Showing posts with label Lisa Renee Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lisa Renee Jones. Show all posts
Thursday, June 1, 2023

You Look Beautiful Tonight by L.R. Jones




 

Publication: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Source: Author/Publisher

 

Synopsis:

 

A secret admirer’s devotion turns deadly in a twisting novel of psychological suspense.

Mia Anderson is an invisible woman. An unremarkable thirty-two-year-old Tennessee librarian, she’s accustomed to disappearing in a crowd, unseen and unheard. Then she receives an anonymous note: You look beautiful today.

It doesn’t stop there. The attentive stranger—a secret admirer named Adam—has plans for Mia. With each new text comes a suggestion for her hair, clothes, or attitude, and for the first time in memory, Mia feels noticed. Slowly, she develops a confidence in herself she’s never had. But Adam has a surprise coming…and Mia finally sees him for who he is and what he’s prepared to do for her. Even kill.

Fearing she could be implicated in the murder, Mia’s forced to turn to the stranger in the shadows watching her every move. Adam’s game of cat and mouse begins with Mia as the prey. In order to survive, she must also become the predator.



******

 

Mia is an interesting character. She tends to overthink things and in most cases those thoughts tend to be negative and reflect her insecurities. Mia’s two close friends Jack and Jess are complete opposites but are obviously care about Mia a lot in their own way. 

 

This is a slow burn story. 40% into the book and nothing exciting had happened. Unless you count a couple of mystery notes from a possible stalker. Even though it took a bit before the story hit its stride, I was still engaged in the story and the characters. I enjoy a good mystery, so when Mia started getting mysterious notes, I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next. I wasn’t a fan of how some of the things played out in the last big scene, however I was surprised by the ending. This was not my most favorite book by this author, though I did enjoy it and will continue to read her books. L.R. Jones is a pseudonym for Lisa Renee Jones. 

 



**Though I received this book on behalf of the Author, the thoughts and opinions expressed are solely my own.**

 

 



 

RATING: 3 OUT OF 5.

 


 

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Friday, November 30, 2018

Murder Notes (Lilah Love #1) by Lisa Renee Jones




Publication: March 27, 2018
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Source: Purchased My Own Copy.

Synopsis:
New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones’s heart-pounding thriller of a woman’s secrets—and a past that’s about to come out of hiding…

As an FBI profiler, it’s Lilah Love’s job to think like a killer. And she is very good at her job. When a series of murders surface—the victims all stripped naked and shot in the head—Lilah’s instincts tell her it’s the work of an assassin, not a serial killer. But when the case takes her back to her hometown in the Hamptons and a mysterious but unmistakable connection to her own life, all her assumptions are shaken to the core.

Thrust into a troubled past she’s tried to shut the door on, Lilah’s back in the town where her father is mayor, her brother is police chief, and she has an intimate history with the local crime lord’s son, Kane Mendez. The two share a devastating secret, and only Kane understands Lilah’s own darkest impulses. As more corpses surface, so does a series of anonymous notes to Lilah, threatening to expose her. Is the killer someone in her own circle? And is she the next target?

******

Lilah Love is a profiler with the FBI. She has a knack for getting inside the head of a killer. But when a body turns up bearing the same tattoo of an attacker from her past, memories start to flood her and she finds herself back home in the Hamptons. To the one person place she never wanted to go back to.

Kane Mendez is no stranger to secrets. As head of the Menendez family cartel he knows a thing or two about getting things done quietly and effectively. He also knows a thing or two about Lilah Love since they dated until she decided to leave town a couple of years ago.

Lilah comes back into town with murder on her mind and the plan to stay as far away from Kane as possible. She needs to find out who is killing these people ASAP. When she starts to receive taunting notes however, she realizes she has very few people she can actually trust.

Lilah and Kane are opposites in some ways and similar in others. They're not exactly on the same side of the law and yet they work very well together. I love the push and pull of their relationship. Their attraction/chemistry to each other, even though it simmers just below the surface at first, is undeniable. Lilah has a badge, yet Kane has connections everywhere and can help her get further in her investigation. But can she trust him? Lilah soon discovers that one thing's for sure; in the Hamptons, nothing is black and white and everyone seems to have a secret.

