Book Review: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker

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THE SIMPLE WILD
Author: K.A. Tucker
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: August 7th, 2018
Review Source: Netgalley

Calla Fletcher wasn't even two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when Calla learns that Wren’s days may be numbered, she knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this rugged environment, Jonah—the unkempt, obnoxious, and proud Alaskan pilot who helps keep her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. Soon, she finds herself forming an unexpected bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago. It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.

Ahhh I don't even know where to start.  I haven't read a lot of K.A. Tucker's books, just because there's so many books, so little time but HOLYYY shit, am I wrecked after reading this book.  It legit made me look up every book Tucker has ever written so that I could immediately read all the words.  I could kick myself for only just now becoming obsessed. 

I feel so many things after reading this story.  My thoughts and emotions are a mess and this is after taking a day to reflect.  The way Tucker describes Alaska so amazingly makes me want to seriously plan a trip.  It is so beautifully and perfectly depicted that I felt like I was there. 

Calla, our heroine, was a city girl traveling to spend time getting to know her dad, who was absent for most of her life, in Alaska.  I have to be honest that Calla took some time to grow on me.  I did not love her right away but with her personal growth and development throughout the book, I really came to love her a lot.  Jonah, our hero is a pilot at her dad's company.  I felt their romance was completely believable because it wasn't artificially sweet.  It was a slow burn which is completely refreshing. 

I am rating this book with 5 starts because it was soooooo freaking good.  I recommend it for anyone and everyone. 

Blog Tour: Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker

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Keep Her Safe
Author: K.A. Tucker
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: January 23rd 2018 
Publisher: Atria Books

  

Making a Murderer meets Scandal in this story of police corruption, family secrets, and illicit affairs from bestselling author K.A. Tucker, celebrated for her “propulsive plot twists and searing seduction” (USA TODAY).

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that's been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family's life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn't born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it's all she knows anymore. At least here people don't care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive...until a man who clearly doesn't belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department's dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker's reputation as one of today's most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

K.A. Tucker is a favorite author of mine. She has a talent to captive me with her stories from the very first page. And Keep Her Safe is another book to say I really enjoyed.

Keep Her Safe follows the story of another police corruption. Yet like other stories, we have two main characters, in which we read their POV's and we follow their thought and ways of discovering hidden secrets. It's a suspenseful story that will go back to the past to give you hints of what went down years ago, and how an innocent cop was named corrupted. Although it was thrilling, the story is a bit predictable of who is the killer and what the secret is. But don't let this fool you because our main characters, Gracie and Noah, will keep you on your toes.

Gracie is determine firecracker, in which you cannot say no to. She knows what's right from wrong and is willing to follow her heart with no hesitation. As for Noah, he is a sweet hottie. He's been thru so much and you will have a soft spot for him right away. But what will make you fall in love with him is dedication to help others, even when he needs help. These two will make have you swooning left and right. Even though their romance was built - slowly but surely. It was very realistic and raw.

As I mentioned, the story is a predictable but it's still enjoyable. You still get your twist and turns, your lies and betrayals. It's a story you don't want to miss out!

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

Blog Tour: Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker + Giveaway

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Until It Fades
Author: K.A. Tucker
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: June 27th 2017
Publisher: Atria Books

  

Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.

For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?

I don't know how much I've said this before, K.A. Tucker keeps getting better and better. I've been a fan of hers for years and every time she publishes a new book, I am in awe. I freaking love Until It Fades and so will you.

Nothing is as magical as a great romance story. One that can enchant and captive your attention from page one. That is what Until It Fades is about, magic. The magic of love. The magic to see good in people. The magic of goodness, of what one is capable of doing at a moment of tragic. The magic of letting go of the past and live life as it was meant to be. The magic that we need to believe. Until It Fades is magic.

Until It Fades is the story of Catherine Wright. At a young age, she did a mistake and was convicted by her family and her town. A mistake that she carries everyday. Her guilt of this mistake doesn't allow her to live as she should, to be happy. Although she tries to do her best for her young daughter, she doesn't allow to love or to be loved by a man. The scars of her past are too big.

Until an unfortunate event in which leads Catherine save the life of a man. He is a famous hockey player with a known family. She tries to keep this heroic act quiet but in a small town, things are hard to be kept as secret. Thankfully, the man she saves, Brett, is kind and wants nothing but to thank her. But when they meet face to face, the spark is ignite.

Catherine is a role model. She is strong and independent. Her unfortunate past did not keep her down. She strive and survived. With Brett, her courage and persona shine like a diamond. She forgave herself and she let go. With Brett she was able to trust and believe in love once again. These two will keep you swooning, like any other true love story.

