Tag: Melinda Leigh

Review: Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh

Posted May 21, 2018 by Holly in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Hour of Need by Melinda LeighReviewer: Holly
Hour of Need (Scarlet Falls, #1) by Melinda Leigh
Series: Scarlet Falls #1
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication Date: December 9, 2014
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 338
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
two-half-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

While fighting in Afghanistan, Major Grant Barrett receives devastating news: his brother and sister-in-law have been murdered in Scarlet Falls, the sleepy suburb of Grant’s youth. Emotionally scarred from war, the career soldier returns home on emergency leave to temporarily care for his orphaned nephew and niece. But when someone tries to kidnap the kids and their teenage babysitter, Grant knows it’s not a random act…and neither were the murders.

Already devastated by her neighbors’ violent deaths, Ellie Ross is shattered by the attempted abduction of her teenage daughter so she desperately turns to Grant for help. As they navigate a deadly search for the truth, they struggle with growing feelings for each other and Grant’s impending return to deployment.

But time is running out. The killer is growing bolder by the hour, and Ellie and Grant must find him before the children become his next victims.

I really struggle with Romantic Suspense. The characters often do things that make no sense to me, or the mystery is so easy to figure out I end up being really bored. Though I do enjoy mysteries and suspense in audio. I haven’t read Melinda Leigh before, but she had good reviews so I figured I’d give her a try. The blurb does a good job of outlining the plot, so I don’t feel the need to recap.

I enjoyed the narrator, but I spent most of the book irritated at the way the characters acted. The heroine made silly choices that put herself and her family in danger. The hero supported her in those choices when it made no sense, and often rushed into danger himself without thought.

As a romance, this was cute. He had to come home on emergency leave to care for his niece and nephew when his brother and sister-in-law were murdered. Seeing this confirmed bachelor soldier deal with a colicky infant and heartbroken kindergartner was sweet and endearing. His budding relationship with the next door neighbor was sweet, too. I liked the two of them together and the way their families blended.

As a suspense novel it didn’t work for me, but as a romance it was sweet. There’s a good chance others will enjoy the suspense more.

2.75-3.0 out of 5

Scarlet Falls

two-half-stars

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What I Read Last Week

Posted January 24, 2012 by Tracy in Reviews | 12 Comments

It was a pretty quiet week this week until we got to Saturday.  Apparently on Friday my father had taken my girls to a local drug store for some ice cream and while they were wandering while eating it they happened upon a pet supply.  In the pet supply they happened to have a 3 month old kitten that was a rescue that they were trying to find a home for.  After many hours of my girls bugging the ever-livin crap outta me…we are now officially cat people.  Yes, I caved – especially when I saw the kitten and saw how cute she is.  We brought her home on Saturday morning and so far so good.  The girls named her Echo and she’s incredibly sweet and lovable…and litter box trained (that was a must before I even said yes. lol)  Here are a couple of pictures.  They don’t really do her justice but they’re what I’ve got.  I think she’s camera shy because every time I try to take an up close picture she turns her head. 🙂

Besides that – a pretty quiet week. lol

On to what I read:

I started off the week with a romantic suspense novel called She Can Run by Melinda Leigh.  This story was about a woman who is running from her husband (for many reasons) and trying to protect her kids.  She takes a position as a caretaker at a home and falls in love with its owner.  You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

Next was a novella called A Waltz at Midnight by Crista McHugh.  I normally don’t read books so very far in advance (ok, sometimes I do) but this one just spoke to me when I got it from Netgalley.  It comes out at the end of February from Carina Press.  The story is about a man who starts writing a woman that his father wants him to marry.  The woman is in love with someone else so her maid writes the man intending to dissuade him from writing again. Not only doesn’t she dissuade him but they end up corresponding.  The problem is, he thinks she’s someone else.  It was a really good story.   I’ll post my review next month. 4 out of 5

Buckle Down by Eve Cassidy was the story of Ty who has a police record who has moved to help his brother start the rodeo that he purchased.  He is attracted to Dane the sheriff but the sheriff thinks that Ty had something to do with a local robbery.  The story of the two men being attracted to each other when they were so opposite was compelling but the sheriff thinking that Ty had something to do with the robbery with absolutely NO supporting evidence really drove me a bit nuts.  Ty knew he was innocent so he took it with a grain of salt but STILL. Ug.  In the end it was a bit too pat for me as it all got worked out. 3 out of 5

Tamed by a Highlander by Paula Quinn was my next read and I read this one for The Book Binge.  A great story that wove political intrigue (back in the 1600’s) and romance really did it for me.  The heroine drove me crazy at first and I almost stopped reading but in the end the book ended up being really good.  The hero, Connor and heroine, Mairi had fallen in love and promised to each other but then Connor went off to fight for England.  Feeling betrayed Mairi started to hate Connor and though he wrote and begged her to come to him she refused.  Now she’s in England for a coronation and they see each other after 7 years’ separation.  Love blossoms once again (after a bit of viper biting on the heroine’s part) and all seems well – until the King and Queen get involved. 4 out of 5 You can read my review here.

