Dark Ride by Lou Berney

Synopsis: Sometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you need

Twenty-one-year-old Hardy “Hardly” Reed—good-natured, easygoing, usually stoned—is drifting through life. A minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, he avoids unnecessary effort and unrealistic ambitions.

Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench. Hardly checks if they’re okay and sees injuries on both children. Someone is hurting these kids.

He reports the incident to Child Protective Service.

That should be the end of it. After all, Hardly’s not even good at looking out for himself so the last thing he wants to do is look out for anyone else. But he’s haunted by the two kids, his heart breaking for them. And the more research he does the less he trusts that Child Protective Services —understaffed and overworked—will do anything about it.

That leaves…Hardly. He is probably the last person you’d ever want to count on. But those two kids have nobody else but him. Hardly has to do what’s right and help them.

For the first time in his life, Hardly decides to fight for something. This might be the one point in his entire life, he realizes, that is the entire point of his life. He will help those kids.

At first, trying to gather evidence that will force the proper authorities to intervene, Hardly is a total disaster. Gradually, with assistance from unexpected allies, he develops investigative skills and discovers he’s smarter and more capable than he ever imagined.

But Hardly also discovers that the situation is more dangerous than he ever expected. The abusive father who has been hurting these children isn’t just a lawyer—he also runs a violent drug-dealing operation. The mother claims she wants to escape with the kids—but Hardly isn’t sure he can trust her.

Faced with a different version of himself than he has ever known, Hardly refuses to give up. But his commitment to saving these kids from further harm might end up getting the kids, and Hardly himself, killed.

Review: Hardly’s not really memorable, he’s not really anything special, and yet his life is about to be turned upside down when he meets two children scarred by cigarette burns. Hardly has ever done anything in his life and doesn’t usually get involved in other people’s business. However, on this particular day, he felt he couldn’t abandon these children to their fate, so he went to the child welfare center to file a report. Seeing that nothing was happening, he decided to look after them himself, and to track down their mother to find out what was going on. Unfortunately, this story is far more complex than he could have imagined, and he doesn’t take on just anyone. Yet, even as the danger grows ever more present, he can’t bring himself to abandon these children.

I had a good time with the novel. Hardly’s life is far from easy, but he’s determined to finally do something good for someone else. It won’t be easy, and he’ll wonder several times if he shouldn’t give up. Especially since so few are willing to help.

The pace of the novel is a little slow, but that’s okay, I was curious to know how the story would end. It wasn’t what I expected, but in the end it’s quite logical.

A good read!

 

 

Descente de Lou Berney

Résumé : Parfois le héros dont on a besoin est celui auquel on s’attend le moins.
Acteur de seconde zone dans un parc d’attractions décrépit, Hardly vit de fumette et de contraventions non réglées, et se garde bien d’entretenir toute ambition qui risquerait de le faire sortir de sa zone de confort.
Jusqu’au jour où il croise le regard de Pearl et Jack, deux jeunes enfants mutiques, marqués de brûlures de cigarette. Mû par un sentiment d’urgence, Hardly contacte les services de l’aide sociale à l’enfance pour signaler ces actes de maltraitance. Il aurait pu considérer sa mission comme accomplie et s’arrêter là, mais bientôt la vision des deux petites victimes le hante. Face à des services sociaux débordés et en sous-effectif, Hardly décide de prendre les choses en main et se découvre des alliés et des qualités qu’il n’aurait jamais imaginés.
Le détective en herbe ne sait pas dans quoi il met les pieds… Guet-apens, trafic de drogue, faux-semblants : alors même que le combat pour Pearl et Jack se transforme en descente aux enfers, rien n’arrête Hardly, prêt à y laisser sa peau.

Avis : Hardly n’est pas vraiment mémorable, il n’a rien de particulier et pourtant sa vie va être chamboulée quand il fait la rencontre de deux enfants mar qués de brûlures de cigarettes. Hardly n’a jamais rien fait de sa vie et ne s’occupe généralement pas des affaires des autres. Pourtant, ce jour-là, il fait qu’il ne peut pas abandonner ces enfants à leur sort, alors il se rend au centre des services de l’aide sociale à l’enfance pour faire un signalement. Voyant que rien ne bouge, il décide de s’en occuper tout seul et de retrouver leur mère pour comprendre ce qui se passe. Malheureusement, cette histoire est bien plus complexe qu’il ne pouvait se l’imaginer et il ne s’attaque pas à n’importe qui. Pourtant, alors même que le danger devient de plus en plus présent, il ne se fait pas à l’idée d’abandonner ces enfants.

J’ai passé un bon moment avec le roman. La vie de Hardly est loin d’être facile mais il est déterminé à faire enfin quelque chose de bien pour quelqu’un d’autre. Ce ne sera pas simple et il se demandera plusieurs fois s’il ne ferait pas mieux de laisser tomber. Surtout que peu souhaitent apporter leur aide.