I love Until It Fades so much. I highly recommend everyone to read it. To believe in the magic of love thru K.A. Tucker's words.

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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Book Review: He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker

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He Will Be My Ruin
Author: K.A. Tucker
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Released: February 2nd 2016
Review Source: Atria Books

The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series makes her suspense debut with this sexy, heartpounding story of a young woman determined to find justice after her best friend’s death, a story pulsing with the “intense, hot, emotional” (Colleen Hoover) writing that exhilarates her legions of fans.

A woman who almost had it all . . .

On the surface, Celine Gonzalez had everything a twenty-eight-year-old woman could want: a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a job that (mostly) paid the bills, and an acceptance letter to the prestigious Hollingsworth Institute of Art, where she would finally live out her dream of becoming an antiques appraiser for a major auction house. All she had worked so hard to achieve was finally within her reach. So why would she kill herself?

A man who was supposed to be her salvation . . .

Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what’s left of her best friend’s belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a lethal cocktail of pills and vodka, and never woke up. But when Maggie discovers a scandalous photograph in a lock box hidden in Celine’s apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man Celine believed would change her life.

Until he became her ruin.

On the hunt for evidence that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine’s private life—and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer. A killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered.

He Will Be My Ruin is suspenseful and full of surprised.

K.A. Tucker keeps throwing swings and keeps nailing it. She keeps writing captivating stories and they keep getting better and better. This story is refreshing and it will leave readers impacted with Maggie, our heroine. Readers would easily devour this story.

Get ready fans because you are about to be blown away.

Maggie is many things but in my books, she's a badass! She is very determine to learn the truth about her friend's death. She is also strong. She may think she is weak, but she's is one character I love would to call friend. Maggie is also kind. She doesn't let her money nor her family determine her life. No, she had decided to be her own person and will make her own legacy. Unlike her parents, Maggie loves to help others in need and uses her wealth for good. She's really amazing!

He Will Be My Ruin is a great mystery and thriller story. If you're a fan of How To Get Away With Murder, make sure to plan to read this on February 2nd. Although I saw how things would turn out, I was still fascinated with way she made this plot twist. It's quite fantastic. Seriously, it was a perfect mix of suspense, emotion and wit.

So get ready to be blown away. He Will Be My Ruin will have you on the edge of your seat.

Needless to day, if you're a fan of K.A. Tucker from the beginning, like myself, trust me... K.A. Tucker is about to take a swing at you and you will not notice. She will knock you down.

Tucker, thank you for writing yet another amazing story!

Release Week Blitz: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker | Excerpt | Giveaway

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Surviving Ice
Burying Water #4
Author: K.A. Tucker
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: October 27th 2015
Publisher: Atria Books

  

The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus Reviews called “a sexy, romantic, gangster-tinged page-turner”—returns with a new novel packed with romance, plot twists, and psychological suspense.

Ivy, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is finally looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have found it in San Francisco, but all that changes when she witnesses a terrible crime. She’s ready to pack up her things yet again, when a random encounter with a stranger keeps her in the city, giving her reason to stay after all.

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter wasn’t random. Not at all…

Excerpt

It’s just a regular ringtone. For me, though, it’s the wail of a war siren, and I’m immediately alert. There is only one person who has this number, and I didn’t expect him to use it again so soon.
The tile is cool against my bare feet as I roll out of bed. I collect the phone from the nightstand with one fluid movement, unhindered by sheets or the morning sluggishness that an average person might face. Stepping through the propped-open patio doors and onto the balcony, I answer with a low, curt “Yeah.” The sky is just beginning to lighten over the quiet bay. Dozens of boats sit moored below, their passengers lulled into deep sleep by the ocean air and rhythmic waves. I’m high enough up that I’m not likely to offend anyone with my lack of clothing, especially at this hour. Not that I’m truly concerned by it.
“Ice.”
The code name is a sharp contrast to the warm breeze skating across my bare skin. My adrenaline begins to spike, all the same. Hearing it means that I will be forced to leave this haven soon. Sooner than I had hoped.
“How is recovery going?”
I instinctively peer down at the angry red scar on the outside of my thigh, where a bullet drilled into my flesh and muscle just three weeks ago, outside of Kabul. I nearly bled out before I made it to the doc. He patched me up on a makeshift operating table, buried deep in a maze of rooms, and charged me a hefty price.
“Like new,” I lie.
“Good.” Bentley’s voice is rich and smooth, a welcome sound in a sea of strangers. “Where are you now?”
I peer out over the beautiful vista of crystal blue water and whitewashed stone buildings, the volcanic rock cliffs in the distance, reluctant to divulge my location. I sank a good chunk of my last payout on renting this one-bedroom villa for the month. It’s my private sanctuary, where I can revel in anonymity and peace for a while, before finding somewhere else to drift to.
Bentley has never asked before.
But he also has the technical capabilities to trace this call. If he really wants to find out, then he will. In fact, the second I picked up, he probably already had his answer. “Where do I need to be?” I say instead.
“San Francisco.”

