Review: Last Breath by Robert Bryndza (audio)

Title: Last Breath
Author: Robert Bryndza
Series: Detective Erika Foster, #4
Narrator: Jan Cramer
Published: April 2017, Bookouture
Length: 9 hours 5 minutes
Source: Personal copy via Audible

He’s your perfect date. You’re his next victim.

When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it’s not her case.

While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can’t help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location, both women have identical wounds – a fatal incision to their femoral artery.

Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity. How will Erika catch a murderer who doesn’t seem to exist?

Then another girl is abducted while waiting for a date. Erika and her team must get to her before she becomes another dead victim, and, come face to face with a terrifyingly sadistic individual.

Gripping, tense and impossible to put down, Last Breath will have you on the edge of your seat, racing to the final dramatic page.

My thoughts: This is the 4th book in Robert Bryndza's Detective Erika Foster series and I absolutely love this series...it's dark and twisted and each book keeps me on my toes the entire time! Each book leaves me breathless and desperately wanting to get my hands on the next one.

One of my favorite parts of this series is the character development we get throughout, which is why I think it is so important to read this series in order! You really get to know not only Erika, but her team as well. I think Robert really shines in this area - he has gone to great lengths to build up these characters and continues to do so with each book. 

In this latest book, Erika who has been removed from the Murder Investigation Team, manages to finagle things so that she is Senior Investigating Officer on the latest murder case and is able to hand-pick her team...and obviously picks Moss, Peterson, Crane and McGorry - the usual gang! I love this - this is such an Erika move!!! 

Early on in the book, we find out who the killer is, so most of the book is actually spent watching Erika and her crazy tactics in trying to catch said killer. She is sometimes upstoppable - willing to go to any means necessary at times for results. By knowing who the killer is, we the reader are able to get inside his head - which is quite frightening.

This book is nonstop full of action and will leave you breathless so many times, especially the last quarter of the book! There are quite a few twists and turns and the tension is high throughout. It's one of my favorite series and now I am counting the days til the next book comes out...


Audio thoughts: Jan Cramer is just brilliant with this narration - she does such a great job with these voices, making these characters come alive. I love listening to her and love listening to this series! Please, please, please continue to narrate this series for as long as it goes on - to me, you are Erika Foster and the rest of the gang!!!



Books in this series: 

1. The Girl in the Ice
2. The Night Stalker
3. Dark Water 
4. Last Breath 
5. ???

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in Jul 14

 

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About

 
I seem to have found a good routine and it is working...good workouts, good meals, and I'm feeling good - so I must be doing something right!!! We leave for our beach vacation in 3 weeks and I am really looking forward to it. I just hope the weather cooperates :)
 
 
July Goals: 

• 10K steps M-F, at least 7,500 steps on the weekend  - 5/5, 2/2
• 30 minutes of active walking every day, M-F - 5/5 (thank goodness for having to walk the dogs everyday!)
• Strength training (3/5 days) - Met
• Eat mindfully/eat enough - Yes
      

Here's how last week went:    
Jul  8:  11,373 steps
Jul  9:  10,234 steps
Jul 10:  18,808 steps (5K+ -  5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)   
Jul 11:  12,193 steps 
Jul 12:  16,713 steps (5K+ -  5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)
Jul 13:  17,749 steps (5K+ -  5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)
Jul 14:  14,970 steps (5K+ -  5 Charity Miles for Girls on the Run)
Total Steps: 102,040 steps

 
Audiobooks listened to last week (since I'm not much of a music fan, I listen to books while I walk):

• Started and finished The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian, narrated by Cady McClain & Grace Experience
• Started and finished The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson, narrated by Joshilyn Jackson
• Started The Good Widow by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, narrated Dara Rosenberg

 

How did your week go? You can find this week's link-up here.
 
