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#BookReview: The Hunted by Steven Max Russo

Solid Thriller Uses Guns Both Effectively And Not So Effectively. Seriously, this is one book that uses one particular gun *phenomenally* – one of the best uses I’ve ever seen of this particular gun, easily. But revealing that particular gun gets into spoiler territory.

Most of the rest of this tale is a really solid cat and mouse type thriller where danger lurks nearly behind every word and the action is of a sufficiently frenetic pace that fans of masters of balls to the wall action like Matthew Reilly and Jeremy Robinson will likely enjoy quite well. From the prologue through the epilogue, danger and intrigue is always *right there*, and we get several very satisfying action sequences and payoffs throughout. For the pure adrenaline action book this is, it really is quite a fun one.

But then we get to the issues where guns *aren’t* used as effectively, and to be fair this is a touch of nitpicking where those “less familiar” with guns than I am likely wouldn’t notice anything wrong at all… but readers anywhere near the level of proficiency with guns that these characters are supposed to have – all private military contractors of some form, many of them former special forces – are known to howl quite loudly about when they see these exact errors. Yes, I’m talking about Spec Ops/ PMC type characters referring to “magazines” as “clips”. Every. Damn. Time. Once, hey, maybe Russo mistyped and simply missed it in editing. Every time? Seems Russo, who clearly thought out and perhaps even researched *so much else* from a tactical and even practical perspective about so very many of the action sequences here – up to and including specifying several different types of guns in several different situations and using them quite effectively and realistically… *kept referring to magazines as clips*. GAH! So yes, this was bad enough from these specific types of characters that I ultimately felt I didn’t have a choice but to deduct a star for this reason. I always seek to be both as objective as possible and 100% honest in my reviews, and this was absolutely something that stuck out to me every time it happened. And yes, *for me*, it took me out of the scene every time. As noted earlier, for someone less familiar with guns – say non-American audiences, or maybe readers in the Northeast or Left Coast – some of the areas in even the US with the tightest gun regulations and thus far less general public familiarity with guns – hey, this particular thing may not be an issue for those readers. But for anyone even moderately familiar with a gun, yes, this will absolutely be an issue.

Another gun related issue – that only happened a couple of times, to be clear – is suppressors. Yes, Russo used the correct term here, which was great. But he also described them as taking the sound of a gunshot from an M40 sniper rifle down to “a bit louder than a pellet gun”. No. Just no. The *best* suppressors currently on the market in 2026 reduce a shot by *maybe* 40 decibels – and I’m being generous there. They take it from standing beside the action end of a jet engine to standing beside the speakers at a Metallica concert. At best. Which, to be fair, *is* QUITE “a bit louder than a pellet gun”. The way I typically describe it is that it takes the shot from being heard from 5 miles away (ish) to one mile away (ish), particularly in the relatively open fields of that particular scene. Yet again though, familiarity with guns. If you only know guns from entertainment and not from some form of actually having fired them, Hollywood in particular is *horrendous* about the suppressor issue specifically… but you wouldn’t know any better as you read this book. But those with more familiarity and experience with guns… again, this is a significant issue for at least those readers.

But again, overall – outside of the “magazine” vs “clip” issue and the suppressor issue – this really was a very solidly written, very fun action thriller with balls to the wall action sequences and fairly realistic tactics based on the settings as described – up to and including a few critical mistakes made by both heroes and villains. Truly a fun read that a lot of guys in particular are going to love.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Hunted by Steven Max Russo was originally written on January 7, 2026.

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#BookReview: The Memory Thief by Kayla Eaden

Phenomenal Story. Absolutely HORRID Storytelling. In the hands of someone with the skills of a Roth (DIVERGENT) or a Collins (HUNGER GAMES) or a Rowling (HARRY POTTER) or a Dashner (MAZE RUNNER) or a Robinson (THE LAST HUNTER) or a Phillips (RHO AGENDA) or a Harrison (INFINITY) or or or or or… this could have been an absolutely PHENOMENAL story that would keep you on the edge of your seat for at least a trilogy of trilogies, if not a near-mid-double-digits long series of all 300+ or even 600+ page books. There is *that much* material covered here, and it truly sounds PHENOMENAL.

Unfortunately, Eaden isn’t one of those authors, or even anywhere near that – at least right now. In this form as presented in this book, the story reads far more like Eaden had a decently detailed outline… and for some weird reason thought she had a cohesive book. No ma’am. You have a pretty solid outline to do at minimum that trilogy of trilogies I mentioned above or even that far longer series I mentioned above. I’m dead serious that such an expansion, along with better editing and admittedly more advanced and refined writing and storytelling skills could truly be one for the ages. This simply isn’t that, and it is a true shame, because the potential is absolutely there.

