mystery

Cover Reveal and Giveaway JACK GETS HIS MAN

Hi there! Today I get to spread the word on a soon-to-be-released contemporary M/M romantic comedy, JACK GETS HIS MAN, from DE Haggerty.


About the book:
Jack’s life is awesome. His store is making money hand over fist and his best friend has found love. So what if he’s feeling a bit restless and put out about his upcoming birthday and his ex is being a pain in his fabulous behind? That’s nothing he can’t handle. But then his smoking hot new bookkeeper discovers things at the store aren’t actually as they seem.

Someone is playing fast and loose with the finances. Jack’s bestie and his gal pals, the gray-haired knitting detectives, jump at the chance to solve Jack’s problems. When they aren’t re-enacting scenes from spy thrillers, they’re setting Jack up on dates and generally insinuating themselves into his love life. They’re determined to find love for Jack as well as his missing money. Will Jack catch a thief or find love? Either way Jack’s going to get his man.

How about a little taste?

“Hands in the air. Drop to your knees,” was shouted at them. Blinded by a flashlight, it was impossible to identify the speaker.

Martha huffed. “There is no way I’m going to my knees, young man.” She yelled at the light.

“Me either. I’ll never be able to get up again.” Ally agreed and put her hands on her hips in protest.

Jack shook his head but quickly dropped to his knees. Only he would get caught while snooping with two grandmas who refused to listen to the police. He hung his head and pretended he was somewhere else, anywhere else.

The cop lowered his flashlight and brought out a pair of cuffs. He started walking towards the group but stumbled when he took in Ally and Martha. He shook his head. “Are you ladies willing to go quietly into my squad car?” He asked.

Ally and Martha took one look at the cop and nodded. “Wherever you want to go officer,” Martha responded. Oh great. Now they were flirting with the arresting officer. Jack waited patiently on his knees until the cop reached him. He was cuffed and then dragged to his feet.

“Come on ladies,” the officer stated while pulling Jack to the cop car.

There were two squad cars in Damien’s driveway. Betty, Rosemary, and Rose were already sitting in the backseat of the other car. They waved as Jack passed with Ally and Martha in tow. Jack shook his head at them and looked for Izzy. She sat in her car and mouthed sorry but didn’t make a move to help them. Jack knew it wouldn’t help anything if Izzy got out of the car. She’d just get arrested as well but still he stuck his tongue out at her. The cop scanned the area to see where Jack’s tongue was pointed. Izzy immediately started up the car and, with a squeal of the tires, took off. Jack chuckled.

“Aren’t you going to turn on the siren,” Martha asked once the cop was back in the patrol car and they were headed to the police station. Ally bobbed her head in excitement. Jack hung his head.

The cop chuckled. “Normally perps don’t like the siren on.”

“Why not?” Ally leaned forward to get a better look at the officer.

“They don’t want to be seen being hauled to the police station,” was the officer’s perfectly acceptable answer.

Ally and Martha huffed. They leaned back and crossed their arms across their chests. “Well, that’s just boring,” Martha said to Ally. Ally nodded in agreement.

The quiet didn’t last long. “So, officer,” Martha began. “Are you single?” Jack tried to make himself disappear at this point but unfortunately closing his eyes and wishing he was anywhere else in the world but in the back of a cop car that smelled like piss with two elderly troublemakers turned matchmakers was a bust.

“I’m single ladies,” the officer readily answered. “But don’t get your hopes up for your granddaughters. I’m also gay.” Jack prayed for a hole in the floor of the sedan to open up and swallow him whole.

Ally and Martha clapped in glee. The officer turned around in surprise before quickly returning his attention to the road. The quick look was all Jack needed. It appeared that he’d been arrested by a man hot enough to be Mr. January in the police calendar. Although it was dark in the car, he couldn’t miss the curly brown hair and eyes the color of rich chocolate. He’d bet the man was made of muscles as well. He nearly sighed but caught himself just as he saw Ally and Martha looking at him for a response. He buried his face in his chest. Luckily, they had arrived at the police station.

