STATE OF THE UNION by Marie Force

First Family Book 3
HTJB, Inc
September 20^th, 2022
978-1-952793-83-7
Contemporary, Crime/Police, Romantic Suspense
PaperbackReviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Self Purchase

4 Hearts

The biggest night of President Cappuano’s life is here, and he has no idea if his wife, Lt. Samantha Holland will show up for his first State of the Union Address. For Sam, trying to balance being a working mom and first lady is like juggling chainsaws while they are on. With a puzzling case and trying to support her husband Nick as he deals with one thing after another as President, Sam is on edge over everything. But as times get tough, Nick and Sam find themselves drawing on their shared strength as a couple while dealing with issues between family, friends and work. For with these two, when push comes to shove, Nick and Sam turn to one another to fight for their family, their lives and more.

STATE OF THE UNION continues the First Family spin-off of the Fatal Series with an explosive addition as Sam finds herself tugged in so many directions at work and at home, she has figure out her footing before it gets so bad, she is swept away from it all. Nick is dealing with one crisis after another as well as the bubble he has put himself and his family in as the First Family of the United States. With each book in this series, Marie Force delivers an explosive storyline that will keep you glued to the pages till the very end. I couldn’t put this book down and that ending has me on tenterhooks waiting for State of Shock in December to get here. With each book I read from this author, I fall more in love with her world building, her entertaining and complex characters, and the storylines she crafts has me in awe over her talent to create such masterpieces.

STATE OF THE UNION picks up a few months after State of Grace (book 2) and we get to see how Sam, Nick and their family is dealing with being thrust into the world’s spotlight as well as dealing with the fishbowl they are dealt with. Concessions by Sam in regard to her job as Metro PD’s Homicide Lieutenant is trying to do her job as a police officer as well as being the First Lady as well. I love, love, love how this author captures Sam’s issues head on as she balances two jobs, being a working mom, her family and her marriage to Nick. For me, this keeps it real instead of everything being all great and fairytales. The challenges Sam faces are relatable (though not sure about the whole First lady aspect but as a working mom), I love how the author gets how conflicted Sam can be as she deals with another baffling case, the demands on her as First Lady and more. STATE OF THE UNION delivers so much in terms in character development and the fact that it is relatable as working parents with demanding career trying to juggle everything. I got to admit a few times I was as annoyed as Sam as the case she is dealing with delivers no leads time and again. The last half of the book is when all those twists and turns delivers the climatic ending that left me in shock. I won’t spoil it in case you haven’t read this one yet but suffice to say December can not get here fast enough for me to see what happens next.

Marie Force is one of my favorite authors and an auto-buy or me whenever she has a new release and STATE OF THE UNION is a crown jewel in my mind. I love how she keeps the tension woven through the story as well as some light heartedness as well to break it up a little, get the reader to smile and laugh as it turns back to serious issues. Ms. Force has a gift of storytelling on par with Nora Roberts and Patricia Briggs in that they completely capture the readers attention and delivers stories that you can not put down.

STATE OF THE UNION delivers more than two main characters fighting to solve the case and live another day. It’s about balance, love in all its forms, family, and friends and more. In this, Marie Force gives us, the readers, a series that is full of those heartbreaking moments as well as those healing moments that will steal your heart. I can not recommend this author the most because she delivers in STATE OF THE UNION in more ways than one and this time, I am eager to see just what else she has in store for Sam and Nick as they embark on this adventure as First Family.

 

This is an Objective review and not an endorsement

 

STATE OF AFFAIRS by Marie Force

A First Family Novel Book 1, Spinoff of Fatal Series

HTJB Inc|
April 20^th, 2021
978-1-952793-17-2
Romantic Suspense
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Self-Purchase

5 Hearts

 

It’s the phone call that changed their lives. When Vice President Nick Cappuano was informed the President has died suddenly, he finds himself promoted to President and his family is now on the biggest stage of their lives. As Sam and Nick try to deal with the suddenness of Nick’s changed position in the White House, Sam is also working on a current murder investigation that has ties to a cold case that has haunted her for fifteen years. As their lives spin out of control as changes come left and right for their family, Nick and Sam find that if they stand together, they can get through anything, big or small.

 

STATE OF AFFAIRS is a new direction in the Fatal Series by Marie Force.  I can honestly attest that I adore this series with a passion. It has amazing characters, an author who delivers a story that has heart, suspense that will keep you invested in solving and a contemporary world where you can relate to the main characters and their families/friends. Ms. Force delivers a knockout introduction to Sam and Nick’s new direction in their life in STATE OF AFFAIRS and gives her readers a story that will keep you highly entertained as well as glued to the pages till the end. What I love about this author’s books is how real these characters are to me. I mean, Sam is a kick-ass police Lieutenant who has a knack for solving crime mysteries; Nick who is determined to keep his promises to his wife and young family while serving in politics and you fall in love with them as they unite to face whatever obstacle life throws at them. They are so beautifully written and life-like it makes me want to hang with them and see what transcends the pages into real life.

