Lock Every Door by Riley Sager #thriller

Synopsis:

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story…until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew’s sordid past and into the secrets kept within its walls. What she discovers pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒:

What’s this story about? It’s about this unemployed woman, Jules, finds herself a job as an apartment sitter. It’s easy as long as she follows the rules. She’s to stay in the apartment during the night. She’s not to disturb the other residents and she’s not allowed to bring her friends over to stay or for visit. Everything is a no no. AND she’s not to post anything about Bartholomew in her social media accounts.

It’s a fast paced thriller where the story is being told now and then. Jules has been enjoying her time at the building when she meet another apartment sitter, Ingrid. She like the girl and Ingrid told her that they should meet for lunch everyday before they have to spend the night at the apartment. But Ingrid failed to turn up for their lunch meeting and Jules felt something is off. Ingrid wouldn’t leave the place just like that and without saying anything to her.

While Jules is out ‘investigating’ Ingrid’s disappearance, she finds herself in a very vulnerable position.

I complete this book via audiobook and I enjoy the narrator’s narration. Although it’s a thriller, I kind of expected what kind of story it’s going to be since the clues are very obvious. But anyway, sit back and relax while reading the book. Just a tip, don’t try to read this before bedtime cos it’ll hook you and you wouldn’t want to stop until you finish the book.

A Dangerous Game by Heather Graham #bookthoughts

TROUBLE ALWAYS FINDS HER…

Wrapping up a normal day at the office, criminal psychologist Kieran Finnegan is accosted by a desperate woman who shoves an infant into her arms and then flees, only to be murdered minutes later on a busy Manhattan street.

Who was the woman? Where did the baby come from? Kieran can’t stop thinking about the child and the victim, so her boyfriend, Craig Frasier, does what any good special agent boyfriend would do—he gets the FBI involved. And asks Kieran to keep out of it.

But the Finnegans have a knack for getting into trouble, and Kieran won’t sit idle when a lead surfaces through her family’s pub. Investigating on her own, she uncovers a dangerous group that plays fast and loose with human lives and will stop at nothing to keep their secrets—and they plan to silence Kieran before she can expose their deadly enterprise.

Kieran Finnegan is back in action again. She always has trouble following her wherever she goes…

When she’s getting ready to knock off from work, a woman cornered her and without any warning, she pushed a bundle towards her and ran away. Before Kieran can react, she realised that the bundle is a little baby girl.

And Kieran wanted to give chase, the woman staggered back slowly to Kieran and died from a stab wound. In broad daylight with many pedestrians walking around and nobody saw a thing.

Kieran is affected deeply as always and she always wanted to know what happens and of cos, she has to drag her FBI hunk, Craig, into the action.

The story is about human trafficking, sales of babies, prostitution. Someone close to them is playing in the big field. Who? Someone who is willing to kill anyone who’s willing to expose them or leading them to the ring leader.

Gotta say. I really enjoy this book since it kept me awake through the night trying to figure out who’s the real bad guy in the book. And I had my guesses.

The romance and the suspense part are well balanced so it won’t make you feel like you’re reading a romance novel.

I’m soooo looking forward to the next book in the series which is releasing this year.

Mister O by Lauren Blakely #bookthoughts

YOUR pleasure is my super power. 
Making a woman feel ‘oh-god-that’s-good’ is the name of the game, and if a man can’t get the job done, he should get out of the bedroom. I’m talking toe-curling, mind-blowing, sheet-grabbing ecstasy. Like I provide every time. 
I suppose that makes me a superhero of pleasure, and my mission is to always deliver.

BUT then I’m thrown for a loop when a certain woman asks me to teach her everything about how to win a man. The only problem? She’s my best friend’s sister, but she’s far too tempting to resist–especially when I learn that sweet, sexy Harper, has a dirty mind too and wants to put it to good use. What could possibly go wrong as I give the woman I’ve secretly wanted some no-strings-attached lessons in seduction?

No one will know, even if we send a few naughty texts. Okay, a few hundred. Or if the zipper on her dress gets stuck. Not on that! Or if she gives me those get-over-here-and-take-me-eyes on the train in front of her whole family.

The trouble is the more nights I spend with her in bed, the more days I want to spend with her out of bed. And for the first time ever, I’m not only thinking about how to make a woman cry out in pleasure — I’m thinking about how to keep her in my arms for a long time to come.

Looks like the real Adventures of Mister O have only just begun….

They say men have sex on the brain 99.99 percent of the time. You’re not going to catch me trying to dispute that.

Why would I? It’s pretty much dead-on accurate, especially when you consider the remaining 0.01 percent of brainpower is tirelessly dedicated to finding the remote.

– Nick Hammer

💭 Mister Orgasm, the author, Nick Hammer is a nerdy geek when he’s a student. And then he transforms into this sexy author/ creator who drew cartoons about Mister Orgasm.

Harper Holiday is a magician and she’s also the little sister of Spencer Holiday. SO what’s gonna happen when your little sister and your best friend are fooling around?

Big Rock (Big Rock Book 1) by Lauren Blakely

And I’ve got both firing on all cylinders. In fact, I have ALL the right assets. Looks, brains, my own money, and a big c&$k.
You might think I’m an as%*$le. I sound like one, don’t I? I’m hot as sin, rich as heaven, smart as hell and hung like a horse.
Guess what? You haven’t heard my story before. Sure, I might be a playboy, like the NY gossip rags call me. But I’m the playboy who’s actually a great guy. Which makes me one of a kind. 
The only trouble is, my dad needs me to cool it for a bit. With conservative investors in town wanting to buy his flagship Fifth Avenue jewelry store, he needs me not only to zip it up, but to look the part of the committed guy. Fine. I can do this for Dad. After all, I’ve got him to thank for the family jewels. So I ask my best friend and business partner to be my fiancée for the next week. Charlotte’s up for it. She has her own reasons for saying yes to wearing this big rock.
And pretty soon all this playing pretend in public leads to no pretending whatsoever in the bedroom, because she just can’t fake the kind of toe-curling, window-shattering orgasmic cries she makes as I take her to new heights between the sheets.

I’ll open your door before I open your legs. I’ll hold your coat for you, I’ll pay for dinner, and I’ll treat you like a queen in and out of bed.

💭 It’s interesting when the POV is all from Spencer, the main character in the book. He has a reputation and his father required him to keep it down until the takeover is over. But Spencer being Spencer, he couldn’t help himself, does he?

I enjoy reading this book since it’s really hilarious when it comes to Charlotte and her douchebag ex who’s trying to win her over by being over creative.

No cheating of cos.

Deception: Secret Baby Romance, Second Chance by C.A. Harms #bookthoughts

Deception: The act of deceiving someone

That became a pattern in my life. It was the way the chips fell. I’m destined to be that girl that fell for the wrong guy. If he was a liar and a cheat, I found him or he found me. It didn’t really matter how it happened, it just always did.

But when I met Jake, I thought he was different. He was just a guy trying to get by, much like me in a sense. He was happy with the little things in life…he made me feel safe and settled.

That was until I found out that his name, his life, and the man he pretended to be, were nothing but a fraud. He used me to get the answers he needed, and in the process, he managed to take my last ounce of hope and crush it.

I just wanted him gone. I wanted to forget the times we shared, the laughs we had. I wanted to ignore the fact that he’d so easily found a place in my heart.

Only there was one problem… I wasn’t allowed to forget. 

I am reminded daily of him. Each morning, I have no choice but to look into the same, beautiful eyes he possessed. I see his smile, and that same shade of dark melted chocolate hair that at one point, I loved running my fingers through.

Every single day I reminded of the fact that the father of my child is nothing more than a man that truly never existed.

💭 This story is about second chances. About deceiving, betrayals and secret baby. Mixed feelings while reading the book. Don’t really know what to think about Jake’s character and his fast succession in joining the police force. Kind of doesn’t make sense to me at all.

Callahan & McLane Series by Kendra Elliot #bookthoughts

There are four books in total in this series. It started with Vanished.

Synopsis: ➡️When an eleven-year-old is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, whose life is crumbling to pieces—he’s related to the victim, and his longtime confidential informant has just been murdered.

Both he and Agent McLane hole up in the victim’s family home. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and the stakes keep rising the longer the girl is missing. As Ava and Mason struggle to hold the family together in their darkest hour, the two investigators find themselves drawn to each other.

💭Ava and Mason met when his ex-wife’s stepdaughter went missing one day. Mason and his ex-wife shared a son together and his son seems devastated when his stepsister went missing. Mason has been alone for a long time and he doesn’t seem to mind it until Ava walked into his life. Together, they try to solve the kidnapping/ abduction mystery. Not only that, Mason is suspected of murdering his informant. She turned up dead with his fingerprints everywhere, including the murder weapon. So who’s trying to frame Mason?

Synopsis: ➡️After a congressman’s tortured body is found dangling from a Portland bridge, the FBI joins the Oregon State Police to investigate the case—and FBI Special Agent Ava McLane, still recovering from a bullet wound, hunts the twisted killer alongside the man who captured her heart, police detective Mason Callahan.

But once a third body appears and all evidence points to a serial killer, the public furiously clamors for answers—and the couple’s relationship grows fractured under the pressure. Ava and Mason search in the past for clues that predict the future. And when Ava’s mentally ill twin spins out of control, the FBI agent who battles monsters every day wonders if she shares her sister’s self-destructive streak…

In the latest thrilling romantic suspense novel from award-winning author Kendra Elliot, the past and the present violently collide…and the fallout can be deadly.

💭A congressman dead body is found. His death brings a lot of attention to the case. Then another guy is dead and they know is linked when their deaths are similar. But what’s the connection between these guys? The body counts start rising and Ava crossed path with her attention seeker twin once more when she saw her with the man who broke into Mason’s place. Despite her knowing that man is abusing her, Ava’s twin chose to run after the man. Leaving her sister behind. What I really hated about this book?? Too much had written about Ava’s twin. Whenever I hear her appearing on my audible, I tend to tense and skipped it. She totally ruined my mood with her appearance.

Synopsis: ➡️FBI Special Agent Ava McLane solves crimes; she doesn’t witness them. When she’s trapped in a mall without her weapon as a shooter picks off victims, she hides with a wounded teen and prays for her survival.

But that’s only the beginning…

An epidemic of mass shootings has swept across Oregon. The young shooters terrify the public, committing random murders before taking their own lives. The task force assembled to solve the case—which includes Ava’s boyfriend, detective Mason Callahan—remains stumped. And on top of this chaos, Ava’s troubled twin sister reappears, throwing Ava’s already-tumultuous life into a tailspin.

An old-fashioned cop with a strong sense of duty, Mason struggles to find the cause of the shootings as workaholic Ava spins ever closer to breaking down. But can one detective save the lives of countless innocents—and prevent the woman he loves from going over the edge?

💭What happen when you’re having some free time with your yoga friend when a shooter turns up at the mall and start shooting? That’s what happen to Ava. But that’s not the end. Another mass shooting happened again. And the shooter are young. Really young. So what really happen? Are they friends who decided that they’re going to do this? And of cos the attention seeker twin is back and demand more attention when she realised that Ava has not been updating her whereabouts. Not to mention the surprise when they uncover the truth behind the shootings.

Synopsis: ➡️All Detective Mason Callahan wanted was a quiet fishing trip with the guys—a chance to get away and unwind before Halloween.

Until he finds the body of his boss, Denny Schefte, near their remote Oregon cabin. Now all he wants is to catch the sadist who slit Denny’s throat and covered his face with a mask. Mason was the last person to see him alive and will stop at nothing to find his friend’s murderer.

When the FBI learns of the mask left at the scene, they realize they have a serial killer on their hands—one who is targeting cops. They assign the case to Special Agent Ava McLane, despite her engagement to Mason. Barely recovered from her own nearly fatal injury and her sister’s attempted suicide, Ava hopes she is ready to chase another killer.

But as she delves into the increasingly disturbing case, the killer may be closer than expected—dangerously close.

💭 Finally, the last of the series. And my favourite of them all. Mason is enjoying his fishing trips with his detective buddies when he found his boss, dead. But he’s not the only one. Someone has been targeting law enforcements but who? Since he/she’s been doing a good job escaping from the police/FBIs. And what a surprise when you realised the motive behind all these murders.

Overall, I do enjoy the series. But Ava’s twin, Jayne, destroy whatever patience and sanity that I had. She’s destructive yet she’s appearing everywhere in the book.

I read the series a few years back but I couldn’t remember the storyline. So I went back and re-read the series. And, I must admit that I like the other series better.

Simple #brunch that I had today!

It’s been very warm and humid nowadays. And sometimes the weather will make you feel tired and restless. Therefore, I always like simple home cooked food.

I like drinking soup when it comes to my meals.

The noodles are called bean stick aka 豆签 in Chinese, I boil some chicken stock and added the sliced tomatoes in. I added some chicken breast meat for protein. (Nah, I just like some meat in the noodles.)

Once the water starts to boil, I throw the noodles in and cook.

And I do add a pinch of salt for flavouring. (Taste the soup first before adding any salt. It might turn salty for some, since some chicken stock is salty.)

And you may serve. On top of it, I added some chilli flakes for some spiciness and flavour. And I added some fried onions for more flavours.

And voila, my brunch is cook!

To add another level of flavouring, crack an egg in the bowl. Pour the piping hot noodles into the bowl and yeah~ more robust!

 

Pucked Off (The Pucked Series Book 6) by Helena Hunting #bookthoughts

I admit that I skipped several books and jumped into this one. I gave up reading ‘Pucked Up’ cos I couldn’t connect Miller and Sunshine. But this book has been calling me and I decided to give it a shot. And boy! I didn’t regret anything at all.

“I don’t deserve this. You. I don’t deserve this kind of goodness. I shouldn’t be here, taking all these things from you when they shouldn’t be mine.”

Pucked Off

BLURB: ⬇️

I’m NHL defenseman Lance Romero, AKA Lance “Romance.”

I’m notorious for parties and excess. I have the most penalty minutes in the league. I get into the most fights. I take the most hits. I’m a player on and off the ice. I’m the one women with no inhibitions want.

Not because I like the notoriety, but because I don’t know how to be any other way.

I have secrets. Ones I shared with the wrong person, and she used them against me. Sometimes she still does. I should cut ties. But she makes it difficult, because she’s the kind of bad I deserve.

At least that’s what I believed until someone from my past gets caught up in my present. She’s all the good things in this world. She lights up my dark.

I shouldn’t want her.

But I do. 

I should leave her alone.

But I won’t.

---

💭 

If I like Pucked, the first book. Then I’m going to say I love this book!

Lance might be a playboy, manwhore, banging all the bunnies who threw themselves at him. And he didn’t seem to mind it at all. Is he?

I like the connection between Poppy and Lance. It’s nice to read about how they reconnect and trying to build something but someone is trying her hardest best to destroy whatever they’re building. 

Lance is not perfect. He’s far from perfect. But that doesn’t mean that he’s not lovable.

PUCKED (A Standalone Romantic Comedy) (The PUCKED Series Book 1) by Helena Hunting #bookthoughts

Buck’s tone has changed to the quiet-calm voice he uses when he’s so furious he can barely function. I’ve seen him like this a couple of times before. Usually over Xbox. It’s not good. I have a feeling he’s going to try to break Alex. Alex spins to face him. Since I’m looking at the floor, I see his dick swing in the process. I hold back the inappropriate laughter when I hear it slap against his thigh. I love his penis. I want to give it a sponge bath and dress it up like a superhero.

BLURB: ⬇️

With a famous NHL player for a stepbrother, Violet Hall is well acquainted with the playboy reputation of many a hockey star. So of course she isn’t interested in legendary team captain Alex Waters or his pretty, beat-up face and rock-hard six-pack abs. When Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet’s misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes much more than just a hot body with the face to match.

Suffering from a complete lapse in judgment, Violet discovers just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants. Violet believes her night of orgasmic magic with Alex is just that: one night. But Alex starts to call. And text. And email and send extravagant—and quirky—gifts. Suddenly, he’s too difficult to ignore, and nearly impossible not to like.

The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn’t want to be part of the game.

---

💭 It was a hilarious and enjoyable read for me. Especially when Violet’s erratic character comes out to play. IT’s super hilarious!

I super looking forward to reading Buck and Sunshine’s story since Buck is a typical jork who banged anyone willingly. AND his sister described him as a hairy yeti. 

 

The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting #bookthoughts

“Where do you think that luck comes from, Ethan?” Another reporter shouts. 

His head whips around, seeking out the asker of the last question. “Lilah.” It’s the first and only word out of his mouth.

My skin prickles, but I’m not sure if it’s in a good way or not. A volley of questions follows that’s hard to keep track of.

“Is Lilah your girlfriend?”

“Would you call her your good luck charm?”

Ethan rubs his bottom lip with his thumb. “Among other things, but yeah, definitely.”

“Does Lilah know she’s a factor in how well you play?”

“Is she part of your pregame ritual?” one saucy reporter asks.

Ethan laughs, maybe a little high on the win and the attention. “I don’t rub her like a genie in a bottle if that’s what you’re getting at, but I see her before every home game, and I talk to her before every away one.”

“And you think she’s the key to your successful season?”

Ethan shrugs but smiles. “Every game she’s been at has been a success. I play better when I know she’s with me.”

The Good Luck Charm

BLURB: ⬇️

Lilah isn’t sure what hurt worse: the day Ethan left her to focus on his hockey career or the day he came back eight years later. He might think they can pick up just where they left off, but she’s no longer that same girl and never wants to be again.

Ethan wants his glory days back. And that includes having Lilah by his side. With her, he was magic. They were magic. All he has to do is make her see that.

Just when Lilah might finally be ready to let Ethan in, though, she finds out their reunion might have nothing to do with love and everything to do with improving his game. But Ethan’s already lost her once, and even if it costs him his career, he’ll do anything to keep from losing her again.

---

💭 I was looking very forward in reading this book. And somehow Ethan really manages to piss me off every time his selfish idiot comes out to play. They are in their late twenties and they’re acting like high school students. And I’m not amused and amazed with the way Ethan kept inserting himself into Lilah’s life even though he knew how important for her to enrol for her Masters.

He’s acting like a selfish jerk and I’ve been hearing all about him. His feelings. His love. His fears. AND he didn’t talk about their future instead he kept focusing on now. His wants. His needs. 

It’s an okay read if you overlooked all his shortcomings though.

PS: But I’d like a read about Doctor Noah and Casey though…