Fair warning... This book ends with a cliffhanger, but luckily the second book, Murder Girl is already out so you can pick up right where you left off.


RATING: 4 out of 5.


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Friday, March 23, 2018

What Would These Romantic Suspense Heroines Do With Lisa Renee Jones, Melinda Leigh, and Elisabeth Naughton & Giveaway!!


This month bestselling authors Lisa Renee Jones, Elisabeth Naughton, and Melinda Leigh are each releasing thrilling romantic suspense novels. But while they write in the same genre, you can expect very different stories.


Lisa kicks off her new Lilah Love series with a bang in Murder Notes. When copycat murders plague her hometown, FBI profiler Lilah Love is sent to investigate. But she returns to find hidden secrets from her past aren’t staying hidden and the danger swirling around her is just beginning.


 Elisabeth continues her RITA award Deadly Secrets series with Protected. Fashion designer Kelsey McClane rolls her eyes when her overprotective brothers saddle her with a bodyguard while she is on a press tour, however, she’s more than thankful to have former Army Ranger Hunter O’Donnell on her side when a deadly explosion hits too close to home.



Morgan Dane is back in Melinda Leigh’s unforgettable new story Bone’s Don’t Lie. In this outing Morgan stands by her man as Lance attempts to unearth the secrets of his father’s decades old murder. Morgan quickly realizes that just because the case is cold, doesn’t mean the original killer isn’t out for more blood.



Interested in learning more about these books? Continue reading as the Lisa, Elisabeth, and Melinda play a not-always-nice game of “What Would Your Heroine Do?” that will give you an inside look at their characters and enter the giveaway to win copies of the authors’ full series.



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What would your heroine do if she feels like someone is following her, yet she can’t prove it?

Lisa: Well funnily enough in the first book of my Lilah Love series, Murder Notes, Lilah is being followed, but she can prove it as her stalker is quite blatant and goading with their practices. However, if Lilah couldn’t prove it, she would probably cuss a blue streak, as she’s prone to do, and make herself bait in order to lure her stalker out. She’s definitely not afraid of any danger, she is an FBI agent after all, and she loves nothing more than to best someone at their own game.

Elisabeth: This actually happens in Protected! I don’t want to give too much away, but Kelsey would definitely turn to someone she trusts for help. In this case...Hunter O’Donnell...the hero of Protected.

Melinda: The first thing Morgan would do is determine if she was actually being followed. She'd make some turns then see if the car was still behind her. If it was, she would never drive home and lead a potential stalker to her family. Instead, she’d head somewhere public and call PI Lance Kruger. Together, they’d try to trap whoever was following her.

What would your heroine do if the man in her life was injured and in the hospital?

Elisabeth: Freak out. LOL Actually I think her reaction is dependent on how and when he was injured and whether she thinks she’s somehow responsible.

Lisa: Lilah’s man, Kane, is forbidden fruit. He brings out her dark side. He’s on the wrong side of the law. He helped her do something very bad and she wants to blame him, but really blames herself. She can’t really be with him but she loves him. If he were hurt, she’d try to play it cool. She would put on a strong face at first, but she would go to Kane and the minute he catches her showing that she cares, he’d point it out. He’d make her admit it. She’d, in turn, deny her feelings and tell him in no uncertain terms that he’s screwed with her schedule and he better not f-ing do it again. She’d tell him she hates him for making her worry but that means she loves him, and he knows it, too. She’d try to go after his enemy, and Kane, would go after her.

Melinda: Since, Lance frequently gets himself into trouble, Morgan has some experience with this. She is protective and loyal and always wants to be by his side.

What would your heroine do if she receives an anonymous text accusing her of committing a heinous crime?

Elisabeth: Kelsey would be shocked first. Then become angry and want to track down the sender of the text.

Melinda: Having been stalked in the past, Morgan takes threats seriously. She would want to find out who sent her this text. She would try to trace the phone number, enlisting the help of experienced investigator Lincoln Sharp or computer whiz Jenny Kruger if necessary. In the meantime, she’d be extra vigilant — and so would Lance.

Lisa: In the opening Duet that launches the Lilah Love Series, Lilah isn’t getting text messages, but rather notes, left for her. They are very “I Know What You Did Last Summer” since she really did something bad. She isn’t one to be played with though, so Lilah goes on the attack, seeking out her note writer.

