Review: The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan

Title: The Perfect Girl Author:Gilly Macmillan Published:September 2016, William Morrow Paperbacks Format:Paperback, 464 pages Source:Personal copy Zoe Maisey is a seventeen-year-old musical prodigy with a genius IQ. Three years ago, she was involved in a tragic incident that left three classmates dead. She served her time, and now her mother, Maria, is resolved to keep that devastating fact tucked far away from their new beginning, hiding the past even from…

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Review: Two Days Gone by Randall Silvas

Title:Two Days Gone Author:Randall Silvas Series:Ryan DeMarco Mystery, #1 Published:January 2017, Sourcebooks Landmark Format:ARC E–book, 400 pages Source:Netgalley   A literary page-turner about a beloved college professor accused of murdering his entire family, and one small-town cop’s dangerous search for answers. Thomas Huston, a beloved professor and bestselling author, is something of a local hero in the small Pennsylvania college town where he lives and teaches. So when Huston’s wife…

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Short & Sweet Review: Before He Finds Her by Michael Kardos (audio)

Title:Before He Finds Her Author:Michael Kardos Narrator:Julia Whelan Published:February 2015, HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books Length:10 hours 30 minutes Source:Personal copy via Audible Everyone in the quiet Jersey Shore town of Silver Bay knows the story: on a Sunday evening in September 1991, Ramsey Miller threw a blowout block party, then murdered his beautiful wife and three-year-old daughter. But everyone is wrong. The daughter got away. Now she is…

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Short & Sweet Review: The Last Girl by Jane Casey (audio)

Title:The Last Girl Author:Jane Casey Series:Maeve Kerrigan, #3 Narrator:Sarah Coomes Published:May 2013, Brilliance Audio Length:15 hours 21 minutes Source:Personal copy via Audible Vast wealth offers London defense attorney Philip Kennford a lot of things: a gorgeous house with a pool in the backyard, connections in the top echelons of society, a wardrobe worthy of Milan runways. But his money doesn’t provide a happy marriage, or good relationships with his twin…

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#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in January 6

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About   So, January is off to a somewhat good start…I’ve been active everyday, but I’ve also been fighting a cold, so I haven’t really been going crazy with my training for the BIG walk I’m doing in March. I’m not too worried, though, since I have been training since August and have been pretty active all…

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Review: Under the Harrow by Flynn Berry (audio)

Title: Under the Harrow Author: Flynn Berry Narrator: Fiona Hardingham Published: June 2016, Blackstone Audio Length: 6 hours 5 minutes Source: Library   When Nora takes the train from London to visit her sister in the countryside, she expects to find her waiting at the station, or at home cooking dinner. But when she walks into Rachel’s familiar house, what she finds is entirely different: her sister has been the…

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Review: The Stepmother by Claire Seeber (audio)

Title:The Stepmother Author:Claire Seeber Narrator:Karina Fernandez Published:July 2016, Bookouture Length:9 hours 42 minutes Source:Audible via Publisher The perfect wife. A fairytale family. Don’t believe your eyes… Jeanie and Matthew are a happily married couple who both have teenage children from previous relationships. No one said it would be easy to raise a blended family under one roof but Jeanie and Matthew are strong. They will make it work. And whilst…

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2017 Audiobook Challenge

The 2017 Audio Book Challenge is hosted by Hot Listens & Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and it goes from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. I love listening to audio books and have been doing this challenge for the past few  years. I’m joining at the Marathoner level, which means I need to listen to 50+  audio books in 2017. I’ll keep track of them here.   ***As of 7/31/17, I…

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2017 eBook Reading Challenge

The 2017 E-Book Challenge is hosted by Book Dragon’s Lair  and it goes from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. I’ve done this challenge for the past couple years and primarily use it to track just how much I end up reading on my iPad.    I’m joining once again at the Megabytes level, which means I need to read at least 25 e-books in 2017. I’ll keep track…

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2017 New Authors Reading Challenge

The 2017 New Authors Reading Challenge is hosted by Literary Escapism, and it goes from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. The goal of this reading challenge is to read new-to-you authors.    There’s no levels to join at for this challenge – which means that we get to pick how many new authors we want to read. I join this challenge primarily to keep track of how many…

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2017 #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks Reading Challenge