Interested? You can pre-order JACK GETS HIS MAN on Amazon. Release is scheduled for 7/1/15.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $15 Amazon Gift card.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
I was born and raised in Wisconsin, but think I’m a European. After spending my senior year of high school in Germany, I developed a bad case of wanderlust that is yet to be cured. My flying Dutch husband and I have lived in Ohio, Virginia, the Netherlands, Germany and now Istanbul. We still haven’t decided if we want to settle down somewhere – let alone where. Although I’ve been a military policewoman, a commercial lawyer, and a B&B owner, I think with writing I may have finally figured out what I want to be when I grow up. That’s assuming I ever grow up, of course. Between tennis, running, traveling, singing off tune, drinking entirely too many adult beverages, and reading books like they are going out of style, I write articles for a local expat magazine and various websites, review other indie authors’ books, write a blog about whatever comes to mind and am working on my sixth book.

You can catch up with DE Haggerty online on her website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

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Happy Book Birthday to A PERFECT DILEMMA

Available today!

APD Amazon GR SW(1)

the final book in the A Perfect Secret Series

New Adult Contemporary Romance and Mystery

About the book:
The one secret she can’t stand to keep is the one she can’t afford to tell.
The perfect little rich girl, River Pearl Sutton has always done what her family expected of her. She’d become the perfect little beauty queen, the perfect child model and now her global success locks her into a life she never really chose.

Coming home for the summer to prepare for the Founder’s Day Festival, a celebration of her lauded ancestor, she is tasked by her father to write a speech to be delivered at the end of the party.

Returning to Hope Parish brings her back into close proximity with sweet-talking, skirt-chasing Braxton Outlaw, the boy who always seemed immune to her charms in high school. But now he looks at her with those challenging blue eyes, both intimidating and seductive at the same time. Using research of her family lineage and his as way to get close to this bad boy, they fall into a hot, torrid affair.

She stumbles across a terrible secret that could bring to ruin not only her reputation, but the reputation and standing of her family. But when her infatuation with Brax grows into something that she can’t live without, she must decide what to do. Keep the secret and lose Brax or destroy her family and lose them.

It’s an awful, heartrending perfect dilemma.

A Perfect Mess CoverA Perfect Mistake coverA PERFECT DILEMMA is the third book in the A Perfect Secret series. I’ve reviewed the other two books–and they were interesting, spicy New Adult reads. They are all stand-alone novels with some common characters and no cliffhangers.

If you’re thirstin’ for an entertaining quick read these Bayou books might could wet your whistle. Check out my reviews for either A PERFECT MESS or A PERFECT MISTAKE.

I’ll tell you, never did suspect a pretty young smart gal could hide a body so darn good. And the Outlaw triplets are a big ‘ol slice of yum.

Interested? You can find A PERFECT DILEMMA on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and iTunes.

The author is giving away (1) $25 Gift Card!

To enter, visit her Facebook page HERE.

About the Author
Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of Karen Anders, award winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction. Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever afters feed her heart.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Newsletter

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She Learned HOW TO FALL (Just in Time!)–A Review

Hi all! Today’s book is a contemporary YA mystery, with a hint of romance. HOW TO FALL by Jane Casey is a page turning whodunit…if there was a “dun” done, that is.

How to FallAbout the book:

Sixteen-year-old Jess Tennant has never met any of her relatives, until her mom suddenly drags her out of London to spend the summer in the tiny English town where her family’s from. Her mom’s decision is surprising, but even more surprising is the town’s reaction to Jess. Everywhere she goes, people look at her like they’ve seen a ghost. In a way, they have—she looks just like her cousin Freya, who died shortly before Jess came to town.

Jess immediately feels a strange connection to Freya, whom she never got to meet alive. But the more Jess learns about the secrets Freya was keeping while she was alive, the more suspicious Freya’s death starts to look. One thing is for sure: this will be anything but the safe, boring summer in the country Jess was expecting.

My Review:
You may recollect that l have, perhaps, on occasion shared my love of Nancy Drew? It was these novels, about a smart, tenacious teen girl taking on criminal masterminds that enthralled me to the point of being grounded…for reading. Yes, my father lamented that. Not that I gave him any choice; I was obsessed to the point of skipping my school work to devour one for the first (or tenth) time.

So, anywho, I’m a lifelong sucker for teen sleuths, which is why I loved this book. Also: Anglophile = ME!! Thus, a story of a London girl on holiday to visit her mother’s sister and home town for the first time in her 16 years is pure catnip for me.

