INTRODUCTION

Hi everyone My name is Victoria Zumbrum, 40 years old, married 14 years with 1 son. This is my very first blog. So bear with me. I have always wanted to have my own blog. I have always loved to read. I enjoy getting lost in a good book.
I love becoming part of the story and characters. I am hoping to bring my love of books to my readers.

I love reading different genres such as paranormal, young adult, romance, romantic suspense, mystery, Christian fiction, some horror, etc. The list goes on. I started reviewing books a couple of years ago and have done reviews for different blogs and even some authors. I really have enjoyed reviewing books and I will continue to do so. If anyone is interested in me reviewing a book for them, please contact me. I still have a lot to learn regarding my own blog so bear with me. I welcome and appreciate all followers.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Review of the Winters Sisters series by Joanne Jaytanie

new-banner-winters-sisters-series

BOOK INFORMATION

High resolution 3d render of human dna string
TITLE – Chasing Victory
SERIES (& Book #) – The Winters Sisters, Book 1
AUTHOR – Joanne Jaytanie
GENRE – Romantic Suspense, Paranormal
PUBLICATION DATE – July 31, 2016
LENGTH (#Pages/# Words) – pg- 322
PUBLISHER – Joanne Jaytanie
NOTE – Books must be read in order.

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Everybody’s chasing Victory: a power-hungry scientist, a corrupt conglomerate, and her own government.
Victory Winters is on the run. A world-renowned geneticist, her mission involves conquering disease and improving quality of life. But a co-worker has been murdered, putting Victory and her mission in danger. Chasing her are all sorts of men who want to recruit and control her, manipulating her genetic secrets and research for their own corrupt purposes.
Naval officer Tristan Farraday is undercover investigating Biotec, a conglomerate that trumpets a better tomorrow in its bright, shiny annual reports. But Tristan’s bosses suspect that beneath Biotec’s carefully-managed exterior lies more than simple violations of a few experimental protocols.
Farraday is following a trail of murder, kidnapping, and blackmail. The trail leads him to Victory, who has been forced into Biotec’s world. Can Tristan chase down the truth and win the race for Victory?

BUY & TBR LINKS


EXCERPT

Whenever Victory found herself in an enclosed space or in a crowd of people, she would often get the feeling of being watched. Over the years she realized, it was merely her ability to sense people’s emotions. Coupled with her sharper-than-average hearing and it could make anyone neurotic. Had she not taught herself years ago how to filter out the bombardment of noise and emotion which now encompassed her, she would have fallen to her knees from the deluge of sensations.
Victory felt a whisper of electricity run the length of her spine. She paused. She didn’t hear a specific conversation, and yet she could feel a conversation; this was new—what kind of sensation was this? Slowing her pace, she glanced around, and surveyed her surroundings.
People seemed to be going about their business, grooming dogs or talking with friends or studying the competition. For one brief instant, she saw the back of a massively built man with jet-black hair; her attention had been drawn to him. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared out the door.
“Geez, now I’m really getting jumpy,” she muttered to herself.

MY REVIEW:

If you are looking for a book with paranormal, suspense, mystery, action and romance, this book is for you. I could not put the book down.  It was so good and kept you guessing until the end what was going to happen next. There was so much action and chemistry between the characters that you couldn't help but fall in love with all of them.  I especially loved the sisters and the bond they shared with each other and the Dobermans.   I love the unique concept and storyline Joanne has come up with.  Victory  has a special ability of hearing really well and communicating telepathically when relating to animals.  

Victory witnesses the murder of her friend and runs to her sister Payton.  While with Payton she is kidnapped and threatened by Braxton.  He needs her for her research to create the perfect soldier.  When Tristan realizes that she is not involved and is being held against her will, he goes in undercover to protect Victory and stop Braxton.  Tristan and Victory bond and are able to communicate telepathically with each other once Victory get past not trusting him. I loved Tristan and Victory together. They were perfect for each other.  You could feel their chemistry and love for one another.  

Joanne has created the perfect characters with the perfect storyline.  You could feel each characters' emotions and what type of person they were.  The soldiers in the SOCOM team were well trained and worked really well together and had each others backs.  They have special abilities which made the story so much more interesting. Braxton was definitely an evil and hateful man who would stop at nothing to get what he wants.  I love Joanne's writing and her characters. I was happy to hear this book was part of a series. I am looking forward to reading the other sisters stories and more about the SOCOM team.

