#bookreader – Page 132 – Rosepoint Publishing

Chasing the Blue Sky by Will Lowrey – a #BookReview

Title: Chasing the Blue Sky by Will Lowrey

Genre: Animal Care and Pets, Animal Rights, Dogs

Publisher: Lomack Publishing

Publication Date: November 3, 2018

ISBN-10:173293990X
ISBN-13:978-1732939905
ASIN: B07K5MM6WJ

Print Length: 191 pages

Source: Author Request

Title and Cover: Chasing the Blue Sky – Immensely appealing cover instantly tells the story

Book Blurb:

In the sweltering heat of a Clay County summer, a chained dog gives birth to a spirited, black puppy named Toby. Taken from his mother’s side at just a few weeks old, Toby soon wins the love of an adoring family. But just as quickly, he finds himself struggling to survive in the unforgiving world of the county animal shelter.

But he’s not alone – a motley cast of homeless dogs and a devoted pair of shelter workers will give anything to make sure Toby makes it out alive.

Chasing the Blue Sky is the compelling, emotional story of one dog’s journey to find his place in the great big world. Continue reading “Chasing the Blue Sky by Will Lowrey – a #BookReview”

2019 NetGalley-Edelweiss Reading Challenge – It’s Time to Sign Up!

Reading Challenges

It’s time to sign up for the 2019 NetGalley-Edelweiss Reading Challenge.

You’ll remember there was a host change mid-year and it was moved to Tina at Reading Between The Pages. Take a look at the Challenge Guidelines (don’t worry–they are simple!) and pick your Level (see below). I think I’ll make my challenge this year but it will be tight. Last year I chose Platinum (75 books) and it’s been a struggle, but will sign up for Platinum again! (Wish me luck!!)

The challenge runs from January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. There is no deadline to signup.

Everyone is welcome to participate – you do not need to have a blog.
Any genre, release date, length, etc. counts, it just needs to be a book from NetGalley or Edelweiss.
Books can count for more than one challenge that you are participating in.
If you want to move up or down a level – go for it!
The first day of each month I will post a monthly “link-up” for you to link your reviews. If you forget one month, no worries, just catch up the next month.

The Levels…

Bronze – 10 Books

Silver – 25 Books

Gold – 50 Books

Platinum – 75 Books

Diamond – 100 Books

You can see my 2018 progress on my Reading Challenges page. For complete information and your sign up instructions, be sure to join everyone at Reading Between the Pages.

And don’t forget to use the hashtag #NGEW2019 and use Tina’s Mr. Linky!

V Williams

The Naughty Or Nice Tag

Internet connection woes have set me back and I missed my usual Tuesday post, but I did see this tag on Abigail’s blog post and thought I’d plug it in. Hoping then to clear my backlog, catch up with everyone, and get back to posting reviews on schedule!

The Naughty or Nice Tag

Thank you, Abigail, and here are the questions. You’ll have to read to the bottom to see my score.

Received an ARC and not reviewed it

Nope! If I’ve gotten an ARC, I’ve read and reviewed it! Score one for me!

Have less than 60% feedback rating on NetGalley

My (current) score is at 93%. Once I got it back above 80%, I’ve been very, very careful with it.

Rated a book on Goodreads and promised a full review was to come on your blog (and never did)

Actually, I think it’s more closely the opposite. If I get the blog review done, I reduce the word count and post on Goodreads, Amazon, and NetGalley the following day.

Folded down the page of a book

Not since I started reading on my Kindle and cell phone and it doesn’t say “ever.” I have received a few printed books, but have bookmarks for those.

Accidentally spilled on a book

NOPE! Am very careful around my cell phone–pretty much my entire life is on it.

DNF a book this year

√ Oops, I have had to do this. I usually try to get through it, but would rather level with the author privately that I cannot.

Bought a book purely because it was pretty with no intention of reading it

Nope.

Read whilst you were meant to be doing something else (like homework)

√ Absolutely! All the time. It’s either that or Words With Friends2.

Skim read a book

√ Unfortunately, I have had to resort to this solution to finish a book on deadline, or when it is really dragging and I’m trying not to DNF it!

