Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review:  Smart Move (Work For It #7) by Amanda Pennington

Smart Move
(Work For It #7)
by Amanda Pennington

 

Amazon  / B&N / BB

 

Smart Move, an all-new grumpy sunshine sweet romance by Amanda Pennington, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

Ivy Lunden is Team Keep Things Casual…

I am Toby Azumah’s opposite in every way. I’m a pessimist; he’s an optimist. I’m into art; he’s into sports. Still, I’m highly entertained by our flirtationship. 

When he finally talks me into a date, everything goes wrong. Chaos descends on my orderly life when my mother falls and needs nearly round-the-clock care. Add in my nosy neighbor, and my peace of mind has been turned inside out.

When Toby, Mr. Best-Case Scenario himself, offers to help, I’m skeptical. A relationship with him would only make things more chaotic, right? Or maybe Toby is the real deal, and giving him a chance is a smart move after all.

Toby Azumah is Team Happily Ever After…

I’ve wanted to take the mysterious, beautiful Ivy Lunden to dinner ever since we met, and I’m confident she just needs a little time to warm up to the idea of us. But nothing goes according to my daydreams. 

Despite a no-show date, some flirty texts, and the fierce ways she protects herself and her mom, I see through the chaos and smoke to the real Ivy. The Ivy she rarely shows to the world. 

How can I convince her I’m making the smart move and playing for keeps?

‘Smart Move’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #7 in the Work For It series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

My house was a simple, two-story brick home, and it was filled with everything that brought me peace: calming white walls, warm lighting, art supplies, and a box of wine.

When in doubt, always play dumb. Petty people will feel good thinking they know more than you, and helpful people will tend to over-explain so you’ll know even more at the end than you did at the beginning. Or maybe it’ll just buy you more time so you can brace yourself for what’s coming next. Playing dumb is a win-win.

Despite the cold, despite the fact he wore only a flimsy polo t-shirt for his work uniform, his skin was a furnace. I felt the heat instantly. It was one of the greatest injustices in life that men hogged all the genes for body heat, and women froze until they got menopausal hot flashes.

“Thanks for making me sound pathetic.” I silently promised my ego it would live to see another day.

I had too little emotional bandwidth for everything demanding my attention today.

My Review:

 

This was a fun read. The writing style was engaging and easy to follow and kept me pleasantly entertained. I enjoyed this couple, they were endearing, uniquely appealing, and interesting to me. Their flirty banter was clever and their inner musings and personal observations were amusing and witty. I had never heard of synesthesia and was impressed with the author’s grasp and perceptive insights into such a complicated condition.

 

 

About the Author

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Amanda Pennington lives with her husband outside Louisville, Kentucky, in their fixer-upper house. When she’s not writing, Amanda loves traveling, running, and reading anything within reach. More information is available at www.amandacpennington.com.

Find Amanda online

Facebook: https://bit.ly/3qwJ3jT

Twitter: https://bit.ly/36KYzkX

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandacpennington_author/

Website: https://amandacpennington.com 

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fdsvHH

Pinterest: https://bit.ly/36nMgeA

 

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Book Review: Try Me (Cherry Blossom Lake #1) by Tawna Fenske @tawnafenske

Try Me
(Cherry Blossom Lake #1)
by Tawna Fenske

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP / BB

 

If money talks, it’s telling me to steer clear of Cassidy Brooks.
Too bad my heart’s got the sense of a jellyfish.
The rest of me knows I’m reckless craving a woman wrapped up with wealthy outsiders.
Rich pricks like Cassidy’s boss, slapping glitzy mansions on the old gravel pit they’ve dubbed “Luxury, lakefront Oregon Coast land.”
Land that’s been in my family for decades, but not now. Not anymore.
Blame my shady uncle and a cast of cash-flush, toxic ass-crabs for that.
I want to blame Cassidy, but really? I just want her .
Cassidy and her smart mouth and sunshine eyes and rich lady shoes that make her legs look––
No. Not going there. It’s all I can do to keep my fishing fleet afloat while watching over a boatload of wild brothers and one bossy sister.
And Cassidy’s got her own troubles. A sick sister and a mom with chronic bad taste in men.
We should keep our distance, right?
But this town’s so small we’re crossing paths over sexy trivia night, hermit crab hijinks, and a wardrobe malfunction that lands me up close and clumsily personal with Cassidy’s mom.
I just want my town back. My family’s land.
Land Cassidy’s crew has their eye on.
There’s no way this ends well.
So why can’t we keep our hands off each other?
One-click this laugh-out-loud, enemies-to-lovers rom-com about a small-town fisherman who can’t resist the woman whose wealthy world he blames for his family’s downfall.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I have hermit crab trauma.

“How good are you at Candyland?” “Terrible.” My mouth twitches, too. “I played once when I was six and got pissed there was no actual candy.”

“His wife lost her leg in that car wreck?” Slick coastal roads suck. “She doing okay?” “We’re raising money for a new prosthetic. I need to name the beer.” Mason looks at Kaleb. “What about Peg Leg Porter?” Kaleb gives him an incredulous look. “Were you dropped on your head as a child?”

No, really— listen to the words coming out of your mouth. Replay them slowly. If you don’t hear how asinine you sound, just punch yourself in the junk before I do it for you.

My Review:

 

I don’t know how she does it but each book Tawna Fenske writes is incrementally better than the last. However, she has jumped several steps and truly topped herself with this witty missive as it sparkled with clever banter and created highly amusing visuals that danced across my gray matter and kept me smirking into my wine glass. I must also mention the Kindle melting sensual scenes that left me short of breath and flipping on the highest setting for the ceiling fan. I adored this tale, it was a total delight to read.

About the Author 

Website 
Amazon
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter 
Instagram

 

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

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

 

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Book Review: Tough Cookie (Donner Bakery #3) by Talia Hunter

Tough Cookie
 (Donner Bakery #3)
by Talia Hunter

Amazon  / B&N  / BB

 

Tough Cookie, an all-new heartfelt fake dating small-town romance from Talia Hunter, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

Noah Malone is back in his hometown for a short break from his stunt work, but his mother’s set on convincing him to settle down in Green Valley so he can give her grandbabies like the good Lord intended. Not only is she pushing him to help out at the Donner Bakery decorating cookies, but her matchmaking is relentless.

To end his mother’s awkward set-ups, Noah needs a no-strings-attached pretend girlfriend. And who better than Carla, a mysterious recluse who seems to have taken an instant dislike to him? When she reveals she’s been isolated by illness, he proposes a fake relationship that’ll stop his momma’s shenanigans and help Carla ease back into the world.

Tech-geek Carla creates a spreadsheet of fake-date challenges. She’s serious and focused on her goal of slowly becoming more social… until daredevil Noah starts messing with her spreadsheet. He’s ridiculously charming, and his sexy additions may be even more appealing than the cookies he brings her, but Carla won’t let her resistance crumble.

Opposites may attract, but can such different people find a recipe for love?

‘Tough Cookie’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

If someone needed permission to sneeze, my mother would volunteer to organize the paperwork.

“You’re thirty-three.” She used what could only be described as a dire tone, as though Thirty-Three was the fifth horseman of the apocalypse.

“I don’t usually eat so much green stuff, but now I feel healthy. Like Popeye after he’s chugged some spinach.” Leaning back on his stool, he flexed one arm. “My bicep looks bigger now, right?”

“Yesterday, I told Momma I was officially dating Carla,” I confided. “Momma immediately called her and insisted she come for lunch this week. She probably wants to measure her for a wedding dress and slip her some fertility drugs.”

I had an overwhelming urge to let out a nervous bray of laughter. Having his arm around me and being the recipient of a wink was strange enough, but when he called me sugar, it made me feel like I had too many arms and legs. I was an octopus of awkwardness.

My Review:

 

This was delightfully entertaining and deliciously steamy while also thoughtfully written and informative. The storylines pulled me inside a warm and engaging space and held my interest with sparkling humor, clever wit, and uniquely appealing characters. Loves me some Green Valley Smartypants tales!

