Firewall by DiAnn Mills

The synopsis intrigued me immediately with this book...when catastrophe strikes a newlywed (mainly, an airport terminal blowing up enroute to their honeymoon) woman, and her husband may not be who is claimed to be...honestly- this it brought me in immediately. Right from the first chapter- action, intrigue- questions!!! So awesome. 

Forgive the fact that I don't have a nice photo of this book- I read it on my phone, so I grabbed an image off of google! 

PLOT:

Started intense straight from chapter 1, and always kept a good pace and flow throughout the book. This plot was multilayered and COMPLEX, people. There were so many plot strains and levels going on...as each one was presented and uncovered, I was like, whet?!! So impressed. People. This plot was GOLDEN. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

Some kissing, attraction, falling in love- that kinda stuff. This book is a romance! As our MC is a newlywed, the first chapter beginning the morning after Taryn and Shep are married, she remembers how passionate their wedding night was, etc etc. but nothing is explained or expanded on. Mentions made to Shep always wondering why she waited for marriage...that kinda thing. 

VIOLENCE: 

There's an explosion in an airport terminal. Lot's of people end up dead, or injured. Hand to hand combat. Someone is taken out via a long distance sniper shot, shot at close range, drugged, etc. A character finds someone murdered in their house, their throat having been slashed and a pool of blood surrounding them. 

CONCLUSION: 

I loved this book. The suspense kept me turning the pages in rapid fire, waiting to see what would happen next, how everything would work itself out- it was marvellous. So many plot twists. So many turns and unexpected events. I enjoyed the characters, the slight romance, the plot, everything. I loved this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the suspense genre. 

5 Stars & recommend this book for ages 17+. Again, some 16 year olds would dig this one, but for some, 18 would be better. It's different for every reader. 

Weep In The Night by Valerie Massey Goree

PLOT: 

Took a while to get going into suspense land- it laid a good foundation before getting more intense, which was fine with me. The groundwork wasn't at all boring, and it gave us a good background to work with. 

SEXUAl CONTENT: 

Not much. A few kisses. Characters fall in love, are attracted to each other- etc. This is a romance, fyi :)
An agent running a protection detail for Sadie (he's a flirt) suggests getting a hotel room (for surveillance purposes) and says, "We could rent a room and watch from there. Have a little fun while we wait." He waggled his eyebrows.' To which Sadie replies,  "Here? Are you kidding? I require a five star hotel."

VIOLENCE: 

Manhandling, some hand to hand combat, people get shot in a scuffle, someone is run off the road and drowns in a river (not experienced firsthand, but recounted later on) someone is drugged, another time a character tries suffocating someone with a pillow, unsuccessfully. 

CONCLUSION: 

Never read anything by Valerie Massey Goree before, but I really enjoyed this book. The suspense was great, the plot well constructed, the characters lovable and relatable, and the romance sweet. 

The only thing I wasn't so much a fan of was the religious content- it just didn't catch me, but I can separate that and still enjoyed this read. 

4.5 Stars & I'd recommend this book for 16-17+ 

SIDE NOTES:

Also, this is the first book I've read (of hundreds) that had the spelling of okay, as OK. To me, it looked weird in print, as I've always read it as okay, not OK. It felt like a bit of a splash of cold water to the face each time I came across it- but that spelling is not a maker or breaker for a book, it was just...strange. Anyone else have thoughts on the spelling? 

Eye For An Eye by Irene Hannon

PLOT: 

Kept a steady flow throughout the book. 

However, I will say upfront that if the idea of a psychotic killer who thinks he's doing God's work by murdering an innocent person, is not your jam, don't read this book. On the flip side, if you enjoy villains who are mentally askance and think they're doing God a favour and following 'The Good Book' by killing innocents, you'll be having a field day with this book. Just a heads up. It seems Hannon has a thing for creating psychotic religious villains. 

SEXUAL CONTENT: 

Our two MC's used to know each other in high school- dated, in fact, so they have memories of their time together. During the course of the book, they kiss many times, appreciate the way the other person's body is built or how attractive they are, a few times (this is clothed appreciation ;) kissing, being attacted to each other, etc. etc. this is a romantic suspense- so romance is definitely on the menu, but nothing is really steamy. 

There is reference made to someone purchasing a drug with street names like 'Easy Lay, Liquid Ecstasy' and other names- it keeps the body's muscles from responding to the brain's commands (basically paralyzing the user) and muddles the brain whilst keeping the user (or victim) conscious but not thinking entirely straight. While it is not used as it is intended, mention is made that it is a date-rape drug that predators use on unsuspecting women. 

VIOLENCE: 

This is a crime fiction novel, so with law enforcement, comes a certain level of violence. 

A teen commits suicide (we don't see it, but it is relayed by another character) by hanging himself in a barn. Another character is on a murdering rampage. Some typical crime fiction type guns/fighting whatnot. 

CONCLUSION: 

For me, the only thing I really enjoyed about this book was the romance between our two MC's. I enjoyed them together and would have read a book just about them falling in love, outside a suspense environment. 

I'm a huge suspense fiction fan, but honestly, Hannon's psychotic killers who think they are doing God a favor- I've had enough of them. It's gotten old, and it takes suspense fiction to a different level, that I just don't jive with. To me, it's annoying and not at all amusing, entertaining or complex. I realize sick people like the villains in her books exist, but I almost feel that creating a psychotic killer who is beyond insanity- is a very poor writing crutch, and apart from that- grotesque on multiple levels. 

However, that is just my personal opinion. I know a lot of people love psychotic killer villains. I'm just not one of them. 

I keep coming back to Hannon's fiction, somehow forgetting that after every book I read, I feel gross and disturbed and like I wasted several hours on a majorly warped villain. I think I might have set sail from the Irene Hannon fiction-dom. Who knows. 

I just don't appreciate it when the story almost feels like it's more centred around the villain, than it is the MC's. I'm reading the book for the MC's, not the creepy villains that still disgust you long after you put the book down. 

2 Stars for my enjoyment of the MC's romance, and I'd recommend this book for at least 18+