Wednesday, May 28, 2014

W... W... W... Wednesdays ~ May 28, 2014


W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions:


  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading? I'm just starting Haunting Mr. Darcy by KaraLynne Mackrory. I'm looking forward to reading this! I have to say that I love this cover. It has a mat finish, which gives it a velvety look, and makes Elizabeth's ghostly picture pop! 






What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading Accidentally Yours by Robin M. Helm. It was really good! I'll have a review up in a couple of weeks. 

And because I wanted to split up my Pride and Prejudice variations, I read one of the books from my TBR pile (for my TBR challenge), The Statistical Probability of LOVE at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. It was a cute read! I could relate to Hadley's anger toward her dad leaving and having to go to his wedding. Loved Oliver too! 




What do I think I'll read next?   Again, I'm not sure. I think I'll read The Earl's Enticement by Collette Cameron. I read the first two of the series and loved them, especially the first. I'm looking forward to reading Adaira's story.





What are you reading? I'd love to know!

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Moral Hazard by J.W. Becton ~ My review


Moral Hazard by J.W. Becton 

Publication Date: March 21, 2014 
Publisher: Whiteley Press, LLC 
Pages: 302 
Received: Purchased my own copy 
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars






 
I was stoked to see another installment in J.W. Becton’s Southern Fraud Thriller series! Moral Hazard is the fourth book in the series about an insurance fraud detective, Julia Jackson, who, while working on her fraud cases, is also investigating another case on the side. She is trying to find her sister’s rapist. That investigation has been an ongoing storyline that runs throughout the books, while each book has it's own complete mystery to solve.  I’m a big Julia and Vincent (Julia’s partner) fan and couldn’t wait to see what kind of trouble they would get into this time!

After all the work Julia has put into finding her sister’s rapist, the words, “We’ve got a problem” are not what you want to hear. Now the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the case. It appears the evidence may have been tampered with and the case may be thrown out. Not only that, but Julia’s job is on the line for her involvement in the rape investigation.

Julia does a lot of reflecting in this story. Her life is falling apart fast, and she could lose everything she worked so hard for. She feels alone. She has Vincent, but their relationship seems to have taken a step back. Plus, he is busy with his own troubles that involve his son Jason. 

In the meantime, Vincent and Julia are investigating another insurance fraud case. It appears Randy Blissett has been faking a back injury for seven years, and no one has been able to prove it. This case certainly has them puzzled. 

I was thrilled to find one of my favorite characters from Death Benefits in this story, Mrs. Twilley! She is still a spitfire of a woman! She and her friend, Sydney, are hilarious as they try to help solve the case! Unfortunately, they do more harm than good, but I adored how they both were supportive and comforting to Julia. I love Mrs. Twilley and Sydney!

Ooh...creepy guy! Who is “The Watcher” that is lurking about? I always enjoy the chapters from the bad guys point of view. You never know who it is until the end!

I really enjoyed Moral Hazard! After a slow start, I was quickly sucked in! I was so tense in the end, wondering how Julia was going to get out of the mess she was in! I liked the combination of tension and humor, with a little gore thrown in! Oh, and let’s not forget about Vincent! Love Vincent!

Read my reviews for the first three in the series: 
Absolute Liability
Death Benefits
At Fault


Disclaimer: I purchased my own copy of this book.

Buy: Amazon and B&N

Add to goodreads.

Connect with J.W. Becton


Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you!

Monday, May 26, 2014

J Dawn King, author of "A Father's Sins" ~ Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway!

Hey everyone! I've invited J Dawn King, author of A Father's Sins, to visit us today, and she was kind enough to bring gifts along with her! It's a pleasure to have you here, and thank you for your generosity! 




I am delighted to accept your invitation, Candy. It has been such a wonderful roller-coaster ride so far.

Probably because my book is about how the bad decisions of a father can impact their children, I am most often asked about my development of the secondary characters. Even though Darcy and Elizabeth are the stars of the show, people like the Bingleys and Fitzwilliams, play major supporting roles. These characters had to become real in my mind; what they looked like, what they wore, how they responded. I ended up falling in love with Charles Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and his father, Lord Matlock. One reviewer said of my book, “God bless the Gardiners!” Yes, I love them too.

Mr. Charles Bingley: He became a cross between a young David Beckham, Cary Elwes, and Sam Heughan. He would be kind, good-natured, fun, and regularly teased by the older Fitzwilliam brothers and Darcy who treated him as a kid brother.



Colonel Fitzwilliam: I imagined a 30 year old Gerard Butler and Richard Armitage combination who was ruggedly handsome, a born commander of men, and sometimes impetuous. How could you not love this man? Impossible!





Lord Matlock: Pure Sean Connery. A gentle man who filled the room with his presence with white hair, a deep gravelly voice, and eyes that could pierce you to your soul.






Here is an excerpt from chapter eleven where we find Lady Matlock (who was very Helen Mirren). Please enjoy getting to know her a bit better. Mr. Bennet had just had a very public confrontation at Netherfield. It was witnessed by the Hursts, the Fitzwilliams, and the Bingleys.





~o0o~

In the drawing room, Miss Bingley could not help but snicker at the damage done to Miss Elizabeth’s reputation with the Fitzwilliam and Darcy family. Lady Matlock heard. The Lady was like the Darcys in nature, quiet and reserved. However, she was not a member of one of the most respected members of society for nothing.

“And, what about this situation do you find so amusing, Miss Bingley?” Until this point, Lady Matlock had chosen to stand back and allow her husband and sons to take charge. However, she recognized that these two women coveted a higher position in society and had determined that the Darcys would help them to attain that position. This was a familiar game to anyone who had reached the first circles of the ton. Though common enough, it was not palatable to Lady Matlock, especially since her niece and nephew were the targets of exploitation.

“Excuse me, Lady Matlock,” said Miss Caroline Bingley quickly, “I merely had something in my throat. I am certain that a cup of tea will be the answer. Would you like me to pour for you too?”

“Miss Bingley, do not underestimate my intelligence or my experience in dealing with women of your caliber. That young woman, whom you seek to demean in my eyes, is now performing a service in behalf of my family that will not soon be forgotten. She has proved her value and her valor in these most fearful times. You both would benefit by imitating her attitude and actions.” With that, she swept out the door and up to her nephew’s room.


~o0o~

When you close your eyes and imagine these secondary characters, who or what do they look like to you? Please feel free to answer if you chose to post a comment.







Connect with J Dawn King









~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

As I said above, the lovely Ms King brings with her some awesome gifts! She has two e-copies (kindle only) of her book, A Father's Sins, and one $50 Amazon gift card to give away! Woot!  To enter to win one of these wonder gifts, please enter the Rafflecopter below!

  • 1 person will win 1 e-copy (kindle only).
  • 1 person will win 1 e-copy (kindle only).
  • 1 person will win $50 Amazon gift card.
  • Winners will be picked in that order.
  • Open Internationally.
  • Last day to enter is June 2, 2014.
  • Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you! Remember, to enter the giveaway you MUST fill out the Rafflecopter above.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

W... W... W... Wednesdays ~ May 21, 2014


W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions:


  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?




What am I currently reading?
I'm currently reading Accidentally Yours by Robin M. Helm. I'm just a few chapters in, but it's good so far!







What did I recently finish reading? I finished three books this week. I finished The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu, which was very good. I really enjoyed the way it was written. It was only something like 200 pages, making it a quick read. I'll have a review up in June. 

Another book I finished was Moral Hazard by J.W. Becton. The fourth book in the Southern Fraud Thriller series! Again, I really enjoyed this one! I should have my review up Monday.

 



I also read Crash into You by Katie McGarry. Loved it! I bought this a while ago, when it first came out, and I can't believe I let it sit on my shelf for so long. Shame on me. Well, now I won't have to wait so long for the next because Take Me On will be out May 27! Woot! Read my reviews for Pushing the Limits and Dare You To.





What do I think I'll read next? hmmm... I'm not sure. I would like to get back into some dystopian, but I think I'll read Haunting Mr. Darcy by KaraLynne Mackroy. Looks like a fun read! 




What are you reading? I'd love to hear from you!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

W... W... W... Wednesdays ~ May 14, 2014


W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions:


  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?



What am I currently reading?
I am currently reading Moral Hazard by Jennifer Becton. It's really good! Tension is high! How is Julia going to get out of the mess she's in? ;) It started out a bit slow, but I'm totally into it now. Hopefully, I'll have a review up soon.






What did I recently finish reading?
I finished reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I loved it! I couldn't stop thinking about it. It stayed with me for a couple of days. My older daughter and I got into a little debate about it because she didn't like the ending, but I did! I was very satisfied. Just goes to show everyones different.





What do I think I'll read next? I plan on reading The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu. This looks like it might be an intense, emotional read. I requested it from NetGalley. We shall see! 






What are you reading? I'd love to hear!

Friday, May 9, 2014

Pride and Persistence Winner!

Hey Everyone! Rafflecopter has picked a winner!

Thanks so much to all that entered the giveaway, and a special thank you to Jeanna Ellsworth for generously offering to give a copy of her new book, 



And the winner is:


J Dawn King! 




Thanks again 
and 
Happy Reading!

I have emailed the winner. =)


Wednesday, May 7, 2014

W... W... W... Wednesdays ~ May 7, 2014


W... W... W... Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. To play along, just answer the following questions:


  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?


What am I currently reading? I'm currently reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I'm about half way done and really enjoying it. Again, like in the Divergent series, I'm nervous about the ending. I have my fingers crossed that I'm going to be satisfied! =)




What did I recently finish reading? I finished reading The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Loved them both! I found Hunger Games not too different from the movie, but in Catching Fire there was more that they left out.






What do I think I'll read next?
I'm not sure. Probably, Moral Hazard by J.W. Becton. It's the fourth book in the Southern Fraud Thriller series. The series is about an insurance fraud detective, Julia Jackson, who while working on her fraud cases is also trying to find her sisters rapist. That investigation is a continuing storyline that runs through the books. There's also a little sexual tension going on between Julia and her partner, Vincent. Love that!  I've enjoyed the first three, and I have a feeling I'm going to love the fourth!   



What are you reading? I'd love to hear! 

Monday, May 5, 2014

The Secret Betrothal by Jan Hahn


The Secret Betrothal: A Pride and Prejudice Alternate Path by Jan Hahn 

Publication Date: February 14, 2014 
Publisher: Meryton Press 
Pages: 324 
Received: Paperback from the publisher for my honest review. 
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars




 
I loved this story! The Secret Betrothal is a wonderful retelling of Pride and Prejudice that takes us down a path different from the original. I love it when an author takes my two favorite characters and puts them in some new situations, just as Jan Hahn has done in this one.

What if, Elizabeth was so angry and hurt by Mr. Darcy’s  “tolerable” remark and haughty behavior that she goes against her better judgement and accepts a man under conditions that she usually wouldn’t do?  She lets her judgement of the man cloud her sensibilities, and she blindly accepts Mr. Wickham’s tales. And what if, knowing Mr. Darcy as well as he does, Mr. Wickham realizes there may be another way to seek his revenge...by taking away something that Mr. Darcy really wants. Elizabeth.  

There is so much I enjoyed about this story! We all know Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth will have their happily ever after, but the fun is getting there! I loved watching Elizabeth learn what an honorable man Mr. Darcy truly is, and what a rogue Mr. Wickham is. In the end, I found myself wondering if Mr. Wickham could actually regret his past behavior, and if Elizabeth really could have made him a better man. 

I found humor in Lady Catherine’s Spring tonic, which, unfortunately, caused everyone at Rosing and the Parsonage to become very sick, but allowed Elizabeth to see a kind and caring Darcy. And I cringed and chuckled, when Elizabeth had no one else to turn to, she turned to her mother for some advice about love! Haha! What was she thinking?! 

I enjoyed how the story passes quickly over parts of the story that are in the original, noting that they happen, but not going into detail. Focusing on scenes that are different. There is much less time repeating what we already know.

The Secret Betrothal is a fun read, and one that kept me up late into the night! I’ve enjoyed Jan Hahn’s other books An Arranged Marriage and The Journey and was happy that the same held true for this! I would recommend this one to anyone who loves Jane Austen Fan Fiction!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

Buy: Amazon | B&N

Add to goodreads.



Connect with Jan Hahn

facebookwebsiteMeryton Press


Any thoughts? I'd love to hear from you! 
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