 
Virtual 5K /10K Tally:
     January:                               May:                             September:   
           5K  -  4                                  5K  -  5                                5K  - 
         10K  -  7                                10K  -  6                               10K  - 
     February:                             June:                            October:
           5K  -  4                                  5K  -  10                               5K  - 
         10K  -  9                                10K  -  2                              10K  -   
     March:                                  July:                             November:
           5K  -  3                                  5K  -  8                                 5K  - 
         10K  -  7                                10K  -  0                               10K  - 
     April:                                    August:                        December:
           5K  -  9                                  5K  -                                    5K  - 
         10K  -  1                                 10K  -                                  10K  -

[Review] Ivory and Bone (#1) - Julie Eshbaugh: Prehistoric Times and Romance

In IVORY AND BONE, Kol's clan is running out of women to marry when a new clan arrives and brings lots of eligible teenage girls with them.

What intrigued me: I've read very few novels set in prehistoric times.

A regular romance story

IVORY AND BONE has an incredibly sad tone. The story is told from protagonist Kol's point of view as he tells the story of how they met to his injured lover Mya to soothe her. The second person narration is actually quite pleasant and works absolutely in favor of the story. Eshbaugh writes in lush flowery prose, a little too much so for my personal taste.

While IVORY AND BONE is trying to be extremely authentic when it comes to descriptions and things the characters use to survive, it's lacking authenticity in the parts that actually matter to make it a compelling narrative. IVORY AND BONE is a deeply romanticized story of two prehistoric teens falling in love. 

The setting is great, the concept could be nice, it's certainly original but IVORY AND BONE relies too much on that. This is neither historical fantasy as it says in the blurb, nor any different than any other romance in a different setting. Even more so because I feel like the setting doesn't do the story any favors, if there were actual fantasy elements and things beyond the premise of a clan of people living in the middle of nowhere meeting another clan of people - it could be epic.  

Strives for authenticity instead of entertainment

Ultimately it's not only the lack of world building and innovation that goes beyond a cool setting that made this a disappointment. It's also the lack of action and urgency. The romance itself isn't nearly captivating enough to carry a 400-page-novel, at least it isn't for me. What makes even is worse it that the writing tries to make up for that with lengthy, unnecessary scenery descriptions, which I'm just really not a fan of.

You'll find lots of passages passively narrating how the characters walk up mountains and descriptions of the tools they use. This very much showcases what immense research Eshbaugh put into this but at the end of the day the story just doesn't entertain and I couldn't imagine picking up more books in this series. I easily and quickly lost interest in the story, which is a shame because the writing is excellent and the premise, as I said, absolutely unique and fantastic.

Rating:

★★☆☆☆

 

Overall: Do I Recommend?

IVORY AND BONE has a very unique premise and is incredibly well-researched but absolutely loses itself in striving for authenticity in the prehistoric setting instead of narrating a compelling story. If you're a romance reader I think you might still enjoy this but I found myself too easily bored by the lack of action.

Additional Info

Published: June 7th 2016

Pages: 371

Publisher: Harper Teen

Genre: Historical Fiction

ISBN: 9780062399250

Synopsis:

"A prehistoric fantasy—with allusions to Pride and Prejudice.

Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family safe—that’s the life seventeen-year-old Kol knows. Then bold, enigmatic Mya arrives from the south with her family, and Kol is captivated. He wants her to like and trust him, but any hopes of impressing her are ruined when he makes a careless—and nearly grave—mistake. However, there’s something more to Mya’s cool disdain…a history wrought with loss that comes to light when another clan arrives. With them is Lo, an enemy from Mya’s past who Mya swears has ulterior motives.

As Kol gets to know Lo, tensions between Mya and Lo escalate until violence erupts. Faced with shattering losses, Kol is forced to question every person he’s trusted. One thing is for sure: this was a war that Mya or Lo—Kol doesn’t know which—had been planning all along. "(Source: Goodreads)

Have you read novels set in prehistoric times before?

#SRC2017 Book Spotlight: A Work of Art by Micayla Lally

Title: A Work of Art
Author: Micayla Lally
Published: May 2017, She Writes Press
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
 

Letting go after her abrupt break-up with Samson is harder than Julene thought it would be, especially since her ex has wasted no time in burying himself in the local dating scene. But during an extended visit to her parents overseas, Julene rediscovers her love of art, and a burgeoning career develops. Samson, on the other hand, after trying valiantly--and unsuccessfully--to forget Julene, has settled instead on his own new career. 

