Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review: Don’t Be Afraid by C.A. Harms 

 

Don’t Be Afraid

by C.A. Harms 

 Goodreads

Amazon

 

Have you ever looked at someone and just knew,
knew that they were put in your life for a reason?
The one person that would be not only your best friend, but would be your absolute everything?
That’s how I felt the first time I saw him.
That one day when a few little words changed our entire lives forever…Don’t be Afraid, he said.
Life can change so quickly.
One moment you can be smiling and feeling as if you’re walking on clouds and the next, everything you love, everything you treasure crumbles at your feet.I told him to fight, I told him I needed him.
We needed him.
But there are just some fights that can’t be won…He was my angel then, and he’s still my angel now.
In a way, I believe he’s still looking out for us, giving us a future.
Sometimes it’s as if I can still feel his presence,
guiding us and keeping us safe.

So, I won’t be Afraid.
I’ll live. I’ll fight.
It’s what he would have wanted.

I’ll do it for him…

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I’m scared… I don’t know how to be me without you.

 

Miss him, fall apart. I’m here to pick you up, I promise.

 

He knew I couldn’t help but fall in love with you. How could anyone not see the beauty inside you and be weakened by it?

 

I promised her pancakes and eggs… There may have been a mention of chocolate chips too… What? Isn’t it in the aunt handbook that I should spoil my one and only niece every single chance I get?

 

My Review:

 

While the premise was relevant and predictable, the exceptional quality, depth, and poignancy of Ms. Harm’s writing, as well as the complexity of the explored emotions shared by the characters, were not; and those were the unexpected treasures I gleaned from this heartrending tale. The storylines were robust with all the feels, agony, fear, love, grief, satisfaction, levity, despair, elation, and completion. Tears were often close and on more than one occasion my eyes stung while my throat constricted and burned, and my chest tightened with threats of an ugly cry.   And while I typically prefer to eschew that phenomenon, this thoughtfully written and engaging story was more than worth my distress.

 

 

About The Author

   


C.A. Harms
Goodreads
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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.

 

 CONNECT WITH ME

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Book Review, Giveaway: When the Stars Come Out – A Cottonbloom Novel By Laura Trentham

 

When the Stars Come Out

A Cottonbloom Novel

By Laura Trentham

 

Cottonbloom. A beautiful, faraway place where a woman can escape her past—and find reason to stay forever in Laura Trentham’s When the Stars Come Out. . .

Willa Brown never planned to stay in Cottonbloom. She was on the way to somewhere else when she landed there and found work at the Abbot brothers’ garage. . .and a sense of comfort and safety that she had never known. The same holds true for Jackson Abbott himself. With one glance in her direction, he can make Willa’s heart melt. But what begins as an unrequited crush turns into something far more powerful than Willa could have ever imagined. . .

Jackson’s most meaningful relationship has always been with his car—and he’s not afraid to admit it. Still, he can’t help but become emotionally entangled with his new star mechanic Willa, who is definitely hiding some dark secrets of her own beneath the hood. Jackson desperately wants Willa to trust him, and to seek protection in his arms. But even as the two slowly surrender to their shared attraction, the danger lurking in Willa’s past remains a stubborn obstacle. Can she open up enough to give them both a chance at having real and lasting love?

 

Praise for When the Stars Come Out

“The fifth installment in the Cottonbloom series, following Leave the Light On (2017) is hot and sweet, and readers will cheer for Willa and Jackson. Fans of Kristan Higgins and Susan Mallery will love the immersive world that Trentham has created in Cottonbloom, a small southern town divided by the Mississippi River.” Booklist

“When the Stars Come Out is a tender and sexy small-town tale of blossoming love.” BookPage

Returning to Cottonbloom has never been sweeter, When The Stars Come Out is pure literary magic, it’s sure to have readers mesmerized from start to finish!! Red’s Romance Reviews, 5 stars

 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Country Aire trailer park wouldn’t get a magazine spread unless it was in Trailers and Trash, but she’d lived in far worse places.

 

With curly red hair and dark blue eyes, she crackled as if an electrical current gave her endless energy.

 

The Honda coughed like a lifelong smoker that needed an oxygen tank.

 

The only new clothes Willa splurged on were underwear. Apparently, the line she wouldn’t cross in the name of poverty was buying used panties.

 

Everything the man did was sexy and arousing. She pictured him with a wrench in his hand and the flex of his biceps as he torqued a bolt. Her inner muscles clenched. Next time she saw him do that she might require resuscitation on the shop floor.

