Review: KILLING RUBY ROSE by Jessie Humphries (Skyscape, 2014)

From Amazon: In sunny Southern California, seventeen-year-old Ruby Rose is known for her killer looks and her killer SAT scores. But ever since her dad, an LAPD SWAT sergeant, died, she’s also got a few killer secrets.

To cope, Ruby has been trying to stay focused on school (the top spot in her class is on the line) and spending time with friends (her Jimmy Choos and Manolo Blahniks are nothing if not loyal). But after six months of therapy and pathetic parenting by her mom, the District Attorney, Ruby decides to pick up where her dad left off and starts going after the bad guys herself. 

When Ruby ends up killing a murderer to save his intended victim, she discovers that she’s gone from being the huntress to the hunted. There’s a sick mastermind at play, and he has Ruby in his sights. Ruby must discover who’s using her to implement twisted justice before she ends up swapping Valentino red for prison orange. 

With a gun named Smith, a talent for martial arts, and a boyfriend with eyes to die for, Ruby is ready to face the worst. And if a girl’s forced to kill, won’t the guilt sit more easily in a pair of Prada peep-toe pumps?

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Audience: Young Adult

Length: 306 pgs

Rating: 3

Review: A solid, good book. Really well written with some out-of-the-ordinary characters and some serious decision making and hard stuff. Still witty and funny though! I often judge a book by how quickly I read it (once I hit half-way on this one it was hard to put down) and how compelled I am to read the second in the series, if it has one (not that much, in this one's case). But...I'm not sure how fair that is in this case. The book wrapped up really well and is a great standalone. But...on the other hand, I'm not so into the characters that I want want more.

There were some moments of unbelievability for me--mostly, for a scene or two when these happened, I had to suspend my belief for a second. A couple had to do with character motivation and how I thought I'd seen the character developing and then that contrasting with the situation she was in. Without giving a big spoiler, I can't explain it beyond that. However, the story still worked well and this didn't detract from my experience too much.

Content

Language - 4 (damn, hell, and ass all used frequently. Two b*****, and two sh**, a handful of cases where pretend swearing is used, like "effin" or "a-hole")

Sex - 2 (There is talk about desire and wanting to go further. Nothing happens.)

Violence - 4 (Ruby is a tough, physical girl and she is put in tough, physical situations several times.)

Overall Rating - PG-16

Blog Tour Review: DIAMOND RINGS ARE DEADLY THINGS by Rachelle J. Christensen (Shadow Mountain 2014)

 

Tour Schedule

Diamond Rings are Deadly Things by Rachelle J. Christensen Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she is especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is murdered just three days before the wedding, Adri’s world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri’s impeccable taste and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success–that is, until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. The race is on to uncover a secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before Adri becomes the next victim. With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, Diamond Rings are Deadly Things is a romantic suspense novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.  

Amazon

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My Review

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Length: 320 pgs

Rating: 3+

Review: This book was just plain fun. I'm not the biggest cozy mystery fan, but every once in a while I read one and truly enjoy it. This one reminded me a lot of the Josi Kilpack mystery I read, Baked Alaska. At the beginning of the chapters it had great, wedding-inspired crafts, and many that I look forward to trying. (Most would be nice, elegant decorations for everyday things). I liked the way the romance was handled in the book and the mystery was good. I wasn't hugely surprised at who the bad guy turned out to be, but I didn't exactly guess either. I am so curious about how Adri's love life will progress through these books, and about how her relationship could possibly change with a certain police officer (not that there's any indication in this book about it. Just a dream of mine... :D)

Content:
Sex - 1+ (Passionate kissing, discussion of taking things further, but in a very vague way.)
Violence - 2 (Things are stolen, Adri is attacked twice. Nothing too graphic. It is a {cozy} mystery.)
Language - 0
Overall rating - PG

Try this. If you like cozy mysteries, try Josi Kilpack's Sadie Hoffmiller series.