I am once again signing up for the #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks Reading Challenge, being hosted by Andi over at Estella’s Revenge. I participated in this challenge last year and actually did pretty well – while I didn’t make the goal I had set, I did read more than I usually do of my own books.  What I love about this challenge is that we can make our own rules for it. Books…

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2017 Library Love Challenge

The 2017 Library Love Challenge is being co-hosted by Bea’s Book Nook and Angel’s Guilty Pleasures, and it goes from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. I love my local library and love doing this challenge. This is my eighth year participating in the library challenge! I’m joining at the Thrifty Reader level, which means I need to borrow at least 24 books from the library in 2017. I’ll…

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2017 You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge

The 2017 You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge is hosted by Book Dragon’s Lair, and it goes from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. This is a reading challenge where we are challenged to read, read, read!!! I am going to join this challenge at Level 2, where I hope to read 150 books. Midwinter Blood — Mons Kallentoft The Witnesses — James Patterson (e-book) Two Days Gone…

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Review & Giveaway: Everything You Want Me To Be by Mindy Mejia (CLOSED)

Title:Everything You Want Me To Be Author:Mindy Mejia Published:January 2017, Atria/Emily Bestler Books Format:ARC E-copy, 352 pages Source:Netgalley via Publisher Full of twists and turns, Everything You Want Me to Be reconstructs a year in the life of a dangerously mesmerizing young woman, during which a small town’s darkest secrets come to the forefront…and she inches closer and closer to her death. High school senior Hattie Hoffman has spent her…

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First Book of the Year 2017

Each year, Sheila over at Book Journey makes a big deal over what the first book she’ll read will be for the new year and once again she’s asked us to join her. I have joined in for the last 2 years and it’s always a lot of fun seeing what book everyone selects. Be sure to stop by Sheila’s post to see the collage she makes of everyone participating!…

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Month in Review: December 2016

Here are my reading stats for December!   Books read: 15 Books I read:   Love You To Death — Caroline Mitchell (audio book) The 4th Man — Lisa Gardner (e-book) Evil Games — Angela Marsons (audio book) The Christmas Gate — T.A. Cline The Marriage Lie — Kimberly Belle (e-book) Little Black Dress — James Patterson The Hidden Child — Camilla Lackberg (audio book) The Chosen — Kristina Ohlsson…

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#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 30

    #FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About   Here’s my post for the last two weeks as I was away last week. My husband surprised me with a trip away for Christmas this year – and didn’t tell me where we were going until 2 weeks before we left!!! So where did we go? London and it was a fantastic trip…

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Review: Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand (audio)

Title:Winter Storms Author:Elin Hilderbrand Series:Winter, #3 Narrator:Erin Bennett Published:October 2016, Hachette Audio Length:6 hours 31 minutes Source:Library   Gather under the mistletoe for one last round of caroling with the Quinn family in this heartwarming conclusion to Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Winter Street Trilogy. Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, and an ill-fated affair with…

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Review: The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo (audio)

Title:The Invisible Guardian Author:Dolores Redondo Series:The Baztan Trilogy, #1 Narrator:Coleen Marlo Published:March 2016, Brilliance Audio / Atria Books Length:11 hours 59 minutes / 384 pages Source:Personal copy via Audible / Netgalley   Already a #1 international bestseller, this tautly written and gripping psychological thriller forces a police inspector to reluctantly return to her hometown in Basque Country—a place engulfed in mythology and superstition—to solve a series of eerie murders. When…

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Review: While You Were Sleeping by Kathryn Croft

Title:While you Were Sleeping Author:Kathryn Croft Published:November 2016, Bookouture Format:ARC E-book, 326 pages Source:Netgalley via Publisher   You wake up to find the man beside you is dead. He is not your husband. This is not your bed. What do you do? Tara Logan lives a quiet life with her husband, Noah, and two children, teenager Rosie and eleven-year-old Spencer. But her peace is shattered when she wakes in her…

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Review: Stalked by Elizabeth Heiter

Title:Stalked Author:Elizabeth Heiter Series:The Profiler, #4 Published:December 2016, MIRA Format:ARC Paperback, 384 pages Source:Publisher If you’re reading this, I’m already dead… That’s the note seventeen-year-old Haley Cooke leaves behind when she disappears from inside her high school. FBI profiler Evelyn Baine is called in to figure out who had reason to hurt her. On the surface, the popular cheerleader has no enemies, but as Evelyn digs deeper, she discovers that…