 

“I have a feeling all those Abbott brothers are good with their hands. I know Wyatt sure is. Comes from working on cars, I’d guess.” Sutton made a sound like she’d tasted something delicious.

 

 My Review:

 

This was a cleverly amusing, heart squeezing, emotive, and angsty read that was packed with family drama, quirky characters, and wry humor, and written from my favorite dual POV. Deftly detailed with lush descriptions the story flows in an agile and engaging manner while Ms. Trentham kept the sharp and colorful visuals smoothly scrolling through my gray matter while the stalwart and admirable character of Jackson was rattled from his routine enough to find what he needed was right under his nose, although the anxious and skittish Willa made him work for it.

When The Stars Come Out could easily be read as a stand-alone book although it continues on from the established storyline with many of the characters from the previous book in the series, Leave The Night On. And while you don’t need to have read the previous book, it was also an engaging and fun story and would deepen your enjoyment of this clever tale. I was intrigued by the various multi-layered storylines and characters as Willa’s secrets were slowly being revealed. Willa was a complicated and fretful character and I found her to be somewhat frustrating as she was severely lacking in interpersonal skills and was rather cowardly as her fight or flight response was always flight, which had lead to some bad decisions. Of course, I’ve never made any of THOSE myself. 😉 There were several subplots and lots going on yet the ending pulled most of it together nicely with a surprising twist and a few treats, while also lighting a fuse for the next installment, which I am already eager to get my mitts on.

 

Giveaway 

Enter to win the first four (4) books in the Cottonbloom series!

 Kiss Me That Way, Book 1

Then He Kissed Me, Book 2

Till I Kissed You, Book 3

Leave the Night On, Book 4

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Author Bio

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. KISS ME THAT WAY, Cottonbloom Book 1, won the Stiletto Contest for Best Long Contemporary and finaled in the National Readers Choice Award. THEN HE KISSED ME, Cottonbloom Book 2, was named an Amazon Best Romance of 2016 and was a finalist for the National Excellence for Romance Fiction. TILL I KISSED YOU, Cottonbloom Book 3, is a finalist in the Maggie contest. LEAVE THE NIGHT ON, the latest Cottonbloom book, was named an iBooks Best Book of the Month and a Recommended Read from NPR.

Social Media Links

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

Or join my reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1733284316920632/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraTrentham

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

Sign up for my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bwbOkD

Follow me on Bookbub for new release or sale announcements:

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura-trentham

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Book Review, Giveaway: All of You by Lindsay Detwiler

Title: All of You

Author: Lindsay Detwiler

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: January 27, 2018

Publisher: Hot Tree Publishing

Cover Designer: Soxsational Cover Art

 .
Add to TBR

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 AVAILABLE NOW! 
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Amazon: US | UK | CA | AU
Kobo | iTunes | Nook

 

There’s no such thing as impossible when it comes to saving the one who holds your heart.
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A sexy doctor who’s restricted by expectations.
A quirky poet who’s defined by her dark past.
All it takes is Alex Evans saving Marley Jade one fateful night for their futures to be realigned. And when a passion sparks between them, they must decide if they can piece each other back together and make love work.

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My Rating:

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

You know, not all men are the devil. Look at me. I’m not half bad.

 

He’s everything I’d never imagine my heart fluttering for… I’m more of a Wednesday Adams person, while he seems to be more like a Ward Cleaver. A very sexy, tempting Ward Cleaver, at that. Not that I’m judging. Okay, I’m judging

 

This black-haired, Converse sneakers girl has snagged the sexy, supersmart doctor. I don’t know how the hell it happened, but I think he’s under my super odd, not-so-charming spell.

 

I’m usually pretty low-maintenance because, well, when you live in a town with about five eligible bachelors, all of whom you’ve already slept with at one point and decided against, looking like a cover girl isn’t exactly a priority.

 

My Review:

 

All Of You was a quick, easy to follow, emotive, and heart squeezing story with a sweet and transformative romance between admirable and endearing characters. Written from a dual POV the premise straddled several genres and could be considered part New Adult, women’s fiction, small-town, contemporary romance, and family drama; although all that doesn’t really matter to me as I mainly consider it a well written, entertaining, and engaging read. The storylines were realistic, well constructed, and held my interest and attention throughout.   I enjoyed and cared about the characters and wanted to know all about them. Marley was a bit offbeat for her small-town. She was tattooed, converse clad, clever, and partially broken yet sweet and easily lovable. I was quickly drawn to her and remained quite curious throughout while the wily writer gradually revealed their tragic family secrets at a tantalizing pace, which kept me intrigued and eager for each new tidbit. Alex was the perfect book boyfriend although both characters produced a new and improved version of each other by the book’s satisfying conclusion.   Sigh, they have inspired me today, I seem to be looking forward to the next rainstorm and am even considering pulling out my long mothballed kayak. Miraculous!

