Uncategorized

#review #thriller #mystery #truecrime Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

Leave a comment


A shocking thriller about a cold case, a fictional true crime series, and the family caught in the middle.

SIX EPISODES. ONE KILLER.

It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home.

Luke Ryder’s murder has never been solved. Guy Howard’s mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder–but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged.

But some murder cases are simply too big to forget…

Now comes the sensational new Netflix series Infamous, dedicated to investigating–and perhaps cracking–this famous cold case. The production team will re-examine testimony, re-interview witnesses, and once again scour the evidence. The family will speak. The key players will be reunited–on camera. The truth will come out.

Are you ready to see it?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63241097-murder-in-the-family

Amazon https://amzn.to/4bxGR0K

Review by Twinsie Dee

i bought this book and this is my honest review

When detectives re open a case on the 20th anniversary and relook at all the evident, interviews, reinterviewing the family just to figure out who killed Luke Ryder. Everyone is still not sure what happened or who would want Luke dead the question is clear, but will these experts be able to finally solve this case before it goes cold. this was a very different type of read, very fun, with all the crime pictures, making you feel like part of the team to help solve the murder. Also, with so many twists and turns you won’t see the real killer coming or will you.

I’ve always been a voracious reader and viewer of crime – I’ve learned so much from the outstanding writing that we now see on crime TV like Line of Duty or Broadchurch, and I’ve tried to recreate the experience of watching series like that for my readers. I’ve been using mixed media from the very first Fawley book – in fact, since before they started calling it mixed media! I love giving my readers different ways to explore the story and I’m such a geek that I do all my artwork myself. My favourite feedback is when readers tell me it’s like getting the raw material of the case, so they can be detectives themselves. That’s where the idea for MURDER IN THE FAMILY came from.

What else about me? I have a boy cat who does his best to distract me whenever I get close to a keyboard (if you have cats, you’ll know), I love travelling, spending time with friends, and I have never knowingly turned down a glass of champagne….

2nd Chance, Contemp. Romance, Family Orientated, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ, Review, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Heart of Glass by Michele Shriver

Leave a comment

Darcy Caldwell’s world shatters when, on her deathbed, her enigmatic mother, Meredith, bequeaths her a handcrafted glass heart. With her cryptic plea to uncover its origins, Meredith leaves Darcy with more questions than answers. Driven by a desperate need to understand the woman she never truly knew, Darcy embarks on a poignant journey with her estranged husband, Mattox.Their quest takes them to a skilled glass artist in New England, unraveling a tale of intense, ill-fated love in 1970s Boston. As the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, Darcy discovers that the heart’s secrets may lie closer to home than she ever imagined—tied to Meredith’s enduring friendship back home in West Virginia.More than a quest for the truth behind the glass token, it transforms into a cathartic exploration of Meredith’s past, revealing hidden facets of her character and the choices that shaped her. In retracing her mother’s footsteps, Darcy grapples with her own vulnerabilities and untangles the complexities of love and loss.The journey not only unveils Meredith’s secrets but forces Darcy to confront her fractured marriage. Heart of Glass is a soul-stirring exploration of family, love, and self-discovery—a tale that resonates across generations and leaves readers with the enduring power of healing and redemption.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Death has a way of stirring up some very intense emotions but also seems to bring up secrets. Darcy and her mother, Meredith, don’t have the best of relationships. I think this occurs with a lot of families, but when Meredith is on her death bed she asks for her daughter specifically and gives her a hand blown glass heart with a cryptic message just before she passes. Darcy is drawn to find out more about her mother, in hopes of finding about what made her mom the way she was and why their relationship was so strained at time. This journey into her mother’s past also brings a lot of emotional baggage as she is accompanied by her soon to be ex. The exploration of her mother’s past, the prejudices she endured and overcame, and learning more about her mother prior to death really shows Darcy how closed off she has become, both emotionally and physically.

This story is very emotional. It shows the characters in very vulnerable situations while confronting and understanding their own emotions. There is a lot of reflection and a time of second chances. Sometimes it really is better to be late than never to show up. I will caution readers that if you have strained personal relationships, it will really touch those heartstrings. I highly recommend as this is a wonderful soul touching story.

Michele Shriver profile image

Michele Shriver is an International bestselling author of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.

Athletes, Coming of Age, new adult, Review, Sports Theme, Standalone, Suspense

#Review – Late To The Game by Brian Anthony Ziroli

Leave a comment


High School football is as important as religion in states like Texas, Alabama, and Georgia. Not in a little town on the North Carolina shore. No, there it’s more important than religion. A story that takes place in 1985 and is told by its star quarterback, Johnny Pelligrino, this is the best chance for the West Pennington Pirates to win that elusive state championship. What can stop them?

