Review & Giveaway: Seduced By a Rogue by Amanda Scott (Forever Blog Tour)

Seduced by a Rogue by Amanda Scott

Forever Books

Release date: January 1, 2010

Mass Market Paperback

400 pages

About the Book:

 

A fair-haired beauty at 19, Lady Mairi is heiress apparent to her father Lord Dunwythie's rich barony. He has carefully taught her how to manage their estates, but a feud between his clan and the Maxwell clan is brewing as the two families edge toward a clan war - their dispute over money owed. Mairi's father believes he owes nothing, and of course Mairi sides with him.

When the impulsive and blue-eyed Rob Maxwell chances to meet Mairi in a barley field, they feel instant attraction, despite their families' antagonisms. Knowing he must put his clan first, Rob enacts a plan to force Dunwythie to pay his debt: Rob kidnaps Mairi, making the abduction appear the work of a stranger; then he and his sheriff-brother offer to help Dunwythis rescue his daughter IF, and only if, he will pay them the monies due. Yet after Rob captures Mairi's body, she captures his heart. When Dunwythie summons the aid of the most powerful clan in all Scotland (the Douglases), clan-tensions rise to a fever pitch. Love takes its own feverish course, as Mairi and Rob join forces to prevent a clash between hot-headed clans, and to protect their budding love.

My Mini-Review:

I'm about half-way through this book and I am really enjoying it.  The beginning was a little slow when I was trying to sort out the characters, but once it gets going it gets going well.  I have enjoyed getting to know each of the  main characters, Rob and Mairi along with the secondary characters such as Mairi's sister Fiona, Rob's grandmother, the kitten Rob takes home and Gibby.  Each character really adds something to the story.  The scenery described is also beautiful and the plot is really interesting.  Reviewing books is really expanding my horizons as I haven't read many books with kidnapping as part of the plot, but I find I enjoy this plotline and look forward to finishing this book, probably later today.  When I finish I will update with a full review.  But suffice it to say - with the half I have read, this is definitely a good historical romance read and my first by Ms. Scott, who I see has quite a backlist to checkout.

About the Author:

Amanda Scott, best-selling author and winner of the Romance Writers of America's RITA/Golden Medallion and The Romantic Times' awards for Best Regency Author and Best Sensual Regency, began writing on a dare from her husband. She has sold every manuscript she has written. More than twenty-five of her books are set in the English Regency period (1810-1820), others are set in fifteenth-century England and sixteenth-and eighteenth-century Scotland. Three are contemporary romances. Amanda lives with her husband and son in northern California.

****Giveaway****

Thanks to Hachette Books I have 5 copies of Seduced by a Rogue by Amanda Scott to give away for entrants in the US/Canada.  Giveaway runs through 2/2/2010.  Comment to enter, extra entries for following (rss, email, blogger, twitter), tweeting, posting on your blog.  Just let me know what you do.

Other Participating Blogs:
http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/ Review 1/15/2009
www.bibliophilicbookblog.com Review, feature, and giveaway. 1/6/2010
www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 1/6/2010
http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/ Giveaway 1/6/2010
http://myoverstuffedbookshelf.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway 1/6/2010
http://brokenteepee.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 1/8/2010
http://www.saveyspender.com Review 1/9/2010
http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 1/10/2010
http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway, Q&A 1/10/2010
http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway, Q&A, Feature 1/10/2010
http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/ Review 1/11/2010
http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 1/12/2010
http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway, Q&A 1/12/2010
http://www.mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com Review, Giveaway, Q&A, Feature 1/13/2010
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com Review 1/15/2010
http://my-book-views.blogspot.com Review, Giveaway 1/15/2010
http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/ Review 1/15/2010
http://star-shadowcreativeconcepts.blogspot.com Giveaway, Feature 1/15/2010
http://www.morbid-romantic.net Review, Giveaway, Q&A 1/16/2010
http://www.betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/ Review 1/17/2010
http://redheadedbookchild.blogspot.com Review 1/18/2010
http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com Giveaway 1/19/2010
http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/ Review, Giveaway, Q&A 1/20/2010
http://therempels4.blogspot Review, giveaway ****

Review: Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll (FIRST Wild Card Tour)

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Chris Coppernoll

and the book:

Screen Play

David C. Cook; New edition (January 1, 2010)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings of The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***
.
Review:

Rating: 4.5/5.0


I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Chris Coppernoll has magic with his plot, characters and writing.  Harper is a very likable and realistic character.  I loved getting to know her in this book.  I also liked her friend Avril and hope there is a book about her in the future.  The events of the book are magical.  They didn't feel too contrived or unrealistic.  I went through all of my emotions reading this one, happiness, sadness, anger and so much more.  This book makes you feel and relate to the characters. 

I loved the way Harper is also a struggling Christian.  She is not painted as perfect.  She has doubts but she is working through them and trying to do what God wants her to do with her life.  It is amazing and uplifting to watch her in this book.

Chris Coppernoll has a winner of a book with Screen Play - it has wonderful writing, a well-thought-out plot and characters that feel like your friends from the first page of the book.  I know I say this often and when I say it I mean it - I didn't want this book to end, it was just that remarkable.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chris Coppernoll has authored six books including A Beautiful Fall and Providence. A national speaker to singles, Chris is also the founder of Soul2Soul, a syndicated radio program airing on 800 outlets in 20 countries. Chris holds a Masters degree from Rockbridge Seminary and resides outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Visit the author's website.


Screen Play, by Chris Coppernoll from David C. Cook on Vimeo.


Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (January 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1434764826
ISBN-13: 978-1434764829

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

I absolutely had to be in New York by 1:30 p.m. Did my life depend upon it? Yes, as a matter of fact, it did. Just the thought of calling Ben or Avril with bad news from O’Hare churned my stomach and made my face prickle with a dizzying fear. I joined a sea of travelers bundled in parkas, hoods, hats, and gloves; they stretched out in front of me, pressing in and wresting me through a queue of red velvet theater ropes.


All of Chicago wanted to flee the blizzard they’d awakened to. Sometime after midnight the sky exploded with snowflakes. Icy white parachutists fell from their celestial perch as innocently as doves. The year’s last snowstorm tucked the city in with a white blanket knitted through the long winter’s night.


When I reached the American Airlines check-in, I hoisted one of my two black canvas bags onto the scale for the ticket agent.


“Harper Gray?” she asked, confirming my reservation.


“Yes.”


She returned my driver’s license, dropping her gaze to the workstation and tapping my information into the system. At the kiosk next to me, a large Texan with a silver rodeo buckle typed on his iPhone with his thumbs, mumbling something about checking the weather in Dallas.


Computers, I thought. What don’t we use them for?


It was obvious how many of my fellow travelers were heading somewhere for the New Year’s Eve festivities. I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on a cluster of merry college students reveling in their Christmas

break. They joked and chattered, mentioning Times Square, unbothered by long lines or the imminent threat of weather delays. At thirty, almost thirty-one, I could no longer relate to their carefree lifestyle. Too much water under the bridge, most of it dark and all of it numbing.


“Here you are,” the ticket agent said, handing me a boarding pass still warm from the printer. I fumbled with my things, stuffing my photo ID into my wallet as a mother and her young son squeezed in next to me. The crowd current swept me away from the ticket counter, denying me a chance to ask the agent the one question I most wanted answered.


Is anyone flying out of here this morning?


I rolled my carry-on through the main concourse. I’d used the small black Samsonite for so many trips, I thought the airlines should paste labels on it like an old vaudevillian’s steamer trunk. A row of display monitors hung from a galvanized pipe, cobalt blue icicles glowing all the brighter in the dark and windowless hallway. I joined a beleaguered crowd of gawkers studying the departure screens. Their collective moans of frustration confirmed what I already knew. My flight—indeed, all flights out of O’Hare—was:


DELAYED


I pinched my eyes shut. This was not what I needed. Not today, not today of all days. I absolutely had to be in New York by 1:30 p.m. Did my life depend upon it? Yes, as a matter of fact, it did.


©2010 Cook Communications Ministries. Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll. Used with permission. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.

What Are You Reading Monday - January 18

Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see J.Kaye's Book Blog and join in!

