June Kramin

You can read this well paced action-adventure romance as an adrenaline rush, or you can read a bit deeper and catch the subtle battles beneath the war. If you haven't read Hunter's Find, I wouldn't skip it. It's possible to read this book and understand what's going on but it won't be as interesting, trust me.

Honestly...? I wasn't sure I wanted to read Amanda's Return. I loved Hunter's Find, the conflict, the confusion, the confrontation of idealistic naivety and reality; the role reversals that weren't anything but a man and a woman living up to their full potential. What troubled me at the thought of a sequel is how easy it would be for full potential to equate with thuggery - is that a word. I dreaded seeing Amanda devolving in to a characterization of a female bully with semi-automatic style. There were some tense moments, and a few when I just wanted to give up on her, but overall, Ms. Kramin pulls it off, again.

Writing is sharper than that double edged sword and even when Hunter and Amanda are fussing over ovulation - you feel every single word. Secondary characters are believable, rich and many - which I happen to adore. I get tired of the two best friends, boss or parent, and love interest being the only other characters involved in a story. How many of us live in such a vacuum of acquaintances? The dialog is groovy, advances the story and character development without being exhaustingly witty. Humor is just right, gallows and pathos topped with word play that eases the transition from one scene to the next so you can catch your breath. Best of all, Ms. Kramin is not afraid to reveal just how inconsistent people are. She exposes our petty rationales of what is good or right for US isn't always true for THEM without shoving it down your throat, well, much. With flourish, she flaunts truth like demanding mercy for ourselves but screw the jerk that cuts us off on the highway, they deserved to crash and burn not just get a ticket. We know it is wrong to BE that way but a little vicarious enjoyment of someone else being all Midnight Run or Blues Brothers is well, perfectly fine, right?

There is just the right balance between the loyalty of family - that unconditional love none of us should but often do take for granted - and doing what's *right*. The world Amanda walked away from hasn't really changed and neither has Amanda, not at her core. For all her big talk and bone breaking abilities, she still believes she can Fix Things for those she loves, whatever it takes. Fortunately for the Menusco's, there's enough of the Old Amanda to use and she's willing to allow that, if she gets what she wants. It's a slippery slope, and as I said, it troubled me even before I started reading and didn't really fade, not even at the end. I imagine Amanda at 60 will still be trying to fix everyone and everything in her world ... only then they'll call her an interfering old bat and no one will care that she's still *hot*. I'd probably like to know her then.

In other words, yes, Amanda is still the uber strong woman. So much so that us lesser women might find her obnoxiously overbearing. That is, except for the fact she's safely in a book, not living next door or two cubicles away getting all the glory while we work just as hard though it still hasn't occurred to us to kick the arse of the boss's son as a legitimate route to a raise. Her reflections on motherhood, being a wife and daughter-in-law are all spot-on but they seem less real once she's shoving her way back in to The Business. Hunter's unwavering support is stunning (and pretty miraculous considering) as he takes a walk on her side of the street where no one is really what they appear to be, except his wife and at times, she forgets just how well he knows her. I liked those parts best - his pinches of Remember Me? Us? Why we are here? Good ... just checking in, now, let's have sex, yes I mean now, what's wrong with now?

BTW, there are NO graphic sex scenes in this books. The implication is there, the innuendo is played up, the locations are numerous, and the afterglow endearing; however it's mostly fade to black so for those that hate stories slowed by paragraphs of sex or those desperate for the same - you've been warned.

The plot was confusing. It was supposed to be, why else would The Family bring in an outsider to track down the shooter. The deductive reasoning of Sherlock Holmes would've been worthless here. He'd have needed too large a string map and gotten tangled up designing his social network connections thereby missing the next clue. No, it was better to strap in and catch the clues on the fly. Reaction to lies, betrayals, assassinations and near misses was the method of the day. In this case it worked out in the end. I doubt it would work on actual streets, but it sure was interesting! I was surprised by who was behind it all though it made perfect sense at the reveal. I want to say more but it would be a spoiler and I don't do that.