 

STATE OF AFFAIRS is more about the new direction in their lives but also about them, their family and how they can cope with the most unsettled changes they find they now have to navigate. With the flourish of a keystroke, Ms. Force delivers on everything while also keeping the reader glued to the pages till the very last page is read. What I want to know now is…. When is book two out and why so long of a wait? If you want to enjoy Sam and Nick’s journey to this new direction then I highly recommend starting from the very beginning in Fatal Affair and be prepared, their connection with one another is off the charts hot and you just might need a cold drink after reading these books.

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

 

CROSS HER HEART by Melinda Leigh

Bree Taggert Series Book 1

Montlake Publishing

March 17^th, 2020

978-1542006927

Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Thriller Crime Fiction

Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Self Purchase

4 Hearts

 

For Detective Bree Taggert, her life growing up was been rough as her parents’ deaths in a murder-suicide left a lasting impact on her and her two siblings. Now an adult, she finds herself back Grey’s Hollow and the memories there. Finding out her sister was murdered, her estranged husband missing, and considered a person of interest has Bree joining forces wit former deputy Matt Flynn to get to the bottom of the mystery. But as their investigation unfolds, Bree and Matt discover that danger lurks closer than they think as they close in on the murderer and this time the danger hits closer to home for Bree as her family is caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous individual determined to close all loose ends regardless the cost.

CROSS HER HEART is an amazing introduction to the new series by Melinda Leigh that is full of twists and turns that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat right up till the last page is turned. It is full of captivating characters, a mystery that will leave you guessing and a potential romance between Bree and Matt that will keep the reader glued to the pages. The story just flows smoothly and kept me glued to the pages, wondering what would happen next. I didn’t know who the bad guy was until almost to the end and was shocked by it. The twists and turns the author throws in the story were perfect and had me hanging on the edge wondering what would happen next.

Meet Philadelphia detective Bree Taggert. She left Grey’s Hollow after her parent’s murder-suicide as a child and hasn’t been back in years. Now with a desperate call from her sister Erin, Bree is back and determined to find her sister’s killer. I love, love, love Bree. She’s strong, relatable, and quite determined. Her vulnerabilities are mentioned several times and as the reader gets to know more about Bree and her family, you can’t help but find yourself sympathizing and rooting for them all. The characters are where the author shines the most in my opinion. Ms. Leigh creates strong characters who can stand on their own but also are able to accept a helping hand as well. They are complex, multidimensional, and relatable. I found all the main players in this first book of Bree’s series wonderful and unique in their own way.

CROSS HER HEART is a perfect introduction to the new series by Melinda Leigh and captured my interest right off the bat. I could not put this book down and can not wait for book two to get here. I see a winner in her new series and look forward to seeing where the author goes with this one. If you enjoyed past series like Morgan Dane or her Widow’s Island series she cowrites with Kendra Elliott, then you will definitely have to check CROSS HER HEART out and settle in, the story will leave you breathless till the very end.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

GOLDEN IN DEATH by J.D. Robb

In Death Series, Book 50

St. Martin’s Books

February 4th, 2020

978-1250207203

Thriller, Mystery, Action Adventure, Romantic Suspense, Serial Killer Thriller

Hardcover

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Obtained by Self-Purchase

5 Hearts

Eve Dallas is about to find her latest case is one filled with twists and turns that don’t make sense and will have her scrambling as she tries to discover the connection of who wanted Doctor Kent Abner dead.

When Kent Abner opens a package, he doesn’t anticipate dying within seconds as a toxic substance goes airborne and kills him. As Eve Dallas and her trusty partner, Det. Peabody try to figure out who would want to murder the friendly pediatrician, Eve has to sort through Kent’s past and when another dies in the same grisly manner, she is determined to find the madman behind it and stop another from dying.

GOLDEN IN DEATH is an amazing, enthralling story that will leave you breathless. Fifty books into this series and you wonder, what can the author do next to top the last book and J.D. Robb pulls out all the stops with this one. Her mystery of who the killer(s) were left me hanging until mid-way when I finally started seeing the clues as Eve, Peabody and the gang rustled them up as well. The story is full of twists and turns that just had me on the edge of my seat and I was glued to the pages till the very end since I wanted to see how this story would end.  GOLDEN IN DEATH is a true marvel as the author does a masterful job capturing the confusion Eve finds when she is assigned this baffling case. I just could not put this book down, even to go to sleep. It was that good.

What makes this series so beloved with her readers is the way the characters continue to grow with each book. Eve and Raork especially are connected on a soul level that comes across perfectly in GOLDEN IN DEATH. They have been through so much in the last several books that it is nice to see the connection between them grow stronger in this new book. Some may complain that not all of Eve’s friends, etc. are involved in this fiftieth book but then we wouldn’t have a story that is so compelling and addicting. We got the core group (Eve, Roark, Peabody, McNabb, etc.) involved with this one and it works just fine with the group that is needed by Eve. With an addition of a new secondary character or two, the reader can enjoy a storyline that could be cut right from the pages in the future.

GOLDEN IN DEATH works because the author delivers a complex mystery to solve filled with compelling characters that literally step from the pages and into your living room. They are bold, well written and just downright amazing in my opinion. This is an author that knows how to craft a story that will leave you breathless. If you enjoy a high-octane story that will eave you eager for more than I urge you to run to grab GOLDEN IN DEATH. It’s truly a masterpiece and now I can’t see where this author goes next in the fifty-first book.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement