Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Carolyn's May Books

I can't believe the year is almost half gone already. And still, the books, they come.  :-)


1.  Lake of Dreams
     Author: Linda Howard
     Publisher: Simon and Schuster
     Releases: May 2
     Price: $1.99

Dreams and reality collide—with potentially deadly consequences—in this stunning novella from New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard, available for the first time as a standalone ebook at an unbeatable price!

House painter Thea Marlow hasn’t been sleeping very well. Her nights are plagued by dreams, the setting by the water and the mysterious man who appears in them always the same. But the outcome of the dream changes nightly: sometimes the man loves her...and sometimes he kills her. Desperate for some much needed relaxation, Thea travels to her family’s remote country lake house. Imagine her surprise when a knock at the door reveals the man from her dreams...who happens to have just rented the house next door.

So will he love her—or will he kill her?

I love Romantic Suspense, so this, along with the price, is right up my alley.  :-)


2.  Night Shift: A Novel of Midnight
     Author: Charlaine Harris
     Publisher: Penguin
     Releases: May 3
     Price: 13.99


At Midnight’s local pawnshop, weapons are flying off the shelves—only to be used in sudden and dramatic suicides right at the main crossroads in town. 
 
Who better to figure out why blood is being spilled than the vampire Lemuel, who, while translating mysterious texts, discovers what makes Midnight the town it is. There’s a reason why witches and werewolves, killers and psychics, have been drawn to this place. 
 
And now they must come together to stop the bloodshed in the heart of Midnight. For if all hell breaks loose—which just might happen—it will put the secretive town on the map, where no one wants it to be...

I like these books, which is strange, because I didn't care for the Sukie books at all. In fact, I didn't get through the first one, let alone the whole series. In the Midnight books, the paranormal is very lightly applied which makes them intriguing for me.


3.  Troublemaker: A Novel
     Author: Linda Howard
     Publisher: HarperCollins
     Releases: May 10
     Price: $12.99

For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he’s ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who’s after the members of his elite squad—and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he’s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.
The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau “Bo” Maran finally has her life figured out. She’s got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn’t need a mysterious man in her life—especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.
The harder they fight the intense heat between them, the closer Morgan and Bo become, even though she knows he’s hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she’s willing to give. And when Morgan’s cover is blown, it might just cost her life.

I read the first two chapters of this book in the back of Duncan's Bride and it looks to be a good one, although everything was from the hero's POV, with no sign of the heroine yet. This doesn't bother me, but it might some folks.


4.  Only Beloved: A Survivor's Club Novel
     Author: Mary Balogh
     Publisher: Penguin
     Releases: May 3
     Price: $7.99

For the first time since the death of his wife, the Duke of Stanbrook is considering remarrying and finally embracing happiness for himself. With that thought comes the treasured image of a woman he met briefly a year ago and never saw again. 

Dora Debbins relinquished all hope to marry when a family scandal left her in charge of her younger sister. Earning a modest living as a music teacher, she’s left with only an unfulfilled dream. Then one afternoon, an unexpected visitor makes it come true.

For both George and Dora that brief first encounter was as fleeting as it was unforgettable. Now is the time for a second chance. And while even true love comes with a risk, who are two dreamers to argue with destiny?

The last book in the Survivor Club series and one I've been looking forward to. George deserves a HEA.


5.  The Alexandria Affair (Captain Lacey Regency Mystery)
     Author: Ashley Gardner (Jennifer Ashley)
     Publisher: Self Published
     Releases: May 17
     Price: 2.99

Captain Gabriel Lacey accompanies famous dandy Lucius Grenville to Egypt, a land that Lacey has long anticipated visiting. Lacey travels there for more than a simple holiday, however--James Denis has tasked him with finding an "object" in Alexandria and procuring it, whatever the cost.

The task does not turn out to be so simple. Locating what Denis wants in the teeming city proves difficult, sending Lacey and Grenville exploring tombs and temples down the Nile. Lacey must deal with treasure hunters, a shadow following him and his friends, murder, and missing his new family as he explores the exotic country he has so longed to see...

Book 11 in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries series.

I've enjoyed this series immensely, especially the deepening relationship between the two protagonists. The relationship develops throughout the books, but each book has its own mystery which is solved.


6.  Deep Dark (Tracers Series)
     Author: Laura Griffin
     Publisher: Simon and Schuster
     Releases: May 24
     Price: $6.99

The moment detective Reed Novak steps onto the crime scene, he knows the case is going to rock his world. A beautiful young woman murdered at home. No sign of forced entry. No motive. She’s obviously not the killer’s first victim, and Reed’s instincts tell him she won’t be his last. Reed’s first clue comes via a mysterious text that links to a dating profile, but even more intriguing than the clue is the person who sent it.

As a white-hat hacker in the Delphi Center’s cyber investigation unit, Laney Knox sneaks into some of the deepest, darkest corners of the Internet looking for predators. Laney would prefer to stay away from Austin PD’s most recent murder case, but she can’t ignore the chilling similarities between that crime and her own brutal attack years ago. Laney offers to help the sexy lead detective, but he wants more from her than just a promising tip—Reed wants her trust. Laney resists, but as their relationship deepens she’s tempted to reveal the closely guarded secrets that could make her a key witness…or the killer’s next victim.

Book 10 of the series. I have all her books, just love her stuff.


7.  Marrying Winterborne
    Author: Lisa Kleypas
    Publisher: HarperCollins
    Releases: May 31
    Price: $6.99
A ruthless tycoon
Savage ambition has brought common-born Rhys Winterborne vast wealth and success. In business and beyond, Rhys gets exactly what he wants. And from the moment he meets the shy, aristocratic Lady Helen Ravenel, he is determined to possess her. If he must take her virtue to ensure she marries him, so much the better . . .
A sheltered beauty
Helen has had little contact with the glittering, cynical world of London society. Yet Rhys’s determined seduction awakens an intense mutual passion. Helen’s gentle upbringing belies a stubborn conviction that only she can tame her unruly husband. As Rhys’s enemies conspire against them, Helen must trust him with her darkest secret. The risks are unthinkable . . . the reward, a lifetime of incomparable bliss. And it all begins with…
Marrying Mr. Winterborne

The covers for this series are awful!  I hope I like this second book better than the first. (I did a non-review on it somewhere around here ...)


8.  Everywhere and Every Way
     Author: Jennifer Probst
     Publisher: Simon and Schuster
     Releases: May 31
     Price: $7.99

Hot on the heels of her beloved Marriage to a Billionaire novels,New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst nails it with the first in an all-new sexy romance series featuring red-hot contractor siblings who give the Property Brothers a run for their money!

Ever the responsible eldest brother, Caleb Pierce started working for his father’s luxury contracting business at a young age, dreaming of one day sitting in the boss’s chair. But his father’s will throws a wrench in his plans by stipulating that Caleb share control of the family business with his two estranged brothers.

Things only get more complicated when demanding high-end home designer Morgan hires Caleb to build her a customized dream house that matches her specifications to a T—or she’ll use her powerful connections to poison the Pierce brothers’ reputation. Not one to ignore a challenge, Caleb vows to get the job done—if only he can stop getting distracted by his new client’s perfect…amenities.

But there’s more to icy Morgan than meets the eye. And Caleb’s not the only one who knows how to use a stud-finder. In fact, Morgan is pretty sure she’s found hers—and he looks quite enticing in a hard hat. As sparks fly between Morgan and Caleb despite his best intentions not to mix business and pleasure, will she finally warm up and help him lay the foundation for everlasting love?

Not too sure about this one, but the "red hot contractor siblings" caught my eye because - tool belts, y'all! Plenty of time to make a final decision.  :-)

5 comments:

  1. You do know that "Lake of Dreams" is a reprint, right? This story was part of an old Harlequin anthology--those published twenty five or so years ago, with themes of some sort.

    It's very good, or at least, I like it very much, but I wish the publisher made it clearer that these are re-releases; I was reading recent reviews of another Linda Howard book from 1886 (Heartbreaker), and how 'awful' it was, because it was so old fashioned and the hero so alphaholeish.

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    1. I just realized I said that Heartbreaker was published in 1886--I hope everyone understands I meant 1986 :sign:

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  2. I thought it might be due to the price, but I should have pinned it down and included that info, so thank you! :-) I'm a relatively recent Linda Howard convert, so they're all new to me.

    I'm not bothered by the lack of mod cons in these older books, perhaps because they bring a sense of nostalgia for that era. I was in my prime!! Lol!

    Anyway, for $1.99 it's worth the chance. :-)

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  3. I just like the comment: toolbelts, y'all.

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  4. Me too lol. Some more there to possibly look out for. We'll see.

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