Completely missed your Goodreads goal

Have my Goodreads goal met. Now if I could just likewise meet the NetGalley Challenge and the Alphabet Challenge!

Borrowed a book and not returned it to the library

They’ve all gone back. My library alerts me when it’s expired and updates it for me, usually another two weeks. Talk about accommodating!

Broke a book buying ban

My books fortunately come via NetGalley, author requests, or BookBub free to me for an honest review. So, no.

Started a review, left it for ages then forgot what the book was about

√ Unfortunately, yes, but usually read and not reviewed right away, rather than started and not finished.

Wrote in a book you were reading

√ That’s the neat part about reading on my cell phone (or Kindle). I can mark stuff up and color code it depending on whether it is an edit problem, something I want to remember, or a comment I can use as a quote. Does that count?

Finished a book and not added it to your Goodreads

My books are usually added to my tbr on Goodreads as soon as I get it.

Borrowed a book and not returned it to a friend

I don’t borrow books, unless from the library, and they always go back.

Dodged someone asking if they can borrow a book

Broke the spine of someone else’s book

Hope NOT!

Took the jacket off a book to protect it and ended up making it more damaged

The jackets can be a pain when you are actively reading the book. I may remove it, but hope it isn’t “more damaged.”

Sat on a book accidentally

Final Score: 5/20 I think that puts me in the “nice” category. Please feel free to use this tag. I’d love to see your answers!

The Kooky Kids’ Club by Robbie Yates #BlogTour #BookReview

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for The Kooky Kids’ Club by Robbie Yates on the Digital Reads Blog Tours.

Digital Reads Blog Tours presents The Kooky Kids' Club by Robbie Yates

Book Details

The Kooky Kids’ Club by Robbie Yates

86 pages

Published: November 10, 2018

ASIN: B07KDVSNKG

ISBN-10: 173080604X

ISBN-13: 978-1730806049

Genre: Literature & Fiction, Children’s Books, Young at Heart

Maxine is smart, quirky, and a bit of a misfit. One day, she receives a mysterious invitation to a meeting of the “Kooky Kids’ Club.”

Things are looking bright. It’s nice to finally have a real group of friends. Then Maxine’s teacher disappears.

Maxine doesn’t know what happened to her beloved teacher, or how she can help. But if anybody has the smarts to help Miss Thompson, it’s Maxine and the Kooky Kids’ Club…

My Review

I just love it when I discover that the real story lies behind the lines of the narrative printed and that’s what happens when you read The Kooky Kids’ Club by Robbie Yates. It’s the lesson to be learned, the moral of the story that is sneaked in, and the nod of the head that, yes, this was good.

Little protagonist Maxine is struggling with school. She just doesn’t fit in and it doesn’t help when she tries to fit in as those always seem to lead to “Maxine Moments.” Her bright light is her teacher, Miss Thompson, and her aunt Izzie. And then Maxine receives a mysterious invitation. Afraid to check it out, but too curious not to, she discovers a club with other members just like her. They are sweet and thoughtful, smart and talented. And she fits in just fine. Blossoms. Finds her own power and with her new friends…

Strength.

But then suddenly, Miss Thompson is gone and Maxine enlists the help of her new friends and The Kooky Kids’ Club to discover what happened and bring her back.

I’d wager many of us see ourselves in Maxine and fervently wish we’d had our own quirky club. What a difference it might have made in those school years! Here we can revel in the discoveries Maxine makes and the kids that drive success and contentment. Maxine can enjoy her uniqueness with confidence.

I received my invitation to participate in The Kooky Kids’ Club from Shalini and Robbie Yates and jumped in with both feet. This has such a sweet premise and delivers with that feel-good conclusion. So appreciated the ebook download and the opportunity to read and review. Definitely a book for those tough middle-school years and recommended for parent/tween involvement. You can both use it!

Rosepoint Publishing: Five of Five Stars

About the Author

Robbie Yates - author (From Amazon) Robbie Yates is a children’s author who also dabbles in terrible and ridiculous poetry. Robbie has been a fan of fiction since he was a young child himself (in the days of cassette tapes and dial-up internet).