When Julene returns home to Australia, a coincidental meeting leads to an emotional reunion--but her love and patience will be tested when she finds out just how busy Samson has been in her absence. Yes, they have both made mistakes they can work through and move past--but when a specter from Samson's past looms, Julene wonders: Can she trust him again?

What readers are saying: 

"Romantics should enjoy watching this feisty couple rediscover their love for each other, work through their differences, and start over again with their new baby.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A darling celebration of forgiving and the intricacies of communication, this stunning adventure is the chick lit event of the year.” —PopSugar

“An endlessly charming story about second chances, A Work of Art explores the question we’ve all asked ourselves: is true love worth a second chance?” —Redbook

" A Work of Art by Micayla Lally takes the unusual tack of beginning the story at the end of a relationship. As she paints a renewed love that rises from the ashes of the old, Lally draws two imperfect characters who are growing into the people they need to be. The question is whether their new love is strong enough to survive the mistakes of their past." —Maren Anderson, author of Fuzzy Logic and Closing the Store

"Forget Samson and Delilah, take a romp with Samson and Julene in Lally's witty, whimsical debut. A great escapist pleasure, Lally's sassy, Aussie voice shines, drawing readers in to this gem of a romance that keeps you guessing until the very end." —Jennifer Hillman-Magnuson, author of the award winning travel memoir Peanut Butter & Naan: Stories of an American Mom in the Far East

"A Work of Art is a sweet and sassy look at what happens when couples don’t communicate." —Valerie Ihsan, author of The Scent of Apple Tea

Micayla Lally’s A Work of Art is a delightful romp through modern-day Adelaide’s art world. Samson and Julene are a sexy, funny, quirky couple who struggle to discover who they are and what they really mean to each other, especially when they discover that another little person is on the way. A perfect book-club selection, it is Chick Lit at its best! Highly entertaining! —Michelle Cox, author of The Henrietta and Inspector Howard series

“A fresh and literary spin on traditional chick lit. Micayla Lally has written an engaging, thoughtful story that gives hope to anyone who has ever wished for a second chance.” —Katie Oliver, author of the Jane Austen Factor series

"Micayla’s book is a lighthearted journey that follows the intricacies of a relationship…[A Work of Art] is a playful, easy to read romance story.” —Jann Hill, watercolour and collage artist, Australia

"I was hopeful when A Work of Art appeared in the post. The cover is gorgeous and the blurb intriguing so expectations were high. In short, I wasn't disappointed. Lally makes you like her characters with her frank, engaging style, then runs you through the wringer along with them before leaving you satisfied. I can't say too much without giving away the plot but I will say that I read this book in one sitting and will definitely be revisiting it again. Fans of Liane Moriarty should love this one. I certainly did." —Georgina Penney, author of The Barbershop Girl

"Sexy and a pleasure to read, this is not your typical chick lit. A Work Of Art demonstrates how relationships can get complicated fast. This story of modern love adeptly shows us how the quirky and sympathetic characters of Samson, Julene and the triangulated Victoria navigate pregnancy, career, love, sex and family dynamics all within the vibrancy of Adelaide, Australia. Ms. Lally’s writing lends itself to our understanding of their stories – we feel deeply for each of them. The perfect book club read. I look forward to more from Ms. Lally." —Dr. Kat Van Kirk, licensed sex and marriage therapist

"An emotional, hearty debut and perfect spring read, A Work of Art will hopelessly charm every soul-searcher." —Brit + Co 


*****************************************************************************

A Work of Art  by Micayla Lally is one of  BookSparks "Summer Reads" reading selection picks. 

  

 Follow the #SRC2017 hashtag on twitter to read reviews on this book as well as reviews on the other summer books! Also, be sure to check out the BookSparks Facebook page for the #SRC2017  and other fun links. You can participate in weekly secret missions for chances to win signed copies of selected books and more! There's a new secret mission each week :)

 

 

Best Books, Sequels, Releases, Most Anticipated, EVERYTHING about My 2017 Reads | Mid-Year Book Freakout TAG

I saw this over on AJ's blog and liked it so much that I decided to do it as well! I'm definitely having a mid-year book freakout at the moment because I've barely read 50 books this year so far! 

All time low! Don't know what's happening. I gotta catch up.

#1. Best book read this year
This is very hard to say, I guess THE WOMEN IN THE WALLS by Amy Lukavics. I loved this so much that I can't stop talking about it!

#2. Best sequel this year
You guys probably know I don't do sequels, I've actually only read one so far this year and wasn't very impressed with it, WAKING GODS by Sylvain Neuvel. Ancient space robots though, yeahhhh

#3. New release I haven't read yet, but want to
DEAR MARTIN by Nic Stone. I am working on it! I'm waiting for the perfect time because this book will break my heart and I want to give it the fairest shot possible. Can't afford to not love this!

#4. Most anticipated release for second half of year
WICKED LIKE A WILDFIRE by Lana Popovic. *eye emoji* I'm waiting. I love witchy books.

#5. Biggest disappointment
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis. What happened there? I love space and I was really looking forward to loving this, but I really, really did not.

#6. Biggest Surprise
THE HOLLOW GIRL by Hillary Monahan. I am so impressed with this book. It really shouldn't have suprised me that I ended up loving this to be honest because I have such a long history of adoring witchy books, haha.

#7. Favorite new author (Debut or new to me)
Thea de Salle! I'm neckdeep in her NOLA nights series and I need more people to talk about this with, I'm dying here! If you love intersectional romance, pleaseeeeeeee


#8. Newest fictional crush
Sol DuMont from THE KING OF BOURBON STREET by Thea de Salle. Duh. My flamboyant bisexual boyfriend is everything.

#9. Newest favorite character
*looks to the floor* Sol DuMont...

#10. Book that made me cry
Mh, I don't think there was one. Still waiting on a tear-jerker.

#11. Book that made me happy
HOW TO MAKE A WISH by Ashley Herring Blake. Love me some black biracial bisexual representation.

#12. Favorite book to film adaptation
I HAVEN'T SEEN A SINGLE ONE THIS YEAR! At least none of a book that I actually read. I'm terrible at this tag.

#13. Favorite post I've done this year
I've had the honor of hosting a Q&A with an author I admire, Hannah Moskowitz, after lovingggggg her Deaf bisexual romance WILD.

• Q&A with Hannah Moskowitz: Writing Deaf Characters, Catfishing, #Ownvoices, and Wild

#14. Most beautiful book I've bought or received this year

• Physically? The German edition of LAST SEEN by Lucy Clarke is the prettiest book I've ever seen. 
• Content-wise? HOW TO MAKE A WISH by Ashley Herring Blake

#15. Book I need to read by end of the year
More like bookS.

• TASH HEARTS TOLSTOY by Kathryn Ormsbee
• THE LADY OF ROYALE STREET by Thea de Salle
• THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins
• THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams
• THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray
• DARK VISIONS by L.J. Smith

... so many and that's only like the top six. I'm working on it.

If you decide to do the tag, please link it in the comments so I can stop by and read!

Connect with me!

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Review: The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis (audio)

Title: The Dollhouse
Author: Fiona Davis
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Published: August 2016, Penguin Audio
Length: 9 hours 53 minutes
Source: Library

Fiona Davis's stunning debut novel pulls readers into the lush world of New York City's glamorous Barbizon Hotel for Women, where a generation of aspiring models, secretaries, and editors lived side-by-side while attempting to claw their way to fairy-tale success in the 1950s, and where a present-day journalist becomes consumed with uncovering a dark secret buried deep within the Barbizon's glitzy past.

When she arrives at the famed Barbizon Hotel in 1952, secretarial school enrollment in hand, Darby McLaughlin is everything her modeling agency hall mates aren't: plain, self-conscious, homesick, and utterly convinced she doesn't belong—a notion the models do nothing to disabuse. Yet when Darby befriends Esme, a Barbizon maid, she's introduced to an entirely new side of New York City: seedy downtown jazz clubs where the music is as addictive as the heroin that's used there, the startling sounds of bebop, and even the possibility of romance.

Over half a century later, the Barbizon's gone condo and most of its long-ago guests are forgotten. But rumors of Darby's involvement in a deadly skirmish with a hotel maid back in 1952 haunt the halls of the building as surely as the melancholy music that floats from the elderly woman's rent-controlled apartment. It's a combination too intoxicating for journalist Rose Lewin, Darby's upstairs neighbor, to resist—not to mention the perfect distraction from her own imploding personal life. Yet as Rose's obsession deepens, the ethics of her investigation become increasingly murky, and neither woman will remain unchanged when the shocking truth is finally revealed.