Books Completed Last Week:

• Don't You Forget About Me by Cecily von Ziegesar
• Shadow by Jenny Moss
• Becoming Lucy by Martha Rogers
• Conflicts with Interest by Michael Ruddy
• Deadly Codes by J.P. O'Donnell 
• Nailed by Jennifer Laurens 
• Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll
  

Reading Now:

• Smash Cut by Sandra Brown (audio)
• Poseur by Rachel Maude (library)
• Seduced by a Rogue by Amanda Scott

Next:

• Us: A User's Guide by Dan Tocchini
• Denise's Daily Dozen by Denise Austin
• The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher
  
• Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
  

Reviews to do:

• Don't You Forget About Me by Cecily von Ziegesar

Summary -

A great reading week and my last week at home before going back to work.  I went in for a half day on Friday and will start back full-time (hopefully) on Tuesday.  I plan on reading as much as I can and love that I can read while working out.  Lots of good books to read this week across different genres.  Definitely an interesting week.  Favorites of the week were Deadly Codes, Screen Play and Becoming Lucy - all wonderful books.

Mailbox Monday - January 18

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. To see this weeks list of participants go here.  I had a great week, check out what I received and feel free to leave your links so I can see what you received also and add to my wishlist.

ARC/Review Copies of:

My Own Personal Soap Opera

Sourcebooks - release: April 1, 2010

Frankie McNally doesn't just write for a soap opera, her life resembles one. Head writer for the soap opera, Lust for Life, Frankie is being courted by both Victor Pendergrast, a dashing older man sent in to save the show's sagging ratings, and Luke Blades, the soap's totally hot leading man. Just when she thinks life can't get more complicated, a jewel thief starts copying the show's storyline—a development that could send the show's ratings soaring if it doesn't get Frankie and Victor arrested first. Can Frankie write her way out of this one? And can she put make-believe aside long enough to discover the truth of her own heart?

The Darcy Cousins

Sourcebooks - release: April 1, 2010

One might reasonably expect that a young lady dispatched in disgrace across the Atlantic to England would strive to behave with decorum, but Mr. Darcy's incorrigible American cousin, Clarissa Darcy, manages to provoke Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr Collins, and the parishioners of Hunsford all in one morning! And there are more surprises in store for that bastion of tradition, Rosings Park, when the family gathers for their annual Easter visit. Georgiana Darcy, generally a shy model of propriety, decides to take a few lessons from her unconventional cousin. And Anne de Bourgh, encouraged to escape her "keeper," Mrs. Jenkinson, simply… vanishes.
In this tale of friendship, rebellion, and love, two young women entering Society forge a strong connection. A connection that is sorely tested when they both set out to win the heart of a most dashing—and dangerous— gentleman.

Beautiful People

Sourcebooks - Release: April 1, 2010

Darcy's a struggling English rose actresss when The Call comes from L.A..  An Oscar-tastic director.  A movie to make her famous.  The hunkiest costar in Hollywood.  So why doesn't she want to go?

Belle's a size-zero film star but she's in big, fat trouble.  Hotter than the earth's core a year ago, she's now Tinseltown toast after her last film bombed.  Can she get back to the big time?

Emma's a down-to-earth, down-on-her-luck nanny trying to weather London's cutthroat childcare scene and celebrity mom whirlwinds.  What will it take for her to get back in control of her own life?

Jet to London, Hollywood and Italy; toss in a passionate star chef, a kind-hearted, disillusioned paparazzo, and a reluctant male supermodel; and find Wendy Holden at her best--a smash international hit.

Sleep No More by Susan Crandall
Forever

The night was always Abby Whitman's enemy. As a young girl she walked in her sleep, and one night, she started a fire that scarred her sister for life and left Abby with unbearable guilt . . . and a loneliness that echoes within her. Now Abby has begun blacking out again-with apparently fatal results. A car accident has killed the son of a prominent family. Even though the evidence seems to exonerate her, Abby is plagued by doubts-and soon by mysterious threats. Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Coble is intrigued by Abby and offers to help her explore the dark recesses of her mind. Through this terrifying journey, Jason's interest turns to passion, and he yearns to give her the love she craves. But first, Abby must trust him-and shed light on secrets that will rock this Southern town and reveal a danger that threatens them both.