Le rythme du roman est un peu lent, mais ça ne pose pas de soucis, j’étais curieuse de savoir comment l’histoire se terminerait. Ce n’était pas ce à quoi je m’attendais, mais c’est finalement assez logique.

Une bonne lecture !

A Match Made in Hell by Terri Garey

Nicki Styx, Book 2

Synopsis: A brush with death and a brief trip to the hereafter left vintage clothing store owner Nicki Styx an unwilling ghoulfriend to the dead. She can see and hear spirits, and boy, do they want to be heard! Luckily, her new boyfriend, sexy doc Joe Bascombe, is there to help, especially when Nicki faces her latest ghost, a woman in pink sequins who holds the key to some family secrets.

Unfortunately for Nicki, it turns out that there are more skeletons in the family closet than she thought, including a twin sister and a mysterious house full of spirits and surprises. Things go from bad to worse when the devil himself shows up, determined to lure Nicki from Joe’s side. Will she give in to temptation and sell her soul (or someone else’s) for one incredible night?

Demons may be a ghoul’s best friend, but with this particular hottie, it could be amatch made in hell!

Review: I had a good time with the first volume and I had the second for years. I was in the mood for something light, even though I didn’t remember much from the first book, but I didn’t have too much trouble with it.

Nicki is finally happy until the ghost of a woman shows up and asks her to go help her daughter after a car accident. But then she discovers that the young woman she saved is none other than her twin sister. Kelly is so different from Nicki and they won’t really get along. On top of that, a creature in the shadows is determined to do everything in its power to bring down the sisters and Nicki will have to do everything to save her sister.

I read the novel quite fast and I had a good time. I was quite curious to see how our two sisters would fare. Don’t be too demanding, but I will gladly read the sequel.

A Match Made in Hell de Terri Garey (VO)

Nicki Styx, Tome 2

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Après avoir frôlé la mort et fait un bref voyage dans l’au-delà, Nicki Styx, propriétaire d’un magasin de vêtements vintage, est devenue malgré elle la copine des défunts. Elle peut voir et entendre les esprits, et ils ne demandent qu’à être entendus ! Heureusement, son nouveau petit ami, le sexy docteur Joe Bascombe, est là pour l’aider, surtout lorsque Nicki doit affronter son dernier fantôme, une femme vêtue de paillettes roses qui détient la clé de certains secrets de famille.

Malheureusement pour Nicki, il s’avère qu’il y a plus de squelettes dans le placard familial qu’elle ne le pensait, notamment une sœur jumelle et une maison mystérieuse pleine d’esprits et de surprises. Les choses vont aller de mal en pis lorsque le diable en personne se présente, déterminé à séparer Nicki et Joe. Va-t-elle céder à la tentation et vendre son âme (ou celle de quelqu’un d’autre) pour une nuit incroyable ?

Les démons sont peut-être les meilleurs amis des goules, mais avec ce mec sexy, ça pourrait être un mariage en Enfer !

Avis : J’ai passé un bon moment avec le premier tome et j’avais le second depuis des années. J’avais envie de quelque chose de léger, même si je ne me rappelais pas grand-chose du premier tome, mais ça ne m’a pas trop posé de problèmes.

Nicki file enfin le parfait amour jusqu’à ce que le fantôme d’une femme se présente à elle et lui demande d’aller aider sa fille après un accident de voiture. Mais voilà, elle découvre que la jeune femme qu’elle a sauvée rien personne d’autre que sa sœur jumelle. Kelly est tellement différente de Nicki et l’entente entre les deux sœurs ne sera vraiment pas simple. En plus de ça, une créature dans l’ombre est bien décidée à mettre tout en œuvre pour faire tomber les sœurs et Nicki va devoir tout faire pour sauver sa sœur.

Le roman se lit assez vite et j’ai passé un bon moment. J’étais assez curieuse de voir comment nos deux sœurs allaient s’en sortir. Il ne faut pas être trop exigeant, mais je lirai la suite avec plaisir.

Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay

Synopsis: One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most everyone assumed Andy had got away with murder–it’s always the husband, isn’t it?–but the police could never build a strong case against him. For a while, Andy hit rock bottom–he drank too much to numb the pain, was abandoned by all his friends save one, nearly lost his business, and became a pariah in the place he once called home.

Now, six years later, Andy has finally put his life back together. He sold the house he once shared with Brie and moved away. Truth to tell, he wasn’t sad to hear that the old place was razed and a new house built on the site. He’s settled down with a new partner, Jayne, and life is good.

But Andy’s peaceful world is about to shatter. One day, a woman shows up at his old address, screaming, “Where’s my house? What’s happened to my house?” And then, just as suddenly as she appeared, the woman–who bears a striking resemblance to Brie–is gone. The police are notified and old questions–and dark suspicions–resurface.

