Author: tropicaldelusions

Hi there! I am Mel and I love to read!! My favorite genres are typically mystery/thriller, adventure/suspense and occasionally chick lit/romance stories (when the mystery/thrillers get to be too much, which isn't too often!) I have just started to write reviews for Amazon, Goodreads and this blog, although I am a novice to blogging, so THIS is a work in progress - as you can see the reviews are numerous and the true blogs are few - I'll hopefully be improving on that as time goes on!! I'm looking to network, give some newer authors some exposure and to perhaps explore myself a bit in this whole process!! I am a critical care turned CDI nurse, recently transplanted to coastal Florida, from New England. (Would love to assist with medical/hospital verbiage/scenes for authors!) I love a great cup (or pot) of coffee, day trips, visiting state parks and other nature made places, and exploring/photographing wildlife. And birds...I am a HUGE bird/nature nerd!! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Identity – Nora Roberts

Morgan Nash Albright seems to have it all – a fixer-upper in Baltimore, a great job as a bartender, a strict business plan for the future – and a great roommate, Nina, whom she adores.  So, when a great guy, named Luke Hudson wanders into the bar and the two hit it off, it seems too good to be true. Even more so when they start spending time together and Luke comes home for dinner. Unbeknownst to Morgan, Luke is a serial con man – who ends his con with murder. 

But Luke’s plans for Morgan are interrupted, when he breaks into her home, not realizing that Nina is home sick.  When Nina confronts Luke, he acts swiftly, assaulting Nina, leaving her dead on the floor, and staging a ‘robbery’ before he flees the state. When Morgan finds Nina dead and learns the truth from the FBI – that Luke is a con man, named Gavin Rozwell, and that she is the only survivor of his spree – she decides to head home to her family in Vermont. 

As Morgan slowly adjusts to life with her mother and grandmother, she begins to heal. With her family’s assistance she finds a position as a manager for Apres, an upscale establishment in a resort close to home, owned and operated by the Jameson family.  As she carefully carves her niche in the resorts’ operations, she finally starts feeling like herself again – and slowly begins to nurture a relationship with Miles Jameson, the quiet, brooding Jameson son. 

Meanwhile, Gavin Rozwell is out there somewhere – and he is becoming more and more obsessed with the one that got away. His next victim is found wearing a locket stolen from Morgan. A bracelet is found on the following victim. Knowing it is only a matter of time before Gavin returns to finish what he started, both families rally around Morgan to keep her safe.  But will it be enough?! 

Another fantastic, mesmerizing, although predictable read from Nora Roberts. Even knowing that the novel would end happily, I stayed up half the night just to get to the end.  And Howl – he was the icing on the cake!  As with any “Nora Novel”, I highly recommend!!  

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

The Soulmate – Sally Hepworth

Pippa and Gabe, along with their young daughters Freya & Asha, seem to be living an idyllic life in Portsea, Australia, with an oceanside cottage in an area called Millionaire’s Walk by the locals.  Perched atop a seaside cliff, their views are magnificent.  As the book opens, Pippa explains to her readers how she is happily married to the man she calls her soulmate, and she expounds on the various qualities of his personality, one of them being his ability to talk people off of a ledge – literally.  Millionaire’s Walk is also home to ‘The Drop’, a high cliff occasionally used as a suicide site by those in pain.  However, since Pippa and Gabe moved in, he has successfully thwarted all attempts made, by talking – and listening – to those who come to The Drop with plans of death. Tonight, is one of those nights, as the family spots a young woman walking along the cliffs.  As Pippa calls the police, Gabe heads out to speak to the young woman, in hopes of changing her mind and getting her away from the cliffside. As Pippa looks out the window to check on Gabe’s progress, she’s horrified to see him standing at the edge of the cliff, arms outstretched…the young woman nowhere in sight. 