Here’s the thing, the book didn’t start out like a mystery. It started off like a girl helping her overwrought mother get over her divorce. Jess isn’t bitter over her dad being a philanderer–she’ bitter that he’s moved on entirely, and she hopes that this extended visit to the small coastal town where her mother grew up will turn the tide of her mom’s depression. Also, Jess is anxious to meet her cousins. She has no siblings and longs for a bigger family.

What she didn’t anticipate was becoming her dead cousin Freya’s doppleganger. On the drive Jess learns her resemblance to Freya is so strong, her mother opted to stay away from her niece’s funeral, afraid having Jess there would be too shocking.

From the outset the reader knows something bad happened to Freya. (She fell off a cliff on page 5.) But, was she haunted, hunted or–maybe–pushed? The authorities, namely Jess’ mum’s high school sweetheart Dan Henderson, has ruled Freya’s death an accident. (One reason I love British books…the actual classification was “death by misadventure,” which sounds a whole lot more romantic…) Yes, Inspector Henderson is quite the enigma. He’s creepily over-friendly to Jess and her mum, despite being married, and he’s unduly harsh on his son, Will. Will is a town pariah for confessing some nasty business to his dad years ago; he’s also Freya’s closest friend. Does Will know what happened that night?

Through the weeks of visiting and working in the idyllic locale, Jess is befriended by Darcy, Freya’s best girlfriend, and hated by the town bully–Natasha. Nats has a good deal of obsessive affection for pretty-boy Ryan, and Ryan likes Jess just the same as he admired Freya. After a few altercations, Jess is concerned that her cousin was being harassed. Did Natasha bully her into suicide?

Few people will talk openly about Freya, thinking that each may have played a role. Will feels guilty for not being a better friend. Ryan’s miserable that Freya wasn’t into him, but that she paid the price of Natasha’s bullying. Darcy knows she let Freya down right as she needed her most. But, still the question remains–what sort of misadventure took place on that cliff? Natasha seems a likely target for blame, and yet Inspector Henderson’s admonitions to “drop it already, or else…” seem far too sinister for comfort.

While the love triangle wasn’t necessary, it was certainly handy to the plot. Jess is attracted to Will, whose tap runs lukewarm most of the time. Ryan’s attracted to Jess, much to Natasha’s psychotic dismay. In the midst we get some interesting interplays of characters. I liked Jess. She was sharp, and determined. She saw the suffering of her cousin’s family and her entire thought-process was to bring them closure. The big showdown revealed the killer–who happened to make my shortlist but wasn’t top three. I loved that I was fooled, a bit.

Pacing wise, the book cracks along. We don’t get too bogged in Jess’ head. We also don’t spend too much time in Love Central. Jess knows she doesn’t care much beyond friendship with Ryan, Natasha’s antics notwithstanding. But, Jess is sharp enough to recognize that making allies where she can will get her the info she needs to lay Freya’s ghost to rest. I really enjoyed and would recommend to any lovers of YA mystery. Just a touch of romance, but not enough to turn off the younger readers.

Interested? You can find HOW TO FALL on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I obtained a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Jane CaseyAbout the Author:
Born and brought up in Dublin, Jane Casey has been twice shortlisted for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award. She is the author of The Missing and two previous Maeve Kerrigan novels The Burning and The Reckoning.

Married to a criminal barrister, Jane lives in south-west London.  You can find Jane on her Goodreads page, her website and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends. 🙂

Cephalopod Coffeehouse July 2014–THE ART OF SECRETS

0ed81-coffeehouseHi there! Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the tomes they enjoyed most over the previous month.  Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.

I had a hard time choosing a book this month–there were a few that really got to me. My second choice was TORN AWAY by Jennifer Brown. It’s a story about a girl surviving a tornado and the destruction her life becomes in the aftermath. You can find my review here.

This month I chose THE ART OF SECRETS, a newly released YA mystery for two reasons. It’s set in my hometown–Chicago, and it tricked me! I lite really had to wait for the last three pages to learn who were the culprits. I had the great pleasure to meet the author, James Klise, at a local book signing and picked up an autographed dead-tree edition of this book. I’m so glad because I plan to pass it around faster than swine flu…

I’m not shy of my uber-love of mysteries. Confession time, my dad grounded me in third grade because I spent too much time reading Nancy Drew mysteries and too little time doing my schoolwork. #TrueStory So, this multi-POV, multicultural whodunit was a real treat for me.

