Her Rough Ride - Heather Van Fleet

Her Rough Ride by Heather Van Fleet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second Red Dragon MC book in the series and the second that I have read. It works as a standalone novel, but this is a series where the previous (and future I assume) characters do feature in some capacity in all of the books.
This time the story focuses on Maya, who has left the world of Motorcycle clubs behind but is in danger. Her uncle wants her to come home for her own safety after the Red Dragon's come under threat from an ex-member and rival club. Slade, a man she had known well before he became a Red Dragon and changed his name is tasked with bringing her home. There's huge chemistry between them, but she doesn't recognise him from before.
The chemistry between the two main characters was good. I thought that Slade/Sebastian was a bit overbearing at times and needed to get over himself a bit, but Maya gave as good as she got. They seemed to be well-matched and I liked the romance that developed between them.
As I mentioned at the start, this does work as a stand-alone novel, but there is an over-arcing storyline that ties the books together. Clearly, there is more to come for the Red Dragon's based on the events in this book and while our main characters do get their happily ever after, things are far from all rosy for the Red Dragons.
I really enjoyed this instalment of the series and would be keen to read the next. I'm not sure as yet who it is likely to feature as there are a couple of candidates, but I think it might possibly be Archer.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Death at The Mariners Hotel - Betty Rowlands

Death at the Mariners Hotel by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been loving these Sukey Reynolds' mysteries. I have to admit though, that it took me a little while to warm to this one. I'm sure that this was in large part, due to the sudden change in Sukey's life. When we last joined her she was working as a scene of crime officer and getting involved with investigating a little bit more than she should have done. She did want to rejoin the police force though and although I expected that she might eventually manage it, I wasn't expecting her to have achieved that in this book. In fact, things had moved on quite a bit, with Sukey now living in Bristol and having completed her probationary period for a different police force than the one she worked for.
Fortunately, once I got into the swing of the story and the change that had taken place, I really enjoyed it and reading about Sukey's new role. I have to admit that this time I didn't really solve the mystery, but this book was less of a puzzle than some of the previous ones.
I am really enjoying this series. I'm not sure where it's going to go next, with the change in Sukey's role and her relationship with Jim. I had assumed that over time that might become more permanent, but he played such a minor role in this one that I think he might be on his way out. I suppose that time will tell where Sukey will end up... I'll be looking forward to finding out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Colliding Hearts - L.M. Connolly

Colliding hearts by L.M. Connolly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second in the Hearts on Fire series that I have read. Like the previous one, although this is part of a series, you don't need to have read the others. This time we have the story of Daniel and Rita. Daniel is an extremely rich Texan who owns a construction company, while Rita is the English friend of his sister who is in Texas to show her art. When the two meet and spend time together it soon becomes clear that there is a great deal of chemistry there and they cannot keep apart.
Daniel is commitment-phobic, having been burned in the past in a previous relationship and the two decide that this will just be a fling during Rita's stay in America. Of course, this is a romance novel and it's not long before it becomes clear that there is much more going on beneath the surface.
I enjoyed seeing the development of the relationship between this couple. Daniel was very sweet and caring, which I always enjoy seeing in the male lead in this kind of book. I also like it when the female lead isn't a pushover, which Rita wasn't. She wasn't unnecessarily combative either, which is always enjoyable. This was another good addition to the Hearts on Fire series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Murder in the Mill-Race - E.C.R. Lorac

Murder in the Mill-Race by E.C.R. Lorac
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am really enjoying discovering some new to me authors through this British Library Crime Classics series. Like many of the other books that I've read, I hadn't heard of E.C.R. Lorac before this series (although this is the second of her books that I've now read). I always enjoy a good classic mystery and this one was no exception.
The story is set in a small out of the way village. I suspect that such places are now populated with holiday cottages and outsiders who want to escape to the country. That said, I grew up in a small village and in it, I recognised some of the characteristics of the people who populated this fictional village.
The mystery revolves around the death of a local saintly type, who of course turns out to be far from the image that she has tried to cultivate. There are plenty of potential suspects. I did guess who it was before the end, but I wasn't completely convinced that I was right.
This was a gripping read. I suspect for some people it perhaps moves a little slowly, especially by modern standards, but I enjoy this slower-paced style of mystery from time to time. I don't know if there are plans for many more books in this series, but I'll be reading them. I'd also quite like to collect the hard copies, as I love the covers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Review of Risk the Burn - Marnee Blake