I highly recommend this series.  You will not regret reading it.  Joanne is an awesome writer and I am looking forward to reading more of her books.  5 stars

Art flowers in the morning in an English park

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Payton’s Pursuit
SERIES (& Book #) – The Winters Sisters, Book 2
AUTHOR – Joanne Jaytanie
GENRE – Romantic Suspense, Paranormal
PUBLICATION DATE – July 31, 2016
LENGTH (#Pages/# Words) – pg- 344
PUBLISHER – Joanne Jaytanie

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Will Payton’s pursuit of truth be her last?
Payton Winters is thrust into the position of CEO of The Winters Corporation after the sudden death of her parents. But the challenge of her new role is nothing compared to coping with her evolving enhanced abilities. Payton can ground those who possess psychic powers—some of whom have taken refuge at the Winters Corporation. Now she has unwillingly become a mental anchor for a man she wants no part of, Collin McBain. While on a routine mission, Collin is drugged, tortured, and injected with wolf DNA. Believed dead, he is secretly assigned to the Winters Campus; his only road back to life is through Payton.
Faced with her new roles, Payton realizes her life is based on half-truths. Now she’s compelled to pursue her mother’s research to understand why she and her two sisters were genetically altered before birth. Payton’s pursuit embroils her in a world of secrets, lies, kidnapping, and murder, but her future depends on deciphering the lies of the past.

BUY & TBR LINKS


EXCERPT

He understood the “all hands on deck,” for their team had a limited number of men, and every man had a job. He also figured Tristan wanted him somewhere where an eye could be kept on him. He appreciated the effort, but unfortunately it didn’t make a damn bit of difference. He felt hemmed in and uncomfortable. True, there was only one other person in the room, yet still he felt inundated by people, even if they were only images on a screen. Consequently, it took every bit of focus for him to keep himself together.
The last thing the sisters needed was for him to spiral into a fit of rage in the middle of their important event, ruining the gala and giving Payton one more reason to despise him. Why did it matter what she thought? From what he could see, Payton Winters was just one more spoiled rich girl, totally focused on business and making a profit, and he was their newest asset.
Try as he might, Collin found it more and more difficult to stay in control while being
immersed in people and their thoughts. Their emotions rolled off them and saturated his mind. At this rate, he would have to burrow himself into some deep dark hole or go insane.
He felt more and more agitated, as though his own skin suffocated him. The blackness of rage began to consume him, and he knew he would have to escape soon before he totally lost his grip on sanity and howled like a wolf.

MY REVIEW:

I really enjoyed the second book in the series.   It was just as good as the first one if not even better.  I could not put it down.  It is filled with action, mystery, suspense, murder, paranormal and even romance.  In this book we learn more about Payton and her sisters. After her parents sudden death, Payton is made CEO of The Winters Corporation.  She is in charge of the company and works long hours and does not take really good care of herself.  Payton takes her job seriously and looks out for her sisters.  The loss of their parents has really been hard on the sisters and they are just starting to move on.  

Payton starts having issues of passing out when she is around Collin.  She learns that she is the mental anchor for the one man she wants nothing to do with Collin.  Payton is upset with him for kidnapping her sister, Payton.  Once she accepts that Collin and her have a connection, she starts questioning and investigating her mother's research.  Payton wants to know the truth and questions everything they were told by their mother.  She wants to know why she and her sisters have these abilities and why they are starting to develop more now?

Collin is such a tortured soul.  He was injected with Wolf DNA and thinks his life is over.  He feels like he is losing himself and is afraid he is going to lose control and not get it back.  Collin and Payton's connection brings him peace and she helps him control his emotions.  In order to protect Payton, Collin pretends to be a friend when she goes on her road trip to the dog shows.  The trip brings Payton and Collin even closer and they bond and fall in love.  Then Braxton kidnaps Payton.  Will Collin and the team rescue Payton in time or will Collin lose control?

Joanne has done a wonderful job with this series.  I really love it. I love her writing and I love all the characters.  They just all connect.  Each book, you are learning more and more about the sisters.  The storyline is so fascinating and so are the characters and their abilities.  Having the team on the premises protecting the sisters just clicks with the story.  The ops team is so very special just like the sisters.  I think there is a lot more to the team and I am looking forward to finding out more.  I can't wait to read the next book in the series.  It should be awesome.  I can't wait to learn more about Willow and what her special abilities are.