Praise

“I love Rachelle J. Christensen’s stories and characters, and Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things is another thrilling mystery to add to my collection. Don’t be surprised if you have to stay up all night to finish he book!” ~Rachel Ann Nunes, author of Before I Say Goodbye Diamond Rings are Deadly Things pulled me right in from the first page and held me captive until the very end. Great characters, a compelling plot, a surprising twist at the end … Rachelle Christensen knows how to craft a great mystery. ~Tristi Pinkston, author of the Secret Sisters Mysteries A cunningly crafty mystery with just the right mix of romance. Readers won’t be able to get enough of Adrielle Pyper, stunning party-planner turned heroine. ~Nichole Giles, author of Descendant

Author Rachelle J. Christensen

Rachelle J. Christensen was born and raised in a small farming town in Idaho. She graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology. She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading. Rachelle has an amazing husband, five cute kids, three cats, and five chickens.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Blog * Goodreads * Craft Website

Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 2/25/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie

From Amazon: Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to a lonely mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…

Audience: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Length: 276 pgs.

Rating: **** (Loved it!)

Rating: Last month some friends on Twitter decided to get together to do a Twitter book club, and for October, we chose And Then There Were None to fit the spooky month. Right from the first the voice grabbed me. I am a huge sucker for that cool cucumber 1930s voice. This one was a definite thriller and so much suspense. I never guessed who the murderer would be, although it made total sense at the reveal. The characters were perfectly icky and likable at the same time. Classic! She really was a master.

Content:
Sex - 0
Language - 0 (None that I marked.)
Violence - 3 (It is a murder mystery with a serious psychological twist. Nothing too graphic.)

Try this. Like And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie? Try Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering.

Review: TWELFTH NIGHT by Deanna Raybourn

From www.DeannaRaybourn.com: To mark the passing of another decade, the esteemed (and eccentric) March family have assembled at Bellmont Abbey to perform the Twelfth Night Revels for their sleepy English village. But before Lady Julia and her handsome sleuthing husband, Nicolas Brisbane, can take to the stage, a ruckus in the stable yard demands their attention. An abandoned infant is found nestled in the steel helm of St. George. What’s more, their only lead is the local legend of a haunted cottage and its ghastly inhabitant—who seems to have returned.
Once again, Lady Julia and Nicholas take up the challenge to investigate, and when the source of the mystery is revealed, they’ll be faced with an impossible choice—one that will alter the course of their lives forever.

Genre: Romance, Mystery
Audience: Adult
Length: 51 pages

Rating: **** (Loved it)

Review: First off, I loved the voice of this novel. Lady Julia was a fantastic narrator who drew me in right off. To be honest, the whole thing was just too short! It was really fun and I loved the relationship between Lady Julia and her husband Nicholas. The "mystery" solved itself too easily, I thought, but it was only fifty pages. Having never read any of the others, I felt lost sometimes, but not in a frustrating way--more in a way that I wanted to read the rest of the books.

Content:
Sex - 2/5 (Lady Julia and her husband's nighttime activities are discussed, though tastefully. Lady Julia talks about her sister having lived with another woman as "man and wife, or wife and wife.")
Language - 0/5 (None that I recall...)
Violence - 0/5

Source: Via Kindle during a free promotion

Try this. If you like fun historical romance novellas, read mine, A LADY AND A SPY. 

Review: A BLUNT INTSTRAMENT by Georgette Heyer

Sourcebooks Landmark, 2010 (Reprint)

From Back Cover: When Ernest Fletcher is found bludgeoned to death in his study, everyone is shocked and mystified: Ernest was well-liked and respected, so who would have a motive for killing him?
Superintendent Hannasyde, with consummate skill, uncovers one dirtly little secret after another, and with them, a host of people who all have reasons for wanting Fletcher dead. Then, a second murder is committed, giving a grotesque twist to a very unusual case, and Hannasyde realizes he's up against a killer on a mission...

Genre: Mystery
Audience: Adult
Length: 320 pgs

Rating: ***+ (Really liked it)

Review: I personally think that Georgette Heyer is a master. She writes in a style that I just love and really get into. She's got a great voice and this book is no different. I've read many, many of her Regency romances, and have been wondering for a while how her mysteries were. This one came on sale for Kindle so I bought it.
I think the characters are brilliant--just like Heyer's always are. Neville is delightfully absurd, and Sally is the perfect compliment. The same wit and hilarity is there. My only complaint is that it felt like much of the mystery was repeated over and over as Superintendent Hannasyde and his sergeant discuss it a lot. With so many other books on my TBR, I'm not sure I'll read another one anytime soon, but I definitely liked it a lot.

Content:
Sex 2/5 - Fletcher's affairs are discussed, the possibility that another character has affairs with other men, an exotic dancer is discussed.
Language - 2/5 Sprinkled throughout.
Violence - 2/5 Two murders and mystery related violence, nothing graphic.

