✱✱Book Review✱✱ Wolf Cursed (Curse of the Alpha Book 1) by D.N. Leo

Deadly secrets. Sinful power. Forbidden love.

Everyone in the city fears the return of dark magic, except the psychic Ivy. That is, until dark magic kills one of her clients, and threatens to send her family’s century-old private security company to its financial ruin.

Killian, the most powerful shapeshifter in the region, throws her company a lifebuoy, but in exchange, Ivy must do something she’d swore she’d never do: take on a supernatural client. Namely, Killian himself.

He needs her to protect him against a curse. At least, that’s what he tells her, though the truth is a bit more complicated than he’s let on. But Killian isn’t the only one with a secret, and when he learns hers, it may be worse than her undoing.

It may mean her death.

If you like the bite of True Blood, the whimsical world of A Discovery of Witches, and the love of Outlander, then you’ll devour D.N. Leo’s Curse of the Alpha series.

Momma Says: 2 stars⭐⭐

I really liked the premise of Wolf Cursed - shapeshifters, magic, curses, all things I love in paranormal romance. Then there's that last line of the blurb about True Blood, A Discovery of Witches, and Outlander. I love all three of those, having read and watched the first two and watched the Outlander series. Anyway, I was all kinds of excited to dig into this book. Unfortunately, that didn't last. Maybe I missed something, but I didn't find anything about this to understand the comparisons mentioned. I do think the premise has potential. I just don't think that potential was realized. A big part of that was due to the pacing, in my opinion. It was kind of all over the place with excitement and a good pace for a bit, then a major slow down. Those lags were a problem for me, and I ended up setting the book aside out of frustration a couple of times. I even started over once, thinking I missed something when some events or conversations didn't really make sense. I did finally finish, but it became more of a chore than it should have. The book does end with a cliffy, but based on my experience with it, I'm not interested in going further with the series. I realize I'm in the minority, but it is what it is. My opinion is just one, and I would never want to discourage anyone from picking up a book. So, if this one interests you, I say give it go. 

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

TikTok

Goodreads

The StoryGraph

Tumblr

✱✱Book Review✱✱ Table 13: An addictive suspense thriller by Mike McCrary

A gripping, fast-paced thriller for fans of Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter.

They seemed like such a nice couple.

It was a typical evening at the restaurant. But when psychopaths show up for dinner, " typical" dies.

Hank Quinn moved to New York to chase his dream of becoming a writer. But he quickly finds that loneliness and lack of success aren't the worst things that can happen to a small-town kid in the big city. One night, during the dinner rush at the high-end restaurant where he works, his life takes an unimaginable turn.

The lovely, attractive couple seated at table 13 is not what they seem. They have a dark past and some even darker plans for Hank.

Hank desperately searches for a way out while the husband-and-wife killing team pulls him deeper into their world and their unspeakable crimes. As the nightmare unfolds, he learns about the chilling fate they have planned for him and the people he loves if he doesn't complete their sick, twisted tasks.

Can he stop them before it's too late? Can Hank survive their twisted agenda?

Table 13 is a heart-stopping suspense thriller that will keep you turning pages until you reach the shocking conclusion. If you like Harlan Coben and Karin Slaughter, you'll love best-selling author Mike McCrary's latest nail-biter.

Momma Says: 3 stars⭐⭐⭐

Mike McCrary's Table 13 has an intriguing premise, and it's a fast-paced read. There's an intensity from the beginning, and you can't help but feel sorry for Hank as his desperation grows. That said, I prefer my thrillers a little less predictable. It's not without some shocking moments, and there are a couple of good twists along the way, but more often than not, it was just a bit too easy to guess what was coming or at least some part of it. I feel like this one is more about the heart pumping, holy moly, this couple is crazy kind of intensity than the kind of thriller that keeps you guessing. The book has a vibe that made me think of Natural Born Killers and maybe a little bit of Stephen King thrillers in the sense that not everything is tied up in a neat little bow so you can sleep easy after the last page has been turned. It's the kind of story that leaves you wondering how many cold-blooded killers are out there at any given time.

McCrary has an interesting writing style that I don't recall seeing before. I kept thinking it needed a better variation of the sentences. A lot of the sentences are pretty short, and it made things somewhat stilted. I could be wrong, but I get the feeling it was done that way on purpose because of the pacing, and I may be the only one, but it didn't work very well for me

All things considered, I'd have to say this thriller probably landed in the wrong lap. It's not really what I expected. I do think this book has a lot of appeal for those who like this type of thriller. As for me, I liked it well enough. It's not something I'd read more than once, but it is worth the read. 

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

TikTok

Goodreads

The StoryGraph

Tumblr

✱✱Book Review✱✱ Creepy Crawly by Andrew Lowe

Creepy Crawly

DI Jake Sawyer Series Book One 

by Andrew Lowe 

"Just because you don't feel fear, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be afraid."

---

DI JAKE SAWYER is the brightest star of the Met Police murder squad. Sharp, tough and pathologically fearless.

Now he’s quit the capital and returned to his home town in England’s Peak District, to investigate the savage murder of his mother, thirty years earlier.

When the body of a teenage boy is found in a shallow grave, close to woodland where Sawyer used to play as a child, he’s called in to help decode the killer’s nightmarish methods.

But as the victims stack up and the case takes an unexpected turn, Sawyer must risk his own life to hunt the hunter and save an innocent.

---

Creepy Crawly is Book One in the DI Jake Sawyer series. Dive in now and discover a new breed of detective, with stories that reveal the dark side of one of England's brightest beauty spots.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FSFMKXX

Momma Says: 3 stars⭐⭐⭐

Creepy Crawly starts with an opening scene that is nothing short of chilling. From there, it goes into a rather lengthy description of characters - a lot of characters, including our main character, Jake, who has his own reasons for moving back to his home town. I'll admit I wasn't crazy about Jake, especially in the beginning. He's certainly intelligent, but he also comes across as quite arrogant. As the story progresses, we understand where some of that comes from, but there were still some things about him that put me off. We do have an interesting murder mystery, but it's somewhat bogged down with so many characters, some seemingly completely removed from the case, and some right in the thick of things. Things do slowly start to come together and make sense, and the conclusion is tense and heart-racing. While this particular case is tied up by the book's end, there are still loose ends in Jake's personal life that I'm assuming will be ongoing with the series. In the end, there were things I liked about the story and things that I didn't, leaving me somewhere in the middle. While Jake Sawyer is an interesting character, I am still undecided about whether I'll continue with his journey.

Facebook

Twitter
Instagram

Goodreads
Google+
Tumblr