Monday, July 27, 2015

Out of Time, by Beth Flynn. Book Review

RECOMMENDED FOR READERS 18 AND OLDER DUE TO STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND VIOLENCE

Learned secrets so dark, so evil she’s not even sure she can go on...how far will Grizz go to protect what he still considers his, even from beyond the grave?



Out of Time is book two in a series. It is not a standalone novel. I highly recommend that you read the first novel, Nine Minutes, to be able to understand the background stories of the main characters. There are many twists and turns in both stories that can best be connected if read consecutively.

Questions from Nine Minutes are answered, but there is more to this story, and some readers may consider it a cliffhanger. If you do not like cliffhangers, you may want to wait until the third novel is released in 2016 and read all three in sequence.

They thought with his execution it would all be over.
They were wrong.

The leader of one of South Florida’s most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs has been put to death by lethal injection. Days later, his family and friends should have been picking up the pieces, moving on. Instead, they’ve been catapulted into a world so twisted and dangerous even the most ruthless among them would be stunned to discover the tangled web of deception, not only on the dangerous streets of South Florida but all the way to the top.

In this gripping follow-up novel to Nine Minutes, Out of Time takes readers from the sun-drenched flatlands of 1950s Central Florida to the vivid tropical heat of Fort Lauderdale to the halls of Florida’s Death Row as we finally learn the gritty backstory of Jason “Grizz” Talbot and the secret he spent his life trying to conceal. 

Not even Grizz’s inner circle knows his full story—the tragedy that enveloped his early life, the surprise discovery that made him the government’s most wanted and most feared, and the depths of his love for Ginny, the tenderhearted innocent he’d once abducted and later made his wife. Once Grizz’s obsession and now the mother of his child, Ginny has spent years grieving the man she’d first resisted and then came to love.

"Answer me... Do you think you can just take whatever you want?"
He looked over at her and smiled. "I took you Kitten."

 Now remarried to Tommy, a former member of the gang, the pair have spent more than a decade trying desperately to live a normal existence far from the violent, crime-ridden world they’d once carved out on the edge of the Florida Everglades. For Tommy, especially, the stakes are high. Desperately in love with Ginny for years, he’s finally living his dream: married to the woman he never thought he could have. But even with the façade of normalcy—thriving careers, two beautiful children, and a genuinely happy and loving marriage—they can’t seem to put the past behind them. Every time they turn around, another secret is revealed, unraveling the very bonds that hold them together.

And with Grizz finally put to death, now Ginny has learned secrets so dark, so evil, she's not even sure she can go on. Will these secrets tear their love to pieces? And how far will Grizz go to protect what he still considers his, even from beyond the grave?

My Review


3.5 stars.

I have to say I was somewhat blown away by Nine Minutes. It was surprising and well written. This one, as a sequel, was a surprise for me. When I read Nine Minutes, I had no idea it was going to be a series. No problem! I'll happily read more of Grizz, Kat, and Grunt.

With this one, you get the back stories on them. Grizz /Jason / Richard/ WhateverHisRealNameIs. Gwenny/Ginny/Kit/YouLearnWhatHerRealNameIs and Grunt/Tommy/IHopeHeDoesn'tHaveAnotherName.

You also discover secrets that were held by Moe/Misty, Blue, Jan, and a whole host of the other biker-characters. As well, you learn about some new people from their past. All of them.

For most of the book, I had to re-read passages to understand all of it. In other parts, my jaw dropped! Hit. The. Floor. Then....I started scratching my dead wondering if there was going to be a dead man in a house with a thousand guns and a missing woman and an alien link to the CIA. (See: http://ktla.com/2015/07/22/dead-man-w...)

In the end...a "major" cliffhanger, but really, you could see this coming. A twist that I didn't see coming, and a third book that I need to wait months for to find out what really happened. It's a good read, but if you're impatient, you may want to wait for book 3. 



NOW AVAILABLE
Haven’t read this series yet, check out Nine Minutes for
ONLY $1.99!
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1KXRtHk


Saturday, July 25, 2015

Frisk Me (NY Finest #1) by Lauren Layne


Ava Sims is a tough talking reporter, after a story that could launch her career into the national spotlight. Luc Moretti, the reluctant hero is a stand-up cop who was captured on film jumping into a river to save a young girl. He’s become “that guy” the one with thousands of views of his video saving the girl on the internet.  

 Ava’s been assigned to do a story on Luke, the NYPD, and the man behind the uniform. The only problem is that Luc wants nothing to do with the story, or Ava. 

He’s not interested in having himself be thrust into the spotlight any more than he already has been, he’s keeping a few secrets he doesn’t want revealed, and he’s not looking for a relationship. 

Ava is ambitious, and has no room for distractions but needs this story, and Luke’s cooperation, to reach her end goal. 

