Book Review - Mermaid Moon (Sunset Cove, #2) by Colleen Coble

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Mallory Davis left her hometown over fifteen years ago after a tragic accident. She finally returns when she receives news of her father's mysterious death. Leaving her with no choice, Mallory returns to Mermaid Point where she faces her childhood sweetheart, Kevin O'Connor. Mallory believes her father was murdered and joins Kevin to solve the mystery behind her father's death. However, Kevin is wary of bonding with Mallory since she ran away from home and broke his heart. Will Mallory and Kevin be able to put their differences aside? Who murdered Mallory's father?

The novel had an interesting story line and was quite interesting for the first few chapters. However, the further I got into the book, the less I wanted to continue reading the book. I found the characters to be dull and the story to drag on. An interesting concept, but it didn't captivate my interest enough to want to continue reading the book.

Book Review - Light Up New York By Natalie Grant

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"Light Up New York" is the fourth book in the Faithgirlz Glimmer series. Twins Mia and Maddie, along with their little sister, Lulu travel around the country solving mysteries along finding new adventures. The Glimmer sisters travel with their famous singer mother, Gloria Glimmer, their father, and their information packed nanny, Miss Julia. Along the way, the sisters discover the true meaning of friends, family, telling the truth and forgiveness. In the latest book, the Glimmer family heads to NYC to perform a charity concert in Time Square where the whole family joins in the concert. However, right around the time of their visit, something mysterious happens that the whole family gets involved. Who is the Snow Angel? How would the girls learn sympathy?

Each of the book in the series can be read as a standalone. I have not read any of the other books in the series. The novel is great for  grade schoolers and tweens as it doesn't have any questionable content and it encourages children to kind, truthful and to think of others. The girls also have a healthy relationship with their parents with mutual respect, trust and love. I found the book to be a quick and easy read while being enjoyable. I thought it was a decent book but my younger female cousin enjoyed the book and wanted to read the rest of the series.

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

Book Review - Another Day, Another Dali (Serena Jones Mysteries Book #2) by Sandra Orchard

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A valuable Salvador Dali painting goes missing and FBI Special Agent Serena Jones is asked to investigate the disappearance by her grandmother.  Unfortunately, her grandmother's friend wants to keep the forgery a secret. Serena hopes that since her grandmother is asking her for help, that she can finally earn her grandmother's affection. As Serena digs deeper into the case, it becomes clear that one of owner's family members might be behind the crime. Who is behind the forgery? Is the forger behind the murder of Serena's grandfather?

The novel is the second book in the Serena Jones Mysteries series. While each book can be read individually, I found it helpful and entertaining to read each book in the series. I like how this book focused less on how desirable Serena is and how men throw themselves at her which was very prominent in the first book. Along, with the character developments but once again, she has the two "main" men who both vie for her attention and she brushes them off without a reason why. The novel is fast paced and interesting but it left me craving more story line than just fluff.  If you a fan of the first novel or Sandra Orchard,  you would enjoy this book.

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

Book Review - Pursuing Gold: A Novel of the Civil War by Cynthia L. Simmons and Rene Holt

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Peter Chandler inherits a bank after his father's untimely death and his father's business partner on his death bed. Peter just recently graduated college and has no experience running a bank. He finds guidance in his partner's daughter, Mary Beth Roper but they both struggle to keep the bank afloat during the Civil War.  However, their problems deepen when they find counterfeit bills in circulation.  Will they be able to work together to save the bank? Who is circulating the counterfeit bills?

The novel is an interesting perspective of the Civil War. It doesn't just give the views of the North and the South but also the people who are caught in between and are trying to live their lives. I was entranced by the novel but after a few chapters in, the novel became boring. The story line was interesting but not enough action. A majority of the novel could have been left out and you wouldn't even miss it. The characters seemed to aloof and mild -- I couldn't see myself rooting for any of them. The novel seemed a bit disjointed that writing didn't seem to flow smoothly. A decent read but I don't see myself picking up this book again.

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

Book Review - Sister Eve and the Blue Nun by Lynne Hinton

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While visiting her old monastery for a speaking convention on the Blue Nun, Sister Eve comes across a murder at the monastery. Sister Eve is a private detective with the uncanny ability to solve murder and she takes on the case when the victim is the sister of her friend. She must prove that the young monk isn't the killer when all the evidence points to him and he disappears. On her journey, Sister Eve is debating whether or not she should continue the life of the cloth or become a private detective with her dad.

The book was an interesting read but I can't say I am a big fan of it. The main character's father seemed sexist and the nun herself  has questionable values. The characters don't really seem believable and most of the book was a bit of fluff. Only towards the end you really find any of the excitement but it wasn't enough to redeem the book. Also, she can't really claim herself a detective since she had no clues to actually point to anything related to the murder other than one thing a person had said.