Listen by Rene Gutteridge

Tyndale House Publishers

Nothing ever happens in the small town of Marlo . . . until the residents begin seeing their private conversations posted online for everyone to read. Then it’s neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, as paranoia and violence escalate. The police scramble to identify the person responsible for the posts and pull the plug on the Website before it destroys the town. But what responsibility do the people of the town have for the words they say when they think no one is listening? Life and death are in the power of the tongue.

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

Amy Einhorn Books - Release: February 8, 2010

It is 1940. France has fallen. Bombs are dropping on London. And President Roosevelt is promising he won't send our boys to fight in "foreign wars."

But American radio gal Frankie Bard, the first woman to report from the Blitz in London, wants nothing more than to bring the war home. Frankie's radio dispatches crackle across the Atlantic ocean, imploring listeners to pay attention--as the Nazis bomb London nightly, and Jewish refugees stream across Europe. Frankie is convinced that if she can just get the right story, it will wake Americans to action and they will join the fight.

Meanwhile, in Franklin, Massachusetts, a small town on Cape Cod, Iris James hears Frankie's broadcasts and knows that it is only a matter of time before the war arrives on Franklin's shores. In charge of the town's mail, Iris believes that her job is to deliver and keep people's secrets, passing along the news that letters carry. And one secret she keeps are her feelings for Harry Vale, the town mechanic, who inspects the ocean daily, searching in vain for German U-boats he is certain will come. Two single people in midlife, Iris and Harry long ago gave up hope of ever being in love, yet they find themselves unexpectedly drawn toward each other.

Listening to Frankie as well are Will and Emma Fitch, the town's doctor and his new wife, both trying to escape a fragile childhood and forge a brighter future. When Will follow's Frankie's siren call into the war, Emma's worst fears are realized. Promising to return in six months, Will goes to London to offer his help, and the lives of the three women entwine.

Alternating between an America still cocooned in its inability to grasp the danger at hand and a Europe being torn apart by war, The Postmistress gives us two women who find themselves unable to deliver the news, and a third woman desperately waiting for news yet afraid to hear it.

Sarah Blake's The Postmistress shows how we bear the fact that war goes on around us while ordinary lives continue. Filled with stunning parallels to today, it is a remarkable novel.

 101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle by Dawn Del Russo 

received from the author for review

Every girl dreams of living a glamourous jet-set lifestyle, weather in the lap of luxury or on a tight budget. Dawn Del Russo Author of 101 Glam Girl Ways to an Ultra Chic Lifestyle provides quick cheeky tips to living that swank life. Put together simply each one-liner is illustrated by Barbara Ann Scarrillo with charming, fashionable sketches sure to delight. Indulge in this fabulous quick read. Dawn Del Russo, high profile fashion stylist has been featured in print like US Weekly, Life and Style, InStyle, Glamour, Real Simple, and on Fox 5 NY for her style advice. Del Russo is also a contributing writer for multiple online publications. She has a keen sense of style and trends and is dedicated to helping women find their inner beauty, and confidence starting from the style on the outside. 101 Glam Girl Ways to and Ultra Chic Lifestyle is every women's secret guide to breezing through life glamourously.

 

Nailed by Jennifer Laurens

received from Around the World Tours

One girl. Two guys. Who says three's a crowd? When Mandy takes an unusual summer job-in construction-she has to prove she's just one of the guys. But she gets more than she bargains for being the only girl on the job. The mixture of hot guys, sunscreen, raw wood and testosterone proves to be an elixir she can't protect her heart from. Brooding Boston and flirty AJ find themselves looking at Mandy as more than just a girl who holds a hammer. Mandy soon finds herself not only lost in a whirlwind of a male-dominated world, but also the center of an inadvertently "constructed" love triangle. Mandy must choose between two guys who want her heart. But what's a girl to do when she wants them both?

From Booksfree:

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Since the dawn of time, the Faerie have taken. . . .
Seventeen-year-old actress Kelley Winslow always thought faeries were just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery. He's a changeling—a mortal taken as an infant and raised among Faerie—and within short order he's turned Kelley's heart inside out and her life upside down.
For Kelley's beloved Central Park isn't just a park—it's a gateway between her ordinary city and the Faerie's dangerous, bewitching Otherworld. Now Kelley's eyes are opening not just to the Faerie that surround her, but to the heritage that awaits her . . . a destiny both wondrous and strange.