What would your heroine do if she wins a surprise trip to a faraway tropical island?

Melinda: Single mom Morgan has not had a vacation in ages. She'd talk her sister into babysitting her three kids and pack her bags! Or… could she save the trip as a potential future honeymoon?

Lisa: I don’t think I can picture Lilah on a vacation, she’s such a workaholic! But as far as her response to winning it, she’d probably say she has far too many dead bodies to deal with and then handoff the winnings to someone else.

Elisabeth: Kelsey is skeptical of everything so I’m pretty sure she’d assume the surprise trip was a scam.

What would your heroine do if she has the choice to confront someone threatening her?

Elisabeth: The answer to this really depends on whether this confrontation happens at the before Protected or after. Kelsey’s journey through the book is really one of empowerment. At the start of Protected I don’t see her being confrontational with someone threatening her, but by the end she really comes into her own. She’s never going to be a kick-ass heroine like some of my other heroines, but she can definitely take care of herself.

Melinda: Morgan comes from a law enforcement family. Her father and grandfather, both former cops, taught her to defend herself when she was young. She would rather not get into a physical altercation unless it was absolutely unavoidable. She prefers to talk her way out of trouble. That said, she carries a gun and knows how to use it.

Lisa: Lilah does this on a daily, if not hourly basis. She sometimes even provokes the threat, so her response would be colorful, as are all of her responses, with a hint of condescending humor and her own threat in return.



About the Authors

Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Naughton now writes full-time. Her books have been nominated for some of the industry’s most prestigious awards, such as the RITA and Golden Heart Awards from Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Readers Award, and the Golden Leaf Award. When not dreaming up new stories, Naughton can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home. Protected is the third book in her Deadly Secrets series, following Gone and Repressed, which was a 2017 RITA winner in romantic suspense. Learn more about Elisabeth at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.







Lisa Renee Jones is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the highly acclaimed Inside Out series; the Dirty Money series; the White Lies duet; the Tall, Dark, and Deadly series; and The Secret Life of Amy Benson series. Murder Notes is the first book in the Lilah Love series. Visit her at www.lisareneejones.com.




Wall Street Journal
bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A lifelong lover of books, she started writing as a way to pre­serve her sanity when her youngest child entered first grade. During the next few years, she joined Romance Writers of America, learned a few things about writing a novel, and decided the process was way more fun than analyzing financial statements. Melinda’s debut novel, She Can Run, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She’s also garnered Golden Leaf and Silver Falchion awards, along with nominations for a RITA and three Daphne du Maurier Awards. Her other novels include She Can Tell, She Can Scream, She Can Hide, She Can Kill, Midnight Exposure, Midnight Sacrifice, Midnight Betrayal, Midnight Obsession, Hour of Need, Minutes to Kill, Seconds to Live, Say You’re Sorry, and Her Last Goodbye. She holds a second-degree black belt in Kenpo karate; teaches women’s self-defense; and lives in a messy house with her husband, two teenagers, a couple of dogs, and two rescue cats. You can learn more about the author at http://melindaleigh.com.



BUY MURDER NOTES: 
Releasing March 27, 2018
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BUY BONES DON’T LIE: 
Released March 13, 2018
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Released March 20, 2018
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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Escaping Reality by Lisa Renee Jones (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1)



Original Publication: July 22, 2013 
Re-published by Gallery Books on June 17, 2014.
Source: Purchased



Infinite possibilities….
Infinite passion…..
Infinite danger….

His touch spirals through me, warm and sweet, wicked and hot. I shouldn’t trust him. I shouldn’t tell him my secrets. But how do I not when he is the reason I breathe? He is what I need.


At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loves to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she’s finally dared to believe she is forgotten–even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets down her guard, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run. 

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take “no” as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?


Amy is on the run from someone. And just when she was beginning to make friends, and feel comfortable in her life, she has to take off and change her identity, again.

Leaving New York in favor of Denver, she meets billionaire Liam Stone. From the onset, there is a connection that between them that is both strong and scary. Amy is wary of getting close to anyone. Especially since she believes she can’t tell them the truth about her past and they might end up hurt. Liam’s self-assurance, sex appeal, and caring/protective nature begin to win Amy over. He knows Amy is hiding something from him, but he doesn’t push her to tell him.

