As Night Falls

as night falls

Once again I am seriously late (over two weeks after publication) with this review.  I came home from my year in China last month and have been a combination of busy and lazy since.  It took me over a month to finish this gem.  Apologies to the publisher!

I received this ARC from Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.

GPS, satellites.  People could watch things from the sky, or from the objects small enough to fit in a pocket.  Their possessions.  Their children.  Themselves.

Sandy leads an idyllic life; gorgeous new home on a beautiful piece of land, a career as a therapist, dutiful and hardworking husband and intelligent and pretty daughter.  At first glance there is little worthy of a second glance.  This all changes when two strangers are blown in with a snowstorm.  These men are dangerous, posing a threat to the very carefully crafted life Sandy has built for herself.  Can she outsmart the men on the run?  Does she want to?

Therapists didn’t use physical means to encourage people.  They had other techniques.

I really enjoyed this one.  It was very slow at first but after the first 20% or so I was drawn in.  I pored over it on a flight, highlighting interesting sentences and pondering Milchman’s writing style.  I don’t often read suspense and I’m even less often unaware of what’s happening as late as I was with this one.  I definitely plan to go back and read her previous novels.  I took something away from this one, sometimes what’s buried is more dangerous than we think.

The knowledge, putrid and buried for so long, was somehow liberating.  It was like the moment you finally allowed yourself to be sick, then lay back afterward, panting and sweaty and emptied.

Four stars.

Beautiful Collison

Beautiful Collision Cover

I took over a month to finish this book and it is in no way because of the book.  Finishing up my work contract and getting ready for summer vacation has left me pretty lazy in my free time!

 I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although it came out over the summer the second book in the series Beautiful Conviction is set to be released in a couple of weeks, hence the review.

Beautiful Collision was a breezy, interesting read.  It was pretty formulaic but I still enjoyed it for what it was.  Girl on the run from a dodgy past (Gray) meets her dark horse hero (Thane) and sparks and a parade of drama ensue.  Gray is a likable protagonist, smart and strong but still willing to show a bit of vulnerability.  I found Thane to be equally easy to relate to, especially as he struggles between duty and heart.

Too much detail would betray the plot!  Pick this up if you’re jonesing for a summer read.  I will be adding the next installment to my summer book list (as if it isn’t already long enough)!

Three stars.

The Field Trip

The Field Trip

I snagged this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was described as “An adventure mixed with a touch of fantasy.  Add a twist of love.” on the author’s website and I think this holds true.  The Field Trip was a breezy read, something I would recommend on a plane ride or commute to work.

Ross-our protagonist-is a Botany professor preparing for a research trip that will take him away from home for several weeks.  He’s a bit socially awkward (in an almost cliché manner, he is a 30-something professor after all) and very pleased at his change of luck with women when one of his attractive female students takes an interest in him.  She is not what she seems and Ross realizes that rather quickly.  Being a bumbling, socially awkward sort, far too much time is devoted to his inner turmoil about the relationship before he sets off on his trip.  Long story short, Ross meets a strange woman and has an almost inescapable desire to help her do…whatever she urgently needs to do, no explanations offered.  Ross the awkward professor becomes Ross the chivalrous hero.  Insert shady happenings in the scenic woods, a strange pet and a dash of…

her presence had a magnetic pull so powerful that releasing her was as incomprehensible at that moment as not breathing.

I enjoyed this story for what it was, though the plot is thin enough at times to fall right through it to the conclusion.  I’m not complaining, sometimes I enjoy a short, obvious read.  I will definitely read R.A. Andrade’s next release.

Three stars.