As the police investigate, Pippa discovers that her husband has not been entirely honest with the officers – or with her. She soon comes to realize that Amanda was the wife of Gabe’s former employer – therefore the two knew each other. Did Amanda jump? Or did something else happen entirely??  Told from the perspectives of Pippa in ‘then’ & ‘now’ segments, and Amanda via ‘before’ and ‘after’ timelines, the reader takes a wide-eyed journey into the lives of these two seemingly separate couples, their lives, loves, desires & troubles, all culminating in an absolutely wild ride!! I read this in a single sitting – I just could not put it down!!  

Available April 4th from your favorite bookseller!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

The Wrong Bones – Melinda Leigh 

It’s late evening on Widow’s Island in Washington and Deputy Tessa Black is heading home from patrol when she sees a small figure dart across the road, seemingly coming from the nearby cemetery.  She stops to assess the situation and finds three local kids, who, while playing hide and seek, spotted a ghostly figure digging a grave.  Tess heads in to see for herself, and catches a darkly cloaked figure with a shovel, who turns and runs as she approaches.  She chases him to a fence line where he climbs the fence and takes off, but not before leaving a box on the ground.  Much to Tess’s shock, the box contains human remains…

A quick examination by the medical examiner determines that the bones belonged to a young woman – and that she was murdered. A unique feature makes her easily identifiable – and it’s determined that she disappeared from nearby Bainbridge Island less than a year ago…but how did she wind up here, in a box, with someone trying to bury her bones? A killer’s remorse? Or something more.  Tess, and fiancé Logan, a State Forest Ranger, are determined to find out. 

This may be a ‘novella’, but it’s a fast-paced, who-dun-it and delivers all of the ingredients you’d expect from a full sized novel – suspense, murder, intrigue, dysfunctional characters, and a sweet ending – from two of my favorite authors! Great read – great series! If you enjoy murder and mayhem, you’ll love these authors and this series! 

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Montlake in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

A Hard Day for a Hangover – Darynda Jones

Police Chief Sunshine Vicram and the colorful residents of Del Sol, New Mexico are back once more in another hilarious and unforgettable read! 

It’s just another day in Del Sol when Sunshine and her 2nd in command Quincy find themselves assessing an assault victim in the ED, a telltale knitting needle buried deep in his neck. But this isn’t any assault victim – it’s Doug the Flasher – and Sunshine figures that he finally flashed his pride and joy to the wrong person.  As Sunshine questions the victim,  Quincy sees that she is distracted, and calls her on it, allowing her to reflect (and update potential new readers) on the recent events that occurred between her and the town’s bad boy, Levi Ravinder – like his complete silence when she revealed to him that he was the father of her daughter, Auri, followed by his sudden disappearance when she tried to place him in protective custody for his safety, and taking Quincy’s police cruiser with him, to boot! 

As the duo finishes their interview with Doug, they head back to the Station, where they soon learn that a hunter has spotted a body, somewhere in Copper Canyon. As she and Quincy arrive on scene, they learn that the young female is alive, and group together to plan their rescue. Out of the blue, the aforementioned cruiser thief, Levi, walks up like he never left, and assists with getting the girl to safety. But now Sunshine has a real mystery on her hands – who harmed this girl and why? Have there been other victims? 

As Sunshine and Levi rekindle past feelings, she and her crew work to solve this latest mystery, while Auri – and every bit a chip off the old block, much to Sunshine’s delight and dismay – starts her own investigation into the going’s on around town, coming surprisingly close to the truth in doing so – and drawing a killer’s attention.  As a field trip gone awry becomes a game of cat and mouse, Auri must use her wits to outmaneuver the killer until her Mom and the rest of the force can arrive…

This was the third and final installment of a delightfully funny series, and I am so sad to see these characters and their exploits end.  I can only hope that somehow, the author and publisher will re-consider extending these characters, and the colorful townspeople of Del Sol for some more laugh-out-loud action and suspense!  I don’t think I could ever get enough.  In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for some of her older works – these novels were that good!!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Montlake in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!