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Vanished by Kendra Elliot, narrated by Nick Podehl and Amy McFadden

December 30, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: This is one from my personal library.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) When an eleven-year-old is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, whose life is crumbling to pieces – he’s related to the victim, and his longtime confidential informant has just been murdered.

Both he and Agent McLane hole up in the victim’s family home. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and the stakes keep rising the longer the girl is missing. As Ava and Mason struggle to hold the family together in their darkest hour, the two investigators find themselves drawn to each other.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): With the focus more on the suspense than the romance, I had mixed feelings about this one. There are other books planned for the Callahan and McLane series so I expect the romance will build over time. In some respects I thought there wasn’t enough romance in this one but I also thought that what there was moved too fast. I didn’t quite catch the attraction and build up to desire so when the pair take an (appropriate) time out of the investigation for some sexytimes it kind of came out of left field for me. Similarly by the end, they seemed to have moved farther along the relationship trail than what I could reasonably believe, even allowing for the pressure cooker environment in which they met.

Ava is embedded with the family of the missing girl and her role is less investigative, so I didn’t feel that taking some time out for a bit of romance affected the case very much. So too was Mason not actively investigating and I thought it was a clever way around a thorny RS issue. Continue reading

Offline

December 22, 2014 / Kaetrin

I’m going offline for a while. Things are too sad-making right now. So, I’m going to enjoy my family at Christmas. Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday season. Please God may 2015 be a better year.

Kaetrin’s favourites of 2014 (part the second)

December 22, 2014 / Kaetrin

I read some other wonderful books this year but which were published before (in some cases, well before) 2014 and some which were published on audio for the first time in 2014. I felt they deserved a mention. In no particular order:

Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly. I read this one because my friend Merrian sent it to me and because I was on a plane and needed a non-ebook to read during take-off and landing. I’ve been in a bit of a historical romance slump but this was a delightful surprise. I was inspired to then buy a whole pile of other Carla Kelly books (all of which currently languish on my TBR – the vast majority of books I buy do that. Don’t worry Carla Kelly books, you have some awesome company in there.)

Kaetrin’s Favourites for 2014 (part the first)

December 22, 2014 / Kaetrin

I tweeted out my top 10 (or 12 depending on how you count them) books for the year on 17 December so those who follow me on Twitter will not be surprised by this list. Here’s the version with pretty pictures. It’s a list of books I liked. That’s it.

These are my favourite new releases for 2014. It’s not a best of because I’m sure there are many wonderful books on my TBR of Doom or which haven’t made it that far even. Besides, personal taste being what it is, what does “best” really mean anyway?

I’m not really ranking the top 10. They were all wonderful and memorable and enjoyable and I loved them. That said, perhaps the biggest surprise to me is that when I do a “favourite book of 2014. Go!” gut check, the 1st answer which pops into my head isn’t even a romance. (Do I need to turn in my romance card?) So, I guess, *if pushed* I’d say the number one read was:

The Martian by Andy Weir. It’s a cracker of a book. If a reader has any interest in sci-fi or space travel books at all, I highly recommend it. The science is sound and the writing is engaging and funny and the tension is dialled right up there all the way to the end of the book. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist (heh) to read or understand it (trust me on this) and did I mention that it’s funny? Continue reading

Room for More by Beth Ehemann

December 19, 2014 / Kaetrin

Why I read it: I bought this book after the first in the series was a DA Daily Deal.

What it’s about: (from Goodreads) Four years ago, my dreams were shattered in an instant.

Three months ago, I found something I haven’t had in years.

Hope.

That hope came in the form of a sexy, carefree hockey player named Brody Murphy. He swooped in and won me over with his big heart and the way he cared for me…and my girls. When they look at him, they see the father they’ve never had.

Now, my past and present are colliding and the outcome might just be too much for me to bear. Can I make the right decision when I’ve spent my whole life making the wrong ones?

Warning: Spoilers for book 1 follow.

What worked for me (and what didn’t): Brody continues to be his (almost) perfect self, as he and Kacie navigate their new relationship.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I cocked my head to the side and looked at him skeptically. “Since when does staying home with kids all day interest you?”

He looked over at the girls, who were watching a movie in the living room, and shrugged. “Since them.”

Awwwww. See? Perfect.
Continue reading

Review at AudioGals

December 19, 2014 / Kaetrin

I’m over at AudioGals with a review of Off the Edge by Carolyn Crane, narrated by Romy Nordlinger. It’s a romantic suspense with something special for word nerds and linguistics lovers.