Source: Bought during a promotion on Amazon

Try this. If you like witty, cozy mysteries, read Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering.

Review: SIX MONTHS LATER by Natalie D. Richards (Sourcebooks Fire, 2013)

From Amazon: She Has Everything She Ever Wanted. But Not Her Memory...

When Chloe fell asleep in study hall, it was the middle of May. When she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life.

Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her? Remembering the truth could be more dangerous than she knows...

Audience: YA
Genre: YA Thriller, Mystery, Romance
Length: 336 pgs

Rating: *** (I liked it)

Review: This may seem unfair, and maybe I talked about it in a recent review, but I can't remember. I rated down because of the language. In this case, I felt like it drew away from the story and from the character. Let me explain just a bit. I listened to a podcast once about using swearing in writing-it came from a grammar point of view, not a religious one or something like that. It talked about how the more frequent a word is used, the less impact it has. The narrator swore so much, that it lost all impact for what she wanted to get across. For example, when the two main characters finally kiss, the male MC says, "Damn it," and pulls her toward him. It should have been a huge build up of this really tense moment, but it was so lackluster because that word and others had been used so often, it didn't haven an impact anymore.

Beyond that, a good book. I liked the characters and how the main character rated the girls more for how nice they were than if they were popular or not, and how she admitted to liking popular girls a little, maybe not loving them, but not putting them into extreme categories like so many YAs do. The relationships with Blake and Adam are just how they should be I think. For the most part, the pacing was really well. For a chunk in the middle it felt like things stagnated but then it picked back up again so that I didn't want to quit reading from about three-fourths through on.

Content: 

Sex 2/5 (Long kissing scenes, being implied that perhaps she and Blake had sex in the months she forgot)

Language 5/5 (Frequent use of D, H, S, and God in vain; A few Bs; One F-bomb.)

Violence 2/5 (Fight scenes, people dying, mystery and thriller related violence that fit the book)

Overall rating - PG-16

Try this. Like YA Mystery Thrillers? Read BREAKING BEAUTIFUL or DEAD GIRLS DON'T LIE by Jennifer Shaw Wolf.

Review: DEATH BY THE BOOK by Julianna Deering (Bethany House, 2014)

From Bethany House: WHEN THE VILLAGE OF FARTHERING ST. JOHN IS Stunned BY A SERIES OF MURDERS, DREW FARTHERING IS DRAWN again INTO THE SLEUTHING GAME.
Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.
Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.
Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Mystery, Romance, Historical, Inspirational
Length: 320 pgs

Rating: *****+ (A FANTASTIC book I loved and would recommend!)

Review: Back when I reviewed RULES OF MURDER, the first Drew Farthering mystery, I could not wait for DEATH BY THE BOOK to come out. I wasn't disappointed. It was the same fun characters with some awesome new additions. A surprise at the end! (Surprisingly not predicable in the mystery!) I think that Ms. Deering is really a master at this mystery thing, and I just plain adore the fun romp that we always get to go on as we read. The dialogue is snappy, witty, and charming. The pacing is wonderful. My only, itty-bitty complaint is that I started to get frustrated with Madeline in holding off Drew. It feels almost cruel and that she's leading him on, although the author tries to explain that it's just indecision.

Source: I was given a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Content: Rate 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated.

Sex - 1 (Drew and Maddie discuss how easily it is to go further, but it's absolutely respectful)

Violence - 2 (It is a murder mystery...Nothing graphic.)

Language - 0

Preaching - 1 (But it's so seamless that it works very well with the plot.)

Overall rating - G

Try this. Like witty novels with a bit of a thrill? Try FRIENDS & FOES by Sarah M. Eden.

Review: POISON ME by Cami Checketts (Birch River Books, 2013)

From camichecketts.com: Jake Merrill was raised by his grandmother, Ruby, and her hilarious friends. After a suspicious death at the retirement home where Ruby lives, she enlists Jake and Chanel, the beautiful activities director, to help her find the killer.

