Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins



Title: Life and Other Inconveniences
Author: Kristan Higgins
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: August 6, 2019





From the New York Times bestselling author of Good Luck with That comes a new novel about a blue-blood grandmother and her black-sheep granddaughter who discover they are truly two sides of the same coin.

Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn’t protect her from life’s cruelest blows: the disappearance of Genevieve’s young son, followed by the premature death of her husband. But Genevieve rose from those ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son.

When Emma’s own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother’s doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her–until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school. Genevieve kicked her out with nothing but the clothes on her back…but Emma took with her the most important London possession: the strength not just to survive but to thrive. And indeed, Emma has built a wonderful life for herself and her teenage daughter, Riley. 

So what is Emma to do when Genevieve does the one thing Emma never expected of her and, after not speaking to her for nearly two decades, calls and asks for help?








Kristan Higgins is my favorite author. I own all of her books in digital, paperback and hardcover forms. I think she's an amazing writer and she seems to be an awesome human being too. 

When I received a copy of Life and Other Inconveniences, I was ecstatic! As a book lover, nothing feels as great as getting a book by your favorite author. Then, something happened. I didn't want to read it. Why? because she writes a book a year and if I started it too soon, I was going to have to wait a long time for her next one. Finally, this weekend, I couldn't postpone it any longer. So I prepared for my weekend. I asked my husband to take care of the puppies, breakfast and household chores while I took the morning off to read. No interruptions, no breaks.


Life and Other Inconveniences is narrated in multiple points of views. The main three characters are: 


Emma, a single mother who has abandonment issues. When she was very little, her mother committed suicide and her father Clark, left her with her grandmother and never looked back. When Emma meets the first boy/man who shows her some love, she dates him for three years and just before she graduates high school, she learns she's pregnant. Her grandmother, Genevieve is not happy and pretty much kicks her out. Emma goes to live with her maternal grandfather. Years later, she's starting her career as a psychologist and her daughter, Riley is a teenager.

Genevieve had a perfect marriage. She loved her husband, Garrison with all of her heart. She also had two boys, Sheppard and Clark. She loved Sheppard, her oldest and when he goes missing at a very young age, she loses part of her heart. Then, Garrison dies too and when he dies, Genevieve loses the ability to love. She's never the mother that she should be to Clark (her youngest son) and when years later, he delivers his daughter, Emma to her doorstep, she thinks this is her chance to make amends. Yet, When Emma gets pregnant, she can't be flexible.

Last, we have Riley. Emma's daughter and Genevieve's granddaughter. A smart young woman with a good heart. Riley's having problems at school and when Genevieve's invitation to spend the summer with her is given, Emma and Riley agree it could be a good time to leave town.

Life and Other Inconveniences felt different than her prior novels. I had a hard time concentrating on the story. I felt there was too much inner dialogue by Emma and Genevieve. I missed the humor I've come to expect from KH. I missed the embarrassing moments, I've come to feel for the characters. I missed the romance, I've come to adore

I like to clarify that ANY time there was a dialogue, I was 100% immersed in it. Even though, the dialogue was so scattered, when it was there, I craved it.

These are my opinions but I hope this doesn't deter you from reading this book. 

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

The Dark Bones by Loreth Anne White


Title: The Dark Bones
Series: Dark Lure #2
Author: Loreth Anne White
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Release date: May 21, 2019




She’s come back to solve the mystery of her father’s death and confront her own dark past.
When Detective Rebecca North left her rural hometown, she vowed never to return. Her father’s apparent suicide has changed that. The official report is that retired cop Noah North shot himself, knocked over a lantern, and set his isolated cabin ablaze. But Rebecca cannot believe he killed himself.
To prove it, she needs the help of Ash Haugen, the man she left behind. But Rebecca and Ash share more than broken hearts. Something darker lies between them, and the investigation is stirring it back to life. Clues lead them to the home of Olivia West and her deeply troubled twelve-year-old daughter, Tori. The child knows more about the murder than anyone can imagine, but she’s too terrified to say a word.
And as a cold-blooded killer resurfaces from the past, Rebecca and Ash begin to fear that their own secrets may be even harder to survive.







"Can you pinpoint the exact instant your life starts on a collision course with someone else’s? Can you trace back to the moment those lives did finally intersect, and from where they spiraled outward again, yet from that point they remained forever entwined, two lives locked one with another?"

Loreth Anne White is one of my favorite authors. I love all of her books. Her characters are memorable and the suspense is always outstanding!

