappears, 200 residents just gone.  What’s left over is sickening and extremely disturbing and you know things will only get worse. As if that wasn’t bad enough word comes in that Roland is gathering his troops, getting ready to invade.  Is Kate and her allies ready for this final battle?

Kate is the star of the show, always facing insurmountable odds and coming out on top with crafty thinking, sheer determination, and a shit-ton of power! I love that she always finds humor and snark even in the most desperate situations.  Her friends defend and stick with her because she inspires love and loyalty.  Curran comes a close second, as Kate’s husband and mate, he’s fierce in his devotion and love for her, and he is one sexy-beast!  Curran is a scary power in his own right, not a force to be reckoned with.  These two together have taken on sooo much over the course of the series, but in this book everything has come to a head. 

If you haven’t read the Kate Daniels series this is seriously the time to pick it up! All the books are out now, and this is one of my all-time favorite series out there! Epic battles, a wealth of amazing secondary characters, snarky, fun humor, and bizarre but cute animals!  Start at the beginning and hang on.  Each book only gets better!

Connect with Ilona Andrews:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

The lovely people of Ace have generously provided a copy of Magic Bites (the first book of the Kate Daniels series) to one lucky reader.  The giveaway is open to US Residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Review: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Pieces of Her by Karen Slaughter
Publication date: August 21st 2018
Publisher: William Morrow
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 480
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What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all . . . ?

Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?

But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.

The police want answers and Laura’s innocence is on the line, but she won’t speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them. . . .

My Thoughts:

Andrea, just turning thirty-one has been living a kind of pathetic, stagnant life, but things get very interesting on her birthday lunch! Out with her mother, Laura, they’re caught up in a dangerous situation and the predictable, reliable mother she thought she knew turns into a cool-as-a-cucumber woman handling the deadly situation like she’s a trained professional.  

The details of the situation are splashed all over the media, and with the public attention details of Andrea’s mother begin to surface.  Soon it becomes clear that they’re both in extreme danger.  Andrea’s forced on the run trying to reconcile the past of her mother she thought she knew with the reality that she’s now piecing together. 

Mystery, deception, and danger make Pieces of Her a riveting read!  The story flips back and forth from Laura’s past to Andrea’s present, slowly revealing why Andrea and Laura are in such danger now. I have to say my first impression of Andrea was not great, in fact I really wanted to shake her a time or two!  But she stepped up her game when the pressure cranked up!  Andrea still had a couple of bouts of stupidity here and there, but I can’t say I’d do any better in the situation with the lack of sleep.  I really liked Andrea by the end.

Some of Laura’s life choices in the past were shocking, and I had mixed feelings about her, but Karin Slaughter has a way of making you empathize with her characters even when they’re life decisions are morally questionable or downright wrong.

I love Karin Slaughter’s addictive brand of story-telling!  She writes imperfect characters that you can relate to even when their lives are so far out of your normal perspective. I LOVE her Will Trent series to death, but her stand-alones, like The Good Daughter and now Pieces of Her are impressive!  I read all 480 pages within a 24-hour period because it was hard to put down!

 

Review & Giveaway: Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins

Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins
Publication date: August 7th 2018
Publisher: Berkley
My rating:  4 Stars
Pages: 480
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD | Kobo

New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins is beloved for her heartfelt novels filled with humor and wisdom. Now, in her newest novel, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT, she tackles an issue every woman deals with: body image and self-acceptance.

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults.

For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it’s coming to terms with the survivor’s guilt she’s carried around since her twin sister’s death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it’s about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother’s and brother’s ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her.

But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson’s dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves.

A novel of compassion and insight, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT tells the story of two women who learn to embrace themselves just the way they are. 

My Thoughts:

Good Luck With That was an emotional story of three women, Emerson, Georgia and Marley, who’ve dealt with body image and weight issues all their lives. The death of Emerson shakes Georgia and Marley up and brings their issues into sharp focus. It forces them to take a hard look who they are, how they view themselves and how their perception of self has impacted their relationships.  Their story was emotional but interspersed with humor that balanced some of the hard realities featured. 

Most women, this woman included, have had to deal with self-image issues. Doesn’t matter your size, it seems like even if your somewhat average or even on the skinny side of average, there’s always some amount of weight you’d like to lose.  I remember over the years always thinking I needed to lose weight and I’ll look back at photos from that time now and think, “Wow, I was super skinny!”. Crazy, right?

Kristan Higgins captured the real feelings that women deal with on a daily basis when it comes to body image.  Good Luck With That was open and honest, a story that will suck you in.  And, yes, there’s a romance for both women which of course made me happy!  Marley and Georgia’s journeys were at times painful, but overall it was a feel-good story filled with love.