Risk the Burn by Marnee Blake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book in The Smokejumpers series and I think my favourite to date. I've given this 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4. I enjoy the setting of these books, with the smokejumpers and what they do as an overall background. That said, there was a little less of that in this instalment. I think that it adds an extra and interesting dimension to the firefighters or first responders that often appear in similar books.
I liked both Charlotte and Hunter and I liked the way that their relationship played out. They seemed to have good chemistry and I enjoyed reading about the interaction between the two of them. There were the odd occasions where I just wanted to give them a shake and get them to actually talk, but that can be par for the course in this kind of romance book, to be honest. Perhaps that's part of the joy of them? Knowing that we'd deal with it better?
I am enjoying this series and I think that it is getting better with each one. I'll be interested to see where it goes next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Midnight's End - Jill Ramsower

Midnight’s End
Jill Ramsower
(The Fae Games, #5)
Publication date: July 2nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Sorceress, enchantress, deceiver, murderer—I’ve been called all those and more, some that might make you blush. Lucky for me, I couldn’t care less what people think about me. I’ve had my sights set on one thing for the last thousand years, and that’s all that matters. I’ll do whatever it takes to find the cauldron, even if it means taking on a partner. They call him a knight in shining armor. For me, he’s my golden ticket. He fell into my lap, quite literally, and now he’s going to help me get what I want.
I don’t play particularly well with others, but he’s the best shot I’ve got, so I’ll hop on that train and hope it gets me where I need to go. He thinks he’s going to crack my shell and see what’s on the inside, like maybe there’s a warm gooey center to make up for the hard exterior. He’s in for a world of disappointment. Everything soft and delicate about me became rough and hardened a long time ago. I’m Morgan Le Fay, and I’m the villain in this story.

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Author Bio:
Jill is a Texan, born and raised. She manages the hectic social calendars for her three active children and occasionally spends an evening with her dashing husband. Aside from being an author and a mom, she’s an attorney, travel junkie, and voracious reader.

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My Review

This is the fifth book in the Fae Games series and takes a bit of a different style to the previous books. While they focused on humans who came into contact with the world of the fae, this time we have to fae people.
In the previous stories, Morgan le Fae has been shown as being the villain of the piece, but this time we have her as the lead female character. It's clear that she has done some terrible things, but it also becomes apparent that there were reasons for her actions. As we learn more of her history, as the story progresses it becomes easier to relate to Morgan. She slowly begins to forgive herself for what she has become.
There are twists and turns in this story and a few surprises. I will admit that I had guessed most of them, but that didn't matter, the whole read was very enjoyable. I think that there might be more to come in this world. Although there was a conclusion here I'm not sure if Merlin has finished or not. He certainly seems to be the one pulling the strings here. I'd recommend reading the whole of this series, although I think that this one may possibly work as a standalone.

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Preserving Peaches - Pamela Burford

Preserving Peaches by Pamela Burford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It feels like a long time since I last read a Jane Delaney mystery, I've just had a look and it's been over two years since one came out. It didn't take me long to get back into this fantastic series. The book starts with Jane's 40th Birthday, during the course of the series she's started as slightly older than me and now I seem to have just overtaken her. She stumbles onto a body, the almost mummified body of local problem page writer, Peaches. Obviously, Jane can't help but do a little bit of digging into who killed her, especially after she is asked by two people to look into it, or at least things related to the death.
There are two elements to this great series. Firstly, the murder, obviously and then secondly the romance angle. For too long now, Jane has been hung up on her ex-husband Dom, for reasons that seem a little bit beyond me, when she has the wonderful Martin waiting in the wings. Jane seems to have seen the light, with Dom at least. I don't want to tell you something that might spoil the book for you. So, I'm not going to tell you if I was left satisfied at the end of this book. Although I am really tempted to give more away...
I didn't manage to solve this one sadly. At least not until the very end, although I had one or two ideas. The mystery worked well and kept me guessing, which is always a bonus. The real delight of these books is the humour though. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the things that Jane gets herself involved in. Being a death diva is certainly an interesting and varied role.
I loved this book and really hope that we don't have to wait too long for the next one. I for one, can't wait to see what Jane gets up to next.

