BOOK REVIEW: FOR THE RECORD BY K.A. LINDE

Title: For The Record

Author: K.A. Linde

Genre: Romance

Published on: November 18, 2014 by Montlake Romance

With Congressman Brady Maxwell up for reelection and journalist Liz Dougherty about to graduate into a promising career, the ambitious couple’s future is brighter than ever. They share a passion for their work…and for each other. But when Brady holds a press conference to officially introduce Liz as his girlfriend, reporters hungry for a scandal bombard her. Now, her every move is under a vicious magnifying glass, and her life feels like it’s falling apart.

On the road to reelection, the passionate bond between the congressman and the journalist gets tested at every stop. Threatened by shameless media sensationalism and jealous exes, Brady and Liz now have to learn to trust each other despite what they read in the papers.

In the finale to USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s sexy Record trilogy, Liz and Brady may be setting off fireworks along the campaign trail, but can their love transcend politics as usual?

The controversial romance between Liz Dougherty and Brady Maxwell is back in this final entry of the Record trilogy. For the Record starts at the heels of a crucial revelation at the end of the previous book. After someone outs them to the press, Brady and Liz confirm that they’re an item. This is a risky move, as they're not your average couple. Liz is an aspiring political reporter, and Brady is a big-name politician. Now that people know they're dating, their careers could be at stake. In book one, Brady made clear to Liz that he'd pick his career over her no matter what. Little did they know they'd fall in love.

As you could expect, things don’t go smoothly. Liz recently ended a relationship with her former crush and ex-boss Hayden Lane. They’d met while working for the newspaper at UNC Chapel Hill. Hayden royally screwed up with Liz after making a misguided decision. The media find out about this and accuse Brady of breaking Hayden and Liz up. The latter also faces backlash that makes her see reporters in a new light. 

BOOK REVIEW: A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU BY CLAUDIA GRAY

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You

Author: Claudia Gray

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

Published on: November 4, 2014 by Harper Teen

Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite's father is murdered, and the killer—her parent's handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul's guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father's death is far more sinister than she expected.

Well thought-out and crafted science fiction is a joy to read for me. I’ve read books about time machines and incredible genetic powers. A Thousand Pieces of You piqued my interest partly because of the stunning cover. It does a great job of showing the book’s theme: parallel realities. The protagonist is Marguerite Caine, the young daughter of two prominent physicists. The premise is that they’ve developed a world-changing invention: the Firebird. It is a small electronic device fashioned into a pendant. The Firebird enables its wearer to travel across the multiverse.

There’s a big setback right from the start. Dr. Henry Caine gets himself murdered. Paul Markov is the alleged killer. He’s one of the Caines’ brilliant assistants and friend to Marguerite. Paul uses the first perfected Firebird prototype to escape arrest. Filled with grief and rage, Marguerite decides to hunt him down. Theo, Paul and Marguerite’s other friend (and the second assistant) agrees to help her. Theo manages to get two more Firebird prototypes working, and they go after Paul.

BOOK REVIEW: SCREAM FOR ME BY CYNTHIA EDEN

Title: Scream For Me

Author: Cynthia Eden

Genre: Romantic suspense, thriller

Published on: February 4, 2014 by Montlake Romance

Nothing is deeper than the desire they can’t fight—or deadlier than the evil they can’t escape.

They were only supposed to have a professional relationship, but FBI agent Kyle McKenzie has been fantasizing about his sexy partner, Cadence Hollow, from the moment they first moment. It takes the darkest case of their careers to finally bring their hidden desire bubbling to the surface. Once they’re in each other’s arms, though, they swear that nothing short of death will part them. The Night Hunter—a cunning stalker whose four-state, fifteen-year abduction spree began in Paradox, Alabama, with Kyle’s sister—may be only too happy to oblige.

In the small town, Kyle must confront the painful past he’s been hiding from Cadence. Kyle vows to put the Hunter behind bars…or in the ground. But the one thing that obsesses Kyle more than his sister’s grim fate—his furious love for Cadence—is the weapon the Hunter will use to lure his pursuers into the mouth of a murderous trap.

Suspense author Cynthia Eden delivers another hit with Scream For Me. Even though this book is part of the same series as Die for Me, it introduces new characters. The protagonists are Kyle McKenzie and Cadence Hollow, two FBI agents who arrive in Paradox, Alabama for an investigation. The local police chief, James Anniston, summoned them. Someone abducted a young woman at a highway in the dead of night. Anniston requested McKenzie because the abduction resembles one that happened fifteen years earlier. McKenzie worked that case.

Right from the start, you find out that Kyle and Cadence are attracted to each other. They’ve had romantic feelings for a long time, but haven’t been brave enough to act on them. Both Kyle and Cadence have a deep secret that they aren’t yet willing to share with each other. Cadence, though, knows enough to be aware that Kyle may be too close to the case to be objective. 

BOOK REVIEW: SET ME FREE BY MELISSA PEARL

Title: Set Me Free

Author: Melissa Pearl

Genre: Romance, mystery

Published on: May 3, 2014 by Evatopia Press (first edition)

It’s time for Lucy to stop running…and fight back.

Lucy Tate has spent the last five years on the run. That is, until she met Zach, the one guy she couldn’t bear to leave even though it could cost both of them their lives.

Hunted by a crooked FBI agent who killed her parents, Lucy has taken on one disguise after the next. But Zach knows exactly who she is and in spite of mounting evidence indicating her guilt in her parents’ deaths, he knows she’s innocent.

Convinced that it’s time to put her years on the run behind her, Zach and Lucy vow to fight back, clear her name, and take down the real killer. 

With support from Zach’s loyal friends and his uncle, an investigative reporter, they set out on a dangerous mission hoping that the truth...will set them free.

Set Me Free is the final book in the Fugitive Series—simmering duet novels packed with intrigue and suspense. If you like high-adrenaline page-turners, tenacious characters and a love that will ultimately win, then these Fugitive novels are perfect for you.

Lucy Tate’s story ends in this second and final book of the A Fugitive duology. The protagonist is a teenager who’s lived on the run for five years. A corrupt officer of the law murdered Lucy's parents. He found out they had incriminating info on him. This man has not forgotten about the girl who slipped away. He’s almost caught Lucy twice, killing some friends who took her under their wing. This made Lucy even more afraid.

Set Me Free starts right after the previous book ended. Zach Schultz, Lucy's boyfriend, enlisted his uncle Alex's help to stop Lucy's parents' murderer. Elliott, the most suspicious and protective of Zach's friends, also knows what's going on. Lucy is still reluctant to let anyone else know about her situation. She doesn't want to get Zach and his friends killed. Lucy's already gone through the trauma of a friend dying in her arms.

BOOK REVIEW: UNMERCIFUL BY CAT MILLER

Title: Unmerciful

Author: Cat Miller

Genre: Fantasy, romance

Published on: May 22, 2018, self-published

Being a vampire sure bites…

Lindsay Roselle’s biggest worry should have been what to wear under her gown at her college graduation, not how she was going to survive the night as a newly turned vampire. After catching the attention of the Rogue, a vampire out to destroy the Vampire Nation, Lindsay was forced to undergo the change herself. Convinced she’s fated for an end worse than death, Lindsay had all but given up until she’s rescued...by the last person she ever expected to see again.

Kayden Paris wasn’t anything like the playboy Lindsay remembered from the night they shared together...and she wouldn’t have forgotten the fangs. Kayden is the heir to his vampire clan and son of the mightiest warrior in the Vampire Nation, but even he may not be able to heal all the wounds Lindsay suffered at the hands of the Rogue.

In a life fraught with secrets, lies, and deadly enemies, Lindsay must first learn to trust herself in order to survive.

After a long wait (six years of it!) the third entry in the Forbidden Bond saga is here. It was a big relief for me when I spotted Unmerciful in the Kindle store. I thought the author wasn't going to release any more sequels. I've read quite a few unfinished series by now. It's a shame when it happens, especially when you really like the books. Fortunately, Forbidden Bond is still an active series.

Each book in this series has a different couple as the main protagonists. Unmerciful is Kayden Paris’s and Lindsay Roselle’s story. Both characters were introduced in Unbound. He’s a member of the Vampire Nation’s warrior class. As the son of the chief, Gage Paris, Kayden is one of those characters with big shoes to fill. He went through a rebellious phase a few years ago. When Kayden met Danielle Vaughn, she changed his world. They didn’t end up together, but Dani still made Kayden a better man.

BOOK REVIEW: FINDING CLAIRE FLETCHER BY LISA REGAN

Title: Finding Claire Fletcher

Author: Lisa Regan

Genre: Mystery

Published on: August 6, 2012, self-published

With his career on thin ice and fresh ink on his divorce papers, Sacramento PD Detective Connor Parks goes searching for solace at the bottom of a bottle…and winds up in the arms of a beautiful woman. By morning she’s gone, and the one clue she left behind sends Connor on a desperate mission to unravel a decade-old mystery—her abduction.

Presumed dead for the last ten years, Claire Fletcher has been living her life as “Lynn,” a woman in the terrifying grip of her captor. After her unforgettable night with Connor, Claire clings to the hope that she’ll see him again, that he’ll follow her into the dark. But anyone who gets close to Claire has a way of turning up dead…and she’s unwittingly made Connor next on the list.

Before long, it becomes disturbingly clear: finding Claire Fletcher isn’t just going to be dangerous—it could be deadly.

This is a mystery/crime thriller novel centered on titular character Claire Fletcher. She’s a young woman who was kidnapped when she was fifteen. Her captor is a twisted monster whose identity is a mystery for most of the book. He’s kept Claire to himself for an entire decade and calls her Lynn. She’s been unable to escape his clutches. The man does allow her a little freedom, as Claire holds a job. She hasn’t lost all hope, fortunately. Claire sneaks out of town one night looking to pick up a man. 

Enter Connor Parks. He’s a detective with the Sacramento PD. Connor recently found himself in huge trouble. He killed a suspect he thought was carrying a weapon. Connor is at a bar when a woman introduces herself to him. Claire uses her real name but doesn’t reveal her situation. She passes herself off as just another bar customer. Connor and Claire hit it off, and they go to the detective’s house, where they sleep together. The next morning, Connor wakes up to find Claire gone. All she left is a note with her name and address. 

BOOK REVIEW: PUSHING THE LIMITS BY BROOKE CUMBERLAND

Title: Pushing the Limits

Author: Brooke Cumberland

Genre: Romance

Published on: September 16, 2015; self-published

He's my art professor.

I'm his student.

With an electric connection and undeniable chemistry, I know it won't be long until one of us cracks.

When the opportunity arises to pose naked for the entire art class, I can't help the thrill of knowing he'll be watching me.

While they all look past me with their eyes narrowed and concentrated, drawing only the lines and angles of my body, he sees right through me down to my vulnerability.

He sees more than just the physical aspects--he sees me.

That's when I see the struggle in his features as he tries to stay in control.

How do we keep our distance when everything seems to be pulling us together?

What feels so right can only go wrong if we keep pushing the limits.

At the time I first bought this book, I was in the mood for a risqué romance. I hadn’t read anything like Pushing the Limits before, except the Call series by Emma Hart. I read romance books for the heroine, so I thought I would like Aspen Evans. She’s the main protagonist of this novel. Is she a likable character? I was intrigued enough to find out. 

Half of Pushing the Limits is written in Aspen’s first-person POV. She's a hardened, secretive young woman who attends the California School of Liberal Arts. It’s revealed from the very start that Aspen lost her twin sister, Ariel, six years ago. Since then, Aspen uses art as a form of therapy. It turned out that Aspen has so much talent that she’s now enrolled in an Advanced Art class. She even has several pieces on display at one of the largest museums in the city. Aspen also works there as a tour guide.