Things get a little weird as the story progresses…suspicious characters join in the story, stuff doesn’t really add up, and more and more questions began to pop up for me. And just when I think the story is gearing up for some answers, I am faced with…a cliffhanger. I was very happy the second book was already out.

This was a fun read. I was easily swept up into the story and the lives of Amy and Liam. I was able to read it pretty quickly and I found I couldn’t end my weekend not knowing what was going to happen in book two, Infinite Possibilities.

If you are in the mood for a quick story filled with intense emotions, romance, and a little bit of suspense, then this story is easy to enjoy.



RATING: 3½ out of 5.



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Monday, June 17, 2013

Book Review: Being Me by Lisa Renee Jones



Publication: June 11, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Synopsis:

The sexy second installment in the Inside Out erotic romance trilogy, following If I Were You—in the seductive tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Fascinated by the dark fantasies in the journals she’s discovered, and the two men who have now found a place in her life, Sara McMillan finds herself torn between her new life and her past. Now, more than ever, Sara identifies with the lost journal writer, Rebecca, and is certain that something sinister has happened.

In the arms of the sexy, tormented artist Chris Merit, Sara seeks answers about Rebecca and ends up discovering things about herself she never knew existed. Chris forces Sara to reconsider who she is and what she truly wants from life, but not before his dark desires threaten to tear them apart. Her boss, Mark
Compton, offers her the shelter to understand just what those needs mean to her, and what they might have meant to Rebecca, but can she trust him to lead her to a final conclusion to Rebecca’s story?


After the cliff-hanger that left me on the edge of my seat in If I Were You, I could not wait for Being Me to be released. It was worth the wait.
Being Me picks up right where the first book ended and for me the storyline kept getting better with each chapter.
Chris and Sara are trying to adjust to each other in this new period of their relationship. After Chris’s big reveal in the first book, I wasn’t so sure that Sara would want to try and forge a relationship with him. But I am on Team Chris, so I was happy that she didn’t give up on him/them.
Sara wants Chris to be open and honest with her, and she kept questioning his past and making it a bigger deal than it actually was which kind of annoyed be in the beginning. Especially since she is hiding a big secret that is becoming hard for her to completely escape from.  Their relationship is far from perfect, but they are determined to be there for each other and make it work.
Apart from her relationship with Chris, Sara is still determined as ever to find out the truth about what happened to Rebecca and what is going on with her best friend Ella.
I was glad I read the four novellas of Rebecca’s Lost Journals before reading Being Me because they provided further insight into Rebecca and her life which I think helped when reading this story.
This series wouldn’t be so exciting to read if everything were sunshine and rainbows, so there are some surprises that occurred that I didn’t expect, but still enjoyed.
I loved this book just as much as the first one, and September 10th cannot come quickly enough for the third book in The Inside Out Trilogy, Revealing Us!

Rating: 4½ out of 5.
**I received this book on behalf of the Author in exchange for nothing except my honest opinion. Thank you.** 


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Mini Book Review: Rebecca’s Lost Journals, Vol. 4: My Master by Lisa Renee Jones



Publication: May 20, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Synopsis:
In part four of Rebecca’s Lost Journals, My Master, it’s Rebecca turn to claim control and set the limits in her relationship.

This is the fourth novella that continues to focus on Rebecca’s journey with her new Master.  The more time Rebecca spends with her Master, the deeper she begins to sink into His world and the more she loses of herself. She was once an independent young woman determined to get the most out of life no matter how hard she had to work. Now she is getting more dependent on her Master.
Lisa R. Jones does a good job at creating a story where the reading cares about Rebecca and wants to find out what happened to her. The main thing that I like about these novellas is that they give a greater insight into Rebecca and her thought process. I thought that if I read these novellas I would be completely satisfied and know everything that happened to Rebecca, but that didn’t happened. After finishing this volume I was left eagerly wanting more…

Rating: 4½ out of 5.
**I received this novella on behalf of the Author in exchange for nothing except my honest opinion.**
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**F.Y.I: If you still have yet to read Lisa Renee Jones first book in the Inside Out Trilogy If I Were You then now is your chance to buy it on sale for 3.99!**
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