The Art of SecretsAbout the book:
A Fire Destroys . . .
A Treasure Appears . . .
A Crime Unfolds . . .

When Saba Khan’s apartment burns in a mysterious fire, possibly a hate crime, her Chicago high school rallies around her. Her family moves rent-free into a luxury apartment, Saba’s Facebook page explodes, and she starts (secretly) dating a popular boy.

Then a quirky piece of art donated to a school fund-raising effort for the Khans is revealed to be an unknown work by a famous artist, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Saba’s life turns upside down again. Should Saba’s family have all that money? Or should it go to the students who found the art? Or to the school? And just what caused that fire?

Greed, jealousy, and suspicion create an increasingly tangled web as students and teachers alike debate who should get the money and begin to point fingers and make accusations. The true story of the fire that sets events in motion and what happens afterward gradually comes together in an innovative narrative made up of journal entries, interviews, articles, letters, text messages, and other documents.

My Review:

First of all, this book has, roughly, seven narrators. As noted in the blurb, the story itself is a collection of interviews, journal entries, newspaper articles, texts and emails. It’s bedlam, in the best way.

Saba’s family is from Pakistan. She was born and raised here, but her parents are traditional. They are, perhaps, more indulgent than other immigrant families allowing Saba to dress in modest Western clothing and compete on the school tennis team as long as her body is covered. We learn through Saba’s journal that her apartment is destroyed one day while she and her family are out at one of her tennis matches.

Her father reveals that he fears the fire was set by Saba’s 6 y/o brother, who has recently discovered matches. In the meantime, Saba’s high school community, most of which are affluent families, pitch in to stage an auction fundraiser headed up by Kendra and Kevin Spoon–two newcomers to the school. In fact, it is Kevin who discovers an undiscovered work of art from an “outsider” Chicago artist which he donates to the cause. The appraised value is $500,000, and Saba’s family is overwhelmed with the possible windfall.

In fact, people start to question if Saba’s family should benefit from this tragedy. Especially as the cause of the fire is suspicious. The high school principal, Dr. Stickman, thinks the money should go to the school which is in need of repairs.

The whole argument becomes moot, however, when the artwork goes missing two weeks before the auction. Then it’s a foot race to find the art. Teachers turn on teachers, accusing one another of theft. Was it Mr. Delacroix, the gay art teacher who needs capital to finance his fiber art projects? Or, Coach P, the retiring basketball/tennis coach who had easy access to the art as it was locked in her office? Students start accosting other students. Saba’s distraught that her family’s fortunes keep plummeting. Dr. Stickman was my choice for the thief, but, in the end I was completely, artfully, misdirected.

All I’m gonna say is: Best. Grift. Ever.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the story–I usually go for first-person traditional narratives in my YA. This is the exact opposite. There is (virtually) no romance. Surprisingly, the emotions shine through these third-person accounts. Humor is wry and abundant, with irreverent speech from Saba, incongruent speech from a Spanish exchange student (“in the kitchen, not the chicken” *snorts*) and the contrast between the humble laborer life of Saba’s father and the privileged pomposity of Dr. Stickman.

The story clips along, with devious reveals and backhanded breadcrumbs. I love being led on a merry chase, and enjoyed each moment of red herrings–once I finally saw them for what they were. Bravo.

Interested? You can find THE ART OF SECRETS on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other local outlets, no doubt.

About the Author:

James Klise lives in Chicago. His short fiction has appeared in literary journals like StoryQuarterly, New Orleans Review, Ascent, Sou’wester and Southern Humanities Review. His essays and reviews have appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, Booklist, the Readerville Journal and elsewhere.

By day, he works as a high school librarian in Chicago, where he also advises a teen book group, writing club, and the Gay-Straight Alliance.

You can connect with James on his website, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in. Please also take the hop on over to my fellow bloggers to find out which books they liked this month!

