REVIEW: Challenging Time is right! I just wrote my review and when I was preparing to post it, it disappeared just like Cameron in this book! Poof! Gone! So, I have searched like Dahlia and can’t find it. So, unlike her, I am going to recreate it.

Challenging Time was one of the best Detective stories I’ve read in a while. It kept me interested and on my toes. I found while I was reading this book that I have become quite involved with the characters and their story. I actually shed some tears! I’ve read this series from the beginning. It is called The Detective Dahlia Series and is currently five books. Each book is a different case and does well as a stand alone. To get the most enjoyment, I would adivse going back to the beginning and reading all of the books. You then become involved with Dahlia and her personal and professional life. 

In this book we know that Dahlia has become involved romantically with her partner Cameron. He suddenly disappears from his apartment and his job. The book delves into the search for him. Dahlia can’t eat or sleep because the love of her life is missing. Cameron’s disappearance consumes the department and her life. The U.S. Marshalls are called in to help. Hey, this is serious business when an Ashford Police Detective is missing! I won’t tell you how this book ends. I will tell you that I think I have fallen a little bit in love with Cameron myself thus the tears. You have to read these books if you love crime stories at all.

I’m not sure if this series has more books coming or if there will be a spin-off from this series. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something. Go and get yourself copies of these books. Let me and Lauren Lee know how you like them. I can’t wait to hear from you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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SYNOPSIS: While she races against the clock, a man’s life hangs in the balance . . .

All hell breaks loose when a beloved Ashford detective disappears into thin air. Soon, a familiar face takes credit for the kidnapping and promises to kill his captive before the next sunrise.

Detective Dahlia works around the clock to hunt down her colleague’s abductor before it’s too late. However, even with all hands on deck, and help from the U.S. Marshals, the team falls prey to an infuriating game of cat and mouse. Hair-raising and heart-stopping, Challenging Time leads Dahlia into a lion’s den. She’s determined to leave no stone unturned, but will Dahlia find the hostage before the clock runs out? Only time will tell.

REVIEW: A Home for the Stars by Laura Kemp is book three in The Lantern Creek Series. In my opinion this is not a stand alone novel and you need to read the first two books in her series to enjoy the conclusion. You will be lost otherwise. I’ve read the first two books and it took me a while to figure it all out and put the pieces together. I admit I am not as young as I used to be and I’ve read a lot of books between the second book in the series and this one so my memory took a bit to kick in. I wound up loving this conclusion to the series. 

I loved her characters and worried throughout the book that Justine was going to change the future and would not be with Dylan in the end. I’m not going to tell you how this all comes out in the wash. I will tell you the majority of the book takes place years ago. Justine is transported back in time and meets her ancestors. Now, I think that would be awesome. Don’t you?

I fell in love with this series at page one of book one. I encourage you to read all three books. You’re going to love this series. It is different but, it is subtle in the beginning. I think the best way to read them is one right after another. When I finished book one, I had a hard time moving on to another book. I wanted more of Justine’s story. Now, you can start at the beginning and read your way through them and avoid any confusion at the end and satisfy your need to know more. The first book is Evening in the Yellow Wood and the second book is Snow in Summer.

In short my Michigan gal has done it again! I was hopelessly in love at the end of A Home for the Stars. I dreamt about Justine and her family, travels and experiences all night last night! That my friends is the sign of a good book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: “I was falling, the cold numbing my bones in a way that made me feel like I’d been caught in a storm blowing in from the Big Lake. I reached out, expecting to touch the soft sheets on the bed I shared with Dylan and felt something scratch my fingertips.”A mysterious Ojibwa petroglyph has carried Justine Cook back in time to the moment her unseen enemy is born. But something is wrong… Separated from those she loves, she finds herself in a strange world surrounded by people she has only known in dreams, and stalked by a man who now haunts her reality. And time is running out. Knowing that even the slightest misstep could change the future, Justine must call on the strength hidden within her to save the lives of those she has left behind as she uncovers A Home for the Stars.

