ARC REVIEW Darkness at the Edge of Town by Jennifer Harlow

Book Two of Jennifer Harlow's Iris Ballard thriller series. It picks up a couple months after the events of the first book, Iris has achieved some fame and fortune and even hopefully a spot as a consultant for CNN. She's even signed a book deal to tell her story but before she can settle back down at home and start writing her book she gets a frantic call from her Mother saying her brother is missing. The past internal problems Iris faced in Beautiful Maids All in a Row for the most part have been handled, she no longer drinks and has stopped abusing prescription drugs, but she still dealing with the death of her husband especially now that she is looking at Luke as someone who is more than a friend. Now she's dealing with a whole new/not so new batch of internal and external conflict in the form of her mother. Then there is the whole issue with her brother being suckered in by a con artist and his cult. 

Mathias Morning and his New Morning Movement say all the right things the cater to the people who are at their weakest, recovering addicts who want someone else to blame for their decisions. After his fiancee miscarried, Iris' twin Billy was at his weakest and after he cleaned out their joint bank account and disappeared Iris knew nothing good was going ot come of it especailly the deeper she dug. While this is the main storyline of the book Iris family drama almost overshadows it, it does play a big part her interaction with her brother and mother and their past histories and in turn how Mathias is able to manipulate them because of it. Luke is seriously Iris' rock, he is there when she needs him and reminds her of her self worth and he just awesome. 

Overall, this was a really good read. The internal conflict is even more important to the story than with the first one the family dynamics and all the past drama finally comes out with some revelations and closure. I really enjoyed  how the story played out, it was a slow build up but a good one.   

ARC REVIEW Totally His by Erin Nicholas

Totally His is the third book in Erin Nicholas' Opposites Attract series, and it is probably my favorite out of the three. Never mind that I am a reformed theatre junkie I just really liked everything about this book. And I'm hoping with Finn Kelly's huge family we get a spin off, hint hint nudge nudge wink wink.

Sophie was raised by a manipulative father, he would seduce woman and charm them into marriage and when the charm stopped working or he just got tired of them he took his Sophie and left and went on the look out for the next ex-Mrs. Birch. The times when Sophie didn't have a mother she would often live in the car. This made Sophie very jaded toward men, she also longed for a big family with open arms and unconditional love. That is the Kelly family, a big Irish bunch who argue and meddle and love unconditionally, Sophie already loves Angie Kelly, she met Angie at her playhouse and they fell into a very easy friendship. Angie also understood Sophie's need to stay out of her family life, after all with a father like her's she couldn't take the risk that he would show up and ruin it all for her.

Finn is a fixer, he likes to help out when he can, he also has a bit of a hero complex which is a good thing he became a cop. When his Mom's favorite playhouse catches on fire, one he was on the scene for and had to physically remove a woman from the theatre, he feels it's only right for him and his buddy's help out with the repairs. Finn is pleasantly surprised when he finds out that the woman he had to pull out the theatre is the Sophie his mother has been talking about. Even though he promised his mother he would go after Sophie he can't help but flirt with her and feel jealous when any of the other guys flirt with her. They decide an easy way for them to raise money to repair the playhouse is to put on a play with the firefighters and policemen. Lucky for them Angie just happens to have one ready, one based on how she fell in love with her husband and the troubles that arose when they did. Finn and Sophie are cast as the leads. The sexual chemistry between Finn and Sophie goes deeper than just that they feel comfortable around each other and Sophie shares more with him than she's ever shared with anyone else before.

Just when Sophie starts to feel comfortable around the Kelly family her father introduces himself to the family as well. Sophie tries to warn Angie and Finn not to let him in but they do and trying to convince Finn that her father can not be fixed is the one thing that just might tear them apart. Overall, it was a really good read, I loved the characters and especially Angie. It was an emotionally charged story and the chemistry between Finn and Sophie was so perfect.     

ARC REVIEW Spy Games by Sidney Bristol

What an apt name. Spy Games is the newest book from Sidney Bristol the start of a new series Tarnished Heroes through Entangled Publishing. Just like the name suggests it is full of  intrigue, double dealings, and plenty of  subterfuge. Sarah and Rand are a friends to lovers romance. Each having a crush on the other but friendship and Sarah's older brother, Matt who is also Rand's best friend, kept them from admitting their feelings. Rand and Matt even enlisted together and were lucky enough to be assigned together, but then they hit trouble and Matt lost part of his arm Rand felt nothing but guilt and isolated himself from his friends and family. He didn't re-enlist and became a private contractor for the CIA. 

Sarah job allows to travel quite a bit on the Asian continent, the CIA decided to use her as a courier to drop  messages off at dead drops. Sarah does fine with her non-official job with the CIA until someone sells her out. Rand is asked to help secure the courier until they can extract her, Rand didn't realize his "courier girl" is his Sarah were one in the same and now protecting Sarah has become his number one priority, even after they get back to the states. The fact that Sarah was sold out and the briefcase she was transporting is missing means their is a mole, and they don't know how exactly they can trust, while Sarah and Rand run for their lives their CIA handlers are trying to make heads and tails of everything trying to track down the mole. 

Rand and Sarah's romance come son hot and heavy. Rand has trouble trying to get past the guilt of the fact that he failed her brother and he's not worthy of Sarah no matter how much he loves her. While Sarah tries to convince herself that Rand isn't going to be long term and to not fall in love. But first things first they must survive and track down the mole and stop the sale of the documents that were stolen.

Overall, not my favorite of Sidney's but still a really good read. I didn't guess who it was until almost the end and the action is so good, very intense. and the romance, it is hot. Although I do get tired of  Sarah and Rands inability to communicate at times. And I want to know more about Thailand and Matt and Emily!    

ARC REVIEW Simon: Clan Legacy Series by J.S. Striker

If I'm not mistaken this is book 9 in the Clan Legacy series by J. S. Striker. I like the premise of the whole Clan Legacy series, the different shifters working together while maintaining a peace treaty with the witches and vampires. I was able to read the first four in the series and book 8 before reading this one, both Erik (book 8) and Simon can be read as standalones. Simon had some brief appearances in books 3 and 4 I liked that he was brought back and has a story of his own.

Simon and Robin worked as teens (young adults??) training together. They each had their own dream Robin would become the best witch in the world and Simon would eventually find a nice wolf shifter to settle down with and have a parcel of kids running around. Several years down the line Robin is closer than ever to her goal and after another successful mission she's earned some time off to travel and the only person she wants to travel with is her old friend Simon. But when she gets to New York she is talked into working with Simon again.  With another shifter, Jake, they go undercover in Japan where there target was last scene, but it's not as easy as rescuing a damsel in distress.

All grown up Simon is looking at Robin in a new light and even though she's undercover playing a part he still gets jealous at the attention she's getting from their suspect. Robin has been fighting her own feelings for Simon since she saw in again. They both think that it's not in their future to be together but one ill times potion on Robin and they give into the sexual desire.

Overall, I liked it. The characters were great and non- stop adventure. It was a very full book it seemed longer than what it was. The one thing that kinda bugged me and I didn't see this in any of the other book but some parts of it were very succinct, they weren't pertinent to the rest of the story it was just kind of summarizing what has happened, but it happened more than once and at those time it just seemed like it was more of  telling me rather than showing me. The last it happened is the time it really bugged me. It could have gone to expand more on those events and get in a higher word count or cut it down more because those three paragraphs worth of events did nothing except tell why Robin was exhausted and too tired to defend herself. Other than that one part I really did enjoy the book and I look forward to reading the ones I missed and the ones to come, especially if it's Jake.
Was given an ARC and giving a voluntary review 

ARC REVIEW DC Universe Rebirth: Wonder Woman vol 4 Godwatch

Wonder Woman

Vol 4
GODWATCH

issues 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 

and Wonder Woman Annual #1

DC Universe Rebirth

by Greg Rucka

Art by Bilquis Evely, Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Story: Godwatch is the past look at how it got started. They are nice issues that give you the insight to Veronica Cale's motivation. It explains what exactly happened to Izzy how Adrianna became Doctor Cyber and just how Cale was able to trap Deimos and Phobos in to dogs. Even how she was instrumental in Barbara Ann Minerva's change into Cheetah.  Vol 4 starts six months after Wonder Woman's appearance and moves to the present. ...And Then There Were Three from the Annual is the introduction of Superman and Batman to Wonder Woman.

Art: Bilquis Evely is just wow. The cover, to me, looks very reminiscent of a Mucha painting. You see the visible strength of Wonder Woman but also soft womanly features. I love that cover. The rest of the book is just as good it has great lines and beautiful colors, except Godwatch part four. While it was well drawn and beautifully colored I just couldn't stand that they all looked like teenagers. They look like they should have been in some angsty teen drama instead of Wonder Woman. I love Jenny Frison's variant covers.

 Review: Overall, I really enjoyed the story. Sometimes I like to know what's going on in the bad guys mind set and Veronica was a good villain. Greg Rucka did a great job with the timeline for this whole story arc and keeping you interested bouncing back and forth from past to present. Normally that would bug me and I think it would if I was reading this single issue by single issue but grouped as they are in the graphic novels it makes reading them very easy. 

ARC REVIEW What Does Consent Really Mean? by Pete and Thalia Wallis

"Consent is not the absence of 'NO', it is an enthusiastic YES!!"

So I'm doing something a little different, this is not my usual kind of review but I feel like this is something that needs as much exposure as it can get. With everything going on right now our kids need to understand consent and what it means and everything it applies to. In this graphic novel it delves into what consent is and not just for sex. This group of teens they have a classmate who was raped and social media is tearing her apart, blaming her ect.. Which bring up the topic of what consent it, and how it's not just a stranger doing it but date rape, and then there's statutory rape and the consent between a minor and and adult.  First it's just the girls talking about boyfriends pressuring them into it and how it makes them feel like they should just because they are dating. When the guys join them they start getting the opinion from guys side, their expectations of how they are suppose to act as opposed to how they want to act. By the end of the day they have all learned something.

I liked this because it is a great starting point to talk to your kids either read it with them or just be there to answer questions afterwards. It gives ideas about what to talk to them it's good for opening up the discussion. I would definitely recommend this to parents or to school councillors. It is British so the slang is that to them but it is still very easy to read and follow and the art is appealing. The cast of characters are easy to connect with; it definitely felt like an after school special with how the dialogue played out but it gets the point across.

What I took away from this (as an adult) No matter what if you decide to have sex or not this is a good eye opening read for teens to think that it's ok to say no, if you want to be abstinent that's ok and if your gf/bf wants to be abstinent then you need to respect their wishes. It's even ok to change your mind if you start to feel uncomfortable! And don't let anyone make you feel bad for what you want.     

ARC REVIEW DC Universe Rebirth: Batwoman vol 1 The Many Arms of Death

Batwoman

The Many Arms of Death

vol 1

issues 1-6

DC Universe Rebirth

Story by: Marguerite Bennett, James Tynion IV,

Art: Steve Epting, Stephanie Hans, Renato Arlem, Jeromy Cox (colorist), Adriano Lucas (colorist)

Story: Katherine Kane's life wasn't an easy one, the traumatic events when she was a child spiraled her life onto a difficult path. She was kicked out of West Point for being gay and then became a socialite drunk. It all changed though when she was saved by Batman. She went back to her training and then donned the cape and cowl as Batwoman. There is one year of Kate's life she doesn't talk about that's about to change when her past finally catches up with her. The Many Arms of Death is an extremist group bend on genocide. They want to cleanse the world and have no problem using any means possible. Kate has to track them down and stop them before they kill millions, and she's not like Batman she's willing to use anything she can to stop them.

Art: The art is spectacular. It's definitely one of my favorites. Steve Epting worked The Many Arms of Death 1-4, wonderful detail and combined with Jeromy Cox's coloring it brought the story to life. Stephanie Hans did Blinding with much softer lines and was a little hazier which added to the flashback feel of the story and the result was very pretty. The futuristic story of Pax Batmana was done by Renato Arlem and colors by Adriano Lucas, it has a great futuristic dystopian type vibe to it and fit in great with the story. The fantastic cover for that one was done by Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira colored by Adriano Lucas. I am always intrigued by the variant covers.

Review: I'm not very familiar with Batwoman's story, I think the only thing really I know is the animated movie with the three different women as Batwoman. That being said I loved this. Marguerite Bennett together with James Tynion, it's a complicated and in depth story but easy to follow. The truncated version of her past letting you know the basics and then slowly showing you what happened in that missing year followed by a more in depth story, Blinding, and the foreshadowing with Pax Batmana really nice touch, just a little extra tug to make sure they hooked you into the story. 

I liked that Kate is willing to push the limits, and with her own Pennyworth there to remind her not to cross them keeps Kate from fully going over the deep end, and act as Bruce's spy. Overall, I don't think I disliked a single thing in this volume, I'm hooked and can't wait for more.