 

1. The Armchair Squid 2. mainewords
3. Stephanie Faris, Author 4. WOMEN: WE SHALL OVERCOME
5. Cherdo on the Flipside 6. Trisha @ WORD STUFF
7. StrangePegs — Secrets 8. I Think; Therefore, I Yam
9. Life of a Writer 10. Katie @ Read, Write, Repeat
11. StrangePegs — The Shadow Lamp 12. Mock? MOCK!
13. Mina Burrows 14. V’s Reads
15. My Creatively Random LIfe 16. Life Before the Hereafter
17. Words Incorporated 18. Berriesandmore
19. Sally’s Scribble 20. Hub City

Cephalopod Coffeehouse November 2013–The Grave Danger of Loving Darynda Jones’s Fiction

Hi there and welcome to my review for this month’s Cephalopod Coffeehouse–a book review forum hosted by the Armchair Squid. I had a surprisingly hard time choosing a book for this month’s feature.

As usual I read a killer ton–thirty books, I think. Most I reviewed for my blog, a few for NetGalley, the others for my own guilty pleasure…

I had considered His Name is Sir by Deena Ward. This is absolutely what Pride and Prejudice would have been if Jane Austen wrote BDSM romance. I adored it–and all four books in her Power to Please Collection.

I also considered Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning–the first of her uber-steamy Sinners on Tour series–which delivers EXACTLY what the tagline of the book promises: Love, Sex and Rock-n-Roll.

Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5)But I think I’ll go with Darynda Jones’s FIFTH GRAVE PAST THE LIGHT. This is the newest installment of the Charley Davidson series. I reviewed First Grave on the Right last month in my Halloween Spooktacular of paranormal romance features, and the fifth book in the series is not a let down.

If anything, I’m trying to locate the lovely Ms. Jones’s net server so I can hack in for her e-galley of the next book in the series.

Why?

Because she–somehow–made a gal raised in a christian home fall in love with the son of Satan.

That’s right. I love her super-Alpha love interest Reyes Alexander Farrow. I may have some competition from Charley, but hey…

Here’s what happens. Charley is a reaper–actually the only living one in existence. Her humor is Outer Limits–I crack up reading her deadpan observations–which takes a bit of the “grimness” out of her reaper duties: being a portal through which the dead cross into the afterlife. When they pass through her, she absorbs some of their memories. Communicating with the dead is handy for Charley’s private investigator work. Especially when she helps her uncle solve crimes in his job as a Detective for the Albuquerque PD.

In this book, Charley’s longstanding attraction to Reyes Farrow is tested to the limit. See, Reyes has moved into her building–right next door. And he keeps leaving her these sexy Post-its telling her to come over. Charley would like to–but she’s nervous. First, as the son of Satan Reyes may be able to lead Lucifer’s army straight into Heaven by breaching Charley’s portal. Also, Charley suspects Reyes is behind a string of arsons that inexplicably have destroyed every dwelling Reyes ever shared with his sexually abusive step-father. Places where photographic evidence of Reyes’ molestation had been hidden in the walls…

At her core, Charley is an honest soul. She won’t hesitate to turn Reyes in if he’s a criminal. As she isn’t sure, she continues to search for evidence. In the meantime she and Reyes share some heated (read: smoking hot) encounters. Because–did I mention he makes me swoon?–he’s delicious. Intelligent, strong, virile, compassionate and head-over-heels for Charley without losing his magnetic charisma.

In the midst of her Reyes-confusion, Charley works on solving a newly-discovered serial killer case. She follows a few dead leads, and aids nearly thirty lost souls to find their eternal rest. Her discovery of the arsonist seemed more obvious (to me) but handily removes the tension betwixt herself and Reyes. It seems Charley’s life will move to the next level with Reyes into Happily Ever Land–until she’s kidnapped by a maniac.

The book ends with an arrangement I hope Charley will not refuse–even if it means the end of civilization as we know it.

These books are housed under Mystery at my library–only because they don’t have a “Smoking-Hot-Dead-Funny-Paranormal-Romance-Mystery” section in the stacks. If you’re interested, schedule some vacation time and read this series from the start. I think you’ll lose sleep. I know I have.

You can find these books at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, booksellers worldwide, or any library system worth its bricks.

If you check these out–let me know what you think in the comments.

And, as always, keep reading my friends!