 

 AVAILABLE NOW! 

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Amazon: US | UK | CA | AU
Kobo | iTunes | Nook

 

Facebook I Twitter I Website
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: Diamonds and Dirt Roads Billionaires in Blue Jeans #1 by Erin Nicholas

Diamonds and Dirt Roads
Billionaires in Blue Jeans #1
by Erin Nicholas 
 
                 
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A pretend relationship…within a pretend relationship.

Attorney Evan Stone knows every crazy stipulation in billionaire Rudy Carmichael’s will. After all, he wrote it. And he’s determined to make sure each one is fully met by Rudy’s triplet daughters. Even if that means dating the workaholic CEO, Ava. Or pretending to at least. And even if it means resisting the so-right-for-him-she’s-totally-wrong party girl, Cori.

Cori’s only got three things on her to do list from her dad:
• Move to Bliss, Kansas.
• Run his pie shop with her sisters for a year.
• No dating. For six months.

But stepping in for her sister when it’s clear that Ava and Evan aren’t fooling anyone with their “romance” isn’t really dating. And falling for her sister’s pretend boyfriend while pretending to be her sister…well, that’s ridiculous. No matter how real things feel whenever she and Evan are together.

THE SERIES

Billionaires in Blue Jeans
Not your typical billionaire romances…

A tough corporate CEO, a nerdy research scientist, and a globe-trotting party girl walk into a conference room…

Where the sisters, Ava, Brynn, and Cori, find out they have been named co-heirs to their father’s multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Whether they want it or not.

But they also inherit a list of conditions that have to be met:

One, move to Bliss, Kansas–wherever that is–for a year.

Two, run their father’s pie shop together. Yes, a pie shop.

Three, follow his edicts for their love lives. Yep, he went there.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? But the girls are going to have some help. Evan, Parker, and Noah, best friends and lifelong residents of Bliss, are equally fascinated with and dreading the idea of meeting the triplets they’ve heard so much about. The small town guys didn’t know their kooky friend, Rudy, was a billionaire until he was diagnosed with cancer. But they did know he was a guy they would do anything for. Even help his very fish-out-of-water daughters navigate small town life. And make pie. And maybe fall in love.

It’s possible Rudy knew exactly what he was doing when he wrote his will.

It’s equally possible that he was completely crazy.

No matter what, everyone can agree on one thing…Bliss, Kansas is never going to be the same.

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My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

There was plenty to mourn when it came to her and her father. His death was not even number one on the list.

 

He’d actually thought briefly about how a six-month public relationship with her would keep him essentially celibate, but then he’d quickly stopped thinking about that when he’d started to hyperventilate. He’d told himself he could make it for six months. He was a grown man, for God’s sake. He could sacrifice for a greater good. People went off to war, after all. And into space. And…other places where they couldn’t have sex for long periods of time even if he couldn’t think of one at the moment.

 

I’m sitting here feeling like a regular, dumb-ass guy who just happened to rub a lamp and ended up with a goddess genie in his lap and I was hoping to get a really good taste of you before you figured out how much better you could do.

 

You should never say all of it to me… All is a lot with me. I’m best in small doses.

 

My Review:

 

Diamonds and Dirt Roads was an entertaining and enjoyable read despite the somewhat complicated premise that featured well-educated, wealthy, and privileged identical triplets who were vastly different in personality and temperament, and requiring them to adhere to precise social and vocational stipulations while living together in a small-town, and gasp working in a pie shop selling their own creations, or forfeit billions in inheritance.  I enjoyed the well-crafted and multileveled storylines, which were as insightfully thoughtful as they were cleverly amusing. The characters were endearingly quirky, enticingly complex, and whip-smart. I reveled in Ms. Nicholas’s storytelling, clever levity, sharp wordplay, humorous and titillating verbal sparring, witty banter, sassy word duels, and provocative teasing. And in the midst of all this upheaval, role reversals, and family drama, a sweet, transformative, and steamy love story took root where it was not supposed to, which of course, made it all the more alluring. 

 

About the Author

 

Erin Nicholas is the author of sexy contemporary romances. Her stories have been described as toe-curling,  enchanting, steamy and fun. She loves to write about reluctant heroes, imperfect heroines and happily ever afters. She lives in the Midwest with her husband who only wants to read the sex scenes in her books, her kids who will never read the sex scenes in her books, and family and friends who say they’re shocked by the sex scenes in her books (yeah, right!).

