Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
Posted on

Book Review: Mistletoe Summer (Applebottom Dog Lovers Book 3) by Abby Tyler

Mistletoe Summer  (Applebottom Dog Lovers Book 3)

by Abby Tyler

Apple Books / B&N / Kobo / GooglePlay

Amazon US /  CA /  AU /  UK

 

It was love at first sight. For their dogs.

Cody Jones didn’t expect to ever return to Applebottom, planning a long life of military service and world travel.

But a devastating injury in Iraq narrows his options, so he begrudgingly helps his mother expand her doggy bakery until he figures out what’s next.

And in walks Melody Hopkins.

Melody is dead broke and takes a summer job painting the new pet store to pay the bills. She’s new to Applebottom and has never encountered the moody, brutally handsome Cody Jones. She isn’t sure she can work around him, but then her tiny Pomeranian Mistletoe refuses to leave Cody’s service dog, a gorgeous Golden Retriever named Tyrus.

The town notices their reluctant friendship and puts them in charge of a grand opening celebration sure to draw visitors to the new store — a Christmas in July pet parade.

Cody doesn’t want to show off his injury to the whole town, but Melody’s infectious optimism convinces him to try. Besides, his service dog Tyrus can’t seem to live without Melody’s little fluff ball. What’s a veteran and a dog dad to do?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

 Delilah gripped her coffee like it was the last Tickle Me Elmo at Walmart.

 

“They have a Christmas in July here. So we start decorations early.” “Why?” Grandma’s eyes met hers with sadness. “Because many of us won’t see another holiday season.”

 

 My Review:

 

While sweet and wholesome is not my typical fare, I am gleefully enjoying Abby Tyler’s delightful small-town romances, this entire series has been sweet enough to cause dental issues. This quick installment covered a lot of ground with a wide range of characters including a seriously wounded and recovering and vet suffering from PTSD, senior citizens, a cancer survivor, teachers, small-town matchmaking busybodies, service dogs, parades, Christmas out of season, and a Manic Pixie Dream Girl – a moniker which required the unlimited resources of Mr. Google to fully appreciate.   The storylines are thoughtfully written, easy to follow, and pleasantly entertaining while observantly insightful and wryly amusing and host a lively and enticing cast of uniquely quirky characters. I’m already eagerly awaiting the next volume.

 

About the Author

Abby Tyler loves puppy dogs, pie, and small towns (she grew up in one!) Her Applebottom Matchmaker Society books combine the sweet and wholesome style of romance she loves with the funny, sometimes a-little-too-truthful characters she remembers from growing up in a place where everyone knew everybody’s business.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Posted on

Book Review: A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards

 A Family of Strangers

by Emilie Richards

Amazon  US / UK / CA / AU /

 B&N/  BAM

 384 Pages

MIRA; Original edition (June 25, 2019)

Could a lifetime of memories…be a lifetime of lies?

All her life, Ryan Gracey watched her perfect older sister from afar. Knowing she could never top Wendy’s achievements, she didn’t even try. Instead, Ryan forged her own path while her family barely seemed to notice.

Now Wendy shares two little girls with her perfect husband, while Ryan mourns the man she lost after a nearly fatal mistake in judgment. The sisters’ choices have taken them in different directions, which is why Ryan is stunned when Wendy calls, begging for her help. There’s been a murder—and Wendy believes she’ll be wrongfully accused.

While Wendy lies low, Ryan moves back to their hometown to care for the nieces she hardly knows. The sleuthing skills she’s refined as a true-crime podcaster quickly rise to the surface as she digs for answers with the help of an unexpected ally. Yet the trail of clues Wendy’s left behind leads to nothing but questions. Blood may be thicker than water, but what does Ryan owe a sister who becomes more and more a stranger with every revelation?

Is Wendy, who always seemed so perfect, just a perfect liar—or worse?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sophie had many ways of getting to the truth. Now she pulled out guilt, a tool she manipulated with the precision of a top chef’s boning knife.

 

The flaws of an older child are bleached by time, while a younger’s are always in plain view.

 

I listen to your podcast, Ryan. I was right there in that awful prison with that poor woman, the one who was sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit. That’s as close as I want to get to iron bars and a cellmate named Butch.

 

“I can tell him she’s on a religious retreat, that while she was traveling she had a spiritual awakening.” Mom looked skeptical. “She’s a Catholic. We’re awakened enough.”

 

I was almost sure who the package was from. I picked it up once more and lifted it to my ear. Bombs today aren’t the Wile E. Coyote variety with dynamite wired to a ticking alarm clock, but cartoon habits die hard.

 

Sophie’s ex-husband was more of a hobby than a relationship. He came and went as regularly as the meter reader, and she regarded him with the same lack of wonder.

 My Review:

 

Despite her prolific listing of thirty books to date, this was my maiden voyage on the crafty vessel Emilie Richards has most recently launched.   I was supremely lucky in my selection as it was an excellent journey, although it was not smooth sailing for the characters featured. I was quickly caught up in the intrigue and my curiosity was primed and frequently prodded into increasingly higher levels of elevation and exasperation with the elusive Wendy and her fawning and over-indulgent mother. The characters were complex yet highly compelling while the taut and absorbing storylines were full of jagged secrets, daunting histories, and disquieting reveals that squeezed my heart. With thirty books to her credit, Ms. Richards certainly knows what she’s doing by now, as her pacing and storytelling skills appear sharply honed and lushly appointed with emotive and vibrant details and perfectly placed lashings of edgy humor. More, please.

About the Author

Emilie Richards’s many novels feature complex characterizations and in-depth explorations of social issues. Both are a result of her training and experience as a family counselor, which contribute to her fascination with relationships of all kinds. Emilie and her husband enjoy dividing their time between the Florida Gulf Coast and Chautauqua County, New York. She is currently working on her next novel for MIRA Books.

Connect with Emilie

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Posted on

Book Review, Giveaway: The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer

The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows

by Jenni Keer

Amazon US / UK / AU

B&N / GP / iBooks / Kobo

When Maisie Meadows finds herself single and jobless on New Year’s Day, she resolves that this will be the year she focuses on bringing her scattered family back together. Romance is all very well, but it’s the people you grew up with that matter the most.

But a new job working at an auction house puts her in the path of Theo, a gorgeous but unattainable man who she can’t help but be distracted by. As their bond begins to grow, Maisie finds herself struggling to fulfil the promise she made to herself – but the universe has other ideas, and it’s not long before the Meadows family are thrown back together in the most unlikely of circumstances…

Can dealing with other people’s treasures help Maisie to let go of the past, and teach her who she ought to treasure the most?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

He was not only showing the new girl from HR around the archives but also giving her a guided tour of his tonsils.

Being single was all very well until your ovaries started idly flicking through pension options – not that she was anywhere near that stage, but sand still trickled relentlessly into the bottom chamber of her hourglass.

Theo’s jeans weren’t distressed, they were positively traumatised.

Honestly, you’re so tightly coiled that if anyone springs your release catch you’re going to ping over the moon.

… her house was sterile, her desk at work was sterile, bloody hell – after six months without a boyfriend, she was sterile.

He doesn’t give up. All the time he’s in my peripheral vision, lurking like an unidentifiable odour.

My Review:

Jenni Keer is found treasure. This cleverly written and highly amusing book had more sparkles than a glitter bomb and was an utter delight to read. I adored every quirky character and savored each brilliantly chosen word. I fell right into this craftily paced and witty tale, which caused frequent eruptions of giggle-snorts and kept a well-earned smirk on my face throughout perusal. I was also quite resentful of any interruption to my reading and may have actually hissed at the ringing phone. Ms. Keer’s writing was deliciously clever, emotive, crisp, and extraordinarily engaging. She definitely has a gift for effortless levity and absorbing storytelling and I deeply suspect ownership of a magical pen or bewitched software, as she is an absolute powerhouse of a wordsmith.

And in addition to being totally besotted with Ms. Keer, I scored three new additions to my Brit Word List with claggy – which is Brit informal for thick and sticky; banjaxed – which is slang for destroyed or ruined; and G Plan – which is an iconic British brand of furniture.

About the Author

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.

The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker was published in January 2019.

The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows is out in July 2019.

Social Media Links

FB Jenni Keer Writer

Twitter @JenniKeer

Instagram jennikeer

Website – https://jennikeer.co.uk/

Giveaway

Win a signed copy of The Hopes and Dreams of Lucy Baker, pack of Scratbag notelets, pretty purple pen and a Maisie bookmark

(Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions – 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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Posted on

Book Review: A Beach Wish by Shelley Noble

A Beach Wish

by Shelley Noble

Amazon  US / UK / CA / AU /

B&N/ HarperCollins

Paperback: 384 pages

 Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 25, 2019)

New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble returns to the beach in her latest summer read about the family we create and the wishes we make that can shape us.

Zoe Bascombe has never said no to her family. When she blew her Juilliard audition, she caved to their wishes and went to business school. But when her mother dies and leaves instructions for Zoe to spread her ashes at a place called Wind Chime Beach, she defies her brothers and starts out for a New England town none of them has ever heard of and discovers a side of her garden club mother that her wildest dreams hadn’t imagined.

Zoe has another family.

Her first instinct is to run home. Instead, she is caught in the middle of her feuding new relatives. With one family fighting among themselves and the other not speaking to her, Zoe must somehow find a way to bridge her new life with her old.

For the first time in her life, Zoe must make a stand for her family—both of them. If only she can only figure out how.

Her answer lies at Wind Chime Beach where for generations people have come to add their chimes to the ones already left among the trees. And when the wind blows and the air fills with music, their secrets, dreams, and hopes are sent into the world. There’s a message for Zoe here—if she has the courage to open her heart.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Zoe took a quick last look in her rearview mirror, where her family appeared as a perfectly framed photo for a bare second before dispersing out of frame. Like an Etch A Sketch drawing turned upside down.

 

Actually I’m, uh, working remotely.” Just a little white lie. Just reshuffle the words and you had “I’m not remotely working.”

 

A feud, star-crossed lovers, an angry old rock star, and a missing hotel proprietor—it’s just like Shakespeare in the Park without the mosquitoes…

 

He whipped off his hat. His hair sprang out like a ballerina’s tutu from a totally bald head.

 

Stupid, really, that even though she was currently unemployed, she was still herding relative strangers. Ha. Relative strangers. Strange relatives. Yep. She had plenty of both.

 

My Review:

 

This multi-textured tale was filled with long-held secrets, small-town corruption, a forty-year-old feud, adorable elderly hippies, a greedy and menacingly villainous ninety-year-old matriarch, and loads of complicated and turbulent family dynamics and drama; it was a tasty summer treat that didn’t require a cooler and supplied its own sand. Upon her mother’s death, Zoe was tasked with the errand of spreading the ashes on an unfamiliar beach, which lead to a multitude of challenges and earth-shattering revelations about her mother as well as herself.   The storylines and writing were observantly insightful and engaging while laced with uncertainty and emotional tension as well as shrewdly placed snippets of wit and levity. My curiosity and interest were well engaged and I enjoyed the unusual premise as much as the peculiarity and vagaries of the diverse and large cast of compelling characters. This was my first time sampling the clever wordplay of the divine Shelly Noble yet Goodreads lists twenty books and novellas to her credit, where have I been?

I was provided with a review copy of this absorbing tale by HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

About the Author

Shelley Noble is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Whisper Beach and Beach Colors. Other titles include Stargazey Point, Breakwater Bay, and Forever Beach—a story of foster adoption in New Jersey—and four spin-off novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, she lives on the Jersey shore and loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and vintage carousels. Shelley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

Find out more about Shelley at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Posted on

Book Review: One Last Greek Summer by Mandy Baggot

One Last Greek Summer

by Mandy Baggot

 

Amazon  US / UK / AU / CA  

B&N / iBooks / GP / Kobo

 

Beth Martin is 31, newly divorced and wondering just what life holds for her…

Best-friend, Heidi, is adamant that all the answers lie in Corfu – the island where the girls’ partied away their youth.

So cue a trip to a sun-drenched Greek island, ouzo cocktails, a trip down memory lane…and Alex Hallas, the man Beth has never quite forgotten.

As they dance under the stars, the sand beneath their toes, old feelings begin to resurface and Beth might just have a chance to take back her life. If they can learn to love the people they’ve become…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘How long is it since you’ve had a date now?’ … ‘Almost two months,’ Heidi breathed. ‘My lady parts basically think I’ve sold them for transplant.’

 

‘Repeat after me…I am a woman in my prime.’ ‘Oh, Heidi, have you been going to those motivational hours at the community centre again? Weren’t you put off for good when the guest speaker was someone who had once worked with Harvey Weinstein?’

 

‘I’m not sorry he isn’t dead.’ She took a breath. There had been times she’d wanted to cut the crotch out of his underpants, but death seemed a little too far, even in her darkest moments, drinking his vintage champagne like it was tap water.

 

‘I don’t fancy you either. Never have.’ ‘I don’t know whether to feel pleased or strangely curious as to why not.’ ‘Let’s leave it as an enigma…’

 

All everyone says is that yiayia died of a broken heart. But my mother says she died of shame because she could not bear to live the rest of her life as a widow mourning a man who shared his penis with the entire island.

 

‘He was at the beach bar in Roda, a late-night drink after practice for a band he is joining.’ She shook her head. ‘He is sixty-five years old. The only band he should be involved in is one they put around your arm to monitor blood pressure.’

 

My Review:

 

Greece has been on my bucket list for decades, and although I will confess to being far too lazy to make the arduous trek, I can partially satisfy my curiosity and wanderlust by occasionally picking up a Grecian based tale.   One Last Greek Summer was quite the tasty snack with Ms. Baggot’s divinely keen sense for colorful details and vividly described scenes, I could almost hear the bleating of the baby goats, smell the sea air, and taste the delicious gyros. The writing and storylines were engaging, action-packed, cunningly observant, and shot through with crisp levity and whip-smart humor.   The vibrant characters were appealing, well-drawn, and more than a bit intriguing – even the villainous ones that I wanted to give a pinch or ten.

This was my maiden voyage with the cleverly amusing Mandy Baggot and I am kicking myself for being tardy to the party as she has a wicked wit and an impressive listing of twenty-four published books. I am tempted to unhook the phone and clear my calendar for a month and just indulge in all things Baggot. Suffice it to say, Ms. Baggot has a newly minted baklava loving fangirl.

About the Author 

Mandy Baggot is an international bestselling and award-winning romance writer. The winner of the Innovation in Romantic Fiction award at the UK’s Festival of Romance, her romantic comedy novel, One Wish in Manhattan, was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Romantic Comedy Novel of the Year award in 2016. Mandy’s books have so far been translated into German, Italian, Czech, and Hungarian. Mandy loves the Greek island of Corfu, white wine, country music, and handbags. Also a singer, she has taken part in ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and The X-Factor. Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Authors and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.

Follow Mandy:

Facebook: @mandybaggotauthor

Twitter: @mandybaggot

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

Posted on

Book Review: Mancandy Crush (Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedies #5.5) by Tawna Fenske

Mancandy Crush

(Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedies #5.5)

 by Tawna Fenske

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / B&N

 

Josh Mattis is totally over getting his heart stomped six years ago, so what’s with the mule kick to the chest when he spots the girl who ghosted him? Turns out she’s not his teenage fling, but her twin sister—and she needs a fake date to her cousin’s wedding.

Valerie Vincent would rather shove sewing needles in her eyes than have one more person tell her she needs adventure. All she needs is a quiet reading nook and a chance to enjoy Bree’s quirky Christmas nuptials in the summer sun at Ponderosa Resort. Okay, she’d also like to skip the pitying looks when her twin trots out her fab new fiancé, but Val can fix all that with one rugged river guide who’s happy to play her arm candy.

As Josh and Val bond over weird eggnog and messed-up mistletoe hunts, the July sun isn’t the only source of scorching heat. Will the past be a blast of icy cold reality, or can their fling last longer than a peppermint fudgesicle on a hot day?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“When you’re eighteen, it’s all hormones and lust and raw, carnal attraction.” “Sounds horrible. How did you endure it?”

I used to be afraid of sharks… I still am, but this was serious. I wouldn’t swim in the pool at the country club because of it… I was captain of my high school swim team, but I still sometimes caught myself checking the lanes for fins.

“I was so afraid of tornadoes that I wouldn’t drive past the trailer park on the south end of town,” I admit. “That’s where they always struck when I heard about them on the news, so it seemed smart to steer clear.” Josh lifts one sandy brow. “Didn’t you grow up in Maine? I didn’t think they had tornadoes there.” “They don’t.”

I used to worry that if I closed my eyes in the shower, an ax murderer would show up and kill me… I got a lot of soap in my eyes.

I don’t care if you have a thousand condoms and a meatball sub in there. I’m not letting you near that damn phone that’ll end up dialing your financial advisor or your parents or something.

My Review:

 

I eagerly zipped through this quick, mischievous, highly amusing, and delectably steamy installment of the cleverly humorous Ponderosa Resort Romantic Comedies series. The storylines were quickly paced, witty, and observantly insightful of relevant and difficult issues and emotional triggers many people face. I adored Josh and Val as a couple and their thoughtful and gentle concern for each other. The storylines were creative, entertaining, and progressed at speed. I giggle-snorted several times during Val’s well-considered list of best and worst ways of biting the dust, her mental catalog of unusual deaths, and her colorful and comedic confessions of irrational fears.

About the Author    

Website 

Amazon

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.

Posted on

Book Review: Once Upon a Cowboy (Almost Royal #2) by Rachel Lacey

 

Once Upon a Cowboy

(Almost Royal #2)

by Rachel Lacey

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

 

A TALE AS OLD AS TIME

Megan Perl went from beauty to beast when a car accident left her permanently scarred. Before, Megan was outgoing and vivacious, always with a man at her side. Now? She spends more time behind a camera than in front of it. She’s ready to turn her hobby into something more by offering photography sessions at the castle where she works. This year is dedicated to her career, not men. If only she wasn’t so crazy-attracted to the cowboy who’s renting the stable on the castle grounds…

Jake Reardon is no stranger to tragedy. After a fall left his bride in a coma on their wedding day, he was forced to watch her slowly fade away in a hospital bed. Now, he finds himself in the unwelcome position of virgin widower. At Rosemont Castle, he can finally focus on establishing his career as a horse trainer. The only problem is that his new landlady makes him hotter than the Virginia sun.

Sparks fly every time Jake and Megan cross paths, but there’s no way he’s going to lose his virginity with the woman who manages the property he’s leasing. As their attraction grows, though, so do their emotions. Jake carries his scars inside, but Megan has to wear hers for the world to see. Can love heal their wounds, or will it tear them apart?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

… a slow smile spread across his lips, and poof, there went her hormones, exploding for him all over again.

 

Her parents never gave up on a miracle, but at some point over the years, I realized we were just watching her die. Years and years of watching her die.

 

… small town and all. If he was spotted buying condoms, half the population of Towering Pines would know about it in no time.

 

My Review:

 

This was a quick and pleasantly satisfying tale featuring two endearing and resilient main characters who were survivors of tragic events. As a teenaged groom, Jake could do little more than watch as his new bride slipped into a coma then lingered for nine long years. Megan remained self-conscious and insecure after surviving a car accident that had resulted in life-long scarring. Their blossoming relationship provided a sweet, tender, and heartwarmingly gratifying story as they supported each other through new careers and transitions. It was also delectably sensual as the young widower was a quick study and eager to please. Snap!

About the Author

Rachel Lacey is a contemporary romance author and semi-reformed travel junkie. She’s been climbed by a monkey on a mountain in Japan, gone scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, and camped out overnight in New York City for a chance to be an extra in a movie. These days, the majority of her adventures take place on the pages of the books she writes. She lives in warm and sunny North Carolina with her husband, son, and a variety of rescue pets.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 

Posted on

Book Review: False Step by Victoria Helen Stone

False Step

by Victoria Helen Stone

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU /

 B&N/ BAM

 Lake Union Publishing (July 1, 2019)

Stay calm, keep smiling, and watch your step. In this marriage of secrets and lies, nothing is what it seems.

For days, all of Denver, Colorado, has worried over the fate of a missing child, little Tanner Holcomb. Then, a miracle: handsome, athletic Johnny Bradley finds him, frightened but unharmed, on a hiking trail miles from his wealthy family’s mountain home.

In a heartbeat, his rescuer goes from financially strapped fitness trainer to celebrated hero. The heat of the spotlight may prove too much for Johnny’s picture-perfect family, however. His wife, Veronica, despises the pressure of the sudden fame, afraid that secrets and bitter resentments of her marriage may come to light. And she’s willing to do anything to keep them hidden.

But when a shocking revelation exposes an even darker side to Tanner’s disappearance, Veronica realizes that nothing in her life can be trusted. And everything should be feared.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Her job was to help people regain remedial skills, and very few clients were thrilled to have that opportunity.

 

She’d suspected Johnny of cheating plenty of times, but as far as she knew, it had only happened once. Just once… As for that one time? Well, she’d forgiven him. Or she thought she had. It turned out that frantically gluing the broken pieces of a marriage back together didn’t make for the tightest hold.

