Weekly Reading Thoughts (SP/IMWAYR?)

Into The Whirlwind by Kat Martin (#2)

Meg has retired from her modeling job.  She wants to open a boutique for women selling extreme sports clothing and equipment.  When her son is kidnapped she turns to the one man she knows can help her, but she is also the last person he wants to see.  Dirk was her body guard when the models were under threat.  He fell in love, but she didn't think his lifestyle/job would fit in with hers and she broke up with him.  She made a mistake.  When her son is safely recovered, Meg wants to revisit their relationship, but he is hesitant.  Meg's sons ransom was supposed to pay off a very powerful person, he wants compensation, and decides that Meg is the perfect exchange.  She knows that Dirk will do whatever it takes to get her back. Action and romance made this a great early summer read.  

*thanks to Kensington Books/Netgalley for this review copy*

The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag  (#5)

Nikki has moved from homicide to cold cases in an effort to spend more time with her teenaged sons.  It was a hard decision, and despite how desperately she misses her partner and the work they do, she knows it is the right decision.  Her first cold case is the twenty-five year old murder of a police officer.  He was killed in his back yard with no evidence and eye witnesses.  Meanwhile her former partner Sam just caught a brutal murder of a college professor and his wife.  He is also in the process of choosing and training a new partner.  As both cases are worked each of them are hitting dead ends.  Nikki and Sam are relentless in their investigative skills.  As they each are getting closer to the truth things get really crazy that leads to a twisty ending.  I was apprehensive about the split in the partnership, but they still stayed in contact, and both stories were told well.  

Thrown by Colette Auclair (#1)

Amanda has accepted a three month job teaching a celebrity's daughters how to ride.  She was recently traumatized by the death of her friend in a jumping/competition accident and needs a break from the circuit.  The girls start out being brats, but Amanda is determined (and broke) to stick it out.   She soon wins them over, but their dad Grady is worried that she is being too hard on them.  Amanda is outspoken and tells him he needs to be their father not their friend.  Their attraction is there, but they have to work at a relationship.  Her dream of making the Olympics may interfere which makes for an emotionally bumpy ride to the ending.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel.

The Lake House by Kate Morton

Sadie has been strongly encouraged to take a holiday after she acted inappropriately in a case that she thinks has been handled wrongly.  While spending time with her grandfather she takes daily walks and comes across a house that has been long abandoned.  Her curiosity has her wondering why.  She finds out that the family's son was kidnapped without a trace and never solved.  With nothing else to do she looks into the case.  The story of the family that lived there Eleanor, her daughter Alice being the most prominent is woven throughout the novel with twists and turns that kept the pages turning.  Just when I thought I had it figured out I learned I was wrong and was surprised with the reveal. This chunkster is well worth the read!

The Last Mile (audio)

Amos Dekker is one of my favorite characters.  He is interesting, smart and tenacious. A death row inmate is released at the last minute due to another confession of guilt. Complete thoughts on Thursday.

The Passenger by Lisa Lutz (audio)

 Her past comes for a reckoning and we learn the truth. Madeleine Maby narrated the book that kept me listening wondering if this character was believable, but wanting to know what happened to her.  More thoughts next week.

Up Next:
The Fixer by Joseph Finder (audio)
The Girl From Summer Hill by Jude Deveraux
Fan the Fames by Katie Ruggle

Book Thoughts Posted:
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith (audio)

It was a beautiful weekend!  We celebrated Cole's 2nd birthday.

Linking to these memes:

Kathryn at Book Date hosts IMWAYR?, a place to  meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great opportunity to organize yourself, visit, comment, and add to that every growing TBR pile.

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.