Robbie is based in the vibrant city of Melbourne, Australia. He enjoys drawing, the crunch of autumn leaves, and eating tasty snacks from his childhood.

In his free time, Robbie likes to read the stories of Roald Dahl, Paul Jennings and J.K. Rowling. Robbie also likes to go geocaching, play board games, and have water-balloon fights.

Author Links

Amazon Author Central page

Author’s Website

√ Facebook √ Twitter √ Goodreads √ Instagram

Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please visit the other stops listed below!

Tour Participants:

December 3
Miss Honeybug’s Reads & Crafts
Macsbooks
The Book Decoder
The Spoonie Mummy

December 4
The Bookworm Drinketh
Ashi responding to life
Zany Bibliophile
The Avid Inspri

December 5
Write Where I Read
The Cozy Pages
Audio Killed the Bookmark
Bibliogyan

December 6
Bookgraphy
DeepAsThoughts
Bookish rantings
Untie Readers

December 7
Lily’s Blissful Pages
Rosepoint Publishing
Sophril Reads
Ambivert Words

December 8
Jessica Rachow
Bookish Wisps
Swift Coffee
Belles-Lettres

Thanks to Shalini at Digital Reads Blog Tours for the opportunity to read and review this intermediate literary novel!

V Williams

Violet Tendencies by Kate Dyer-Seeley #BlogTour #BookReview #Giveaway

Violet Tendencies by Kate Dyer-Seeley

I am delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for Violet Tendencies by Kate Dyer-Seeley on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. Scroll down to enter your chance to win the Giveaway!

Book Details

Violet Tendencies (A Rose City Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (November 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496705157
ISBN-13: 978-1496705150
Digital ASIN: B07B73XJJG
Book Blurb

Who could object to a flower festival?

Britta Johnston and her aunt Elin are delighted that their Portland floral boutique is part of the city’s Rose Festival, which draws thousands to the Pacific Northwest for dragon boat races, fireworks, and other attractions—capped off by a big parade. They’re building a float that’s sure to rock the judge’s boat . . . until a gang of angry protestors shows up. The group, who call themselves Dark Fusion, are decidedly not into flower power, and they want to take down the system . . . including the upcoming extravaganza.

Then their leader is strangled with a garland of violets—and Britta finds the body. With tensions running high and so much at stake, there are plenty of suspects, from the Grand Marshal to a longtime volunteer to a former Rose Queen. But before Britta and Elin can stem the violence, the case is going to get even more explosive . . .

My Review

Portland, Oregon is a beautiful city and certainly well known for its profuse blooms, wild vegetation, and trees, and cities coupled with big events like the Rose Festival definitely draw a crowd. Here is a marvelous opportunity to get inside a float creation and enjoy descriptions of flowers, flower pairing, their deeper meanings, and the proper fluids to prolong a cutting’s life.

Britta Johnston has returned to live with her aunt Elin following the end of a disastrous marriage. Elin raised her after the death of her parents and owns a floral boutique, Blomma, where Britta now works. Her aunt has been contacted by an old love who is expecting to be in town and wishing to rekindle contact, greatly diverts her attention. They’ve been invited to participate in the annual event and were working on a special design when a group of protestors begin to interrupt the assembly labors. The gang, called Dark Fusion, appears to be a bit divisive with part growing increasingly violent.

The leader is discovered on Britta and her aunt’s float, which has been partly destroyed, with a noose of violets around his neck. With her aunt’s attention diverted, Britta redesigns the float to reclaim what wasn’t destroyed and create a new vision. In the meantime, she can’t get the sight of the gang leader, Sham, out of her mind and begins to do a bit of sleuthing, mentally listing, investigating, and checking off or placing the individual higher on her list, which begins to expand as she examines each person who might have had interest in quelling the radical distraction.

There are a number of red herrings adding to the protest confusion, as Britta mingles with her police buddy Toma and possible romantic interest, Detective Pete Fletcher. As this is the second book in the series, a reader might get a deeper fleshing of the protagonist by beginning with the first. There are other significant characters, though several add to the tension. The aunt reverts to her Swedish background often, which I found both interesting and endearing as my grandmother was Swedish.