Action and suspense combine with magic and compassion to create and exciting and satisfying ending for a twisting tale. Thank you for the adventure and the tears, Mrs. Kemp. Nola Nash ~ Award Winning Author of the Crescent City Series

A stunning conclusion to a brilliant trilogy. Laura Kemp’s skill shines on every page of “A Home for the Stars” as she deftly navigates complex characters through emotional quandaries, supernatural folklore, and edge of your seat action. Take a breath and hope the story continues. Rob Samborn ~ Author of Prisoner of Paradise

REVIEW: Scarred Crown by Wendy Million is the second book of the Bellerive Royals Series. Fake Crown was the first book and if you read that, you will definitely want to read this next addition to the series. It was so good!

The first book was about Posey and this one is about her sister Julia, nickname Jules. Jules has a lifetime friendship with the second in line for the crown of Bellerive. His name is Nicholas or Nick. I love that name for some reason. Anyway, about the time they reach 16 and all those teenage hormones start raging, other people in their lives come into the story. I loved these two characters. They had a lot of passion, compassion and just downright big hearts. 

I have to give Wendy Million a lot of kudos. She has tackled some pretty big subjects in this book and makes it not only a fun romance read but, a book that will make you think and question some of your beliefs. I’m going to let those come as a surprise to you. It is better if you don’t have prior knowledge of the subject and are faced with your heartfelt feelings. I think this book would be a good bookclub choice because some of the subjects brought to light in this book would make good discussions.

If you love a good book that is all fun and games on the surface but, makes you stop in your tracks and think about your feeling on a controversial subject, then this book is a good one for you. You do not have to read book one to understand what is going on in book two. That is the beauty of this series. These two books do very well as stand alone novels.

The third book in the series is named Heavy Crown and is slated for publication on August 17th. I am so excited and can’t wait to read the next installment! It is up for pre-order. My suggestion? If you haven’t read either of the first two books, go order them now and then pre-order Heavy Crown to be delivered to your in-box upon publication. Happy Reading!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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SYNOPSIS:

PRINCE NICHOLAS
Years ago, she owned my heart.
As my childhood friend, she knew all my secrets,
And my true feelings about everything,
Except her.

When she hurt me,
It was too much,
Picking the one person I loathed,
Over me.

Being the son of a king isn’t easy,
Being the second son is even harder,
Which is why I left,
To work harder,
For myself,
For my family,
But away from the pain.

Now, we’re connected again,
And she wants me to return home,
To my father,
And that is not on my radar,
But she is,
Every single inch of her.
This time, she won’t slip through my fingers,
Or shall I say my crown?

JULIA
He bailed on our friendship,
Disconnecting from me,
And all that we built together,
Shattering my heart in the process.

Now, his father wants him back,
Needs him back,
And has ordered me to retrieve him.
Who am I to tell the king “No?”

One look at him,
And I remember why I loved him,
But I refuse to fall for royalty again,
Even if we’re this close,
Sharing one bed,
And our secrets again.
After all, when he discovers the truth,
There’s no battling the SCARRED CROWN that’s come between us.

This is a childhood best friends turned enemies to lovers second chance royal romance that brims with angst and witty banter.

REVIEW: OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I finished the new book My Wife Is Missing by D. J. Palmer last night as I was trying to wind down for sleep. My mind kept whirling for a while after I shut the light off. What a brilliant book this is. I haven’t read anything quite like this one in a long time. 

This book is so believably twisty! I loved every second of it. A husband and his wife take their two children to New York City for a vacation. They are so excited to share their special city with their children. While Michael is out picking up pizza for dinner the first night, Natalie packs up the children and they make a run for safety. Michael comes back to an empty hotel room with only his luggage left behind. He immediately thinks someone has abducted his family. Police are called and a look at the security cameras tell them that Natalie has left with the children of her own free will. Why?

There are several factors working here. One is that Natalie has been suffering from insomnia and she also thinks Michael has been having an affair. She has started to have visions and delusions. Has she imagined things or are they real? You have to read this book to find out. There is so much to this story that I want to tell you but, I can’t! That would be giving away all the fun stuff. It is really more fun to discover all of the ins and outs of this story on your own.

I have truly enjoyed the other books I’ve read by this author but, this one is simply genius. My mind went in so many directions and yet I did not see a lot of it happening. I was surprised and I am sure you will be too. This book is not predictable at all. Just the opposite. So many times I thought I knew what was coming only to be blindsided with reality.

If you like Psychological Suspense at it’s fnest or Domestic Thrillers, then this is a must read! D. J. Palmer is brilliant! I haven’t read all of his books but, this has to be his best to date. I started my blog on April 3, 2020 and The New Husband by D. J. Palmer was my very first review on my blog Phyllis Jones Pisanelli Reviews. 

