Against the Sun (Thorndike Press Large Print Core Series) [Large Print] [Hardcover]

I've finished "Against the Sun" the 6th book in her Raines in the Wind Canyon series by Kat Martin.

Product Description

Millions of lives are on the line. But for him, only one truly matters.

It's not in bodyguard Jake Cantrell's job description to share his suspicions with his assignments. Beautiful executive Sage Dumont may be in charge, but Jake's not on her payroll. As a former special forces marine, Jake trusts his gut, and it's telling him there's something off about a shipment arriving at Marine Drilling International. His instinct is aroused ... in more ways than one.

A savvy businesswoman, Sage knows better than to take some hired gun's "hunch" as gospel. And yet she is learning not to underestimate the man her grandfather hired to protect her. Determined to prove Jake wrong, Sage does some digging of her own and turns up deadly details she was never meant to see.

Drawn into a terrifying web of lies and deceit - and into feelings they can't afford to explore - what Jake and Sage uncover may be frighteningly worse than they ever imagined.


About the Author

Kat Martin is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romance novels. To date she has over 13 million copies of her books in print in seventeen countries, including Sweden, France, Russia, Spain, Japan, Argentina, Poland, and Greece. Kat and her husband, author Larry Jay Martin, live on their ranch outside Missoula, Montana, and spend winters at their beach house in California. Kat invites you to visit her website at www.KatMartin.com.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Mira (May 29, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778313506
ISBN-13: 978-0778313502

My Review:

Sage Dumont works for her grandfather at Marine Drilling International and she is next in line.  She has worked hard to get where she is and she has to seal a deal to buy some used drilling equipment from a Saudi Arabian Sheik.  Her grandfather hires a bodyguard from Atlas Security to protect Sage because he believes their is a huge threat with bringing a Saudi Arabian Sheik to Houston. 

Jake Cantrell used to be Special Forces so he is familiar with Saudi Arabian protocols.  He teaches Sage and anyone she needs to learn the protocol and to help provide protection.

Sage isn't too happy with having a bodyguard but she doesn't know the first thing how to act or speak around a Sheik and doesn't want to offend him or his family.  She also isn't too happy about her strong attraction to this big brute of a man even though she is engaged to man she believes society and her grandfather would be happy with.

Jake is strongly attracted to Sage but he doesn't get involved with other man's women especially engaged ones.  He comes up with a solution that he would provide protection for Sage and help her with her negotiations with the Sheik.

This book was very fast paced with a lot of intrigue and a hot romance.  The only thing that prevented me in giving this book a 5 was Sage's attitude that Jake is the wrong man for her to marry.  Glad her grandfather had that talk with her to show her error of her ways.

4.5/5

Other books in series:

1.  Against the Wind
2.  Against the Fire
3.  Against the Law
4.  Against the Storm
5.  Against the Night
6.  Against the Sun
7.  Against the Odds
8.  Against the Edge - April 30, 2013

In the Mail Saturday 2013 (Jan 19)

In the Mail Saturday is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received these in the mail this week.

For Review:

Private Berlin [Hardcover]



Private Berlin has the extraordinary pace and international sophistication that has powered The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Patterson's #1 bestseller The Postcard Killers.

IN EUROPE'S MOST DANGEROUS CITY

Chris Schneider is a superstar agent at Private Berlin, Germany headquarters for the world's most powerful investigation firm. He keeps his methods secret as he tackles Private's most high-profile cases - and when Chris suddenly disappears, he becomes Private Berlin's most dangerous investigation yet.

AN INVESTIGATOR IS SEARCHING

Mattie Engel is another top agent at Private Berlin, gorgeous and ruthlessly determined - and she's also Chris's ex. Mattie throws herself headfirst into finding Chris, following leads to the three people Chris was investigating when he vanished: a billionaire suspected of cheating on his wife, a soccer star accused of throwing games, and a nightclub owner with ties to the Russian mob. Any one of them would surely want Chris gone-and one of them is evil enough to want him dead.

AND SHE'S AFTER MORE THAN THE TRUTH

Mattie's chase takes her into Berlin's most guarded, hidden, and treacherous places, revealing secrets from Chris's past that she'd never dreamed of in the time they were lovers. On the brink of a terrifying discovery, Mattie holds on to her belief in Chris - in the face of a horror that could force all of Europe to the edge of destruction and chaos.

