Review of the upcoming psychological thriller, THE WIDOW BRIDE by Carey Baldwin

Coming Soon! March 11, 2024

As I look down to the beautiful arch set up on the beach for our wedding, I have to stop myself running into Blake’s arms. It’s so soon after my first husband passed away—but Blake and I are meant to be... aren’t we? There are no family or friends beaming at me this time, but everything is perfect… isn’t it?

Since I lost my first husband, Blake has been there for me, showering me with gifts and affection, holding my hand as I go back into the world. He’s the only one who truly understands what I’ve been through. How hard it’s been on me. So, when Blake insisted we keep our elopement a secret, I agreed. But, now, it feels wrong to walk down the aisle between empty chairs.

As I step in front of the officiant with my husband-to-be, I think back to my last conversation with my first husband’s sister. Should I have listened when she tried to warn me about Blake’s past?

Maybe it’s just wedding day nerves… But when I meet Blake’s brown eyes, there’s something dark in them I’ve never seen before. He grips my wrist to put the ring on my finger, and a shiver runs down my spine when he says, “Finally, you’re mine.”

I remember my sister-in-law’s warning and I tremble. But it’s too late to turn back now.

Marrying him is the only option because I have secrets of my own.

Blake may think he knows me, but he has no idea who he’s really dealing with…

A completely gripping psychological thriller which will have you reading late into the night until you reach the final shocking twist. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Perfect Marriage.

****

Love. Betrayal. Forgiveness. 

Love comes in all forms—family, spouses, and friends.

Betrayal can destroy love in an instant.

As for forgiveness, it can be difficult and doesn’t always come, but sometimes forgiving yourself is all that’s needed. 

The Widow Bride by Carey Baldwin is a psychological thriller about all three. A new exciting and addicting read from the amazing author of psychological thrillers, Carey Baldwin will keep you on the edge of your seat. It will keep you guessing and rethinking your guesses until the very end, and then the end will flip you upside down. I can’t tell you any more than that without giving away spoilers, so I’m not. I’m just going to tell you that if you love a good tale of mystery and suspense, and enjoy the need to know what happens next and who the bad guy is and who isn’t, read The Widow Bride. You won’t regret it! 

I highly recommend The Widow Bride, a new psychological thriller by Carey Baldwin, if you’re a fan of edge-of-the-seat thrillers that keep you reading late into the night—just make sure you leave some time for sleep or you’ll end up doing a long day on only two hours of sleep like I did. Pre-Order your copy now! Releasing on March 11, 2024, and available in digital, audiobook, and print at Amazon, and print at Barnes and Noble.

Happy Reading Everyone!

Unwrapping a Review of COUNTDOWN, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin

Carey Baldwin has done it again. She’s conjured a thriller that will keep you turning the pages late into the night with COUNTDOWN, book 5 in the Cassidy & Spenser Thriller series from Witness Impulse.

***purchased for my personal reading but sharing an honest and unscripted review

Blurb for COUNTDOWN:

Don’t believe everything you see.

Special Agent Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy are in Tahiti enjoying a much-needed break from the FBI when they spot newlyweds taking fun photos on the beach. But as the groom carries his bride deeper into the waves, Spense is positive he sees a flash of terror cross her face. All his instincts scream that this woman is in danger. Yet moments later, it’s the groom who has nearly drowned… and the bride has vanished, leaving a bloody wedding dress floating in her wake.

The authorities aren’t sure who to believe—the groom, who insists his wife tried to murder him… or her twin, who claims her sister must have acted in self-defense. Intrigued, Spense and Caity agree to help investigate. But when they discover that the missing bride is the daughter of a notorious confidence man, they begin to suspect that all is not what it seems. Now they’ll need to separate victim from villain, fact from fiction, truth from lie, to determine if there’s really a killer on the loose… or if it’s all one big con.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Caity and Spense are in Tahiti to get married. The last thing they want or expect is to be drawn into a mystery regarding another couple they watch doing their photo shoot at the water’s edge after happily getting married on the same beach where they plan to have their own ceremony. As they watch the happy couple play and romp in the surf, everything suddenly turns serious when it looks as if the couple might be in trouble, possibly drowning. Spense springs to action and dives into the surf to help, with Caity right behind him. Suddenly, nothing is as it seems. The bride pulls out a gun, and shoots the groom, tears off her wedding dress, swims away and climbs into a nearby boat. When the bride appears in Caity and Spense’s bungalow later that night in her wedding undies, holding that same gun on them, they become very involved in what turns out to be the greatest of all cons.

This is by far my favorite of the series. From the moment I read the first page, the action started and never seemed to stop until the very end—an ending that brought tears to my eyes. Weddings don’t usually do that to me in books, but this one did. Caity and Spense are one of my favorite couples not just because they solve crimes together in a unique and sometimes, unorthodox way but because these two are truly perfect for each other. At times, they even seem to know what the other is thinking. They are fun together, even when aggravating each other. They are so in love with each other, even when they are fighting their feelings for each other. So to see them get their magic moment in the sunset was just wonderful. Especially after solving a con perpetrated by the last person, you ever expect to be instigating it. Excellent! Carey totally caught me by surprise.

If you love thrillers. If you love puzzles. If you love a watching a couple fall in love, work like a team, and want an action-packed page turning story, I highly, highly recommend COUNTDOWN, the fifth book in the Cassidy & Spenser Thriller series. If you haven’t read the first four, I recommend it but I suppose you could start anywhere. But if you do, I know you’ll want to go back and experience how these two met, and how their wonderful relationship came to be, and how it progressed to such a happy place. Thank you, Carey, for reminding me why I love this series so much.

Happy Reading Everyone!

COUNTDOWN, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin, Witness Impulse, available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

Unwrapping a Review of STOLEN, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin

I know I’ve been away for a long while, and I apologize for that. Family responsibilities keep me from reading at the rate I normally do but I assure  you that I am reading, and I will continue to review any book I feel you will enjoy reading. It’s taken me almost a year but I finally finished reading STOLEN by Carey Baldwin. STOLEN is the fourth book in the Cassidy & Spenser series of suspense thrillers from Witness Impulse. If you love a good edge of the seat story, this series is for you.

***purchased for my own personal reading but sharing my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for STOLEN:

Is she missing…or a murderer?

When Laura Chaucer, daughter of a U.S. senator, vanishes from her college campus, celebrated FBI profilers Special Agent Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy are called in. Thirteen years ago, Laura and her nanny disappeared from her family’s Denver home. Laura was found alive, but her nanny wasn’t so lucky… and the killer was never caught. Laura could identify him—if only she didn’t have a deep, dark hole in her memory.

Now she’s missing again. Did the troubled young woman run away or has the kidnapper returned? As women who look eerily similar to Laura’s nanny begin turning up dead, the Chaucer family psychiatrist renders a disturbing opinion: Laura is unstable, a danger to herself and others. Who knows what terrible secrets lurk in the shadowy recesses of her mind? Cassidy and Spenser must solve one of the most infamous cold cases ever to uncover the answer: Is Laura a killer, or is a monster still out there, waiting to claim another victim?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Thirteen years ago, Laura Chaucer was kidnapped, and her nanny murdered. Memories, as well as the lack of memories, have plagued her ever since. She has also felt as if she’d yet to be freed from the nightmare since her Senator father continued to protect and control every aspect of her life. When she decides to change colleges and returns to a school near the site of her kidnapping, trouble finds her again. Now she has awakened surrounded by blood, naked, sick, and there is an all too familiar lock of hair tied with a pink ribbon. But where is the monster from her nightmares? When will he return to finish her off, or is it possible that she is the killing monster all along?

Called in to be part of the task force investigating the disappearance of Senator Chaucer’s daughter who was kidnapped thirteen years earlier, Caitlin and Spense put their investigative and profiling skills to work. Much to Caitlin’s chagrin and Spense’s annoyance, the family’s therapist is also a man from Caity’s past and as far as Spense is concerned, a possible suspect. As the evidence begins to unfold, secrets become known, as well as possibly more victims, and suspects present themselves including Laura Chaucer as one.

As always, Carey Baldwin manages to weave an exciting and suspenseful thriller…and STOLEN is no exception. However, I had a bit of problem with how, when in Laura’s point of view, she seemed already to know Caity and Spense’s names. I also stumbled over some very obvious proofing errors but it was the prior problem that had me holding back from being totally hooked into the story.

However, later, as the mystery began to unfold, I got past all of that and became completely engrossed in the who-done-it and just when I thought I knew who it was…Carey knocked my feet out from under me and surprised me! I will say that I pride myself in figuring out the bad guy before the reveal, but she got me this time. Brava Carey! That made up for any other gripe.

I highly recommend STOLEN by Carey Baldwin to anyone who loves a good thriller with suspense, danger—physical and psychological, bad guys seemingly crawling out of the woodwork, and secrets that blow the story wide open as the serial killer bad guy is finally revealed. This entire series is exceptional and although the thriller part of the stories stand alone, the ever-increasing intimate relationship between Caitlin and Spense lends to this series being read in order. By the way, there’s a big romantic gesture in this one. And just so I don’t miss out, I’m moving directly on to reading book five in the series, COUNTDOWN.

Happy Reading Everyone!

STOLEN, a Cassidy-Spenser thriller by Carey Baldwin, Witness Impulse, available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

Unwrapping a Review of NOTORIOUS, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin

I love good suspense and am already a fan of the Cassidy & Spenser novels by Carey Baldwin, but NOTORIOUS surprised me with more than suspense this time. This one is the best of the series so far but if you haven’t read any yet, please do—Caity and Spense are for me, the Castle and Beckett of the literary world.

***copy purchased for my own personal reading but sharing my honest and unscripted review

Blurb for NOTORIOUS:

The woman everyone loves to hate is dead.