Where do we begin?

Johnny is trying to deal with the pressures and struggles of high school, his first love, an overbearing father, and the entire town depending on him and the Pirates to win the school’s first state championship. He could not have imagined what he’d experience in this senior year. One night, at the County Fair, something happens to one of the
seniors, and a friend of Johnny’s. What happened? Who did it? How does Johnny get so involved? How will this impact their season? Johnny will eventually find out that his head coach holds many old secrets, let alone being the most powerful figure in the entire community. Who can Johnny trust? His friends? His coaches? His family? Anyone?

A story that is filled with drama, love, lost relationships, and twists and turns along this very important season in West Pennington history. How will it end?

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

First things first, high school in the 80’s! What a different time it was. It will definitely remind you how different things are today. Johnny, the star quarterback in small town North Carolina and a lot is riding on him taking the team to the championship. It’s his senior year with lots of classes, girls, and lots of pressure trying to lead the team and be who everyone expects him to be. It’s a LOT of pressure. Things are going good, really good. Things go from great to bad in about 3 seconds flat. Johnny walks away but it eats at him. One thing leads to another and an unexpected party brings out the truth. With the turmoil and the guilt eating at Johnny, he finds out that some people, even the ones you really trust, are not trustworthy at all. Tons of secrets are coming out and he really struggles with what and how he should handle things. He was learning at a young age that you really could not trust anyone and to be careful who you hold out as heroes. When everyone is telling you to “do the right thing” but they are not taking their own advice, how do you really know what the right thing is?

I have to tell you that Late to the Game was like going back in time. It was very refreshing to go back to the 80s and hang out. The author does a great job at the world building and giving the characters some depth. While there are some very heavy parts of the story, there is a lot of wit and banter that will have you laugh out loud (or LOL as we say nowadays)! It is a great coming of age story that will throw a few curveballs your way (I know this is baseball, not football, but I couldn’t think of a better way to say it), but it keeps you on your toes right to the very end. Then BAM! PLOT TWIST!

Give it a try, you won’t regret it, even if you are late to the game!

Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Novella, Paranormal, Review, Urban Fantasy/Urban Fiction, Witches, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Lost Soul : A Reapers Novella by Tara Vasser

Leave a comment

A trip with my girlfriends to Salem in October was meant to be the ultimate bucket list adventure, filled with witchy shops, Hocus Pocus tours, and mysterious nightclubs. The adventure began typically enough with each overpriced shop identical to the next, until we stepped into Lost Treasures. In the otherworldly confines of the antique shop, an enchanting green and black glass paperweight catches my eye.

From the moment I laid eyes on that glass orb, things started to take a dark turn, plunging me into a dangerous and unfamiliar world filled with creatures I had only heard about in stories and never fully believed. The supernatural revealed its existence with a Vampire attack in a club full of people. If not for the mysterious man emerging from the shadows to rescue me, I don’t know that I would have made it out alive.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

For Romy, a girl’s trip to Salem in October is supposed to be fun, touristy, and full of witchy stuff but ends up turning into a living, breathing, real life supernatural story. You will debate which is the lesser of two evils; keeping the lights on so that you can see the monsters when they come for you or remaining blissfully oblivious to what is lurking in the shadows behind you. For Romy, she wants to keep the lights on.

Romy finds herself entranced by a glass orb. She is drawn to it. What she doesn’t know is that vampires want to get their hands on this soul. Romy is thrown headfirst into a world she had only heard of in stories, and now she is part of the story. She receives help from an unexpected new friend and decides to continue on the with the new adventure.

I am loving the Reapers series! I picked up the first book on a whim and couldn’t put it down. Now we are three books in and this novella and I want more. This particular book, can be read as a standalone but I am happy that I read the others before because it was the cherry on top! Gunnar and Chloe show up in the Lost Soul for a bit but it leads into, what I am hoping, is the next installment in the series. This series, and this particular book, have a lot of great elements. It is witty and funny, a bit on the thrilling and scary side at times, but also sweet and sexy. I would love to see more of Jared and Romy….or perhaps Ronin and Gia 😊

I love these characters and can’t wait for more!

Tara Vasser profile image

Tara is a writer who lives in the frozen north in Minnesota with her wonderful husband and two rambunctious little dudes. She is an engineer during the day, a crazy mom in the afternoon and a writer at night. She enjoys spending her time playing in the dirt when her gardens aren’t covered in snow and listening to a wide variety of music that inspires her writing – sometimes doing both at the same time.

