Terri L. Austin
Author of Diners, Dives & Dead Ends
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Twenty-four year old Rose (Rosalyn) Strickland is a full-time waitress at Ma's Diner and a part-time college student from Huntingford, Missouri, who is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Rose grew up in a wealthy family, but when she wouldn't lead the lifestyle that her parents thought was appropriate, her parents insisted that she leave their home and make her own way in the world.
Axton Graystone is Rose's childhood friend and the one person who helped her get on her show more feet. He's a lovable stoner, sci-fi and techie geek, who works in the IT department of the local community college. One day he stops in at the diner and is acting weird and very nervous, he asks Rose to keep his backpack for a few days in a safe place. When Ax disappears, Rose knows that he got himself into trouble and she's determined to find him. Rose and a motley crew of friends embark on a zany adventure to locate the missing Ax, only to have a hunky bad guy in tow and a town full of secrets ... what else can happen when your world revolves around Diners, Dives & Dead Ends?
Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is a fun story that has an entertaining mixture of chick lit and cozy mystery. In her debut novel, author Terri L. Austin weaves a humorous tale told in the first person narrative by Rose Strickland, who takes the reader along for the ride on a crazy adventure to find her missing friend Ax. This fast-paced story has a lot of twists and turns that easily engages the reader and keeps them guessing what will happen next, while also providing a lot of laugh-out-loud moments that will keep you in stitches. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, she provides a story that is just plain fun to read, it has a great balance of humor and intrigue.
The author creates a zany cast of characters who are realistic and fun to get to know. Rose is a sassy girl with an independent spirit and wicked sense of humor. I loved how the author made the story come alive via Rose's voice. I found myself snickering and thoroughly enjoying Rose's sassy attitude, it felt like I was sitting on the couch next to Rose as she talked about her adventures. I loved the cast of secondary characters: Roxy, Ma, Joe, Dane, Steve, Eric and the hunky bad guy aka Bossy Jackass. Their quirkiness, witty dialogue and engaging interactions made the adventure that they went on so much fun to follow. The author does a great job of describing the characters and their personalities, you can visualize what they look and sound like. I also liked how the author weaves in a few interested suitors for Rose, while throwing in some family drama into the mix as well.
Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is a delightful cozy mystery that is full of mad cap zany adventurous fun and sly humor that will keep you thoroughly entertained. This is the first book in the Rose Strickland Mystery Series. I look forward to reading about Rose's next adventure in Last Diner Standing, the second book in the series that is scheduled to be released on December 3, 2012.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/11/diners-dives-dead-ends-rose-st... show less
Axton Graystone is Rose's childhood friend and the one person who helped her get on her show more feet. He's a lovable stoner, sci-fi and techie geek, who works in the IT department of the local community college. One day he stops in at the diner and is acting weird and very nervous, he asks Rose to keep his backpack for a few days in a safe place. When Ax disappears, Rose knows that he got himself into trouble and she's determined to find him. Rose and a motley crew of friends embark on a zany adventure to locate the missing Ax, only to have a hunky bad guy in tow and a town full of secrets ... what else can happen when your world revolves around Diners, Dives & Dead Ends?
Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is a fun story that has an entertaining mixture of chick lit and cozy mystery. In her debut novel, author Terri L. Austin weaves a humorous tale told in the first person narrative by Rose Strickland, who takes the reader along for the ride on a crazy adventure to find her missing friend Ax. This fast-paced story has a lot of twists and turns that easily engages the reader and keeps them guessing what will happen next, while also providing a lot of laugh-out-loud moments that will keep you in stitches. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, she provides a story that is just plain fun to read, it has a great balance of humor and intrigue.
The author creates a zany cast of characters who are realistic and fun to get to know. Rose is a sassy girl with an independent spirit and wicked sense of humor. I loved how the author made the story come alive via Rose's voice. I found myself snickering and thoroughly enjoying Rose's sassy attitude, it felt like I was sitting on the couch next to Rose as she talked about her adventures. I loved the cast of secondary characters: Roxy, Ma, Joe, Dane, Steve, Eric and the hunky bad guy aka Bossy Jackass. Their quirkiness, witty dialogue and engaging interactions made the adventure that they went on so much fun to follow. The author does a great job of describing the characters and their personalities, you can visualize what they look and sound like. I also liked how the author weaves in a few interested suitors for Rose, while throwing in some family drama into the mix as well.
Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is a delightful cozy mystery that is full of mad cap zany adventurous fun and sly humor that will keep you thoroughly entertained. This is the first book in the Rose Strickland Mystery Series. I look forward to reading about Rose's next adventure in Last Diner Standing, the second book in the series that is scheduled to be released on December 3, 2012.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/11/diners-dives-dead-ends-rose-st... show less
Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is such a fun read! It is filled with wonderful characters such as Axton Graystone (Ax for short, whom Rose has known since first grade), Roxy Block (her anime-loving bestie), Ma (her septuagenarian boss of Ma's Diner), Ray (the boss's son who, according to Ma, never does anything right), and Sullivan (more about him later).
My favorite character is Rose, because of her loyalty to friends, her strength of character, her "wicked sense of humor and independent show more spirit." Rose (short for Rosalyn), along with her older sister Jacqueline (both named for First Ladies — Rose calls her "Jacks"), was raised in the lap of luxury in Huntingford, Missouri. Growing up, Rose got everything she ever wanted — as long as what she wanted coincided with what her parents wanted for her.
It wasn't until after Rose's freshman year of college
that Rose's hopes and dreams collided with her parents' plans for her. Rose refused to return to the women's college, wanting to attend a different college instead, one where she would be happier. Her parents responded to this decision (an unreasonable one, in their opinion) by kicking her out and cutting off all financial support. No doubt, her parents expected Rose to come to her senses, apologize, grovel even, re-enroll at the girls' school, and carry on in their pre-determined plan for her life.
No doubt, they are astonished that, after five years, Rose is still supporting herself and able to pay for college. (For the details, read the book!)
Oh, and there are also mysteries. Can't forget them! Rose is quite a sleuth, although a reluctant one, and saves the day by rescuing Ax. (No, that's not a spoiler. This is a cozy mystery. The heroine's best bud doesn't get killed in a cozy.) She keeps asking the police for their help, but they basically ignore her missing person reports, so she has to find him without them.
Diners, Dives & Dead Ends has a great ending! Author Terri L. Austin picks up a minor plot thread from the beginning of the book, and re-weaves what seems to be the ending of the book into a not-quite-cozy, exciting, thrilling direction — one which ensures that Sullivan will be back in Rose's life for many books to come!
Oh, Sullivan.... (We always fall for the bad boys, don't we.)
This is just the tip of the iceberg. For more about Sullivan (or BJ [Bossy Jackass] as Rose refers to him, before she sleuths out his name), Ax, Roxy, Ma, and of course Rose, read Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin. It's a Five-Kitty read, and highly recommended for all cozy mystery fans, especially those who like their heroines strong and sassy, and their men on the bad side.
Originally published at JaneReads blog. show less
My favorite character is Rose, because of her loyalty to friends, her strength of character, her "wicked sense of humor and independent show more spirit." Rose (short for Rosalyn), along with her older sister Jacqueline (both named for First Ladies — Rose calls her "Jacks"), was raised in the lap of luxury in Huntingford, Missouri. Growing up, Rose got everything she ever wanted — as long as what she wanted coincided with what her parents wanted for her.
It wasn't until after Rose's freshman year of college
...the college they had chosen for me. A small, private, all-girls-all-the-time school. I hated it.
that Rose's hopes and dreams collided with her parents' plans for her. Rose refused to return to the women's college, wanting to attend a different college instead, one where she would be happier. Her parents responded to this decision (an unreasonable one, in their opinion) by kicking her out and cutting off all financial support. No doubt, her parents expected Rose to come to her senses, apologize, grovel even, re-enroll at the girls' school, and carry on in their pre-determined plan for her life.
No doubt, they are astonished that, after five years, Rose is still supporting herself and able to pay for college. (For the details, read the book!)
Oh, and there are also mysteries. Can't forget them! Rose is quite a sleuth, although a reluctant one, and saves the day by rescuing Ax. (No, that's not a spoiler. This is a cozy mystery. The heroine's best bud doesn't get killed in a cozy.) She keeps asking the police for their help, but they basically ignore her missing person reports, so she has to find him without them.
Diners, Dives & Dead Ends has a great ending! Author Terri L. Austin picks up a minor plot thread from the beginning of the book, and re-weaves what seems to be the ending of the book into a not-quite-cozy, exciting, thrilling direction — one which ensures that Sullivan will be back in Rose's life for many books to come!
Oh, Sullivan.... (We always fall for the bad boys, don't we.)
His blue-black hair was combed away from his perfect face. His gold eyes — not golden-brown, just gold — glittered in the faint glow of my yard sale flamingo lamp. With light honeyed skin stretched over strong cheekbones, he was beautiful — like fallen angel beautiful. He scared me a lot more than the other guy. It was obvious he was in charge and Scarface was just there for back up.
Putting his hands up in a placating gesture, he stepped into the apartment. He was dressed in an expensive suit with a red striped tie.
"I'm not crazy about that tie."
He looked down and fingered it. "Why not?"
"Did I say that out loud"? God, I was tired.
"Yes, you did." He walked toward the kitchen. "Got anything to drink?"
I trailed after him. "Not for you."
I tried to pull my hands out of his grasp, but he tightened his hold on me. A little shiver zinged through me. Sullivan was the bad guy. Not the guy I should be zinging for.
He leaned forward, his hands bracing on the armrests of my chair. He was all up in my personal space. And he smelled so good.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. For more about Sullivan (or BJ [Bossy Jackass] as Rose refers to him, before she sleuths out his name), Ax, Roxy, Ma, and of course Rose, read Diners, Dives & Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin. It's a Five-Kitty read, and highly recommended for all cozy mystery fans, especially those who like their heroines strong and sassy, and their men on the bad side.
Originally published at JaneReads blog. show less
Diner Out is the fourth book in the Rose Strickland cozy mystery series. I love the humorous writing style and snarky dialogue that kept me entertained, “cover to cover.” This is my first book of the series, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story, though I would love to go back and find out what I missed.
Rose Strickland loves playing superhero, sometimes landing herself in some very hot water. She gave up her ritzy life, not to slum on the south side, but because she knew that show more was where she belonged.
Rose works for the Thomas Detective Agency, when she isn’t waitressing. Her boss, Andre is the yin to her yang, when it comes to work. She has a mind of her own, is a “bit” cocky and by going rogue, she is playing with fire.
When I first heard of her boyfriend Sullivan, the scene was so romantic and sexy. The details were left to my imagination and that worked very well for me. She’s good, him not so much. She is drawn to bad boys. The heart wants what the hearts want and she cannot deny him.
The peripheral characters have unusual names to go with their unusual personalities that make reading Diner Knock Out so much fun. Her pseudo family is unique, interesting and lovable, keeping the story lively. As her family grows, so does the fun and adventure.
Terri Austin is a master at misdirection, as I danced from one suspect to another. The suspense and mystery kept me reading, questioning and laughing while I worried and fretted over the outcome.
I received an ARC of Diner Knockout by Terri L Austin in return for an honest review.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com show less
Rose Strickland loves playing superhero, sometimes landing herself in some very hot water. She gave up her ritzy life, not to slum on the south side, but because she knew that show more was where she belonged.
Rose works for the Thomas Detective Agency, when she isn’t waitressing. Her boss, Andre is the yin to her yang, when it comes to work. She has a mind of her own, is a “bit” cocky and by going rogue, she is playing with fire.
When I first heard of her boyfriend Sullivan, the scene was so romantic and sexy. The details were left to my imagination and that worked very well for me. She’s good, him not so much. She is drawn to bad boys. The heart wants what the hearts want and she cannot deny him.
The peripheral characters have unusual names to go with their unusual personalities that make reading Diner Knock Out so much fun. Her pseudo family is unique, interesting and lovable, keeping the story lively. As her family grows, so does the fun and adventure.
Terri Austin is a master at misdirection, as I danced from one suspect to another. The suspense and mystery kept me reading, questioning and laughing while I worried and fretted over the outcome.
I received an ARC of Diner Knockout by Terri L Austin in return for an honest review.
To see more visit http://www.fundinmental.com show less
His Kind of Trouble (Beauty and the Brit) by Austin, Terri (November 3, 2015) Mass Market Paperback by Terri L. Austin
His Kind of Trouble by Terri L. Austin
Book #2: Beauty and the Brit Series
Source: Purchase & Netgalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:
Balls and bugger!!! I loved this read!!!! Now that I have that business out of the way on to the why of it all.
Monica Campbell made her appearance in book one, His Every Need and she was a thoroughly unpleasant human. At just 18 years old, Monica was a wild child on every level. The drinking, the sex with virtual strangers, the drugs, and the frequent show more disappearances with no contact were all perfectly normal for Monica but one terribly tragic event changed everything.
Flash forward five years and Monica Campbell is a whole new woman. Gone are the revealing clothes, gone are the impulsive and crazy decisions, and the bad boys are most definitely gone. Replacing all of the wild and crazy are a Master’s degree, ridiculously sensible clothing, and completely boring men who do nothing for Monica on any level. But, these choices are conscious, responsible, mature, and have served Monica well for the past five years. Too bad none of it is making her anywhere even remotely close to happy.
Cal Hughes has made a life out of not sitting still, of traveling the world on a whim, building and rebuilding vintage cars, and never, ever settling down. Women are easy to come by but there is one woman Cal has never, ever forgotten, Monica Campbell. Imagine his surprise the morning she walks right back into his life. Or, at least a version of her walks right back into his life. The Monica Cal remembers is hidden behind a lot of awful and Cal determines immediately it is his mission and duty to bring the old and exciting Monica back out into the bright light of day. And if he is very, very lucky, he’ll also get to see a whole lot of her during the night as well.
Cal is bad boy through and through and Monica knows she has to avoid him at all costs. Cal represents everything Monica has worked hard to overcome but damn, the man is some kind of sexy and knows how to play Monica like a well-tuned violin or a beautifully rebuilt car. Speaking of cars and playing . . . . you’re going to like that scene, dear reader
Little by little, Cal puts some cracks in the ice queen’s façade but those cracks seem to reseal after each and every sexual encounter. Monica is warring with herself on every level and if she admits her true feelings for Cal, the world she has spent five years building and living in is going to come crashing down around her. While Cal is all for the great crash, if and when it happens, there will be fallout and Cal isn’t quite sure he’s strong enough to handle the fallout. The fallout may include having to consider settling down in one place and having to admit he has more than just the naughty feelings for Monica Campbell. Trouble is, admitting those kinds of feelings will open up a whole other can of worms out of which will fall baggage and emotions that are generally best left stored away. Yeah, both Cal and Monica have some issues they need to work out.
The Bottom Line: Monica and Cal are fantastically hot and the back and forth between them is as funny and heartbreaking as it is steamy. Monica’s “transformation” is commendable but it is when she finally realizes there is a middle ground in life that she becomes pretty amazing. Cal is smoking hot and absolutely the best man in the world for Monica. Though he has demons of his own to deal with (including his spectacularly wretched father) he still manages to work them out and be there, in every way possible for Monica. Together, Monica and Cal just about perfect and it was hard for me to put down their story. Many of the cast of characters from His Every Need make appearances in His Kind of Trouble and I generally liked them all with the exception of Allie. I liked her well enough in book one but in this instance, I can do without that uppity bitch!! Give me Monica any day In all, His Kind of Trouble really upped the ante which means book three, His to Keep ought to be nothing short of outstanding!! show less
Book #2: Beauty and the Brit Series
Source: Purchase & Netgalley
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:
Balls and bugger!!! I loved this read!!!! Now that I have that business out of the way on to the why of it all.
Monica Campbell made her appearance in book one, His Every Need and she was a thoroughly unpleasant human. At just 18 years old, Monica was a wild child on every level. The drinking, the sex with virtual strangers, the drugs, and the frequent show more disappearances with no contact were all perfectly normal for Monica but one terribly tragic event changed everything.
Flash forward five years and Monica Campbell is a whole new woman. Gone are the revealing clothes, gone are the impulsive and crazy decisions, and the bad boys are most definitely gone. Replacing all of the wild and crazy are a Master’s degree, ridiculously sensible clothing, and completely boring men who do nothing for Monica on any level. But, these choices are conscious, responsible, mature, and have served Monica well for the past five years. Too bad none of it is making her anywhere even remotely close to happy.
Cal Hughes has made a life out of not sitting still, of traveling the world on a whim, building and rebuilding vintage cars, and never, ever settling down. Women are easy to come by but there is one woman Cal has never, ever forgotten, Monica Campbell. Imagine his surprise the morning she walks right back into his life. Or, at least a version of her walks right back into his life. The Monica Cal remembers is hidden behind a lot of awful and Cal determines immediately it is his mission and duty to bring the old and exciting Monica back out into the bright light of day. And if he is very, very lucky, he’ll also get to see a whole lot of her during the night as well.
Cal is bad boy through and through and Monica knows she has to avoid him at all costs. Cal represents everything Monica has worked hard to overcome but damn, the man is some kind of sexy and knows how to play Monica like a well-tuned violin or a beautifully rebuilt car. Speaking of cars and playing . . . . you’re going to like that scene, dear reader
Little by little, Cal puts some cracks in the ice queen’s façade but those cracks seem to reseal after each and every sexual encounter. Monica is warring with herself on every level and if she admits her true feelings for Cal, the world she has spent five years building and living in is going to come crashing down around her. While Cal is all for the great crash, if and when it happens, there will be fallout and Cal isn’t quite sure he’s strong enough to handle the fallout. The fallout may include having to consider settling down in one place and having to admit he has more than just the naughty feelings for Monica Campbell. Trouble is, admitting those kinds of feelings will open up a whole other can of worms out of which will fall baggage and emotions that are generally best left stored away. Yeah, both Cal and Monica have some issues they need to work out.
The Bottom Line: Monica and Cal are fantastically hot and the back and forth between them is as funny and heartbreaking as it is steamy. Monica’s “transformation” is commendable but it is when she finally realizes there is a middle ground in life that she becomes pretty amazing. Cal is smoking hot and absolutely the best man in the world for Monica. Though he has demons of his own to deal with (including his spectacularly wretched father) he still manages to work them out and be there, in every way possible for Monica. Together, Monica and Cal just about perfect and it was hard for me to put down their story. Many of the cast of characters from His Every Need make appearances in His Kind of Trouble and I generally liked them all with the exception of Allie. I liked her well enough in book one but in this instance, I can do without that uppity bitch!! Give me Monica any day In all, His Kind of Trouble really upped the ante which means book three, His to Keep ought to be nothing short of outstanding!! show less
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