About the Author

Talia Hunter likes to include her three favorite things in her novels: toe-curling romance, snort-laughs, and heart-warming friendships. She recently moved to Australia’s beautiful Gold Coast, where she’s constantly amazed and not at all freaked out by the weird and wonderful critters. When she’s not writing, you can usually find her with a glass of wine, a good book, at least one of her three cats, and a jumbo-sized can of bug spray.

Find Talia online

Website: www.taliahunter.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taliahunter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talia.hunter/

TikTok: @talia_hunter_romance

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/taliahunter

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/talia-hunter

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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Book Review:  Look Smart (Work For It Book 6) by Aly Stiles

Look Smart
(Work For It Book 6)
by Aly Stiles

Amazon  / B&N  / BB

 

Look Smart, an all-new star-crossed lovers workplace romantic comedy from Aly Stiles, is LIVE in Kindle Unlimited!

Nate Hanover’s future was set. The perfect girlfriend, the perfect career… He’s the perfect man with the perfect life—until he lost it all this summer. Now he’s not sure about anything, except that no one can know the truth lurking behind his “perfect” facade. Especially not at this week’s high-stakes corporate circus known as Tele-Con.

Natalie McAllister has no time for games. After working nonstop since… ever, she’s one win away from the dream promotion she’s been chasing for years. All she has to do is land the Sandeke Telecom account at this week’s telecom conference and life will be perfect.

But when a chance encounter leads these strangers to an incredible night of intimate soul-searching, “perfect” might look different than they thought. With so much on the line, it’s a good thing they’ll never see each other again. Well, not until the following morning when they learn they’re competing for the same account, their firms despise each other, and a nut-obsessed enigma named Chad Smith is the key to their success. Oh, plus their forbidden connection is still fully charged and more off-limits than ever.

What could go wrong when the perfect night explodes into the perfect storm?

‘Look Smart’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #6 in the Work For It series, Educated Romance World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

We bared our souls for hours, then fell asleep like middle schoolers at a slumber party. That’s strange enough. Even worse, we now have an entire army of forbidden closet-skeletons dancing around the room, making this morning’s sun way too bright.

Geez, if Nate were mine, he’d be in a vault behind bulletproof glass. The claws would come out if another person so much as looked at him lustfully.

Circumstances don’t define who you are. How you handle them does.

Yep. Pretty sure the only difference between angsty artists and business people is where they display their drama…

You’re just jealous because not even a mortician would pay to see you naked.

My Review:

 

I loved and appreciated this couple, they were people I would enjoy knowing and remained endearing and highly likable even when they were struggling. Each was required to navigate carefully in the shark-infested waters of their fellow employees while at a technology conference with rival firms. Multiple issues were deftly handled with thoughtful perceptiveness and sensitivity with an ample balance of clever humor and quirk. I may have barked a few laughs into my wine goblet. It had all the feels, and a spat of uniquely original skits and Nut Adventures of the one and only Chad.

About the Author

From angsty and dark to snort-laugh funny, Aly writes romance from her soul to yours.

Find Aly Stiles online

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/alystiles

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3n3XBCP

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralystiles/

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlysBreakfastClub/

Newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/r4a5s1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authoralystiles/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aly_stiles

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/authoralystiles/

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2BThWpZ

Website: http://www.alystiles.com/

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3

Connect with Smartypants Romance

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Book Review: Letter Late Than Never (Green Valley Heroes Book 3) by Lauren Connolly

Letter Late Than Never
(Green Valley Heroes Book 3)
by Lauren Connolly

Amazon  / B&N  / BB

 

Can a hot paramedic resuscitate this mail woman’s flatlining spirit of adventure?

Gwen Elsmere fell in love with Sebastian Kirkwood when she was sixteen, but a dead frog stole her chance to land the guy of her daydreams. Ten years later, when Gwen makes a desperate 9-1-1 call, Sebastian re-enters her life as the first paramedic on the scene. Unfortunately, she’s smeared in blood, and he’s engaged to another woman. The awkward rescue is far from the passionate reunion she’d secretly hoped for. Still, Gwen’s brief transformation from postal worker to neighborhood hero has her reevaluating her cautious nature.

