Tag Archives: HelenKay Dimon

The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon-review

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The Usual Family Mayhem by HelenKay Dimon-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 11, 2025

Kasey Nottingham needs a splashy idea at her company where they find and develop the next big thing for investors—her job depends on it. Impulsively, she pitches Mags’ Desserts, a beloved small-town business run by her grandma Mags and live-in “best friend” Celia, two women who overcame deadbeat husbands and financial ruin to build a word-of-mouth clientele. Kasey expects her boss to say no. Instead, he sends her home to North Carolina to land the deal…and now she has a problem.

Mags and Celia aren’t interested, which isn’t a surprise, but something else is going on in their kitchen. Locked cabinets. Cryptic conversations. Unexpected notations on business records. The ladies have secrets and whatever they’re hiding is big. As reports of mysterious deaths of abusive men in the area surface—all in households that recently received a delivery from Mags’ Desserts—Kasey worries Gram and Celia have gone into the poison pie business.

As investors start circling, Kasey enlists Jackson Quaid, Celia’s nephew and Kasey’s long-time crush, as her reluctant investigation assistant. Jackson is practical. Kasey has a wild imagination. Together, they dodge Kasey’s boss and gather intel. And kiss. Lots of kissing, though probably not the best idea to start an unexpected romance. Doing it while keeping two feisty ladies from going to jail for knocking off bad husbands—even if those husbands deserve it—might be impossible…but Kasey never shied away from a challenge.

••••

REVIEW:THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM by HelenKay Dimon is a contemporary, adult storyline focusing on Kasey Nottingham’s return to Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the hopes of convincing her grandmother to sell her business.

Told from first person perspective (Kasey) THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM follows Kasey Nottingham as she struggles to remain employed at Nexus Opportunity Ideas, a centre for creativity and business proposals but weeks go by and our heroine is unable to come up with a definite plan. Put on the proverbial spot, Kasey is forced to come up with a business idea, and spews the first thing that comes to mind-franchising her grandmother’s at home bakery, a business that does more than sell treats and sweets. Hoping to convince her grandmother Mags, and business partner Celia, Kasey’s arrival home comes with much trepidation, and the face to face confrontation with the man who broke her heart years before, a man who is hoping to get a second chance. Jackson Quaid is a successful attorney, and Kasey’s arrival in Winston-Salem comes with too many questions including the obvious why but Kasey believes she has stumbled on to a dangerous secret, and with Jackson’s help begins to uncover a potential murder-for-hire plot using baked goods as the vehicle of death.

The world building follows several pathways including the potential for Jackson to enter politics. Jackson’s ambitious father is determined to push his son onto the forefront of power but Jackson is refusing to play the games, and Harlan Quaid takes aim at Kasey, and her grandmother’s business. Kasey is struggling with a direction in life, and in this, she battles between head and heart, in the face of loving our story line hero.

The relationship between Jackson and Kasey is one of unrequited love but although Kasey has been in love with Jackson for as long as she can remember, our heroine is unaware that Jackson has felt the same, for just as long. Kasey Nottingham is smart yet flighty, and in this, her inability to stay focused will be used as a threat against our story line hero. There are no $ex scenes.

We are introduced to Kasey’s grandmother Magnolia Nottingham, and her partner, Jackson’s aunt Windsor; Jackson’s father Harlan Quaid, and Kasey’s bosses Brock and Micah.

THE USUAL FAMILY MAYHEM is a story of secrets and lies, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating and thought-provoking; the romance is subtle; the characters are sassy, energetic and charismatic

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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Moorewood Family Rules by HelenKay Dimon-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 25, 2023

Knives Out and Ocean’s 8 meets The Nest in this hilariously twisty novel by award-winning author HelenKay Dimon, about a woman who returns home from prison to her dysfunctional con artist family and tries to get them to go legit.

One day a con man met an heiress, wooed her, married her, had two kids…and kept on conning. Jillian Moorewood is the oldest child from that meet-cute-gone-wrong marriage. The stable one. The sensible and dependable one. The one who protects and fixes. The one who went to prison to save their sorry butts. Now, thirty-nine months later, she’s out and she’s more than a little pissed. Finally home she finds the scheming clan in full family fleecing mode. They all claim they didn’t really agree to Jillian’s previous go-legit-or-else ultimatum before she went away. They viewed it as a “suggestion” then ignored it. So, business as usual. But Jillian is done with the lies and fakery. She demands the whole messed-up crew clean up its act, and this time she’s not kidding—she has the leverage to make it happen.

Problem is, her life is in shambles, but with the help of a great aunt (crooked but loveable), a bodyguard (who is a nice surprise after three years in prison), and a few allies (all working undercover), Jillian starts to put her life back together. She kicks out a few mooching relatives living under her roof, sets limits on everyone’s access to the money, ducks from their various attacks, and sees if that bodyguard is maybe interested in sticking around for a while. For the first time, she’s Jillian Moorewood, her own woman, and she’s ready to figure out who she is.

•••••

REVIEW:  MOOREWOOD FAMILY RULES by HelenKay Dimon is a contemporary, adult, stand alone story of mystery and suspense surrounding the Rhode Island, dysfunctional Moorewood family of grifters, liars, cheaters and thieves-Jillian Moorewood, her sister Emma, their cousins Tenn, Anika and Astrid-their father Jay, and great aunt Patricia.

Approximately thirty-nine months earlier, Jillian Moorewood took the fall for her family in the wake of an FBI investigation into fraudulent claims and financial crimes. The Moorewood family come from a long line of grifters and scammers, and their thieving ways had caught up. Someone in the family turned the blame on our story line heroine, who upon her release, set about to uncover the who and how. Terms are presented, threats are made, and mandates not met as Jillian sets about to reclaim everything she lost but Jillian needs protection, and estate manager Kelby hired Beckett Romer to stand guard over Jillian Moorewood. With Beck at her side, Jillian begins to ferret out the truth, devising a plan to give everyone exactly, what they deserve.

There is a very large and often confusing ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters, few of whom have any redeeming qualities including the aforementioned Moorewood family members: Gregory Paul (jillian’s ex) and Emma’s new boyfriend; Security/bodyguard Beck Romer, family business manager Kelby McAllister, Harry (Anika’s boyfriend), Harry’s mother Beverly Tolson, and Jay’s girlfriend Izzy.

MOOREWOOD FAMILY RULES is a story of power and control, deception and betrayal, and reads like a mix between Clue™ and Knives Out™. The family of grifters are scamming one another, conning their soon to be significant others, and getting conned themselves. Jillian Moorewood’s mandate to stop conning, upon her arrest, only intensified the family’s need to amass a collection that does not belong. The premise is intriguing, interesting and detailed; the romance between Jillian and Beck is subtle, almost a cozy mystery feel; the characters are numerous but most are questionable, misguided, unethical and immorally wrong

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a…divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

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The Secret She Keeps (Whitaker Island #2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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The Secret She Keeps (Whitaker Island #2) by HelenKay Dimon-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 30, 2019

No matter where you run to…

Connor Rye seeks solace on remote Whitaker Island. When his first quiet evening ends with a blow to the head, it’s clear that nothing—and no one—is as it seems. Still haunted by his sister’s murder, he’s buried himself in work while trying to hold his family together. Now, when he has a minute to breathe, he knows better than to get involved with a stranger, but it might be too late to keep his distance.

Desire will find you…

For years she’s pretended to be someone else, but Maddie Rhine is done living in the shadows. Old habits are hard to kick however, and when her past follows her to Whitaker she’s forced to hide once more. Except with Connor. Effortlessly sexy Connor makes it difficult to ignore him. He sees right through her…and senses her fear.

Someone is watching her. And waiting for the right moment to strike. This time Connor vows to be ready.

•••••••

REVIEW:THE SECRET SHE KEEPS is the second instalment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult WHITAKER ISLAND romantic, suspense series. This is businessman Connor Rye, and Maddie Rhine’s story line. THE SECRET SHE KEEPS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from three third person perspectives including Connor and Maddie, THE SECRET SHE KEEPS follows businessman Connor Rye as he escapes to Whitaker Island for some mandatory R&R, the same island where his brother Hansen (Her Other Secret #1) fell in love with his future wife. But from the outset Connor finds himself targeted by a woman who believes she is being stalked for sins of the past, sins that are about to be exposed on Whitaker Island. Enter Maddie Rhine, the woman with whom Connor will fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Maddie and Connor, and the potential fall-out as Maddie’s secrets are about to be revealed.

Maddie Rhine is in hiding but someone has found our story line heroine, sending letters that are now threatening the man with whom Maddie is falling in love. An unidentified body, and an assault against an elderly neighbor find Maddie face to face with a man who was once responsible for Maddie’s life. Connor Rye has struggled since the death of his sister months before, a struggle that forced his family to intervene for Connor’s mental health but Whitaker Island, for all of its’ quietude, has found itself on the receiving end of too many murders and questionable happenings.

The relationship between Maggie and Connor begins as a case of mistaken identity when Maggie believes Connor is someone from her past. Connor finds himself attracted to a woman whose secrets are dark, secrets that are about to pull Connor into a web of murder and obsession.The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are reintroduced to Whitaker Island’s colorful and eccentric residents including the head of the Whitaker Board and lodge owner Sylvia Sussex, old man Paul, Whitaker’s self-appointed guardian Dom, Jenna Hughland, law enforcement officer Ben Clifford, and Maddie’s former handler Evan Williams.

THE SECRET SHE KEEPS is a story of secrets and lies; obsession and betrayal. The premise is intriguing and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are energetic and spirited.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one HER OTHER SECRET

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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HER OTHER SECRET by HelenKay Dimon-a review

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HER OTHER SECRET by HelenKay Dimon-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 25, 2019

Is it the perfect escape?
Whitaker Island is more than a getaway. For Tessa Jenkins, the remote strip of land in Washington state is a sanctuary. Fleeing from a shattering scandal, she has a new name, a chance at a new beginning, and a breathtaking new view: Hansen Rye. It’s hard not to crush on Whitaker’s hottest handyman. At six-foot-three and all kinds of fine, he’s also intensely private—and the attraction between them soon simmers dangerously out of control.
…or a private trap for two lovers?
After a devastating family tragedy, Hansen finds the pebbled shores of the faraway island to be an ideal refuge. Letting down his guard for the sexy, impulsive Tessa is an unexpected pleasure. But there’s another newcomer to Whitaker. He’s no stranger to Hansen. And when he’s murdered, the crime casts a threatening shadow. As suspicion falls on Hansen, all his secrets are about to collide with Tessa’s. Now the pasts they were determined to outrun are catching up to them. So is a killer who’s putting their love—and their lives—on the line.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: HER OTHER SECRET by HelenKay Dimon is a contemporary, adult story of romantic suspense focusing on  twenty-six year old, manual and guide creator Tessa Jenkins, and handyman Hansen Rye.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Tessa and Hansen) HER OTHER SECRET follows in the wake of a murder on Whitaker Island. The residents of Whitaker Island all have secrets: from political scandals to murders, blackmail to affairs, Whitaker Island is the island of misfit toys. When a well-dressed man mysteriously walks out of the water, only to be found murdered the very next day, all suspicions fall onto our leading hero when he reveals his connection to the people involved. From a badly beaten woman to the murder of the town’s most likable old man, Whitaker Island’s secrets are about to be revealed. What ensues is the building relationship and romance between Tessa and Hansen, and the fall-out as our couple find themselves on the receiving end of more attention and accusations than they could have imagined.

Like most of the residents, Hansen Rye moved to Whitaker Island to get away from his past, a past that has now drawn the attention of law enforcement and the political elite. Tessa Jenkins knows what it is like to keep her own dark and dangerous secrets but with the continuing drama, our couple’s individual pasts are about to be exposed.

The relationship between Tessa and Hansen is one of immediate attraction but neither one is in a place for romance or love. When the local ‘law enforcement’ has eyes for our heroine, Hansen steps up to claim Tessa as his own. As one another’s alibis for the on-going investigation, our couple find themselves the target of island gossip, innuendo and talk. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including many local island residents. We are introduced to the island’s lawman, thirty-four year old, former military MP Ben Clifford; council member and island ‘queen’ Ruthie Totttenridge, and her son Doug; lodge owner Sylvia Sussex; vacationers and busy bodies Ellis and Arianna Wells; old man Cliff; brother/sister duo Allen Bernard and Kerrie Ross; as well as Tessa’s father senator Charles Michaelson. I am hoping the author has plans for future stories involving the island residents.

HER OTHER SECRET is a story of power, betrayal, greed and murder; a story of secrets and lies; of romance and love. The premise is entertaining and intriguing; the romance is steamy and hot; the characters are eclectic, charismatic and energetic. HER OTHER SECRET is a thrilling and edgy ride into the world of romantic suspense.

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

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Dirty Deeds (The Dirty Series #1) by HelenKay Dimon-Review & Giveaway

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DIRTY DEEDS (The Dirty #1) by HelenKay Dimon-Review and Giveaway

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DIRTY DEEDS
The Dirty Series #1
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: August 8, 2017
Genre: adult,contemporary, M/M, erotic, romantic suspense

Dirty Deeds

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 8, 2017

No dirty deed goes unnoticed in a seductive game of cat and mouse. But for Alec and Gaige, the wrong move could get them killed.

Alec Drummond didn’t make his billions by playing nice—or by playing much at all. When it comes to pleasure, Alec only has time for whatever’s quick and easy, which is exactly what he gets from his company’s hot new computer genius. But Gaige Owens isn’t some pushover. He pushes back, and it’s giving Alec a rush. The question is, could Gaige be the one who’s leaking trade secrets? Just to be safe, Alec keeps him close at hand . . . night and day.

Gaige never thought he’d roll over for a man like Alec again, but who could resist sex this mind-blowing? Then there’s the draw of Alec’s mysterious side: his cutthroat ambition, his covert CIA connections, and the murder in his past. For Gaige, a deeper look proves an irresistible temptation. But when Gaige and Alec are stripped of their defenses by an unseen danger, everything they don’t know could bring them closer together—or tear them apart. Only one thing is certain: Before it’s all over, someone’s going down.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: DIRTY DEEDS is the first installment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult THE DIRTY erotic, M/M romantic suspense series-a spin off from her TOUGH LOVE series. This is former CIA operative Gaige Owens, and billionaire businessman Alex Drummond’s story line. DIRTY DEEDS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty-any important information from the previous series is revealed where necessary. Alec is first introduced in Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love #3)

NOTE: DIRTY DEEDS contains graphic scenes of M/M sexual situations, intended for mature readers only.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Gaige and Alec) DIRTY DEEDS follows the search for the truth. Gaige Owens finds himself ‘tied’ to the CIA, and repaying his debt comes with a dangerous mission to Germany, and the man with whom he would fall in love. Enter Alec Drummond, billionaire businessman and civilian security specialist with high ranking government contacts, whose off hour business shipments to Svalbard, the ‘Doomsday Vault’ in Norway, have caught the attention of the CIA. What ensues is the building relationship between Gaige and Alec, and the struggle to uncover the who, what and why behind the ‘mysterious’ cargo entering the secret vaults meant to preserve the world’s food supplies.

Gaige Owens is an IT specialist but his latest ‘assignment’ has him coming face to face with a man who wants nothing to do with Gaige or the reasons behind the CIA’s involvement. Gaige is working undercover at Drummond Industries, and Alec has a difficult time trusting the man with whom he will fall in love. Both burned in the past by people they once loved Gaige and Alec’s attraction to one another is both palpable and immediate. But someone is desperate to keep both Gaige and Alec from uncovering the truth-our couple are targeted at home and at work. The $ex scenes are numerous, intimate and erotic. Alec battles both his heart and his head knowing there is an end date when the mission is complete.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Alec’s second in command Tony, as well as Tony’s girlfriend, former military personnel Caroline; Alex’s PA Pam Masters (Caroline’s sister); CIA Special Activities Division Agent (SAD) Seth Lang (Guarding Mr. Fine#3); Doomsday vault head of security Daniel Berg, and supervisor Astrid Larsen.

The world building continues to focus on the secret military operations, and Black Ops missions; the people, the places, and the threats to world safety and security, and the men whose mission it is to go undercover-in more ways than one.

DIRTY DEEDS is an intriguing and suspense filled story line focusing on the potential destruction of the world’s food supply. The premise is original, engaging and entertaining; the characters are colorful, edgy and animated; the romance is seductive and intense. DIRTY DEEDS is a sensual and passionate story of two men thrown together in the face of impending disaster.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Dirty Deeds Teaser

 

About the author

HelenKay DimonGoodreads /Website/ Twitter/ Facebook

Helenkay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a . . . divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over thirty novels, novellas and shorts to numerous publishers. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. But if you ask her, she’ll tell you the best part of the job is never having to wear pantyhose again.

giveaway

HelenKay Dimon’s publisher is graciously offering an ebook copy of DIRTY DEEDS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Follow HelenKay Dimon on Facebook.

4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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8. Giveaway is open internationally

9. Giveaway runs from August 8-11, 2017

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