Category: Book Reviews

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Book Review: Perfect Match by Zoe May

Perfect Match

by Zoe May

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA   B&N

 

Can you ever find true love online?

Sophia Jones is an expert in all things online dating: the best sites, how to write a decent bio, which questions to ask and the right type of photos to use. The only thing she’s not so great at? Picking the guys…

After sitting through yet another dreadful date with a man who isn’t quite what she expected, Sophia is just about ready to give up on the whole dating scene. But her flatmate, Kate, persuades her to give it one more chance, only this time she must create a profile describing her ‘perfect’ man.

Yes, he must look like Robert Pattinson and needs to own a multi-million-pound business, but there are a couple of other deal breakers, too! So, when a guy comes along who ticks every box, surely there’s got to be a catch?

A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, perfect for fans of Catherine Bennetto and Rosie Blake!

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Paulo was so ditzy that my friends dubbed him ‘the himbo’

 

Ferret Man is a local Lewisham legend. He’s a fairly weird -looking older man who hurtles through Lewisham in a rickety old wheelchair pulled along by two whippets. But the trick Ferret Man has employed to keep the whippets running ahead is to keep a ferret on a long leash. The whippets chase the ferret, and Ferret Man gets from A to B without having to touch the wheels of his chair once. It’s actually pretty ingenious when you think about it.

 

I turn around and look up at him, taking in his perfectly chiselled face, the symmetry that never ceases to amaze me. When God made Daniel, he really took his time. He got out his rulers, his protractor, his compass. Regular people look slapdash in comparison, as if God made them after one too many sherries.

 

De Santford doesn’t look like a millionaire or a billionaire for that matter; he just looks like any other overweight bald guy in a suit. Although I’m not sure what I’m expecting to see, he’s hardly going to be dripping in solid gold chains.

 

My Review:

 

Reading Perfect Match was a perfect introduction to the clever wordsmith Zoe May; she is found treasure. I smirked and giggle-snorted my way through this wittily written tale of a dating disaster. Sophia had tried all the apps promising a love connection yet was tipping the scales at over 70 bad dates – she knows this for a fact as she has them plotted on a spreadsheet. Sophia was the last singleton in her circle of friends; even her odd wand-wielding hippy friend had found someone. It couldn’t possibly be a reflection on her though, could it?

 

The writing was refreshingly crisp and rippled with levity, humorous descriptions, and clever wit. While Sophia was no dummy, she had become rather shallow, arrogantly judgmental, and impatient. She didn’t realize this until the tables were turned in a highly humiliating and amusing manner. She learned the hard way that the grass is not always greener, bigger is not always better, and that money and privilege doesn’t mean constant comfort and ease. The storylines were cunningly insightful yet cleverly comedic. I adored the originality and creativity of the quirky cast of characters, each with their own unique traits.

 

And score! I found two new additions for my Brit Vocabulary list with poncey which means pretentious and chavvy which seems to be a lower class sense of taste. I would never outright admit to being either poncey or chavvy, although I do have some lovely designer knock-offs… 😉

Author Bio –

Zoe May lives in south-east London and writes romantic comedies. Zoe has dreamt of being a novelist since she was a teenager. She moved to London in her early twenties and worked in journalism and copywriting before writing her debut novel, Perfect Match. Having experienced the London dating scene first hand, Zoe could not resist writing a novel about dating, since it seems to supply endless amounts of weird and wonderful material!

As well as writing, Zoe enjoys going to the theatre, walking her dog, painting and, of course, reading.

Zoe loves to hear from readers, you can contact her on Twitter and Instagram at: @zoe_writes

Social Media Links –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/zoe_writes

https://instagram.com/zoe_writes

 

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Book Review: A Bad Bit Nice by Josie Kerr

A Bad Bit Nice

by Josie Kerr

Amazon / B&N

 

Em Davidson is a curvy, never-married, 43-year-old Internet security analyst who has been working at the wrong job, living in the wrong house, and involved with the wrong man for about 10 years too long. All she wants is a challenging career, her very own home, and an age-appropriate Mister Ideal who will make her toes curl when he kisses her.

Mick Brennan is a bearded, tattooed widower of 20-plus years who thinks, maybe, just maybe, he might be ready to dip his foot back in the dating pool. He might not know exactly what he’s looking for in a relationship, but he knows he doesn’t want a girl half his age.

When Em moves into her dream home, she had no idea that her downstairs neighbor could be her Mister Ideal. When Mick meets his talkative upstairs neighbor, he’s more intrigued by her than he has been in any other woman in two decades.

Can these two lonely people overcome the wounds of their pasts to discover love again?

This contemporary/second-time contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Em, if I had a rack like yours, I would be topless as much as possible.

 

I know it’s only been a week or so, but goddammit, you’re super smart, crazy caring, and hot like fire and I think I could love you, so you need to kiss me or tell me to utterly and completely fuck off.  Either way, put me out of my misery.

 

Mick, honey, what you did to me earlier?  If you’d been more expert at it, I seriously think I would have lost consciousness.

 

Rory, don’t do anything that will get you sent to prison, because I am absolutely not having sex in a trailer!

 

I always knew that Em, Miss National Merit Finalist Summa Cum Everything Smarty Pants, would end up with a tattooed brawler.

My Review:

 

This is undoubtedly my favorite type of book and I whole-heartedly adored this story from start to finish.  I was already marveling at the easy flow and crisp humor as I read the first page.  My eyes nearly popped from their sockets – like Roger Rabbit’s – when I discovered this exceptional tome was the author’s first novel.  I want to rave about its merits.

The story and writing were unique, well-crafted, highly entertaining, and plucked each emotion with surprising depth.  I smirked, snorted, gasped, fanned myself, and at other times – I teared up and… okay… maybe sobbed a little bit.  The characters were middle-aged, adorable, broken, lovable, flawed, thoughtful, and would most likely be easily overlooked in real life.  Moreover, I absolutely must love a woman in her forties who babbles when she is nervous, swears so creatively, just recently bought her first pair of “magical panties,” and often looks at events as “a sign.”

This book was fantastic.  It was humorous, insightful, thoughtful, clever, and witty.  I enjoyed the characters’ teasing, fun banter, and supportive relationships.  The love story was sweet, endearing, and so smokin’ hot my kindle was sizzling.  First novel or 100th, Josie Kerr has mad skills and is definitely one to watch.

About the author

Goodreads

Website

Amazon

Josie Kerr is transplanted West Texan living on the edge of semi-profoundly rural Georgia, a.k.a. the southernmost edge of the northernmost county in Metro Atlanta.

She has an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education but discovered that she hated high school more the second time than she did the first, so she decided to meld her love of technology with her education background and became an Instructional Designer. When not writing articles about how to fire someone without getting sued or why you should really not apply for jobs using your SexxyStud99@aol.com email address, she writes steamy romance novels that feature grown-up Heroes and Heroines.

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Book Review: The Widows by Jess Montgomery

The Widows

by Jess Montgomery

Amazon | Books-A-Million | B & N

Hardcover: 336 Pages

Publisher: Minotaur Books (January 8, 2019)

“The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Montgomery is a masterful storyteller.” –Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize-finalist The Bright Forever

Kinship, Ohio, 1924: When Lily Ross learns that her husband, Daniel Ross, the town’s widely respected sheriff, is killed while transporting a prisoner, she is devastated and vows to avenge his death.

Hours after his funeral, a stranger appears at her door. Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner’s widow, is unaware that Daniel has died, and begs to speak with him about her missing daughter.

From miles away but worlds apart, Lily and Marvena’s lives collide as they realize that Daniel was not the man that either of them believed him to be–and that his murder is far more complex than either of them could have imagined.

Inspired by the true story of Ohio’s first female sheriff, this is a powerful debut about two women’s search for justice as they take on the corruption at the heart of their community.

“In the hard-luck, homespun Appalachian town of Kinship, Ohio, in 1924, two strong women become unlikely comrades to solve a murder in this flinty, heartfelt mystery that sings of hawks and history, of coal mines and the urgent fight for social justice.”–Julia Keller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bone on Bone

“Two women, a murdered husband, and the secret life he lived. Set in Appalachian Ohio coal country in 1924, The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Jess Montgomery is a masterful storyteller. This is a novel about courage and the good hearts of women, and it builds, almost unbearably, to its stunning end.”–Lee Martin, author of the Pulitzer Prize Finalist The Bright Forever

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

Mama’s round face is so puckered with outrage that her mouth looks like the top of a drawstring purse.

 

My Review:

 

I am in awe of this author, this is her first novel and it was simply stellar! The storytelling was commanding, cunningly crafted, enthralling, emotive, highly descriptive, and smartly nuanced. I was instantly sucked into her vortex and heard a multitude of sounds, accents, and dialects in my head.   I was right there with them, riding in their cars, feeling the dynamite blasts as well as their deep sorrows, and smelling their sweat and fear. The mystery was hopelessly intriguing and appeared an impossibly tangled knot that I feared was without hope for a solution. I was so deeply engrossed in their tale I experienced the conflict of simultaneous relief and grief upon completion. Jess Montgomery’s word voodoo packs a powerful punch and is dangerously hypnotic.

About Jess Montgomery

JESS MONTGOMERY is the Literary Life columnist for the Dayton Daily News and Executive Director of the renowned Antioch Writers’ Workshop in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Based on early chapters of The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artist’s grant for literary arts and the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She lives in her native state of Ohio.

.Connect with Jess

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram 

 

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Book Review, Giveaway: Irresistibly Yours by Lilly Avalon

Title: Irresistibly Yours

Author: Lilly Avalon

Release Date: January 16th, 2019

Preorder links:

Amazon |B&N |Kobo |Apple

Book Description:

Irresistibly Yours is a compilation of six short stories, all contemporary romance with sexytimes.

Included in this compilation:

  • Here All Along
  • More Than Words
  • Taking the Risk
  • Breaking the Rules
  • Hook Me Up
  • Just One Favor

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:


Everything I’m feeling unravels like a ribbon from a spool when I realize he left without saying goodbye.

My Review:

 

I continue to have a love/hate issue with short stories, they can be just the thing or leave me annoyed and unfulfilled. This grouping had a bit of both as some were significantly better than others, although all in all, it was a quick and saucy little diversion. A few smirks and tasty treats to amuse your naughty side.

About the Author

Lilly Avalon is the thirty-something author of the RESIST series and other romance books. She started to pen her first erotica at twelve years old, but her mom found the “dirty story” and threw it away, which was just as well because it wasn’t that good. At all. Luckily, she continued to write stories for years until she rediscovered her love of sexy tales in her late twenties.

Lilly currently resides in Ohio with her husband and pet rodents. Lilly Avalon is a pen name.

| Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Author Page | Instagram | Amazon |

Giveaway:

$5 Amazon Gift Card & Swag

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Book Review: Betting On Us (Wilde Love #3) by Kelly Collins

Betting On US

A Wilde Love Novel #3

by Kelly Collins

Amazon  US / UK / CA / AU 

 

She’s the daughter of an Irish mob boss. He’s the archenemy’s youngest son. Will they choose love or loyalty?

When Kirsten O’Leary became a veterinarian, the last thing she thought she’d end up doing is patching up gangsters in her backroom. In spite of her best efforts, she can’t seem to leave her father’s world behind. When she’s framed in an elaborate drug deal, she turns to the last person she should for help.

Rafe Wilde, Nevada’s sexiest new lawyer thought he could leave the past in the past, but when the girl he could never forget needs him, he gets sucked back into a world of danger and lies. Possibly most risky of all is the undeniable longing he has for Kirsten.

Will these two find a way out together or will their family loyalty crush their dreams of happily ever after?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Ugh, don’t remind me that I’m nearly thirty! That was such a low blow. Age to women is like Kryptonite to Superman.

 

Never in my life would I have imagined a wedding like this. It was like housing cats and dogs in the same cage. It was doable but dangerous.

 

I was only going to say one day big butts will be in style and you can tell everyone you’ve had yours forever.

 

“He’s a good man, and he knows I’ll kill him if he ever makes you cry.” I kissed my father on the cheek as we all lined up and waited for the music to play. “You won’t have to kill him, Da. I can neuter him while he sleeps.”

 

The priest performed the ceremony and ended it with an Irish blessing. May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, And rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand. Father O’Connor looked out at the attendees before he leaned forward and whispered, “And may you leave quickly before all hell breaks loose.”

 

My Review:

 

The mystery and intrigue were strong throughout the storylines of this romantic suspense mob series set in modern day Las Vegas. This installment tied in the characters from the previous books in a pleasing and entertaining manner yet this volume could easily standalone with a strong story of its own. The featured coupled were likable and endearing, and had been childhood friends from rival mob families and despite obvious attraction and deep feelings, had not been allowed to take their relationship further. The mystery was well-crafted, menacing, and unpredictable.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive.

Always a romantic, she is inspired by real-time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.

Kelly lives in Colorado with her husband of twenty-five years. She loves hockey, shiny objects and has a new-found appreciation for green smoothies.

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Book Review: Hook (Men of Inked: Southside #3) by Chelle Bliss

Hook  (Men of Inked: Southside, #3)
by Chelle Bliss 

Amazon  |  Apple Books  |  B&N Nook  |  Kobo


Falling in love is supposed to be the easy part.
But nothing prepared me for losing my wife. I promised her that I’d love again. Find someone to mend my broken heart. And that seems impossible, until the day that I walk into Tilly Carter’s cupcake shop.I’ve never met a woman like her—sassy, dirty-mouthed, and smells like vanilla and sin. Someone that makes me want to sweep her off her feet.

But there’s pain in her emerald eyes that mirrors my own.
A past that neither of us can truly escape.

Now that I have her, I’ll do anything to keep her.

Hook is the third book in the STANDALONE USA Today bestselling Men of Inked: Southside series.

 

Book 1 – Maneuver

Book 2 – Flow

Book 3 – Hook

Book 4 – Hustle

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

God took a little extra time when he created this one, and he should be enjoyed, even if my thoughts aren’t exactly holy.

 

She doesn’t just drop hints, she hurls bombs.

 

“It’s a dinner as friends,” I remind him, even though I’m dressed like I’m ready to pounce on my prey and get busy.

 

Delilah and I can watch the kids… They can even spend the night… What’s two more? It’s already mass chaos at our place. The only thing I can promise is that they’ll come back alive, but everything else is a crapshoot.

 

She will stab you with her fork if you try to take a bite of her cake. You’re safer if you buy the whole damn thing…

 

Daphne stares at Delilah’s stomach and points to her tiny pooch. “Maybe you should lay off the cake.” “You better shut up,” Delilah snaps and sucks in her gut until she practically turns blue.

My Review:

 

Hook was an emotive and evocative read with the perfectly balanced between the heartbreak of grief, irreverent humor, the sweetness of precocious children, the excitement of a new romance, and the comedy of a loud, tightly knit, and overdramatic family. The Gallos are a garrulous and meddlesome clan who work and love hard and whole-heartedly, and generously pepper their speech with profanity and expletives. I adore them to no end and covet one to have as my very own.

Meet the Author

USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss currently lives in a small town near the Gulf of Mexico. She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, and coffee fiend. She’s written over ten books and has two series available. She loves spending her free time with her boyfriend, 2 cats, and her hamster.

Before becoming a writer, Chelle taught high school history for over ten years. She holds a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelor’s in History. Although history is her first love, writing has become her dream job and she can’t imagine doing anything else.

http://chellebliss.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authorchellebliss1

http://chellebliss.com/newsletter/

https://twitter.com/ChelleBliss1

https://www.instagram.com/authorchellebliss/

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Book Review: First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right
(Charley Davidson #1)
by Darynda Jones 

  Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N  

 

This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.

A flow chart would have been nice.Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and a full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can’t she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

My stepmother was never big on the whole nurturing thing. I think she used up all the good stuff on my older sister, and by the time she got to me, she was fresh out of nurture. She did, however, give me one pertinent bit of 411. She was the one who informed me that I had the attention span of a gnat; only, she said I had the attention span of a gnat with selective listening. At least I think that’s what she said. I wasn’t listening.

 

Maybe I needed sensitivity training. I once signed up for an anger management class, but the instructor pissed me off.

 

He didn’t care enough about me to give me the time of day, but I pretty much had the time-of-day thing covered anyway.

 

She didn’t smile back. Not even a little. I totally needed to read that book on how to win friends and influence people. But that would involve an innate desire to win friends and influence people. My desires were a tad more visceral at the moment.

 

I pointed to my right breast. “This is Danger.” Then my left. “And this is Will Robinson. I would appreciate it if you addressed them accordingly.”

 

I just prayed neither of us was biting off more than we could chew. I did that once with bubble gum. It wasn’t pleasant.

 

My Review:

 

I don’t often read paranormal but there are exceptions and this series looks like it will be one of them, I lapped it up this talented wordsmith’s story like the free booze at my arch nemesis’s wedding reception.   I’m a bit late to the party as this was a dazzling debut and merely book one of what is now a thirteen book best-selling series. The writing and storylines were crisp, cunningly crafted, and laced with dark and clever asides, witty observations, and scintillating snark. I was captivated by the creativity and besotted with the enticingly intriguing characters. I fear I just may have developed an instant and insatiable taste for this crafty authors word voodoo and am kicking myself for my procrastination in sampling her brilliance.

About the Author

Goodreads

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

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Book Review, Giveaway: The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker by Jenni Keer

 

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker

by Jenni Keer

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N 

 

 

Lucy Baker is not your usual 25-year-old. She is more at home reading and knitting in her cluttered little flat than going out partying and socializing.

79-year-old Brenda is full of wise and wonderful advice, but when she’s diagnosed with dementia her life begins to change. Before her memories slip away forever, Brenda is desperate to fulfill one last wish – to see Lucy happy.

Gifting Lucy the locket that helped Brenda find her own true love, she hopes to push her reticent neighbor in the right direction. But is Lucy Baker ready for the opportunities and heartbreaks of the real world? It’s about time she put her knitting needles aside and found out…

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker will be the most charming, heart-warming and feel-good novel you will read this year, perfect for fans of Ruth Hogan and Gail Honeyman.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

There was an inaudible twang as one of her heartstrings was plucked.

 

A man of few words, and even fewer talents.

 

She’s got me running around like a squirrel on speed.

 

Adam rubs people up the wrong way and doesn’t stop rubbing until there are friction burns.

 

I can imagine you’ll be the sort of parent who responds to a question about death with a PowerPoint presentation depicting the various stages of decay occurring in the human body – maggots and all.

 

My Review:

 

This debut author’s work was a delight to read, I was quickly enamored with her dynamic characters and vivid storytelling.   I adored the friendship of the elderly yet feisty Brenda and her quiet yet kind neighbor Lucy. Brenda had purple streaks in her hair and was gifted with many talents. Young Lucy was a crafty knitter and an endearing and tenderhearted soul, yet timid and lacking in confidence. I enjoyed watching a stronger and more colorful Lucy evolve although Brenda’s deterioration squeezed my cold heart, put hot rocks in my throat, and caused my eyes to sting in a curious manner. The storylines were crisp, engaging, evocative, and laced with clever levity.   Jenni Keer is one to watch and taught me a new Brit idiom of “big up,” which Mr. Google taught me was to praise or speak well of.   I will gladly big up Jenni Keer anytime!

 

Author Bio

Jenni Keer is a history graduate who embarked on a career in contract flooring before settling in the middle of the Suffolk countryside with her antique furniture restorer husband. She has valiantly attempted to master the ancient art of housework but with four teenage boys in the house, it remains a mystery. Instead, she spends her time at the keyboard writing women’s fiction to combat the testosterone-fuelled atmosphere with her number one fan #Blindcat by her side. Much younger in her head than she is on paper, she adores any excuse for fancy-dress and is part of a disco formation dance team.

 

Social Media Links –

FB Jenni Keer Writer

Twitter @JenniKeer

Instagram jennikeer

Website – https://jennikeer.co.uk/

Giveaway 

Win The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker goodies

(UK Only)

Prize contains – Thornton’s fudge, a Nu notebook, a Hopes and Dreams bookmark and a set of five “Scratbag” blank greetings cards designed by Jenni Keer

*Terms and Conditions –UK 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 despatch or delivery of the prize.

 

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Book Review, Giveaway: The Convalescent Corpse by Nicola Slade

The Convalescent Corpse

by Nicola Slade

 Amazon US / UK / AU / CA  

 

A story of Family, Rationing and Inconvenient Corpses.

Life in 1918 has brought loss and grief and hardship to the three Fyttleton sisters. Helped only by their grandmother (a failed society belle and expert poacher) and hindered by a difficult suffragette mother, as well as an unruly chicken-stealing dog and a house full of paying-guests, they now have to deal with the worrying news that their late – and unlamented – father may not be dead after all.  And on top of that, there’s a body in the ha-ha.

‘I love it. A delightfully unusual mystery with wonderful characterisation and historical detail.’ – LESLEY COOKMAN BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LIBBY SARJEANT MYSTERY SERIES

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

… my elder sister Alix announced that she intended to become a nun. This was because she had diligently attended every party she could cajole her way into in the town, but still failed to attract a man willing to become the husband she so desperately wanted. The nun idea was speedily cast aside and instead she decided to volunteer as a nursing assistant at the convalescent home for officers at Groom Hall, the gloomy hunting lodge next door to us. Her reasoning was that a wounded officer, being unable to escape her attentions, might well be a good marital prospect provided his injuries were neither unsightly nor injurious to the married state.

 

I imagine the best I can hope for is a wounded young man who’ll think me an angel of mercy. I don’t care if he has a limb or two missing, as long as he has a handsome bank balance and thinks I’m wonderful.

