Riley's side of the story
938889
In this book we learn what Riley is going through after Scum shot him in the head.  Riley struggles with his brain injury and questions what he heard and saw at his parents neighbors home.  No one believes Riley when he tells his family about it.  If only he could talk to Gabby!  A great mystery!  Riley's story is a good one and answers our questions about how he feels about Gabby. Thanks to the author for the gift of this book.  These opinions are written honestly and are my own.
162793
Riley is quite comfortable with life in a small town.  By comfortable I mean bored. A good job and plenty of friends and family who love her just won't fill her empty bed.  When Riley meets Brett Jacobs, her luck appears to change. Hes handsome, affectionate, generous and seriously into her.  Its just a fling, right? Wrong.  Brett gives Riley a taste of the good life:  hot sex, hot rendezvous and, perhaps the most important of all, love.  But Riley grows suspicious.  Is it all in her head or is Brett too good to be true?

Tight is really 2 stories in one.  Told in tandem, these 2 stories need one another. They feed one another and work together to slowly build suspense.  The first story is Brett and Riley.  Their tale is a contemporary romance about a slightly insecure small town girl and the handsome, wealthy stranger she meets on a trip with her girlfriends.  We see their relationship grow and bloom over a 6 month span and it was very intense and beautiful.  However, all is not well in paradise. Bretts job is a mystery and, though it takes them to romantic hot spots, it slowly begins to raise questions.  Questions Riley, the daughter of a police chief, cant ignore.  Is he really a Yacht salesman?  Who are his clients and why does she never meet them?  Why does he leave her alone for hours at a time in a strange place to wine and dine them?  As Rileys trust in Brett begins to crack, she does some digging and isn't prepared for what she finds.

The second story is very mysterious and suspenseful.  We meet a girl named Kitten, though thats not her real name. She is being held captive in a small cell. Her captor, who appears to be studying her, is also training her to lose hope. She will never be free.  He wants to break her down but Kitten remains strong. While we are on Brett and Rileys journey of romance, we get bits and pieces from her perspective.  She is being raped, she is being beaten but she is clinging to somethingor someone.  Yes, she may be connected to one of our main characters.  How?  Who is she?

As these stories progress, the reader begins to see they may have a whole lot to do with one another.  Also, were counting down to something.  Some chapters will start with a length of time and then the ominous word before. Before what??  The reader will have many theories, many thoughts and an infinite amount of questions.  Kittens mysterious situation and Brett and Rileys romance combine for one hell of a masterful story full of love and suspense.  And did I mention the sex?  HOT!  The reader may figure out how the stories connect (I didnt!) but it will absolutely not mar the enjoyment of this exciting read.

My grade:  A-

Prepare to say with tired, blurry eyes just one more chapter as you go through this one!  Tight goes on sale Saturday, February 7th.  Fans of Torre should be first in line as this is yet another winner from this fantastic author. If you haven't read Torre before, I cant think of a better place to start.  Get your copy ASAP!
198752
Excellent book. I have to say I was turned off by it at first and almost stopped reading but then I decided to finish. I'm glad I did good story of renewal until the end of it. There is definitely a lot more story here and I hope she finishes it. Hope to see more of Riley in future books. I feel let down that it ended this way. I love a happy ending.
4974467
I would be amiss if I did not make the disclaimer that I know the author. Well, I thought I knew the author. But, no one really knows anyone. Do they?
I am not into grammer, spelling or any other scholary bulls*** when I read a story.  I am just interested in the story and who well it is told. This is a story that I would be glad to have read even if I did not know the author. It was well told and I liked the way the story when from the past and to the present. There were portions of the story that I could easily relate with in my own life. Including the bullies in school. But, of course back then it was called teasing. In high school I remember be discriminated against mainly because Ii was white and being chased down the halls by black students. Granted this is not exactly the same discrimination that Todd faced. And my experiences in the Roller Derby were similar to his in many ways. In in the sport we had many the same friends and acquaintances. Roller Derby was a second family for me. All the people were special and Todd was able to capture this accurately. And the ego's of the stars was portrayed accurately. They did not appreciate being taken down by a rookie and you would either be taught a lesson on the track and/or in the locker room. But what I appreciate most about the story is the honesty in the way it was told. Their were events in the story that could not have been easy for Todd to reveal about himself however it is those events that make the story worth reading. I enjoyed reading this biography about a real person.
1725044
The Walshes are my favorite series and 7 books in, it still fresh as we still learn more about the family. Riley has grown a lot since the first book but he is still Riley at the same time. His other half isn't who I wanted it to be but she fits him perfectly. I hope that there is more to this series.
688175
An interesting tale of human endurance through almost unimaginable suffering in a hostile environment.  Capt Riley's period of slavery was somewhat shorter than I'd expected, a matter of months rather than years, but there was a lot of hardship bound up in that period.

Many surprises from the book, especially Capt Riley's apparent ready acceptance of slavery as part of the natural order.  He and his crew were resigned to this fate, in preference to death on their wrecked ship or dying of thirst in the desert.  Also surprising was his affection for his former master (`my friend and the preserver of my life') - somewhat bemusing - yes, he did save his life, but he also was going to cut Capt Riley's throat if the anticipated ransom did not eventuate (maybe an early example of the Stockholm syndrome?).  Seems the alternate outcome was forgotten in the joy of his eventual release - as was the lot of the many other slaves who were not so fortunate as to have wealthy benefactors.  The affection for his master extended to an appreciation of his captor's ability to survive in the harsh desert and to their ancient Arabic language, which `thrills on the ear like the breathings of soft wind-music and excites in the soul the most soothing sensations'.  Clearly Riley looked on the bright side and saw some positives from an otherwise terrible experience.

The book provides a fascinating study of life in west Africa in the early 1800s, including descriptions of the journeys (and disasters) of the great camel caravans on trading missions to Timbuktu and down the Niger river to the Gulf.

The religious aspects of the book are heavy-handed and annoying (the frequent references to Providence), but they reflect the times and I expect they helped sustain Capt Riley's determination to live and survive. You have to wonder where Riley thought Providence was for the rest of his crew who did not escape slavery, let alone for the untold numbers of other slaves in Africa and Riley's home country?

A note for Kindle users - the book makes reference to maps and illustrations, none of which are included in the Kindle edition.
4359839
I, of course, read Katherine by Anya Seton many years ago and loved the story.  This book tells the real story in a manner that is interesting and easy to read.
2529675
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Snake Charmer</i> is the 31st book in the Cattle Valley series and my first read in the series.  I wondered if it would be a problem jumping in at this point in a long running series, but found that in this story about Snake and Riley who don't originate in Cattle Valley, I didn't feel lost at any point.  Having read other long running series, I know that sometimes the background on the story arc and characters seems to be continually regurgitated, but it didn't seem that way here.

I enjoyed meeting Snake, a security consultant and ex-mercenary and Riley, an accountant.  Snake and Riley work at the same security firm, and when Snake observes Riley being attacked by his ex-boyfriend at the workplace, Snake appoints himself Rileys protector.  To best protect Riley, Snake takes him to Cattle Valley where Snake has friends.

Riley is insecure in his appearance and doesnt think hes attractive enough for Snake, and Snake believes he has a black stain on his soul and isn't worthy of anyone, much less someone as great as he believes Riley to be.  I feel the story was too short in page length and length of time for the relationship between Riley and Snake to develop as strongly as it was portrayed.  For two guys who have lived with their insecurities for as long as they have, they overcame those obstacles in a matter of days.

I am interested in reading other stories in this series and from looking at blurbs of some of the other books, I will have to carefully choose an appropriate starting point other than book 1, but a reader should not fear reading this one as a stand-alone or as an introduction to the folks of Cattle Valley.
3693258
A great read for those interested in the many sides of her story.
1580583
I've followed the Amanda Knox case all the way through. But I wanted insight from her perspective. It was really interesting to hear how she was treated and so wronged. A great read whether or not you followed her story or not!
359193
Has a very positive beginning, except for the fact that it has to be kept a secret.  Lies are never good things to keep even when there in someone's best interests, they always come back to haunt you.
I liked Riley, Kristen's roommate very supportive.  We get a look at Marty Kristen's ex.
Find it can be enjoyable to skype, hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Wonderful to be whisked away on a private jet, to an island in the Caribbean luscious.
189970
It was easy to read and pulled me right in to the story (my favourite kind!) Although I thought Riley cutting herself was totally irrelevant to the story, I understood why she would feel as if she needed to do it. I also liked the relationship between Riley and Ian, although in the end it might seem a little pointless unless we have a reincarnation in the next book(s) in the series *holding thumbs*
1367031
Abraham Verghese tell us another story of real life within the circles of his life.  He tells it in such a way to keep one glued to the pages until finished.  In the earlier going I became confused as to whether his young  student David Smith was in fact a "friend" or a tennis partner,  and then when Abraham states, " my student, my intern, my tennis  partner, my friend," I began looking back over the pages in an attempt  to discover if he meant the above quote in just that order.  Well worth  reading, and may leave you wondering as well.
3588768
Steve Rubcic lived the story and is able to communicate the correct facts and clear up some the questions I had about the incidents. I appreciated having him relate the other things going on in the country at the same time.  It was a tragic, unsettling time for those of us living in South West Wyoming. I look forward to reading the "rest of the story".
771518
Loved Hudson and Riley's story! Riley had in her mind who her perfect man was, but she was wrong. He was right in front of her all along.
86638
Honestly I love the story but there is some kind of glitch. The story labeled Abducting Abby isn't what I got. I received  choosing Riley  Bk 1 labeled as Abducting Riley. I do not know how to contact and let them know.
 I really don't want to lose the book
4080874
I have read Howie Carr's books about John Martarano's life in the mob and also The Brothers Bulger; which were both fascinating, but I find Kevin Weeks' account to be even more so.  This book in Kevin Week's own words gives more history of Boston during the era and a good time line.  Kevin does not glamorize anything nor does he make any excuses, he just tells what happened and what his life was like at the time. I found his words to express more sadness and regrets than John Martarano's seemed to. Kevin lays it all on the line and appears to tell a straightforward detailed view of what happened and why he chose the way of life he did.