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Book Spotlight, Guest Post & Excerpt: Stalked by Elizabeth Heiter

Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth Heiter back to Always With a Book. Elizabeth’s latest book, Stalked, the 4th book in her Profiler series,  will be published at the end of the month. This is one of my favorite series and I’m so glad to have more Evelyn! I’ll be posting my review of Stalked later today, but for now, please enjoy this guest post and excerpt. Title: Stalked Author:Elizabeth…

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Giveaway: The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle (Giveaway Closed)

Next week, Kimberly Belle’s novel, The Marriage Lie, comes out and I’m pleased to offer you, my readers, a chance to win a copy here! I’ve already read this book and really liked it – you can read my review here. You can also see what others have to say and then be sure to enter the giveaway below!!! Title:The Marriage Lie Author:Kimberly Belle Published:December 2016, MIRA Format:Paperback, 352 pages…

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Review: Evil Games by Angela Marsons (audio)

Title: Evil Games Author:Angela Marsons Series:DI Kim Stone, #2 Narrator:Jan Cramer Published:June 2015, Bookouture Length:8 hours 43 minutes Source:Publisher   The greater the Evil, the more deadly the game… When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far…

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Review: Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase (audio)

Title:Black Rabbit Hall Author:Eve Chase Narrator:Nathalie Buscombe, Katie Scarfe, Cassandra Campbell Published:February 2016, Penguin Audio Length:12 hours 6 minutes Source:Library For fans of Kate Morton and Sarah Waters, here’s a magnetic debut novel of wrenching family secrets, forbidden love, and heartbreaking loss housed within the grand gothic manor of Black Rabbit Hall. Ghosts are everywhere, not just the ghost of Momma in the woods, but ghosts of us too, what we…

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#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 16

  #FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About   Another good week. We had some really cold weather and some snow – winter is definitely making it’s appearance early this year! The dogs love being out in the snow – it’s times like this that I so wish our yard was fenced in so the dogs could just go out and play! But,…

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Review: Love You To Death by Caroline Mitchell (audio)

Title: Love You To Death Author:Caroline Mitchell Series:Detective Ruby Preston, #1 Narrator:Emma Newman Published:November 2016, Bookouture Length:10 hours 59 minutes / 315 pages Source:Publisher / Netgalley   ‘I’m not your mother. You’re a monster. I don’t want you’ Women who gave a child up for adoption are being killed. A knock at their front door begins a nightmare from which they will never wake up. For Detective Ruby Preston and…

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#FRC2016 Book Spotlight: Small Admissions by Amy Poeppel

Title: Small Admissions Author: Amy Poeppell Published:December 2016, Atria/Emily Bestler Books Format:Hardcover, 368 pages   For fans of The Nanny Diaries and Sophie Kinsella comes a whip-smart and deliciously funny debut novel about Kate, a young woman unexpectedly thrust into the cutthroat world of New York City private school admissions as she attempts to understand city life, human nature, and falling in love. Despite her innate ambition and Summa Cum…

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Review: In Twenty Years by Allison Winn Scotch

Title: In Twenty Years Author:Allison Winn Scotch Narrator:Julia Whelan Published:July 2016, Brilliance Audio Length:9 hours 57 minutes Source:Publisher Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have…

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Review: Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf (audio)

Title:Missing Pieces Author:Heather Gudenkauf Narrator:Christina Traister Published:February 2016, Brilliance Audio / MIRA  Length:9 hours 9 minutes /288 pages Source:Personal copy via Audible / Netgalley   A woman uncovers earth-shattering secrets about her husband’s family in this chilling page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf Sarah Quinlan’s husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body…

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Review: The Chosen by Kristina Ohlsson

Title:The Chosen Author:Kristina Ohlsson Series:Fredrika Bergman & Alex Recht, #5 Published:December 2016, Atria/Emily Bestler Books Format:Paperback, 496 pages Source:Publicist   In her phenomenal #1 international bestseller—fifth in the critically acclaimed and award-winning Fredrika Bergman series—“one of Sweden’s best younger writers” (Los Angeles Times Magazine) delivers a tense, atmospheric mystery featuring an enigmatic killer rooted in folklore. On a cold winter’s day, a pre-school teacher is shot to death in front…

