Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review: Fragments of Ash by Katy Regnery

Title: Fragments of Ash
(Inspired by “Cinderella”)
Collection: A Modern Fairytale
Author: Katy Regnery
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 1, 2018

 

Blurb

From New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery comes a dark and twisted retelling of the beloved fairytale, Cinderella!

My name is Ashley Ellis…

I was thirteen years old when my mother – retired supermodel, Tig – married Mosier Răumann, who was twice her age and the head of the Răumann crime family.

When I turned eighteen, my mother mysteriously died. Only then did I discover the dark plans my stepfather had in store for me all along; the debauched “work” he expected me to do.

With the help of my godfather, Gus, I have escaped from Mosier’s clutches, but his twin sons and henchmen have been tasked with hunting me down. And they will stop at nothing to return my virgin body to their father

…dead or alive.

** Contemporary Romance. Due to profanity and very strong sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.**

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Fragments of Ash is part of the ~a modern fairytale~ collection: contemporary, standalone romances inspired by beloved fairy tales.

The Vixen and the Vet (Beauty & the Beast) – available now

Never Let You Go (Hansel & Gretel) – available now

Ginger’s Heart (Little Red Riding Hood) – available now

Dark Sexy Knight (Camelot) – available now

Don’t Speak (The Little Mermaid) – available now

Sheer Heaven (Rapunzel) – available now

Fragments of Ash (Cinderella) – available now

Swan Song (The Ugly Duckling) – coming soon

 

Purchase Links
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I place a premium on being heard, since so few people in my life have cared to listen.

 

That boy gives you tingles in the tinderbox? Well, hell. Let him strike a match already.

 

My Review:

 

A clever title for Ashley’s tragic and angsty tale of woe, one she later learned that had actually been far worse for her deceased mother.   In a creative flip from Cinderella, Ashley had a vicious and malevolent stepfather and twin stepbrothers. She fled to her only source of support and found herself in hiding with a sumptuous yet cranky and disgraced ex-Secret Service Agent. I enjoyed this engaging fairytale retelling, which was laced with elements of suspense, a coming of age and slow burn romance, loads of family drama, and a delightful bit of steam near the end. The characters were intriguing, the premise was entertaining, and the writing was emotive, heart-squeezing, and well paced.

Excerpt
All rights reserved. Used with permission.


Instead of going inside, I walk around the house, to the backyard, to see if I can help bring in any dirty dishes, but the picnic table is empty. All traces of our dinner party have already been cleaned up by the Ducharmes siblings.
 
I look up at the midnight sky, at the dozens and dozens of stars, and I wonder if Gus is right. What he says feels right, but I feel very young and very small as I stare up at the universe. It’s not wrong to give yourself over to loving if the chance arises.
 
“We get amazing night skies up here.”
 
I look over my shoulder and find Julian, tall, barefoot, and beautiful, walking toward me.
 
“Yes, you do,” I answer, giving him a shy and tentative smile before I turn my attention back upward.
 
My skin prickles with awareness. My lips tingle, remembering the insistent pressure of his. And elsewhere in my body, I clench hard, willing those deep-set tremors not to start up again right now. I want to believe what Gus has told me—that liking and wanting a man isn’t wrong—but it’s new to me, and I need a little time to reconcile my desire and conscience together.
 
“When I lived in DC, it was what I missed the most, besides Noelle. More than the cheese. More than the beer. More than the skiing.” He stops, standing beside me, staring up at the firmament. “I missed Vermont’s night skies. And the millions of stars.”
 
“I can see why,” I say. “When I lived in LA, I never saw stars.” I giggle. “I mean, I saw the people kind, but not the sky kind.”
 
“Who’s the most famous person you ever met?”
 
“Hmm. Maybe . . . Gigi Hadid . . . or Bella? Hmm . . . Or Cara Delevingne? Kate Moss mentored my m—Tig for a while, um, and she knew Gisele, of course. Also—”
 
“Wait a second! Gisele? Did you ever meet Tom Brady?” he asks, his voice eager.
 
“Let me guess.” I glance at his face. “Patriots fan?”
 
“The biggest.”
 
“Tig went to their wedding, but I never met him. Sorry,” I say, giggling as he lays a hand over his heart and pretends to cry. “Speaking of the rich and famous, Noelle tells me you met the vice president while you worked in Washington.”
 
“She did?” His teasing expression disappears quickly as he straightens, dropping his hand. “Uh, yeah. Long time ago.”
 
“Not so long,” I say. 
 
“Yeah, well . . . I guess it just feels like a while ago.” I wait for him to say more, hoping to learn why he left Washington so abruptly, but he stretches his arms over his head and yawns. “I’m tired. You must be exhausted.”
 
“At school I was on the dining hall rotation, which meant cooking for one hundred souls regularly. Tonight was a breeze.”
 
“Your soup was amazing.”
“Thank you.”
“The steak too.”
“Thank you again.”
“And the tart.”
“That was your sister. Let her know you thought so.”
“And the kiss.”
 
“Thank—” I’m grinning at him, but my eyes widen at his unexpected compliment, and I immediately look back up at the sky. It’s dark out so he can’t see my blush.
 
His chuckle is soft and low beside me, and maybe I’m wicked for not feeling more guilty, but I feel my smile grow as I trace Orion’s belt. I don’t dare look at him, but I feel him step closer to me, the warmth of his chest radiating against my back. If I moved slightly, one step even, his body would be flush against mine, and the shiver down my arms has nothing to do with the night chill. I want him to touch me, but I know he won’t.
 
As though he can read my mind, he whispers, close to my ear, “Not unless you ask.”
 
I close my eyes and say a prayer for strength and virtue, which, sadly, works, because the next thing I hear is his footsteps receding.
 
“Good night, sweet Ashley,” he says to my back, his voice a low rumble.
 
My eyes open slowly to the glittering heavens.
 
“Good night, sweet prince,” I whisper to Julian’s stars.

 

Also Available
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS
Author Bio

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract, and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013.

Forty books later, Katy claims authorship of the multi-titled New York Times and USA Today bestselling Blueberry Lane Series, which follows the English, Winslow, Rousseau, Story, and Ambler families of Philadelphia; the six-book, bestselling ~a modern fairytale~ series; and several other stand-alone novels and novellas, including the critically-acclaimed, 2018 RITA© nominated, USA Today bestselling contemporary romance, Unloved, a love story.

Katy’s first modern fairytale romance, The Vixen and the Vet, was nominated for a RITA® in 2015 and won the 2015 Kindle Book Award for romance. Katy’s boxed set, The English Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, hit the USA Today bestseller list in 2015, and her Christmas story, Marrying Mr. English, appeared on the list a week later. In May 2016, Katy’s Blueberry Lane collection, The Winslow Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, became a New York Times e-book bestseller.

Katy’s books are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Turkish.

Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, two dogs, and one Blue Tonkinese kitten create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

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Book Review: Didn’t Sea it Coming by Andie M. Long

Didn’t Sea it Coming

by Andie M. Long

Goodreads / Amazon

 

The tides are changing in Withernsea.  Shelley’s adoptive parents make waves after they catch their daughter, Polly, with Drake Lord, a royal of the sea.

Holding Shelley responsible for the supernatural world invading their lives once more, they demand she splits them up or else they’ll expose the supernaturals of Withernsea to the rest of the world.

The residents of the sea aren’t keen on a human dating their royal either, especially a sea nymph intent on hooking Drake for herself.

Can Shelley intervene so that Polly and Drake can make love, not war?

Another hilarious read from the Supernatural Dating Agency series 
Rest of Series 
1 – The Vampire wants a Wife
2 – A Devil of a Date
3 – Hate, Date, or Mate?
4 – Here for the Seer
Books 1-3 available in a box set.
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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He could have asked me anything at that moment. I was so sucked in I’d have given him a kidney.

 

…he is a fine steak all right. I’m worshipping at the feet of the guy who from now on shall be known as Sir Loins.

 

Who you gonna protest to? The only royalty you’re going near is Burger King.

My Review:

 

I have enjoyed this series and have no idea what manner of creature or tribulations will next befall this quirky mix of humans and paranormals. Andie M. Long has rewritten the rulebook on interspecies mingling and mangling. The cleverly amusing storylines are rife with irreverent humor, witty banter, bawdy quips, and peculiar characters. I am eager for yet dreading the next installment, as it is supposedly the last in the series. Surely she could keep going as there are infinitely more potential love matches for the dating agency to make.

About The Author 

After twenty+ years of thinking about it, at the age of forty, I decided it was time to finally WRITE THE BOOK or forget about it. I studied two Open University Courses in Creative Writing and finally wrote my first novel. I’ve now written a ton of novels and have the ideas for so many more!