You must read this series and her other books.  You will not regret it.  5 stars


book-3-willows-discovery

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Willow’s Discovery
SERIES (& Book #) – The Winters Sisters, Book 3
AUTHOR – Joanne Jaytanie
GENRE – Romantic Suspense, Paranormal
PUBLICATION DATE – October 6, 2015
LENGTH (#Pages/# Words) – pg- 362
PUBLISHER – Joanne Jaytanie

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Willow’s next discovery could get her killed.
Willow Winters has been safely ensconced in London managing the international division of the Winters Corporation. But the vicious Kaleidoscope Group is relentless in its pursuit of the Winters sisters and their scientific breakthroughs. They’ve planted a mole in the company ranks, making Willow’s paranormal abilities crucial in the search for the traitor. Unearthing this spy will expose Willow as a threat and put her squarely in the sights of the murderous Kaleidoscope Group.
Wyatt Farraday is a military liaison to the Winters Corporation. Consumed with keeping Victory and Payton Winters alive, he’s had no life of his own. Now the third triplet has returned home and his job just got exponentially harder. Willow outdoes her sisters in the hardheaded department. She’s independent and can take care of herself and she doesn’t need Wyatt to watch out for her. But Wyatt’s determined to watch her in every way he can.

BUY & TBR LINKS


EXCERPT

“What do mean you read company email?”
“Sorry, I forgot how much happened when you were in England. I guess I figured Payton told you. Jack and your brilliant cyber department created a way for him and me to monitor company email. Strictly for security purposes, I assure you.”
“You’ve read every email I’ve sent to Payton and Victory?”
Now she lost every drop of color from her face. He should relish making her squirm; hell, she did it to him all the time. Only he felt terrible. What the hell is going on? he thought.
“They do have a way of making you chase your tail, don’t they bro?” Tristan popped into his head, his booming chuckle resonating though his mind.
“Beat it. I’ve got enough on my plate, trying to keep the peace with Willow. It’s like dancing through a field of land mines.” Wyatt shot back at his brother. Tristan laughed again and faded away.
“No, no. We can’t read your personal emails between the three of you. The way the program’s set up, the system flags employee names and certain words or phrases. Those emails come to our computers.”
“Thank the—” She stopped in mid-sentence.
“You were saying?” Now it was his turn to smirk at her, making her color rise again.

MY REVIEW:

WILLOW'S DISCOVERY IS BOOK 3 IN THE WINTERS SISTERS SERIES AND IS JUST AS ENJOYABLE AND GREAT AS THE FIRST TWO BOOKS.  IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS SERIES, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE MISSING.  WE HAVE THE STORY OF THREE TRIPLETS, VICTORY, PAYTON AND WILLOW.  ALL THREE SISTERS WITH EXTRAORDINARY ABILITIES AND GIFTS AND SO DO THE MEN WHO LOVE AND PROTECT THEM.  YOU WILL REALLY ENJOY EACH OF THE SISTERS' STORIES AND WHAT THEY DISCOVER AND LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER.  THE BOOKS ARE FILLED WITH SUSPENSE, ACTION, ROMANCE, MURDER, MYSTERY AND LOTS OF SURPRISES YOU WILL NOT EXPECT.  THERE IS SO MUCH BEHIND THE STORYLINE OF THE SERIES INCLUDING A PARANORMAL ELEMENT. THE AUTHOR IS CONSTANTLY SURPRISING YOU WITH THE NEW DIRECTION THE CHARACTERS ARE TAKING AND WHAT THEY ARE DISCOVERING.

I LOVED WILLOW AND WYATT'S STORY. WILLOW RETURNS HOME AND WYATT NOW HAS TO KEEP AN EYE ON ALL THREE SISTERS.  WILLOW IS STUBBORN, HARDHEADED AND INDEPENDENT AND BELIEVES SHE CAN TAKE CARE OF HERSELF.  SHE DOES NOT NEED WYATT WATCHING HER.  WYATT IS JUST AS STUBBORN AND WILL DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO KEEP WILLOW AND HER SISTERS SAFE.  WILLOW AND WYATT ARE CONSTANTLY CLASHING AND BUTTING HEADS. I FOUND THE STORY VERY FUNNY AT TIMES.  WILLOW AND WYATT ARE SO MUCH ALIKE AND THE ATTRACTION BETWEEN THEM IS UNDENIABLE.  THERE WAS ALOT OF ACTION, SUSPENSE, MYSTERY, ROMANCE AND ALSO THE PARANORMAL ELEMENT.  THE AUTHOR KEPT YOU GUESSING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.  WILLOW'S DISCOVERY PUTS HER IN EVEN MORE DANGER AND WYATT AND WILLOW BECOME EVEN CLOSER.  WILL WYATT BE ABLE TO PROTECT WILLOW?  WHAT HAS SHE DISCOVERED?  WHAT WILL HER DISCOVERY MEAN TO THE SISTERS AND THE REST OF THE TEAM?

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND ENJOY THIS SERIES  ALL THE CHARACTERS ARE SO REALISTIC AND REAL AND THEY ALL HAVE A CONNECTION.  I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS ESPECIALLY THE SISTERS.  I LOVE THAT THE AUTHOR HAS A PARANORMAL ELEMENT IN THE STORY.  IT MAKES THE STORY SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING AND BETTER.  JOANNE HAS A WAY OF DRAWING YOU INTO THE STORY AND TAKING YOU ON AN ADVENTURE OF LIFETIME WITH EACH BOOK.  EACH ADVENTURE YOU LEARN MORE AND DISCOVER MORE BUT YOU ARE DRAWN DEEPER INTO THE STORY.  WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT, JOANNE THROWS IN ANOTHER OBSTACLE AND MYSTERY.  SHE KEEPS YOU GUESSING THROUGHOUT ALL THE BOOKS UNTIL THE VERY END.  I LOVE JOANNE'S WRITING AND SHE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS.  YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE MISSING IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ONE OF HER BOOKS ESPECIALLY THE WINTERS SISTERS SERIES.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ THIS SERIES.  YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.  5 STARS


book-4-corralling-kenzie

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Corralling Kenzie
SERIES (& Book #) – The Winters Sisters, Book 4
AUTHOR – Joanne Jaytanie
GENRE – Romantic Suspense, Paranormal
PUBLICATION DATE –April 10, 2016
LENGTH (#Pages/# Words) – pg- 258
PUBLISHER – Joanne Jaytanie

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Will Kenzie ever find peace and security inside the corrals of her ranch again?
Kenzie Vaughn is lucky to have a big-city, big-paycheck position. But her great job serves as nothing more than the path to her dream: a horse boarding and training ranch outside the big city. Kenzie is a horsewoman who loves Dobermans and peaceful country living. Now she’s found the perfect ranch, right next door to a lovely campus that houses the Winters Corporation. Her luck is holding, for the Corporation is run by the Winters’ sisters, wonderful women who could easily grow to become great friends.
One night her peace was shattered by a gunshot that wounded her horse, Boone. Good thing for Kenzie, Victory Winters is a veterinarian. Still the gunshot was no accident, and Kenzie’s past and the Winters’ present are dangerously intertwined. Kenzie is sucked into a vortex of rogue scientists who only want her for her DNA. Fortunately, the Winters Corporation can help. Even better, a Special Ops team member, Logan Mendoza, is assigned to watch her ranch. He isn’t interested in Kenzie’s DNA; he wants her for much more. Logan takes Kenzie’s personal security personally.
Will corralling Kenzie become Logan’s full-time mission?

BUY & TBR LINKS


EXCERPT

He backed out slowly, walked to the stairs, and listening carefully, crept up the stairs. The first room looked like an office, and it was a disaster. It seemed the intruder spent most of the time there. Logan couldn’t even walk into the room without stepping on something. He heard a soft creak and whipped around, gun aimed dead ahead. He held his body rigid and listened. A pop rang out, followed by a knocking sound. He ran out of the room and down the hall. As he got close to the doorway of the last room he was hit with a blast of frigid air.
In one smooth, swift motion he entered the room, scanning it wall-to-wall. The window stood wide open, the shade bouncing off the window. He stepped to one side as he approached the open window. Logan saw the boot print in the snow on the exterior window sill. He inhaled and stepped squarely in front of the open window. No one was there and there were no boot prints on the roof of the first floor. He looked out over the blanket of fresh snow and saw no signs of boot prints anywhere. Then he saw something at the far edge of the illuminated ground.
He jumped on to the roof and then down to the ground. He ran to find out what he’d seen. The intruder had landed on all fours on the snowy ground and disappeared into the night.
“What the hell?” he said as he walked in a circle, making sure he hadn’t missed any boot prints between there and the house.

AUTHOR BIO

Joanne was born and raised in Sherburne, New York, a quaint village surrounded by dairy farms and rolling hills. From the moment she could read she wanted to explore the world. During her college years she slowly crept across the country, stopping along the way in Oklahoma, California, and finally Washington State, which she now proudly calls home. She lives with her husband and Dobermans, in their home located on the Olympic Peninsula with a panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains.
Joanne writes romantic suspense, paranormal, supernatural suspense, and contemporary romance. She loves to submerge herself in the world of her characters, to live and breathe their lives and marvel at their decisions and predicaments. She enjoys a wide variety of books including paranormal, suspense, thriller, and of course romance.
Joanne is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America, (RWA), Kiss of Death, (KOD), Greater Seattle Romance Writers Chapter, (GSRWA), Sisters In Crime, and Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal, (FFPRWA). She served as President of Peninsula Romance Writers, which was Debbie Macomber’s home chapter.

MY REVIEW:

CORRALLING KENZIE IS BOOK 4 OF THE WINTERS SISTERS SERIES.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SERIES AND JOANNE NEVER DISAPPOINTS.  WE ARE INTRODUCED TO KENZIE AND LOGAN.  KENZIE OWNS THE RANCH NEXT TO THE WINTERS CORPORATION.  ONE NIGHT, HER HORSE, BOONE IS SHOT AND SHE CALLS FOR HELP FROM VICTORY WINTERS WHO WAS A VETERINARY AND IS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANIMALS.  KENZIE MEETS LOGAN WHO IS PROTECTING VICTORY.   LOGAN DISCOVERS THE SHOOTING WAS NO ACCIDENT AND THE WINTERS SISTERS SOON DISCOVER THAT ROGUE SCIENTISTS ARE AFTER KENZIE'S DNA.  KENZIE'S PAST IS LINKED TO THE WINTERS SISTERS FUTURE.

LOGAN IS ASSIGNED TO PROTECT KENZIE.  LOGAN AND KENZIE HAVE INSTANT CHEMISTRY AND SPEND ALOT OF TIME TOGETHER GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER.  THE MORE TIME THEY SPEND TOGETHER THE DEEPER THEY FALL IN LOVE.  WILL LOGAN BE ABLE TO PROTECT KENZIE?  WHEN KENZIE IS TAKEN, WILL LOGAN AND THE TEAM BE ABLE TO GET HER BACK?

I LOVED CORRALLING KENZIE AND WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED ONE BIT.  I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS AND I LOVE HOW LOGAN AND KENZIE CONNECT.  THE CHEMISTRY IS UNDENIABLE AND THEY BECOME CLOSER AND CLOSER AS THE BOOK PROGRESSES.  I LOVE HOW THE SISTERS AND THE TEAM WELCOME KENZIE INTO THEIR CLOSE CIRCLE.  IT WAS A WONDERFUL READ FULL OF ALOT OF ACTION AND ROMANCE.

IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE WINTERS SERIES, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU DO SO.  YOU WILL INSTANTLY BE DRAWN INTO THE STORYLINE AND WILL LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS ESPECIALLY THE SISTERS.  WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT, JOANNE INTRODUCES YOU TO ANOTHER BOOK WITH NEW INFORMATION AND DETAILS TO THE BIG PUZZLE.  EACH BOOK GOES INTO MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE CHARACTERS.  THERE ARE CONSTANT OBSTACLES THE SISTERS AND THE TEAM HAVE TO FACE. THERE IS NON STOP ACTION, SUSPENSE, AND ROMANCE.  ALL THE CHARACTERS AND THE SISTERS ARE CONNECTED WITH SPECIAL GIFTS AND POWERS.   

I LOVE JOANNE JAYTANIE'S WRITING AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT BOOK IN THE SERIES TO SEE WHAT SHE WILL COME UP WITH NEXT.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ ANY OF HER BOOKS ESPECIALLY THE WINTERS SERIES.  YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.  5 STARS



YOU CAN FIND JOANNE HERE

2016 Follow Button

1 comment:

  1. Thank you, Girl With Pen for your wonderful reviews of Chasing Victory, Payton's Pursuit, Willow's Discovery, and Corralling Kenzie. I appreciate you hosting the book tour.

    ReplyDelete