A cozy mystery doesn’t usually slam out of the gate and this one quietly sets the stage for the location of the mystery at the cavernous warehouse where the assembly takes place and the description of the floats as well as the flowers. The mob gradually amps up and throws in some excitement. There is a hushed conclusion, some of which takes place behind the scenes, and not unexpected.

I was given this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for cozy mystery enthusiasts, those who love the Pacific Northwest (and who doesn’t?), and flora and fauna fans.

Giveaway

Sign up for one of (3) Print Copies of Violet Tendencies & Natural Thorn Killer (Rose City Mysteries) by Kate Dyer-Seeley in this Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Kate Dyer-Seeley aka Ellie Alexander writes multiple mystery series, all with a Pacific Northwest touch. She lives in the PNW with her husband and son, where you can find her hitting the trail, at an artisan coffee shop, or at her favorite pub. Better yet—at all three.

Author Links

Facebook Twitter Instagram GoodReads

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play IndieBound

Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please visit the other stops listed below!

Tour Participants:

November 27 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

November 27 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

November 28 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

November 28 – The Montana Bookaholic – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 29 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW

November 29 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 30 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW

November 30 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 1 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 1 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

December 2 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

December 2 – T’s Stuff – SPOTLIGHT, FLOWER TIP SHEET

December 3 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

December 3 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

December 4 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST

December 5 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

December 5 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

December 6 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this cozy mystery!

A Midwinter’s Tail by Bethany Blake #BookTour #BookReview

A Midwinter's Tail by Bethany Blake

I am so delighted today to provide a review for you at my blog stop for A Midwinter’s Tail by Bethany Blake on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Book Details

A Midwinter’s Tail (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Kensington (November 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496717333
ISBN-13: 978-1496717337
Digital ASIN: B07B7C8XQY

Book Blurb

To bark or not to bark . . .

Professional pet sitter Daphne Templeton loves the holidays in Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania. And nothing gets her into the spirit more than the town’s annual Bark the Halls Ball. The whole community will be there to wag their tails, especially this year’s special guest—Celeste “CeeCee” French, founder of a national chain of pet care franchises, who’s returning home to announce plans for a bright new flagship store.

But not everyone’s celebrating CeeCee’s homecoming. Daphne’s friend Moxie Bloom, owner of Spa and Paw, a unique salon for people and their pets, has plenty to growl about. So when CeeCee is found face down under Sylvan Creek’s town Christmas tree, stabbed with a distinctive pair of professional-grade pet shears, suspicion lands squarely on Moxie. Despite Daphne’s promises to Detective Jonathan Black, she quickly reprises her role as amateur sleuth. Ably assisted by her basset hound sidekick, Socrates, she must hurry to prove her friend’s innocence before a killer barks again . . .

Includes recipes for homemade pet treats!

My Review

It’s Christmas time in beautiful Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania and pet sitter Daphne Templeton is gearing up by providing lots and lots of treats for the community yearly event Bark the Halls Ball. She will be taking her basset hound Socrates and accompanied by BFF Moxie and possible romantic interest Detective Jonathan Black. It is a very pet-friendly town and she is a proud owner of storefront Lucky Paws Pet Sitting Service and Flour Power. She also has a surly black Persian named Tinkleston, whom she calls Tink.

At the annual showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a successful local graduate, CeeCee French, comes back to town to make the announcement that she will open a large outlet of her pet supply franchise in town. The announcement is shocking and not met with a lot of excitement and she is later found murdered and left under the town Christmas tree. As the owner of the Spa and Paw, it is Moxie who is the first person of interest and as the well-plotted and even paced story is laid out, several others later as well all with equally plausible motives.

This is an amazingly well projected anthropomorphic narrative with Daphne frequently speaking to her animals and their obvious telegraphed responses. I’ve often looked at my own Bichon Frise and thought I knew looking into those eyes just what she was thinking and sure I knew her response as well. We’ve often commented, she may not speak English, but she certainly has no problem communicating. In this case, Daphne certainly had a dog whispering touch with those animals left in her care.

I enjoyed the well-developed characters and although this is apparently the fourth in the series had no problem following the protagonist or the support characters. Also noted the many cliffhanging chapter endings, necessitating the reader jump to the next chapter. I did, however, have a small problem with Moxie and Sebastian, her white rat allowed a bit too much freedom. Additionally, I am not usually a fan of romantic tension in a well-executed mystery.

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley for a book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review what appears to be a delightful cozy mystery series with some engaging characters. Recommended for the younger set who enjoy a cozy mystery they’ll have to work to solve and then may not guess correctly.

About the Author

Bethany Blake lives in a small, quaint town in Pennsylvania with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing or riding horses, she’s wrangling a menagerie of furry family members that includes a nervous pit bull, a fearsome feline, a blind goldfish, and an attack cardinal named Robert. Like Daphne Templeton, the heroine of her Lucky Paws Mysteries, Bethany holds a Ph.D. and operates a pet sitting business called Barkley’s Premium Pet Care.

Author Links

Webpage BookBub Twitter Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N Kobo Google Play IndieBound BookBub

Thank you for visiting my stop on the tour and please visit the other stops listed below!

Tour Participants

November 26 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT

November 26 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

November 26 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

November 27 – Here’s How It Happened – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 27 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

November 27 – Cozy Up With Kathy – GUEST POST

November 28 – A Blue Million Books – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 28 – The Power of Words – REVIEW, GIVEAWAY

November 29 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

November 29 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 29 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW

November 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST

November 30 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE, GIVEAWAY

November 30 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

December 1 – My Devotional Thoughts – REVIEW

December 1 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 2 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

December 2 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT, RECIPE

December 3 – Carla Loves to Read – REVIEW

December 3 – A Holland Reads – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 4 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW

December 4 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

December 4 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 5 – Melina’ Book Blog – REVIEW

December 5 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 5 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Thanks to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this cozy mystery!

Rosepoint #BookReviews – Welcome December – November Recap

Welcome December-November Recap

Oh my gosh! I got SOOO busy I totally spaced on getting out the recap for October. I got in some great reads in October and November, however, including cozies, crime fiction, paranormal, psychological thrillers, and even some sci-fi! I posted a total of twelve reviews for the November–as well a couple spotlights. Definitely ramped up the book tours and have greatly benefited by utilizing NetGalley almost exclusively as I achieved my 100 Reviews Badge!

Still learning whatever I can about Instagram and bookstagram, though obviously have a long way to go. Since I pretty much shoot from the hip, there is little in the way of actual scheduling other than the night before (wink, wink). It’s not a business–it’s for fun. And it is. I’ve seen some amazing technology and would love to pass it on, but “regramming” is also something I’ve yet to learn. (Another app download? — not when my poor ole Galaxy 5 is already maxxed.)

My book reviews for November (many of which included Giveaways):

A Different Kind of Reunion by Joanne Guidoccio

If you missed any of my full reviews, just click the link below.

Nov 2 – A Different Kind of Reunion by Joann Guidoccio (Spotlight)

Nov 4 – Yeast of Eden by Sarah Fox

Nov 6 – Thread Herrings by Lea Wait

Nov 7 – Harvest of Secrets by Ellen Crosby

Nov 9 – House of Ashes by Loretta Marion

Nov 11- Murder in Her Stocking by G. A. McKevett

Nov 13- A Vintage Death by Mary Ellen Hughes

Nov 15- The Darkness Prequel Tour by C. S. Duffy (Spotlight)

Nov 16- A Cold Brew Killing by Lena Gregory

Nov 18- Murder at Harbor Village by G. P. Gardner

Nov 20- Purls and Poison by Anne Canedeo

Nov 23- Zephyr by Andrew Cooke

Nov 25- Love You Gone by Rona Halsall

Nov 27- The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn

At this point, I’ve achieved my personal goal for Goodreads of 100 reviews. I’ll need one more for the NetGalley Challenge of 75 reviews, but missing Q (currently reading Quantum Marlowe), J, W, and X for the Alphabet Challenge. There are three books scheduled so far for December and none of those will fill the missing letters. If you fail to add the #NGEW2018 tag for the reviews, are they still included in the tally?

How are you doing on your challenges? Anyone have a J, W, or X book for me?

