Posted on by Jacquie Biggar

Summer #Reads #BookReviews- Tall, Dark and Undead by @Sandra_Cox, The Darkest Lie by @PintipDunn


Photo by Anna Kanifatova on Pexels.com

The long, lazy days of summer are here and with it, some amazing books to read!

July is a busy birthday month in our family. The first was my niece’s (nice to celebrate with Canada Day fireworks!), the ninth was hubby’s and we had a surprise visit with family from back home. And the twenty-first is my daughter’s- we miss her so much!

We took the family out to dinner for hubby’s big day. Left, is my mom, then my cousin and her husband, me (hiding, lol), and the birthday boy 🙂

It’s been five years since we last connected, so there was plenty of catching up and laughter, but I was sure tired when we got home. That socializing is hard work, lol.

The island is under an extreme fire danger warning and water rationing is being implemented on the mid-island. I’m worried it will come here and we won’t be able to water our plants, which would be heartbreaking. We have a bumper crop of blueberries and raspberries, with plums, grapes, and apples not far behind. I would cry to lose them.

Anyway, that’s me. What have you been up to?

I have a few must-reads to share with you today. All are perfect summer reads. Click the covers to learn more.

The posts on this site may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission should you make a purchase using a link.

Tall, Dark and Undead by Sandra Cox

Gutsy, kick-ass Suzanne James has no intention of complicating her life by falling in love…especially with a vampire. But it’s hard to stay objective when a drop-dead gorgeous male rescues her from three assailants in a dark alley. 

When hospital administrative assistant, Suzanne James is attacked by three thugs in a dark alley she uses her kickboxing abilities to fight back, but it’s a losing battle. That is until a tall stranger, who moves with the speed of light, appears and performs a few ninja-like moves of his own, saving her life.

Just before Suzanne passes out from a hard knock to the head, she swears her hero’s eyes glow red, and are those… fangs?

Adrian Caine avoids relationships with human women. Because of who, or what, he is it can prove to be deadly for them. So why can’t he stay away from the beautiful, stubborn, independent Suzanne? And why isn’t she more afraid of him?

Adrian becomes Suzanne’s protector when a series of horrific murders places her as the focus of a marauding vampire, and a detective with a wandering eye. His growing attraction for the human is placing her in danger and he thinks he knows why, but can he stop the culprit before she gets hurt?

If I’d been hoping for a supernatural response, I was doomed to disappointment. No one materialized before my eyes. No voice responded in my head. Great, Suzanne—no one but you could frighten off a vampire.

Tall, Dark and Undead- Sandra Cox

Filled with the author’s trademark blend of humor, suspense, and romantic conflicts, a definite page-turner!

In Pintip Dunn’s gripping and timely novel, a young woman whose life unravels in the wake of her mother’s alleged suicide sets out to clear her name.

“The mother I knew would never do those things. But maybe I never knew her after all.”

Being a senior in high school isn’t easy, especially if your teacher mom was accused of having an affair with a student, and then committed suicide.

My mother was chaos and passion, devastation and joy. Dad used to say you could reach deep into her eyes and pull out a song. Well, her eyes are closed now, and I’m not sure there’ll be any music in my life, ever again.

Dunn, Pintip. The Darkest Lie . Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.

Cecilia just wants to keep her head down, finish school, then never see these walls again. She’s constantly tormented by memories of her mother’s infidelity thanks to the ‘mean’ kids, some she used to consider friends before…

A miscommunication over a school project forces CeCe to take on volunteer work for extra credits. She decides on the Crisis Hotline- the same place her mom worked before she died.

There are no guarantees in life. No proof that will ensure you’re making the right decision. Sometimes, you just have to hold your breath and jump. And hope you land on your feet unscathed.

Dunn, Pintip. The Darkest Lie . Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.

Even though she’s hurt and bitter, CeCe can’t let go of a feeling that something isn’t right about her mother’s death. The mom she remembers was warm and loving, always there for her daughter and husband. Not an adulteress.

Sam, a new boy at school, and newspaper intern, offers to help her investigate while collecting information for a story, but it’s not long before they realize her mom was murdered and the killer is someone they know.

The writing is dark and edgy. There’s a lot of pain in CeCe’s heart that she needs to deal with and the author does a wonderful job of bringing us into the atmosphere of the story.

By day, Lakewood resembles an empty tuna can—plain, rusty, and a little sad, holding traces of something that wasn’t all that great to begin with. Once the railroad pulled out of town a decade ago, so did the jobs, leaving the people to make a life out of the leftovers.

Dunn, Pintip. The Darkest Lie . Kensington Books. Kindle Edition.

I’ve read most of Pintip Dunn’s works and can easily recommend her books- she’s phenomenal!