 The two are forced to work together, and butt heads at nearly every step. As with other stories by Lauren Layne, you know that these two frienemies are bound to get together eventually. The buildup is a slow burn…a VERY slow burn. 

Beyond the two lead characters, you’re also introduced to Luke’s Italian family. Enter the hilarious and outspoken grandmother Nonna. She’s the grandmother that gets in your business, blurts out inappropriate comments, and states the obvious. Loved her! Honestly, I think I waited for her involvement more than anything. Luke’s mom and retired police captain father, his brothers (also in uniform), and defense attorney sister make for a boisterous bunch. 

While I enjoyed the read, there were a few things that made me frustrated:

First – seriously, these two needed to get out of their own heads and just talk to each other. It seemed like the bickering and closing off of emotions was a bit forced. I get the whole broody-male thing, but it didn't seem to match the rest of his personality.

Secondly, (and this has nothing to do with the plot but it is a problem with prior books as well), Luc is described with “deep blue eyes…dark hair and Italian coloring”…so what does the guy on the cover look like?  A California surfer. Blond, light skinned – come on! This guy looks more like Owen Wilson than Luke Wilson!! Can’t you find a model to at least somewhat match your character description? Maybe this is just my beef, but it’s annoying, and it happened with one of my favorite characters of all time (Chloe from Crushed) and now this one. *sigh* /endrant.

While this wasn’t my favorite Lauren Layne novel, it won’t stop me from reading more as I do enjoy her easy writing, witty dialogue, and sassy characters. This is the first in a series that will focus on the Moretti brothers.


Purchase Links:  Amazon | B & N | iTunes Kobo


 Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23507713-frisk-me?ac=1
Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/142511-new-york-s-finest

  

About the author: 

Lauren Layne used to work in e-commerce. She wore cute shoes and big-girl clothes like an adult. Then she was like, nope, changed into her pajamas and started writing romance novels.  She believes in sarcasm, weekday happy hours, and happily ever after. 

Visit her at http://laurenlayne.com/ 
and the following sites: 
Twitter: @_LaurenLayne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenLayneAuthor


Thursday, July 23, 2015

Out of Time, Beth Flynn....

RECOMMENDED FOR READERS 18 AND OLDER DUE TO STRONG LANGUAGE, SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND VIOLENCE

Learned secrets so dark, so evil she’s not even sure she can go on...how far will Grizz go to protect what he still considers his, even from beyond the grave?



UGH!! I'm currently reading this - and cannot put it down! 

Out of Time is book two in a series. It is not a standalone novel. I highly recommend that you read the first novel, Nine Minutes, to be able to understand the background stories of the main characters. There are many twists and turns in both stories that can best be connected if read consecutively.

Questions from Nine Minutes are answered, but there is more to this story, and some readers may consider it a cliffhanger. If you do not like cliffhangers, you may want to wait until the third novel is released in 2016 and read all three in sequence.

They thought with his execution it would all be over.
They were wrong.

The leader of one of South Florida’s most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs has been put to death by lethal injection. Days later, his family and friends should have been picking up the pieces, moving on. Instead, they’ve been catapulted into a world so twisted and dangerous even the most ruthless among them would be stunned to discover the tangled web of deception, not only on the dangerous streets of South Florida but all the way to the top.

In this gripping follow-up novel to Nine Minutes, Out of Time takes readers from the sun-drenched flatlands of 1950s Central Florida to the vivid tropical heat of Fort Lauderdale to the halls of Florida’s Death Row as we finally learn the gritty backstory of Jason “Grizz” Talbot and the secret he spent his life trying to conceal. 

Not even Grizz’s inner circle knows his full story—the tragedy that enveloped his early life, the surprise discovery that made him the government’s most wanted and most feared, and the depths of his love for Ginny, the tenderhearted innocent he’d once abducted and later made his wife. Once Grizz’s obsession and now the mother of his child, Ginny has spent years grieving the man she’d first resisted and then came to love.

"Answer me... Do you think you can just take whatever you want?"
He looked over at her and smiled. "I took you Kitten."

 Now remarried to Tommy, a former member of the gang, the pair have spent more than a decade trying desperately to live a normal existence far from the violent, crime-ridden world they’d once carved out on the edge of the Florida Everglades. For Tommy, especially, the stakes are high. Desperately in love with Ginny for years, he’s finally living his dream: married to the woman he never thought he could have. But even with the façade of normalcy—thriving careers, two beautiful children, and a genuinely happy and loving marriage—they can’t seem to put the past behind them. Every time they turn around, another secret is revealed, unraveling the very bonds that hold them together.

And with Grizz finally put to death, now Ginny has learned secrets so dark, so evil, she's not even sure she can go on. Will these secrets tear their love to pieces? And how far will Grizz go to protect what he still considers his, even from beyond the grave?


NOW AVAILABLE
Haven’t read this series yet, check out Nine Minutes for
ONLY $1.99!
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1KXRtHk