May 11, 2020 Staff Reviews

Cold Frame

By PT Deutermann
Release Date: July 14th, 2015
Audiobook review
Narrated by: Dick Hill

https://wvreads.overdrive.com/media/2440478

3 stars - Full of likable, quirky characters not usually found in
political thrillers, this is a fun ride. A lot of action and intrigue.
Though sometimes those aspects outweigh the plot details behind them. Be aware this should be rated R for the f-word usage and also for Republican ideas. I don’t mind politics though as long as there’s more thriller than politics, which in this case is true!

While conservative voters in this hot election year climate will probably find more to like than those with more liberal leanings, there’s more to the story. Our main character Av is just a stubborn cop with the (typical) penchant for getting weird cases and being accused of an authority problem. But his point of view is pretty fun, to say nothing of his crazy coworkers. And narrator Dick Hill does a great job with different voices and tones for all the characters. Av’s personal life has just enough detail where we can picture him in the real world with us. But he stumbles upon an exciting possible conspiracy where some of the Washington elite keep popping up dead.

I honestly didn’t find this to be the kind of mystery/thriller where I was keeping score or guessing who was up to what. I was just enjoying the fast pace and sinister vibe. Some of this story is pretty dark but no less scary than the news of late.
While this was written in 2015, I didn’t think it felt that dated. For those of you who liked the Cam Richter series by Deutermann, you will see a few enjoyable similarities but this is definitely a change from his other books with all the Washington atmosphere at times. Finally to say,
the ending was intense but fairly strange. If you consider robots and killer plants weird. Somehow it worked out okay for me.

Wild for You
Kendall Ryan
Release Date: April 20, 2020

https://wvreads.overdrive.com/media/5187314

3 stars - The first 50% of the book was at 5 stars. Felt like getting exactly what the blurb promised + more. Level-headed hockey team captain impulsively rescues a down on her luck heroine. They’re roommates with WILD chemistry. But after 51%, I was reading a totally different story. Although, this has one of the best everyday romance heroes I’ve probably ever read...Grant Henry ended up too good for this story’s sensitive heroine in my opinion. Some will even say he’s too perfect.

He offers her a room for free. Instead of offering to chip in, she picks the worst time to up and spread her wings. Ana doesn’t exactly rush into a fling with Grant. But while he is cautious yet devoted in their relationship, she is reckless and distant the majority of the time. And the suspense angle with her ex is out there as a potential plot device that’s never really used. It also lacks some of the hotness factor of many of Kendall’s prior works.

Spoilers ahead!!! There’s no way to avoid them... Grant basically tells Ana he will love her and protect her no matter what. He doesn’t care if her baby is his or her ex’s. And Ana runs away. Suddenly she needs to prove she can do everything by herself. Girl, the ship has sailed as they say. I think it was an effort to redeem

Ana as an independent, willful character but the effort falls flat. She was more likable as we rooted for her to find her way out of her terrible relationship and accept the help we all need sometimes. The pregnancy storyline could have been entertaining but it left so much to be desired.And that ended up being the entire plot of the second half, not them falling in love or avoiding her ex.

(NS)