ARG how hard it is to *not* do that -- I just deleted three paragraphs of ah ha and Oh Yeah and well, darn. If anyone wants to discuss this later: e-mail me, we can wallow in it all! Which is to say, this is a book and characters you invest in, feel something about and remember even when the story is done. A keeper for my e-reader and definitely an author worth watching for even groovier things from (no pressure intended Ms. Kramin).

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Read more of my reviews at Page Traveler E-Book Reviews blogspot dot com… (més)

Hunter’s Find blew me away.
Literally.

I began reading expecting an edgy thriller romance and was soon laughing at myself for such frivolous expectations based on a book cover and blurb. Ms. Kramin uses standard action/ adventure events to cloak a harrowing story without ever sliding in to the morbid or gratuitous. To say her characters are complex is a pathetic understatement. By the time you realize what you think you’ve figured out isn’t the story at all, everything is falling apart *but* the characters. What you expect to happen doesn’t and what you think could never happen in a romance book by golly does.

Frankly, Mandy makes Kate Beckett look like a girl scout that couldn't give thin mints to the starving....

The book begins in the middle of the mess that Mandy's life has become. Recruited right out of college and with but six months of "training," Mandy was in the field, undercover, a spy without F.B.I. stamped all over her. Abbey, her boss, knew she was already a master of compartmentalizing her emotions and had no connections left in this world, in other words perfect for what he needed. That she believed she could serve a noble cause without losing herself in the process is a common error of the young and eager. The mature and wise have been known to make this same error in judgment. It wasn't hard to understand if not condone Mandy's actions once you have the bigger picture.

Hunter Blaine's involvement is a fluke of serendipity or a merciful act of a benevolent universe, it's hard to tell. Mandy doesn't believe in mercy or serendipity, to her, he's a complication she'd rather do without. Since he's tenacious as she is, they reach the culmination of her plan together and before the blood is crusted on the cabin floor, they part - in shock, shame and with regret. As endings to an ordinary story with a sidebar of romance, this might have been enough, a poignant sigh from the hardened realist, a nod from the righteous, just enough for novella junkie.

For the rest of us, the story continues, eleven months later and not only has Hunt done some soul searching, he's confronted a few truths that give him the courage to go to Mandy and hope for ... nothing really, just hope. Mandy has a few surprises for them both. Her unrecognized need for a family that was more than biological connections drove the story from the beginning - even when she was lying, she was giving the truth away. Her reactions and interaction with Hunt after that missing year exposed not only her recognition but also her determination to have a family that was bound by something other than obligations, fear and secrets.

I'm not going to give more of the story away because the second half of the book explains the first and was really, for me, the very best part. Nothing I like better than seeing characters mature, evolve, cope and manage to reach the dawn. There was no rushing this romance, no magic healing moment, not even a promise that incredible sex solves everything.

I am going to say telling the story in reverse worked for me. Mingling the getting to know each other on a deeper level with what brought Hunt and Mandy to this point without that Info Dump of Evahl was a perfect dance of staying in the moment while experiencing the past. Humor was both alleviating and amusing. Dialog was tight, rugged and more rapid than semi-auto fire and at times, harder to bear because you can hear the things unsaid that left wounds that won’t heal only scar over and ache when it rains.

The role reversal also worked. How many heroes have we read angst-ing over their secret pasts and the things they had to do to get the job done, how they feel unworthy, unlovable, inconsolable? A woman’s perspective that didn’t circle the drain of despair was so unique. She never doubted she was doing the best she could and when reality shot her in the back - she was aaall over it without ever slipping into the cliche. [and yes, ok, it was wonderfully sort of, uh, excuse me … “Take That, Boys!” Sorry, I couldn’t help myself…. We now return you to your regular review]

The missing almost year was never exposed for our puerile edification, allowing Hunt and Mandy their dignity without losing our empathy. I can imagine what that year was like and was grateful it remained behind closed doors. Mandy deserved that consideration and Hunt understood her well enough to allow her to space out the revelations at her own pace. It's why I believed they'd have a HEA that lasted beyond the glow of post coital bliss.