She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath was my next read.  This one I really liked – you can read my review on Wednesday.

My Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for the week was Enforcer by Lauren Dane.  I can’t tell you how long I’ve had the Cascadia Wolves series and haven’t read it.  Shame on me.  Lex is watching Nina in hopes that her brother, Rey, will surface.  Rey is a werewolf and ran when some bad shit went down.  Nina and Lex end up together but Nina has to deal with some weird werewolf rituals and she’s not all that pleased with it.  I really liked Lex and his brother, the Alpha, Cade.  I liked the supporting characters the story.  I really had a problem with Nina’s mouth.  Yes, she was incredibly strong and intelligent and she distrusted werewolves on principle…but, she was so forthright that there were times I just wanted to tape her mouth shut! lol  3 out of 5

Next up was Safe Harbor by Derek Adams. This story was about Mike Vickers who had his life planned out after high school when he gets sideswiped by the fact that his ex-girlfriend finds herself pregnant with his daughter.  During the summer he meets Eric who is an artist and though they come from different backgrounds they form a friendship.  That friendship turns into becoming lovers but when they are discovered by guys in Mike’s high school he turns on Eric as well.  10 Years later Mike and Eric meet again and try to form a relationship.  I liked the premise of the story but I just didn’t get to see the two men reconnecting as much as I would have liked.  Yes, we get to see some but not enough imho.  I loved the daughter in this one.  3 out of 5

How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back by Sophie Barnes was next up and it was a historical romance about a woman who had her heart broken and bounced back.  I’ll post my review for this later this week.

Last for the week was Reluctant by Lauren Dane.  This was a short about Lex and Cade’s sister Layla.  She heads out for the night to have some fun and ends up with a mate that she doesn’t want.  Not that she doesn’t want Sid himself but she has a plan for herself professionally and it certainly doesn’t include a mate.  The story of Layla coming to terms with having a mate was pretty good.  I will definitely keep reading the Cascadia wolves. 3 out of 5

My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost
Tamed by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

Happy Reading!

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Review: She Can Run by Melinda Leigh

Posted January 20, 2012 by Tracy in Reviews | 2 Comments

Elizabeth was a young widow with two small children when she met Congressman Richard Baker. Handsome and wealthy, with a sparkling public image, Richard seemed like the perfect man to provide the security that Beth and her kids were craving. But when she uncovers a dangerous secret about her new husband, Beth realizes he will go to any lengths—even murder—to keep it. After barely escaping with her life, she and her children flee. They eventually make their way to a secluded estate in the Pennsylvania countryside, where Beth dares to hope she has found a safe place at last…
Forced into retirement by an unexpected injury, Philadelphia homicide detective Jack O’Malley is mourning the loss of his career when his uncle abruptly dies, leaving Jack to dispose of his crumbling country house. Unbeknownst to him, his uncle engaged a caretaker just before his death, a mysterious woman with two children and a beautiful face that haunts his dreams. Determined to know her, Jack begins an investigation into Beth’s past. When he uncovers the shocking truth, and a local woman is viciously murdered, Jack puts his own life on the line to keep Beth and her children safe. 
Elizabeth has been on the run from her husband, with her 2 kids, for 10 months when she takes a job as caretaker with Daniel O’Malley. When she gets to the house, however, she finds that Daniel has died and his nephew, Jack, is now in charge. Jack agrees to a probation period of two weeks to see what happens with Beth and her kids. Jack knows almost immediately that something isn’t on the up and up with Beth but he wants to bide his time to find out what the problem is.
Beth and her kids end up staying at the house and working with the horses as well as getting farther ingrained in Jack’s life. They are skiddish around each other but there is definitely some feelings of attraction there.
Beth is afraid for her children as well as for herself. What she saw her husband doing, and the reason she ran, is something that she is sure he will kill her for and she wants the kids to be taken care of above anything. Multiple “accidents” start to happen to Beth but she isn’t sure that they’re really accidents or if they’re caused by her husband’s people.
On top of all that Beth and Jack have to deal with that fact that there’s also a serial killer on the loose and he’s looking at Beth as his next victim.
Melinda Leigh has written an engaging suspense story. I was intrigued by the plot line and as I turned pages I wanted to learn more and more. She definitely kept my attention and gave me just enough info to make me want to know what happened next.
As I mentioned there was the romance between Jack and Beth as well as the issue with her husband, and the serial killer. I didn’t mention it before but there was also a small part that had to do with her uncle and his “visions” that was a part of the story There was definitely a lot going on in the story but the flow of the book worked out nicely.
I think the only issue I had with the book, and unfortunately it was a biggish one, is that the heroine of the book was in continuous peril. There were constant “accidents” and after a bit I was thinking that it was just too much. Falling and needing stitches, car accidents, being accosted by assholes in the supermarket, being attacked with a knife and so on (I won’t tell all of the times but you get the picture). The constant need to be saved got a bit old for me. It was written well, and in the end I saw exactly what the cause was, but as a reader I felt that it was just too much for one woman to handle.
There was one fun and exceedingly bright spot in the book and that was the German shepherd, Henry.  He was a police dog reject and was just a happy go lucky guy.  Nobody really thought he was anything but playful but in the end he more than proved his worth in so many different ways – as a friend, a companion and savior.  I don’t want to say that he stole the show in every scene he was in but almost. Now if I could just find a Henry of my own that doesn’t shed. lol
In the end a good book that kept me turning pages – which is something I love in a book. lol
Rating: 4 out of 5
Melinda Leigh

