Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott

Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott
Publisher/Year: Entangled Publishing, 2017
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 366
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Goodreads

 

Summary

Her name is Domino Ray.

But the voice inside her head has a different name.

When Madam Karina finds Domino in an alleyway, she offers her a position at her girls’ home in secluded West Texas. With no alternatives and an agenda of her own, Domino accepts. It isn’t long before she is fighting her way up the ranks to gain the madam’s approval…and falling for Cain, the mysterious boy living in the basement.

But the madam has horrible secrets. So do the girls in the house. So does Cain.

Escaping is harder than Domino expects, though, because the madam doesn’t like to lose inventory. But then, Madam Karina doesn’t know about the danger living inside Domino’s mind.

Madam Karina doesn’t know about Wilson.

What I thought

All I can say is that I was VERY impressed by this book. It was riveting and damn near impossible to put down. It isn’t often that I can honestly describe a book as truly unique, but this odd little book really was like nothing I have read before. All I know is that I was all about it as I was reading.

Whether it was the little snippets of info that dropped ever so slowly that had me itching for more, Domino’s kickass character, the supporting characters I grew to love (Cain 😍, Poppet, and Wilson!), or simply Victoria Scott’s incredible writing style, I could not have asked for more from a novel.

This is probably one of my favorite reads so far this year, which was completely unsuspected. Violet Grenade is a little gem that I feel is very underrated. If you’re looking for something completely different or if you’re looking for a DARK psychological suspense/thriller, look no more–I HIGHLY recommend Violet Grenade!

The Sea Was a Fair Master by Calvin Demmer

The Sea Was a Fair Master by Calvin Demmer
Publisher/Year: Unnerving, 2018
Format: E-book
Pages: 83
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Goodreads

 

Summary (from author)

The world’s fate lies with a comatose young girl; an android wants to remember a human she once knew under Martian skies; men at sea learn that the ocean is a realm far different from land, where an unforgiving god rules; a school security guard discovers extreme English class; and a man understands what the behemoth beneath the sea commands of him.

The Sea Was a Fair Master is a collection of 23 stories, riding the currents of fantasy, science fiction, crime, and horror. There are tales of murder, death, loss, revenge, greed, and hate. There are also tales of hope, survival, and love.

For the sea was a fair master.

About the Author

Calvin Demmer is a dark fiction author. His debut collection, The Sea Was a Fair Master, was released in June 2018. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe. You can find him online at www.calvindemmer.com or follow him on Twitter @CalvinDemmer.

 

 

What I thought

This was my first time reading flash fiction, and I’ll be totally honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m all about development, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about stories that were all less than 5 pages long, especially stories from several of my favorite genres. But I have to say, these were pretty darn good stories! As with any collection, I prefer some over others, but I really did enjoy a majority of them. Since they were so short, I wanted to take my time with them, so I only read one or two per day so that they would linger with me. And I’ll tell you what, Demmer really knows how to pack a punch in just a handful of words! Overall, I was truly impressed. I’m definitely curious to see what this author could do within the realm of short stories or even with a novel!

Thank you very much to Calvin Demmer for providing me with a digital copy of this collection in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my review.

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown

Mean Streak by Sandra Brown
Publisher/Year: Grand Central Publishing, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 409
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Goodreads

 

 

Summary

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown comes a heart-pounding story of survival that takes the age-old question “Does the end justify the means?” and turns it on its head. 

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband, Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her.

While police suspect Jeff of “instant divorce,” Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself held captive by a man whose violent past is so dark that he won’t even tell her his name. She’s determined to escape from him and willing tot take any risks necessary to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, the two have a dangerous encounter with people who adhere to a code of justice all their own. At the center of the dispute is a desperate young woman whom Emory can’t turn her back on, even if it means breaking the law. Wrong becomes right at the hands of the man who strikes fear but also sparks passion.

As her husband’s deception is revealed, and the FBI closes in on her captor, Emory begins to wonder if the man with no name is, in fact, her rescuer from those who wish her dead–and from heartbreak.

Combining the nail-biting suspense and potent storytelling that has made Sandra Brown one of the world’s best-loved authors, MEAN STREAK is a wildly compelling novel about love, deceit, and the choices we must make in order to survive.

What I thought

This being the third book of hers that I’ve read & loved, I find it safe to say that I’m a fan of Sandra Brown. Mean Streak pulled me in & did not let me go until the very end. Between the twists & turns and the palpable sexual tension, I feel confident in saying that Sandra Brown is the queen of romantic suspense.

One of this book’s greatest strengths, in my eyes, was that while the romance was sexy, it did take a backburner to the mystery aspect. It made the story feel more balanced, I think.

And speaking of the mystery, this one definitely kept me guessing! The cliffhangers kept the plot moving forward without feeling gimmicky. Also, while I did figure some things out, there were enough twists to keep it surprising. I was constantly running my theories by my husband.

Not to mention, I loved the setting. Winter is definitely a good time to read about a cabin in the snowy mountains of North Carolina!

My favorite part was definitely the characters. I LOVED Dr. Emory–between her passion, her gumption, and her kindness, she’s just a character I love to root for. Add to that the tension between her & her hunky captor (who I also adored), and I was hooked!

Combining a page-turning mystery, a sexy romance, and an ending that I found incredibly sweet, Mean Streak is a book I can’t recommend highly enough!

Twisted Reasons (Twisted Trilogy #1) by Geza Tatrallyay

Twisted Reasons (Twisted Trilogy #1) by Geza Tatrallyay
Publisher/Year: Deux Voiliers Publishing, 2014
Format: E-book
Pages: 317
Rating: 🌟🌟
Goodreads

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

TWISTED REASONS, the first in a trilogy of international thrillers based on arms and human trafficking from a modern ‘rogue’ Russian state, is the tale of two college friends who get drawn into the heist of nuclear material from a former Soviet site. Arriving in Vienna to find his friend Adam Kallay, an official at the International Atomic Energy Agency, presumed dead, crime novelist Greg Martens teams up with Interpol Agent Anne Rossiter and Julia, Kallay’s Russian girlfriend, to solve the case and track the disappearance from a former Soviet nuclear site of enough uranium to make a bomb. The story moves from espionage entrepȏt Vienna to radioactivity contaminated Chelyabinsk and to front-line Georgia, as the three combat arms merchants allied to Russian secret police to prevent the stolen uranium from getting into the wrong hands. Along the way, Greg learns brutal truths about himself and his family.

What I thought

I’m going to be honest, this book just wasn’t for me. It was okay. I do think there are readers who would enjoy this. It really was an intriguing & suspenseful storyline. I am not very familiar with the history or the layout of the area of the world where the story takes place, so it was a little hard for me to follow at times. Again, that’s something that was more of a personal preference than any fault of the book. It was very clear that Mr. Tatrallyay knew his material, and he came across as very knowledgeable. There were some scenes that made me uncomfortable but I think that’s because this book was not something I’d normally read. I did find this story very entertaining though & I think this would be a great read for fans of crime thrillers with a touch of history.

Note: I did receive a free copy of this book from the author. This in no way affected my review.