If she can save a woman’s life, why can’t she change her own?

As Gwen challenges herself with adventures, big and small, she discovers an unlikely sidekick in her former crush. Sebastian reveals glimpses of the goofy teenager who first made her swoon, but there are shadows behind his eyes she wants to shine a light on. When Gwen discovers the sexy EMT is not as spoken for as everyone in Green Valley believes, she dares to hope for a second chance to risk her heart. But even as a chemist cat, drag queens, and glitter beards reward her new outgoing nature, secrets, pain, and fear threaten to snuff out her courageous spirit.

Gwen will have to decide if Sebastian and she are better late than never or better never together.

‘Letter Late Than Never’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Green Valley Heroes series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sibling love— it’s an odd category, where one moment you want to shove their head in a toilet, and the next, you’re researching how to hide a dead body because someone said the wrong thing to them.

Ryan shifts in his seat, and I wonder if his butt ever goes numb, like mine sometimes does on longer days of driving. When that happens, I usually pull off to the side of the road and do some jumping jacks. Good to keep the blood pumping. Also earns me strange looks from random people driving by.

My Review:

 

This was a fun and amusing read that covered a lot of ground and ticklish issues while slipping in snippets of previously featured Green Valley characters and quirky residents. I adored this couple, their storylines were entertaining as well as insightful, and engaging. This was my introduction to Ms. Connolly’s work as her main genre is not one I am drawn to dabble in, yet I delighted in her word skills and would eagerly pick up more of her rom/coms in the future.

About the Author

Author Logo

Lauren Connolly is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance stories. She’s lived among mountains, next to lakes, and in imaginary worlds. Lauren can never seem to stay in one place for too long, but trust that wherever she’s residing there is a dog who thinks he’s a troll, twin cats hiding in the couch, and bookshelves bursting with stories written by the authors she loves.

Find Lauren online

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenconnollyromance

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenconnollyromance/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenaliciaCon

FB: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenConnollyRomance/

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Book Review: Dead and Breakfast (Fox Point Files #1) by Emma Hart @EmmaHartAuthor

Dead and Breakfast
(Fox Point Files #1)
by Emma Hart

 

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / BB

I remember the first time I ever saw Detective Inspector Noah George.
We were seven, stupid, and he threw sand in my eye. I’m pretty sure that’s when I fell in love with him. Hey—I did say I was stupid.
Summers in Fox Point, my grandfather’s seaside hometown, were all we had together. Then we turned eighteen, life happened, and he never spoke to me again.
Until my grandfather’s death calls me back to the small town, only for his lawyer to tell me he’s left me my family’s dilapidated bed and breakfast that was home to many things—my first sleepover party, where my grandma taught me to cross-stitch, my first kiss with Noah…
And apparently, my first dead body.

My name is Lottie O’Neil, and I’m on the hook for the murder of a man I’ve barely met.
And the one who’ll have to arrest me is the only man I’ve ever loved.
Unless I find the real killer first.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

There’s an inch of rat shit on the floor, the windows look like they need a gallon of white vinegar per square inch, and there’s so much dust in here that I half-expect a living dust-bunny to appear from under that couch with a relic from Ancient Rome.

He stared at me for a moment, ice building in his gaze. I half expected him to start shooting it out of his fingertips like Elsa.

“Ash, think about this. We can’t solve a murder. I can’t solve a sudoku.” “Nobody can. Sudokus are mini mathematical torture devices. The average person burns their sudoku puzzle books after ninety seconds.”

I bought the art store. It’s an art and ceramics store, technically, but I run some classes. It’s booming during the summer. It’s amazing how many parents are happy to pay me twenty quid per kid to amuse them for ninety minutes so they can sit on their phones or pee in peace.

Gwen pressed her hand to her chest and gasped. “Tofu is a majestic king, I’ll have you know.” Ash picked up one last gnome and looked at her. “He has to wear jumpers.” “So does King Charles.” “Yes, but King Charles is not a cat,” she replied. “He looks a bit like an oversized chicken wing,” I said, staring at Tofu. His ears were huge, and his little feline forehead had wrinkles that gave him a somewhat angry disposition. It was an epic resting bitch face.