 

Her daughter didn’t notice or didn’t care, and that was a blessing. Children were naturally selfish. Their selfishness protected them from noticing the rough currents of life that pulled in all directions. But they noticed the rapids. They knew when they were being sucked under.

 

There were crimes anyone might commit, like jaywalking or smuggling a really cool rock home from a national park. Then there were certain crimes you could assign to people you knew well. Trish, for instance, might steal a campaign sign from a bigoted school board candidate and throw it in the trash if no one was looking.

 

“Mom, though … I swear to God, Veronica, I think she imagined that Fatima and I would have twice as many grandkids because we have two wombs.” “It’s the clear benefit of having a lesbian daughter, Trish. Extra incubation space.”

  

My Review:

 

I’m a bit conflicted on how to rate and feel about this one. The characters were not at all likable or trustworthy as they were actually quite selfish and contemptible, yet my curiosity was tipped and I wanted to know how their story would shake out. The intriguing storylines and subplots were slowly exposed with steadily rising levels of angst and uncertainty over a variety of stressors. Suspected serial spousal infidelities, as well as her own current cheating, were but one of many concerns the highly anxious and deeply resentful main character of Veronica was constantly obsessing over. Her husband’s heroics of finding a lost child brought immediate media attention as well as police scrutiny to her home, resulting in additional complications and spirals of anxiety, and for good reason. The writing and storylines were taut with tension, tragedy, unexpected twists and turns, and an occasional greatly appreciated glimpse of wit.

 

About the Author

Victoria Helen Stone, formerly writing as USA Today bestselling novelist Victoria Dahl, was born and raised in the flattest parts of the Midwest. Now that she’s escaped the plains of her youth, she writes dark suspense from an upstairs office high in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. She enjoys summer trail hikes with her family almost as much as she enjoys staying inside during the winter. Since leaving the lighter side of fiction, she has written the critically acclaimed, bestselling novels Evelyn, After; Half Past; and Jane Doe. For more on the author and her work, visit www.VictoriaHelenStone.com and www.VictoriaDahl.com.

Connect with Victoria

Website | Twitter

Posted on

Book Review: The Road to Cromer Pier by Martin Gore

.

 

The Road to Cromer Pier

by Martin Gore

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

Janet’s first love arrives out of the blue after forty years. Those were simpler times for them both. Sunny childhood beach holidays, fish and chips and big copper pennies clunking into one-armed bandits.

The Wells family has run the Cromer Pier Summertime Special Show for generations. But it’s now 2009 and the recession is biting hard. Owner Janet Wells and daughter Karen are facing an uncertain future. The show must go on, and Janet gambles on a fading talent show star. But both the star and the other cast members have their demons. This is a story of love, loyalty, and luvvies. The road to Cromer Pier might be the end of their careers, or it might just be a new beginning.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Tourists. Bloody tourists. I’ve been doing this show for 30-odd years and I swear they get worse. That child today. I swear he’s been to an Al-Qaeda training camp. ADHD his parents said.

 

‘You know she has a reputation for the drink. What were you thinking of?’ ‘I know she does, but her agent insisted she had dried out.’ Karen laughed. ‘Let’s just say that she might have been dry at one time, but the tide came in this morning.’

 

The fat lady wasn’t singing, but she was certainly warming up. I should have known. In denial, I guess.

 

My Review:

 

This was a departure from my typical reading selections and I enjoyed the change and rerouting of my thought patterns, which is almost always a good thing. Mr. Gore has published but one previous book and I hope he continues to peck away at his keyboard, as he seems to have quite a knack for storytelling. Written in the third-person omniscient POV, the storylines were active, eventful, and abundant with a diverse and quirky cast of unusual and beleaguered characters. The subplots unfolded gradually and carefully with a steady rise in tension, which kept my curiosity primed.

The main timeline involved a period of struggle for the venerable yet aged theater as well as the besieged performers who seemed to be beset in all areas – marital, financial, personal, and professional. England was in the midst of a devastating recession and the theater was in danger of being shuttered, leading to the mode of the day being to scramble and pull together for one last chance, and doing so on hope and a shoestring.

I found one new addition for my Brit Word List with stitch up – which is British informal for being framed or set up.