Dallas socialite Cynthia Langhorne is infamous for her beauty, her philanthropy, and her home wrecking—until she's found shot through the heart and posed nude at a fundraising ball. The case is high profile, and there's a bigger problem: Cindy is the wife of a decorated FBI special agent—the prime suspect in her murder.

When the Bureau sends FBI profiler Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy to Texas on behalf of Dutch Langhorne, the special agent-turned-suspect, they're suspicious of the very man whose interests they're supposed to protect. But with a psycho hitman on their heels and a trail of evidence leading up the food chain, it quickly becomes clear this is no ordinary case. The truth points to someone—or something—larger than Spenser and Cassidy ever thought possible. Solving this case is no longer a matter of clearing Dutch's name—it's a matter of national security.

~*~                  ~*~                 ~*~                ~*~

Picture it—a big fundraiser for the Governor of Texas who is planning to make a run for the White House, the venue is a prestigious and historical mansion, and everyone of importance is there, including the Governor Matt Cambridge, his wife, Heather, and his wife’s best friend, Cindy Langhorne and her husband, FBI Special Agent Dutch Langhorne. After telling her husband that she is meeting the Governor in private, Cindy promises to return to him by midnight for a dance. When she fails to reappear, Dutch goes looking for her only to find her dead in an upstairs bedroom, naked, and stretched out on the bed. Or so he claims to have found her that way…

Now the main suspect in his wife’s murder, Dutch requests two agents to come help him solve the crime—enter Spense and Caity, both of whom can’t figure out why Dutch would request them since he and Spense do not like each other at all. Soon Caity discovers the reason, and promises Dutch that she will keep the secret from Spense but only until the right time, and then Dutch must tell him the truth. In the meantime, there’s a nutcase assassin trying to head them off and keep them from finding Cindy’s diary which someone, some unknown someone, wants bad enough to kill for—and wait till you find out who the real killer is, and who that unknown someone is…fabulous. I did guess the killer, but the unknown took me totally by surprise.

NOTORIOUS, the third book in the Cassidy & Spenser Thriller series by Carey Baldwin is exceptional, action-packed, suspense filled and overflowing, and there are some absolute nail-biter moments, especially for Caity but what I enjoyed most about this installment of their adventures together in crime solving was the emotional factor. It’s all about intertwining relationships, childhood friendships, marriages filled with lies and miscommunication, family connections, and confrontations that will have you wanting to cry one moment, and cheer the next.

We’ve been waiting for something to happen between Cassidy & Spenser in a similar way as we did for Castle and Beckett. I will just say this…something happens…but I’m not saying anything more because I don’t want to spoil things for you. There is so much happening in NOTORIOUS that you just have to experience it for yourself.

If you love reading good suspense with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, you’ll love the Cassidy & Spenser Thrillers but NOTORIOUS, I highly recommend this one because…well, I hear they’re cancelling Castle so I’m thinking Cassidy & Spenser should be our next great series to fall in love with…I already am. Read NOTORIOUS by Carey Baldwin…you can’t miss with this one. It’s got everything, sexy FBI agents, mystery, suspense, romance, and some funny moments too!

Happy Reading Everyone!

NOTORIOUS, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin, Witness Impulse, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

 

Unwrapping a Review of FALLEN, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin

Anyone who has been reading my reviews over the years knows very well how much I love a good suspense…well, I found it in FALLEN, book two in the Cassidy & Spenser Thriller series by Carey Baldwin from Witness Impulse.

***purchased a copy for my personal reading but am sharing my honest and unscripted review with you.

Blurb for FALLEN:

A body just fell from the sky onto Hollywood Boulevard.

When a beautiful prostitute is dumped onto the Walk of Fame, FBI profiler Atticus Spenser and forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin Cassidy are called in to solve one of their most baffling cases yet.

The media’s dubbed him the Fallen Angel Killer – a crazed murderer who’s leaving the bodies of high-priced call girls in Los Angeles tourist traps.

Then the killer raises the stakes, demanding that a mysterious celebrity publically admit to his sinful secrets —or he’ll dispose of his latest kidnapped escort. With every “john” the team exposes in their search for Celebrity X, another Hollywood secret is revealed and another charmed life is left in ruins.

Now time is running out, and Cassidy and Spenser will do anything to find the twisted serial killer…before another innocent woman winds up as the next grotesque tourist attraction.

~*~            ~*~            ~*~            ~*~

Straight from the case that threw Caitlin Cassidy and ‘Spense’ Spenser together as a team, Caitlin and Spense now find themselves attempting to profile a serial killer in the midst of the most ‘fake’ of worlds…Hollywood. Dubbed the Fallen Angel Killer, someone is killing prostitutes and posing them in high traffic tourist spots. When a witness goes missing, Caitlin and Spense must work against the clock to figure out who the killer is, who this mysterious Celebrity X is, and even whether or not the killer is male or female. All the while Spense’s feelings and attraction for Caitlin drives him to be over-protective and even jealous of the men working on the case with them. Of course, his worry over Caitlin’s safety becomes an issue because if you know Caitlin Cassidy, nothing keeps her from following a clue…not even a killer.

I love the way we are pulled into the mind of the killer through Caitlin’s skills as a forensic psychiatrist and Spense’s skills as an FBI profiler. The way that Caitlin climbs into the shoes of the killer and Spense solves the puzzle of the crimes leads on a merry chase after the Fallen Angel Killer. It’s a constant guessing game, thinking you’ve got it solved only to discover you’re all wrong and just as the killer feels unseen, we fail to see him. Brilliant!

I would love to go on about this amazing suspense but I also don’t want to give away too much. I want anyone and everyone who enjoys a good mystery to read this amazing story. Things are starting to heat up a little between Caitlin and Spense too. I love how Carey has invited us on the journey these two amazing characters are taking toward working better and better as a team and in a budding romantic relationship.

I highly recommend FALLEN by Carey Baldwin because this is what a suspense is meant to be…thrilling, action-packed, puzzling, and at times, truly creepy. It rocks! If you love romantic suspense, this one is for you.

Happy Reading Everyone!

FALLEN, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin, Witness Impulse, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You.

   

Unwrapping a Review of JUDGMENT, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller novel by Carey Baldwin

I’ve become a huge fan of romantic suspense author, Carey Baldwin so when her newest thriller, JUDGMENT, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller released this month, I knew I had to buy my copy and read it as soon as I could fit into my schedule. It was absolutely worth the wait.

***purchased a copy for my personal reading and am sharing my honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for JUDGMENT:

Carey Baldwin, author of the thrilling novel Confession, returns with a new story featuring two of her most beloved characters. Fans of Tess Gerritsen and Lisa Gardner will devour this riveting story of rivals caught in a killer's twisted web.

When a coed falls prey to a sadistic murderer, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Caitlin "Caity" Cassidy and Special Agent Atticus Spenser are called in to testify--one for the defense, one for the prosecution. With warring approaches to justice, these two rivals have been butting heads for years--both inside the courtroom and out. And at first, this case appears to be no different.

But when a brutal attack leaves the accused man dead and Caity in critical condition, petty differences take a backseat to saving lives. As the lone survivor, Caity knows too much, and the killer--a madman calling himself the Man in the Maze--is coming back for round two. Now Caity and Spense must join forces to uncover the killer's identity before Caity's time--and luck--runs out.

*                *                *               *               * 

Dr. Caitlin Cassidy watched her father executed for a crime she still believes he did not commit. Now when she becomes a near victim of a murderer who may or may not be a serial killer, she wants more than ever to prove her father’s innocence when it appears there may be a connection.

Special Agent Atticus Spenser, Spense to those who don’t want a punch in the face, has the hots for Caity Cassidy and doesn’t hold back from letting her know it. He’s more than pleased to be working closely with her as well as acting as her personal bodyguard after she was nearly killed by the same man who killed her father’s lawyer, Harold Baumgartner. He understands Caity better than she knows and wants to protect her, even if only from herself.

Working together, against odds neither had counted on, Caity and Spense get closer to discovering the truth about the elusive Man in the Maze, which may change everything. With Spense at her back, his skills as a profiler assisting her, Caity begins to piece together a puzzle, which throws her in the line of fire again, and again. Can Spense keep her safe while still doing his doing job? He can only hope so.

JUDGMENT by Carey Baldwin is edge of the seat thrilling. A real whodunit puzzle, which just when you think you know who the Man in the Maze really is, you discover you don’t. The sexual tension between Caity and Spense is so thick you might need more than a knife to cut through it, yet they commit themselves to holding back on any romantic shenanigans until after they solve this exasperating mystery. It doesn’t mean they’re not tempted on occasion though. Yes, I generally like a little more romance with my suspense but honestly, the mystery is so compelling, I didn’t really miss it. This one would satisfy the most expectant mystery lover. The only real issue I had was, well, the number of bodies don’t seem to add up. Read it and see if you catch what I’m talking about because if I try to explain, I might spoil the fun.

I highly recommend JUDGMENT, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller by Carey Baldwin to anyone who loves a good whodunit, edge of the seat thriller without too much gruesome detail but a whole lot of clues, misdirection, and of course, action. I can’t wait to see what Carey gives us next – more Cassidy & Spenser, I hope.

Happy Reading Everyone!

JUDGMENT, a Cassidy & Spenser Thriller novel by Carey Baldwin, Witness Impulse, available now in ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks, with print coming November 15^th.

***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank You. 

   

Unwrapping a Review of CONFESSION by Carey Baldwin

I first experienced the suspense talent of Carey Baldwin with FIRST DO NO EVIL and then her novella, HUSH, so when Witness Impulse released her romantic suspense, CONFESSION, I knew I just had to read it. It was everything I hoped it to be and more.

***I purchased this one for my own personal reading, but am sharing my honest and unscripted review with you.

Blurb for CONFESSION:

For fans of Allison Brennan and Karen Rose comes Carey Baldwin, a daring new name in suspense, with the story of a serial killer out for blood—and the only woman who can stop his reign of terror.

They say the Santa Fe Saint comes to save your soul—by taking your life.

Newly minted psychiatrist Faith Clancy gets the shock of her life when her first patient confesses to the grisly Saint murders. By law Faith's compelled to notify the authorities, but is her patient really the Saint? Or will she contribute to more death by turning the wrong man over to the police?

Faith is going to need all her wits and the help of a powerful adversary, Luke Jericho, if she's to unravel the truth. But she doesn't realize she's about to become an unwitting pawn in a serial killer's diabolical game. For once he's finished with Faith, she's to become his next victim.

*               *                 *                 *                * 

Dr. Faith Clancy is new in town, fairly new to psychiatry but not new to tragedy, discord, secrets, and personal fears. When her only patient, Dante Jericho follows her into her office on her day off and confesses to being the Santa Fe Saint, she does what she knows she needs to do – she turns him in to the police.

Luke Jericho is not happy about being attracted to his half-brother’s psychiatrist but when he finds out that she turned in his brother for confessing to being a serial killer, he sets out to not only clear his brother’s name with Faith’s assistance but with the hope of winning her over in a non-professional manner as well.

Faith battles her own demons even as she unwittingly finds herself pulled into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the real Santa Fe Saint. When she and Luke discover there’s more to this dangerous game than protecting patient confidentiality and discovering the truth about the Santa Fe Saint. She and Luke uncover secrets that lead them straight into danger.

CONFESSION by Carey Baldwin grabs hold of you from the first page and doesn’t let go of you until turn the last. This character driven suspense is so well put together you might think it’s real. The characters are alive with angst, suspicions, flaws, passion, and emotion that keep you turning the pages late into the night even while the creepiness of Faith’s newest patient makes your skin crawl and wishing you’d turned on more lights. But when the final twist comes, you’d better be ready.

I highly recommend CONFESSION by Carey Baldwin to anyone who loves a truly suspenseful story built on characters that leap off the page and sit in the chair with you while you read, even as the skin crawls on the back of your neck. I can’t wait to read the next one – I’m without a doubt a Carey Baldwin fan forever.

Happy Reading Everyone!

CONFESSION by Carey Baldwin, Witness Impulse, available now in print and ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.

***click on links or cover below for purchasing information

   

Unwrapping: Review of HUSH by Carey Baldwin

Last August, four lovely authors - Tessa Dare, Leigh LaValle, Courtney Milan, and Carey Baldwin – came together to create an anthology of stories, THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER, to benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This anthology was available for only a short time but if you were lucky enough to get a copy, the proceeds were donated and you, the reader, were treated to four fabulous stories. One of those stories, SOLOMON’S WISDOM by Carey Baldwin, and one of my favorites, has been rewritten and is now available. It has been re-released as HUSH by Carey Baldwin, and I couldn’t have been more excited when she asked if I would read it and share my thoughts with you. A romantic suspense novella of around 95 pages, I believe it reads even better than before - which surprised me because I already loved it.

***eCopy provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.

Blurb for HUSH:

Reformed bad boy Charlie “Drex” Drexler returns to his hometown of Tangleheart, Texas hoping to make peace with his dark past and make amends to those he’s wronged. He’s also looking to reconnect with an old flame. But Anna won’t cooperate, new questions tear open old wounds and his best friend’s wife and baby disappear. Can Drex and Anna mend their broken hearts while fighting for their lives and racing to bring mother and baby home safely?

*                      *                      *                      *                      *

Anna Kincaid was, and still is, in love with Charlie Drexler, but she’s also so angry at him for leaving her without so much as a good-bye that when she meets up with him again, she is determined to resist his charm and her heart’s pleas to forgive him. When her sister, Simone, and her husband, Nate bring them together for a homecoming party, Anna is angry that her own sister would trap her that way. But something cracks in that hard shell she’s erected around her heart, when Simone tells her that it was Charlie who made up the guest list, and that she was the only one on it.

Charlie will do anything to win back his best friend, the only woman to ever claim his heart, and the woman he loves, so when he finally convinces Anna to listen to him, he thinks he’s got her charmed. She's ready to submit to his pleas for a second chance, but he's nearly defeated by his other best friend, Nate Carlisle.

Distraught, a bit drunk, and desperate, Nate barges into Charlie’s living room and pleads with Anna to tell him where his wife has gone with their infant son. Anna, as shocked as anyone, finds it hard to believe that Simone would disappear like that, especially with her young son. She begs the police to assist but the sheriff insists they’ll show up eventually. With the insistence that he be allowed to help, Charlie and Anna set out to discover what has sent her sister into hiding.