You can find Erin on the web at  www.ErinNicholas.com, www.ninenaughtynovelists.blogspot.com, on Twitter (http://twitter.com/ErinNicholas) and even on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/erin.nichola…)

 

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Book Review: Smoke and Mirrors (City Limits Series #3) by M. Mabie

Smoke and Mirrors
by M. Mabie

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Smoke and Mirrors is LIVE, 99¢, and FREE in KindleUnlimited!

Contemporary Romance| Second Chance Romance

Smoke and Mirrors is the third standalone in the City Limits series. It features a new couple navigating their second-chance romance. Enjoy this love story between a fireman who has returned home from the military and the single mom he left down the street. Welcome to Wynne.

Blurb

My best laid plans had backfired. I’d thought by putting miles between myself and my first love that she’d be free to live whatever life she’d wanted, but when I came back from serving my country and Faith was raising her little girl alone, it was time to make new plans.

In eight years, not a single day had passed when she wasn’t on my mind, and not a night went by when I didn’t miss her. She was fierce and stunning and didn’t need a man in her life, but when the time came—and she wanted one—the line would start behind me.

Like smoke, I’d let her slip through my fingers once, but I’d never forgive the man in the mirror if I let it happen again. She was the fire inside me that would never burn out.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Mrs. Downing, now isn’t a good time to flirt with me. They’re going to think you have a head injury.

 

He licked his fork clean and then stuck the plastic handle in the front pocket of his denim overalls. He patted the disposable silverware and said to me, “I’ll need this for dessert.”

 

I’ve got baggage. Luggage, really. Tons of it.

 

I sent them a pic of you cleaning out Darrell’s gutters… Oh, come on. You took your shirt off twenty feet away from my window. Girl code mandates sending a picture to my best friends.

 

Son, the inside of this house is like its heart, and it’s beautiful. But the front porch is the face and it looks like a divorcee who needs night cream.

 

“I think she’s poopin’. She’s been in the bathroom for a long time.” There was some rustling around on the other end, and then she bellowed. “Mom, are you still poopin’? Aaron’s on the phone… I’ll talk to you until she’s done. Sometimes it takes a while.” Again she shouted at her mother. “Do you need some toilet paper?”

 

It’s funny how a moment can be so big that you worry it won’t fit in your heart, but then you feel your insides swell and it finds a place.

 

My Review:

 

Smoke and Mirrors was a comfortable, pleasant, and easy read populated with adorable, endearing, quirky, and lovable characters. The premise was realistic, easy to follow, and relevant while the characters were common, small-town, everyday working-class people, who were uncommonly good and exceptionally appealing. I relished this sweet couple and Ms. Mabie’s engaging dual POV narrative from start to finish. Add in a precocious, feisty, and precious four-year-old then blend it all together with wit, cunning insights, smirk-inducing levity, a sweet and steamy love story, and clever writing, and you have a delightful and entertaining book to cherish and enjoy.   I didn’t notice how ingenious the title was until I made the connection of Aaron, the male protagonist, being a fireman. A kind, thoughtful, sweet, and sexy fireman. I fell in love with him right away and he just kept getting better and better. I hope Ms. Mabie continues this charming and breezy series in perpetuity; after all, she has an entire town to pick and choose from.

Smoke and Mirrors TEASER SQ

If you haven’t yet started the City Limits series of Standalone, you can find them on KU.

Roots and Wings(City Limits, #1 – Standalone)  bit.ly/CityLimits1

Sunshine and Rain (City Limits, #2 – Standalone) bit.ly/2CityLimits

 

City Lmits Facebook Cover Photo

Roots and Wings FB AD SIZE teaser

M. Mabie is the writer who made thousands of readers hate to love (and love to hate) the angst-filled contemporary romance, Bait.

She lives in Illinois with her husband. She writes unconventional love stories and tries to embody “real-life romance.” She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne’s World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head.

She has always been a writer. In fact, she was born with a pen in her hand, which almost never happens. Almost. M. Mabie usually doesn’t speak in third-person. She promises.

www.MMabie.com

Newsletter: mmabie.com/subscribe

Bookbub: bookbub.com/authors/m-mabie

Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorMMabie

Take the Bait Reader’s Group: facebook.com/groups/takethebait

Instagram: @m_mabie

Twitter: @AuthorMMabie

Amazon: amazon.com/author/mmabie

 

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Book Review, Giveaway: Mend by Chelle Bliss

Mend 

by Chelle Bliss

 

From USA Today bestselling author Chelle Bliss comes a feel-good, sexy second-chance STANDALONE romance.

Six years ago, the only girl I ever loved moved away.
She said she’d come back to me.
She promised she’d write.
She swore she’d always be mine, but Evie Bailey lied.

Now, Evie’s back, and this time, I’m not letting her go without a fight.

Before senior year, I was forced to move away, leaving behind the only boy I ever loved.
He said he’d love me forever.
He promised nothing would tear us apart.
He swore he’d wait for me, but Jack Nelson lied.

Now, Jack wants to make me his again, but he may never be able to forgive my sins.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I loved her from the moment she walked into homeroom on the first day of eighth grade. The fact that she had on a Nirvana T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans just made me fall even harder.

  

He’s about as exciting as a piece of toast… The man doesn’t even eat dessert. Who doesn’t eat dessert? It’s unnatural…He’s definitely not a keeper… I can’t be with someone who doesn’t appreciate a great cupcake or even a cookie, for shit’s sake.

 

Shave your bits, girl. You may get lucky tonight… I like a great hairy leg, but yours is a bit prickly. I don’t think Jack will approve… You’ll need a machete to get through that jungle, doll…

 

My Review:

 

Mend was a quick and easy read with an engaging, sweet, and somewhat steamy love story occurring over two time periods.   Packaged with endearing characters, an emotive and heart-squeezing yet entertaining narrative of young love, conniving villains, snarky levity, small-town pettiness, and a sweet first and second-chance romance; Chelle Bliss has completely satisfied my wishlist for today. Loves me some Chelle Bliss!

AMAZON – chellebliss.com/mend-amz

IBOOKS – chellebliss.com/mend-ibooks

NOOK – chellebliss.com/mend-nook

KOBO – chellebliss.com/mend-kobo

GOOGLE – chellebliss.com/mend-gp

SIGNED COPY – chellebliss.com/mend-signed

Mend Release Giveaway

Chelle Bliss is the USA Today bestselling author of Misadventures of a City Girl, the Men of Inked series, Enshrine, and the ALFA Investigations series. She hails from the Midwest, but currently lives near the beach even though she hates sand. She’s a full-time writer, time-waster extraordinaire, social media addict, coffee fiend, and ex high school history teacher. She loves spending time with her two cats, alpha boyfriend, and chatting with readers.

Where to follow and connect with Chelle Bliss

WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – NEWSLETTER – TWITTER – INSTAGRAM

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 Book Review: Girl Unknown by Karen Perry 

 Girl Unknown

by Karen Perry 



Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound


 Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (February 6, 2018)

“Explores emotional danger with relentless, surgical accuracy.”—Tana French, New York Times bestselling author of The Trespasser and Into the Woods

David and Caroline Connolly are swimming successfully through their marriage’s middle years—raising two children; overseeing care for David’s ailing mother; leaning into their careers, both at David’s university teaching job, where he’s up for an important promotion, and at the ad agency where Caroline has recently returned to work after years away while the children were little. The recent stresses of home renovation and of a brief romantic betrayal (Caroline’s) are behind them. The Connollys know and care for each other deeply.

Then one early fall afternoon, a student of sublime, waiflike beauty appears in David’s university office and says, “I think you might be my father.” And the fact of a youthful passion that David had tried to forget comes rushing back. In the person of this intriguing young woman, the Connollys may have a chance to expand who they are and how much they can love, or they may be making themselves vulnerable to menace. They face either an opportunity or a threat—but which is which? What happens when their hard-won family happiness meets a hard-luck beautiful girl?

 

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

There is an energy on campus during those first weeks of the new semester that is like nothing else. The air is charged with the frisson of possibility. A cheerful busyness takes hold, giving a new life and sheen to every faded surface, every jaded room… I felt it too— the beat of possibility, the urge to get a head start on the year. After seventeen years working at this university, I was still not immune to the buoyant lift of first-term energy.

 

We never had children because I didn’t want them. Any child I had with you might be born with a dorsal fin and several rows of teeth.

 

Mum had stepped toward the bed and was standing with one hand upon it, quietly contemplating it, when it occurred to me that the previous inhabitant had probably died in this room, in that very bed Mum was touching. And in all likelihood, my mother would die here too. A strange vertiginous thought. I felt like someone had punched me with it. I couldn’t escape the feeling that by moving her into this room I was somehow hastening her doom.

 

That night in the cold darkness at the top of the stairs, overhearing the conversation, that was the moment when things began to unravel for me… A pinched, mean voice inside me whispered: If you are not the love of his life, then what makes you so sure he is yours? … Like a stone dislodged deep inside me, I felt the structure of my being start to crumble.

 

She had the cool beauty of a glassy lake on a cold day— you wanted to stare at it, to take it all in, though you wouldn’t want to touch it. A coldness that seemed biting.

 

My Review:

 

Girl Unknown was a gripping and enthralling read that steadily built and maintained an intriguing and inescapable level of tension and suspense as well as an unmistakable sense of impending doom from the very first word of the bewitching prologue to its devastating conclusion.   I gasped in disbelief, cringed, flinched, held my breath, clenched my fist, and even growled in frustration at the annoyingly dense David, yet I was mesmerized by the storyline, transfixed by the narrative, embedded and engaged with the characters, and physically unable or unwilling to put my Kindle down any longer than necessary. The characters were as hypnotically intriguing as they were repellent and fractured. I loathed/loved/despised/pitied them in equal measure. Adulting did not happen yesterday. The storyline was cleverly well-crafted, alluring, and maddeningly fascinating while the writing was keenly honed, insightfully observant, well detailed, emotive, and infuriatingly well-paced. I must stalk these talented wordsmiths at every opportunity!

  

About Karen Perry

Karen Perry is the pen name of Dublin-based authors Paul Perry and Karen Gillece. Together they wrote Girl Unkown.

 Paul Perry is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books. A recipient of the Hennessy Award for New Irish Writing, he teaches creative writing at University College, Dublin.

Karen Gillece is the author of several critically acclaimed novels. In 2009 she won the European Union Prize for Literature (Ireland).

Connect with them on Facebook.

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Book Review: Dear Dwayne, With Love by Eliza Gordon

Dear Dwayne, With Love

by Eliza Gordon

Goodreads

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Wannabe actress Dani Steele’s résumé resembles a cautionary tale on how not to be famous. She’s pushing thirty and stuck in a dead-end insurance job, and her relationship status is holding at uncommitted. With unbearably perfect sisters and a mother who won’t let her forget it, Dani has two go-tos for consolation: maple scones and a blog in which she pours her heart out to her celebrity idol. He’s the man her father never was, no boyfriend will ever be—and not so impossible a dream as one might think. When Dani learns that he’s planning a fund-raising event where the winning amateur athlete gets a walk-on in his new film, she decides to trade pastries and self-doubt for running shoes and a sexy British trainer with adorable knees.

But when Dani’s plot takes an unexpected twist, she realizes that her happy ending might have to be improvised—and that proving herself to her idol isn’t half as important as proving something to herself.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Imagine the witch who gives Snow White the apple. Make her more than six feet tall. Braid the hairs growing from the mole. Give her the personality of Miss Gulch, the mean lady on the bike who yells at Dorothy’s aunt and uncle about little Toto. Boom. My boss. Joan the Crone.

 

Where are the real gigs, you know? Like tampon or feminine deodorant commercials? The residuals on those can be nuts—I knew a woman in LA who bought a house in the Hollywood Hills just from the residuals she earned on Massengill Douche ads. Sure, she was known as the Douche Lady, but she has an infinity pool and a pool boy named Sven. A clean vagina is no laughing matter.

 

My mother keeps sending me meal plans she finds online, designed specifically for people trying to conceive… I am really, really tired of beans and spinach. And I feel sorry for the other women sitting around me. So much farting.

 

I follow her to the Great Wall of Shoes… Susie talks me into two pairs: a zero-drop shoe for the gym (“ It will help you keep your balance, like being barefoot, when you’re squatting and deadlifting”— I have no idea what either of those things involve, but I’m guessing one might be for pooping and the other might be for carrying a corpse)…

 

I don’t even want kids. Georgette has three, and all she talks about is how her hair is falling out and she can’t poop alone and how her vagina has lost its pep. I don’t want my vagina to lose her pep. I have it on good authority my group health insurance won’t cover fixing that.

 

No time for doubts. Doubts are for cat tattoos and dubious marriages.

 

My Review

 

I giggle-snorted and smirked as I read this delightfully clever and deliciously amusing and quirky story. I was quickly drawn into this vibrantly humorous, entertaining, and engaging tale. The storyline was irreverently witty while also providing those occasional emotive heart-squeezes, and was simply brimming with oddly alluring and intriguing characters with my favorites being the Miraculously Beautiful Marco the personal trainer, and the soft-hearted and somewhat spineless heroine, Danielle Steele with an e, “Dani.”  Dani’s eccentric and conspiracy-prone mother had named all three of her daughters after her favorite romance authors. Tucked into the narrative were frequent and unexpected tricks and treats to keep reeling the reader into this well-crafted and smartly written story.