Be sure to visit Tara’s web page and sign up for her newsletter for updates on works in progress and upcoming new releases! www.authortaravasser.com

Contemp. Romance, Hockey Player, Review, Sports Theme, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR24 #Review – Conner: A Hockey Romance (Glendale Magic Book 1) by Mary Warren

Leave a comment

Sasha Maloof was a successful plus-size influencer, but she left it all behind after an incident with a stalker. She finds a new job managing social media for a hockey team. It might just be the fresh start she was looking for, the only problem is the infuriating team captain. But she can’t hide from her past forever.

Conner McPhee is captain of the Glendale Magic. He has devoted his whole life to hockey and is focused on finally bringing home the cup. That focus is tested when the Magic hire a new social media manager who is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen … and a distraction he didn’t need. But when her safety is at stake, he can’t help but be her knight in shining hockey pads.

Despite their rocky start, Sasha learns Conner is someone she can depend on and he learns there is more to life than hockey.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Very sweet story about overcoming the past and moving forward. Sasha moves to a new place to get a new start. Just about all of us can relate to that. Well, her new start is being the social media manager for the Magic hockey team. **wags eyebrows** As Conner is passing her in the hall, the chemistry starts to crackle. They are instantly attracted to each other. As things progress further in the story, Conner fights the attraction because he had a bad relationship in the past and is now ALL HOCKEY, ALL OF THE TIME. The only problem is that he keeps acting like a complete d**k whenever he is around Sasha. It almost starts off as if they become instant enemies. Sasha has had some setbacks with people thinking she “plays” on the internet so she is trying her hardest to show everyone exactly what she can do and that she is contributing. Finally, they both stop for five seconds and realize that the other isn’t really so bad. This, my friends, is when the chemistry start heating up. They stop hiding all of their emotions and feelings to start exploring this path with each other. But then, BAM, things really turn when Sasha’s stalker starts popping back up from her past. She is done hiding and Conner helps her overcome. The chemistry between them is undeniable. Without giving away the story, this happens and that happens, and some more things happen, LOL! I will tell you that there is an HEA and it definitely is swoon worthy. <3

I did struggle at times because there were times where the struggle between Conner and Sasha felt like it was repetitive and drawn out.  At times it was a bit frustrating. Overall, the story has its thrilling moments, but is adorable with some especially spicy sexy time.

Mary Warren profile image

Mary Warren lives in Illinois with her family. When she’s not writing stories of fat women, she’s reading them and advocating for better fat representation. Mary founded Fat Girls in Fiction, pointing out positive fat representation for femmes and non-binary people in books. This project became a community and is something she is immensely proud of and happy to be working on.

Audio Book, Dystopian, Paranormal, Vampire

#Paranormal #Novella #Vampires #Zombies #Virus #Dystopian #audiobook – Resonant book 0.5 of Reign of Blood, The Vampires of Vegas by Alexia Purdy, narration by Anne Marie Susan Silvey

Leave a comment

Resonant: Reign of Blood Prequel

Surviving is worse than death… As the first days of the end of humanity tumble across the city of Las Vegas in the form of an overwhelming viral infection, turning almost everyone into vampire-like creatures, April Tate will find out what it really means to survive. What does it take to make it out alive in a place where everything is but a withered echo of its former self, and death does not come willingly?

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this audio book.

This is my first audiobook having Anna Marie Susan Silvey narrate. I enjoyed listening to her bringing the character of April to life for me.

This is a very fast audiobook…it was 90 minutes, but it starts to set up for the series.  I grabbed it and listened before I started book 1.  I originally purchased book 1 but saw the prequal and had to start at “Ground Zero” so to speak.

I enjoyed the short story.  We learn A LOT about April’s family, the zombie/vampires, how it started and what is happening around the south.  I enjoyed learning how you can destroy the “ferals” as April calls them.

It definitely peeked my interested and I am jumping into book 1 as soon as I am done with this.

Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada–Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She loves writing paranormal fantasy and poetry and devours books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.

Sign up for email updates and exclusive giveaways: http://smarturl.it/AlexiaPurdyNews

Follow links: https://linktr.ee/alexiapurdy

http://www.alexiapurdybooks.com

https://www.facebook.com/alexiapurdya…

https://www.twitter.com/AlexiaPurdy

http://www.instagram.com/AlexiaPurdy

2nd Chance, Angst, Enemies to Lovers, Standalone, Writers on the River Attending Author

#wotr24 #attendingauthor #standalone Once Upon a Paperback by A.M. Daniels

Leave a comment

Going home isn’t easy.

Finding my comatose aunt deep in debt is harder.

