Showing posts with label necklace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label necklace. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Book Review - The Address: A Novel by Fiona Davis

Photo Source - Amazon

After a failed sewing apprenticeship and consistently disappointing her mother, Sara Smythe has worked her way up to the head housekeeper at a posh London hotel. When an accident occurs, Sara crosses path with Theodore Camden, one of the architects of the grand New York apartment house, the Dakota. Grateful for her help, Theo offers Sara a job as a manager of the Dakota.  Excited about the opportunity to start over and filled with possibility, Sara decides to take the position as the manager of the building. Sara loves that Theo understands her like no one else but, Theo is a married man with three young children.

Bailey Camden is fresh out of rehab and she is eager to start over. She is homeless, jobless and without a penny to her name. Baily is desperate for any opportunity to help showcase her decorating skills. Her grandfather was the ward of Theo Camden but, without the genetic match, Bailey won't be able to get a  part of the Camden's estate. Her cousin, Melinda is Camden's biological great-granddaughter who will inherit everything. When Melinda offers Bailey the job to renovate her lavish Dokata apartment, Bailey jumps at the chance to prove herself. However, the pair has different views on the renovation of the apartment. Melinda wants to make the apartment more modern, while Bailey wants to keep the historic charm.
 
Sara and Bailey lived over a hundred years apart but, both are tempted and struggle again the excess of their world. Sara struggled with the opulent world ruled by the rich while Bailey struggled with free-flowing drinks and drugs. They both take refuge at the Dakota to find peace.  When Bailey finds a chest with secrets from the past, she realizes everything she thought she knew about her family might be wrong.

I found the book to be an entertaining and easy to read. I love the details about the Dakota and the historic details.  While the book was a good read, I found the story to be a bit predictable. This would be an ideal book for readers who like historical fiction but, not for readers who want to be in suspense.

**Disclosure - This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Monday, July 16, 2018

Book Review - Stolen Obsession by Marlene M. Bell + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Annalisse Drury is an antiquities appraiser, whose best friend was recently murdered. The killer is still on the loose but, Annalisse believes her friend's murder is linked to her expensive missing bracelet. The bracelet is said to have an ancient curse that unleashes evil on anyone who wears it, who isn't Persian royalty. 

During a gallery opening, she notices the matching necklace on display. She asks the owner to get rid of the necklace because of its cursed past. No one believes her even after, an unnatural death occurs during the gallery opening. Desperate to get rid of the piece, Annalisse enlists the handsome gallery owner's son to help. Will Annalisee be able to stop the murders before it is the too late?

I found the novel to be an interesting read. The beginning was a bit convoluted and hard to get into. However, towards the middle of the book, it started picking up. The book had a lot of intrigue and plot twists. A very thrilling book!

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**



Stolen Obsession
(Annalisse Series #1)
By Marlene M. Bell
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Paperback & ebook, 294 Pages
June 30th 2018 by Ewephoric Publishing

People die, but legends live on.

New York antiquities appraiser Annalisse Drury recently lost her best friend to murder. The killer’s identity may be linked to her friend’s expensive missing bracelet—a 500-year-old artifact that carries an ancient curse, one that unleashes evil upon any who dare wear the jewelry created for the Persian royal family.

Weeks later, Annalisse sees a matching necklace at a Manhattan gallery opening. She begs the owner to destroy the cursed piece, but her pleas fall on deaf ears—despite the unnatural death that occurs during the opening. With two victims linked to the jewelry, Annalisse is certain she must act.

Desperate, Annalisse enlists the gallery owner’s son to help—even though she’s afraid he’ll break her heart. Wealthy and devastatingly handsome, with a string of bereft women in his wake, Greek playboy Alec Zavos dismisses Annalisse’s concerns—until his parents are ripped from the Zavos family yacht during their ocean voyage near Crete.

Annalisse and Alec race across two oceans to save his mother, feared dead or kidnapped. When the killer changes tactics and goes after Alec behind Annalisse’s back, can her plan to rescue Alec’s mother save them all?

Hold on for a heart-thumping, thrilling adventure through exotic lands in this fast-moving romantic suspense mystery by Marlene M. Bell.

Praise for the Book

"Debut author Bell delivers a great, slow-building romance, gently examining her characters' painful pasts." — Kirkus Reviews

"An irresistible page turner and a successful melding of thriller and romance. With a splash of international adventure and plenty of surprises, Stolen Obsession is an entertaining read and a great beginning to the Annalisse Series." — Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★½


About the Author


Marlene M. Bell is an acclaimed artist and photographer as well as a writer. Her sheep landscapes grace the covers of publications such as, Sheep!, The Shepherd, Ranch & Rural Living and Sheep Industry News. Ewephoric, her mail order venture, began in 1985 out of a desire for realistic sheep stationery. A color catalog of non-fiction books and sheep-related gifts may be requested at www.marlenembell.com or www.texassheep.com. Marlene and her husband, Gregg reside on a wooded ranch in East Texas with their 50 head of Horned Dorset sheep, a lovable Maremma guard dog named, Tia, and 3 spoiled cats who rule the household.

- 1 Grand Prize winner will receive: One signed copy of STOLEN OBSESSION, One lined Journal with handcrafted pen, One set of Wool Dryer Balls, a Pair of Stolen Obsession style earrings and a $50 gift card from Amazon
4 winners will each receive: One signed copy of Stolen Obsession, One sheep bookmark, One lined journal and a pair of Stolen Obsession-style earrings-Gold-various styles
- US only
- Ends July 25th