Special Feature: Midnight Dunes (The Texas Murder Files #3) by Laura Griffin

I always love a murder mystery with a side of romance! I haven’t read any of Laura Griffin’s books but I do know she has written murder and romance alike and I love that she is combining them in this new book! The Texas Murder Files is three books into the series and while I have not read the others, from what I have read it sounds like new readers can jump into this one with out an problems.

Early reviews for this new mystery have all been in the 4-5 star review range and I am so excited to check this one out a little later this summer. What mostly drew me to this one was the romantic suspense/mystery categorization. I just love murder and romance together so naturally I saw this one and my ears perked up and couldn’t wait to check it out!

By all accounts this book and overall series sound like they are all fast paced with a lot to love about the characters. Since Griffin is a seasoned writer in both genres that is hardly a surprise! I cannot wait to check out this sexy romantic mystery book and if you love murder with smart characters and vulnerable but honest main characters this is going to be a book for you this summer! Be watching for my review a little later on!

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Special Feature: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

I am always a sucker for books about haunted houses. When I see things like ‘The Haunting of Hill House meets The Perfect Nanny’ then naturally you have my interest! When I read the email caption as this one came across my desk all I could think of in my mind was “ok I’m listening!” I was immediately interested in this book and was eager to read it. But my review calendar always fills up quick so I opted to do a feature instead but as I was working on the feature, it was clear this book was going to work it’s way up my TBR list.

The premise of this story really calls to me, not just as a mom but as a fan of classic horror. I hate slicer dicer horror but bring me all the haunted houses, ghost stories and classic horror! As a mom, I love that one of the main characters, Teddy, is a five year old boy (same age as my boy!). It makes the creep factor feel so so real for me and it gives me something to connect with. Basically what I am saying is this book is calling my name!

If you love classic horror stories you need to get this one on your radar. Judging from the summery it sounds like there might be a little bit of a romantic element to the story too which I personally enjoy in books regardless of genre so I am really excited to have this one on my TBR list for the fall. This is a mystery book with some clear supernatural vibes so if you love books like that then you won’t want to miss this one but even if horror or paranormal isn’t your think, it sounds like there is a mystery too so I wouldn’t write this one off if horror isn’t for you, it sounds like there is a lot more going on than meets the eye!

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Special Feature and Excerpt: The Murder of Mr Wickham by Claudia Gray

Has there been a more infamous character in Austen literature than George Wickham? Unlikely. When I think of Austen villains he is the first to come to mind! As a huge Austen fan I have often found myself wondering what his back story is? I would have loved to see Austen write his story and really explore his character more but alas that wasn’t in the cards.

Instead, I have to rely on fictionalized stories about Wickham in various other genres. The story of Pride and Prejudice has been remade and reimagined in so many genres ranging from horror to mystery typically casting George Wickham as the villain. When I saw this book come up I was eager as this one focuses on Mr Wickham not necessarily the traditional P & P narrative but rather his actual character. And of course it has a murder twist and I am absolutely here for it!

Today I have a charming excerpt for you guys to check out so be sure to keep reading for that little sneak peak! What I am most excited about though is the supporting characters! Avid Austen readers will recognize names like ‘Tilney’, ‘Knightly’ and of course ‘Darcy’ as part of the supporting cast of this book! I am so excited to check this one out, I think it will please many Austen fans and bring in new readers to discover the excitement of the Austen characters but in a new way. If you love Austen naturally you will find lots to love in this one! Keep reading to check out the excerpt and see if this classic villain can tempt you into reading it!

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Special Feature: The Mad Girls of New York (Nellie Bly #1) by Maya Rodale

Nellie Bly gained so much fan as a reporter in New York during the Guilded Age when she published her article about insane asylums for women. I know when I first read about her all I could think of was ‘what a badass!’. I have since read some historical fiction books that reference her life and works but I have yet to actually read a book about Nellie Bly—fictionalized or otherwise.

When I saw this one come across my desk I thought to myself ‘Yes finally!’. This tantalizing new book brings Nellie Bly to life as an investigastive reporter and trailblazer in a fictionalized recounting of her adventures. Plus it promises to add in some mystery, intriuge and romance and I am so here for this book! I cannot wait to see how this series evolves as this is just the first book in what looks to be a promising series!

Author Maya Rodale is mostly a romance writer so this will be her first foray into historical fiction/mystery but I am absolutely thrilled about this crossover. I haven’t read any of Rodale’s roamnces but I have seen many of them and they all look so juicy. This book about Bly also hints at a romantic piece so I am looking forward to seeing how that translates in the story itself. The book has been getting a ton of positive early reviews all around 4-5 stars! I cannot wait for this one and it’s out now so if you are looking for a new intriguing read I think this is going to be an excellent option!

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Review: A Perilous Perspective (Lady Darby Mysteries #10) by Anna Lee Huber

Ten books?! How in the world are we are ten books already in this series?! I cannot believe it! It seems like just yesterday that I found this series and devoured all the books (at that time five) in like one sitting! This series overall has been completely solid. There were books I liked better than others and for different reasons but I would rate this entire series as five stars. SOLID!

I love Anna Lee Huber’s writing style and other books she has written but the Lady Darby books stand out above the others and I cannot say enough good things. Some of the books you can jump around in the series but honestly I think this is a series better read beginning to end. Not only area the characters great and the mysteries engaging, but you really gain a full appreciation for the character relationships and larger narrative.

Yes I know this cover is stunning and maybe you haven’t read the other books and just want to start here, by all means go for it but if you want to fully appreciate Kiera and Gage as well as the nuances of this book (and there are plenty of them and references from other books), then you definitely want to go back and read the other books—-pretty cover or not! For one this book features Kiera’s cousin, Rye, and if you miss the other books you will miss out on fully appreciating their relationship so basically read the other books first!

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