3.75 stars - Reviewed for Wit and Sin

I always love entering Kat Holloway’s world. In Murder in the East End my favorite no-nonsense cook and amateur sleuth is on the hunt to find out what happened to children who have gone missing from London’s Foundling Hospital. She’s brought into this case by Daniel McAdam and his foster brother, a vicar who is more than he seems. As the trio and their unlikely band of allies (the bold and kindhearted Cynthia, adorable and brilliant Thanos, and mysterious newcomer Judith) delve deeper into the Foundling Hospital’s practices they’ll find themselves in the slums, where danger and heartbreak await.

Kat is the heart of the Below Stairs mysteries and she continues to be a fantastic heroine. She’s got a way of getting people to open up and I like watching her put the puzzle pieces together. And as you might guess from the introduction of a man from Daniel’s past, we do finally learn a bit more about the mysterious Mr. McAdam. I practically gobbled up these crumbs of information alongside Kat, though of course I still wanted more. I cannot wait until the day Daniel’s full history is revealed. As for the supporting cast, author Jennifer Ashley continues to flesh out these wonderful characters. Everyone’s voice is unique and their trials and tribulations make the world of the story feel rich.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder in the East End but I struggled with rating it because the mystery itself fell a bit short for me. Even though they’re hunting for missing children who are in terrible danger, there’s an almost meandering quality to this story that didn’t quite go with the dire situation. The mystery lacked intensity and wasn’t as well defined as I’m used to. And though I won’t spoil the plot, I will say I didn’t feel quite satisfied by the revelations that occurred. Of course, part of the reason for that is due to an overarching plotline that will continue in future books so I’ll be content to wait and see what happens there. Even with these issues, I love spending time with Kat, Daniel, and their friends and I am always sucked into their world and their developing relationships. I cannot wait to see where Ms. Ashley takes these characters next!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Boyfriend Project sees three women bond together after they discover they are dating the same man and a video of Samiah goes viral of her confronting him. Professionally, Samiah and London, Taylor is still working her way there, are excelling but feel pressure to have the whole package, a significant other to share their life with. This has lead to them lowering their standards and ending up going viral on YouTube. They decide to make a pact to focus on other aspects of their lives for six months and leave off dating. Samiah has an app that she has wanted to develop and is excited to focus on that. However, a newer hire at her work, Daniel, has her wanting to break some rules.

And even as he told himself they were just two coworkers grabbing a bite to eat, he knew what he wanted it to be.

Daniel, a former Marine, now works for the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. He's undercover at Samiah's work, Trendsetters, because the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network— FinCEN, detected activity that makes them think that a hotel chain is laundering money with software developed by Trendsetters. In a joint effort with the Department of Homeland Security, Daniel is covertly working to find the employees at Trendsetters responsible for the laundering.

He held the driver’s side door open for her and draped an arm over the top of it. “But I should warn you, I’ve also heard that I tend to grow on people.” He winked. “Be prepared.”

With two people who are mentally and professionally not wanting to get involved romantically, Samiah and Daniel can't deny their potent chemistry. I thought the author did a great job setting these two up and their initial physical attraction that deepened into a friendship and eventual romantic and sexual relationship. Samiah's weakening on her no dating rule didn't quite hit as hard as Daniel's with the seriousness of fraternization while undercover on a job. I did enjoy the fullness of the characters, we don't get a ton of background on Samiah but that worked as her character's issues were more in the present. Samiah's trust issues, because of the two-timing guy that ended up bonding her with London and Taylor and her co-worker Keighleigh who tries to steal credit for Samiah's work (Keighleigh's comeuppance might feel a little therapeutic for a lot), drive Samiah for the slice of life we're reading about. We get a little more on Daniel's background and that worked to give the reader an idea of the kind of man he is, codes he lives his life by and why he wouldn't want to tell Samiah his true purpose at Trendsetters. I also have to say I would read the heck out of Daniel's parents' story as their romance sounds amazing.

A potent, electric charge sizzled in the air between them, a sensation so strong he felt it on his skin.

The beginning of the story, I thought the author worked overtime on minute descriptions that didn't so much enhance the story as slow down the pace with stuff I didn't really care about, for the most part, this disappeared as the story went on. I don't know the Austin area but I think for people who do, they'll enjoy the shoutouts to spots they'll recognize and enjoy that connection. This does have a small twinge of romantic suspense, just think more mental instead of run and gun. I found Daniel's job and the aspects of it fascinating and thought the author described enough for understanding but stopped short of text book. The mystery of Daniel when he first comes on screen, his mental dossier thoughts on co-workers he's never meet before, created an intrigue that sucked me into the story and I loved that.

For the first time in forever, Samiah felt as if she could relax and just …be. There was no pressure, no pretense. She could just exist in this undemanding, enjoyable place they’d discovered with each other.

I did think some of the tension between Samiah and Daniel was more soft than electric, they don't fight too hard to stay out of each other's presence and their relationship reminded me of Grace Burrowe's couples; they fit and click in a way that has them immediately together. Their first sex scene was hot but went a bit too quick for me. Daniel not compromising his job does put Samiah through the ringer but I thought the author did a great job giving Samiah time to process her emotions, leading to a more believable happily ever after.