What really sucks, though, is cleaning up the mess she’s made of her finances while living next to the enemy I moved away from.

He’s loathsome. Always wrong. And still an arrogant jerk like he was in high school.

I’ve got two weeks to turn in my aunt’s expected manuscript to her publisher and hope it helps with the money issue.

The catch?

She never wrote it. There is no book. Unless I try to save the day and write it on a deadline.

So, really, how hard can it be to whip up a paperback about falling in love…while tolerating a sexy man who doesn’t believe in it?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211301664-once-upon-a-paperback

Amazon https://amzn.to/440hIZH

Review by Twinsie Dee

i was given this book by the author for an honest review

the last thing Ava wanted to do was be driving back home but here she was heading to her aunts, as she was now jobless, homeless and found out her boyfriend wasn’t just hers. Life up in flames and on the way home she gets a call that her aunt was in an accident and in critical condition. But she’s alive and can fight to get better. having to find any kind of medicine or proof of insurance, Ava was now in way over her head then she ever imagined she would be coming back home.  Gage the jock that was an ass to nerdy Ava back in high school found out that she was next door when her broom met his nuts and fresh thigh tattoo, these two will butt heads and have all the sexual tension between them but will they give each other the shot they secretly want or continue to throw gasoline on the fire. Oh, and on top of everything else she now needs to write her aunt’s new romance novel, so she doesn’t get in trouble and have to pay back the publishing company the advance they gave her aunt. Ava’s world is getting flipped upside down rather she’s ready for it or not. OMG great rom-com perfect banter and the AC needs to be cranked for some of those hot and spicy I hate you moments. this is a fast pace read i couldn’t stop AMAZING….

USA Today Bestselling Author A.M. Daniels lives in Ottawa Hills with her husband, three young girls, and too many cats and dogs. She lives for coffee, loves witty sass, and always writes a HEA. Previously writing under the name of Amabel Daniels, she carries on with the Awkward in Love series: romcoms loaded with heat and plenty of laugh-out-loud scenes.

Audio Book, Dark, Dark Dark and more Dark, Dark Romance, Horror

#Audio #DarkRomance #Horror – Where’s Molly by H.D. Carlton, narration by Michelle Sparks and Sebastian York

Leave a comment

A spinoff of the Cat & Mouse Duet…

“Molly Devereaux has been missing for more than two weeks, and police are still searching for the girl who seemed to vanish out of thin air. The world still wants to know… Where’s Molly?”

In my dreams, I never escaped the Oregon woods.

Life after death isn’t easy to accept, especially when I still feel like a ghost.

Now, I live deep in the mountains of Montana—the paradigm of beauty. But they are also the home of horrors.

Horrors that I only unleash at night.

When my pigs are allowed to feast.

It is strongly recommended to read Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline before reading Where’s Molly.

Important Note: This is a dark romance that contains dark subject matter. Please refer to the author’s website for content warnings

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this audio book.

I want to say Michelle and Sebastian did a great job of bringing the characters to life for me.  I enjoyed listening to the story through their interpretation.

Ok so this book I was interested in reading.  I mean we all read the Cat and Mouse Duet so of course we want to know WHAT HAPPENED TO MOLLY!!  I think I initially thought she died at the hands of the traffickers, so I was excited to read the story.

So the story, I think I expected more….like more violence?  Is that wrong?  Weird?  I dunno.  I know the author was in a bad spot mentally, so I understand why this wasn’t AS dark as Zade/Addie which I think people expected that level dark.  I mean it’s dark.  Molly is feeding pigs BODY PARTS but the gore/violence isn’t as bad???

I did like the story.  But that is it.  I liked it. Molly was interested and Cage was a nice antihero.  But I found myself putting the book down several times.  Its not that I didn’t like it but it was missing that “GAH I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!” factor??  I wanted more of the past for Molly but at the same time I guess we kinda know what happened to Molly at the hands of the bad peps.

Anyway, I did like to and thought the narration was great.

H. D. Carlton is an International and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Ohio with her partner, two dogs, and cat. When she’s not bathing in the tears of her readers, she’s watching paranormal shows and wishing she was a mermaid. Her favorite characters are of the morally gray variety and believes that everyone should check their sanity at the door before diving into her stories.

Audio Book, Hockey Player

#WOTR24 #Audiobook #SeriesStarter – Ryker, San Francisco Shockwave Book 1 by Samantha Lind, Narration by James Cavenaugh and Aria Holland

Leave a comment

After years of trying to get back home to be closer to my daughter, I finally secured a spot on the newly expanded San Francisco Shockwaves.