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What I Read Last Week

Posted January 9, 2012 by Tracy in Features | 11 Comments

Greetings!
Well it was almost back to a full work week last week. I did have Monday off but then we had crazy things happening at work so it was really busy and really stressful. I was happy for the weekend where my youngest and I went to see Holly at her home. That was a ton of fun just talking books and stuff. We were there for 7 or 8 hours and it just didn’t seem like enough time! lol I have to say I was a giant tired lump yesterday doing…nothing but hanging with the fam, reading and watching movies. Nothing got done but hey – it’s not going anywhere right? All the stuff that needs to be done will still be there today when I get home today so I’ll work on it then. 🙂
On to what I read last week:
First up was Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks. This is book 4 in the KGI series and it was about Nathan who has been captured in Afghanistan and is being tortured for information. He thinks he’s going crazy when he hears a female voice in his head and even starts talking to her. He’s not crazy. The woman is actually Shea Peterson and is a psychic who has been feeling Nathan’s pain. The story is about Shea helping Nathan and then Nathan helping Shea and their love story. It was a good story that I liked. I read this one for The Book Binge – here’s the link to the review. 4 out of 5
Next up was Caged by Tam Ames. This is a free story that Tam wrote because Wave said that hamster shifters couldn’t be done. Tam proved her wrong in a hilarious story about a hamster shifter and his owner. Very funny and well done. 4 out of 5
After that it was One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost. Book 6 in the Night Huntress series has Cat and Bones working to capture a ghost who is extremely violent and can become corporeal on Halloween night. They’re also dealing with an asshole who has decided to take over her uncle’s position at the security compound who thinks he knows everything but doesn’t – and we never really learn what’s up with him as that storyline wasn’t completed. I really liked Cat and Bones and the strength of their relationship in this book. That’s something we don’t often see in UF books but this one is as strong as ever. The story was good and the fight scenes as well, but there was just something missing in this one for me that made it a good story but not fantastic. I read this for the Book Binge so I’ll let you know when my review posts. 3.5 out of 5
My next read was Amazon Heat by Melinda Leigh and Rayna Vause. This was a novella about Elizabeth who is doing research in Brazil and is saved from certain death by a group of women who turn out to be the mythical Amazons. Two years later her love, Logan, is looking for her in the same area when he is hurt and taken to the Amazon’s as well. Elizabeth must save his life and then they must try to escape as the Amazon’s aren’t ready to keep a man around for any period of time – especially after he’s worn out his usefulness. It was an interesting story but frankly I thought it was just too short. We didn’t get enough of Elizabeth and Logan or their background so the romance was just ok for me. On top of that it’s a story about the Amazon’s and we get little to know info on them or their life – how they’ve survived all these years, what their life is like, etc. Now there was a portion that looked like it was set up for a second book so maybe we’ll get more then? IDK. 3 out of 5
Next was Oracle’s Moon by Thea Harrison. I was lucky enough to get this one for review from The Book Binge and frankly I just couldn’t wait to crack that puppy open. It was the story of Kahlil who is a Djinn that we met in the previous books and Grace who is the Oracle. The story was not like anything that I expected but it was wonderful. Really romance and relationship focused and I LOVED Kahlil so very much. If you’ve been reading the Elder Races books don’t miss this one! 4.5 out of 5
Abercrombie Zombie by KZ Snow was next and it was a good one. This story followed psychic mediums Quinn and Hunter who are business partners as they deal with a man who claims to be a zombie. On top of that Quinn, who is in love with straight (well, maybe straight) Hunter, is trying to work through his feelings. The story is great and done very well and Quinn and Hunter were fabulous together. I just love KZ’s stories and this one was no different. 4 out of 5
My Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for the week was Forbidden which is boo 1 in the Playing With Fire series by Karen Erickson. The story was about roommates Michaela and Austin. They have the hots for each other but Michaela believes that Austin is gay since he’s not dated any women since they’ve known each other. Turns out he’s bi and he wants Michaela and all of her fantasies. Michaela has been held back by her conservative lovers and goes a bit wild with Austin as she trusts him. They act out fantasies together both at home and at a sex club. The story was extremely hot in the sex department but I thought that the relationship suffered more than a bit for the sake of the sexual aspect. While I really liked Austin I didn’t particularly care for Michaela all that much because of her indecision and sometimes overpowering shame and that diminished my enjoyment of the entire book. 3.25 out of 5
My Book Binge reviews that posted last week:
Happy Reading!

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