I live in Sheffield with my son and long-suffering partner. We now have a beautiful fur-baby called Bella. When not being a partner, mother, employee (I also work for the NHS) or writer I can usually be found on Facebook or Pinterest.

Stalk Andie Here:

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Book Review, Giveaway: Hidden Hearts by Lindsay Detwiler

 

Author: Lindsay Detwiler
Title: Hidden Hearts
Series: Lines in the Sand, prequel
Genre: Gay Romance
Release Date: September 29, 2018
Cover Designer: Claire Smith
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Add to TBR


 On sale now for 99c! 

“All along, Reed Wilder’s been this crazy rebel just waiting for me to let my guard down. And so, here we are, standing at the bar waiting to get the party started.”Sexy entrepreneur Lysander Wyatt has always believed in happily-ever-after thanks to his picture-perfect family. Now orphaned, he’s made a family of his own at his popular beach bar, Midsummer Nights. There’s just one thing missing—the forever kind of love he’s been looking for.

Reed Wilder, a guarded corporate man from Philadelphia, is looking for himself when he moves to Ocean City, Maryland. However, a rocky childhood makes him afraid of commitment. When he walks into Midsummer Nights and meets the attractive bartender who owns it, he’ll have to decide if love might actually be worth the risk. Will Lysander and Reed get on the same page about commitment, or will they continue hiding the true desires and fears of their hearts?

This sweet m/m standalone 35,000-word novella is also a prequel to the popular Lines in the Sand series.

My Rating: 

Favorite Quotes:

It’s unfortunate. My mom always told me the good ones are either serial killers or gay.

Now, listen, when the wedding comes along, I think you should pick purple as your color. I know, I know, you’re not crazy about it, but I look ravishing in purple.

I really couldn’t pin down when I’d “come out.” Jodie jokes I never went in to come out. I’ve just always been me. My family was always proud of me. My sexuality never had anything to do with defining who I am.

I ended up in the foster care system. I floundered around for a few years, tossed like a sack of unimportant belongings from house to house… It was so damn hard to find myself or to even know what love was because it was always temporary in my mind… But I think it’s why I struggle so much with the forever thing. Forever was never part of my vocabulary.

My Review:

Hidden Hearts was an engaging, quick, and easy to follow novella and written with a thoughtful and observant hand. I cherished these endearing and sensitive characters and enjoyed the forging of their sweet and tender romance. Ms. Detwiler’s storylines were perceptively detailed, keenly insightful, and delicately laced. I have thoroughly enjoyed each book in this series and eagerly await the next installment.

 

 

* * *
 Lines in the Sand Series 
Inked Hearts
(book 1)
Wild Hearts
(book 2)

On sale for half price!
books2read.com/wild-hearts

Texan Hearts
(book 3)
Only 99c!
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Facebook I Twitter I Website
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A high school English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink and/or glittery, Lindsay’s the English teacher cliché; she love cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe.
She currently lives in her hometown with her husband, Chad (her junior high sweetheart); their cats, Arya, Amelia, Alice, and Bob; and their Mastiff, Henry.
Lindsay’s goal with her writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in her work. Some reviewers have noted that her books are not the “typical romance.” With her novels coming from a place of honesty, Lindsay examines the difficult questions, looks at the tough emotions, and paints the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. She wants her fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. Lindsay wants women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” She wants to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. Her aim is for readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how she knows she’s done her job.
Lindsay’s hope is that by becoming a published author, she can inspire some of her students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. She wants them to see that any dream can be attained and publishing a novel isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

 

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Book Review: The Stylist by Rosie Nixon

The Stylist

by Rosie Nixon

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

In the tradition of The Devil Wears Prada comes Rosie Nixon’s debut novel, which follows a young woman who is thrown into the fast-paced world of fashion and glamour as she’s forced to navigate the treacherous Hollywood red carpets…while finding a fairytale love of her own.

“A stylish, fun read, I absolutely loved it!”—Jackie Collins

Amber Green loves working at Smith’s, London’s ultra-exclusive boutique frequented by everyone who’s anyone, including Mona Armstrong, the stylist to the stars. She is fierce, demanding, and can make or break a career with a snap of her manicured nails.

When Mona’s latest assistant walks out and with awards season arriving faster than you can say “Rodeo Drive”, Amber finds herself agreeing to work for one of the most infamous—and volatile—women in Hollywood. And the stars aren’t much better. Amber’s life is turned inside out as she becomes familiar with all Hollywood has to offer, on and off the red carpet.

As she begins to enjoy life in the dressing rooms of the hottest stars, Amber discovers she’s the one in the spotlight when she catches the attention of two very different men. But Mona’s behavior is growing increasingly erratic and unless Amber can out-style everyone in Hollywood, she’s in danger of being Mona’s latest fashion victim.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

I stayed very still, waiting for her to throw a fit. Mona had the ability to scare me on a deep, primal level, like spiders.

 

It had been a while since I’d had a proper snog, but I didn’t remember it being quite as aggressive as this. The experience was beginning to feel more like a dental procedure than a kiss as his tongue explored my mouth.

 

My Review:

 

The Stylist was a wryly amusing, high energy, and frantically paced story of a fish out of water shop girl thrown into the shark-infested waters of celebrities, award shows, and high fashion. I enjoyed the comical and clever observations made of hungry models and celebrities behind the scenes by the jet-lagged and frequently hung-over assistant who was kept unfed and largely unwashed as she scurried about covering for the increasingly unreliable and unstable stylist to the stars. The entertaining storylines moved quickly and were laced with levity and a large cast of quirky characters as well as a leather jacket wearing micro pig named Pinky, who, of course, was a hero.   Additions to my Brit Vocab list include “stodge,” which Mr. Google tells me is heavy and substantial food, and “squits,” an informal British word that is much more fun to say than diarrhea, and honestly, one can never have enough words for that.   I was provided with a review copy of this engaging read by TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins. 

E

About Rosie Nixon

Rosie Nixon is Editor-in-Chief of HELLO! where she has worked for the past eight years and has a love of all things celebrity, royal and fashion-related. Rosie previously held senior positions at glossy women’s magazines including Grazia, Glamour and Red. In her career, she has been lucky enough to attend a multitude of glamorous award ceremonies, premieres and showbiz weddings all around the world. Ever discreet and protective of the big stars she has worked with, Rosie’s experience has undoubtedly enabled her to write her debut novel, The Stylist, and the sequel, Amber Green Takes Manhattan.
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Book Review: The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles

 The Boy at the Keyhole

by Stephen Giles

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

304 pages

Hanover Square Press; Original edition (September 4, 2018)

Nine-year-old Samuel lives alone in a once-great estate in Surrey with the family’s housekeeper, Ruth. His father is dead and his mother has been abroad for months, purportedly tending to her late husband’s faltering business. She left in a hurry one night while Samuel was sleeping and did not say goodbye.

Beyond her sporadic postcards, Samuel hears nothing from his mother. He misses her dearly and maps her journey in an atlas he finds in her study. Samuel’s life is otherwise regulated by Ruth, who runs the house with an iron fist. Only she and Samuel know how brutally she enforces order.

As rumors in town begin to swirl, Samuel wonders whether something more sinister is afoot. Perhaps his mother did not leave but was murdered—by Ruth.

Artful, haunting and hurtling toward a psychological showdown, The Boy at the Keyhole is an incandescent debut about the precarious dance between truth and perception, and the shocking acts that occur behind closed doors.

“A fiendishly efficient, gorgeously written, nasty little thrill ride of a psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down, and it’s entirely possible that I’ll never sleep again. A true tour-de-force of a debut novel.”–Lyndsay Faye, author of The Gods of Gotham and Jane Steele

“The Boy at the Keyhole is sinister and tight, amusing and intense, an emotional story of a sweet boy in a precarious psychological place. A fun and wicked read that is impossible to put down!”–Matthew Sullivan, author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Ruth could do that. Make a decree, like a queen or something, that certain topics had reached their end and that would be that.

 

Now that he stood on the precipice of this wrongdoing, he felt the fluttering in his chest that made every breath sound as if he were sitting on a rattling train.

 

The same wine his mother said made his father prone to unsettling fits of national pride and falling asleep midsentence.

 

Part of the reason Samuel was sent to the local school and not somewhere more distinguished, like his father and uncle had, was because his mother didn’t want him turning out like his uncle Felix, who she said was a pompous buffoon wrapped in tweed, dipped in gin and rolled in horsehair.

 

Samuel saw the lies easily enough; they practically leached from her skin like poisonous gas. She twisted everything, turning the truth in on itself until it looked like something else.

 

My Review:

 

I am in quite a pique over the ending, or lack thereof, so rating this skillfully crafted book puts me in a quandary. The story didn’t seem anywhere near a stopping point, yet it ended. Gah – I am infuriated as I was riveted to my Kindle while reading and hissed in complaint at any interruption.   Needless to say, adulting did not happen today, as evidenced by my profane and childish reaction to hitting the last page. Yet, I cannot deny that Stephen Giles is a master storyteller who is extremely gifted with the word voodoo. His writing was mesmerizing and laced with observant details and massive insightfulness into the mind of a child. His characters were compelling and deftly written, I was eager to learn every little nuance I could wring from the narrative. His storylines were tautly written and adroitly textured, I was on edge and keenly interested throughthroughout. I couldn’t settle on a theory and developed and cast off several while reading. The housekeeper was vile and monstrous, harsh on a good day; the mother was absent, irresponsible, and self-absorbed; and the child – oh, he squeezed my heart, I ached for him. But that ending – he really left me hanging, would it have killed him to have kept going just a few more pages? It rankles, but I have to give him his due. Sigh, 5-Stars. This would make an excellent movie.

 

About Stephen Giles

Stephen Giles is the Australian author behind the lauded children’s series “Anyone But Ivy Pocket”, penned under the pseudonym Caleb Krisp. The series, published in the US by HarperCollins/Greenwillow and the UK by Bloomsbury, appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List, has been translated into 25 different languages and was optioned by Paramount Pictures.

Prior to selling his first book, Stephen worked in a variety of jobs to supplement his writing including market research, film classification and media monitoring. “The Boy at the Keyhole” is Giles’ first work for adults and the film rights for this book have been acquired by New Regency.

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Book Review: The Silver Shoes by Jill G. Hall

 The Silver Shoes

by Jill G. Hall

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

 Paperback: 336 pages
 Publisher: She Writes Press (June 19, 2018)

In her second novel, Jill G. Hall, author of The Black Velvet Coat, brings readers another dual tale of two dynamic women from two very different eras searching for fulfillment.

San Francisco artist Anne McFarland has been distracted by a cross-country romance with sexy Sergio and has veered from her creative path. While visiting him in New York, she buys a pair of rhinestone shoes in an antique shop that spark her imagination and lead her on a quest to learn more about the shoes’ original owner.

Almost ninety years earlier, Clair Deveraux, a sheltered 1929 New York debutante, tries to reside within the bounds of polite society and please her father. But when she meets Winnie, a carefree Macy’s shop girl, Clair is lured into the steamy side of Manhattan–a place filled with speakeasies, flappers, and the beat of “that devil music”–and her true desires explode wide open. Secrets and lies heap up until her father loses everything in the stock market crash and Clair becomes entangled in the burlesque world in an effort to save her family and herself.

Ultimately, both Anne and Clair–two very different women living in very different eras–attain true fulfillment . . . with some help from their silver shoes.

Praise

“The crash of 1929, speakeasies and musical reviews, artistic challenges, family secrets, secret desires, romantic complications?  These are just a few of the ingredients in Jill G. Hall’s wonderful new novel, The Silver Shoes. Clair and Anne are two compelling characters born decades apart into drastically different circumstances. Each must face her own dilemmas and neither has an easy solution.” —Judy Reeves, author of Wild Women, Wild Voices

“What a delight! Hall captivates and pulls the reader in; the story is as sparkling and fun as the silver shoes that connect the two women together–pure entertainment!” —Michelle Cox, Author of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series

“You’ll be cheering for both of these heroines as they insist on finding their own way as artists, no matter what the men in their lives want them to be. Hall’s descriptions of Anne’s visual art, inspired by the silver shoes, are delicious.” —Janice Steinberg, art journalist and author of The Tin Horse 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

We were from the South, and Ma had been fickle. Had five husbands… We called her the black widow. She’d always say, ‘Honey, they just keep on dying.’ At least she married Daddy for love. The others she said she married out of habit.”

 

“Always smile like dis.” Varinska demonstrated a blasé expression with a small relaxed smile and cool eyes. “Face say: No care in vorld.” Varinska lit a cigarette, stuck it in her ivory holder, and took a drag. “Rough up! Find tender spot, they poke till you break. Show me zat smile until sinks in.”

 

My Review:

 

Back in the day of Bobby Riggs and Billy Jean King, I was an early card-carrying feminist, as such, I don’t often read historical fiction due to the poor manner in which women fared during history, and alas, such was the case with one of the timelines in this book. Yet Ms. Hall’s alluring style managed to quickly pull me into this tooth-gnashing tale of dual timelines and hold me captive, despite my irritation and annoyance with the restrictive patriarchal conditions of 1929. I was fully invested and curiously held in place by the writing quality and intriguing storylines even though I wanted to give the female characters in both timelines a sharp smack and a pinch or ten. I was fully exasperated with both for their dithering and weak spinal columns. Although, in her defense, 1929 was a desperately different age and Clair’s obnoxious father had been unforgivably conniving and controlling. I was intrigued by the premise and quite curious to learn Clair’s fate as well those of her friends, and in unraveling the near ninety-year path of the shoes. My favorite characters, by far, were the quirky and colorful burlesque players of Varinska and Winnie, as of course, I tend to favor the sassier broads 😉

 

About the Author

 

Jill G. Hall is the author of The Black Velvet Coat, an International Book Award Finalist for Best New Fiction. Her poems have appeared in a variety of publications, including A Year in Ink, The Avocet, and Wild Women, Wild Voices. On her blog, Crealivity, she shares personal musings about the art of practicing a creative lifestyle. She is a seasoned presenter at seminars, readings, and community events. In addition to writing, Hall practices yoga, tap dances, and enjoys spending time in nature.

Learn more at www.jillghall.com, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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Book Review, Giveaway: Hot Winter Nights (Heartbreaker Bay – Book 6) by Jill Shalvis

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In which our sexy hero wakes up with a woman in his bed and no memory of how that happened. Did he miss the good stuff?
Hot Winter Nights
Heartbreaker Bay – Book 6
Jill Shalvis
Avon Books

 

 AMAZON | B&N |iBOOKS | KOBO | GPLAY

 

Who needs mistletoe?

Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas . . .

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“I just got a text from Louise… It says, ‘Don’t be late for work tonight, Santa’s turned into Grinch. SMH.’” She blinked. “What does S-M-H mean?” “Shaking my head,” “Oh thank goodness… I thought it meant Sex Might Help.”

Welcome to adulthood, where having Home Advil and Purse Advil is everything.

 

I do miss cuddling. Sometimes I just need to be kissed and spooned, you know? I deserve that, I’m a decent person, I recycle.

“I thought you had more game than that.” “Game?” Virginia asked on a laugh. “Honey, last night you kissed me and farted at the same time.”

“I’m not sure what it says about me that a sixty-year-old Santa is getting more than I am,” she said. “Money or sex?” “Probably both.”

 

“How about when I pretended to be Santa Claus for Sami?” He pointed to his cousin. “I climbed onto your roof and made reindeer noises and everything. You bought it hook, line, and sinker.” “Yep, right up until you fell off and past my window, breaking your arm. For years I thought I’d killed Santa. It was traumatizing.”

They really should put prizes in our tampon boxes, like ‘hey, your period sucks, but here’s a fifty percent off ice cream coupon, you cranky bitch.’

 

My Review:

 

Jill Shalvis is a guaranteed fun read. I am addicted to her clever humor and special brand of witty character banter. In addition to the secret romance (that wasn’t supposed to be happening) between co-workers, was the humorously well-crafted mystery they were investigating (that wasn’t supposed to be a case) involving a Christmas Village/Bingo parlor run by a felonious and licentious sixty-year-old Santa and his geriatric elves. The premise was original and ingeniously giggle-snort worthy. The storylines were highly amusing, continuously engaging, and cunningly crafted. But the treasure, as usual, was Ms. Shalvis’s compelling and captivating characters, who tend to be quick on the draw with sassy quips, highly capable and endearing yet deeply flawed, and good-hearted yet scarred and irreparably damaged. I enjoyed this book and this couple from beginning to end.

 

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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.
 

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Book Review: Boy Toy Auction by C.A. Harms

Boy Toy Auction

by C.A. Harms

 

.

What was meant to be a fun evening to benefit charity, suddenly became so much more…

They were both volunteered into attending the Boy Toy Auction.
One as a contestant.
One as an attendee.

Emerson lost an internal battle the moment Nicholas stepped onto the stage.

As soon as he started moving his hips to the rhythm of the music, she was captivated. Suddenly, the timid girl became a warrior as she fought to have the highest bid.

There was no way she was leaving without him at her side.

From the moment Nic saw her, Emerson became his focal point.
The beautiful woman in the silver dress.
The one that held his stare.

He needed her to win.
He needed her.
.

He’d make sure this was the best money she’d ever spend.
Or the worst…depends on how you look at it.

Because sometimes, it doesn’t matter what you want, life has a way of throwing you a curve ball that you aren’t prepared for…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I hear the other woman growl and when I see her, the glare she is aiming toward Gia is one I’m sure is meant to kill her instantly. It was so comical. “I don’t think you need to go to the bathroom alone,” I say leaning in close. “That woman may off you the first chance she gets. Possibly drown you in the toilet even.”

 

Open the door… Your creepy doorman is giving me the once over, and I don’t know if he’s about to call the cops or jump me. I prefer the cops by the way. I think he has more hair hanging out of his nose than I have on my cookie.

 

She told me that you are beautiful and that you’d make her some gorgeous grandbabies… I told her that she’d better leave us to it then, and she hurried off with a bright, eager smile.

 

My Review:

 

This was a fun and steamy read. I adored this sweet and oh, so, sexy couple with their bawdy and sassy banter; they were well suited and smokin’ hot together. Written in my favorite dual POV, this richly entertaining story was laced with irreverent and clever humor, sizzling sensual scenes, and a generous usage of expletives.   The characters were alluring and endearing, and the writing was smooth and engaging while well-balanced between humor, steam, and angsty tension. I am greedy with want for every word this naughtily witty scribbler produces.

 About The Author

I am an Illinois girl, born and raised. Simple and true. I love the little things; they truly mean the most. I may have a slight addiction to my new Keurig—oh my, that thing is a godsend. And so fast too. I have two children who truly are the greatest part of my days, and their faces never fail to put a smile on my face. I have been married to my best friend for seventeen years, and looking forward to many more.

I am one of those authors that adore my readers. I love to hear from you. After all, it is because of each one of you that I continue to write.

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCAHarms/
INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/authorcaharms/
NEWSLETTER: http://bit.ly/1xsgHCS
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/C.A.-Harms/e/B0…

 

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Book Review, Giveaway: Liar Liar (Nicole Graves Mysteries #3) by Nancy Boyarsky

Liar Liar

(Nicole Graves Mysteries #3)

by Nancy Boyarsky

Goodreads

Amazon / B&N

Nicole Graves finds herself in the crosshairs when she reluctantly agrees to babysit a witness in a high-profile rape trial. Mary Ellen Barnes is suing her university’s star quarterback for rape when the authorities won’t act. In the court of public opinion, Mary Ellen appears to be the quintessential, pious, good girl. But her lies and mysterious comings and goings lead Nicole to suspect that she’s not what she seems.

Read an Excerpt

Later, Nicole would ponder the truth and its elusive nature. She’d realize how many lies people would tell to protect themselves from it. And, worst of all, how many she herself would tell to get at it. She’d always considered herself a truthful person. Yet she’d find herself lying to others, to her fiancé, and even to herself.

She’d wonder if there was such a thing as the actual truth. Or was truth relative, the product of incomplete or faulty memories, or the limitations of the observer? How often was the truth tainted by what an individual wanted, or needed, to believe?

On this bright day in mid-March, Nicole stepped into the United Terminal at LAX and encountered a situation she could hardly believe. It was as if she’d slipped back in time to the previous year when the media was stalking her. This morning, they were massed in a corner of baggage claim. After the initial shock of seeing them, she noticed they weren’t looking in her direction, hadn’t noticed her at all. They were waiting for someone else, someone they expected to come down the escalator from the arrival gates.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He was slightly built with a beaky nose and wire-rimmed glasses that gave him the look of a highly intelligent lizard.

 

What we call the SODDI defense… It’s an acronym. S.O.D.D.I. It stands for ‘Some other dude did it.’

 

My Review:

 

If ever I need a PI, I hope I find one as feisty and curious as Nicole Graves. I enjoyed this murder mystery, it wasn’t a heart-pounding thriller but it did hold my attention and interest throughout. The characters were well fleshed out and realistically flawed while everyone was of questionable veracity, even Nicole, as she was lying to her fiancé about her risk-taking and involvement in a case she promised not to take, just to keep the peace. The plot and writing style were easy to follow, well-paced, and adroitly crafted. The storylines and characters were appealing and enticing while the writing flowed smoothly with colorful details and descriptions that brought sharp visuals to mind. This was my first exposure to the series and Ms. Boyarsky’s work, and although this volume stood alone quite well, I enjoyed it enough to covet the previous installments, as Nicole’s past adventures were mentioned in passing.

 

About the Author:

Nancy Boyarsky is the bestselling author of the award-winning Nicole Graves Mysteries.
Before turning to mysteries, Nancy coauthored Backroom Politics, a New York Times notable book, with her husband, Bill Boyarsky. She has written several textbooks on the justice system as well as articles for publications including the Los Angeles Times, Forbes, and McCall’s. She also contributed to political anthologies, including In the Running, about women’s political campaigns. In addition to her writing career, she was communications director for political affairs for ARCO.

Liar Liar is the third Nicole Graves novel, following The Swap and The Bequest, each of which can be read as a stand-alone. Readers are invited to connect with Nancy through her website.

Website: http://www.nancyboyarsky.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9020987.Nancy_Boyarsky

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyboyarsky

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nancy Boyarsky will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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Book Review: White As Silence, Red as Song by Alessandro D’Avenia

White As Silence, Red as Song

by Alessandro D’Avenia

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

 


Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 4, 2018)


Hailed as Italy’s The Fault in Our Stars, this Italian bestseller is now available for the first time in English.

“I was born on the first day of school, and I grew up and old in just two hundred days . . .”

Sixteen-year-old Leo has a way with words, but he doesn’t know it yet. He spends his time texting, polishing soccer maneuvers, and killing time with Niko and Silvia. Until a new teacher arrives and challenges him to give voice to his dreams.

And so Leo is inspired to win over the red-haired beauty, Beatrice. She doesn’t know Leo exists, but he’s convinced that his dream to win her over will come true. When Leo lands in the hospital and learns that Beatrice has been admitted too, his mission to be there for her will send him on a thrilling but heartbreaking journey. He wants to help her but doesn’t know how—and his dream of love will force him to grow up fast.

Having already sold over a million copies in Italy, Alessandro D’Avenia’s debut novel is considered the Italian The Fault in Our Stars. Now available in English for the first time, this rich, funny, and heartwarming coming-of-age tale asks us to explore the meaning—and the cost—of friendship, and shows us what happens when suffering bursts into the world of teenagers and renders the world of adults speechless.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Perhaps she was a dog in her previous life? I enjoy giving people a former life in my head. It helps explain their character.

I can’t believe it. I am sleeping under the same roof as Beatrice and I didn’t even know it. This sends me into hyperkinetic rapture.

Mom yells at me to get out of the bathroom and stop doing indecent things. Why don’t grown-ups understand anything? What do they know about what’s going on in your head? They’re convinced that the only things in your head are the ones they can’t do anymore.

Teachers are like boa constrictors. They wrap themselves around you when you’re distracted, then wait until you breathe out to tighten their grasp.

The worst thing about life is that there’s no instruction manual. With a cell phone you follow the instructions, and if it doesn’t work, there’s the warranty. You take it back and they give you a new one. Not so with life. If it doesn’t work, they don’t give you a new one. You’re stuck with the one you have—used, dirty, and malfunctioning.

 

My Review:

 

I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this book as I tend to avoid YA and it took a few beats to acclimate to the author’s innovative and slyly colorful writing style. I soon found myself fully immersed in the cleverly crafted and jagged, yet fascinatingly compelling, stream of consciousness of Leo, a post-pubescent teenaged boy whose thoughts tended to ramble and flit about in a captivating and heart-squeezing manner. Leo’s inner dialogue was wryly amusing as were his personal observations and hard-won and ironic teenaged wisdoms.

 

This wily author well remembers the insecurities and dramatics of youth and demonstrated remarkable insight into the rapid variability of their intense and extreme emotions, which soar to exhilaration as quickly as they can plummet to the vast pit of despair. I reveled in Leo’s inner musings as he obsessed over every nuance of his infatuation with the lovely and angelic redheaded schoolgirl named Beatrice.   His fertile imagination, creative use of nicknames, and fixation on defining colors kept a smirk on my face while reading. Leo’s world revolved around playing soccer, his batscooter, his study friend Silva, the drudgery of school and teachers, and his undeclared love for the perfection known as Beatrice. This ingeniously well-crafted story detailed Leo’s most transformative year of enlightening life-lessons.

 

 

About Alessandro D’Avenia

Alessandro D’Avenia holds a Ph.D. in Classical Literature and teaches Ancient Greek, Latin, and Literature at a high school in Milan. White as Silence, Red as Song was his first novel, published in Italy in 2010. It sold a million copies in Italy, has been translated into over twenty languages and was released as a film in 2012. Alessandro has since published four more books, the latest of which, Every Story is a Love Story, was published in October 2017.