Good Ghouls Do by Julie Kenner

As the vampire population at Waterloo High continues to grow, Beth Frasier realizes that she's on the frontline of saving not only the school, but her hometown. And only one thing is for sure: She's got to find the head vampire and kill him...quickly!

Her only problem? With her classmates quickly turning over to the dark side, Beth doesn't know who to trust-or kill.

Review: Nailed by Jennifer Laurens

Nailed by Jennifer Laurens
My rating: 4.5/5.0

Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing
Publish Date: November 10, 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240

Nailed is an engrossing young adult story. I loved the realism of it.

Mandy is a down-to-earth girl who just graduated from high school and knows what she wants - to own her own construction company. The day she has waited for has finally arrived and she is about to be on her first construction crew. Since her father owns a construction company she is not new to the scene, but she is new to her crew of 4 other men. At first it's tough working for her brother and getting used to the guys, but through perseverance Mandy does it. She starts to fit in and realize her attraction for two of the crew members.

Boston and A.J. couldn't be more different and Mandy finds positives to both of them. But in a love triangle which one will she choose. I admit I have not read any lover's triangle books so this was new for me.

I really enjoyed the plot and Mandy as a character. She's a strong female who knows what she wants. She's not overbearing and she is very feminine even working on the framing crew. I also liked how she was sure about a career but she wasn't sure where relationships were involved. She grew during the book and I enjoyed watching her journey.

The men involved all sound amazing. I was fanning myself listening to the description of them. I can definitely find wonderful qualities in both A.J. and Boston especially against the crasser members of the crew. I also loved the scenes involving the bookstores. I love bookstores so to see them mentioned in the book was a lot of fun.

An all-around great read - it's hard to put down and very enjoyable. It was fun getting a look into the construction field especially from a female perspective. Ms. Laurens did a wonderful job on this book.

About the Book:

One girl. Two guys. Who says three's a crowd? When Mandy takes an unusual summer job-in construction-she has to prove she's just one of the guys. But she gets more than she bargains for being the only girl on the job. The mixture of hot guys, sunscreen, raw wood and testosterone proves to be an elixir she can't protect her heart from. Brooding Boston and flirty AJ find themselves looking at Mandy as more than just a girl who holds a hammer. Mandy soon finds herself not only lost in a whirlwind of a male-dominated world, but also the center of an inadvertently "constructed" love triangle. Mandy must choose between two guys who want her heart. But what's a girl to do when she wants them both?

I received this through Around The World Tours.

Review and Giveaway: Deadly Codes by JP O'Donnell

Deadly Codes by JP O'Donnell
My rating: 5.0/5.0

Publisher: iUniverse.com
Publish Date: February 17, 2009
Format: Paperback
Pages: 216

My Review:

Deadly Codes takes up a little while after Fatal Gamble ends with Gallagher married now to his love Kate and giving up his beloved PI business to keep Kate happy. However Gallagher is not sure he will be happy without the PI business, especially when a woman walks in with what looks like to be a simple missing person case, which he can never turn down. He's intrigued and just can't help himself and after some dilemma takes the case.

However with J.P. O'Donnell books, the simple ends up never being simple and Gallagher is on the case that keeps him intrigued and guessing as he starts making headway into something that puts him way over his head. Add in the NSA, the CIA and a widowed husband and you get the case of a lifetime.

The second novel in the Gallagher series is outstanding. It's not necessary to read the first (though you miss a great book if you don't) as enough background is given in this one that it can be read as a standalone. J.P. O'Donnell delivers again with non-stop intrigue and action. Gallagher is a great character, flawed but in a good way - he really wants to do the best for everyone involved. Some more background is given into his character in this book and it just endeared him to me further. Gallagher is one of the good guys, going the extra mile to help those who need closure on the case.

The plot, characters and dialogue in this book are just amazing. I started this Thursday morning and had it finished by that night. I was so engrossed in it that I was able to tune out my husband on the phone right next to me in our truck (which is very difficult to do). I felt very drawn into the story and I was still thinking about the story and the characters this morning. I truly hope there is more to come in the Gallagher series because I miss Gallagher when I finish a book and just want to read more about him.

About the Book:

In the thriller, Deadly Codes, Daniel Cormac Gallagher, Jr., a Boston private eye, is hired to investigate the death of Jennifer Clark, tragically killed in a car bombing in her own driveway.

Gallagher has been commissioned by Jeanne Campbell, Jennifer's twin sister, to find a mysterious woman-Jennifer's secret lesbian lover who vanished immediately after the bombing. While the authorities continue to pursue their suspicions that the terrorist act may have been intended for Jennifer's husband, Bill, who holds a top-secret position in the counter-intelligence division of the National Security Agency, Jeanne reveals intricate details to Gallagher that intrigue him enough to take on the case. While Gallagher begins searching for the missing woman, he has no idea that a bounty has been placed on his own head-two hired gunmen are plotting to kill him. Gallagher's search takes him to Washington DC, where he discovers that the car bombing is only a backdrop to a complex, treasonous scheme to sell code-breaking formulas to a hostile enemy nation.

As the violent mystery unravels, Gallagher finds himself under deadly attack from two shocking but powerful forces-one he knows and another he never expects.

My review of the first book in the series, Fatal Gamble (which also received 5.0/5.0) is here.

Check out the J.P.O'Donnell's website.

J.P. O'Donnell is also releasing Deadly Codes at Podiobooks.com soon and Fatal Gamble is already available there.  Both are available on Amazon.com

***Giveaway***

The author has generously offered a copy of Fatal Gamble and Deadly Codes, both books in the Gallagher series to a commenter on the blog.  Simply leave a comment and a question for the author if you have one and I'll present them to him after the contest for a interview post later in the month (please help me out - I'm always looking for good questions to ask and you are my readers) .  Extra entries for tweeting, being a follower (on blogger/twitter/rss feed/email), and posting on your blog.  Just let me know in the comments what you do.  Contest open to US/Canada only.  Ends 1/22/2010.

Review and Giveaway: Conflicts with Interest by Michael Ruddy

Conflicts with Interest by Michael Ruddy


My rating: 4.25/5.0

Publisher: Rodeo Publishing
Publish Date: January 30, 2010
Format: Paperback
Pages: 334


Giveaway Chance
I received this book from Rebecca Brown of the Cadence Marketing Group.  I hope to have an interview with the author to post before the book releases so stay tuned for that and if you have any questions you would like to ask this new author, leave a comment and one lucky commenter will win my ARC of Conflicts with Interest.  Open to Canada and US only, ends 1/20/10 so I can get the questions to the author.

My Review:

I have read plenty of suspense/thrillers and my fair share of legal thrillers, but Conflicts with Interest is very different from all I have read before. It's a fascinating look at lawsuits involving the construction industry and an overview of the lawyers involved and the insurance industry as well. It focuses on corruption on one case against a father and son construction company.

There are many players in the story and they make all the layers that this story entails. I did get lost a few times with some of the legal terms but most of the book flowed very well for me. The plot never lost my attention for one moment. I liked T.R. and Ryan from the first page and enjoyed the addition of Catherine as a character and interest for T.R.

All of the lawyers had very different personalities and outlooks and that made it real and interesting. There was one lawyer I particularly liked - he really told it like it was. I also liked T.R. because he often used sarcasm to make a point and I love sarcasm. A well-written debut entry into the thriller genre - I hope Mr. Ruddy continues what he has started and has more books in store for the future.  

About the Book:

T.R. Morgan, a seasoned building professional, finds himself entangled in the combined corruption of the high profile law firm that is attacking him and the insurance companies that are supposed to defend him. Still enduring the painful memories brought on by the tragic death of his wife, he soon finds out, nothing involving lawyers and insurance companies happens quickly. Instead of resolution, T.R., unwittingly enters a world of human trafficking, drugs, and illicit sex taking place behind the scenes. And his story comes forward to an explosive climax that no one could possibly foresee, least of all T.R. himself. This suspenseful tale of contemporary fiction is packed with enlightenment and high-stakes characters; provoking thought on a new subject in a new light.