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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Blog Tour: Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker | Excerpt | Giveaway

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Surviving Ice
Burying Water #4
Author: K.A. Tucker
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: October 27th 2015
Publisher: Atria Books

  

The USA TODAY bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus Reviews called “a sexy, romantic, gangster-tinged page-turner”—returns with a new novel packed with romance, plot twists, and psychological suspense.

Ivy, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is finally looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have found it in San Francisco, but all that changes when she witnesses a terrible crime. She’s ready to pack up her things yet again, when a random encounter with a stranger keeps her in the city, giving her reason to stay after all.

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter wasn’t random. Not at all…

You know there are times you fall head over heels with the main male character? You want him to be a real person because, damn he is one hot specimen. Well with Surviving Ice, I’m actually the opposite. I am head over heels over Ivy Lee. This girl is perfect. I loved her even with her flaws.

Ivy loves to travel and never settles in one place for long. Now that she is visiting her favorite uncle in San Francisco, she is thinking for first time to settle. But something happens to her uncle and Ivy wants nothing to do with San Francisco. Although she is an expert at moving around, now Ivy has to take care of her uncle’s affair before setting off to a new adventure.

Comes in mysterious and hot Sebastian into the picture. He is a Navy Seal and is assigned a new job, that is Ivy Lee. He is to investigate and search for a VHS (yes, those old videotape cassettes) and maybe even find out if Ivy is aware of what’s on that tape.

Ivy is clueless of what her uncle was up to and is not aware of this VHS. As Sebastian comes into her life, she has a feeling he is not good, but the girl wants him bad. I wouldn’t blame her since he is a walking gorgeous creature. What she doesn’t know is that he is dangerous and is assigned to watch her.

Getting to know both Sebastian and Ivy was something else. They’re both very careful of what they do and they notice every single thing. It was strange that they both connected and had mutual feelings, yet fun. Ivy has many walls that protects her but only Sebastian was the only with the ability to put those barriers down. The same as Sebastian. He’s the best at his job and is very discreet. However, with Ivy, there was something special about her, that he even bust out telling her his real name. They were both tough characters and seeing them vulnerable with one another was just something special to read.

As a fan of K.A. Tucker, I’m always in awe how complex her writing is. No matter what she writes, I will somehow fall in love with her stories. Surviving Ice was simply another gorgeous story that everyone should read. So if you’re in the mood for some serious suspense story with a twist of love, then Burying Water series is a must!

Excerpt

With my keys in the ignition, I pause once to get another look at the old storefront signage, at the playful eyes staring down at me, and smile. They belong on a puppy or kitten, not on a feral fanged jackrabbit. Kind of like the exotic girl with razor-sharp attitude inside. Though her eyes aren’t necessarily playful. Soft, yes. Veiled behind a tough act, but I saw the vulnerability there. The need to appear strong when she doesn’t really feel it inside. 
She is strong, I’ll give her that. Her uncle was murdered a week ago and she’s not sitting in there, crying about it. She’s set her grief aside to do what needs to be done, and that’s a quality not everyone possesses. She’s doing it on her own, too, I presume, because I don’t see anyone around to help her. 
But she’s definitely not unaffected by what’s happened. I could see it in the dark bags under her eyes, as if she hasn’t slept in days. I saw it in the way she reacted to me entering the shop, her tiny fist curled around the wrench, ready to defend herself if she needed to. 
I knew about her two-hundred-dollar-an-hour rate before stepping inside, thanks to a quick website search. That, along with an impressive portfolio of work, confirmed to me that I have nothing to worry about if I were forced to have her hold a needle to my flesh. But for now that’s not necessary because I got what I needed. 
Information. 
She’s going to be busy here for a good few hours, which means her house is waiting for me. 
I feel the pull, though, to go back and just drag that chair out for her, despite her attitude. She’s too arrogant or suspicious or plain fucking mule-headed to accept help when she clearly needed it, stretching her tiny body—that I could snap in two in a heartbeat—to her full five-foot-two stature in defiance, even as I towered over her. She clearly wants it out for emotional reasons, to try to unsee whatever she witnessed that led to her uncle’s murder. I want to tell her that it’s pointless. She’ll never be able to shed those memories. 
But I’m not here to be her shrink or her confidant. 
And if she knows anything about this videotape, then I’m about to become her worst nightmare.

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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