I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from the author, #Netgalley, and #St.MartinsPress. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: When a woman disappears with her two children, one husband will do anything to find them–even confront the secrets of his own past–in D. J. Palmer’s My Wife Is Missing, a twisty thriller from the author of The New Husband.

A family vacation turns into a nightmare for Michael Hart when he discovers his wife and two children have disappeared from their New York City hotel room. Horrified, he fears they’ve been kidnapped. Michael’s frantic search to find them takes a shocking turn when he discovers that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking their children with her. The police want to know why, and so does Michael. But there may be a reason why Natalie ran, something Michael can’t tell the police—the truth about his past.

While untangling his deceptions might be the key to locating Natalie, Michael knows it could also be his undoing. To find his wife, he must now turn to the one person capable of exposing all that he’s been hiding. Natalie thinks she has Michael all figured out and has hatched a plan to escape from him permanently. One detail, though, threatens to derail her efforts: sleep—or more accurately, the lack of it. Since the moment the shocking revelations about her husband came to light, Natalie’s insomnia has worsened to the point that she now suffers from delusions.

Are her fears about Michael valid—or a symptom of her condition? With her children’s lives at risk, the stakes for Natalie could not be higher. On her own, running low on energy and resources, avoiding increasingly close calls with Michael—who is on the hunt and closing in fast—Natalie needs someone to turn to for help. But who can she trust when she can’t even trust herself?

REVIEW: I’m running behind and just finished The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews on Pub morning. If you love home make-over shows you will love this book. If you follow MKA on social media you know that she restores and decorates cottages. This was a fun book and I have liked the books I’ve read of hers in the past. I think she is one of those authors most of her fans buy her books blindly.

The story is about a woman named Hattie who works for her father-in-law restoring homes. She married the bosses son and became a widow at the age of 25. It is seven years later when this book begins. Hattie bought a run-down mansion and wound up selling it at a loss. There was just too much to fix and now she is out to prove herself. She is offered the co-host spot on a beach house renovation reality show. There are a few men on the show that may or may not become love interests.

I liked the characters. They were complex and MKA did a fabulous job with them. Hattie was down to earth and still grieving and missing her late husband. Time stands still for her until this new reality show comes along. It was fun to see her get wrapped up in this project and start living her life again. You have the other characters from Hollywood and you can imagine the fun that brought to the book. 

I have to admit that the first quarter of the book did not grab me like I thought it would. Then the introduction of the disappearance of a local school teacher from years before got my attention. Of course, you know I love a good mystery. MKA brought it! The last three fourths of the book was gangbusters! I really enjoyed it. I spent most of yesterday reading because I had to see what was going to happen and how the disappearance of the beloved school teacher worked out.

If you love mysteries and reality TV, then this is a book just for you! I’m really hoping Mary Kay Andrews might revisit this story line and make it into a series. I think she could write us a few more interesting sequels. I want to know more. So will  you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #Netgalley and #St.MartinsPress. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

To follow my blog, click on the heading of any blog post. This will bring up just that blog and you will see a follow button on the bottom right hand corner. Thank you! 

SYNOPSIS: Summer begins with Mary Kay Andrews, in this delightful summer read about flipping houses, and finding true love.

Hattie Kavanaugh went to work restoring homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at eighteen, married the boss’s son at twenty, and became a widow at twenty-five. Now, she’s passionate about her work, but that’s the only passion in her life. “Never love something that can’t love you back,” is advice her father-in-law gives her, but Hattie doesn’t follow it and falls head-over-heels for a money pit of a house. She’s determined to make it work, but disaster after disaster occurs, and Hattie’s dream might cost Kavanaugh & Son their livelihood. Hattie needs money, and fast.

When a slick Hollywood producer shows up in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called The Homewreckers, cast against a male lead who may be a love interest, or may be the ultimate antagonist. Soon, there’s more at stake than bad pipes and dry rot: during the demolition, evidence comes to light that points to the mysterious disappearance of a young wife and mother years before.

With a burned out detective investigating the case, an arsonist on the loose, two men playing with her emotions, and layers upon layers of vintage wallpaper causing havoc, it’s a question of who will flip, who will flop, and if Hattie will ever get her happily-ever-after.