Book Review: Altercation By Tamara Hart Heiner

First of all, I have to say, Altercation is so much better then the cover leads you to believe. So in this case don't judge a book by it's cover.

Altercation picks up where Tamara's last book Perilous ends. Jaci and her friends  are safe for now, but there is trouble brewing ahead. 

summary :

  The FBI promises Jacinta Rivera and her friends that they are
safe. Jaci wants desperately to believe them but weeks of hiding from
their kidnapper, alias "The Hand", have left her wary. Hidden from the
public eye in an FBI safe house, Jaci must reconcile both the mysterious
disappearance of her father and the murder of her best friend.

A betrayal lands Jaci back in the grasp of The Hand, shattering her
ability to trust and leaving her to wonder if she will ever piece together
her broken life.

My take:

I felt Atlercation kept you intrigued, wondering what next, and where they all really safe? Jaci and her freinds are trying to come to terms with what happened to them with out the support of their families. As they work through what happened they are told they are to be separtated adn this creates greater anxiety in them. Jaci, Amanda and Sara won't be together and neither will Sara's brothers Neil and Ricky.

Thinking everything is safe they find that they are anything but. And soon they are in precarious circumstances again, and it takes new found friends  along with the reuniting of old ones to find unseen answers.

I felt Jaci was strong in the midst of great danger. That she was smart in protecting herself. It was great to see her brother Seth take action to find his sister along with the help of Megan, the daughter of an FBI agent.

I thought Altercation kept you wondering if time would run for Jaci and Amanda. You could feel the  terror and horror they felt at being forced into certain circumstances and the despartion that those left to look for them as well. It was a quick read that kept you turining pages.

Altercation is definitely a book where the bad guys are really really bad, and the good guys risk everything to see that they don't win.


To take part in Tamara's celebration of the release of Altercation check out her website here

Prizes: EVERY DAY she will randomly select one person who made a comment on
that day's blog. The winner will then get to decide if they would like an
ebook copy of PERILOUS or ALTERCATION. There's just one catch: there must
be AT LEAST ten comments on that day for her to do the giveaway.

But if that's not enough, leaving a comment also gets you entered into the
PRIZE DRAWINGS. This won't be random; it's cumulative. Every comment you
leave counts as 1 point. If you are a follower on her blog, you get 1
point. Every time you tweet or share on Facebook about the tour, it's one
point.She'll even add it up for you; just include her in on the tweet
@tamaraheiner or on Facebook @tamarahartheiner (unless you don't trust her
math, and then feel free to tally it up and send it to her).


THIRD PRIZE: 50-page critique of something of your choice (if you're not a
writer, a $5 amazon.com gift card)
SECOND PRIZE: lot of five YA books
FIRST PRIZE: $20 gift card to Amazon.com

(You may also offer a giveaway, if you wish!)

You can get your copy of Altercation and fall into the suspense and action too by clicking on one of the options below
Altercation $15.95 link on Amazon: click here

ebook for $4.99: click here

Book Review: Caller ID by Rachelle J. Christensen

Caller ID By Rachelle Christensen is a fast paced edge of your seat suspense romance. It starts with a bang and keeps you turning pages to see what happens next.

Book Blurb:
When twenty-three-year-old Courtney Beckham is abducted near her home, the search turns up more than just a kidnapping crime. FBI agent Jason Edwards investigates the ten-million-dollar ransom and stumbles upon something he wasn't meant to find. When Courtney catches a glimpse of the caller ID in her kidnapper's home, what she sees turns her world upside down. Even if she escapes her captors, something much more dangerous lies ahead.

My take:

I fell under Rachelle's spell right away as I read Caller Id. I found every chance I could to read this book. It was fun, fast paced and cleverly plotted. The writing was solid and the character Arcs well developed.

I will admit that I was disappointed when I found out who the kidnapper was so soon into the story, and thought for a minute "well that stinks, now I know who the bad guy is".

But curiosity won out when I wondered how in the world would things play out when both I and the main character knew who was behind the kidnapping. And what would happen to Courtney now? How far would the kidnapper go to keep their secret underwraps? Little did I realize that Rachelle used this as a tease, to lull me into thinking I knew the ending.

Boy was I wrong!

Caller ID twists and turns and just when you think you know how it is going to end, you find out how very wrong you were. I was completely caught up in Courtney's world and found myself wondering what she would do next. I thought the emotional roller coaster she experienced really made you understand her so much better as she worked through being seen as just another pretty face when she puts strategy and determination and pure guts on the line to find safety in her world once again.

I loved how FBI agent Jason Edwards also plays an important roll in his investigation into Courtney's disappearance. He is willing to find out who she really is and uses that information to help him trust his gut feelings. When they meet up, sparks fly and sweet romance ensues that leaves you feeling warm all over.

I truly didn't want this story to end. Rachelle's writing is so clearly mapped, her words invoke vivid images in your mind that you find you don't want to stop reading. You are pulled deep into the dealings of drug lords and ruthless killers and find yourself unsure of how it will end as your heart races along with Courtney's. You feel like you know both Courtney and Jason.

I loved reading Caller Id. I know that anyone else who picks it up will feel the same way. The plotting, twists and turns, and unexpected surprises along the way that will have you biting your nails in anticipation are not to be missed.

I would highly recommend this book for ages 11 on up. This is a clean read full of great adventure. Don't miss out get your copy of Caller ID by clicking here or here. You can also visit Rachelle's websites and learn more about her and her other amazing books here and here.

Disclaimer: While at times I do recieve books to review, my opinion will always remain my own.

Book Review : Perilous By Tamara Heiner

Perilous by Tamara Heiner is her debut book and what a fantastic start. Perilous is an amazing action pack Y/A thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I literally could not put this book down and read it in one day. It pulled me into the story right away, and I had to find out what happened next, and was so relieved to know that a sequel is in the works when I wanted the story to go on at the end.

Tamara's writing style is very fluid and crisp. She develops her characters so that you can see them clearly in your mind. You can see the locations and events in your mind as if you were there to experience them yourself. The smell, the sounds, and colors all splash to life in front of you as the events unfold as if on a movie screen, they are vivid and full of life.

The story begins as four girls go to the mall to celebrate a birthday only to be left behind unexpectedly when the mall closes, the parent picking them up is late. They witness a crime and are kidnapped as a result. They are held hostage by ruthless, violent, men. They are dragged across the Canadian boarder, and are in a scary predicament being able to identify their assailants. In an escape attempt one is murdered, the rest are left to go on and hoping for their chance to get away. They are all affected on different levels, and not one of them will remain untouched by the experience, as they try to find a way back home.

Jaci, one of the girls emerges as a leader and finds she has the ability to hold the girls together in their journey to get home. In their escape, they are hunted by their kidnappers all along the Canadian/U.S. boarder as the powerful criminal that held them hostage, sends his men searching for them. Watching and waiting to get them back. Then to add to it all Jaci discovers something about her dad that may connect him to the kidnappers, and she wonders if she will ever be free of them again.

New mysteries unfold as the story progresses and twists and turns pop up unexpectedly. It is difficult for the girls to trust anyone and learn to rely on themselves. They find they are stronger than they ever expected. And meet some unlikely friends along the way.

I loved every page in this psychological thriller. It starts with a bang, and doesn't let up until the last page, when you realize you have just been on an emotional roller coaster, and don't want to get off. I wait in great anticipation for the sequel.

If you would like to purchase your own copy of Perilous, you can get both the hard copy and e-book versions here. I promise you won't be disappointed. Visit Tamara's website here.

Disclaimer: While I do sometimes receive copies of books I review, it in no way influences my opinions, they are and will always be my own.