Could Brie really be alive after all these years? If so, where has she been? It soon becomes clear that Andy’s future, and the lives of those closest to him, depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick will be whether he can stay alive long enough to unearth the answers.

Review: Brie Mason disappeared overnight without a trace. It seems that she was murdered, but no one has been arrested. The police are convinced that the culprit is none other than her husband, Andrew, but they can’t prove it. So when, years later, people claim to have seen her, Andrew’s life is turned upside down. He’s rebuilt his life, changed his surname and now his wife could be alive, proving to everyone that he hasn’t done anything to her. But finding her doesn’t seem so simple. Is it really her?

I had a good time with the novel. I was very curious to know if Brie was really alive or if someone was pretending to be her so long after her death. And if so, why? Andrew calls everything into question. Will he abandon the woman he loves for the woman he loved? What will he do if it really is Brie?

I enjoyed following the novel so I could finally discover the truth, and it won’t be pretty.

 

Disparue à cette adresse de Linwood Barclay

Résumé : Qui a tué Brie Mason ?
Tout le monde a sa petite idée : quand une femme disparaît brutalement sans laisser de trace, les regards se tournent vers le conjoint.
D’ailleurs, tout accuse Andrew Mason : absence d’alibi, précipitation à vendre leur maison, à changer de ville, de nom.
Pourtant, après six ans, l’enquête n’a rien donné et l’inspectrice Marissa Hardy enrage.
Jusqu’à cet appel d’un ex-voisin et ami du couple. Il est formel : une jeune femme s’est présentée à l’ancien domicile des Mason, a observé longuement la maison, avant de hurler et de s’enfuir, affolée.
Cette femme, c’est Brie.

Où était-elle durant tout ce temps ? Pourquoi réapparaît-elle maintenant, alors qu’Andrew est sur le point de refaire sa vie ? Et si le retour de l’épouse adorée tenait plus du cauchemar que du miracle ?

Avis : Brie Mason a disparu du jour au lendemain sans laisser de trace. Tout porte à croire qu’elle a été tuée mais personne n’a été arrêté. La police est persuadée que le coupable n’est autre que son mari, Andrew, mais impossible de le prouver. Alors quand après plusieurs années, des personnes disent l’avoir aperçue, la vie d’Andrew est bouleversée. Il a refait sa vie, a changé de nom de famille et voilà qu’il que sa femme pourrait être en vie, ce qui prouverait par la même occasion à tout le monde qu’il ne lui a rien fait. Mais la trouver ne semble pas si simple. Est-ce réellement elle ?

J’ai passé un bon moment avec le roman. J’étais très curieuse de savoir si Brie était vraiment en vie ou si quelqu’un se faisait passer pour elle si longtemps après sa mort. Et dans ce cas, pourquoi ? Andrew lui remet tout en question. Abandonnera-t-il la femme qu’il aime pour la femme qu’il aimait ? Que fera-t-il si c’est vraiment Brie ?

J’ai pris plaisir à suivre le roman pour pouvoir enfin découvrir la vérité et ça ne sera pas joli joli.

Reject Me by Kel Carpenter & Aurelia Jane

Immortal Vices and Virtues, Book 1

Synopsis: “Markus Del Reyes, I reject you.”
He left me no choice.

I refuse to spend the rest of my life with my childhood bully for a mate. I may be a cursed shifter, incapable of shifting—but I wasn’t desperate.

Not till the Alpha Supreme cast me out of the House of Fire and Fluorite for rejecting his son.

Now I’m packless.
Homeless.
No longer under the protection of my House.

Until the dark vampire king of Blood and Beryl turns his sights on me.

In return for protection from my former House, I have to join his.
But nothing ever comes for free.

He wants something from me, and it’s not my allegiance.

It’s the only way I can survive, but at what cost?

I’ve lost everything for doing what I know is right, but the greatest danger I ever faced was never losing my life … it was opening my cursed heart.

Review: I was curious to discover this novel by Kel Carpenter. It’s a series of stand-alone volumes. The funny thing is that each volume seems written by a different author. However, the second volume is about one of Dannika’s sisters, who is the main character in this novel.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started the novel, but it is indeed a rather classic paranormal romance. So of course, romance is very present in the story.

Dannika is trying to live unnoticed in her pack. It’s not easy… and even less so when she finds herself the mate of the alpha’s son. The guy who harassed and tortured her all her childhood, so of course she rejects him. But he doesn’t do anything about it. Forced to flee her father, who is determined to eliminate her, she takes refuge among the vampire clan, whose king offers her a strange deal to protect her: she plays the role of his mate. But when fiction and feelings mix, it’s not easy.

It was a nice novel, even if I perhaps expected a little more.