Category: Book Reviews

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Book Review: Let’s Dance (Scott Family Short Stories #1) by Amanda Paull

 Let’s Dance

(Scott Family Short Stories, Book 1)

by Amanda Paull

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

 

She’s helping out a friend. His dad’s hip’s gone. Could a farcical mix-up lead to love?

Ballroom dancing is the last thing Laura wants to try. But her best friend is desperate to meet a hip-swinging Adonis, so before she knows it, Laura is cha cha cha-ing in the back of the Dog and Duck with nerdy Ben. At least no one else need ever find out. No such luck. Her mother is armed with a social media page and dangerous. The shenanigans begin. What a pity Ben’s now looking rather dapper. Will he scarper? Or is Ben made of sterner stuff?


If you like innocent, laugh-out-loud family mayhem, you’ll love Let’s Dance, the first Scott Family.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘I’ve made a vision board.’ Shona drew a large square in the air with her hands. ‘It has a picture of my perfect man pinned to it – fantastic body. And that posh hotel we like in Ibiza, the one with the huge pool and swim-up bar.’ ‘Won’t the image of a particular man prevent the Universe from sending the one it has picked out for you?’ ‘I cut off his head.’

 

Shona was staring into space and shredding her serviette. ‘I think one of Alf’s eyes has a cast in it. And, the more passionate he tries to look, the more I want to hurl… I really can’t believe it… In Anna-Joules, they said it’s all the rage for meeting hot, not clammy, men… That Vera turning up last night was a stroke of luck. She and Alf will be perfect for each other. She has a cast in the same eye as him,’ laughed Shona. ‘When they face each other, they’ll never have to make eye contact.’

 

Bob sauntered in, in his favourite grey ‘house’ trousers. Maureen glared at them – he wasn’t allowed to wear them in public, on account of the flared legs, which Maureen said were like ‘something out of Saturday Night Fever’ and made him look like a halfwit. He had rescued them from the charity bag twice. Today he’d obviously managed to sneak them under Maureen’s radar.

My Review:

 

This delightfully amusing little tale took me from giggle-snort to wine-spewing and laughing aloud. Over the course of the story, I think I may have aspirated at least a partial glass before I decided to put my goblet down while perusing for safety’s sake. Ms. Paull’s writing was cleverly witty, conjuring crisp and comical visuals while the characters and storylines were such a treat. I zipped right through it once I caught my breath, and was highly desirous for more.

About the Author

Amanda Paull is a writer of humorous romantic fiction. She lives in the North East of England with her husband and works in the public sector. The inspiration for her stories comes from real life, which she tries to show the funnier side of by embellishing to the hilt.

Amanda’s Website: http://www.amandapaull.co.uk

Social Media Links – Twitter: http://twitter.com/Apaullfiction

                       Facebook: http://facebook.com/Apaullfiction

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Book Review: Three Little Words by Jenny Holiday

Three Little Words

(Bridesmaids Behaving Badly #3)

by Jenny Holiday

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

Kobo | Apple Books |  Google Play

 

In this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday proves that opposites don’t just attract, they ignite.

Gia Gallo is officially in bridesmaid hell. Stranded in New York with her best friend’s wedding dress, Gia has six days to make it to Florida in time for the ceremony. And oh-so-charming best man Bennett Buchanan has taken the last available rental car. Looks like she’s in for one long road trip with the sexiest – and most irritating – Southern gentleman she’s ever met…

Bennett’s pretty sure that if there was ever a woman to break his “no flings” rule, Gia would be it. Sure, she’s stubborn. She’s also funny, smart, and the attraction between them is getting hotter with every state line they cross. While Bennett doesn’t do casual, Gia doesn’t do “relationships.” But if they break the rules, this unlikely pair might discover that their impromptu road trip could turn out to be the best ride of their lives.

The Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series:
One and Only
It Takes Two
Three Little Words

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Gia was Canadian, so admittedly, her impression of southern American culture was based on Duck Dynasty and the William Faulkner novels she’d read in her one year as a literature major, but this dude, with his drawl and his falsely pretty manners, sounded like he belonged in a rom-com romancing Reese Witherspoon.

 

A little smile played at the corner of her lips as she stared at his lap with unbroken concentration, like she was a Jedi master with the power to make men pop woodies with her mind.

 

Bennett was like a rare, complicated flower blooming in many phases.

 

What was it about Bennett? He could shift the entire tenor of a conversation with a single sentence. He could look at her like he was seeing inside her, like he was shining light on stuff that had been in the dark for as long as she could remember.

 

My Review:

 

I’m feeling a bit conflicted about this one. I have adored the series, enjoyed the premise, smirked at the clever levity and thermonuclear sex scenes, and found the storylines entertaining and engaging; but I struggled to fully appreciate the main character of Gia. To most people outside of her friendship circle, Gia was rather vile; she was difficult, arrogant, entitled, prickly, and mean. She was rude and prone to going postal with service personnel when her needs were not met – gah! Gia was the type of person I make a point to avoid and maybe, umm, even feel compelled to spill my coffee on as they walked by. Yeah, I know, but sometimes karma needs a little help, or maybe I’m just too impatient to wait for karma to catch up to obnoxious snobs like that…

 

However, I was totally enamored with the lovely Bennett, he was a true altruist and the opposite of the cranky and snarky Gia. Bad weather threw the mismatched couple together for a long road trip in a Mini Cooper convertible, which, to me, sounded like a lower level of hell. As with the earlier books, there were wedding and family dramas aplenty, sweet and adorable updates and continuing stories of the previously featured couples, smoking hot sensual scenes, witty banter, profoundly insightful observations and inner musings, captivating subplots, and clever humor. I am growing rueful and melancholy with the realization that this may well be the last of the series as all the bridesmaids have now completed nuptials… I can only remain hopeful that this clever scribe will invent a few more people in need of wedding attendants, as I am unwilling to let this fun and feisty group go just yet.

About the Author:
.
Jenny Holiday is a cunning Slytherin who is constantly being told she’s unduly optimistic. This year, after realizing she had accidentally put “hero makes late-night grilled cheese sandwiches for heroine/other hero” in three books, she started doing it on purpose. When she’s not writing, she’s probably having porch wine with her neighbors and enjoying having gardened. Follow her @JennyHoli on Twitter, @holymolyjennyholi on Instagram, and find other fun stuff at JennyHoliday.com.
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Book Review: A Virtual Affair: An inspirational story of love and loss. by Tracie Podger

A Virtual Affair:

An inspirational story of love and loss.

by Tracie Podger

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

Do you know what hope smells like?
It’s a combination of the sea, of exposed seaweed and salty air.
Of wet sand on a winter’s day.

Jayne was mid-forties when she experienced the worst and the best times of her life.
She fell in love, so desperately in love.
She lost everything overnight.

But no matter how bad life gets, how far down that dark tunnel you are, there is always a glimmer of hope.

From her dream house in Kent, via the ‘nuthouse’, and eventually to a cottage in Cornwall, Jayne takes a journey that is to wound, to destroy, and eventually heal her.

This is a story of one woman’s quest to find herself and learn to love herself again.

Is this a story about affairs? No, it’s so much more than that. It’s about depression and loss, love and laughter.

Contemporary Romance for readers over the age of 18. 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I smiled when I thought of my parents. They lived nearby in Crinkly Bottom as they called it. It was a complex for the elderly.

Before I turned out the light I noticed a white shirt in the laundry bin. It was one of Michael’s.   I pulled it out and held it to my face.   It smelled of him, of his aftershave.   It smelled of her perfume too. I took the shirt into the garden and lifted the lid off the BBQ. I squirted lighter fuel over the top and with my lighter, watched it go up in flames.

Watching my dad die, witnessing the process of death, would live with me forever. As would the smell. There were no words to really describe the smell of death, but it permeated the air, my clothes, and my hair. It was acrid with hints of acetone.

I’d never slept naked before. I had that silly thought instilled from childhood – never sleep naked in case the house caught fire. I had a fear of the fireman having to help me down a ladder with my bare arse on show.

I wanted you from the moment you stumbled on a speed boat. I don’t know what it is about you but I need you. I’ve never connected with someone the way I connect with you. You pull me, all the time.

‘I can’t let go of you,’ he said. ‘Don’t let go of me,’ I whispered.

 

My Review:

 

I finished Tracie Podger’s latest masterpiece of A Virtual Affair with my bruised yet hopeful heart in my throat, tear tracks down my face, and a smile on my lips. Poignant is a word that comes close to describing this book – but it doesn’t quite do it justice. Let me add in real world, relevant, heart squeezing, painfully honest, highly emotive, cleverly insightful, masterfully written, and sneakily humorous. As I read through the book, I frequently mused to myself that Ms. Podger knew far too much about depression and personal pain to be able to give such vivid detail and perfectly descriptive words and passages to the dark feelings of despair and sorrow. In reading her ending letter I found that the book contained, “many truths and a lot of made up stuff,” bingo!

During a cold and unhappy marriage, the main character of Jayne had gradually become a ghost of herself – and like many caged and neglected animals in a zoo – had become complacent in her misery.   Following a traumatic loss, she tumbled into a steep spiral. The inner narrative of her struggles and recovery was deeply moving, and my eyes seemed to develop a strange wetness that just wouldn’t go away. But I don’t want to give the impression that the book is morose and maintained a constant level of gloom and angst – NOT! As with any and all Tracie Podger stories, A Virtual Affair also contained stealthy and welcome hits of clever levity throughout, as well as a few deliciously steamy sensual scenes. Ms. Podger has mad skills, as well as a wicked and underhanded sense of humor that I just adore – more, please!

Author Bio

Tracie Podger currently lives in Kent, UK with her husband and a rather obnoxious cat called George. She’s a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor with a passion for writing. Tracie has been fortunate to have dived some of the wonderful oceans of the world where she can indulge in another hobby, underwater photography. She likes getting up close and personal with sharks.

Tracie writes in various genres, Contemporary Romance but likes to explore relationships that are not always easy and there isn’t always a happy ending, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, and Erotic Romance. She likes to have her books feel real with realistic timelines and with strong women who don’t run because the going gets tough. Sex is important between loving people, therefore all her books contain graphic scenes. However, the character’s relationship is more important.

If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact her, she would love to hear from you.

Social Media Links

Facebook    Twitter    Amazon    Instagram

Website    Facebook Reader Group

Facebook Book Club

 

 

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Book Review: It Takes Two (Bridesmaids Behaving Badly #2) by Jenny Holiday

It Takes Two

(Bridesmaids Behaving Badly #2)

by Jenny Holiday

 

Amazon | Kobo | iBooks 

 B&N | Google Play

 

In this hilarious romantic comedy, USA Today bestselling author Jenny Holiday proves that what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas…

 
All’s fair in love and war
.
Wendy Liu should be delighted to be her best friend’s maid of honor. But after years spent avoiding the bride’s brother – aka the boy who once broke her heart – she’s now trapped with him during an endless amount of wedding festivities. Luckily she’s had time to perfect her poker face, and engaging Noah Denning in a little friendly competition might just prove that she’s over him for good…
.
Noah Denning is determined to make his little sister’s wedding memorable. But it seems Wendy is trying to outdo him at every turn. Challenging each other was always something he and Wendy did right, so when she proposes they compete to see who can throw the best bachelor or bachelorette party in Sin City, Noah takes the bait – and ups the stakes.  Because this time around, he wants Wendy for keeps. And when you’re fighting for love, all bets are off.
.
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The Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series:
One and Only
It Takes Two
Three Little Words

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Maybe this hadn’t been a good idea. Maybe the correct number of times a man should accompany his little sister wedding dress shopping was actually zero… And, ignorant as he was about such matters, he’d had no idea how long it took to put one of those things on— or how many helpers it required. Each new dress required a small army of overly Botoxed women in Chanel suits to carry it into the fitting room, and, from the sound of things, to hoist it onto Jane.

 

She still thinks she’s doing the ‘low-key’ thing… So she can’t get too out of control because that will violate her image of herself and create a disturbance in the force.

 

“One and done. Two and through.” That was Gia’s motto…

 

“We have a nice ‘hot for teacher’ experience. Or we do a Los Alamos package— your dancer will arrive attired in a scientific lab coat and hand out sex toys emblazoned with the phrase ‘Caution: nuclear fallout.’” Wendy cracked up. A person really could order up anything in Vegas, it seemed.

 

“I have no plans to get married either.” Gia raised her glass again as if to punctuate the point. “But ‘spinster’ implies, like, dust and cobwebs.” She made a vague gesture at her body. “Ain’t nothing getting dusty here.”

My Review:

 

I have hit my favorite jam with this delightful series and will profess to be near gleeful with the knowledge of having the next book already locked and loaded on my kindle for immediate perusal. Every book in this beguiling series has been an expertly balanced mix of clever levity; smart, endearing, yet somewhat emotionally damaged characters; insightfully observant, smooth and alluring writing that hits all the feels; volcanic sensual scenes; and engaging and Pez related storylines. It feels like nirvana. I do hope Jenny Holiday isn’t easily startled, as she seems to have gained a rather rabid fangirl.

About the Author:
Jenny Holiday is a cunning Slytherin who is constantly being told she’s unduly optimistic. This year, after realizing she had accidentally put “hero makes late-night grilled cheese sandwiches for heroine/other hero” in three books, she started doing it on purpose. When she’s not writing, she’s probably having porch wine with her neighbors and enjoying having gardened. Follow her @JennyHoli on Twitter, @holymolyjennyholi on Instagram, and find other fun stuff at JennyHoliday.com.
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Book Review, Giveaway: Whisper to Me by Sherrie Lowe

Whisper to Me

by Sherrie Lowe

 

 Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

 B&N / Smashwords 

 

A new wife and a vengeful ghost. Not a good mix.

Letitia – Tish – Stanyer makes husband Theo promise never to remarry if she dies and he complies just to pacify her. She isn’t going to die.

She does – and he does remarry. Tish isn’t happy. Her spirit cannot rest with another woman in her domain, sampling the delights of her husband. Theo belongs to her – Sheena will have to go.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

Sheena might have other attributes than being a domestic goddess.

My Review:

 

Whisper To Me was a quick, easy, and engaging read that kept me a bit on edge with both curiosity and anticipation of the next spectral manifestation and/or act of retribution.   I enjoyed the premise and creative storylines as well as the cleverly unique characters who enticed and beckoned my interest. Theo had promised his first wife Tish, that he would not remarry if she were to die before him, although after several years as a widower, he lost his big head and was primarily using his little head when Sheena, a less than hygienic yet wildly carnal woman with a large sexual appetite, showed him some attention.   Sheena quickly got a ring on her finger and she and little yappy dog with indiscriminate toileting habits were soon ensconced in Theo’s home, soiling and defiling every surface and invoking a demented rage from Tish’s lingering entity. Odd things began to happen, but being that she was not the brightest bulb in the pack, it took a while for Sheena to notice.

Additional storylines involved other characters although those involving the vile and odiferous Sheena were my favorites. The story wrapped up but didn’t fully conclude and left room for continuation, which I sincerely hope will be the case.   I gleaned a new addition to my Brit word list with midden, which from Northern UK and Scottish usage would be a trash heap.

About the Author

 I am a divorced mum of two adult sons and nana to three grandchildren, soon to be four. I’ve always had a notion to write but didn’t get round to it seriously until I became ill with M.E in 1995 when I was 40 and was too ill to continue my job as a learning support assistant in a mainstream high school. I was devastated to have to resign from my job but writing saved my sanity. My first attempt was a memoir, Shadow Across the Sun which covered the loss of my mum to breast cancer two days before my 13th birthday. When the rejections began to flow in from traditional publishers and agencies I joined a creative writing class and learned to write fiction. Whisper to Me is my 10th novel. I have a strong belief in the afterlife due to events following my mum’s death so most of my stories have some form of supernatural aspect to them.

Social Media Links –  

Website http://www.sherrielowe.co.uk/

Blog https://sherrielowe.wordpress.com/

Twitter https://twitter.com/SherrieLowe2

Giveaway

 Win a Kindle copy of Whisper To Me

(Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: The Last by Tawna Fenske

The Last

 by Tawna Fenske

 

Amazon / B&N / Universal

 

Sarah Keating was sure she’d be married by 30. Husband, kids, the kick-ass career helping adults with Down Syndrome—she assumed she’d have it all, and there’d be no need to fall back on the marriage pact she made with her best pal from college.

But a tipsy message she sends from her birthday party brings Ian Nolan to her door ready to rock her world, and not just with mind-blowing sex. He’s up for tying the knot, and has a million pragmatic reasons it makes perfectly good sense.

As Sarah and Ian test drive their marriage-of-convenience, they navigate awkward business dinners, a slippery steam room hookup, and a costume party gone awry. Their friendship is stronger than ever, and the sexual chemistry is off the charts.

But is that enough to make a marriage work, or will one of them fall hard and end up brokenhearted?

Each book in The List series is STANDALONE:
* The List
* The Test
* The Last

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

For the record, it’s a bad sign when the guy you’re having sex with buys you sleepwear that suggests you should cover up more.

 

I’m grinning like a girl who just unwrapped Barbie and the Barbie Dreamhouse…

 

“You just had a big birthday, am I right?” Glenda’s sympathetic cluck would be more appropriate if she offered it to someone who just lost a limb. “Best get to it, sweetheart. Those eggs are drying up.”

 

He stretches up and pulls back the cover on the car’s sunroof. It takes me a few seconds to figure out what I’m staring at. “Is that a butthole?” Ian nods solemnly. “Yep. The feline variety.” … The cat stays seated with its stink-star pressed against the glass… “I’d just appreciate him removing his cheerio from our line of sight… Well, fiancée… I can’t promise you romance, but I can promise you laughs.” “And cat buttholes,” I add.

 

He squirts some canned cheese onto a cracker and hands it to me. “Keeping it classy.”

 

My Review:

 

I mirthfully smirked and periodically fanned myself throughout this fun and wickedly humorous tale featuring a pair of past college friends who had missed their chance at a deeper connection due to unfortunate timing and circumstances, but were back in touch ten years later while circling that big three-o celebration of their birth, and recalled they had jokingly made a pact to marry at that particular milestone if both were still single.

 

Ian thought he was taking a practical route of leaving love out of the mix by establishing a legal contract for a relationship of mutual attraction and benefit. Sarah was agreeable and determined to see the common advantage to deem it acceptable to settle for less than true love, but was having some minor difficulties in getting there. If not in total simpatico, they were more than compatible in most ways that counted, and then some. The plot seemed far-fetched yet the storylines were so smoothly engaging and gleefully entertaining, the premise became reasonably convincingly. And oh my, sizzle and snap, this couple of dirty talkers needed to keep a fire extinguisher handy as they were atomically hot and sensually matched well enough to leave scorch marks not only on the sheets but also on the ceiling, floor tiles, walls, and car seats. I had greatly enjoyed the previous books in this series and was instantly enamored with these endearing and cleverly crafted characters as well.

 

About the Author    

Goodreads

When Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA-nominated, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”

Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, stepkids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.

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Book Review: Love Heart Lane by Christie Barlow

Love Heart Lane

by Christie Barlow

 Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N 

 

Welcome to Love Heart Lane…

When Flick Simons returns to the small village of Heartcross she only expected to stay for a few days. The white-washed cottages of Love Heart Lane might be her home, but the place holds too many painful memories, and of one man in particular – Fergus Campbell.

When a winter storm sweeps in, the only bridge connecting the village to the mainland is swept away! As the villagers pull together, Flick finds herself welcomed back by the friends she once left behind. And as the snow begins to melt, maybe there is a chance that Fergus’s heart will thaw too…

 

My Rating:

My Review:

 

Christie Barlow has a new fangirl! I adored this heart-squeezing and emotive story from beginning to end.   It was well-paced, highly engaging, insightfully written and easy to follow despite containing a small Scottish village of unique and quirky residents. Felicity had abandoned her small village and loved ones while in despair over personal tragedy, and in her embarrassment, did not reconnect with them again for eight years. Fleeing her sorrow for London hadn’t been the solution she had hoped for, and a visit to her mother was reminding her of what she had left behind. The grass always seems greener…

I enjoyed everything about this story, the writing style, the characters, the storylines, the tangled issues and messes Felicity kept stepping in, she meant well but her tenacious and somewhat impulsive tendencies of jumping in to help was a double-edged sword. There was a bit of everything to be found in this lovely tale as it hit all the feels with humor, heartbreak, danger, regret, adorable children, community involvement, romance, family issues, bad weather, and small village life. All the elements were well incorporated along with the idiosyncrasies of the village.

I hit the mother load of idioms and new terms for my Brit/UK word list with fairy cakes which appear to be small cupcakes; the big smoke – London or other large cities; wetting the baby’s head – father and friends celebrate the baby’s birth with alcohol; get a shifty on – to get started on something; and not on your Nelly – there is no chance at all of something happening. Thank goodness for the Urban Dictionary, Google, and Wikipedia!

Author Bio

Christie Barlow is the author of A Year in the Life of a Playground Mother, The Misadventures of a Playground Mother, Kitty’s Countryside Dream, Lizzie’s Christmas Escape, Evie’s Year of Taking Chances, The Cosy Canal Boat Dream, A Home at Honeysuckle Farm and Love Heart Lane. Her writing career came as somewhat a surprise when she decided to write a book to teach her children a valuable life lesson and show them that they are capable of achieving their dreams. The book she wrote to prove a point is now a #1 bestseller in the UK, USA & Australia. 

Christie is an ambassador for @ZuriProject raising money/awareness and engaging with impoverished people in Uganda through organizations to improve their well-being as well as Literary Editor for www.mamalifemagazine.co.uk bringing you all the latest news and reviews from the book world.

website www.christiebarlow.com 

Twitter @ChristieJBarlow 

Facebook page Christie Barlow author

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Book Review, Giveaway: Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay – Book 7) by Jill Shalvis

 

 Playing for Keeps

Heartbreaker Bay – Book 7

By: Jill Shalvis

Avon Books – Jan 22nd, 2019

 

 Amazon /  B&N / iBooks / Kobo

 

Blurb

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s yoga pants, he’s a suit. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

You’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

Someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sadie listened with half her brain, the other half wandering off.

 

Sometimes life really bit a girl on the ass. Thankfully she had enough padding there to take the hit.

 

“So she can be bribed.” “You just fed her a fortune in fancy cuts of meats and cheeses,” she said. “Anyone could’ve been bribed with that. Hell, I’d have jumped into a stranger-danger van for that.”

 

“She dumped me. Twice. Women should come with instructions.” “What would be the point of that?” Sadie asked. “I’ve never actually seen a man read any instructions.”

 

He sighed. “It’s hard to meet the good ones.” “That’s because they don’t usually frequent the dives you frequent. Go to Target. The female to male ratio is ten to one and they’re already looking for things they don’t need.”

 

Rocco offered his fork with a grape on it. She shook her head. “I don’t consume wine in pill form.”

 

She’d long ago taught herself how to take a mental step back from her family and treat them like . . . well, entertainment. She was no longer part of the circus but just an audience member.

My Review:

 

Every time I have finished a Jill Shalvis book I remind myself of the objective to clear my calendar and read the rest of her listings, which would take a chunk of time, as she has been quite the busy bee; Goodreads lists thirty books to her credit. I was late to this party but I have every intention be that nightmare type guest that never leaves. I am greedy and want them all, past, current, and future works. I am totally enamored. I adore her clever wit and humorous banter as much as her insightful observations and emotive reflections. Her writing is so stunningly agile she can have giggle-snorting and sniffling on the same page. Playing For Keeps was a heart-clenching tale yet well-balanced with levity, swoon-worthy romance, and sumptuous sensuality. I delight her wordplay and worship her altar of used printer cartridges.

Author Info

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

 WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Newsletter: http://jillshalvis.com/faq/newsletter/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jill-shalvis

 

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Book Review: Picture Not Perfect by D.E. Haggerty

 

Picture Not Perfect

(The Not So Reluctant Detectives #2)

by D.E. Haggerty 

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU 

 Smashwords ~ Kobo ~ B & N

 

A picture tells a story. But is it the truth?

When the police find pictures of Melanie hanging up at her murdered colleague’s house, they’re convinced he was stalking her. Maybe she even killed him. Melanie was not being stalked! And she certainly didn’t kill her supposed stalker – as if. But Mel – always up for a bit of drama – jumps at the chance to go search for the real killer. When Mel’s ex-boyfriend, Owen, discovers her plans, he pulls out all the stops to ensure she’s safe and to win her back. No matter what happens with the murder investigation, he’s not letting her go. With the police setting their sights on Mel, he may need to jeopardize his own career on the police force to protect her.

Will Mel find the real killer before the detectives arrest her for murder?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Please, you could find danger at a knitting club full of old ladies.

Wow. You don’t jump to conclusions. You take a flying leap to them.

My Review:

 

I take considerable pleasure in humor, which is a talent that D.E. Haggerty puts to good use by so deftly tucking it into her cozy mysteries. I am enjoying the levity and intriguing storylines of her new series, as well as the humorous chapter titles that read like headlines. But I had a hard time enjoying her main character of Mel.   Mel’s personality would be rather vexing to anyone unaccustomed to dealing with someone with an Attention Deficit or Hyperactivity issue. And Mel had a whopping dose of ADHD with many annoying and exasperating personality traits. She was fidgety, easily frustrated, emotionally immature, impulsive, stubborn, reckless, craved drama, and was loud and thoughtless of others. How she could be a successful high school guidance counselor had me scratching my head as she didn’t listen to others, lied easily, and obsessive in her thinking while prone to jump from one ridiculous far-fetched conclusion to another in attempting to prove her point. Being her friend would be an extremely difficult endeavor and only for those with endless patience and tremendous fortitude. Lucky for her, the delicious Owen had the patience of a saint, a few sexy saint. And lucky for me, I don’t have to have that anymore because retirement is swweeeet!

About the Author

Website

Amazon 

Goodreads

I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

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Book Review, Giveaway: Second Chance At The Ranch by Maxine Morrey

 

Second Chance At The Ranch

by Maxine Morrey

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

 

It’s never too late for a second chance at love in this uplifting and warm-hearted romance.

It’s never too late to find love…

When Juliet Scott falls for ruggedly handsome Pete while away traveling, she never imagines how different her life will be to that of her sister, successful and beautiful model Hero. Based on a cattle station in the vast Australian Outback, Juliet’s life is now simple, down-to-earth and honest, and the perfect antidote to the chaotic celebrity lifestyle that Hero leads in the UK.

With her striking brunette hair, perfect posture, and mesmerizing green eyes, it is no wonder Hero has come so far in such a superficial industry. But when tragedy strikes, Hero finds herself in the arms of her sister, recuperating from a terrible accident on the other side of the world.

With her modeling career in tatters, and her scars more than just skin deep, Juliet worries that Hero will hide behind the mask she wears forever. But does Australia have something, or someone, to offer that London never could?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She practically took out my eye with that cleavage. She’s most definitely more woman than I’ll ever be.

 Shame you didn’t back over the pneumatic bimbo whilst you were at it.

My Review:

 

Angst is not my friend, I crave balance in my world – crazy I know – it is just my personal preference. While well written with an interesting premise, this book was so angsty it was painful. Yet I was hooked and just couldn’t seem to let it go despite my pique, I was intrigued by the story and had to know what happened, regardless of having to wade through a tale that was 90% conflict and tension to get to that coveted HEA. Ms. Morrey certainly made me work for it, but it was worth it. The quick glimpses of humor and romance were brief respites, refreshing and well appreciated.

The characters were an interesting and endearing mix of Brits and Aussies. I frequently lost patience with the main character of Hero, who was the vortex of all the angst. Hero was an international supermodel who had a kind heart, yet she was an ice queen, deeply damaged, self-involved, terminally stubborn, and extremely anxious and uptight with a penchant for running away and shutting down when uncomfortable issues arose; a childish and tedious trait.   Hero’s sister married an Aussie with a sheep ranch in the Outback, hence the dual-continent tale. Of course, I enjoyed the Aussie side of the story considerably more, due to the handsome men residing there as well as the sizzle and dust they kicked up.

This time my new vocabulary lesson includes a mix of Brit and Aussie words, with Brumby – the wild horses of Australia; Pommie – a derogatory term for a Brit in Aussie speak; and Antipodean accent – what Brits call Aussie and New Zealand accents.

Author Bio

Maxine has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember and wrote her first (very short) book for school when she was ten.

As time went by, she continued to write, but ‘normal’ work often got in the way. She has written articles on a variety of subjects, as well as a local history book on Brighton. However, novels are her first love.

In August 2015, she won Harper Collins/Carina UK’s ‘Write Christmas’ competition with her first romantic comedy, ‘Winter’s Fairytale’.

Maxine lives on the south coast of England, and when not wrangling with words loves to read, sew and listen to podcasts. Being a fan of tea and cake, she can (should!) also be found doing something vaguely physical at the gym.

 

Follow Maxine Morrey

Website           www.scribblermaxi.co.uk

Twitter @Scribbler_Maxi

Instagram @scribbler_maxi

Facebook www.Facebook.com/MaxineMorreyAuthor

Pinterest ScribblerMaxi

Giveaway 

Win Second Chance at the Ranch and other Goodies

(Open Internationally)

Prize includes:

1 x paperback copy of Second Chance at the Ranch

1 x notebook

1 x mini handbag keyring

1 x V&A museum lipstick shaped pen

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

 

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