James Patterson has taken the European thriller to a masterful new level with Private Berlin, an adrenaline-charged, spectacularly violent and sexy novel with unforgettable characters of dark and complex depths. Private Berlin proves why Patterson is truly the world's #1 bestselling author.

Thrill Ride (Black Knights Inc.) [Mass Market Paperback]

HE'S GONE ROGUE

Ex-Navy SEAL Rock Babineaux's job is to get information, and he's one of the best in the business. Until something goes horribly wrong and he's being hunted by his own government. Even his best friends at the covert special-ops organization Black Knights Inc. aren't sure they can trust him. He thinks he can outrun them all, but his former partner — a curvy bombshell who knows just how to drive him wild — refuses to cut him loose.

SHE WON'T BACK DOWN

Vanessa Cordera hasn't been the team's communication specialist very long, but she knows how to read people-no way is Rock guilty of murder. And she'll go to hell and back to help him prove it. Sure, the sexy Cajun has his secrets, but there's no one in the world she'd rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good, because they're about to get very tight.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection are:

Private Berlin [Hardcover]

IN EUROPE'S MOST DANGEROUS CITY

Chris Schneider is a superstar agent at Private Berlin, Germany headquarters for the world's most powerful investigation firm. He keeps his methods secret as he tackles Private's most high-profile cases-and when Chris suddenly disappears, he becomes Private Berlin's most dangerous investigation yet.

AN INVESTIGATOR IS SEARCHING

Mattie Engel is another top agent at Private Berlin, gorgeous and ruthlessly determined-and she's also Chris's ex. Mattie throws herself headfirst into finding Chris, following leads to the three people Chris was investigating when he vanished: a billionaire suspected of cheating on his wife, a soccer star accused of throwing games, and a nightclub owner with ties to the Russian mob. Any one of them would surely want Chris gone-and one of them is evil enough to want him dead.

AND SHE'S AFTER MORE THAN THE TRUTH

Mattie's chase takes her into Berlin's most guarded, hidden, and treacherous places, revealing secrets from Chris's past that she'd never dreamed of in the time they were lovers. On the brink of a terrifying discovery, Mattie holds on to her belief in Chris - in the face of a horror that could force all of Europe to the edge of destruction and chaos.

Suspect [Hardcover]

The explosive new masterpiece of suspense from the #1 New York Times – bestselling author.

LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well. Eight months ago, a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty — until he meets his new partner.

Maggie is not doing so well, either. A German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before losing her handler to an IED, her PTSD is as bad as Scott’s.

They are each other’s last chance. Shunned and shunted to the side, they set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. What they begin to find is nothing like what Scott has been told, and the journey will take them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells. Whether they will make it out again, no one can say.

Killing Time (One-Eyed Jacks) [Mass Market Paperback]

“We can do this easy,” she whispered close to his ear as he groaned in agony, “or it can go real hard on you.”

Well, of course he wasn’t going to go easy.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cindy Gerard plunges readers into the heart of a seductive contest of wills between a hard-living hero and a beautiful rogue operative who is on a mission to dig up the secrets of his past. Tension sizzles in this pulse-pounding first adventure in Gerard’s action-packed new series as Eva Salinas lures Mike Brown from the sultry streets of Lima, Peru, to the desolate Idaho wilderness on the hunt for the cold-blooded traitor behind a fatal military operation that haunts them both.

Murder Hooks a Mermaid (Haunted Souvenir, Book 2) (A Haunted Souvenir) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Murder Hooks a Mermaid" the 2nd book in her Haunted Souvenir series by Christy Fifield.

Product Description

Nestled in Keyhole Bay, Florida, Glory Martine’s souvenir shop, Southern Treasures, is supposed to trap tourists — not ghosts. But a possessed parrot may be just what Glory needs to solve a murder.

Inheriting her great-uncle Louis’s bayside souvenir shop should have been a breeze for Glory. Instead it’s been one headache after another — with a lot of them generated by Bluebeard, a parrot with a mouth like a sailor and a personality a lot like her late great-uncle. But Glory’s troubles pale in comparison to those of her best friend Karen, whose ex may still have the personalized key chain to her heart, but whose brother-in-law is about to get locked up.

A diver has been found with a gaff hook in his chest, and Karen turns to Glory to help get her brother-in-law off the hook for his murder. But casting the net for the real killer won’t be easy. Glory and Bluebeard are about to find out that the secrets in Keyhole Bay run deeper than anyone ever imagined.