Juggling being the newly appointed Captain of the team and taking on full-time fatherhood to a teenager sends my life into chaos.

I quickly find myself needing someone who can pick up the pieces and keep my life in order as I certainly can’t do it alone.

I just never thought my savior would be the sexy woman next door- the one I can’t keep my mind or eyes off every chance I get.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this audiobook.

I want to start by saying that the narration was great.  I enjoyed both James and Aria’s Voiced during the story.  They both did a great job voicing the characters for the story.

I am a huge fan of Samantha’s stories.  She does a great job writing characters that are relatable to me.  This story is another one that I enjoyed as well.

Ryker and his daughter are looking for a place after she decided to live with him when he meets his super kind neighbor Avery.  Avery is excited to meet the new neighbor and shocked at how sexy he is.

Fast forward to Ryker and Avery spending time together regarding his daughter and Avery helping him with her.  I enjoyed Rykers daughter Ellie trying to push her dad and Avery together. She seemed a little more mature than a 15-year-old but still I loved her persistence.

Avery and Ryker have normal relationship issues and thankfully there wasn’t any OWD because I can’t stand that.  LOL  I loved the story and how Avery and Ryker were so supportive of each other.  They are what an older couple in life would be concerned with….finances, kids, and time.

I enjoyed the start of the series and look forward to another story from the characters and the new players from the expansion team.

Sign up for Samantha’s newsletter: https://bit.ly/FDSLNL

Samantha Lind is a USA TODAY Bestselling contemporary romance author. Having spent the first 27 years of her life in Alaska, she now calls the mid-West home, where she lives with her husband and two sons. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, watching hockey (Go Knights Go!), and listening to country music. You can connect with Samantha on her website, www.samanthalind.com.

Looking for a signed paperback? Check out Samantha’s paperback store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/SamanthaLin…

FOLLOW SAMANTHA:
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/SamanthaLindA…
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/samanthalin…
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/samanthalind1

True Crime

#TrueCrime #KU – The Dark Side of Humanity:True Crime Stories to Curl up With by Ravyn Salvador

Leave a comment

Enter the gripping world of true crime with a collection of stories to curl up with. Delve deep into the minds of violent offenders, explore cases that have kept us guessing for ages, and uncover the chilling secrets that lurk in the shadows of society.

Discover the darkest corners of the human psyche and examine the psychology of those driven to commit unspeakable acts of violence. From notorious serial killers to enigmatic cold cases, tantalizing mysteries to unsettling history, each story offers a glimpse into the twisted minds of those who walk the line between sanity and madness while delving into the reasons we can’t seem to look away from tales of murder and mayhem.

So, curl up and prepare to be captivated, disturbed, and utterly enthralled by the chilling stories that await within these pages. Because, sometimes, the truth is stranger—and more terrifying—than fiction.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this book.

I was pretty excited about this book when I saw it somewhere…..tiktok???  Anyway, I jumped and preordered.  When the book downloaded I jumped in.  I am a huge true crimer.  I love to listen to podcasts, read books based on true crimes, and or things published by researchers/police/FBI/etc about crime.  Needless to say, SOLD!!!

I will say the way the story is told seemed like a bunch of term papers published together.  It was a different way to weave a story.  When we get to the chapters about serial killers, I was disappointed that each person was well know to people like me…crazy crimers.  I would have loved to see a new name being discussed with people.  Who doesn’t already know Bundy, Dahmer, BTK…etc.

There is a chapter about true crime podcasts and again the podcasts mentioned were ones that are already popular and one even very controversial given the multiple plagiarism claims against them.  Again I would have loved a new podcast or one that is not already established.  I have so many that I follow.

The book is a great start for someone who is just entering the world of true crime. But for me, it was a little bit of a letdown.  The writing is great but the content for me fell flat given my status of crazy true crimer follower.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rayvn Salvador is a lifelong bibliophile who left her eighteen-year IT career over a decade ago to read and make stuff up for a living. She lives in Florida with her feline familiars and incredibly supportive beau—who hopes nobody ever needs to check her search history. They love to attend sporting events and concerts, but if she’s not doing that and isn’t on deadline, you’ll likely find her taking long walks through the woods, sweating while working out in virtual reality, investigating haunted locales, or contemplating the recesses of people’s minds in documentaries. She pens the Haunted New Orleans (paranormal romantic thriller), Willow Falls (small-town romantic suspense) and Fourth and Goal (football romance) series, and is hard at work on the next book to make your pulse race.

We are THE TWINSIES… We love to read…We love to promote the authors we read… and we love to stir up TROUBLE… It's who we are and what we do