**Disclosure - I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review**

Book Review - Annabel Lee (Coffey & Hill Book #1): A Coffey & Hill Novel by Mike Nappa

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Annabel Lee lives an ordinary life on  her Uncle Truck's farm except for the guard dog that eats human fingers. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, Truck wakes her up and takes her deep underground with the guard dog. He tells her "Don't open that door for anybody, you got it? Not even me." Terrified, she obeys and closes the door behind him leaving her and the guard dog alone. 

The girl's godfather, the Mute is a former Army sniper who will stop at nothing to kill Dr. Smith who is after Annabel. In the meantime, Truck's former trainee Samuel Hill and his ex wife and private investigator Trudi Coffey have to piece together Truck's cryptic message to find the girl. Will Truck's team be able to find the girl before it's too late? Why does is she in the bunker? What does Dr. Smith want with Annabel?

The thriller was a quick and easy read. I also like how Mike created a strong female lead (although, there were a couple of "annoying" things but I can see why she felt that way). The book was highly entertaining with an interesting story line. I have not read anything from Mike Nappa before but I am looking forward to reading his other works.

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

Book Review - June: A Novel by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

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Cassie Danvers flees to her family's crumbling mansion in St. Jude, Ohio after the breaking off the engagement to her older boyfriend and the passing of her grandmother, June who raised her. In the ancient mansion, she becomes a hermit and becomes closed off from the world. However, her world comes closing in around her when she receives news that she is the sole heir to legendary movie star, Jack Montgomery's millions.  Jack's daughters come to visit to Cassie to take back the inheritance and instead they uncover a dark secret from the past. Will Cassie be able to keep the money? Will the way she sees her grandmother change forever? Can the sisters prove Cassie is not the true heir to the inheritance?

The 400 page novel is a true page turner. It is slow in the beginning but it slowly unravels into  many twists and turns. The novel alternates between the past (between two friends June and Lindie) and the present (Cassie and the daughters). The characters were developed and interesting but I found it hard to like the main character, Cassie. Personally, I kept debating whether I loved it or just liked it. The more I thought about it, the more conflicted I got.  However, it is a great and interesting read, especially for those who like "Hollywood secrets" themes! 

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

Book Review - Dressed for Death (Drew Farthering Mystery #4) by Julianna Deering

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Drew and Madeline Farthering are invited to a week long Regency-era house party at Winteroak House. Drew and Madeline were excited to be reunited with old friends and meet new friends. Drew's former classmate, Talbot Cummins is excited to introduce Drew to his fiancee, Alice Henley. However, during the party Alice acts erratically and dies from an overdose. Tal is convinced it is murder and asks Drew to investigate. Is anyone safe? Who can be trusted?

This was my first book in this series, I have not read the previous book and it doesn't seem like each book is connected. I consider this mystery book a bit tame and would go so far as calling it a cozy mystery.  The book was interesting but a bit boring and the conversation between characters felt forced and unauthentic. The way Drew carried on the "investigation", seemed more like the obvious and he seemed oblivious during a good part of the novel. The ending was also a bit predictable as there was a lot of clues through out the novel. After reading this, I am not really sure I am interested in reading the other books in this series.

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

Book Review - Detective Strongoak and the Case of the Dead Elf by Terry Newman

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Private detective Nicely Strongoak goes about his day until he is asked to investigate the case of a missing surfer. The case seeming easy enough turns into a whirlwind of mystery and murder.  The book which is a mishmash between LOTR, mystery noir, humor and thriller takes readers to a fantasy world filled with colorful characters. 

While, investigating the missing surfer, Perry Goodfellow, is thrown into a chaotic world filled with murder, death, fire, drugs, magic and goblins. He awakens after one of his investigations next to a murdered elf with Nicely's weapon engraved into his skull. With death knocking on every door, Nicely must navigate the sticky world of politics while making sure he's not next.

The mysterious thriller is tinged with jokes and wildly creative characters that takes the reader for a wild ride.  It is a quick read but can be a bit wordy at times. A great read for anyone who likes fantasy books or who has a soft spot for private eye dwarfs!

Book Review - The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks

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A heartwarming tale of misfits coming together to find a place where they belong. Separated by decades, two woman who impose isolation on themselves find comfort in each other's company. A single mysterious item, connects the two lonely hearts in more than one ways. With each letter, the pair begin to bond when an article alerts Annie to a murder. She concocts a plan to prevent the murder with the help of her kindred friend along with a cast of misfits.

Little did she know, her plan is not only destined by faith but unleashes a whole new mystery. With each of the endearing and complex characters being drawn to each other and connected. A sweet endearing story with a lot of twists and turns, that will keep you in suspense page after page. The story kept me stuck to the edge of my seat compelling me to read faster than I could to find out how the story will end.