Now, follow these links to check out the reviews of my fellow coffeehousers…
1. The Armchair Squid                       7. Trisha @ WORD STUFF

2. Scouring Monk                               8. Kate O’Sullivan Read, Write, Repeat 

3. mainewords                                     9. Bird’s Nest

4. Huntress                                          10. Hungry Enough to Eat Six

5. Denise C Covey                               11. The Random Book Review

6. A Creative Exercise                         12. Words Incorporated

13. Defending the Pen

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT? Dead funny!

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)Still running down some fave paranormal/Urban Fantasy reads for the October SPOOKTACULAR.

FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT by Darynda Jones is a gem!

Charley Davidson is a Reaper. She doesn’t actually harvest souls–she’s merely a portal–a conduit to the otherside. A Pearly Gate, if you will.

And, she’s been this way her whole life. Even brought her own mother’s soul to eternal rest when she died at Charley’s birth.

So, it’s no surprise when dead lawyers show up unwilling to ride the express to Eternity. What is shocking? The three of them are partners–and they had a really nasty client.

Can anyone say m-o-b h-i-t?

Being the gate to the afterlife doesn’t pay bills. Charley works as a PI, and also helps her uncle, a police detective, solve crimes for the Albuquerque PD. Why not? I mean, lots of murder victims could tell her exactly where to find the body and who the perp was.

Anywho…Charley’s seen it all. Except perhaps for the dream lover who continues to sex-her-up when her eyes close. He’s the absolute sex bomb. And, for good reason:  Reyes Farrow is the son of Satan. Yeah.

Uber-hot!

Oh! I see you staring down your nose at me! Who’s to say he’s pure evil? And, and, even if he is, lots of girls go for the Bad Guy, amiright?

Besides, he’s just a dream lover…which means they do the dirty dance in her head. No need for confession, folks.

Charley endeavors to solve the mystery of the Three Dead Lawyers whilst dodging a pint-sized poltergeist and commiserating with her BFF/secretary Cookie and lamenting her shitty coffee maker. It’s a rollicking time–and Charley manages to get herself beat up (twice?) and nearly shot by a client’s abusive husband. In this she would have died but a cloaked visage appears and slices her attacker down with mystical efficiency.

Here’s the thing: this book is Laugh. Out. Loud. Charley is irreverent. She’s so dead pan (pun intended) about her interactions with the departed that it stuns the reader into hilarity. In the end she does help the lawyers to crossover and finds out a bit more about the connection between Dreamy Reyes and the cloaked assassin. Oh, and it’s hawt.

FIRST GRAVE is the first in a series–and I’ve read on. They are soooo fun.

Again, it’s a trad pub title and my library stocked a couple copies.

Check it out at YOUR library, or the usual spots:    Amazon   Barnes & Noble    Goodreads

Let me know if you’ve read and of Darynda’s Jones works–and if you liked them.

And, as always: keep reading, my friends.

 

 

 

DRAGONFLY Magic

Leigh T Moore knows how to spin a yarn. I learned this when I read The Truth About Letting Go.

Now she’s launching a YA/New Adult contemporary mystery series–of which DRAGONFLY is the first novel-length installment.

Anna, a transplant to the Florida gulf coast, is beginning her senior year without her best friend, but she’s adjusting well. She just got hired at the local paper as an aide which will undoubtedly bolster her college applications. The gorgeous Julian is showing a romantic interest in her, and she makes friends with twin transfers, Lucy and Jack Kyser–whose father is a wealthy real estate tycoon.

Jack and Anna are drawn to each other–and this attraction is a problem for both Jack’s father and Julian. Jack can’t decide if he should pursue Anna, or not, and Julian is ever-present trying to scoop Anna up.

Tension builds when Lucy, distraught over the machinations of her father’s influence on her social life, ends up in the hospital after mixing pills and booze. And the trouble with alcohol doesn’t stop there.

Through it all, Anna strives to hold together her tenuous friendships and excel in her newspaper job. Her big assignment has her chasing down interviews with the key players who developed their small gulf town into a folk arts mecca, including Julian’s mother and Mr. Kyser, both of whom are reticent to participate, but when Anna uncovers the secret Mr. Kyser’s been hiding, it might just tear their community apart.

DRAGONFLY is a romance/mystery with some heat appropriate for older teens and those who like YA fiction. It’s a quick read with plenty of misdirection.

Looking forward to the release of the sequel, UNDERTOW, in July.