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In Skates Trouble - Kate Meader

In Skates Trouble by Kate Meader
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the intro to a series that was released a few years ago now. I believe that it originally appeared as part of an anthology, but is now available as this novella. I haven't read any of the other books in the series, but I have recently read the first book in a spin-off series, Good Guy. I was interested to come back to this first series, after reading that.
This is a fairly quick read. Actually, I read it in one day, it would have been one sitting but some of us do have work to do, sadly. The story centres around divorcee Addison, who is in the process of setting up a lingerie business and hockey player Ford. What I did particularly like about these two is that unlike the pairings you often get in romance books, Addison was older than Ford and had been married before. It's such a refreshing change to not have the young virgin or fairly inexperienced girl who gets taught the ways of love by an older, more experienced man.
We get straight into the action, so to speak, when Ford overhears Addison and her friends discussing disappointing sexual partners. Before they even meet properly, the couple is enjoying one another's company, in more ways than one. I quite liked the way that that was done, it was unusual and entertaining. With this being a novella, getting to the action quickly was always going to be important.
Addison and Ford worked for me as a couple and there was certainly chemistry there. It's always difficult with a shorter story, as some things can be a bit rushed, but this wasn't too much of an issue here. It also set the series up well, which is what I assume the whole point was.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Death under the Apple Tree - Betty Rowlands

Death under the Apple Tree by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The only problem with this Sukey Reynolds series is that I am running out of ways to say how much I am enjoying them. Not that that is going to stop me from writing these reviews or reading the books for that matter. There is something that is just so enjoyable about the series. The characters of course help. Over the course of the previous six books, we've seen Sukey's son Gus turn from a young teenager to a young man who is off to University in this book. Her relationship with Jim Castle has rumbled along quietly, with moments of passion for our amateur detective in-between the odd bout of disapproval for her snooping ways. I did wonder if they were going to move to a more permanent arrangement now that Gus is away at university, but that doesn't seem to have happened as yet.
The mystery this time was not one that I was able to solve. Sometimes I seem to get there long before Sukey has a clue, but this time I was completely in the dark. The important thing with a murder mystery for me isn't my ability to solve it or not, but really how well it works and how easy the solution is. Fortunately, in this series, the mystery is believable and never too obvious.
I'm keen to read the next book and find out what is in store for Sukey. Will she finally become a detective for real? Will Jim finally be willing to be more open about their relationship? Will Gus become so skilled through his university course that he can solve all of the mysteries for them? I can't wait to find out.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Million Dollar Marriage - Katy Evans

Million Dollar Marriage by Katy Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun and entertaining story this was. Not only was it a cute love story with plenty of heat and steam, but there was also great subtle humour that ran through the book.
The couple who feature in the story, Penelope and Luke are complete opposites. Forced together, in more ways than one, in the name of a reality tv show, they have to overcome their prejudices and work together in order to will a million dollars. This was a fun and interesting take on the opposites attract and enemies to lovers themes. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two lead characters. It did take a little while for Penelope to relax and trust Luke, but I liked the way that they began to see the best in each other as the story progressed.
I thought the idea of having the story set as part of a reality tv show was great. It does seem like the kind of crazy thing that they have people doing all in the name of entertainment. I'm not entirely convinced that either Penelope or Luke would be convinced to take part in one. I'm not sure either that they would be a couple in real life, but in books like this, that really doesn't matter. For me, the chemistry worked and I enjoyed seeing them discover just how right they were for one another and the way that they each saw things in the other that they themselves hadn't realised.
I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read the first in the series, but I'd be keen to go back and check it out. This book works fine as a standalone and while I think the previous characters were mentioned, it wasn't something that impacted my enjoyment.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Saint - Chantal Fernando