The Dark Bones is the second book in the Dark Lure series (The Dark Lure was FANTASTIC). The main character is Rebecca North. She's a Royal Canadian Mounted Police detective who moved out of her rural hometown of Clinton, Canada as soon as she could after her boyfriend Ash Haugen broke her heart.

Rebecca's dad is a retired detective. He's an alcoholic and he lives by himself. Out of nowhere, he calls Rebecca and tells her that he believes someone is following him and he wants to see her. He has been reviewing a cold case and he wants to know why she and Ash lied to him so many years ago. Rebecca knows this has to be about Whitney Gagnon who had slept with Ash and had left town with her boyfriend Trevor Beauchamp. Rebecca tells her dad she will call him back. Next thing she knows, she gets a call. Her dad has killed himself. Rebecca can't believe it. She comes home to investigate. She believes her father has found something about the disappearance of Whitney Gagnon and Trevor Beauchamp and someone killed him for it.

"He lied
You both lied."

On her first night back home, she bumps into the last person she wants to see, Ash. All her past feelings for him resurface. She remembers how hurt she was when he cheated and when she found out he had lied to her. She also remembers he was her first love and she has never forgotten him. As the days and the investigation progresses she realizes she still feels something for him.

Besides Rebecca and Ash, two teenagers are also important. One is Olivia's daughter Tori Burton (Liv is the main character on The Dark Lure) and the other one is Ricky Simon, a kid Ash promised to take care of. Both of their lives are in danger. They know too much.

Soon, Ash becomes the main suspect and Rebecca knows she needs to figure out who's at fault or none of them are going to be safe.

The Dark Bones was gritty, dark and full of suspense. Loreth Anne White painted a perfect small town ambiance full of secrets and lies. She gave us a great resolution while still leaving an opening for another book to answer the remaining questions.

"Quiet descended with a sense of menace."

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Montlake Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Shadow Prey by John Sandford


Title: Shadow Prey
Series: Lucas Davenport #2
Author: John Sandford




The #1 New York Times bestselling series. Lucas Davenport goes on a city-to-city search for a bizarre ritualistic killer.

A slumlord and a welfare supervisor butchered in Minneapolis . . . a rising political star executed in Manhattan . . . an influential judge taken in Oklahoma City . . . All the homicides have the same grisly method — the victim's throat is slashed with an Indian ceremonial knife – and in every case the twisted trail leads back through the Minnesota Native American community to an embodiment of primal evil known as Shadow Love. Once unleashed, Shadow Love's need to kill cannot be checked, even by those who think they control him. Soon he will be stalking Lucas Davenport — and the woman he loves...

Never get involved with a cop: Lieutenant Lucas Davenport has been warning women for years, but now he finds himself on dangerous ground with a policewoman named Lily Rothenburg, on assignment from New York to help investigate the murders. Both have previous commitments, but neither can stop, and as their affair grows more intense, so too does the mayhem surrounding them, until the combined passion and violence threaten to spin out of control and engulf them both. Together, Lucas and Lily must stalk the drugged-out, desperate world of the city's meanest streets to flush out Shadow Love — not knowing they are now the objects of his deadliest desires....









Well, Shadow Prey was underwhelming. There wasn't as much action as with Rules of Prey. The last third had a faster pace and it kept my attention.

In Shadow Prey, we have Lucas Davenport investigating a series of murders done by Native Americans. The attacks seem to be coordinated by a pair of brothers, Sam and Aaron Crow and committed by different individuals including Shadow Love. Once the media and the FBI get involved, everything becomes much more dangerous. 

Lucas' personal life seems to be stable. He's with Jennifer Carey and they have a daughter together. Yet, we know this won't last. Lucas is a womanizer. He "loves" women and can't live without them. He's unable to be faithful.

When one of the slayings involves the city of NYC, a NY cop is sent to assist with the investigation. This is how Lily Rothenberg becomes Lucas' sidekick. 

The first time Lucas sees Lily, he knows she's his next conquest. 

I had some issues with the plot. I wish John Sanford would've explained more about why the Crows had taken the time to plan and coordinate the attacks. I felt like it was glossed over which is a shame because the slayings were done with purpose and the readers should be clear on why.

I liked Lucas much less in this one. He didn't care about Jennifer's feelings. He just looks at a woman and he decides he's going to convince her to be with him. He doesn't care if she's married. He doesn't care about the consequences. He didn't even care about the case while he was trying to get into Lily's pants. Quite a disappointment. I do wonder if he will learn from his mistakes in later books.