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Review: Fractured by Catherine McKenzie (audio)

Title:Fractured Author:Catherine McKenzie Narrator:Teri Clark Linden, Scott Merriman, Amy McFadden & James Foster Published:October 2016, Brilliance Audio Length:9 hours 37 minutes Source:Publisher Welcome, neighbor! Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to the idyllic Mount Adams district of Cincinnati, hoping to evade the stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game. Since Julie doesn’t know anyone in her new town,…

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#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 9

  #FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About   Another good week and I even got in 2 really good training walks! I’m so grateful that I have a really good gym and a nice mall by me – winter is making it’s way to us sooner rather than later, so I’ll be making good use of the mall for my long walks…

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#FRC2016 Book Review: The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle

Title:The Marrige Lie Author:Kimberly Belle Published:December 2016, MIRA Format:ARC E-copy, 352 pages Source:Netgalley   Even the perfect marriage has its dark side…  Iris and Will’s marriage is as close to perfect as it can be: a large house in a nice Atlanta neighborhood, rewarding careers and the excitement of trying for their first baby. But on the morning Will leaves for a business trip to Orlando, Iris’s happy world comes…

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Review: Echo Lake by Carla Neggers (audio)

Title:Echo Lake Author:Carla Neggers Series:Swift River Valley, #4 Narrator:Susan Boyce Published:January 2015, Blackstone Audio Inc / MIRA Length:9 hours 25 minutes / 352 pages Source:Library / Netgalley   In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner… Heather Sloan has landed her dream job—the renovation of Vic Scarlatti’s stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It’s the perfect project…

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Review: Seized by Elizabeth Heiter

Title:Seized Author:Elizabeth Heiter Series: The Profiler, #3 Published:December 2015, MIRA Format:ARC E-copy, 384 pages Source:Netgalley Danger is all around her… What should have been a routine investigation for FBI profiler Evelyn Baine turns ominous when she’s kidnapped by a dangerous cult of survivalists. As her worst nightmares become a reality, she begins to question what she’s seeing. Because the longer she’s inside their compound, the more she realizes this group…

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Review: Avenged by Elizabeth Heiter

Title:Avenged Author:Elizabeth Heiter Series:The Profiler, #2.5 Published:January 2016, Harlequin.com Format:Free E-book Source:Publisher Love and vengeance FBI profiler Evelyn Baine and fellow agent Kyle McKenzie are—secretly—on vacation together, visiting an island off the coast of Georgia. Evelyn has recently solved a notorious cold case, so she considers their holiday a reward of sorts. More than that, it’s a cautious acknowledgment of her growing feelings for Kyle. One day a body washes…

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Review: The 4th Man by Lisa Gardner

Title:The 4th Man Author:Lisa Gardner Series:Quincy & Rainie, #6.5 Published:January 2017, Dutton Format:ARC E-copy, 47 pages Source:Netgalley via Publisher   FBI Profiler Pierce Quincy and Officer Rainie Conner return in a baffling cold case in this exclusive eBook short story by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner. A young woman is found strangled in the stairwell of a college library, only her sneakers missing. With no physical evidence, no…

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Review: Egg Drop Dead by Laura Childs

Title:Egg Drop Dead Author:Laura Childs Series:Cackleberry Club, #7 Published:December 2016, Berkley Format:ARC Paperback, 288 pages Source:Author   In Laura Childs’s New York Times bestselling mystery series, Suzanne, Petra, and Toni—co-owners of the Cackleberry Club Café—are back to track down another bad egg…   Maintaining good personal relationships with their suppliers is one of the secrets of the Cackleberry Club Café’s success, so Suzanne doesn’t mind going out to Mike Mullen’s…

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Review: The Christmas Gate by T.A. Cline

Title:The Christmas Gate Author:T.A. Cline Published:December 2016, Tate Publishing Format:Paperback, 102 pages Source:Author via Friend   Robert Robinson is a renowned author of two best-selling mystery novels. As his prestige begins to affect his work ethics, he becomes detached from his writing obligations. Because of his failure to fulfill a three-book contract that was already long overdue, his editor gives him an ultimatum. He could either face legal action, or…

