CW/TW: Sexual assault I’ve been a romantic suspense/mystery/thriller mood lately (Ed. note: “always”) so I was excited to read Kat Martin’s latest rom sus about a woman searching for her missing brother. At first, The Conspiracy worked okay for me; the hero was a little bit boner-led, but the action and the plot made up for that flaw. Then I got a graphic sexual assault scene that was totally unnecessary and I just noped on out. The … Continue reading The Conspiracy by Kat Martin→
I’m a fan of Laura Griffin’s Tracers series, so it’s no real surprise that I enjoyed her first book in the spin-off Wolfe Security series, Desperate Girls. Much like Griffin’s other books, this is very much a romantic suspense novel that heavily features procedural elements. When I first saw the cover and read the title, I wondered if Griffin had decided to try her hand at a psychological thriller, but no. Despite what the cover art … Continue reading Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin→
Solace Island is a book that isn’t entirely sure what it wants to be. It starts off reading very much like a romantic comedy and finishes up as romantic suspense. This didn’t greatly bother me since those are both things I enjoy, but I could see how another reader could feel like they started one novel only to finish an entirely different one. Maggie Harris is trying to figure out her future after her fiancé … Continue reading Solace Island by Meg Tilly→
Close to the Bone by Kendra Elliot is the first in a romantic suspense novella duology and features a creepy cold case on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. Cate Wilde is a FBI Special Agent who is taking some time off after being shot on the job. She’s staying with her grandmother on Widow’s Island, where she grew up, when a skeleton of a young woman is found on nearby Ruby Island. Cate … Continue reading Close to the Bone by Kendra Elliot→
I first heard about Kiss the Sky at RT where the author described it as the story of two people falling in love while climbing (and surviving) K2. I’m pretty sure Amanda tweeted a photo of me one-click buying it right there. I love disaster/survival stories, especially stories set in extreme locations. I’ve read a lot of non-fiction about K2 and Everest (which is now unfortunately a literal poo disaster). I’m fascinated with the Dyatlov Pass … Continue reading Kiss the Sky by MK Schiller→
I was all excited to read The Man in the Black Suit. It’s a jet-setting, glamorous romantic suspense set around the art world, and if you wrote all those things on a piece of paper and put it under a propped up box, you’d have yourself an effective Elyse trap. The first part of the book was good, really good, but the last third went completely off the rails and enraged the hell out of me. The … Continue reading The Man in the Black Suit by Sylvain Reynard→
Hard as Ice is a romantic suspense that might be a good fit for readers who don’t like a lot of violence in their books. Trigger warning: there is a brief discussion of sexual assault in the book. Most of the suspense revolves around a jewelry heist: an extremely expensive red diamond known as the Crimson Amazon was stolen from an auction house in a manner that suggests an inside job. Sales manager Nia James … Continue reading Hard as Ice by Raven Scott→
Deep Dark by Laura Griffin is the tenth book in her Tracers series, but can easily be read a stand-alone. It’s a romantic suspense thriller that features a white hat hacker heroine and a cop hero who is fifteen years older than her. Laney Knox works to keep predators offline, and she has reason to suspect that a recent murder is related to a project she worked on for an online dating site. Laney thinks … Continue reading Deep Dark by Laura Griffin→
I recently shared on a podcast with Sarah that my mom would be undergoing a pretty major surgery, and I was stocking up on books to keep me out of my head (where my anxiety lives) while I waited during the procedure. Due to some complications (Mom is fine) I found myself once again camped out in the ICU waiting room. Turns out ICU waiting rooms are absolute shit for sleep but great for whittling … Continue reading Touch of Red by Laura Griffin→
Over the years here at the Hot Pink Palace of Bitchery, my fortitude has been tested. I’ve read books about reindeer shifters and suffered through hours of Nick Viall trying to form a coherent sentence. My constitution strengthened by rum, I’d describe my loins as exceptionally girdy. My aunt has been recommending JD Robb’s (aka Nora Robert’s) In Death series to me forever, but I’ve always been intimidated by the length of the series. Then Secrets … Continue reading Secrets in Death by JD Robb→
I can’t explain why Katee Robert’s O’Malleys series works for me. Normally I don’t go for stories about dudes who run criminal empires. I don’t find the mafia to be sexy. The recent trend of morally dubious motorcycle club leader heroes doesn’t work for me. I’m firmly on the side of the “good guys.” Usually. My romantic suspense heroes are more Captain American and less The Professional. Usually. But then I pick up an O’Malleys … Continue reading Forbidden Promises by Katee Robert→