HUSH by Carey Baldwin is the early version, SOLOMON’S WISDOM, made incredibly better. With some minor character changes, stronger backstory and an expanded mystery, this suspenseful romance is everything I wanted and expected from the talented Carey Baldwin. From the beginning straight through to the mystery’s reveal, Carey keeps us on our toes with complex twists and turns. Danger lurks around every corner as someone tries to keep Anna and Charlie from finding Simone. Is it Nate? Is it someone more sinister? I love a good mystery and Carey gives it to us, all the while treating us to a wonderful second chance romance at love that renews our faith in being happily in love ever after.

I highly recommend HUSH by Carey Baldwin to anyone who loves a wonderful second chance love story that may or may not happen if the bad guys have anything to say about it. HUSH is exceptional, suspenseful, and happily, a wonderful, sexy, and sweet second chance at love.

Happy Reading Everyone!

HUSH by Carey Baldwin, self-published through Amazon Digital, available now at Amazon in ebook format. 

***click on the link or cover below for purchasing information.

   

All For A Good Cause: THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER, an anthology

Lucky me, a while back I won a copy of this fabulous anthology with no expectations of a review but how can I not review this lovely collection of wonderful novellas? Impossible, I say, impossible. I must spread the word.

Also, I should mention that there's something very special about this anthology - all profits from this limited-time digital anthology will be donated to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. So for the cost of this lovely anthology, you'll be contributing to a good cause and getting a great collection of reading in return. Since I was given this anthology as a gift, I'd like to give back to this wonderful cause by purchasing an ecopy and giving it to one lucky commenter, so stick around to the end for details. : )

The first story in the anthology is by the winner of the 2012 RITA Award for Regency Historical Romance for A NIGHT TO SURRENDER. The wonderful, Tessa Dare:

THE SCANDALOUS, DISSOLUTE, NO-GOOD MR. WRIGHT

Miss Eliza Cade is a lady in waiting. And waiting. Because of a foolish mistake in her youth, she's not allowed "out" in Society until her three older sisters are wed. But while she's trying to be good, she keeps bumping elbows--and more distressingly, lips--with notorious rake Harry Wright. Every moment she spends with him, she risks complete ruin. The sensual passions he stirs in her are so wrong...but Eliza just can't resist Mr. Wright.

Normally with a novella you get a short expanse of time because of the size constraint but Tessa easily took us through years. Eliza Cade is precocious and incorrigible. She's looking for her time in the light - her Season. Standing in her way, three sisters - one already married and the other two nowhere near - and an unfortunate incident which has her father locking her down until her two older sisters are settled so that she might not ruin their chances of marriage with another - ahem - scandal. Of course, within the first pages of this novella, Eliza finds herself in a situation that if discovered would ruin her forever but she is fortunate that the man joining her in this incident has more decency than the last.

Harry Wright might be the wrong person for Eliza Cade or so he tells her but in truth, he cannot escape the memory of her. Over a serious of encounters, his attraction to this still maturing young woman is becoming harder and harder to resist. Eventually, he discovers that it's all the other men who are wrong for Miss Eliza Cade.

From the minute I began reading this delightful regency romance, I was hooked. I was hooked by the free-spirited heroine, Eliza Cade and the brash, teasing hero, Harry Wright. I caught glimpses of Jane Austen's influence amidst the characters and their relationships to each other, amidst the reactions to situations, and within the enticing and delightfully teasing banter that was the growing attraction between Eliza and Harry much as it was between Lizzie and her Mr. Darcy. My only wish regarding this story is that I wish it was full-length for when I reached the wonderful and exquisite ending, I smiled but with a tear in my eye for the characters and for me because I knew I was done. THE SCANDALOUS, DISSOLUTE, NO-GOOD MR. WRIGHT by Tessa Dare is exquisite and delightfully brilliant.

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Next:  THE MISBEHAVING MARQUESS by Leigh LaValle

Having awaited the return of her husband for half a decade, Catherine Raybourne, the Marchioness of Foster, has no intention of reconciling with her misbehaving marquess. But when he insists he needs an heir—immediately—she must confront her own lingering desires. Can she protect her heart while attempting to win his once again?

Reading this wonderful novella about a very stubborn wife who isn't ready to accept the return of a wandering husband had me thinking about the old saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. As we all know, absence doesn't necessarily make the heart grow fonder but in the case of Cat and Jamie, I think it did, at least enough to give them a second chance at the life they once dreamed of together.

Cat is a stubborn woman who understandable doesn't want to forgive her husband's abrupt disappearing act that has left her alone and unhappy for the past five years. Not knowing where he's gone or what may have happened to him, she has made the best of her life as a lonely wife caught in this state by a misunderstanding that caused a scandal and her husband's unwillingness to accept her excuse or forgive her her unfortunate circumstance.

Jamie has returned after a five year absence only because his heir has died and now he's in need of a new heir and Cat, his wife, is the only chance of that happening. Showing up five years after disappearing, Jamie is not exactly welcomed with open arms especially after he announces the only reason he's returned is to make sure Cat bears a child so he might have an heir.