My thoughts: This is Fiona Davis's debut novel and I just adored it. I absolutely love stories about living in NYC, especially ones that have to do with its rich history and this one hit on that and a whole lot more!

I love dual narratives and felt that this one was done so well. Having the story move back and forth between the present and the 1950's was so seemlessly done - it never once felt jilted or choppy. I loved how Fiona gives life to the famous Barbizon Hotel and wraps her fictional story around it. I fully admit to not knowing much about this hotel, so I was totally captivated by this story. 

There is such attention to detail in this book - from the social mores of the time in the 1950s to the clothing and all the accessories - this is what made the book for me. I loved learning what was socially acceptable for young girls at this time and what was not. That is starkly contrasted with what is acceptable in the present - for Rose who has no restrictions placed on her. I cannot imagine living somewhat on my own and having so many rules put upon me - no young men allowed in the building after a certain time, must wear a hat and gloves, etc. 

This was such a great story - from the characters and the mystery and the setting - I loved it! Such a great book for a debut novel and I have no doubt that her next book, which comes out later this summer, will be equally as delightful!


Audio thoughts: This was a great book to listen to and Tavia Gilbert really did a great job with the narration. She made the characters come to life, giving each woman unique voices so as to make them distinguishable, as well as giving everyone else their own voice, too. Her accents were good and so was her pacing and tone. I've listened to her before and know that I am in for a listening treat when I see her name on the audio book. 

 

Review: The Child by Fiona Barton

Title: The Child
Author: Fiona Barton
Published: June 2017, Berkley Books
Format: ARC E-copy, 36 pages
Source: Netgalley via Publisher
 

The author of the stunning New York Times bestseller The Widow returns with a brand-new novel of twisting psychological suspense.

As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby?

As Kate investigates, she unearths connections to a crime that rocked the city decades earlier: A newborn baby was stolen from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found. Her heartbroken parents were left devastated by the loss.

But there is more to the story, and Kate is drawn house by house into the pasts of the people who once lived in this neighborhood that has given up its greatest mystery. And she soon finds herself the keeper of unexpected secrets that erupt in the lives of three women and torn between what she can and cannot tell.

My thoughts: I was a big fan of Fiona Barton's debut novel, The Widow, and so I was ecstatic to see that not only did she have a second book coming out, but that it contained a beloved character, the journalist Kate. But not to worry - this is not a series or a continuation of the prior book. These are separate stories that just happen to have one re-occurring character.

This book is so good - it's an intricately written, character-driven story. It's narrated by four women and I loved that it was told this way. This allows us to get inside all four women's heads, giving us that emotional attachment, if you will, to each of them, letting us understand their thinking and motivations. All these women's lives are upended by the discovery of the tiny skeletal remains and I loved trying to figure out just how these women were going to all intersect. 

I was so excited to see that Fiona Barton decided to write another story with Kate Waters, the newspaper reporter from The Widow. I really like her character, especially given that Fiona herself was a journalist. Is it possible that Kate is a mirror image of herself? I'm not sure, but I really hope she continues to keep writing stories with Kate as a character - she is so intriguing and while I feel this book, in particular, delves a little more into her background, there is still more to her than we know.

This is not a fast-paced mystery by any means, but rather a slow-burning one. Slowly, pieces of the puzzle are revealed. As we learn more and more about each of the women, secrets start to come to light, revealing what happened so long ago. And I loved that the ending is not rushed. It was just perfect for the entire story...heartfelt and satisfying, yet still filled with some good twists and turns. This is a great psychological thriller, make no mistake. It's just not the crazy page-turner that some of the other books are...this one is a slower, take it all in, kind of book.

This is an addictive, emotional read and I really enjoyed it. I am a big fan of Fiona Barton's work and I just hope that this isn't the last we've seen of Kate Waters...will she be appearing in book 3? I guess time will tell. But either way, Fiona Barton is definitely a must-read author for me!