The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy

 

“Be careful who you fall for...

Robbie and Trevor Cresmont have a body count—the killer kind. Handsome and popular, the Crestmont brothers' have enough wealth and privilege to ensure they’ll never be found guilty of any wrongdoing, even if all of Happy Valley believes they're behind the deaths of their ex-girlfriends. First there was soccer star Victoria Moreno, Robbie’s ex, who mysteriously drowned at the family lake house. Then, a year later, Trevor’s girlfriend died of a suspicious overdose.

But the Crestmonts aren’t the only ones with secrets. Lauren O'Brian might be the new girl at school, but she's never been a good girl. With a dark past of her own, she's desperate for a fresh start. Except when she starts a no-strings-attached relationship with Robbie, her chance is put in jeopardy. During what’s meant to be their last weekend together, Lauren stumbles across shocking evidence that just might implicate Robbie.

With danger closing in, Lauren doesn't know who to trust. And after a third death rocks the town, she must decide whether to end things with Robbie or risk becoming another cautionary tale. - taken from Goodreads.

Lauren is new to Happy Valley and ready for a fresh start after the events of the past year. Meeting Robbie before school starts was an outlet for forgetting her past. When the girls on her new soccer team warn her to stay away from the Crestmont boys, Trevor and Robbie, Lauren doesn’t  immediately take their advice. The Crestmont boys each have had a girlfriend who died under mysterious circumstances. Ready to break things off after finding disturbing evidence, Lauren soon realizes that things aren’t what they seem. The more she pries into what happened, the more convoluted the mystery becomes. Not sure who she can trust, will Lauren be able to find the true murderer before it is too late?

Visit Trish Lundy’s website.

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter (Better Than the Movies book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Better Than the Movies, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

“For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: the strong-willed girl next door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off for college to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process.

Flash forward months later, and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.

Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with rom-com-worthy grand gestures she loves. Only . . . Liz will have none of it! Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend . . . a guy friend.

Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.” - taken from Goodreads.

OMG! What can I say about this book without spoiling everything about it? Two years have passed since Wes and Liz got together, started UCLA, and the unfathomable happened. Wes now has gotten a second chance but will Liz give him a second chance? Probably one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Visit Lynn Painter’s website.

A Queen’s Game by Katharine McGee

 

“In the last glittering decade of European empires, courts, and kings, three young women are on a collision course with history—and with each other.

Alix of Hesse is Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, so she can expect to end up with a prince . . . except that the prince she’s falling for is not the one she’s supposed to marry.

Hélène d’Orléans, daughter of the exiled King of France, doesn’t mind being a former princess; it gives her more opportunity to break the rules. Like running around with the handsome, charming, and very much off-limits heir to the British throne, Prince Eddy.

Then there’s May of Teck. After spending her entire life on the fringes of the royal world, May is determined to marry a prince—and not just any prince, but the future king.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a fun spin on royal history during the later part of the Victorian era that is inspired by somewhat true events. Three young women are determined to have a say in their own futures among European royalty. I had to keep stopping throughout the book to research the various historical figures. While that may have spoiled the ending of book two, I learned how most everyone was related to Queen Victoria and how she manipulated her grandchildren for her own gain.

Book two is TBA.

Visit Katharine McGee’s website.

Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibanez (Secrets of the Nile book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, What the River Knows, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“1885, Egypt

Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.

Marriage to Whitford Hayes.

Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.” - taken from Goodreads.

The conclusion to this adventure is action packed from the start after the shocking ending from book one. Inez is desperate to find out what happened to her father and what her mother has done with the Cleopatra cache. Not knowing who she can trust, including her own heart, Inez must rely on Whit to help her solve the mystery. With a shocking end to the story, the illustrated epilogue is worthwhile as a new story is hinted at with one character.

Visit Isabel Ibanez’s website.

Heist Royale by Kayvion Lewis (Thieves’ Gambit book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Thieves’ Gambit, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“It's been six months since the end of the Gambit. Instead of winning an impossible wish, Ross has the threat of her family’s execution hanging over her head. Devroe, the only person Ross thought she could trust, could wish the Quests into oblivion at any time. Shockingly, despite his betrayal, Devroe is still making a play for Ross’s heart as the two work together pulling jobs for the Organization. But Ross has learned her lesson: A Quest can only trust another Quest.

When Ross finds herself at the center of a power struggle within the Organization, she sees her chance to change her fortunes. As a new deadly Gambit develops for control of the criminal underworld, Ross strikes a risky deal to guarantee protection for herself and her family.

In this final clash, Ross will square off against a ruthless opponent who will stop at nothing to seize power, and in their corner will be not only Devroe but his mother, who wants to destroy the Quests at any cost.

The new Gambit takes Ross and her crew into the intoxicating casinos of Monte Carlo and across treacherous snow-covered slopes in Antarctica as Ross competes against Devroe in a fight for her life. Loyalties will be tested, backs stabbed, hearts broken. May the best thief win.” - taken from Goodreads

Six months have passed and Ross and her friends find themselves in a new gambit where the stakes are life and death. Readers will quickly become immersed in the story once again and will find the ending a bit shocking. I for one enjoyed the epilogue but was a bit disappointed to say goodbye to the characters in this story.

Visit Kayvion Lewis’ website.

The Whispering Night by Susan Dennard (Luminaries book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Luminaries, and The Hunting Moon, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.

With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.

As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won't stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a fantastic conclusion to the Luminaries trilogy. Winnie Wednesday is determined to solve all of the current problems plaguing Hemlock Falls. With an influx of visitors to the town, one makes herself known to Winnie as a Diana who is determined to finish what was started four years ago. Can Winnie solve all of the big mysteries in the town before it’s too late?

Visit Susan Dennard’s website.

The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen (Dominions book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Liar’s Crown and The Stolen Throne, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“King Eidolon has taken everything. Meren's throne, her Shadowraith, and even her kingdom. She is a queen with no one to rule, and a tattered army that's not even hers. And now the shadows who once tormented Reven live within her, enticing her to betray her friends. The Alignment is almost upon them--the culmination of centuries that have fueled a vengeful king's festering rage. They're outnumbered and underpowered. And even if they could unleash the trapped goddesses, they could destroy the kingdom and everything in it.”

The final book in this trilogy did take me a while to get into but once Reven reenters the story, the action begins to pick up. Even through the twists and turns in the fight to stop Eidolon, no one is spared in the journey to the end.

Visit Abigail Owen’s website.