Beyond Sacrifice By Alicia Dill

 

Concepcion Chapa, an Army veteran, FBI special agent, and the orphaned daughter of two CIA agents, has lived a life of sacrifice for her country. When she learns that her parents may not be dead, just undercover, she allows herself to be recruited as a killer-for-hire for the CIA. Faking her death and undergoing surgery to change her looks, Concepcion leaves everything behind-her friends, family, and country. Under the identity of Sofia Paltrini, she travels the globe doing the dirty work of the US government. But in a world of subterfuge and hidden motives, no one is quite who they seem. Concepcion is left not knowing who to trust and wondering if there's a way to live a life for herself that's beyond sacrifice.

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Amazon.com: Beyond Sacrifice (9781953639080): Dill, Alicia: Books

Award-winning author, ALICIA DILL spent six years as an Army soldier and globally published print journalist. She remains involved with many service members who continue to put their lives in harm’s way throughout the world. It’s because of that bond, the Missouri native wrote her debut novel in a series of untold stories of sisters in uniform. She joined the Army National Guard at the age of seventeen and received her degree in journalism and international studies at the University of Iowa. After her service, she was published by several weekly newspapers in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois with over 75,000 readers. She continues writing in Iowa City, Iowa and enjoys traveling the world with her next book in mind.

SQUARED AWAY is the WINNER of the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Award in the Thriller Category.

SQUARED AWAY is the FINALIST of the 14th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards in the Friendship Category

Check out her latest news articles and blog posts at www.aliciadill.com

Deadly Wealth By Vincent Wallace

 

Alexander Stern has decided to move forward and leave his handsomely paid job as Chief Risk Officer at a bank. Tired of working there, he resigned and left in less than a month, not caring about how to pay off his debts and how to earn a living, but unwilling to forsake his dreams even momentarily. Surprisingly, his former loyalty and some secrets he knew would reward him with a generous severance that would help him, eighteen months later, to buy out the shareholders of the new company he had joined. It was a bold action supported by his former boss and good friend William Braxon, and two investors from Nashville, U.S. Senator Brian Cox and wealthy businessman Christopher Mattis. After his last year at university, Alexander had managed to climb the corporate ladder of an international bank in Mexico City, and ended up an expatriate in the Dominican Republic. Years later, he found himself in the right place and in the right moment to become the owner of the financial company he was leading and trying to maintain afloat. Unexpectedly, a plot planned by an unscrupulous competitor and a disloyal employee threatened to put him out of business. His North American partners’ connections and wealth would help him to fight and win an unequal battle, but also putting him at great risk. The deadly outcome of this threat was something neither Alexander nor his wife Gabrielle had expected. Nor the secret intentions of one of his partners.

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Amazon.com: Deadly Wealth (9798706713737): Wallace, Vincent J.: Books

Vincent J. Wallace has lived in Mexico, the United States, and the Dominican Republic, and has visited many cities around the world. This international background and his 27-year career in the financial sector have given him many experiences that will become material for financial-crime novels … because some stories, including ones about criminals, have to be told!

Vincent started writing many years ago, but it wasn't until 2020 that he decided to take his hobby to the next level. Now he alternates his role as an active securities market executive with his new career as a writer of novels. He is an Associate Member of the International Thriller Writers organization.

Deadly Wealth is his first novel in the Alexander Stern series. He is busy writing a sequel, titled Bloody Growth.

Follow him at www.vincentjwallace.com and social media!

Gone for Good By Joanna Schffhausen

 

Gone For Good is the first in a new mystery series from award-winning author Joanna Schaffhausen, featuring Detective Annalisa Vega, in which a cold case heats up.
The Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women, ritually binding them and leaving them for dead before penning them gruesome love letters in the local papers. Then he disappeared, and after twenty years with no trace of him, many believe that he's gone for good.

Not Grace Harper. A grocery store manager by day, at night Grace uses her snooping skills as part of an amateur sleuth group. She believes the Lovelorn Killer is still living in the same neighborhoods that he hunted in, and if she can figure out how he selected his victims, she will have the key to his identity.