 

Alix says the prospect of Mrs Mortimer as a mother-in-law renders him ineligible as a husband.

 

My Review:

 

This was quite an unusual collection of characters, each one was oddly entertaining and rather abhorrent; I couldn’t get enough of their smartly written and artfully portrayed peculiarities. I also learned quite a bit as I will confess to being rather sketchy on my WWI knowledge, while I am old – I’m not that old. The storylines were humorously engaging while also informative and continually prodded my curiosity; was it murder, who did it, was it a crime or a kindness? There were multiple suspects, each equally repellent and captivatingly depicted. I treasured this wily author’s pacing, character development, and humorous observations; she cunningly tucked in shrewd insights and colorful descriptions with levity cleverly woven throughout, although their food sounded absolutely dreadful, which was a boon to my diet efforts!   I do believe Nicola Slade has snared a new fangirl.

Author Bio 

Nicola Slade lives in Hampshire where she writes historical and contemporary mysteries and women’s fiction. While her three children were growing up she wrote stories for children and for women’s magazines before her first novel, Scuba Dancing, was published in 2005. Among other jobs, Nicola has been an antique dealer and a Brown Owl! She loves traveling and at one time, lived in Egypt for a year. The Convalescent Corpse is Nicola’s 9th novel. Nicola is also a member of a crime writers’ panel, The Deadly Dames https://www.facebook.com/DeadlyDames/

Social Media Links 

 www.nicolaslade.wordpress.com   www.nicolaslade.com

Twitter: @nicolasladeuk

https://www.facebook.com/nicolasladeuk/  https://www.pinterest.co.uk/nicola8703 (I have a board for each book)

Giveaway 

Win a paperback copy of The House of Ladywell

(Open Internationally)

*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 despatch or delivery of the prize.

 

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Book Review: There’s Something About a Cowboy by Rich Amooi

 

There’s Something About a Cowboy

by Rich Amooi

 Amazon US / UK / AU / CA   

 

Rule #1: No Dating Cowboys.

A fake fiancé doesn’t count, right? Oh boy . . .

 

Amy Weaver is tired of her dad meddling in her love life. Fed up, she hires an actor to play the part of her fake cowboy fiancé when she goes home for her grandpa’s ninetieth birthday. Sure, Luke Jenkins has got looks, charm, and muscular legs, but this is business, pure and simple. Things are fine and dandy until she finds out he’s a real cowboy, not an actor. Now, she’s stuck between a rock and his chiseled jawline, falling faster than a sack of horseshoes. How the heck is Amy supposed to ignore the sparks between them and stick to her rule of not dating cowboys? All bets are off.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Those aren’t Wranglers,” Amy said, glancing at the tight jeans surrounding the man’s muscular legs. “That’s denim-colored Saran Wrap. I swear I can see his marble collection.”

 Sure, he’s some serious eye candy, no doubt, but you know I prefer the nerdy type. Give me a computer engineer and I’ll be naked before you can say hard disk.

 …”why don’t you bring me a piece of that delicious apple pie with some of that slow-Chernobyl vanilla ice cream.” “It’s slow-churned, nincompoop.”

 “Now, don’t you go joking around like that,” Grandpa Leo said. “You never know when I’m going to keel over from this old heart of mine. My A-orca is not what it used to be.” “Aorta.” “That, too.”

 He’s a master at sucking up to your father. Hear that slurping? That’s him again. The man could suck a Big Mac through a screen door.

 Not that Nathan was a horrible person, but they wanted different things. He wanted Amy to be a housewife, and she wanted him to go far, far away.

 I want to say thank you all for coming to my birthday. I’m so old I remember when the Dead Sea was just sick.

My Review:

I can always count on Rich Amooi to put a smile on my face; his stories are a sweet treat like a delightfully frothy confection. His characters were knowable and endearing while not always likable, but I honestly don’t know anyone who is – other than myself of course.   The storylines were engaging and pleasantly entertaining while the writing was cleverly observant, humorous, easy to follow, and held my interest throughout. His light romantic comedies are a welcome respite between heavier tomes and just good fun.

Author Bio:

Fun, Quirky Romantic Comedies from a Guy’s Perspective. Rich Amooi is a former radio personality who now writes romantic comedies full-time. He is happily married to a kiss monster imported from Spain. Rich believes in public displays of affection, silliness, infinite possibilities, donuts, gratitude, laughter, and happily ever after.

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