About the Author

I am a 61-year-old Accountant who semi-retired to explore my love of creative writing. In my career, I held Board level jobs for over twenty-five years, in private, public and third sector organizations. I was born in Coventry, a city then dominated by the car industry and high volume manufacturing. Jaguar, Triumph, Talbot, Rolls Royce, Courtaulds, Massey Ferguson were the major employers, to name but a few.

When I was nine year’s old I told my long-suffering mother that as I liked English composition and drama I was going to be a Playwright. She told me that I should work hard at school and get a proper job. She was right of course.

I started as an Office Junior at Jaguar in 1973 at eleven pounds sixty-four a week. I thus grew up in the strike-torn, class-divided seventies. My first career ended in 2015 when I semi-retired as Director of Corporate services at Humberside Probation. My second career, as a Non-Executive Director, is great as it has allowed me free time to travel and indulge my passion for writing, both in novels and for theatre.

The opportunity to rekindle my interest in writing came in 2009 when I wrote my first pantomime, Cinderella, for my home group, the Walkington Pantomime Players. I have now written eight. I love theatre, particularly musical theatre, and completed the Hull Truck Theatre Playwrite course in 2010. My first play, a comedy called He’s Behind You, had its first highly successful showing in January 2016, so I intend to move forward in all three creative areas.

Pen Pals was my first novel, but a second, The Road to Cromer Pier, will be released in the Summer of 2019.


I’m an old fashioned writer I guess. I want you to laugh and to cry. I want you to believe in my characters and feel that my stories have a beginning, a middle, and a satisfactory ending.

Social Media Links

Twitter – https://twitter.com/AuthorGore

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Martin-Gore-Author-1237780169706466/

Posted on

Book Review: The Summer of Sunshine and Margot by Susan Mallery

 The Summer of Sunshine and Margot

by Susan Mallery

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU  

B&N/  BAM

Hardcover: 368 pages

Publisher: HQN; Original edition (June 11, 2019)

The Baxter sisters come from a long line of women with disastrous luck in love. But this summer, Sunshine and Margot will turn disasters into destiny…

As an etiquette coach, Margot teaches her clients to fit in. But she’s never faced a client like Bianca, an aging movie star who gained fame—and notoriety—through a campaign of shock and awe. Schooling Bianca on the fine art of behaving like a proper diplomat’s wife requires intensive lessons, forcing Margot to move into the monastery turned mansion owned by the actress’s intensely private son. Like his incredible home, Alec’s stony exterior hides secret depths Margot would love to explore. But will he trust her enough to let her in?

Sunshine has always been the good-time sister, abandoning jobs to chase after guys who used her, then threw her away. No more. She refuses to be “that girl” again. This time, she’ll finish college, dedicate herself to her job as a nanny, and she 100 percent will not screw up her life again by falling for the wrong guy. Especially not the tempting single dad who also happens to be her boss.

Master storyteller Susan Mallery weaves threads of family drama, humor, romance and a wish-you-were-there setting into one of the most satisfying books of the year!

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Just so you know, I’m feeling especially pouty tonight. If you hang out with me, I’ll whine and be unreasonable.

 

“I’m the firstborn. Responsibility is my middle name.” “You’re firstborn by eight minutes.” Margot sighed. “I did love being an only child.”

 

From her perspective, there was only one surefire way to get him to back off. She offered a regretful smile and lightly touched his arm. “I would love to only things are a little contagious…”She waved her fingers toward her crotch. “Down there, if you get my meaning. It’s not horrible but the rash can really burn.” Steven shifted away from her so quickly he nearly lost his balance and fell off his chair.

 

We’ve all done things we’re ashamed of. The point is to do better when we know better.

  

My Review:

 

Margot and Sunshine Baxter were fraternal twins and I adored them and want to be in their circle of friends. Both had started new jobs and had each reached an epiphany over their history of poor choices in their previous relationships with each sister actively striving to improve their lot in that department; if only the past were so easy to leave behind. The characters were beguiling and endearingly quirky with unique yet relevant challenges to accommodate. The storylines were well-crafted, engaging, cleverly amusing, and expertly paced. Ms. Mallery’s wordcraft is well-honed and she certainly knows what she is doing as I have easily fallen into a refreshingly pleasurable state of rapt entertainment with each of her lovely books that I have been lucky enough to peruse.

 

About the Author

#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives-family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

Connect with Susan

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram