jbronderbookreviews

Fated (The Bloodstone Saga – 2) by Courtney Cole

(Excerpt from Goodreads) Seventeen-year old Macy Lockhart thought she had it all figured out.

As a Keeper in the ancient organization, the Order of the Moirae, she literally holds fate in her hands. She lives over and over in lives that end tragically; all to further the good of mankind as she does her part to control destiny.
But there’s one lesson that she hasn’t learned well enough. Nothing is ever what it seems.

Startling new revelations about her identity surface and Macy realizes that she’s more important than she ever imagined.

As she struggles to grasp her new reality, everyone she loves is threatened. Is she strong enough to save them all?

My Review

4 stars

Macy has just returned from her jump in time to help Cleopatra meet her demise. She is performing for homecoming when she meets her new charge Jade. But something is different with Jade. Macy is whisked in front of the Fates and learns that their sisters the Moirae are causing trouble and to be warry. Except Macy finds out that she is actually, Harmonia the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. It seems the Fates are more involved than the Gods knew. Harmonia is going to have her hands putting everything in order and saving everyone from the Fates and Moirae.

I admit that when I read Every Last Kiss I liked the story but I was wondering how Cole was going to pull off Macy living a new life in this book. Was I surprised! There is a LOT more going on than that. Macy is a goddess and has been used as punishment for the other gods and goddesses that have upset the Fates.

The only thing that I have to whine about is the whole love between Harmonia and Cadmus. It was just a bit over whelming and got a touch irritating. But that is just me whining. I loved the story beyond that. I can’t wait to start reading With My Last Breath.

To purchase Fated make sure to visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, or Courtney Cole’s website.

I received Fated a long time ago from Courtney Cole for free in exchange for an honest review. I’m sorry that I took so long to read such a great book.

Yes, I’m really trying to get caught up on old books I need to review.

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The House of Secrets by Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg

(Excerpt from Goodreads) Jack Nash is the world’s leading expert in conspiracies. He’s looked at whether there are secret satanic symbols carved underneath the Lincoln Memorial. He’s looked at whether George Washington was really buried underneath the US Capitol. And ever since his daughter Hazel was a little girl, Jack has shared these stories with her. Today, 30-year-old Hazel needs those stories. Why? Because she just woke up in a hospital with a brain injury that keeps her from remembering her emotional attachment to others, including herself. So when she’s told that her father’s dead, Hazel doesn’t know if she’s the next victim, or the actual killer. Indeed, the great mystery she must solve is the mystery about herself…and what her dad was really looking for in all those great conspiracies.

My Review

4 stars

Jack Nash has been the host of the long running television series The House of Secrets. But there is more to his on site programs than just the paranormal or political stories. We start the story with Jack in the car traveling with his daughter Hazel and son Skip. Jack suffers from a heart attack and crashes the car dying instantly. Hazel spends time in the hospital. She suffers from loss of any memories relating to emotion. If it’s cold hard fact she can recite them but she doesn’t know how what her favorite color is let alone how she feels about her brother.

Hazel grew up with a strange story of a man found frozen with a bible from Benedict Arnold in his chest. When a man is found frozen with a bible in his check in New Brunswick, Canada and one in Dubai. And since Jack Nash was one of the last people to have meet the guy found in New Brunswick the FBI is looking into Hazel and Skip. Hazel gets out of the hospital and tries to figure out what she did before the accident. But everything seems to keep coming back to the Benedict Arnold bible and The House of Secrets. What is the connection? And who is hunting Hazel and Skip down.

I loved the mystery. Hazel is having a hard time trying to figure out who she was and finds that she didn’t really like her. I liked how you discovered the different things and people as Hazel did. It made it easier to follow the story. Going to the different stories with The House of Secrets really added to the mystery.

The only thing about the story was how slow it seemed to progress. It didn’t really get going until Hazel started looking into the one death. I really liked the ending, I was really surprised. I’m sad to admit this but this is the first book of Brad Meltzer and Tod Goldberg that I have read. But I will definitely be looking into reading their other books.

To purchase The House of Secrets make sure to visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, Brad Meltzer’s website, and Tod Goldberg’s website.

I received The House of Secrets for free from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

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Stealing People (Charles Boxer – 3) by Robert Wilson

(Excerpt from Goodreads) In the space of 32 hours, in a well-planned and highly organized operation, six billionaires’ children are taken off the streets of London in a series of slickly well-executed kidnaps. The gang demands £25 million per hostage for ‘expenses’ – not ransom.

But still nobody knows what this mysterious kidnap gang ultimately want and, if they have a cause, what the hell is it?

My Review

4 stars

In one day, six children of billionaires from different countries are kidnapped throughout London. The kidnappers are asking for £25 million for expenses, not ransom. Charlie Boxer gets asked by one of the parents to find their kid. Then Charlie learns that his ex-wife, DI Mercy Danquah is working the kidnappings. Things get tough for both Charlie and Mercy as they become targets. Then the CIA and MI5 get involved. It seems these kidnappings are part of a bigger plot involving rouge spies, terrorists, and politics.

This is an action packed political thriller. Charlie is the perfect person to look into the kidnappings. He is willing to do what needs to be done to get the kids. But he is not the only one looking into the kidnapping and tension runs high when we start looking into the War on Terror and the wars in the Middle East.

The only thing that got to me was that there was a huge list of people in this story and I was confused at times trying to keep track of who was who. Beyond that I really liked the story and recommend this to anyone that likes good political thrillers. I will definitely be looking into the other books in the Charles Boxer series.

To purchase Stealing People make sure to visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Robert Wilson’s website.

I received Stealing People for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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