Small towns like this are weird if you aren’t used to it. Everyone is up everyone else’s arse. Look at us right now. We’re up so many arses we might as well get our faces printed on butt plugs.

“Don’t speak ill of the dead.” “If he didn’t want to be spoken ill of in death, he should have been a better person when he was alive,” she retorted smartly.

My Review:

 

I am totally enamored with Emma Hart! Regardless of the genre she is writing, her wickedly clever and giggle-snort-worthy humor always shines through. This tale was the perfect blend of comedic wit and unpredictable conundrum, with feisty seniors and more than one hateful villain provided for extra fun bonus rounds.

 

About the Author

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Emma Hart, has written more than seventy romance novels in the last decade. She loves writing snarky, swoony romcoms with a side of chaos, occasionally venturing into romantic mysteries. Which are exactly the same as her romcoms, just with a dead body or two. That’s the reason for her questionable Internet history—at least that’s the story she’s sticking to it.

She lives on a smallholding in North Wales with her husband and their two children, a clowder of very fluffy cats, one giant German Shepherd, and an undisclosed number of chickens and ducks. Don’t ask her to count them. She will not, thank you very much.

When she’s not writing or chasing ducks in her pajamas, you can find her creating cozy gaming content for her Youtube channel and live streaming on Twitch.

Find her online:

Amazon: https://emmahart.pub/books 

Youtube: https://emmahart.pub/youtube 

Twitch: https://emmahart.pub/twitch 

Facebook: https://emmahart.pub/Facebook 

Instagram: https://emmahart.pub/Instagram 

Tiktok: https://emmahart.pub/TikTok 

Twitter: https://emmahart.pub/Twitter 

Website: https://emmahart.pub/site 

 

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Book Review: Murder in Manhattan (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #14) by Verity Bright  @BrightVerity  @Bookouture 

Murder in Manhattan
(A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #14)
by Verity Bright

Amazon  / B&N / BB

Glitzy parties, sightseeing at the Statue of Liberty, and strolls through Central Park with Gladstone the bulldog… Lady Eleanor Swift is loving her first trip to the city that never sleeps, until she witnesses a murder!

After crossing from England on the SS Celestiana, Lady Eleanor Swift sets up her home-away-from-home in a lavish apartment in New York City. She is soon the toast of the town, with no high-class soirée complete without her presence. Of course, she drags her butler Clifford and Gladstone the bulldog along to every party too.

But when she witnesses the charming doorman of her building, Marty, knocked down and killed in a hit-and-run, she finds fashionable society suddenly closes rank. The only local detective interested in helping her find the culprit is street-smart beat cop, Officer Balowski.

Resolved to get justice for Marty and his family, Eleanor searches Marty’s tiny apartment and is shocked to find five rolls of banknotes tucked under the floorboards. Money talks, but Marty was struggling to make ends meet, so where did the cash come from?

The next day,  wealthy entrepreneur and flashy philanderer Ogden P. Dellaney – a man Marty used to work for – is found dead downtown, miles away from his swanky Upper East Side mansion. Eleanor and Balowski are sure the deaths are connected, but not even Dellaney’s wife is willing to answer their questions.

Then Eleanor is served with an eviction notice and Balowski is fired from the NYPD. It becomes clear that something is rotten in the Big Apple and Eleanor is determined to get to the core of the mystery before the murderer strikes again…

Murder in Manhattan is a fun, fast-paced, and twisty Golden Age cozy mystery set in New York. Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and Lee Strauss will be glued to the pages.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I won’t tell ya some of the things I’ve heard over the years. Make your wig spin if I did.

Ogden was all mustard and no steak.

My Review:

 

Another lively, cleverly witty, and pleasantly amusing conundrum that the little pea in my brain was far from solving on its own. Lady Swift finds herself in serious peril more than once in this active and smartly paced adventure. I missed the involvement of her ever-patient policeman beau but the Lady has unwittingly assembled a rather surprising and diverse crew to pick up the slack, and she was in dire need of every one of them. Thankfully, Clifford, one of my favorite characters of all time, continued to be brilliant and always several steps ahead of everyone else.