Also, I can’t leave this particular review without a note about how this book came to my attention and why I chose to buy it – and even redeem a Kindle Reward certificate to do so – and read it. On Threads yesterday, Ms. Eaden was getting absolutely slammed for the AI art on the cover and her defense thereof. She wasn’t holding her own very well, and I’m one that when I see an author or book getting just absolutely destroyed by a mob like that, I can’t help but at least step in and try to call the mob off, if not actively defend the person they are attacking so vociferously (if I happen to agree with the person). Thus, I *needed* to read the book. Maybe the AI cover was just some dirt on a filet mignon – a travesty, but otherwise a great piece of meat. Yeah, this wasn’t that. At best, it was more akin to dirt on beef tongue. Still a travesty if you’re truly dirt poor and this is the best you have, but something to just be tossed into the trash can if you have even enough money to replace it with instant ramen or some such. Yes, this story in this form truly was that bad.

Not recommended. Not in this form.

This review of The Memory Thief by Kaya Eaden was originally written on January 6, 2026.

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#BlogTour: She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a twisty mind bending thriller that will be tough for some readers. For this blog tour, we’re looking at She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / TheStoryGraph.com) and YouTube:

Twisty Mind Bender Will Put You In The Minds Of Its Main Characters. This is one of those books that works best when you don’t try to fight it. Take yourself out of the story and just flow with what is presented here and what you get is one hell of a trippy mind bender where not everything is as it seems… and yet some things may be *exactly* as they seem.

Now, for the child free and particularly the childless… well, the title of the damn book has the word “Baby” in it. Yes, this is focused on post-partum issues and, well, babies and motherhood. So just to make it explicitly clear: this book may not be the best thing for you, for any number of reasons. And to be even more clear: I myself am childfree and proud of this. Thus, I readily admit that this book is not one I would normally pick up myself if I did not already know and trust the author from previous books (and, admittedly, working with her in her (along with a few colleagues) Readers Coffeehouse group on Facebook).

AND YET… again, this book for what it actually is really is so good that *even for the childfree/ childless*… you should maybe at least consider it. I totally get if someone – maybe even a new mother herself, not just someone in the CF crowd – just finds the topic in general too difficult for their current situation. Take care of yourself and do what you need to do. Always. But when you’re in a space that maybe you can handle a book like this… Holmes really does do a great job here. It is one of those that will have you reading deep into the night and have your pulse pounding almost until literally the last word.

But if you want to build some trust in Holmes before you come to this book, I get it. I very much recommend literally every other book I’ve read from her, and I’ve read most of them at this point. So go into her back catalog, build that level of trust in her skills as a storyteller, then come here. You won’t be disappointed.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: She Took My Baby by Steena Holmes”

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds 4 by Armand Rosamilia

Yet Another Evolution Of Series Leads To Potential Soft Reboot. Rosamilia has proven with this series that not only can he pack a lot of fun action into a few pages (again barely topping the 200 page mark here), but that he can continually twist his characters in interesting directions that make you want to see where he will take them next. This particular tale is a great example of exactly this.

And yet again, because it *is* a very fast reading barely 200 page book, it works quite well for those looking for easy, fast reads for any reason at all. Whether it be those who maybe haven’t read a book since high school and you’re looking to get into reading again with some “easy wins” to get you going… or it is December 31 and you need a handful of books to get you to whatever reading goal you have for the year. Not that I would know anything about that last one. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds 4 by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds 3 by Armand Rosamilia

Another Solid Evolution Of Series. Every book in this series is a fun, quick read, with this one being the longest to date – and still clocks in at barely 220 pages. Here, again, Rosamilia takes the final scenes of the previous book and expands them into a full fledged story full of action and intrigue.

As with the other books in this series, because they are so fun and fast, they work quite well for those looking for short reads for any reason – be it first getting back into reading and wanting some quick, easy “wins”… or those looking to hit a certain number of books for the year on December 31. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds 3 by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds 2 by Armand Rosamilia

Fun Quick Quirky Read Pays Off First Book. Some of the criticisms of book 1 were that it ended in what could be argued was a massive cliffhanger, and this book picks up in the immediate aftermath and pays that ending off in glorious fashion. Here, in this short (barely 200 page) novel, we get a Florida/ Gulf Coast kind of version of a Sherlock v Moriarty fight, and for what this book actually is, it is truly a glorious version of such a fight.

Yet again, these books are perfect for those looking for short and fast reads, no matter the occassion – and maybe if you’re trying to get back into reading after not having read much, if anything, for several years these could be one really fun way to come back and build some confidence without too much commitment. They’re also great when you need to read four books on December 31 to hit whatever goal you may have for the year as well. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds 2 by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Dirty Deeds by Armand Rosamilia

Wild Opening Line Sets Up One Hell Of A Tale. This book has a lot going for it – at barely 200 pages, it is by default a fairly short read. With its pacing, it feels even shorter – even though so much is happening. With its ending… eh, I thought it worked well as a series starter, but I could also see that those claiming it a cliffhanger may have a point. *Maybe.*

But come on. That opening line. That general premise. The fact that our main character’s “day job” is so far out of normal experience as to be *less* familiar than being an actual working astronaut. The Atlanta base, and being a long time Braves fan from even the 80s where they absolutely *sucked*, but Dale Murphy proved conclusively why he *should* be in the Hall of Fame. (Come *on*, Baseball Writers of America! Why do you continue the travesty of not allowing Murphy his rightful place in Cooperstown?!?!?)

But yeah, this is one of those absolutely wild “what the fuck” kind of tales that you pretty much just have to grab a tight hold of the rope and hold on as best you can. That this is an entire series of 200 ish page books is *great* for those that find they like this one and are looking for a series of similar short books… for whatever reason. Maybe you’re new to reading and just want something fun, something that you can continue for a while. Maybe you’re trying to hit a certain number of books read by midnight on December 31 and you’re writing this review at 8a with another 3 books in this series to read to get you to 180 books on the year. (Not that I would know anything about this. 😉 ) Regardless, this is absolutely a fun book that opens up a wild world that seems like it will be one hell of a ride.

Very much recommended.

This review of Dirty Deeds by Armand Rosamilia was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel

Slow Paced Yet Intriguing, Not Sure That Twist Lands As Intended. This is one of those slower paced books where there is enough here to keep you invested – and Sheinmel certainly drops some bombs at exactly the right time when maybe you’re becoming slightly less invested. Also a great shortish (sub 300 page) read, but a slower one where the scenes play out more akin to the pace one would imagine of a luxury beach resort rehab facility so much of the story is set within. Which itself works quite well.

The one thing that becomes a bit jarring is the twist, and because it is the twist I really can’t say *too* much about it here in this review other than to note that for me, the story became maybe a touch *too* weird here, or maybe it was just that the editing could have been a touch tighter to help focus the reader a touch more. *Something* just felt a touch off… but maybe that was a “me” thing. It is very possible, maybe even very likely, that I’m the idiot here and that this twist works for most people and works rather flawlessly for them. Read the book for yourself, write your own review, and feel free to tag me wherever you may see this review on your own feeds and let me know what you thought about it.

Very much recommended.

This review of Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda

Don’t Like Collegiate Greek Life? This Book Is Likely A Large Example Of Why. Ok, so I gotta admit, Greeks were never that big at my commuter school that had just earned University status less than a decade before I first started classes and which had been a literal corn field when my parents were born. Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely proud to be a Kennesaw State Owl, and the school has come a LONG way in its short existence – but we also don’t have the hundreds of years of collegiate greek life that schools like the University of Georgia or the University of Alabama or Auburn University or Ole Miss have (not to mention those damn Yankee schools). For me, as someone who rose even to President of KSU’s chapter of a collegiate honor society and thus had a cube right by all the Greek groups that we did have in the student center… well, this book confirms the worst things I’d ever thought about them.

Thus, those who have a more positive picture of collegiate greek life… well… you’re probably not going to like this particular book.

Rouda is typical Rouda here, with all kinds of drama in yet another locked-in environment and all kinds of secrets that are going to come out over the course of this weekend. It just so happens that the connection between the primary characters is that decades ago, they were all sorority sisters and had one particularly fateful Senior Spring Break trip that has reverberated throughout the rest of their lives…

Short, with tons of drama and a pace that will keep you reading quite late indeed, this is great for those looking for an end of the year “I need to squeeze in one more book!” type read – or for those looking for a fun, quick read any time of year… maybe even during Spring Break? With your Greek brothers and sisters? 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of We Were Never Friends by Kaira Rouda was originally written on December 31, 2025.

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#BookReview: Smitten by Tom Bellamy

Weird Blend Of Neuroscience And Self-Help Lacks Critically Necessary Documentation. This book is fascinating in a lot of ways, and could genuinely help some people, but its critical flaw is also its biggest: showing up at just 12% documentation – at least in the Advance Review Copy edition I read over a month before publication (and which I’ve had for several weeks already before getting to it) when you’re proposing a novel diagnosis of neuroscience fails the Sagan Standard (extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence) pretty damn badly.

Now, for what the book actually covers… “weird” is actually putting it nicely. This is a novel blend of science and self help unlike any I’ve ever personally come across, and I read literally hundreds of books per year. (Admittedly across nearly all genres and not just in the neuroscience/ self-help spaces.)

Both the science and the self-help seem reasonable enough to a layman who simply reads a lot, though I’m nearly positive both actual neuroscientists and psychologists may have more choice words and harsher criticism there. But again, the severely lacking documentation, knowing this is such a novel concept… I mean, I only removed one star because that’s what I do for lack of documentation, but the case really could be made that the lack of documentation combined with the novel claims here are a much bigger problem than a single star deduction. But read the book for yourself and write your own review and let’s see what you think there.

Overall it is an interesting and very easy to read book (at least for those accustomed to reading popular neuroscience type books), I’m just not sure I would trust what it says any further than I could physically throw the book.

Recommended. But think critically about it.

This review of Smitten by Tom Bellamy was originally written on December 30, 2025.