A big thank to all my new followers and as always so appreciate you who continue to read and comment! Thank you!

Love You Gone by Rona Halsall – a #BookReview

Title: Love You Gone by Rona Halsall

Genre: Psychological Thriller-Suspense, Literary Fiction

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: November 15, 2018

Source: Publisher and NetGalley

288 Pages

Book Blurb:

‘Hello? Police? My husband and our children… they’re gone.’

When Mel arrives at the holiday cottage in the Lake District, she expects to find the heating on and her husband Luke and the two children waiting for her. Maybe a bottle of wine open…

Instead, there is just a note on the side, saying they’ve gone out for a walk.

But they aren’t back several hours later, and Mel knows something is wrong. Really wrong. When a search doesn’t find them, she has to confess to the police that her marriage isn’t all that it seems.

Even if that risks her own secrets being revealed…

My Review:

If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know I am seldom at a loss for words. But this book…where do I even begin?

Okay, wait…

Love you Gone by Rona Halsall We are talking about a psychological thriller that hooks you immediately, and whether or not you think you know where this is going, you’d be wrong. Oh yeah, I was burning some serious cell phone battery, because once you get started reading, it is very difficult to put down.

The thing is…it starts off with Luke’s POV and then switches to Mel’s and you’re left wondering what happened. First, she seems hopeful, excited even, then as the evening wears on emotional, wrought with anxious nerves over the lapse of time in which she’d fully expected her hubby and two children back to the holiday cottage they’d rented for a getaway and a chance to “sort” things out. Uh oh…Your first clue and maybe not a good sign? But is she really a reliable narrator?

Because. The book is divided into parts (there are always two sides to the story–right?), and it isn’t until you’re into the book that you really begin to get a glimmer that this may be a whole other scenario than the originally posed of a missing man and his kids. Off on a hike. Lost? Whoa! Maybe not and the rug has just been pulled out from under your feet.

In addition, to the change of narrators are jumps in time. Yes, you can buy that as it is a way to understand how we got to this point. And it isn’t pretty. It’s heart-wrenching. Luke is working on putting his life back together and the two kids are his. Mel is pushing her biological clock and Luke. The little girl and boy are at a very tender age. Young. Vulnerable.

Lies, misdirection, twists, changes of POV and time stamp. Little by little more secrets come out, dished in very small helpings. Support characters offer some hope, and most are sympathetic, engaging, well-developed. Luke’s parents are aging and their health is not the best. His mother, always a strong woman, is battling a debilitating disease. Cousin Ted just adds stress and tension. You want to volunteer to beat him up (or I could do it!). But then Luke; gees! is he ever going to man-up or not?

The pacing of the well-plotted narrative is swift. No commercial breaks–forget it. It’s a race to the conclusion, and it’s beginning to look like everything will work out. Maybe you can take a breath now. Or maybe not, but it does make sense, huh?

And then, WHAM! The final twist. Like a boxer, down for the count. Did NOT see that one coming! (But then I’d been playing catch up from the beginning.)

Loved the book, opened up a new premise for me, although several elements pushed some disbelief. Questionable activity and the argument for or against that one, a tough call. And I had a little problem with Luke’s mother’s attitude at the end. There were some edit misses, but really this is such a fast and furious read you tend to barrel right over those.

I received this ebook download from the publisher and NetGalley after reading Shalini’s review. (Thank you, Shalini!) I really needed a good psychological thriller to get my reading excitement back on level. Totally appreciated the opportunity to read and review and can recommend for any reader looking for something off-track, fast, and thought-provoking. This is one that will resonate after the last page!

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five of Five Stars

The Author: Rona’s debut psychological thriller, Keep You Safe was released in August and her second novel, Love you Gone will be out on 15th November 2018. She lives on the Isle of Man with her husband, two dogs, and three guinea pigs and has been a bookworm since she was a child – now she’s actually creating stories of her own it feels like a dream come true.

She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful beaches on the Island while she’s plotting how to kill off her next victim.

She has three children and two step-children who are now grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of ideas for new stories!

To find out more about Rona’s novels, go to http://www.facebook.com/RonaHalsallAuthor or follow @RonaHalsallAuth on Twitter.