Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Release Day Review: "Second Shield II: The Return" by Stacy Eaton


Synopsis:
Six weeks after the biggest case of her life, Sgt. MacKenzie "Mack" McCallister receives information that changes her future. With the man she loves on the opposite side of the country, Mack isn't sure she can do it on her own.

Special Agent Andrew Cooper is dealing with the hardest thing he has ever had to face, and in order to do it, he must shelve his feelings for Mack and pray that she will be there when he returns.

As time passes, Mack focuses her attention on the serial killer investigation and forces thoughts of Drew out of her mind. When emotions are running high, Drew returns, and everything in Mack's world is turned upside down.

It will fall to Drew who will figure out the missing pieces of the serial murder investigation, but will he be able to do it before he loses Mack forever?

While Second Shield II: The Return is a sequel to Second Shield, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. To better understand some of the details of this book, it is recommended to read the first one.

My Review:
Another wonderful, emotional, tear-jerking story from author Stacy Eaton. For fans of Second Shield, while much was resolved at the end of Second Shield, the future of Drew and Mack's relationship was left uncertain as Drew headed to the left coast to care for the dying mother of his children and Mack finds herself in an unplanned situation. Second Shield II picks up where Second Shield leaves off, introduces a new serial criminal for Mack and her crew to apprehend, and leaves the reader and Mack wondering where she can find her happily-ever-after with Drew. 

I love how Drew was committed to caring for Anna at the end of her life, and being there for his kids, but as many men do, he doesn't handle his relationship with Mack well. But thankfully, Mack and Drew have friends that help them find their way, and help Drew get his head out of his, well, you know where, and fight for what's important to him.

Emotions run high throughout the book and I found myself in tears a number of times throughout the book. Sad tears as well as happy tears. The book comes to a satisfying conclusion and the bad guy is identified and the crimes are solved. Another great read from Stacy Eaton.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:

About the Author:
Stacy worked in law enforcement for almost sixteen years, but recently retired to write full time. During her last three years, she was assigned as the department investigator and enjoyed putting the pieces together to figure out the crime.

Stacy is also a business owner for an on-line retail store that caters to people who wish to show their awareness for their favorite causes.

Stacy resides in Southeastern PA with her husband, who is a law enforcement officer and her teen daughter who is half way to achieving her 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. She also has a grown son who is married and serves in the United States Navy.

Stacy loves music, photography and Disney. To date, she has published fourteen stories with many more to come as she settles into her new retirement.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Spotlight: "The Goodbye Year" by Kaira Rouda


Melanie, a perfectionist mom who views the approaching end of parenting as a type of death, can’t believe she has only one more year to live vicariously through her slacker senior son, Dane. Gorgeous mom Sarah has just begun to realize that her only daughter, Ashley, has been serving as a stand-in for her traveling husband, and the thought of her daughter leaving for college is cracking the carefully cultivated façade of her life. Will and his wife are fine—as long as he follows the instructions on the family calendar and is sure to keep secret his whole other life with Lauren, the woman he turns to for fun (and who also happens to have a daughter in the senior class).

Told from the points of view of both the parents and the kids, The Goodbye Year explores high school peer pressure, what it’s like for young people to face the unknown of life after high school, and how a transition that should be the beginning of a couple’s second act together—empty nesting—might possibly be the end.


Available to buy from....

“Rouda deftly examines the difficult transition parents and their children face as they prepare for the end of one life and the beginning of another. Her latest is a compelling story and a thoughtful examination of the nature of change and the importance of working to accept it.” ―Booklist 

 “The Goodbye Year is an often hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, always engaging look at the last year before high school seniors leave their families for good. I devoured it!” -Meg Mitchell Moore, author of The Admissions, So Far Away, and The Arrivals 

 "The family dramas and dynamics are things that we can all relate to..." -Redbook magazine, "20 Best Books to Read Come Spring" 

 "Kaira Rouda channels Peyton Place meets The Real Housewives of Orange County with her newest book, The Goodbye Year.” ―Working Mother magazine 

About the Author
Kaira Rouda is a USA Today bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary women's fiction and sexy modern romance novels that sparkle with humor and heart.

Her women's fiction titles include THE GOODBYE YEAR, HERE, HOME, HOPE, ALL THE DIFFERENCE and IN THE MIRROR. Her bestselling short story is titled, A MOTHER'S DAY. Her sexy contemporary romance series include the LAGUNA BEACH Series, the INDIGO ISLAND Series with a new MALIBU Series launching in 2016.

Her nonfiction titles, REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, and REAL YOU FOR AUTHORS: 8 Essentials for Women Writers (available for free download on her website) continue to inspire.

Kaira's work has won numerous awards including the Indie Excellence Award, USA Book Awards, the Reader's Choice Awards and honorable mention in the Writer's Digest International Book Awards. She lives in Southern California with her husband and four almost-grown kids, and is at work on her next novel.
Find the author on the following sites...


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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
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