Saint by Chantal Fernando
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Saint is the first in a new series set in a Motorbike club known as the Knights of Fury. I have to admit that I didn't know that I would enjoy MC set books, but I've read quite a few now and on the whole, I do enjoy them.
This book tells the story of Skylar, who was raised, at least for a time, as part of a Motor Cycle club, until a huge bust-up between her mother and stepdad resulted in them leaving never to see the men in the club again. Skylar as a teenager had a crush on one of the guys in the club, Saint, who is five years older than her. Once she's all grown up, they meet again and she falls in love with him properly.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book. In all honesty, I did think that Saint's character was a little flat. He quickly falls for Skylar, but there's almost something just missing from him. I don't know if it's because we see everything from Skylar's point of view rather than his? Skylar is a little immature. She's supposed to be 21 and considered quite with it and tough, but the way that she reacts to some things is quite childish. Perhaps that's because she has been raised by an awful mother and had a very dysfunctional childhood? I'm not sure.
This was an entertaining read and I'd be happy to read more about the Kights of Fury. I suspect that I know who will be the couple in the next book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Good Guy - Kate Meader

Good Guy by Kate Meader
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I believe that this book links to two other series by Kate Meader while at the same time being the start of a new series. I haven't read anything by Meader before, but this one certainly made me interested to go back and try the other books.
This book follows the 'in love with my best friend's woman and now he's dead' theme. I have come across this theme before a couple of times, but this was a fresh take on it. That combined with the good writing, likeable characters and the additional slant of Women working in a male-dominated world, made this a great read.
I liked both Levi and Jordan and their romance and relationship was believable and had plenty of chemistry. Levi really is the good guy, almost too good to be true at times, but he doesn't believe it himself.
Although Jordan's husband, who also happens to have been Levi's best friend, does cast a shadow between them, it isn't all that is important in this story. In many ways, I enjoyed the woman reporter storyline even more. Jordan is a little bit unwilling to push too hard and is accepting at times, but as we all know, that often is the reality of being a woman in that kind of environment. Even the most confident and forceful of us are conditioned to accept far too much.
This was a good read with a satisfying romance element and a thought-provoking look at women and equality.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Death on a Summer Morning - Betty Rowlands

Death on a Summer Morning: An absolutely gripping cozy mystery novel by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had been a little concerned that as these books progressed, Sukey's going against her boyfriend and the police, in general, to investigate on her own might get a little much. Surely someone can't just keep doing that. Fortunately, in this instalment at least, that little issue has been dealt with to some extent. While Sukey does get involved in her own investigations again in this book, it's really quite reluctantly and she does, on more than one occasion try to involve Jim with her thoughts and ideas.
I do enjoy these mysteries. Sukey is a very likeable character and I enjoy reading about her attempts to get to the bottom of various mysteries. This time she gets drawn in after the seemingly accidental death of a man, while his fiance and daughter won't accept that he wasn't murdered. Sukey manages to solve at least part of the mystery, but not get to the bottom of things completely. (Although I did this time.)
I'm looking forward to the next in this series. I am really enjoying them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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Control Freak - Brianna Hale

Control Freak by Brianna Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Years ago I used to have a cartoon strip that I had cut out of the paper at school. It was about a girl who walked around on her head and couldn't find love, then she met a man who walked on his head too. I always liked the idea that although you might not be perfect for everyone, there's someone out there that's perfect for you. In many ways, that is the theme of this book.
I do feel as though I need to say a couple of things at the start. Firstly, while this is a book with a heavily sexual element, in fact, a heavy BDSM element (which should be no surprise if you look at the title and the cover) that's not really what it is all about. Often this type of book is pure escapism and fantasy, but that's not really the case here. Our lead female character, Lacey, is anorexic or recovering from anorexia. Much of the storyline focuses on her attempts to deal with the hold that it has over her and the way that it controls her life. Stian offers her a different type of control and structure that helps her to deal with her issues.
I am often quite sceptical about books where there is a huge age difference and seemingly a difference in power between the two characters, but I'm not sure that that is the case here. At the same time, I'm not totally sure that it isn't either. Stian does help Lacey with her demons, but he isn't there to cure her, they just are right for one another in many ways.
For me, much of this book raised as many questions as it answered and while I loved every second of it, I'm left thinking about it long after the close of the last chapter. I found it well written, gripping and ultimately hugely satisfying.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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The Wilderness Within - Emma Castle

A Wilderness Within by Emma Castle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For some reason, I've read quite a few the world is falling apart, dystopian future novels recently. This one is a little different, as society hasn't broken down simply because we're all greedy and evil and politicians are corrupt, but instead, an awful virus has wiped out a huge amount of people.
Our two heroes, Caroline and Lincoln, are survivors. Naturally immune to this hideous sickness and trying desperately to survive. While Lincoln has years of military training to fall back on and keep him alive, Caroline seems to have managed with little more than hope and the desire to stay alive. Once they meet, she gives Lincoln a reason to want to live and survive. She becomes his reason for keeping going.
While this is a romance in some ways it isn't a traditional romance. I don't think that is entirely down to the setting, although that plays a part. What makes a difference here is that it doesn't follow the well-trodden path of two people meet, something pulls them apart (often a misunderstanding) and then they get back together and live happily ever after. That's not to say that if romance is your thing you won't find plenty here to put a smile on your face, but rather that it's a refreshing change to have a romance where the love element is a major part of the story, but it isn't all to it. The relationship between the couple in many ways seems more natural and less contrived as can often happen in this kind of books.
I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was gripping and exciting as we followed Caroline and Lincoln in their attempts to survive and find their way to other survivors. While this is a book that tells the story of fear, the worst of human behaviour, loss and destruction it is also a book about hope, love and the best in humankind.

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Under the Skin - Zara West

Under the Skin
Zara West
Publication date: June 6th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Thriller

A billionaire bridge builder
A gifted thief
A ruthless criminal
Can he save her before it’s too late?

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Author Bio:
Zara West loves all things adventurous and heart-stopping as long as they lead to true love. Born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Zara spends winters in New York where the streets hum with life, summers in the Maritimes where the sea can be cruel, and the rest of the year anywhere inspiration for tales of suspense, mystery, and romance are plentiful.
An accomplished artist by training and passion, she brings a love of art to every book she writes. When not marooned on an island or chasing after Greek shepherds, Zara tends her organic herb garden, collects hats and cats, and whips up ethnic dishes for friends and family. Learn more at http://www.zarawestsuspense.com

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My Review 

There was a lot to like about this book. With its look at homelessness, illegal immigrants, the way that women who are vulnerable are treated and the like, there was a great deal to this story. While one part of our couple, Lena, is faced with being at the whim of all kinds of unpleasant people, struggling to keep her families head above water, Mic has been there but managed to escape.

This is the fourth in the series and having not read the other books, I haven't got any knowledge of the characters that pop in this book that featured in the previous stories. I don't know if those books dealt with such meaty topics as this, but it certainly added to the storyline here. I don't think that it was essential to have read the previous books, I don't think that my enjoyment was affected by having not read them.

On the whole, I enjoyed the storyline and the two main characters were likeable. Unfortunately, for me, I didn't really feel the chemistry between Mic and Lena. I'm not sure if the rest of things that happened actually caused that to be buried somehow, or if it was something else. Their relationship seemed to jump quite a bit for me and not in a totally believable way. It was a shame, as there was a great deal of potential here and I think that the homelessness aspect added a really interesting dimension to the story.

Overall, this was a good read. The plight of the homeless and illegal immigrants added an interesting and thought-provoking element to the book.

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Death at Ivy House - Betty Rowlands

Death at Ivy House: An utterly gripping English cozy mystery by Betty Rowlands
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Five books into the Sukey Reynolds series and I'm really enjoying this scene of crime officer who spends a little too much time investigating things herself. Although unlike some amateur detectives, Sukey has a reason to be involved in the crimes that she investigates, really she shouldn't be looking into them the way that she does. Fortunately for us, the fact that she ignores that and does get involved makes for a good read.
Again with this book, we know a little bit more than Sukey and her detective boyfriend Jim do. If you haven't read any of this series, I should perhaps mention that while Sukey is romantically involved with the lead detective on most of the mysteries that she gets involved in, it isn't really with his blessing, or often even his knowledge. She does seem to have an uncanny knack for getting to the bottom of things.
This was an enjoyable read. The plot did have quite a few twists, turns and players which made me a little confused. I have to admit though, that despite having the extra knowledge to the detectives, I didn't guess who done it until it was revealed.
I'm loving this series and will be reading the next very shortly. If you're looking for a good detective story that itsn't too dark, but doesn't have that frothy rubbish that you often get with so-called 'cosy' mysteries, then this may well be one for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


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She's a Spitfire - Chloe Liese

She’s a Spitfire
Chloe Liese
(Tough Love #2)
Publication date: June 24th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