Both unwilling to forgive the other, both wanting the other back in each other's arms, both stubborn beyond stubborn yet desiring each other just as great as when they married five years earlier. THE MISBEHAVING MARQUESS by Leigh LaValle will keep you exasperated, cheering first for Cat then for Jamie and then sighing in relief when the two come together exquisitely and very romantically - a wonderful and delightful historical romance worthy of much praise. A second chance to build a life together after rescuing it from the scattered remains left by an unfortunate misunderstanding.

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Next:  THE LADY ALWAYS WINS by Courtney Milan

Railway financier Simon Davenant has waited seven years for a second chance with his childhood sweetheart and best friend. He isn’t about to let his impending financial ruin destroy the opportunity. This time, he’ll do anything he can to secure her hand in marriage—even if it means losing her heart for good.

Simon Davenant has returned to win the hand of the woman he once lost because his family disapproved. He would have married her anyway but she would have nothing of it - not only because his family didn't approve but because he would have been cut off and she would've had to live a life of poverty. Petty, you think? No, Ginny Barrett Croswell knew true poverty and she knew real love but was more afraid of being poor than losing the only man she ever loved. Never sure when Simon was playing at love or sincere, Ginny intends to win no matter what. When the truth of why she married another man comes out, Simon realizes that his own plan to marry her before he loses his fortune would be cruel and unloving. After telling her the truth the real game begins and most definitely, the lady always wins.

THE LADY ALWAYS WINS by Courtney Milan is most definitely a second chance story. Of all of the stories in this anthology, this one was probably my least favorite but that's not to say it isn't well written. I just think the characters lacked something to bring them forward to be favorites of the reader. I honestly have to say that when I sat down to write my thoughts on it, I had to look back into the story to remember their names. I enjoyed the games they played with each other and I especially enjoyed the placement of the story in a time less known to Regency readers with some history of the railroad as a background. This novella is still worth reading and as I always say, different folks - different tastes, so someone else may think this the finest story in the anthology.

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Next: SOLOMON'S WISDOM by Carey Baldwin

Bad-boy-turned-pediatrician Charlie "Drex" Drexler returns to Tangleheart, Texas hoping to reconnect with his old flame - but Anna won't cooperate, his dark past resurfaces, and his best friend's baby disappears. How will Drex and Anna mend their broken hearts while dodging bullets and racing to bring baby home safely?

We started with Regency then traveled further into the 1800's and now we are in present day with another friend turned lover second chance story that pulls in long time friends, the past and a killer - or two.  Already a huge fan of Carey Baldwin's talent in suspense I didn't expect anything else from her here and I wasn't disappointed.

Anna has never forgotten her first love, the best friend who chased every other skirt in Tangleheart but her, yet she was the only one who truly loved him. On the night she got up enough gumption to actually profess her love, a terrible thing happened that sent Charlie hurrying away from Tangleheart and her. Now he's returned and acts as if nothing has changed. He acts as if she never professed her love for him. He acts as if he never broke her heart. He acts as if they are still best friends.

Charlie had left Tangleheart to escape the pain of childhood, the disappointments that life kept throwing at him and the memory of a young girl who had apparently killed herself because he had broken up with her. He had never run away to escape Anna nor her professed love for him, or had he? He was back and he wanted to redeem himself to Anna, the girl he'd never forgotten or gotten over.

Even as Anna and Charlie attempt to get beyond the past and clear their way to capture each other's hearts, the past comes screaming back to the present and now one of their best friends is missing as well as her baby. Simone is running from something or someone. She and her baby have gone into hiding and someone is now trying to stop Anna and Charlie from finding her. Their only clues to solving what's happening lie within the past. When they happen upon the truth, it puts their lives in danger just when they realize they can clear away the walls that keep them apart.

SOLOMON'S WISDOM by Carey Baldwin is the dessert at the end of the meal in this anthology. Its complexity, its twists and turns keep you guessing right up to the moment all is revealed. First you think it's this person then this one and I even found myself pulling in folks that weren't even possible. I love a good mystery and Carey gives it to us, all the while keeping the teasing romance and second chance at love alive and steamy.

This anthology is a delight to read and also supports a wonderful cause. Nearly everyone on this planet has been affected by breast cancer in some way, either personally or by relation to a family member or friend so the purchase of a delightful few hours of entertainment is an easy thing to do to help someone else possibly get a second chance at life.

Since I did receive THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER, an anthology as a gift from Carey Baldwin, I'd like to do my part by purchasing another ecopy and giving it away to one lucky commenter. I hope even if you win this copy that you will spread the word and perhaps purchase another for a family member or friend.

So what do you think about second chances in love? Have you ever experienced one or wished for one?

This GIVEAWAY is OPEN to EVERYONE!!  Remember to leave a valid email address with your comment to be entered.

COMMENT + EMAIL ADDRESS = ENTRY

One lucky entry will be chosen at random. This Giveaway will run until NOON EDT on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 so Good Luck and ...

Happy Reading Everyone!  THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS.

THREE WEDDINGS AND A MURDER, an anthology featuring works by Tessa Dare, Leigh LaValle, Courtney Milan, and Carey Baldwin, available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo Books.

                                                       

Unwrapping: Review of FIRST DO NO EVIL by Carey Baldwin

I opened my email one day and discovered a wonderful treat from debut author Carey Baldwin. She had sent me an eARC of her debut novel, FIRST DO NO EVIL, Blood Secrets Book 1 from Samhain Publishing, releasing June 26, 2012. It seems I was the first person to enter her first contest on her brand new website - love being in the right place at the right time. Added bonus, she's a debut author and you know how I love debut authors.

Blurb for FIRST DO NO EVIL:

One killer is in her blood. The other is in her house.

There’s a killer lurking in Dr. Skylar Novak’s family tree: the gene for breast cancer. That’s why her brilliant brother invented the Bella vaccine. But even if the miracle drug protects her from the cancer that took her mother’s life, it can’t save Sky from the flesh and bone evil stalking her in secret.
When the killer strikes, detective Daniel Benson finds himself in the wrong place at the right time. The bold detective manages to save Sky’s life…just in time for her to return the favor. Survival leads to seduction, and Danny risks everything—his career, even his life, to keep Sky safe. But will the buried sins they uncover cost him her heart?
Danny’s strong arms may hold her close, but only Sky can stop the terror that’s coming next…

Product Warnings
Contents include: One heart-melting hero—good luck getting this delicious detective out of your head. One reluctant heroine—wielding a Glock was never on her to-do list. One crazed villain—an entire flock of baa baa black sheep won’t be enough to put you to sleep. And a lifesaving vaccine with one deadly side effect—murder.

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Dr. Sky Novak is no stranger to crime or the aftermath but when months later she is confronted with the idea that she may be next or her brother, Garth, she turns to the one man she hopes can help her make sense of things.

Detective Danny Benson puts his life on the line all the time as a cop but when he entered Jolene's diner that cold morning he hadn't expected to meet Sky Novak or come quite so close to death. In the aftermath, while rehabilitating, Danny starts questioning the events of that day. That day that Jack Spurlock robbed Jolene's, held Neveah Flores at gun point and threatened to kill Sky if her brother didn't sit down and shut up. For a robbery, it was all so atypical that Danny couldn't let it go.

It isn't difficult for Danny to convince Sky that this was no ordinary robbery for she had already started to question the coincidences between the Halloween night that her father was killed and this Halloween robbery that left her fiance and the criminal dead, Danny severely injured and Neveah too frightened to return to work at the diner. There was one thing that tied both events together - Skylar Novak. Was there a serial killer behind both events? Was Sky the target or only those around her? As Sky begins to examine her world and the world of those around her, more questions are raised than answered. As Sky begins to worry for the safety of others around her, her own feelings for Danny begin to go far beyond trust and safety. When she asks him to teach her to shoot a gun, he gladly agrees on the condition that she tell him the truth about everything. It's this truth that pulls them closer and opens the door to things that might be best left unknown.

I wish I could tell you more but if I do, I'll ruin the read for you. FIRST DO NO EVIL by Carey Baldwin is an action-packed, grab you by the throat and not let you go until the very end, story! This being her debut novel, Carey Baldwin has hit an A+ grade. She's created great characters and a plot that twists and turns so many times that when you start to see it come together, you'll smack your forehead and say, "why didn't I see that coming?" I am a little disappointed, Carey, that you actually used the word snuck ... sorry, English major in me that makes me cringe at such slang.

FIRST DO NO EVIL, Blood Secrets Book 1 by Carey Baldwin is a romantic suspense that will have you gripping your ereader while worrying if you're going to be able to sleep after turning off the light. There's nothing like a well-plotted serial killer on the lose story to give you chills and heighten your senses. Throw in a hot sexy detective and a doctor heroine whose no shrinking violet and you've got yourself one excellent, steamy romance filled spine tingling suspense that you won't soon forget.

I highly recommend FIRST DO NO EVIL by Carey Baldwin for anyone who loves suspense, a killer on the loose who when revealed makes your blood run cold and a heroine who will have you cheering when she shows her true iron self. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next in the Blood Secrets series and Carey Baldwin is definitely now on my list of authors I read.

Happy Reading Everyone!
(Don't forget there's still time to win a signed e-copy of THE WHITE SWAN AFFAIR by Elyse Mady at the Wacky Wednesday post and I'll be choosing 2 new winners in the A WARRIOR'S PROMISE by Donna Fletcher giveaway since 2 past winners never responded. All will be announced in a special post on Saturday - stay tuned.)

FIRST DO NO EVIL, Blood Secrets Book 1 by Carey Baldwin, Samhain Publishing, release date - June 26, 2012 in ebood format.