My recommendation for any reader is to wear their 90's hat when they read this series. It will avoid a lot of irritation.

I'm committed to the Lucas Davenport books, so Eyes of Prey is next for me. 

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

Killman Creek by Rachel Caine


Title: Killman Creek
Series: Stillhouse Lake #2
Author: Rachel Caine
Publisher: December 12, 2017
Release Date: Thomas & Mercer







Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away.


Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…

You’re not safe anywhere now.

Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin’s victims, Gwen is going hunting. She’s learned how from one of the sickest killers alive.

But what she’s up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die.








The last third of Killman Creek was a pounding frenzy!

In the beginning, I wasn't sure where Rachel Caine was going with her story. The end of the first book finishes in a cliffhanger. Gwen, ex-husband, the well-known serial killer, Melvin Royal is on the loose. He has escaped prison and he's targetting Gwen and her children.

Gwen has to make a decision. Does she wait like a sitting duck or does she go on the offense and tries to find Melvin first. She decides on the later. She and Sam embarked in a trip to find Melvin. She leaves her children, Lanny and Connor behind in the care of her trusted friends.

Regretfully, Gwen's plan is always getting interrupted by Absalom and his croonies. Her enemies seem to always be one step ahead of her and Sam.

While Gwen is looking for Melvin, at home, her children are not safe despite good people trying to protect them. Gwen knows she must go back home but then a video surfaces that changes everything.

Killman Creek is written in multiple POV's. We have Gwen, Sam, Lanny and Connor narrating the book. It was a really good second installment. Like I said earlier, the last third of the book was incredible. Everything was moving in fast motion. I was scared for Gwen, Sam and the children. Melvin was nothing but an evil man. An evil man who didn't care if her children were collateral damage.

I was pleased with the end but I know there has to be more evil people lurking around for Gwen and her family.

The question is going to be who's going to try next to get to her.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

The Slow Burn by Kristen Ashley


Title: The Slow Burn  
Series: Moonlight and Motor Oil #2
Author: Kristen Ashley 






Tobias Gamble knew from a young age precisely the kind of woman he was going to make his. She was not going to be like his mother. She was going to be like the mother he claimed. 

In other words, she was going to be just right. 

And when Toby returns to his hometown of Matlock, Kentucky and claps eyes on Adeline Forrester, he knows she’s the one. 

The problem is, his brother Johnny has a new girlfriend. And Addie is her sister. Last, Toby would do nothing to hurt Johnny’s chance at happiness. 

Toby hangs around town to get to know the woman Johnny fell in love with. He also hangs around to get to know Addie. 

But he’s fallen hard, and he knows the best thing for him—and Addie—is for him to leave. 

Addie Forrester is thrilled her sister Eliza found a good, solid man. Johnny Gamble is the salt of the earth. The best guy in the world. 

The best except for his brother, Toby. 

Toby doesn’t know it, but Addie’s fallen hard too. He’s perfect, except for the fact that he’s hands off and it’s torture, being friends with Toby when she wants so much more. 

Addie also has a lot on her mind. She’s got bills to pay, her young son needs food, Christmas is coming and her job at the grocery store just isn’t cutting it. 

Toby is steering clear of Addie. Addie is steering clear of Toby. But everyone around them knows this is the slow burn. 

Because just like Eliza and Johnny, Addie and Toby were made for each other.







I didn't read Eliza and Johnny's novel, The Hookup, but I had a chance to read The Slow Burn in between my ARCS. The end result: I'm disappointed.

The title of this novel has the perfect name. I found the narrative to be slow, rambling and repetitive. I lost count of how many "Babes", "Honey" and "Let-me-tell-you-how-things-are-going-to-go-because-I'm-the-alpha-here" there were. I just don't see the conversations coming from a guy's mouth to go the way KA writes them in this book. 

There was absolutely no major drama or obstacle for this couple. The first time they meet, they are already half in love with each other. So kind of an insta-love situation. 

For me, The Slow Burn was saved by some specific scenes. Toby with Addie's child, Brooks. Toby with Johnny talking about the "mother" they had growing up. Eliza and Addie's interactions as sisters, the Gamble brothers listening to their women talking over the phone with their estranged dad and the Epilogue.

I just can't believe this is the same writer who wrote FOUR of my favorite series, Rock Chick, Dream Man, Chaos, and Colorado Mountain. 

What happened to KA? Or is it me who just can't connect with her writing anymore? I have to tell you, for a book lover, there's nothing worse than disliking one of your favorite writer's novels.

Cliffhanger: No

2/5 Fangs

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren


Title: The Unhoneymooners
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release Date: May 14, 2019






Olive is always unlucky: in her career, in love, in…well, everything. Her identical twin sister Amy, on the other hand, is probably the luckiest person in the world. Her meet-cute with her fiancé is something out of a romantic comedy (gag) and she’s managed to finance her entire wedding by winning a series of Internet contests (double gag). Worst of all, she’s forcing Olive to spend the day with her sworn enemy, Ethan, who just happens to be the best man.



Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.



Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky. 






Amazon | Barnes & Noble





What a fun book to read! It had a hate-to-love relationship, twins sisters and Hawaii. What’s not to like?

When the book begins, we meet Olive Torres. A young woman who believes she’s unlucky in everything. She has so many stories where she has had bad luck and she has convinced herself that she's the complete opposite of her twin sister Ami. 

Ami is lucky in everything. She wins contest after contest. When her boyfriend proposed, Ami made sure she applied to as many contests as she could to be able to win an almost free wedding. On the other hand, Olive has recently lost her job and she’s attending her twin sister’s wedding wearing the ugly green bridesmaid's dress and worse, she has to be civil to the groom’s brother, Ethan.

A couple of years ago when Ami introduced her to Ethan, she thought he was a good looking guy but then he acted mean when he saw her eating cheese curds and since then, animosity is their only line of communication. 

After the wedding and due to a strong case of food poisoning, the newlyweds are unable to attend their honeymoon in Hawaii. Ami offers her non-refundable honeymoon trip to Olive and Ami's fiancee, Dane offers his to Ethan. 


A paid vacation to Hawaii, who wouldn't want to go there? But what could go wrong with this plan? 

Well maybe encountering her new boss and Ethan’s ex-girlfriend was not part of their plan. Now in order to survive these meetings, they will need to call a truce and work together.

Christina Lauren is an unstoppable duo. Their romcoms are one of my favorites. Their main characters are so memorable and fun to read. 

Gosh, it was so easy to fall in love with Olive and Ethan. Together, they were gold! They had a fantastic banter but also an insane chemistry. I was rooting for them to open up and reveal their true feelings.

I'm a sucker for a hate-to-love novel and The Unhoneymooners is the epitome of one. 

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs


A complimentary copy was provided by Gallery Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Rules of Prey by John Sandford


Title: Rules of Prey
Series: Lucas Davenport #1)
Author: John Sandford
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons





#1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford's “haunting, unforgettable, ice-blooded thriller”* that introduced Lucas Davenport...


The killer was mad but brilliant.

He left notes with every woman he killed. Rules of murder: Never have a motive. Never follow a discernible pattern. Never carry a weapon after it has been used...So many rules to his sick, violent games of death.

But Lucas Davenport, the cop who’s out to get him, isn’t playing by the rules.




Amazon | Barnes & Noble



I wanted to start a new police thriller and I had this book in my library for a long time. I heard good things about this series and I thought it was time to give it a go.

The serial killer in Rules of Prey goes by the name of the Maddog. He's a horrible person who does horrible things to women. He's also hard to catch and after killing his victims, he leaves a note behind:

"Never have a motive."
"Never follow a discernible pattern." 
"Never carry a weapon after it has been used."
"Beware of leaving physical evidence."


Lucas Davenport is the cop who's called to help catch him. He's a different type of cop. He's the only member of the Office of Special Intelligence. Besides being rich, the lieutenant is smart, dresses in expensive suits, he's handsome, drives a Porche, owns a lake house, invents board games in his free time, has a nun as his best friend and he loves to bed women. He also has killed five people which we're not sure of the circumstances this has happened.

A few times, I had to remind myself that I was reading a book published in the 1990s. There were many things that I wouldn't agree with if this book was written now but for the most part, it made me laugh and the suspense was great too! I ended up liking Lucas in spite of him being a womanizer and a liar. He was determined to catch this killer and he was ready to use whatever method was necessary to accomplish his goal. 

I'm going to continue this series and see where Lucas Davenport ends. After all, there are 28 more books to go.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs


Saturday, May 11, 2019

Cleaning the Gold by Karin Slaughter & Lee Child


Title: Cleaning the Gold
Series: Will Trent | Jack Reacher
Author: Karin Slaughter & Lee Child
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 1, 2019






Get ready for a turbo-charged short read (80 pages) from two of the world's biggest thriller writers. 