About the Author

.
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humor, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
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Book Review: One Hundred Desires (An Aspen Cove Romance Book 23) by Kelly Collins  @kcollinsauthor

 

One Hundred Desires
(An Aspen Cove Romance Book 23) 
by Kelly Collins

 

Amazon /   BB

 

She’s all work.

He’s all play.

Can they meet in the middle for love?

Vivian Armstrong has taken control of Vortex, her family’s security business, and she’s determined to prove her worth. She may be the youngest of seven and the only woman bodyguard on the team, but she’s every bit as tough as her older brothers. On a trip to Aspen Cove, she finds herself working for famous bass player Red Blakely, the personification of everything she detests in a man: arrogant, entitled, and too handsome for his own good. How can she protect him when all she wants to do is kill him?

Red is used to getting what he wants when he wants it. He likes his women here tonight and gone by morning. But when a fan becomes a fanatic, he finds himself in need of Vivian’s assistance. Forced to stay together, they discover an attraction they never expected, but can love really blossom between a workaholic and a playboy?

Welcome to Aspen Cove, the tiny Colorado town where fire and gasoline combine to create red-hot love…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

All in black, you look like a cat burglar on a coffee break.

There’s more to life than one-night stands and an unlimited supply of penicillin from Doc,

The last real action she’d seen between the sheets was when she was on assignment in Australia and woke to find a snake in her bed.

“Why do they call coffee Joe?” Maisey set the pot on the table and touched her chin. “I have no idea. Since it’s a man’s name, I imagine he had to be bold and bitter.”

I’m not looking for a wedding just yet. Besides, my mom was not in the ‘why should he buy the cow if he gets the milk free’ camp. She always told me to try it before you buy it and make sure your bull is hung the way you like. Doesn’t matter how many cows he can milk if he doesn’t satisfy you.

My Review:

 

Yet another entertaining and engaging tale from Aspen Cove, I adore this series. I will never tire of these witty and quirky small-town residents. The storylines are always easy to follow, packed with humor, snarky banter, observant insights, and picturesque descriptions that have me wanting to hop on a plane and visit. Ms. Collins’s tales are so well depicted and familiar, I feel I know these people and could recognize them on the street without a formal introduction.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

 

  Goodreads  / Website  / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Bookbub

International bestselling author of over 30 novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.

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Book Review: Strictly For Now (The Salinger Brothers #3) by Carrie Elks  @CarrieElks

Strictly For Now
The Salinger Brothers #3
by Carrie Elks

 

 

Amazon / BB

 

She hates hockey. He hates everything else. And now they have to work together…

Falling flat on my back in a sweaty locker room isn’t how I planned to introduce myself to my grandpa’s hockey team. Especially when I’m there to turn the business around financially; something nobody else in the stadium seems to want.

But that’s how I first meet Eli Salinger, the team’s aggravatingly smooth player-turned-coach.

And from the moment I introduce myself to him, he makes it clear he doesn’t want me there.

It doesn’t take a genius to work out why. Eli’s only interested in one thing – turning the team into a winning side, no matter what it takes.

And he’s determined to fight every change I try to make.

What he doesn’t know is that I’ve never taken on a project that hasn’t succeeded. And I’m not about to let this be the first.

I don’t care if he’s grumpy and adorable in equal measure. Or that every time he looks at me it sends me all a flutter.

This is a game of wits. And there can be only one winner.

I’m determined it will be me.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I’ve seen Isabella when she wants revenge. The day I picked her up from Danny Hart’s apartment, when everything between them imploded, she poked a hole in all of his condoms and soaked them in chili juice for an hour, before drying them all off and sliding them back into the box in the bathroom cabinet. I have no idea if he used them or not, but the thought of it makes me wince.

How is it that you can get everything you want and it still feels like you’re missing something?

My Review:

 

Another delectable treat from the talented pen of Carrie Elks. I have giggled and gasped through every missive of hers I’ve been lucky enough to pick up. She always seems to perfectly score that magical formula of humor, sass, steam, and amusing family drama that keeps me smirking and highly entertained.