About the Author

Christy Fifield is a pen name of Christina F. York. Chris lives on the rugged Oregon coast, with her husband and fellow writer, J. Steven York.  

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Reprint edition (December 31, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425251845
ISBN-13: 978-0425251843 

My Review:

Glory Martine owns Southern Treasures a souvenir shop with her cousin Peter in Keyhole Bay, Florida.   She inherited it from her uncle Louis along with a parrot Bluebird with a mouth like a sailor and a personality just like Uncle Louis.  Bluebird is possessed by the spirit of her Uncle Louis and he helps her solve cases.

One morning as Glory first opens her shop her best friend Karen arrives very upset.  Every week Glory and her friends Karen, Felipe and Ernie have a traditional supper.  It's Karen's week to cook but her ex-husband  promised her he would catch some fish for her but has loaned his boat to his delinquent younger brother Bobby.  Bobby is arrested with three other men who he has taken for a dive trip and soon after he has made bail a man is found dead with a gaff hook stuck in his heart.

We see Karen still has strong feelings for her ex-husband and his family and she is determined to prove that Bobby is innocent.  While investigating with Glory's help they question other fisherman about the three men that were with Bobby.

Glory spends more time with Jake the bookstore owner across the street from her.  There is a mutual attraction between them and Bluebird helps Glory once again with his cryptic sayings.

I loved all the characters because they all have a personality and they are fun to read about.  We see more of Sly who owns an auto savage yard and his dog Bobo from the previous book who saved Glory in that one.

This book shows the strong bonds between family (even though you aren't related by blood) and friends.

4/5

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan 14)

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1.  Falling Off the Wind - Richard Miebers

I’m currently reading:

1.  Murder Hooks a Mermaid - Christy Fifield
2.  Against the Sun - Kat Martin

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-171 

Library Haul 2013 (Jan 13 - 19)

Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:

Hardcover:

1.  Against the Sun - Kat Martin

Falling Off The Wind [Paperback]

I've finished "Falling Off the Wind" by Richard Miebers.

Product Description

Clement Scheutz, his schooner smashed on the rocks of Puerto Rico by a hurricane, is accused of killing a local islander. The woman he loves has deserted him and he is without money. While putting the boat back together, he helps rebuild a local restaurant and finds new love with the owner.

Product Details
Paperback: 364 pages
Publisher: Martin and Lawrence Press (October 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982073283
ISBN-13: 978-0982073285

My Review:

Clement Scheutz is a 50 year old man who has raised two grown up sons who married and is now divorced.  He has spent the last seven years sailing the Caribbean with Samantha his much younger and luscious girlfriend.

They are sailing on an old schooner named "Panacea" which has more than two masks and is a 65 foot wooden-hulled boat built in the 1920's that was used as a British racing boat.  They soon dock on a Caribbean Island because they need to save some money since they are flat broke.

Clement visits a small restaurant "El Tapon" managed by thirty + Migdala the granddaughter of the owner.  He's danced with her five years ago at a party and he realizes there is a sparkle in her eyes.  She makes him an offer he can't refuse - help her in the kitchen and he can have the left over food at the end of the day.

3/5

In the Mail Saturday 2013 (Jan 12)

In the Mail Saturday is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received this in the mail this week.

For Review:

Murder Hooks a Mermaid (A Haunted Souvenir) [Mass Market Paperback] 

Product Description

Nestled in Keyhole Bay, Florida, Glory Martine’s souvenir shop, Southern Treasures, is supposed to trap tourists — not ghosts. But a possessed parrot may be just what Glory needs to solve a murder.

Inheriting her great-uncle Louis’s bayside souvenir shop should have been a breeze for Glory. Instead it’s been one headache after another — with a lot of them generated by Bluebeard, a parrot with a mouth like a sailor and a personality a lot like her late great-uncle. But Glory’s troubles pale in comparison to those of her best friend Karen, whose ex may still have the personalized key chain to her heart, but whose brother-in-law is about to get locked up.

A diver has been found with a gaff hook in his chest, and Karen turns to Glory to help get her brother-in-law off the hook for his murder. But casting the net for the real killer won’t be easy. Glory and Bluebeard are about to find out that the secrets in Keyhole Bay run deeper than anyone ever imagined.