Review: My Kind of Guy (Hockey Guys #4) by Sarina Bowen

 

He’s a backup goalie with a broken game. The only thing he needs more than a win is the hot, grumpy bartender who pours his weekly beer.

Becker James is having a spectacularly bad season. Once a top draft pick, he’s now riding the bench in the minors, one failed save away from being cut. The highlight of his week? A lonely hour on a barstool at Sportsballs, Denver’s queerest watering hole—and Forest, the bartender with flannel sleeves, a gruff voice, and a beard that stars in Beck’s dreams.

Opportunity strikes when Forest’s LGBTQ hockey team—the Stickhandlers—loses their goalie last-minute. Beck makes Forest an offer: he’ll help them beat the most hated team in the beer league, but he wants something in return—one night together.

Cue the record scratch, because Seth Forrester doesn’t do hookups. After his last one went horribly wrong, he swore off men for good. He’s definitely not falling for the awkward hottie who just stammered through an indecent proposal.

But Beck is prepared to press his case, no matter how awkward it gets. And one beer league game turns into something messier, sweeter, and so much harder to walk away from…

Links

Digital copies at:

Amazon
https://geni.us/MKOG-Kindle

Apple Books
https://geni.us/MKOG-Apple

Kobo
https://geni.us/MKOG-Kobo

Nook
https://geni.us/MKOG-Nook

Google Play
https://geni.us/MKOG-Google

Audible: Coming soon!

Books page
https://sarinabowen.com/my-kind-of-guy

Series links page
https://sarinabowen.com/hockey-guys-links

ADD TO GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245204597-my-kind-of-guy

What I though about My Kind of Guy

Hockey goalie Becker has a huge crush on Forest, the bartender of the bar where he likes to hang out. When the opportunity to fill in as goalie in the bar-league, Becker grabs at the chance to finally be with Forest. 

Only Forest has some serious baggage from a prior incident and he's hesitant to get involved with anyone, with good reason. But that's not going to stop these two from inching toward being a couple, because they are just too darn good together!

This author excels at two things that I like in a sports romance -- an attraction that gradually builds to a deeper connection, with exciting sports segments that uplift the story. There are some great moments for Becker in My Kind of Guy, both on and off the ice. Becker and Forest were just perfect together.

If you are looking for an M/M romance that will leave you smiling, you might just like My Kind of Guy. 

Review: The Boy in the Wall (A Chicago K-9 Thriller, 3) by Jeffrey B. Burton

 

The discovery of a missing boy’s body uncovers cruel schemes in this twisty, fast-paced K-9 thriller series set in the Windy City of Chicago.

What if the past won’t let you go?

It was supposed to be a fun dog demo day for the students at Henry Horner Elementary School in Chicago—but when Cory Pratt’s cadaver dogs sniff out the body of a missing teenage boy wedged into the wall of the cafeteria, his family’s life is shattered.

It seems like tragedy follows the Shortridges. With the eldest son having taken his life a few years earlier, Patrick being found mutilated and murdered devastates the whole clan further. Now everyone is fearing for seven-year-old sister Charlotte.

When a kidnapping attempt on the young girl fails, Cory and his detective sister Crystal are sure someone is targeting the Shortridges. But who is behind these savage attacks and why would someone want to kill off such a seemingly unassuming family? 

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What I thought about The Boy in the Wall

Cory and Crystal Pratt take on a new mystery when cadaver dogs Alice and Rex find a body at the local school where Cory is giving a demonstration of what his dogs can do. First off, I love the dogs in this book. Alice and Rex are just wonderful in so many ways, and they warm this dog-lover's heart!

The story takes some twists and turns as they discover that identity of the boy and the tragic past of his family. I'll just say that it takes revenge to a whole new level.

Cory and his sister are always a good duo in their respective fields and Cory's private life makes an appearance when he realizes his feelings for a school colleague. I did like this part of the story.

Overall, this is an entertaining mystery, with some good twists. There's also a great canine duo helping out! 

Review: Crown of War and Shadow ( Kingdoms of the Compass #1) by J. R. Ward

An outcast burdened with a curse and a mercenary who’s out for himself collide in this star-crossed, slow-burn, high-stakes romantic fantasy from #1 New York Times bestseller J. R. Ward.

In the dead of night, passions rise and empires fall. Welcome to Kingdoms of the Compass.

The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night.

No one is safe.

Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she’s spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.

Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed.

She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen’s crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction.

Well aware she’s no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession.

The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage.

But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.

Crown of War and Shadow is the first book in the Kingdoms of the Compass series.

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What I thought about Crown of War and Shadow 

In this first installment of the Kingdoms of Compass series, Sorrel is a young woman with powers that frighten. She's considered cursed, so she hides her skills, although the townspeople aren't above calling on her if they need her. When a mercenary arrives in town, she sees it as her ticket out. Of course, there's a price to pay for that and adventures to come as they escape.

J. R. Ward does what she does best here, creating an interesting cast of characters with an intricate plot with lots of great reveals and plot twists. I liked that about the story. The romance is of the slow burn variety, but that worked here and the pace was great aside from a smattering of slow spots. There's a cliff hanger too, which I do like in a series. Overall, a great start to the series! Looking forward to more.

Review: The Fatal Confidant by Debra Webb

An aspiring DA must put his trust in a criminally seductive fixer in a twisty thriller about secrets, manipulation, and murder by USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb.

Deputy district attorney Carson Tanner is nicknamed the Avenger for good reason. Fifteen years ago, the murder of Carson’s family fueled an unrelenting need for justice. His latest investigation into Birmingham crime boss Otis Fleming is a career maker—if he can crack Fleming’s closest confidant.

Annette Baxter is a fierce and cunning fixer who makes the dirty deeds of the city’s elite disappear. She’s ready to turn on Fleming to save herself—but Carson may not be ready to face all the secrets she protects.

Annette claims there’s more to Carson’s brutal past than he could have imagined, and a string of new murders suggests that someone in town is tidying up loose ends. Can he trust her long enough to find the truth? Can she trust him long enough to survive?

Revised edition: Previously published as Faceless, this edition of The Fatal Confidant includes editorial revisions.

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What I thought about A Fatal Confidant

Carson Tanner is a dedicated prosecutor and in line for the new district attorney job once his boss moves up. He's given a case to deal with it -- take down the local crime boss by way of a woman named Annette Baxter. Carson has already met Annette and it could cause him big trouble in his quest for the top spot. 

A bit part of this book is figuring out who is the bad guy and who isn't.  Annette has many of those answers but it could cause her to lose her life. She has to decide whether she wants to help Carson or not.

There were some romantic elements in this story and I liked that about it.  The growing relationship between Carson and Annette was my most favorite thing about this story.

I did find this to be a slow read.  It was hard to get invested in the characters. There was so much going on in the story that dominated things over the characters, which is why I am rating this 4 stars. 

Release Week Review: First Sign of Danger (Haven's Rock #4) by Kelley Armstrong

 

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong continues the atmospheric Haven’s Rock series as Casey Duncan investigates a threat to their off-the-grid Yukon town.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven’s Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven’s Rock, they realize they’re in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they’re no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven’s Rock. Only by tracing the hikers’ movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

se, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.se, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.se, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

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What I thought about First Sign of Danger

Quiet life in the Haven's Rock sanctuary is disrupted when two hikers get a little too close to the mining camp. The question is why were they so close to Haven's Rock and the mining camp? Are the residents of Haven's Rock in danger? Eric and Casey take their law enforcing roles seriously and they work to unravel the secrets behind both the hikers and the mining camp that has been a thorn in their side.

I love this world that the author has created. With each book in the series, new details are exposed and it's become easy to become invested in Eric and Casey as they keep the peace in their little sanctuary. They are both very likable characters, and the addition of their young daughter brings hope for the future of this community. What really attracts me to this series is the fact that we all need a Haven't Rock to go to at times, and this series is a great escape! Definitely recommended.  

Review: The Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass

Some disappearances are tragedies. Others are warnings.

Macy and Ethan built their careers chasing the unknown, turning their YouTube channel, Ghost Patrol, into a viral sensation as they investigated the paranormal. But when they venture into the murky depths of the Louisiana bayou to investigate the disappearances of Emily Tremblay and Elizabeth Brockton alongside team members Tasha and Max, their latest case takes a lethal turn.

What begins as a routine hunt for answers quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Shadows move where they shouldn't. Secrets surface where none should exist. And when Macy stumbles upon a horrifying truth, she realizes they were never just hunting a story; they were lured here for a reason. As the swamp closes in and the line between hunter and hunted blurs, one thing becomes terrifyingly some secrets are better left buried.

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What I thought about The Swamps 

 In this novella / short story, a team of ghost hunters decide to take on the disappearance of two young women from the southern town. It's creepy from the start and stays that way until the very end. 

Things are bad from the start with a cabin on the swamp that is run by two very strange proprietors.  Even so, the group decides to interview suspects and search for the killer. Things move along quickly, which I liked, although there were some times when I wondered why Macy wasn't asking more questions.  I'm not going to say much more than that, except that I figured out the killer just moments before it is revealed in the story.  

If you are looking for a short story with a little "bite" you might like this one.

 

5 Stars for Make it Out Alive (Quinn & Costa #7) by Allison Brennan

 

Allison Brennan returns to her bestselling series with an edge-of-your-seat thriller that thrusts Quinn and Costa into the crosshairs of a sadistic serial killer.

Three newlywed couples have disappeared from an exclusive resort in Florida, only to turn up dead soon after. With the location and the similarities between the female victims as their only leads, it’s up to the FBI Mobile Response Team to catch a serial killer before anyone else ends up dead. And they have the perfect bait—Detective Kara Quinn, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the targeted women.

Undercover as newlyweds pretending to enjoy their honeymoon, Kara and FBI Agent Matt Costa set a flawless trap. When their plan works and they arrest the predator, Matt sends the rest of the team home so he and Kara can have the weekend for some much-needed R&R. But on Monday morning, the couple doesn’t show up to work, and the MRT learns they never checked out of their hotel.

As their team tries to find them, Matt and Kara learn the truth—the killer wasn’t acting alone. He had a partner who succeeded where he failed. Kidnapped and forced into a twisted escape room, they need to find a way out, because if they don’t escape, they’ll die. 

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What I thought about Make It Out Alive

Kara Quinn and Matt Costa and their FBI Mobile Response Team are back! There's a serial killer on the loose targeting newlywed couples and Matt and Kara go undercover to catch the killer.  But things don't go exactly as planned and Matt and Kara find themselves in some serious trouble. 

I really loved this story.  I couldn't put it down. This author is becoming one of my favorites for thrillers with plenty of action and a main couple that are extremely competent at their job and in this case also have some serious feelings for each other. This story had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. There were some moments of true terror throughout. And that ending!  Loved it!