Detective Annalisa Vega lost someone she loved to the killer. Now she's at a murder scene with the worst kind of déjà vu: Grace Harper lies bound and dead on the floor, surrounded by clues to the biggest murder case that Chicago homicide never solved. Annalisa has the chance to make it right and to heal her family, but first, she has to figure out what Grace knew―how to see a killer who may be standing right in front of you. This means tracing his steps back to her childhood, peering into dark corners she hadn't acknowledged before, and learning that despite everything the killer took, she has still so much more to lose. 

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Gone for Good: A Novel (Detective Annalisa Vega, 1): Schaffhausen, Joanna: 9781250264602: Amazon.com: Books

Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, a skill she developed in her years of studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and daughter. 

My Thoughts...

This is the start of a new series, I always love a new series but this book was so good that I hate to have to wait for book two to release.

I love a great thriller and this one should be at the top of your list.

If you love cold cases and detectives you are going to really want to read this.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Miss Lattimore's Letter By Suzanne Allain

 

The woman who never made a match of her own is making matches for everyone else in this hilarious Regency era comedy of manners.
 
Sophronia Lattimore had her romantic dreams destroyed years ago and is resigned to her role as chaperone for her cousin. Still, she cannot sit idly by when she becomes aware that a gentleman is about to propose to the wrong woman. She sends him an anonymous letter that is soon the talk of the town, particularly when her advice proves to be correct. Her identity is discovered and Sophie, formerly a wallflower, becomes sought after for her “expert” matchmaking skills.
 
One person who seeks her out is the eligible and attractive Sir Edmund Winslow.  As Sophie assists Sir Edmund in his pursuit of a wife, she wishes she could recommend herself as his bride. However, she vows to remain uninvolved while aiding him in his search (especially since the gentleman surely does not return her affections).
 

But when her long-lost love and Sir Edmund both seem to be interested in courting her, Sophie can’t figure out if she’s headed for another broken heart­­ or for the altar. How can she be expected to help other people sort out their romantic lives when her own is such a disaster?

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Miss Lattimore's Letter: Allain, Suzanne: 9780593197424: Amazon.com: Books

Author of three historical romantic comedies set in Regency England, INCOGNITO, MR. MALCOLM'S LIST and THE CELEBRATED PEDESTRIAN.

My Thoughts...

Do you enjoy regency era reads? This one was so well done. I don't normally read them but I was pleasantly  surprised how fast I read it.

And it held my attention. It was a fast read.

4 stars and I hope you grab a copy and enjoy it.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

It's Raining Men By Julie Hammerle

 Don’t drink and text.

Even on the cusp of forty, I had to learn that the hard way. After discovering my best friend, who I was supposed to grow old and single with, got engaged, I drowned my loneliness in one too many Old Fashioneds and woke up with thirty-nine responses from every available man in my phone. Yup, I even texted my plumber…and he turned me down.

Apparently, my liquor-infused text said that while I don’t need a man, maybe I’d be down for a constant sidekick for movies, plus-one invites, and dinner on the table after my grueling shifts as a concierge doctor―till death do us part…and was anyone in?

Through the absolute mortification of thirty-seven rejections, shockingly, I realize two men have said yes. Behind Bachelor Door #1 is Rob, my old high school crush: the comfortable, dependable boy-next-door. Behind Bachelor Door #2 is Darius, the exciting, flashy news reporter about to hit it big. Does this mean I’ll have to get out of my yoga pants and actually go on dates now?

Dax, the local bartender who got me into this disaster in the first place―remember the Old Fashioneds?―can’t believe I’ve given up on finding true love. What does a tattooed, broody twentysomething know about carving out a future for yourself, anyway?

Too bad the further into this hot mess I get, the less I know about who I am. And I’m going to have to figure out exactly what I need if I ever want to find a true happily ever after.