Hunter's Find is a rare pleasure among the dross of action/ adventure romance. June Kramin is a master of her craft. I'm grateful to have been given the chance to read and review this book. If you're looking for a story that is more than a Burn Notice wannabe ... this is definitely a read for you.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Read more of my reviews at PageTraveler blogspot dot com… (més)

Dropping in comments from a Blog hop.
Val Muller: http://www.valmuller.com/2012/11/12/book-review-through-the-mirror-and-into-snow...

This is the first in a series of middle-grade books following two girls, Valerie and Samantha. The girls are best friends, but they are total opposites. Sam is fashion-conscious while Val is not, for example. But their opposites make them good friends, and even Val’s mother shakes her head at the creative games they come up with. In this book, the two girls sneak out to the barn in search of a mysterious possum Val’s mother has been talking about. They follow the possum through a mirror that had been covered in a tarp and find themselves in a mysterious world—the world of Grimm’s Fairy Tales. (I won’t explain the possum; you’ll find out at the end.)

The girls recognize some of the things they encounter, such as a girl named Snow (as in Snow White) and other familiar elements from fairy tales with which Val is familiar. Befriending Snow and some other helpful characters, the girls must navigate the world (and the villains) of fairy tales. It’s definitely a book primarily for girls, as both protagonists are female, and the story focuses on the fairy tales having to do with evil stepmothers and marriages. It’s a clever mix of modern storyline and classic fairy tale, and the author mixes it up enough that it never feels stale. The reader is also kept in suspense during the times when Val and Sam cannot remember certain elements of the tales—remembering them would have helped them solve the problems they encounter much more quickly. This suspense will keep the reader turning the pages. I could see myself having enjoyed these books when I was a girl Val and Sam’s age.

The narrator is kept a mystery for the first chapter or so, until we learn the narrator is actually the garden gnome that stands watch in Val’s parents’ garden. At times, the narrator’s personality came through, which I found enjoyable. At other times, the narrator’s personality faded into the tale, which disappointed me because I found the gnome’s voice and tone humorous, adding to the story.

Val’s mother also plays an important role in the story. She’s the one who points out the possum in the barn, and she’s been writing a story (that she knows Val and Sam are reading) about Valerie and Samantha going on adventures. It’s even hinted at that the whole tale might be the result of reading Val’s mother’s manuscript and letting their imaginations go wild—though the girls agree that it was all too real to have been simply imagination.

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. I’m reviewing the other two books as part of a blog tour, so stay tuned for more!… (més)

Jeremy’s life changes when he almost runs over a woman in a wedding dress. She doesn’t need a ride to the church. She needs a ticket away from the cheating scum at the altar. Put anger, alcohol, and a sexy man in her path, Dani jumps into a life she was not raised for. From rich girl to struggling with every day responsibilities, Jeremy finds himself fin love and Dani a new perspective on life.

This was a unique read. It started off like a light-hearted romance, but the story developed into something more than that. It went beyond them falling in love. The story took them to dealing with family and discovering their place in life. It became a story of money and family as well as love.

The characters were good. At first they seemed rather flat, abut as the story progresses they grow in depth. They become characters with potential. The ones that were materialistic did still stay rather flat but the book would have had to be quite a bit bigger and focused more on them to really get to know them. So, in that sense, it might be the right way to deal with them.

There are a lot of hot scenes. They are not explicit, but they are present throughout the story. There is also a lot of language. F-bombs are dropped as are slang words for body parts. I have to say that it wasn’t done so much that the book was crude, but there were intense scenes where it was heavy.

I didn’t start off enjoying the story, but as it moved beyond rich girl wanting poor man I loved it. The characters grew on me and the story become really interesting.

Note: I received this book from participating in a virtual book tour with no expectation of a positive review.… (més)