Maybe it was time she accepted that plans changed. And sometimes they changed for the better.

The importance of women having female friendships was wonderfully put on display here, having shoulders to lean on, understanding and connection to personal struggles and triumphs, someone to push you, and friends to laugh, eat, and drink with. The creation of the HashTagGoals Boyfriend Project also did a good job of setting up future books in the series, I can't wait to read London and Taylor's stories. Most importantly this also showed how while the romance enhanced Samiah's life, it wasn't the be all and end all of it. Samiah and Daniel had a sweet friendship that built to a sexy romance and I had a great time getting to read about it.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Former MI5, Ryan has been working for an exclusive protection agency for the last couple years and he is weary. Deciding that it is time to retire, he can't wait to get home and spend more time with his daughter but a new woman in town is disturbing his peace.
Hannah is constantly on the move and knowing she is only going to spend six months in this new town, she doesn't want attachments. When the town hottie almost runs her over though, all kinds of complications arise, the biggest starting with her heart.

Ryan's a good man. He deserves my all. But one thing I have to accept is that he can't have one piece of me. My secrets. No one can ever know that part of me. That alone could ruin everything.

Leave Me Breathless is a stand-alone but readers of The Protector will remember Ryan and enjoy the little appearances from that couple. Readers will also notice how similar this story line is to Protector; protective man falling in love with a woman who has secrets about an abusive man in her past. What hurt this story the most was the tried and true but nothing new formula. Told in alternating chapter first person povs, the beginning drew me in with Ryan quitting his job so he can spend more time at home relaxing and spending time with his daughter. While Hannah's past is not fully revealed until the second half, there are enough hints that the reader has a good idea what she is running from. The second half dragged as Hannah kept hiding her past from Ryan and their sexcapades took over for plot.

Hannah was a character that came close to a form of manic pixie girl, she is so adorably clumsy (to the point at times I worried she had vertigo), so sweet, and look how cute she is when she always has paint on her and doesn't care about make-up or appearance. It also made no sense that she would go to the trouble of setting up a paint store when she only planned on staying in town for six months.

Ryan was a hero that I probably would have liked more in my teens but older me was cringing at times at his controlling attitude; there were moments I felt his actions weren't that different or far off from the abusive husband Hannah was running from. His relationship with his ten year old daughter was nice, even though I thought his daughter's personality seemed a bit advanced for a ten year old.

Hannah and Ryan did have a nice feeling of fitting together, they did lack some foundation or solidness to their relationship that had me thinking their love was too quick to come to fruition. They did play off each other well, I just wish some of Ryan's “protectiveness” had been toned down.

There's a tiny bit of ex-wife drama but the characters' acted in a way that I appreciated, not overly dramatic about it and the resolution was pretty quick. The danger from Hannah's past was hinted at, slow to fully reveal, and then quickly (and a bit worrisome how Ryan immediately wanted to and dealt with it) wrapped up. If you like the classic story of woman in danger and protective man this would fit the bill, just don't expect any freshness to the tale.

Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Amanda Quick perfectly balances flash and glam with secrets and murder in Close Up. I adore the rich, atmospheric world of the Burning Cove series and it was oh-so-easy to fall into Vivian and Nick’s story.

Vivian Brazier has the boldness of a Katharine Hepburn character. She left her family’s wealth behind in order to make it as a successful artist in the modern style. Vivian freelances as a crime scene photographer to pay the bills and struggles with casual sexism, the bias in favor of traditional art, and hiding her crime scene photography job so that she’s taken seriously as an artist. I enjoyed this so much that I could easily have read a book just on Vivian’s photography career. Vivian truly sees people when she photographs them and her slightly supernatural sight makes her great at what she does. It also puts her in the crosshairs of the “Dagger Killer” when she picks up on details at a crime scene that the police missed. Protection comes in the form of Nick Sundridge and his dog, Rex. Rex is quite the scene-stealer, but his owner can hold his own. Nick has a supernatural skill of his own that includes callback to Ms. Quick’s Arcane Society series. The handsome private investigator has lucid dreams that help him solve cases, though some would see the dreams as a curse. It will take both Nick and Vivian’s skills – plus the help of some Burning Cove series favorites – in order to catch a killer.

Close Up is heavy on the suspense and I enjoyed the twists and turns the story took. That doesn’t mean Ms. Quick neglected the romance; in fact, it works really well. Both Vivian and Nick have had rocky relationships in their past (Nick in particular) but it’s clear they are made for each other. They are understanding, nonjudgmental, and supportive of one another. They also have an easy chemistry that makes watching their love story unfold a delight.

Close Up is the fourth book in the Burning Cove series, but it can easily be read as a standalone. As with every book in this series, I love the world Ms. Quick has created. Glamour hiding a seedy underbelly is often a theme and it’s an enjoyable one. Lush, engaging, and with mysteries and a romance that satisfy, I thoroughly enjoyed Close Up and I cannot wait to return to Burning Cove.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.