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Review: Silent Scream by Angela Marsons (audio)

Title:Silent Scream Author:Angela Marsons Series:DI Kim Stone, #1 Narrator:Jan Cramer Published:April 2015, Bookouture Length:8 hours 18 minutes Source:Publisher   Even the darkest secrets can’t stay buried forever…  Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood ……

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#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 2

    #FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About   I had a great week, if I do say so myself, and it feels so good to be back to exercising regularly!!! I just focused on getting back to where I was before I got sick and while I will continue to do that, I will also start to do one or two…

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#FRC2016 Book Spotlight: Size Matters by Cathryn Novak

Title:Size Matters Author:Cathryn Novak Published:November 2016, She Writes Press Format:Paperback, 200 pages   John Frederick is a man of considerable substance, in every sense of the word. Rich, intelligent, reclusive, and very large, John Frederick lives to eat. His everyday needs are tended to by Mrs. Floyd, his house manager, and by a never-ending parade of personal chefs.  Enter Lexie Alexander, the latest applicant for that once-again vacant position. A…

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Month in Review: November 2016

Here are my reading stats for November!   Books read: 14 Books I read:   Night Watch — Iris Johansen/Roy Johansen (audio book) The Girl Before — Rena Olsen Missing, Presumed — Susie Steiner (audio book) The Candidate — Lis Wiehl (audio book) The Stranger — Camilla Lackberg (audio book) Where the Light Gets In — Kimbery Williams-Paisley (audio book) The Waiting Room — Leah Kaminsky Winter Storms — Elin…

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Review: The Girl Before by Rena Olsen

Title:The Girl Before Author:Rena Olsen Published:August 2016, G.P Putnam’s Sons Format:Paperback, 314 pages Source:Personal copy In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman’s life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true . . . wasn’t? Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she…

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Review: The Candidate by Lis Wiehl (audio)

Title: The Candidate Author:Lis Wiehl Series:Newsmakers, #2 Narrator:Devon O’Day Published:October, 2016, Thomas Nelson Publishers Length:9 hours 19 minutes Source:Publisher How far would a candidate go to become President of the United States? In covering the presidential election campaign, star newsmaker Erica Sparks notices that favored candidate Senator Mike Ortiz seems dependent on his wife to an unnatural degree. Celeste Ortiz is a brilliant and glamorous billionaire who—along with her best…

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Review: Missing, Presumed by Susie Steiner (audio)

Title: Missing, Presumed Author:Susie Steiner Series:DS Mannon, #1 Narrator:Juanita McMahon Published:June 2016, Random House Audio Length:12 hours, 57 minutes Source:Library   Mid-December, and Cambridgeshire is blanketed with snow. Detective Sergeant Manon Bradshaw tries to sleep after yet another soul-destroying Internet date – the low murmuring of her police radio her only solace. Over the airwaves come reports of a missing woman – door ajar, keys and phone left behind, a…

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#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in November 25

  #FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog  and That’s What I’m Talking About   This was not really a good week…not because I was sick again, but because I was dealing with another health issue. As some of you know, I get frequent headaches and boy oh boy, did I have some crazy headaches this past week! Bad enough that I didn’t want or feel like doing anything.…

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#FRC2016 Book Spotlight: Hindsight by Mindy Tarquini

Title:Hindsight Author:Mindy Tarquini Published:November 2016, Sparkpress Format:Paperback, 319 pages EUGENIA PANISPORCHI LIVES WITH HER MOTHER, TEACHES CHAUCER, AND REMEMBERS ALL HER PAST LIVES. SHE IS DESPERATE TO CHANGE HER FUTURE Born this time around into a South Philadelphia Italian-American family so traditional, she and her siblings are expected to marry in birth order, Eugenia lives a simple life―no love connection, no controversy, no complications. Her hope is that the Blessed…

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Book Spotlight: The Woman in Black by Kerry Wilkinson

Please join me in welcoming Kerry Wilkinson to Always With a Book. The latest book in Kerry‘s Detective Jessica Daniel’s series, The Woman in Black, is being published today in the US – it has already been published in the UK. This is the 3rd book in the series of what is already a 10-book series. Title:The Woman in Black Author:Kerry Wilkinson Series:Detective Jessica Daniels, #3 Published:November 2016, Bookouture Format:E-book,…

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