 

Dani’s family was all kinds of peculiar with her mother belonging to a UFO group named Greys (Alien) Anatomy, and sold magic healing space wands and her own homegrown medicinal herb (unlicensed) to “her friends” and those seeking relief from pain. Despite her unusual childhood, Dani was a sweet and thoughtful friend and co-worker, although she lacked backbone and knew it. She was also unflinchingly snarky in her inner musings and when writing in the private online diary she had kept since middle school using an unpublished blog website with her missives generally consisting of unsent letters and imagined conversations with her childhood idol Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who had been her long-gone father’s favorite wrestler. But secrets often have a way of being revealed, with humorous results and uncomfortable and humiliating consequences.

 

I adored this amusing and cleverly crafted book from its very beginning to the gleefully satisfying end. Dani had transformed  herself through setting a goal to meet her idol and despite several unforeseen setbacks, she had some major wins and a few tragic losses, with a boatload of humorous scenes, perceptive observations, and comically arched eyebrow lifts occurring in between. I will forever associate kittens on leashes, sports bras, and protein smoothies with this enticing and inventive tale, while I would never consider ever again drinking a kale smoothie as I agree with Dani; kale smoothies most certainly are the devil.

About the Author  

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Eliza Gordon has excellent taste in books, shoes, movies, and friends, and questionable sanity in the realm of love. Best leave that one alone.

In real life, she’s an editor, mom, wife, and bibliophile and proud parent of one very spoiled tuxedo cat. Eliza writes stories to help you believe in the Happily Ever After; Jennifer Sommersby, her other self, writes YA and is repped by Daniel Lazar at Writers House.

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Book Review: Sisters Like Us by Susan Mallery 

Sisters Like Us

by Susan Mallery

 

 
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Paperback: 432 pages

 Publisher: MIRA (January 23, 2018)

The grass is always greener on your sister’s side of the fence…

Divorce left Harper Szymanski with a name no one can spell, a house she can’t afford and a teenage daughter who’s pulling away. With her fledgling virtual-assistant business, she’s scrambling to maintain her overbearing mother’s ridiculous Susie Homemaker standards and still pay the bills, thanks to clients like Lucas, the annoying playboy cop who claims he hangs around for Harper’s fresh-baked cookies.

Spending half her life in school hasn’t prepared Dr. Stacey Bloom for her most daunting challenge—motherhood. She didn’t inherit the nurturing gene like Harper and is in deep denial that a baby is coming. Worse, her mother will be horrified to learn that Stacey’s husband plans to be a stay-at-home dad…assuming Stacey can first find the courage to tell Mom she’s already six months pregnant.

Separately they may be a mess, but together Harper and Stacey can survive anything—their indomitable mother, overwhelming maternity stores and ex’s weddings. Sisters Like Us is a delightful look at sisters, mothers and daughters in today’s fast-paced world, told with Susan Mallery’s trademark warmth and humor.

“Fresh and engaging… There’s a generational subtext that mirrors reality and the complexities of adult relationships…filled with promise of a new serial that’s worth following.” -Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Mallery enthralls [and] thoroughly involves readers in the lives of her characters as they face realistic, believable problems and search for their own happy endings.” -Publishers Weekly

 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

It’s like Beetlejuice. If you say her name too many times, she’ll rise up with horrific powers and do unspeakable things. I’m being cautious.

 Stacey met the gaze of the pregnant dog. The animal looked calm and kind of sweet, in a very large, I could eat you in a hot minute kind of way.

 His shirt was barely wrinkled, he was rested and tanned, while she was a hot mess. No, she thought, thinking of her mom jeans and stained T-shirt. Even her messiness wasn’t the least bit hot. She was a cold mess.

 You need a date for your ex’s wedding. Showing up by yourself will make you feel awful… What about Lucas? He’s very handsome and I’m sure he knows how to behave. You could ask him to bring his gun and shoot the groom… Or the bride. Your choice.

My Review:

 

I adored this book start to finish, I’ve read a handful of Susan Mallery books and after each one, I declare it to be my favorite. Deftly written with bold strokes of levity, thoughtful and insightful observations, witty banter, endearing characters, and clever use of animals for the uptight characters to bare their private fears with, this was an easy read that squeezed my heart while it also made me smile. The plot was relevant and realistic, the storyline was well-crafted and entertaining, and the writing was crisp, yet thoughtful and sensitive. The characters were wildly flawed, singularly quirky, and fascinating. I favored Lucas most of all and had a mad crush on him until he pulled a dick move and broke my heart.