But secrets Ruby has kept for decades threaten her family and the man she’s always loved but could never have. Chanel’s unstable ex-boyfriend, a presumably dead relative, and vicious criminals add to the confusion. Time is running out as Jake, Chanel, and Ruby desperately search for clues to solve the murders and fight to save those they love.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Length: 268 pgs

Rating: *** (I liked it)

Review: There were two fun romances in this, which really filled out the story. It was good to watch Ruby and Michael's past romance unfold bit by bit and lead to something new and better for them. It had a cast of lovable characters that are fun to get into and a lot of humor. There were some things that I couldn't quite believe, such as a policeman being very callous when a friend of Ruby's had died. The end wrapped up a little too neatly, but it didn't take too much away from the story.

Source: Bought via Amazon during a promotion

Content: Rated 1-5; 1 being minor instances, 5 being saturated

Sex - 1 (Kissing)

Violence - 1 (Multiple deaths and fall out from that, but nothing graphic)

Language - 0

Overall rating - PG

Try This. Like romantic thrillers? Read THE GUY NEXT DOOR by Kate Palmer.

Review: DEAD GIRLS DON'T LIE by Jennifer Shaw Wolf (Walker Books {Bloomsbury}, September 2013)

From JenniferShawWolf.com: 
Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. 

Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth. 

Audience: YA

Genre: YA, Mystery
Length: 353 pgs

Rating: **** (Really liked it)

Review: Remember how I didn't quite know what to do about Jennifer Shaw Wolf's other book, BREAKING BEAUTIFUL. How it was fantastic and it drew me in, but I just don't do issue books? I knew this one wouldn't be like that. Again, it drew me in in the first few pages and I didn't want to put it down. I think the clues to what was going on were set at the perfect pace and mostly I discovered right along with Jaycee. Even the stuff I figured out, it was still absolutely believable that a person in that situation wouldn't see what we see as readers. Even though I sort of saw where it was going at about mid-way through, it was still a great twist to the story.

Content:

Sex 2/5 - Kissing between Jaycee and Skylar gets heated at moments, but never beyond that.

Language 1/5 - There's a few instances.

Violence 3/5 - It IS a mystery and it involves gang violence. It talks about blood, fights, stabbings, and shootings.

Substance abuse - Underage drinking at parties, but Jaycee doesn't participate.

Overall rating - PG-16 

Source: Bought Kindle copy via Amazon

Try this. Like dark YA...er, as dark as I get anyway! ;) Check out MIND GAMES by Kiersten White.

Review: BAKED ALASKA by Josi S. Kilpack

From http://www.josiskilpack.com: Sadie plans to spend time relaxing with her two grown children, Breanna and Shawn, and her boyfriend, Pete, while enjoying the luxury and cuisine of an elegant cruise ship and helping to plan her daughter’s upcoming wedding. But even as the crew prepares to leave port, Sadie has suspicions about the voyage ahead and the relationship between her normally easygoing son and a mysterious female passenger he obviously knows but refuses to discuss. When the woman is discovered unconscious during the second night at sea, Sadie’s apprehension escalates. Over the last few years, Sadie has developed an extreme dislike for secrets—and it would seem her son is keeping one from her.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Cozy Mystery (Culinary)
Length: 368 pgs.

Rating: **** (Really liked it)

Review: RULES OF MURDER by Julianna Deering (Bethany House, Aug 2013)

Publication Date: August 2013

From BakerPublishingGroup.com: 

Introducing Drew Farthering 

From The Tip of his black Homburg to the crease in his stylish cheviot trousers, he's the epitome of a stylish 1930s English gentleman. His only problem? The body he just discovered. 

Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate. 

With the help of beautiful and whip-smart Madeline Parker, a guest from America, Drew proposes to use the lessons he's learned reading his mysteries to solve the crime. Before long, he realizes this is no lark, and no one at Farthering Place is who he or she appears to be--not the butler nor blackmailer, the chauffeur nor embezzler. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this dangerous game.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Romance, Mystery, Inspirational

Length: 336 pgs.

Rating: ***** (Loved It)

Review: YES. I have read quite a few books that Bethany House publishes and loved them. I can count on them to be good, clean fun. This one surprised me by how good it was! The best way I can think of to describe it was a cross between Georgette Heyer and Anne Perry Lite. So, so fun. Lots of great lines, lots of hilariousness, cute romance, and intriguing mystery. Awesome historical details and so well researched. I'm an absolute sucker for this time period. I raved to my mom (who loves both Gerogette Heyer and Anne Perry), telling her she needed to pick this one up as soon as it was available. You should too! And I'm thrilled that there will be many more Drew Farthering mysteries! (I will probably read every one produced.)

Check it out at the publisher's website.