As usual these days, I’m behind on reviews and reading and commenting on posts. I’ll try to catch up soon. I miss you all!

The bugs are after the leaves, but isn’t this rose gorgeous?

36 Replies to “Summer #Reads #BookReviews- Tall, Dark and Undead by @Sandra_Cox, The Darkest Lie by @PintipDunn”

  2. I hope you get some nourishing rain soon. We had water restrictions all last year. The hubster and I got really skilled at showering with minuscule amounts of water! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on both books. They sound like great reads!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They were talking about that on the news today. Short showers, no unnecessary laundry washing, and no dishwasher usage.
      I’d say we should go to the stream buck naked and clean our dishes and clothes, but the creeks are dry, lol

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Your raspberries look yummy, Jacquie 🙂 I hope your water rationing doesn’t get to that point. During the worst of our drought, I didn’t have a garden. I just focused on keeping my roses going. I hope you get rain soon, but not all at once like it seems to do. Stay safe in the fire season too.

    Great group shot too. My birthday is the day before your daughters.
    Great reviews! I loved Sandra’s book too, they always are a perfect blend of humor, suspense, and romance, I agree! The other books look equally as good. Hugs xo

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Happy upcoming birthday, Denise!
      I’ve been keeping the watering down to once a week, ten minutes per pot. Hopefully, it will be enough to let the plants survive. Now is when I really wish we could plant in ground, so the roots could search for moisture.
      We have over 300 fires in BC right now, but thankfully the ones on the island are under control, or we might have to swim for it! lol
      I saw your review for Sandra’s book and that sent me to Amazon, so thank you 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you, Jacquie 🙂 Fingers crossed your plants make it to fall. Maybe the pots will hold in the moisture too. Oh wow, that is a lot of fires! Hopefully you aren’t dealing with smoke too. I hope you don’t have to swim for it and the fires stay away from you. May fall and rains may an early appearance. Stay safe. So far here, it’s only been little fires they have gotten out fast.

        I find so many good reads from reviews, so yay for that. Hugs xo

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Your flowers are beautiful, and your raspberries look scrumptious. Everything seems to be extreme with the weather these days. Happy birthday to your hubby! Don’t be so camera shy, Jacquie. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  7. It seems like I’ve been offline forever, too, Jacquie.
    I’m sending wishes of rain your way. Those raspberries look delicious and that rose is stunning. What beautiful colors!

    It looks like you had a great time out with your hubby and family.
    Congrats to the authors on their reviews!

    Like

  8. Hi Jacquie, that rose is amazing. I hope you get good rain soon and the water restrictions ease. I hate droughts and I didn’t think Canada got droughts. Tewa lovely reviews, you really do a good job of sharing great things about books you read.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. I’m so glad to hear that you were able to reconnect with your family after so much time, Jacquie. Happy birthday to them all! Congratulations to Sandra and PinTip for the profound reviews!

    There are some great quotes from these books in here, such as,
    “There are no guarantees in life. No proof that will ensure you’re making the right decision. Sometimes, you just have to hold your breath and jump. And hope you land on your feet unscathed.”

    Liked by 1 person

  10. That’s great you got to visit with friends, Jacquie. I hope things are smoothing out on the island. It has to be frightening. Best of luck with your fruit. The raspberries look yummy. Thanks for sharing all the reviews.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. What a lovely birthday meal! I do agree–socializing is a lot more tiring than it used to be, but at times well worth it (like hubby’s birthday).

    Leave it to Sandra Cox to make vampires sound interesting. I might have to read that one!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Happy birthday to your family, Jacquie! I’m sure you miss your daughter greatly. Has it been a year yet? Counting days until she comes home.

    Your raspberries are gorgeous looking. I remember that water rationing in California.
    Congratulations to Sandra and Pintip on the fantastic reviews from you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s been just a year; they are renewing their visas for another year right now. I believe she has one or two more years to go before she has her doctorate. At least they can call themselves world travelers, lol.
      The raspberries are delicious this year. I pick one for the bowl and two for me, lol
      Both of these stories are excellent reading choices 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I know you miss your daughter, and your grandson’s growing years also. It seems like this is a great opportunity for your daughter to get her doctorate. Sadly, women still work harder to compete with men. I got my doctorate partly for that reason. Nothing can trade with the experience they’re getting. You’re a proud mom to support her decision. 😊

        Liked by 1 person

  14. Marvelous reviews, Jacquie. Congrats to Sandra and Pintip.
    It’s dry and absurdly hot here too. This is supposed to be our wettest month. (We’ve had only 0.04 inch of rain for the past 6 weeks. And high temps over 100 for as long too.) My roses are all dying, despite extra watering.
    Belated wishes for a happy birthday to your daughter, and your other family members who were celebrating things.) Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

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