Carrie Elks writes contemporary romance with a sizzling edge. Her first book, Fix You, has been translated into eight languages and made a surprise appearance on Big Brother in Brazil. Luckily for her, it wasn’t voted out. Carrie lives with her husband, two lovely children, and a larger-than-life black pug called Plato. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found baking, drinking an occasional (!) glass of wine, or chatting on social media.

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Book Review: The Murder Affair (A Beth Haldane Mystery #9) by Alice Castle @bookouture @AliceMCastle

The Murder Affair
A Beth Haldane Mystery #9
by Alice Castle

Amazon  / B&N  / BB

In a quiet little village, mourners gather for a church funeral. But some of the tears flowing are fake – and Beth Haldane suspects foul play…

On a rainy afternoon, Beth Haldane accompanies her elderly mother Wendy to the funeral of her boyfriend and local councillor Len . But as they gather in the church, Beth can’t help but notice how many women are there who look just like her mother.

As the service begins it soon becomes clear that all of the women thought they were Len’s special someone – and one of them even claims to be his distraught wife. Wendy suspects foul play and immediately asks Beth to investigate.

As Beth begins to speak to the women she has to ask, was one of Len’s many disgruntled girlfriends out for revenge? Why was Len borrowing money from the ladies he romanced? And why did his work for the local council seem so suspicious?

Then, Len’s secretary Bella is found dead amongst the dahlias in a planter. Beth starts to suspect Len was involved in something far more dangerous than she’d assumed but what did Bella know about his business that led to her unfortunate end?

With the village rumor mill in full swing, fingers start to point at Wendy. After all, distraught Wendy is telling everyone who lends her an ear that Len was murdered – and she saw Len the very evening he was found dead. The clock is ticking for Beth to clear her mother’s name before it’s too late!

A deliciously cozy and gripping murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and The Thursday Murder Club .

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Beth’s relationship with her mother had never been an easy one. She didn’t want to judge Wendy too harshly, but she did sometimes wonder whether she had cooked her father to death, presenting him with huge fry-ups every morning and massive steamed puddings every night, until he succumbed to a heart attack far too early. What was more, the family diet changed radically the day after her father’s demise, and Wendy had been picking at muesli and salad ever since.

‘He promised me he wasn’t seeing anyone else. But I’m beginning to wonder if he wasn’t telling me an incy bit of a lie,’ quavered Wendy, holding the damp tissue up to her welling eyes… Judging by the number of disgruntled well-preserved women in widow’s weeds packing out the church, yes, Len had been telling a thumping great whopper.

‘What actually is polyamory?’ Beth was silent for a second, then plunged in. ‘I think it must just be the latest modern way of saying everyone’s sleeping around and monogamy’s for old farts.’

It took a lot to get the better of Belinda McKenzie. As Beth knew only too well. She’d been trying for years and never managed it. Julie-Ann was clearly a ninja-level practitioner of dark arts Beth could only dream of.

My Review:

 

I adore this amusing and cleverly penned series, the wily author has populated her tales with realistic and uniquely composed yet recognizable quirkiness, and combined that with the humorous observations and witty inner musings of the main character. Nina’s malapropism is rather brilliant.

I remain enamored with the pixie-booted Beth, she is far from perfect and haphazard about observing her work hours and attending to her own personal appearance yet tenacious in following her insatiable curiosity. I would enjoy knowing her in the real world but must settle with following her exploits on my Kindle.

About the Author

Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times, and The Daily Telegraph. Alice is an avid reader of crime fiction, her favorite stories are cozy crimes with a strong sense of place. When she couldn’t find a series about her beloved south London, she decided to write her own – and single mum amateur sleuth Beth Haldane was born. Alice also writes twisty psychological thrillers for HQ Digital under the name A.M. Castle. The Perfect Widow was a top-selling audiobook in 2019 and The Invitation hit the top 50 on Amazon UK in 2021. Alice lives with her two children and two cats and, if she isn’t writing or reading a whodunit, she’ll be watching one on telly.

Alice is also a blogger and book reviewer via her website: https://www.alicecastleauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicecastleauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliceMCastle