Review: White Hot by Ilona Andrews

White Hot (Hidden Legacy #2) by Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: May 30th 2017
My rating: 5 stars 
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The Hidden Legacy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews continues as Nevada and Rogan navigate a world where magic is the norm…and their relationship burns hot

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.” But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice 

My Thoughts:

The Hidden Legacy series is quickly shaping up to be one of my all time favorites. No surprise there, because in my opinion the husband and wife writing team that make up Ilona Andrews are so very talented!  Thrilling plots, laugh-out-loud humor and romances that ooze sexual tension are the hallmarks of every one of their books! I can’t recommend their writing enough!

The Hidden Legacy series is set in a modern day Texas where people with magic powers have clout and are organized into family Houses.  The more magical power you have, the more power you have. I break it down a little better in my review for Burn For Me, the first book.

White Hot, the second book in the series, picks up two months after the events of Burn For Me.  Nevada is pulled into a dangerous investigation when Cornelius Harris hires her to find his wife’s killer. She was working as an attorney for a private investigation company owned by House Forsberg, specializing in corporate espionage. His wife was brutally gunned down in a hotel and Cornelius is devastated by her death, and even though Nevada’s first instinct is to refuse the job because of the danger. But Nevada knows she wouldn’t be able to look herself in the mirror if she doesn’t help him. The investigation immediately turns deadly; underscoring the serious threat they’re up against. 

Of course, this series wouldn’t be as much fun if Connor “Mad” Rogan, didn’t somehow factor in, and he becomes a big part of the story very quickly! I was thrilled about that because the minute they’re in a room together the sexual tension climbs and the sparks fly! The hilarious sniping, clever banter, sexual innuendo is just too much fun!  In spite of not seeing Connor for two months, his impact on Nevada’s senses is not dulled at all. Oh, these two could light my kindle on fire! Their relationship was mostly love/hate with a few really good moments, in the last book, so I was so pleased at the progress they made here, getting to know each other and the person underneath. 

Nevada’s family is super funny, as well. Her Grandma, the mechanic who assembles tanks, her mother an ex-sniper for the army, and her younger sisters and cousin Bern, Nevada’s information specialist, make for an eclectic bunch.  Nevada’s grandmother and sisters tease her mercilessly about Mad in such an annoying way only accomplished by family! Many laughs there! I was happy to find out more about her sister’s magic powers, and now I can see why her family is so secretive about all of their abilities!  

Like I said, I LOVE this series.  I quickly read White Hot back in December when I received a copy, and I’ve just bought the audio since it released this last Tuesday and I’m “reading” again!  So, so good! I’m dying to get my hands on the next book, which I think may be the last. Thankfully, I don’t have too long to wait because it releases July 25^th! 

Connect with Ilona Andrews:

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Review: The Light we Lost by Jill Santopolo

The Light we Lost by Jill Santopolo
Publisher: HQ
Publication Date: May 18th 2017
My rating: 5 stars 

He was the first person to inspire her, to move her, to truly understand her. Was he meant to be the last? Lucy is faced with a life-altering choice. But before she can make her decision, she must start her story—their story—at the very beginning. Lucy and Gabe meet as seniors at Columbia University on a day that changes both of their lives forever. Together, they decide they want their lives to mean something, to matter. When they meet again a year later, it seems fated—perhaps they’ll find life’s meaning in each other. But then Gabe becomes a photojournalist assigned to the Middle East and Lucy pursues a career in New York. What follows is a thirteen-year journey of dreams, desires, jealousies, betrayals, and, ultimately, of love. Was it fate that brought them together? Is it choice that has kept them away? Their journey takes Lucy and Gabe continents apart, but never out of each other’s hearts.

“And if you do find that love, embrace it. Hold on to it. When you give yourself over to love like that, your heart will get bruised. It will get battered. But you will also feel invincible and infinite.”

The Light we Lost was a poignant story of a beautiful romance, a one of a kind romance, that consumes you, that’s crazy and has you double checking yourself, but you know is one that you’d never give up. Gabe and Lucy’s first meet up came about on September 11^th 2001, with the atrocities taking place, they were able to find comfort in each other and it was something that had a big impact on both of them. But although events got in the way and took away what could have been from their grasps, it was apparent that this first meeting of Gabe and Lucy would not be the last.

We’re told of Gabe and Lucy’s story over increments, in months spent together, years apart and chance meetings that brings their paths together once more. The Light we Lost was truly a difficult read for me at times, because it was clearly apparent that despite what had gone on between Gabe and Lucy, they were meant to be together and that is what I wanted the most. I hated that things would take them away from each other, or wrong decisions were made and secrets were kept, and although at times things had been turbulent and heart breaking for them both, the fact that all these years their paths kept aligning gave hope that deep down, they still had feelings for each other and that there would be a right moment for them to be together.

I don’t really want to give anything away and reveal how things end up for Gabe and Lucy, but it really is a story that all readers should read. It’s a story which broke me, stitched me back up and gave me the hope that everything would be right in the world. It made me fall hard and fast for Gabe and Lucy’s characters and wish that I never had to let their story go. Santopolo wrote a majestically beautiful story in The Light we Lost; it’s one that I won’t be forgetting for a very long time.

Review: I Found You by Lisa Jewell

I Found You by Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: April 25th 2017
My rating: 4 Stars
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A young bride, a lonely single mother, and an amnesiac man of dubious origin lie at the heart of New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell’s next suspenseful drama that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Paula Hawkins.

In a windswept British seaside town, single mom Alice Lake finds a man sitting on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, and no idea how he got there. Against her better judgment, she invites him inside.

Meanwhile, in a suburb of London, twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed.

Twenty-three years earlier, Gray and Kirsty are teenagers on a summer holiday with their parents. Their annual trip to the quaint seaside town is passing by uneventfully, until an enigmatic young man starts paying extra attention to Kirsty. Something about him makes Gray uncomfortable—and it’s not just that he’s playing the role of protective older brother.

Two decades of secrets, a missing husband, and a man with no memory are at the heart of this brilliant new novel, filled with the “beautiful writing, believable characters, pacey narrative, and dark secrets” (London Daily Mail) that make Lisa Jewell so beloved by audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. 

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed I Found You! A mystery that kept me glued to the pages with tension that intensified with each chapter. 

You’re basically just thrown into the story when Alice, mother of three discovers a man outside her seaside cottage with no memory. Alice can’t help herself, and offers him a place to stay all the while they try and piece together the mystery of his life.  “Frank” as Alice begins to call him starts having flashes of memory, jogged by places in Alice’s town, and soon it becomes apparent that something terrible happened. 

We also have alternating chapters of a twenty-one year old new bride, Lily.  After three weeks of wedded bliss and passion, her new husband fails to come home and she’s alone in a foreign country. And chapters from the past, 1993, centered on a family vacationing on the beach.  At first I was wondering how these three POVs connected, but with every page I got a little more light shed on the situation.  I could sense a tragedy coming, impending doom and I wanted to know how it all turned out!

I was pleasantly surprised by how addictive and interesting I Found You was!  I think it’s best to say as little as possible with a mystery, but as someone who has read loads of mystery books I was pleased with the reveal, even though I had guessed at a lot of it, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.  I wanted to know the particulars, and how it all turned out in the end.  There was some romance, just enough to satisfy this romance junkie here. I’ll be keeping an eye out for any other Lisa Jewell books now.

I used the UK cover for my review because I like it better, but this was supposed to be the US cover. :)

 

Connect with Lisa Jewell:

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Mini-reviews: Love Story and Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne

Love Story by Lauren Layne
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: February 14th 2017
My rating: 3 stars 

When Lucy Hawkins receives a job offer in San Francisco, she can’t wait to spread her wings and leave her small Virginia hometown behind. Her close-knit family supports her as best they can, by handing over the keys to a station wagon that’s seen better days. The catch? The cross-country trip comes with a traveling companion: her older brother’s best friend, aka the guy who took Lucy’s virginity hours before breaking her heart. After spending the past four years and every last dime caring for his sick father, Reece Sullivan will do just about anything to break free of the painful memories—even if it means a two-week road trip with the one girl who’s ever made it past his carefully guarded exterior. But after long days of bickering in the car turn into steamy nights in secluded motel rooms, Reece learns that, when it comes to Lucy, their story is far from over. And this time, they just might have a shot at a happy ending.

Once again Layne brings another one of my favourite tropes to this story; second chance romances. Lucy and Reece have known each other practically their entire lives. Reece is Lucy’s brother’s best friend, so they’ve grown up together. However since a few years ago, things haven’t been the best between the pair, Layne gives us hints of Reece and Luce getting together, but we’re never told about what could have caused their massive fall out, the two don’t seem to get along without bickering, and things don’t help the matter when they’re forced to take a two week trip (Lucy’s original plan was to go to on her own) by Lucy’s parents as they both will be travelling to the same place, so it makes sense too. I for one couldn’t wait to see how this road trip would turn out, could both Reece and Lucy finally get over the disaster that happened all those years ago or would this trip just be another disaster?

I really liked the way Layne gave us Reece and Lucy’s story, we weren’t immediately given their back story and what went down, but small snippets of their history together which built up to the present day. This really worked for me, as I was constantly left intrigued and wanting more. The only reason I wasn’t able to rate this book higher was despite clearly seeing that Reece and Lucy were meant to be together, it just felt as if there were a lot of hold backs (particularly on Reece’s side) and miscommunication which kind of put a dampener on things for me. This aside Love Story was still a great read, I particularly enjoyed the road trip aspect, but probably not one of my favourites by 
Layne.

Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne

Publisher: Loveswept

Publication Date: April 18th 2017

My rating: 4 stars

Pampered heiress Georgianna Watkins has a party-girl image to maintain, but all the shopping and clubbing is starting to feel a little bit hollow—and a whole lot lonely. Though Georgie would never admit it, the highlights of her week are the mornings when she comes home at the same time as her uptight, workaholic neighbor is leaving to hit the gym and put in a long day at the office. Teasing him is the most fun Georgie’s had in years—and the fuel for all her naughtiest daydreams. Celebrity divorce attorney Andrew Mulroney doesn’t have much time for women, especially spoiled tabloid princesses who spend more time on Page Six than at an actual job. Although Georgie’s drop-dead gorgeous, she’s also everything Andrew resents: the type of girl who inherited her penthouse instead of earning it. But after Andrew caps one of their predawn sparring sessions with a surprise kiss—a kiss that’s caught on camera—all of Manhattan is gossiping about whether they’re a real couple. And nobody’s more surprised than Andrew to find that the answer just might be yes.

Walk of Shame was a book which reminded me of why I love Layne’s books so much, Whereas Love Story didn’t leave me feeling my usual giddy self afterwards, Walk of Shame had everything I love when it comes to reading, hate to love and trope, a slow burn romance and a swoony character to die for in Andrew. The constant jibes aside whenever Georgie and Andrew accidently met up in their lobby at 5am nearly every day, I couldn’t wait until things started to get a bit more heated up between them. I knew that there was real sexual tension and chemistry between them and I could honestly say Layne did a brilliant job at building up their relationship. There wasn’t an instant from enemies to lover’s moment and I appreciated how Andrew wasn’t your typical confident guy, yes he was a pretty good divorce attorney, but when it came to dealing with his feelings, he was known for saying the wrong thing and not getting ahead of himself. Whereas Georgie you could say was his opposite in this respect, she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to put her heart on the line for it. You might be thinking how the heck did Layne even make this relationship work? There were a few road bumps and misunderstandings along the way (but these didn’t at any point take way the enjoyment of the story), but Andrew and Georgie just clicked and it was truly something to watch their relationship develop. 

Walk of Shame is definitely one of my all time favourite reads that Layne has had to offer. Ladies if you want to add someone to your top ten fictional boyfriends, Andrew is your man!

Review: The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
Publisher: Berkley Books
Publication date: May 9th 2017
My rating: 4 Stars
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Amanda Quick, the bestselling author of ’Til Death Do Us Part, transports readers to 1930s California, where glamour and seduction spawn a multitude of sins…

When Hollywood moguls and stars want privacy, they head to an idyllic small town on the coast, where the exclusive Burning Cove Hotel caters to their every need. It’s where reporter Irene Glasson finds herself staring down at a beautiful actress at the bottom of a pool…

The dead woman had a red-hot secret about up-and-coming leading man Nick Tremayne, a scoop that Irene couldn’t resist—especially since she’s just a rookie at a third-rate gossip rag. But now Irene’s investigation into the drowning threatens to tear down the wall of illusion that is so deftly built around the famous actor, and there are powerful men willing to do anything to protect their investment.

Seeking the truth, Irene finds herself drawn to a master of deception. Oliver Ward was once a world-famous magician—until he was mysteriously injured during his last performance. Now the owner of the Burning Cove Hotel, he can’t let scandal threaten his livelihood, even if it means trusting Irene, a woman who seems to have appeared in Los Angeles out of nowhere four months ago…

With Oliver’s help, Irene soon learns that the glamorous paradise of Burning Cove hides dark and dangerous secrets. And that the past—always just out of sight—could drag them both under…  

My Thoughts:

Irene Glasson has come to California to escape a dangerous killer. She reinvents herself from personal secretary into an up-and-coming journalist for a small time gossip paper. While she’s on the hunt for a story she finds herself embroiled in another murder mystery, but this time she’s got Oliver Ward on her side. They work as partners to catch a murderer, all the while a simmering attraction brews between them!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Girl Who Knew Too Much. It’s the perfect summer read! An engaging mystery set in the 1930s on the California coast. Dramatic cliffs overlooking the blue-green ocean are the backdrop for the Burning Cove Hotel, a Spanish style beauty that caters to the rich and famous, including glamorous silver screen stars.  

Big Sur, CA

Oliver Ward, a once famous magician and illusionist extraordinaire, is now the proprietor of this luxurious haven, and he has a strict policy excluding reporters and photographers.  That doesn’t stop Irene Glasson, from getting her scoop, though.  Unfortunately, her private invitation is marred by the murder of a woman and Irene is caught in the middle of a dangerous situation all over again. 

I love the time period this mystery is set in: the 1930s is a time of art deco, dressing up for dinner, dancing and cocktails, and old Hollywood glamour.  Burning Cove Hotel with its elegant old world Spanish style may have looked like:

Courtesy of Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/daeJfG

The setting was fantastic, but the mystery and romance are what kept me glued to the pages.  Filled with thrills and danger, attraction and romance, The Girl Who Knew Too Much is a fast, addictive, fun mystery, and I loved it!

Connect with Amanda Quick:

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