One fiery-haired, sexy scientist finds her perfect complement in a dark and handsome soccer star. Opposites attract, and they’ve got chemistry that’s explosive—literally.
Physics calls it entropy. Philosophy calls it Murphy’s Law: If something can go wrong, eventually it will. Professionally and personally speaking, Zed’s familiar with the principle. After a decade of trying to alter the atomic makeup of the mafia from its nucleus, now he’s set on leaving The Life and pursuing his heart. Problem is, the sassy, hot-headed spitfire he can’t quit is meddling in his slow burn escape plan, and turning it into full-on combustion.
Not to mention, Nairne’s got a painful history she won’t talk about and more secrets than she has lab instruments—which is really saying something. In an ideal world, the bad boy footballer would follow the brainy beauty overseas and they’d live happily ever after. But Murphy’s Law is proven true, as Zed finds his world imploding and his escape plan foiled. These enemies turned lovers end up discovering how costly it can be to meet the right person at the wrong time.
A present he can’t escape.
A past she can’t forget.
A future they won’t stop fighting for.
They say all’s fair in love…and war.
Book Two in the Tough Love Series—an enemies to lovers, suspenseful romance, full of sexy Italians, feisty heroines, globe-trotting action, and an ending that’ll both satisfy you and leave you ready for more!

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Author Bio:
Chloe’s always been a sucker for a suspenseful steamy romance, ever since she managed to find the one saucy mystery series hiding in her high school’s prim little library. Nothing drives her crazier than a story that cranks up the heat, then closes the door on the reader’s face, so don’t read her books if you don’t want to know what actually happens when the lights fade to black…
When she’s not writing, Chloe’s busy reading books of all genres, rereading Harry Potter (which she can’t help but make her characters similarly obsessed over), and playing catch-up with her bad@$$ little girls. She’s also been known to scramble around the pitch for a pick-up soccer match and run along the river while dreaming up her next book.

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My Review 

This is the second book in the Tough Love trilogy, in some cases, you can read books that form part of a series as stand-alone stories but with these books, you really need to read He's A Brute first. 

This second book picks up from more or less where the first one left off. Since they first met, the relationship between Zed and Nairne has intensified. Not physically, it was pretty intense in that way, to begin with, but their feelings have grown and the idea of being a short term partnership is clearly not going to work any more.

I'm really enjoying reading about both Zed and Nairne. I like their relationship and the way that their characters complement one another. It does appear that they might be too headstrong and stubborn to work, but if anything, that's what makes them work so well.

There's a lot for them both to deal with in this book. I did wonder if it would leave anything for book three, although something that happened towards the end of this book set that up. I do like the way that Nairne's disability is portrayed and the way that she copes with it.

I'm interested to see what will happen next for this couple. I think they deserve their happily ever after, that I assume they are going to get.

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The Tracker - Leslie Georgeson

The Tracker by Leslie Georgeson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I've changed my mind about five times about how many stars to give this book. The storyline kept me gripped and I really liked the characters. That would usually result in a good four stars, but, unfortunately, this time, there were a few things that stopped me from giving it.
As I started by saying, the storyline was certainly gripping and I was keen to know how it was going to play out. Set in what I assume is a future dystopia, this book has elements of sci-fi and the paranormal. The 'Dregs' are ex-soldiers who were engineered and experimented on in order to make them the ultimate soldiers, before being discarded once injured. They had been supposed to be killed, but escaped instead and are now on the run. This worked really well and all of the Dregs have something about them, which makes you want them to win through and get their freedom and happiness. The female lead, Jessica, is also interesting and likeable. She is a little too willing to fall into the cooking and cleaning for her man role, but she has something about her that makes her really quite likeable.
Unfortunately, where this book falls down a bit for me, is in the actual writing. On the whole, it isn't bad, but far too often there is too much telling and not nearly enough showing. Just a little more action, rather than telling us what people were feeling or thinking would have made the world of difference to the storyline. The other problem, which links to this in a way, was the repetition. Quite often we would be told what someone was worrying about, only to be told three, four and sometimes even more times, the same thing, just using different words. Some repetition helps to reinforce what the writer is trying to show us, but over and over again is unnecessary.
I did enjoy this book and feel a bit mean that I'm being quite critical, but sometimes a good book that has something small that detracts is much worse than a book that is awful from start to finish. I would be keen to read the other books in the series. Partly in the hope that the writing improves, but also because I do want to know what will happen to the other characters.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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