Jack Reacher and Will Trent

Twice the action
Twice the drama
Double the trouble

Will Trent is undercover at Fort Knox. His assignment: to investigate a twenty-two-year-old murder. His suspect's name: Jack Reacher.

Jack Reacher is in Fort Knox on his own mission: to bring down a dangerous criminal ring operating at the heart of America's military. Except now Will Trent is on the scene.

But there's a bigger conspiracy at play - one that neither the special agent nor the ex-military cop could have anticipated. And the only option is for Jack Reacher and Will Trent to team up and play nicely. If they can...








Very intersecting combo of characters. On the one hand, we have Will Trent, the tall, three-piece suit FBI agent who had a tough upbringing but is very smart. On the other hand, you have Jack Reacher, an ex-military man with his own compass for right and wrong. 

Will and Jack are brought together into Fort Knox for very different reasons. Will is looking into a cold case and Jack is investigating into some funny business inside Fort Knox. Will doesn’t know if he can trust Jack and vice-versa until a new problem surfaces for both. 

I’m a HUGE Will Trent fan. He’s perfectly imperfect. Good detective skills, strong and smart with a good heart. He loves the law and he's great with numbers.

Jack Reacher is a smart person too. He’s super strong and deadly. Yet, he’s guided by justice. He's actually taller than Will!

Quite a lot of fun to have these two worlds colliding. I’m sure Slaughter and Child had a blast writing it. 

I've to admit (don't kill me) that I haven't read any of Jack Reacher's books (I've seen the movies with Tom Cruise). After, reading Cleaning the Gold, I need to carve some time for this Lee Child's series.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Friday, May 10, 2019

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs


Title: Storm Cursed
Series: Patricia Briggs
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: May 7, 2019






In this new instalment in the No. 1 New York Times bestselling series, Mercy Thompson must face a deadly enemy to defend all she loves . . . 


My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic.

And a coyote shapeshifter . . . And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.
Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn't stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.
The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death. 
But we are pack, and we have given our word. We will die to keep it.





Amazon | Barnes & Noble




I just have one question. What did Coyote mean at the end of Storm Cursed?

Arg, I wish I understood him. He's such a mystery. He's powerful, a trickster, very smart and he loves his daughter, Mercy, even though he has a weird way of showing it.

The Mercyverse is one of my favorite places to go back to. I adore Mercy and Adam. After this many years, Patricia Briggs has demonstrated that a couple can be together and still attract readers without the need for an unnecessary love triangle. To this day, Iron Kissed is still one of my favorite books.

Also, I love the side characters like Stephan, Zee, Sherwood Post, Tad, Joel, Ben, Wulfe, Larry (Goblin King), etc. I wish we could spend more time with each of them. They are fantastic! Mercy keeps on bringing on strays that make her life so much more interesting (and deadly..LOL).

When I start a new Mercy book, I always wonder where Mrs. Briggs is going to take her this time. Yes, Mercy has been hurt and almost killed so many times but she's fast, resourceful and she has learned to trust her mate and friends to help her out. She continues to grow as a character. She's my girl crush.

Storm Cursed is mostly about witches. Bad witches. Black Magic witches. Mercy is not a fan. She knows they are trouble and she must intervene. She must do it. Her job is to help the humans and the Fae meet without the witches killing them all. 

I hated those Bad. Bad. Witches.

Storm Cursed is full of action, intrigue, suspense, and amazing characters. Unputtable down. The stories are only getting better.

Cliffhanger: no

4.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Ace via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, May 9, 2019

Eli's Triumph by Joanna Wylde


From New York Times Bestselling author Joanna Wylde comes ELI’S TRIUMPH, a new novella in her Reapers MC series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! Be sure to grab your copy today!



From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joanna Wylde comes a new story in her Reapers MC series…

Peaches Taylor spent the last seven years slinging drinks and dodging drunks at the Starkwood Saloon. Some might call it a dead end job, but to her it was an investment—another six months, and she’d have enough money to buy the place.

Life would've been perfect if Eli hadn’t come home.

Eli King is ready to settle down. He stood by his brothers when they needed him, paying the price for their freedom with his own. Now it’s time to claim his reward—the Starkwood Saloon. He’s got the cash to buy the bar, the skills to run it, and just one person standing between him and his dream: Peaches Taylor.

She’s been driving him crazy since they were kids, and not in the good way. When she was six, she shoved a spider down his pants. When he was ten, he locked her in a closet overnight. Then she hot-wired his car at seventeen, and things got ugly…

They’re adults now, and the Starkwood isn’t a toy to fight over—it’s the hill they’ll die on. No prisoners. No compromises. No mercy.

Peaches Taylor and Eli King are going to war.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**



Grab your copy of ELI’S TRIUMPH today!












Peach Taylor and Eli King have known each other practically their whole lives. Peach was eight when eleven-year-old Eli joined her mother and Gus. Gus is Eli's uncle. Peach didn't like losing Gus' attention. She started making Eli's life miserable. 

A couple of decades later, Peach is working at the Starkwood Saloon. She has been helping Gus for years. Then she learns that despite wanting to buy it, Gus is selling it to Eli and not her. Talk about mad. Peach wants to punch both of them. It doesn't matter that the Reapers like to hang at the bar. She knows to keep quiet but losing the bar is not something she can do without putting up a fight.

Joanna's Reapers MC series is one of my favorite MC series. The characters are memorable and likable. Most of them are antiheroes. Eli fits with this profile. Someone who has already been to prison (for 5 years) after doing something illegal. Eli believes in the Club. He will do anything to protect it and sometimes that means doing what needs to be done without caring about the consequences. 

Peach was harder to like. She was mean to Eli as a kid which forced Eli to retaliate after her attacks. As an adult, I felt she should've known better. If she was miserable with Eli winning the war for the Starkwood Saloon, she could've quit and found a new job without the drama. Notwithstanding, Peach grew on me in the last third of the novella and by the end, I was happy with how the story was developing.

The end felt rushed but this might be just me. Even though my brain knows that a novella should be short, I couldn't help but feel like I needed much more.

Cliffhanger: No




“Eli?” she asked, sounding confused. “Why are we talking about Eli?”

“He’s been watching me.”

“Um, I think he’s just drinking a beer,”Megan said. “Maybe checking out your boobs a little, but that’s nothing new.”

Hmm… It couldn’t possibly be that simple, but it did give me an idea. Maybe it was time to create a diversion. I shifted my shoulders, expanding my chest. 

Disappointingly, his eyes stayed on mine. 

“Someday I’m gonna own this bar, and firing his ass is the first thing I’ll do.”

Megan giggled. “That sounded sort of super-villain-ish. Do you have a lair? I wish I had a lair…”

I blinked, caught off guard. I hadn’t realized that I’d said the words out loud. Eli smirked at me, gloating because he’d just won our little pissing contest. Dammit!

“I can’t believe I wrote to him in prison,” I told her, turning my back on the bikers. “Never should’ve been nice to him. He probably thinks that, deep down inside, we’re friends or something. We’re never going to be friends.”

“Didn’t he give you a ride home after work last night?” she asked, her voice light.

“Gus made him,” I snapped.

“And did Gus make him hug you the other day?”

“He caught me and gave me a noogie. And it hurt, too. It’s not a hug if it leaves bruises.”

“He left bruises?”Megan asked, startled. Shit. I might be able to justify a rumor about him not being able to get it up, but telling her that he’d hurt me for real…yeah, that probably crossed a line. 

“No,” I admitted. “That was an exaggeration. But he’s still pure evil, so don’t fall for his shit. Or sleep with him. Every time a waitress sleeps with him, she ends up quitting without notice. Then I have to cover their shifts.”

Megan nodded, looking a little uncomfortable. “Okay, then… Um, I think I’ll go check the bathrooms. Make sure there’s no ugly surprises before things start getting busy.”

“Great idea,” I told her, and she scuttled off. Then I reached for a washcloth because I had lemon juice to clean up. Then I’d have to go back over there and check on them. See if they wanted more… Eli would, I could already tell. Not because he was big on drinking, though. 

He just wouldn’t be able to resist an opportunity to order me around.








            





Joanna Wylde started her writing career in journalism, working in two daily newspapers as both a reporter and editor. Her career has included many different jobs, from managing a homeless shelter to running her own freelance writing business, where she took on projects ranging from fundraising to ghostwriting for academics. During 2012 she got her first Kindle reader as a gift and discovered the indie writing revolution taking place online. Not long afterward she started cutting back her client list to work on Reaper’s Property, her breakout book. It was published in January 2013, marking the beginning of a new career writing fiction.

Joanna lives in the mountains of northern Idaho with her family.