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It’s Raining Men: Hammerle, Julie: 9781649370280: Amazon.com: Books

USA Today best-selling, RITA nominated author, Julie Hammerle (she/her) writes romantic comedies for adults and teens. Before settling down to write "for real," she studied opera, taught Latin, and held her real estate license for one hot minute. Currently, when not writing, she ropes people into conversations about Game of Thrones and makes excuses to avoid the gym. Her favorite YA-centric TV shows include 90210 (original spice), Felicity, and Freaks and Geeks. Her music playlist reads like a 1997 Lilith Fair set list.

She lives in Chicago with her husband and her two kids and a dog.

My Thoughts...

I love a good romcom. How can one text change Annie's life, You have to read It's Raining Men to find out about this text. I love all the banter and you are sure to love it too.

This is a must read if you love romcoms. 5 star Highly recommended.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

The Guilt Trip By Sandie Jones

 

They went away as friends.
They came back as suspects.

Rachel and Jack. Paige and Noah. Will and Ali. Five friends who’ve known each other for years. And Ali, Will’s new fiancée.

The three couples travel to Portugal for Ali and Will’s destination wedding. Arriving at the gorgeous clifftop villa, the weekend away is a chance to relax and get to know Ali a little better. A newcomer to their group, she seems perfectly nice and Will seems happy after years of bad choices.

But when Rachel discovers a shocking secret about Ali, everything changes. As the wedding weekend unfolds, the secrets each of them holds begin to spill, and friendships and marriages threaten to unravel.

In Sandie Jones’s explosive new suspense novel, jumping to conclusions can become the difference between life and death. 

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The Guilt Trip: A Novel: Jones, Sandie: 9781250265586: Amazon.com: Books

Sandie Jones has been a freelance journalist for over 20 years, interviewing celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Isla Fisher, Simon Cowell and Naomie Harris.

Her debut novel, The Other Woman, is a psychological thriller about the destructive relationship between a woman and her partner's mother.

If Sandie wasn't an author she'd be an interior designer as she has an unhealthy obsession with wallpaper and cushions!

She lives in London, England, with her husband and three children.

My Thoughts...

This was so slow starting out but over half way to the end it picks up and the action starts to pull you in. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. It was a game changer for me. I am so happy that I stuck with  it and read to the very end.

4 stars from this book lover.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.

Love For Beginners By Jill Shalvis

 

What would you change if you had to start your life—and love life—over again?

When Emma Harris wakes up from a coma she learns that her fiancé and her BFF have fallen in love, she’s lost her job, and the life she knew is gone. Overwhelmed but grateful to be alive she starts over from scratch. Not as easy as it sounds, of course. But she’s never been a quitter, even if she wishes she could quit rehab, where her hot but evil physical therapist, Simon, puts her through the wringer. 

Eager for a new beginning, Emma opens a doggy day care. Unfortunately, the only space she can afford is owned by her childhood nemesis Ali Pratt. But hey, she’s been through worse, right? She tries to roll with the punches, but a friend drops his grandpa off at the doggy day care in desperation then on top of that, she and Ali bring the term ‘frenemies’ to a whole new level. And then another grandparent shows up. And another.

In the midst of all that, Emma realizes she’s accidentally fallen for Evil PT. But the most horrifying thing of all is that Ali just might have turned into the best friend she’s ever had. And as Emma grows from the pain of her past and takes on her new path, she comes to realize that life isn’t what you’re given, it’s what you make of it. 

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Love for Beginners: A Novel (The Wildstone Series, 7): Shalvis, Jill: 9780063025431: Amazon.com: Books

Multiple New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is … mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning heartwarming and full of humor novels wherever books are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures. Her most recent book, ALMOST JUST FRIENDS, was just published last month and her next book, THE SUMMER DEAL, comes out in June.
www.facebook.com/jillshalvis
www.twitter.com/jillshalvis
www.instagram.com/jillshalvis
http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/
or email her at contact@jillshalvis.com

My Thoughts...

I have loved this whole series but love for Beginners was my all time favorite. I loved Emma and Simon so much the icing on the cake was Paw Pals a doggy day care. This story was everything you want in a sweet romance.  Emma made the most of the life she was given and you are going to the fairy tale ending.

I gave Love for Beginners 5 stars you can read it as a stand alone but the other 6 books are great reads as well.

The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own.