 

About Susan Mallery

 

Susan Mallery is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of books about the relationships that define women’s lives—romance, friendship, family. With compassion and humor, Susan keenly observes how people think and feel, in stories that take readers on an emotional journey. Sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always uplifting, Susan’s books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list, thanks to her ever-growing legions of fans.

Critics, too, have heaped praise on “the new queen of romantic fiction.” (Walmart) Booklist says, “Romance novels don’t get much better than Mallery’s expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling,” and RT Book Reviews puts her “in a class by herself!”

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month, January of 1992. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool’s Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Seattle with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a tattletale toy poodle. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Animals play a big role in her books, as well, as she believes they’re an integral component to a happy life.

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Book Review: That Girl by Kate Kerrigan

That Girl

Kate Kerrigan

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From the winner of the RoNA Historical Romantic Novel of the Year 2017…

You can escape a place. But you can’t escape yourself.

Hanna flees the scene of a terrible crime in her native Sligo. If she can just vanish, re-invent herself under a new name, perhaps the police won’t catch up with her. London seems the perfect place to disappear.

Lara has always loved Matthew and imagined happy married life in Dublin. Then comes the bombshell – Matthew says he wants to join the priesthood. Humiliated and broken-hearted, Lara heads to the most godless place she can find, King’s Road, Chelsea.

Matthew’s twin sister, Noreen, could not be more different from her brother. She does love fiancé John, but she also craves sex, parties, and fun. Swinging London has it all, but without John, Noreen is about to get way out of her depth.

All three girls find themselves working for Bobby Chevron – one of London’s most feared gangland bosses – and it’s not long before their new lives start to unravel.

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Unlike Italy , with its Popes and volcanos and sunshine and pasta, Ireland had nothing of note. Just nuns, rain and potatoes. It was an unremarkable place to anyone but the Irish themselves. In fact, mostly to them as well.

 

… as if a piece of him had gone missing in her presence. He was afraid that if he gave her what she wanted, then she would leave the room and, if she did that, he might never get it back.

 

You could catch up on a month’s gossip in Lyons’s in less than an hour if you knew who to sit next to.

 

Business took precedence over pleasure, always. The dead don’t book in and they don’t bury themselves, her father used to say.

 

He instinctively understood things about her that he knew were true… Without her saying a word, he could see in her beautiful eyes that she was carrying something that did not belong to her. It was a lifetime in a moment; this was the world standing still.

 

Sure all them miniskirts around here would turn a blind man horny!

 

My Review:

 

Visiting Ireland remains on my Bucket List, I’m sure I have distant ancestral roots of some sort and would just love to see the Old Sod, although these three Irish gals didn’t seem to be enjoying their life there in the turbulent 60’s and fled for “Swinging London.” Although, each of the three had fled for a different reason. Hanna was running from the brutality of her life, Lara was striving toward a different future, and Noreen was desperately seeking adventure. From the cover, you might be expecting a breezy and light-hearted book, well, think again. The well-crafted and engaging storylines were packed with drama, quirky gangsters, betrayal, suspense, angst, tension, heartache, aspirations, anxiety, intrigue, and excellent writing. The 60’s and 70’s were a period of profound and explosive social change worldwide, which was as confusing as it was exciting. I came of age a decade after these gals, but could easily identify with the issues.

 

I quickly slipped into the story and only fell deeper with the addition of each new character. The writing was emotive, observant, and descriptive enough to place me within each scene; I could hear the music, smell the food, feel the tension, and recognize the entire peculiar cast of characters by sight. It was hard to put my Kindle down and even though I had not lived their experiences, I could fully relate and empathize with each of the female characters as well as a few of the men. But I tilted the most toward the couple of Lara and Coleman. Poor Lara, when the love of your life informs you he has decided to be a priest because, “I suppose I love God more than I love you.” Ouch.   I would have hightailed it out faster than Lara had, although I would have torn a pound of flesh off of the weasel first. The suspense and tension were maintained beginning to end and oh, how I reveled at the sweet and well-deserved endings for each one. As if reading a superbly written book wasn’t pleasure enough, I have new additions to my British Isles Vocabulary List, which I’ve realized I needed to rename from My Brit Word List due to the inclusion of Scottish and Irish colloquialisms.   My new collection includes, “clobber” which the Urban Dictionary defined as new clothes or personal items; and “face like a spanner” which means ugly. It’s always a red-letter day when I can boast of expanding my verbosity.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR  

Kate Kerrigan lives in County Mayo, Ireland, with her husband and children. Her novels include Recipes for a Perfect Marriage, shortlisted for the 2006 Romantic Novel of the Year Award and Ellis Island, which was a TV Book Club Summer Read.

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