Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review: Savage Row by Britney King  @britneyking

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Title: Savage Row
Author: Britney King
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Date: November 19, 2020

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The international bestselling author of Her and The Social Affair returns with another suspenseful thriller that very well could be set in the house next door.
Jack Mooney, a career criminal, has been in prison for nearly a decade, quietly nursing his hatred for the jurors who put him there. One in particular gets him through the endless days—the alluring Amy Stone.
When Mooney is granted early release, he makes Amy his first priority. To his delight, she’s even more enticing than before, and better still, she has a lot more to lose than he’d imagined.
As Mooney’s campaign of terror mounts, the police seem powerless to protect the Stone family, who must rely on their wits to survive a psychopath hell-bent on revenge.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He’d tried to do the right thing. Some lessons come wrapped in sandpaper, his mother likes to say.

 

His needs have developed over time until the activity became sacred, something that he cannot imagine himself ever giving up. To him, observation is an art form. Loads of people bird watch every year, and while most people would say what he does is immoral, he doesn’t see how this is any different. He considers himself an anthropologist of sorts.

 

He spotted them immediately, the youngest girl’s red hair flying in the wind. He could spot her from miles away. Same as her mother, he is certain. Hair that color could be seen from outer space.

 

His expression makes me feel like I’m about to officially become a member of a club I really don’t want to belong to.

 

It’s smart not to invite broken things into your life. It’s not your job to fix them. No matter how shiny the project looks, you’ll bite off more than you can chew every time.

My Review:

 

 

Britney King is one twisted sister yet I admire and covet her agile and fluid storytelling skills and deft pen.   She easily lures me into a vexing and ominous vortex and I relish and revel in her uniquely insightful yet disturbingly torqued and alarmingly compelling brand of psychopaths. Her provocative characters entice and intrigue me while their stories hold me rapt and taut with tension. I am perplexed while deeply enamored with her dark word voodoo. She has mad skills and a fan for life.

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CLICK HERE TO READ THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS
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Hello. I’m Britney.

I live in Austin, Texas with my husband, children, a dog named Gatsby, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.

When I’m not wrangling the things mentioned above, I write psychological, domestic, and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.


Currently, I’m writing three series and several standalone novels.

The Bedrock Series features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

The Water Series follows the shady love story of an unconventional married couple—he’s an assassin—she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier book version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, Dexter.

Around The Bend is a heart-pounding standalone, which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

The With You Series at its core is a deep love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. Packed with drama and adventure along with a heavy dose of suspense, it has been compared to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Love, Rosie.

The Social Affair is an intense standalone about a timeless couple who find themselves with a secret admirer they hadn’t bargained for. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, the novel explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience.

It is reminiscent of films such as One Hour Photo and Play Misty For Me. Classics. Without a doubt, connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. If you’d like to connect, shoot me an email. You can also find me on Facebook, Instagram, and occasionally on Twitter.

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Book Review: This Year Maybe (Aliss’s Adventures Book 2) by Liz Hinds @LizHindsAuthor  @rararesources

This Year Maybe
(Aliss’s Adventures Book 2)
by Liz Hinds 

 

Amazon US / UK 

Alison and David have been engaged for so long that even Alison’s mother has given up asking when, but it’s the second time around for both of them and they’re not in any particular hurry.  That said, Alison is beginning to wonder if living with her has put David off the idea of marriage so when he suggests they set a date she is delighted. But that date is six months away and a lot can happen in six months – especially if you’re Alison!

‘My son’s been arrested, Great-aunt Millie’s fallen in love, my best friend suspects her husband of having an affair, and I still need to lose weight. How on earth can I think about getting married?’

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

When I was eight my New Year resolution was to eat chocolate every day. I was doing quite well until Mum found my secret stash of Kitkats under the bed. She not only told me off for ‘attracting rats’ but ate it herself while I was in school… My mother has a lot to answer for.

 

‘I couldn’t stand having her in the car with me. I might say something she’d regret.’ ‘You mean you’d regret?’ ‘No, I wouldn’t regret it!’

 

That’s the trouble having a relationship with a psychiatrist: sometimes I’m not sure if he views me as a lover or a good subject for research.

 

Nearly got into a fight with the woman doing the weighing. I said her scales must be wrong. She said it’s top of the range and very expensive. I suggested the battery might need changing. She said they’re run off the mains. I said, ‘Hasn’t anyone else mentioned their inaccuracy?’ She said, ‘Perhaps you could consider whether they might be right instead of arguing.’ I could see I was fighting a battle I wasn’t going to win.

 

‘Why does he always assume it’s my fault?’ I grumbled afterwards to Bev. She shrugged. ‘Experience I expect.’

My Review:

 

I giggle-snorted with glee as I made my way through this cleverly penned missive, which was packed to the gills with wry and ironic humor, snark, and witty musings and observations. The main character of Alison was an amusing and scatty hot mess and was to be eternally plagued by a narcissistic drama llama for a mother, one Alison was uncomfortable and resentful in being told she resembled. Her friends and family were an unending source of outrageous and humorous material.   This was my first exposure to the delightfully sardonic wit of Liz Hinds and I was an instant fan soon after the first paragraph.

About the Author

I’m a golden-retriever-loving granny, who enjoys walking by the sea or in the woods, who eats too much chocolate, and who gets over-excited when the Welsh team plays rugby.

I have self-published two novels, This Time Last Year, and The Dog-walking Club, but I’m also an experienced freelance writer and author of several non-fiction books published by Hodder & Stoughton, Scripture Union and Kevin Mayhew.

Social Media Links

Facebook – LizHindsAuthor

Twitter – https://twitter.com/LizHindsAuthor

Website – http://lizhinds.online

 

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Book Review: The Stranger in my Bed by Karen King  @karen_king @bookouture

The Stranger in my Bed
by Karen King 

 

Amazon  / B&N / GP/ Apple / Kobo

 ‘We have a patient who has been involved in a serious accident. We believe he’s your husband.’

When Freya first met Phil, she thought he was the man of her dreams. He bought her roses every week, booked surprise trips to sun-soaked destinations, and showed her affection like she’d never experienced before. But over time the dream has become a violent nightmare. And now Freya is packing her bags, knowing it’s time she escaped their increasingly broken marriage.But then Freya gets a visit from the police. Phil’s been in a horrific car crash and – as he comes around – it becomes clear that he remembers nothing since their blissful honeymoon two years before, back when their relationship was perfect. All he wants is to be happily married again.

Freya knows giving him another chance could be dangerous. But now he’s the one who needs her, it’s a chance to turn the tables, and to change the outcome of their relationship once and for all. After all, he will only know what she chooses to tell him…

But what really happened during those two years of marriage? And as they start over again, who is safe? And whose life is in danger?

Fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors, and Date Night, who are looking for a dark, gripping psychological suspense novel, will love The Stranger in My Bed.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

‘Determined, not stubborn,’ she corrected lightly. ‘Determined is a good trait; stubborn isn’t always.’

My Review:

 

This is the type of story that has me wanting the shake sense into the characters and give them a good pinch for being so obtuse they annoy me. The women knew better, yet they still fell repeatedly for the Irish charm. The intriguing storylines were twisty, well-paced, and taut with impending peril, domestic abuse, family drama, lies, betrayals, and secrets aplenty. This was my introduction to Ms. King’s work and I was astounded to see her Goodreads listings packed with multiple genres including children’s books, rom-coms, suspense, poetry, and even some naughty erotica. Oh, my. I do believe further research into this talented scribe is now required.

 

About the Author

Karen King is a multi-published bestselling author of fiction for both adults and children. She has also written several short stories for women’s magazines.

Currently published by Bookouture and Headline. Karen has recently signed a two-book deal with Bookouture to write psychological thrillers. The first one will be out in November and the second one in 2021. She is also contracted to write three romance novels for Headline, which will be out in 2021 and 2022

Author Social Media Links

 FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/KarenKingAuthor

TWITTER:   https://twitter.com/karen_king 

 

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Book Review: Night Train to Paris (A Fen Churche Mystery #2) by Fliss Chester @SocialWhirlGirl @bookouture

Night Train to Paris
(A Fen Churche Mystery #2)
by Fliss Chester

 

Amazon  / B&N / GP/ Apple

Meet Fen Churche, as she steps off the night train with the sun rising over Paris. Cat whisperer, crossword puzzler… accidental detective?

Autumn, 1945. Fen cannot wait to see her beloved godmother Rose, who has invited Fen to stay with her in the city of lights. As she arrives, Fen is dreaming of strolls by the Seine, taking tea at the Eiffel Tower and above all French feasts with Rose where they can trade stories of how they survived the terrifying war years.

But Fen has barely made friends with Rose’s bad-tempered poodle when she returns to the apartment to find her godmother murdered, a paintbrush stuck in her neck. Suddenly Fen is thrown into the middle of a truly puzzling mystery. Who on earth would want to murder Rose, a gentle artist and generous friend?

A blackmail letter convinces Fen that the police have got everything wrong and Fen knows she has to solve the case just like one of her crosswords, one clue at a time. As she meets her godmother’s friends, she makes a surprising discovery: Rose was part of the Resistance during the war…

When a second body turns up, another of Rose’s wartime contacts, Fen must act fast. But as the killer turns their sights on Fen, does she have what it takes to solve this mysterious murder and get justice for her darling godmother?

You won’t be able to put down this utterly addictive historical cozy mystery! The absolutely perfect treat if you love Agatha Christie, Rhys Bowen, and Jacqueline Winspear.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Fen shook her head in disbelief. She’d heard of pretty girls turning men’s heads, but this one seemed to have twisted James’s noggin right off.

Her brother had once threatened to throw her over this bridge when she’d naughtily flicked one of his toy soldiers into the Seine. Her claims that the little fellow wanted to be a sub-mariner hadn’t cut the mustard and sibling relations had hit rather a low point.

My Review:

 

This was a head-scratcher and rollicking good multileveled mystery encompassing several complicated cases involved past participants of the French Resistance, art theft, forgery, and murder in post-war Paris. The highly likable main characters of Fen and her newly acquired friend, James, met the likes of a young Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, and the already famous Josephine Baker. My poor old coronary muscle squeezed each time the iconic Notre Dame was mentioned. The engaging storylines were enjoyable and poked at my curiosity with tough cases and somewhat undecipherable clues while populated with an oddly unique and generally untrustworthy cast of secondary Gaelic characters. Being a fan of crosswords, I particularly enjoyed Fen’s continued deployment of puzzle strategies in her efforts of working her way through the perplexing crimes.

I garnered a new entry for my Brit Words and Phrases list with “up the spout;” which Mr. Google informed me has two meanings – one being something that was no longer in working order and for a woman – pregnancy. I also learned the clever origin of the term “bangers” for sausages being the high water content used in the meats during the war that caused them to explode or “bang” in the frying pan.

 

About the Author

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favorite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside, and having a good natter.
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Book Review: Promises in the Dark (Detectives Kane and Alton #10) by D.K. Hood @DKHood_Author @bookouture

Promises in the Dark
(Detectives Kane and Alton #10)
by D.K. Hood

 

The young girl pushes against the backseat of the family sedan, fighting to free herself from the crude ties restricting her hands and feet. As the car speeds towards the edge of town, she looks back at her family home, and watches in horror as it is suddenly engulfed in a mass of flames. Trembling with fear, she turns towards the driver and hears only laughter. She knows that the worst is yet to come…

Detective Jenna Alton surveys the charred remains of the large suburban home, stopping to pause at the three lifeless bodies of the Woods family. Jenna knows she’s looking for a serial killer, but her priority is finding the missing teenage daughter last seen on the night of the inferno.

Days later, Sophie Wood’s body is discovered floating in a shallow pool of crystal-clear water—known locally as Dead Man’s Drop—but Jenna still doesn’t know who would target the quiet family in such a brutal attack.

Delving into the family’s past, she makes a shocking discovery—a link between the killer and someone connected to her deputy David Kane. If Jenna is right and the killer is back and seeking revenge, then she must act fast to keep her deputy safe.

When another girl is taken, Jenna and David follow the trail into a network of underground caves on the outskirts of town. With little time before the killer claims his next victim, they race into the pitch-black tunnels, unsure whether they have just walked into the killer’s trap. Can they find the girl in time and escape the caves without the killer chasing them down?

If you like pulse-racing thrillers from Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot, you will love this gripping new book from USA Today bestselling author D.K. Hood.

**Each Kane and Alton book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone**

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

There was something about Aunt Betty’s Café that soothed even the roughest day, like sitting in your grandma’s kitchen and waiting for the cookies to come out the oven.

My Review:

 

I am seriously slacking and horribly uninformed as this was book #10 in a series and my first time picking up one of D.K. Hood’s eleven books. It was a nonstop whirligig of high voltage action and the author’s writing slotted me right in the midst of it. I am exhausted and feel like I’ve been in a marathon while digging through ashes, performing autopsies, climbing mountains, jumping out of helicopters, dodging bullets, skidding on ice, crawling through spooky caves, and running after dogs while chasing an elusive psychopath arsonist who was also a murdering rapist. Unholy smokes, he was definitely a multitasking fiend, yet he still had time and energy to compose blog posts which were brilliant in their double meanings. Despite his unethical and disturbing proclivities, I had to stop to admire his wry phrasing as well as his devotion to his work ethic.

About the Author

I’ve always had a wicked sense of humor and was the kid who told the ghost stories around the campfire. I am lucky to have family all over the world and have spent many vacations in places from Paris France to Montana USA and Australia. I use the wonderful memories from these visits to enhance my stories.
My interest in the development of forensic science to solve crime goes back many years. I enjoy writing crime, mystery and thrillers. With many stories, waiting for me to write I’ll look forward to sharing many spine-tingling stories with you.

D.K. Hood is an active member of International Thriller Writers.

Author Social Media Links:

Website: www.dkhood.com

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DKHood_Author

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Book Review: Murder in the Snow (A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #4) by Verity Bright @bookouture

Murder in the Snow
(A Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery #4)
by Verity Bright

Amazon  /  B&N

 

An English Christmas has mince pies, cheerful carols, a twinkling tree… and a murder? Thank goodness Lady Swift is on the scene!

Winter, 1920. Amateur sleuth Lady Eleanor Swift is feeling festive. She is playing host to the entire village at Henley Hall for gifts, games, and gingerbread. She’s also purchased perfect presents for each of her household – not forgetting the biggest bone in the butcher’s shop for her partner in crime, Gladstone the bulldog – and is looking forward to celebrating her first English country Christmas.

As snowflakes fall, Eleanor is cheering on contestants in the traditional Christmas fun run in the grounds of the Hall. But tragedy strikes when one of the runners drops dead at the finish line. Dashing Detective Seldon is convinced it’s just a heart attack, but Eleanor isn’t so sure. When she finds a rather distinctive key where the man fell, Eleanor knows she’ll never rest until she finds out the truth about what happened in her own home.

Next the vicar is taken ill with what looks like poison and Eleanor starts to wonder if the two cases are linked. When someone tries to frame her by planting poisoned berries in her own kitchen, she knows speed is of the essence. But the entire village was at Henley Hall for the festivities and Eleanor has enough suspects to stuff a town full of turkeys. Can she nail the true killer and clear her name in time for Christmas?

Christmas won’t be complete without it! A festive treat for fans of Agatha Christie, TE Kinsey, and Lee Strauss.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Indeed, the flames of fury do not necessarily diminish with time. Rather, time tends to feed them. Brooding over old injuries all too often leads to one result… Revenge… 

I had no idea Christmas Day could be so exhausting… And I thought being a Lady of the Manor was all about languishing on chaise lounges and chiding the tradesmen! 

Those eyes could melt a nun trapped in a glacier… I just meant that I can see why Canning did so well with the ladies, if all the stories are true. Not my type, but I can imagine in his day, Canning was quite the fox women would have howled at the moon over.

My Review:

 

I am continuing to enjoy this amusing series of historical cozy mysteries based in the early 1920s. The new and ongoing mysteries have been intriguing and unpredictable with characters who are unfailingly compelling, likable, and quirky. The storylines for Murder in the Snow were well-constructed and thoughtfully contrived with descriptive and wryly humorous insights and observations. This was a holiday season tale and felt more complex than the previous books with less romance and more sleuthing with her enigmatic and curiously fascinating butler.

 

About the Author
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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: Forever 51 by Pamela Skjolsvik #forever51 @tlcbootkours @pamelaskjolsvik @fawkespress

Forever 51
by Pamela Skjolsvik 

Amazon  / B&N  / GP/ Bookshop.org/ Apple   

Paperback: 332 pages

Publisher: Fawkes Press, LLC (November 5, 2020)

Immortality’s a bitch.

Veronica is eternally fifty-one years old with a proclivity for problematic drinking. Like most hormonally challenged women negotiating the change of life, she is a hot mess. To retain her sanity, she attends weekly AA meetings and adheres to a strict diet of organic, locally-sourced, (mostly) cruelty-free human blood from the hospice facility where she works. Her life stopped being fun about a hundred years ago, right about the time her teenage daughter stole her soul and took off for California with a hot, older guy. These days, Veronica’s existence is just that – an existence, as flat and empty as her own non-reflection in the bathroom mirror.

When her estranged daughter contacts her via Facebook, Veronica learns that she has one chance to escape her eternal personal summer: she must find and apologize to every one of the people she’s turned into vampires in the last century. That is, if they’re still out there. With raging hormones and a ticking clock, Veronica embarks on a last-ditch road trip to regain her mortality, reclaim her humanity, and ultimately, die on her own terms.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I love bacon. I used to be a vegetarian, but I couldn’t give up the bacon. It’s like the gateway meat to a carnivorous lifestyle…

 

These photos are horrible. You need to work on that resting bitch face if you’re going to start posting selfies.

 

If there was ever a myth about vampires that truly bothered her, it was that they were dramatic, evil, universally untidy creatures. She prided herself in the clean and clinical nature with which she could suck a person dry without spilling a drop… The last thing she wanted was to splatter someone’s blood on her eighty-five-dollar yoga pants or even on her hospital scrubs. It was difficult to get out in the wash.

 

You’re young, but I’d like to let you in on a little secret. What gives life meaning is that one day it will be over. Which is exactly what makes being a vampire suck. It’s like that movie Groundhog Day, except there’s no Bill Murray and it never ends. Ever.

 

I knew I was different. I think my parents suspected as much and sent me off to one of those crazy camps where you are supposed to pray away the gay. At camp, two things happened. One, I met my first girlfriend, which was awesome, but I don’t think we prayed hard enough or something because we made out every chance we got.

 

My Review:

 

I rarely read paranormal tales as I am far too lazy for all that complicated world-building, but I’d read them on the regular if I could find crisply written and snappy ones like this. Forever 51 was a pure delight and full of sharp wit and clever snark from a fifty-one-year-old vampire trapped in perpetual menopause. The plot was unmatched in originality with curiously compelling storylines that amused and entertained while sucking me into a mysterious subculture that began to feel surprisingly real given the weirdness of the world we’ve been inhabiting during the last four years and especially the unholy, calamitous, and disastrous year of 2020. I will be ever so grateful to crack the spine on next year’s calendar.

 

I was unfailingly engaged and fascinated by the uncanny and keenly honed characters who were often dumpster fires and beyond peculiar yet were also intensely intriguing. I adored every well-chosen word of this oddly captivating, surreal, and dynamic missive. Pamela Skjolsvik is the bomb-diggity. I think I just might be besotted with her mad skills and covet her delectable and snarkalicious word voodoo.

About the Author

A curious thing happens when you have the audacity to call yourself the death writer; people want to talk to you about death. A lot. This is all well and good for those daring types of writers like Mary Roach or Jessica Mitford, but for me, it was initially problematic. Prior to declaring my morbid writing intention of exploring death professions during my first semester of Goucher College’s MFA program in 2008, I had little experience with death or grief, not to mention very little social engagement with the living. It wasn’t until after I finished the two years of research for this book that I was officially diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and went through four months of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through a research study at Southern Methodist University.

My writing life began in 2005 when I received a fellowship to the San Juan Writers’ Workshop. The instructor, Lee Gutkind, told me not to publish for the sake of publishing, but to publish well. He also informed me that I was a horrible public speaker. Admittedly that stung, but he did like an essay I’d written. It was published in Creative Nonfiction Issue 33 and in Silence Kills: Speaking Out and Saving Lives. In August 2010, I received my MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College and read five pages from my manuscript in front of a packed room without passing out.

As part of my therapy, I was encouraged to join a writer’s group where I would have to read regularly in front of a group, as this was one of my main fears. I am happy to say that I am now an active member of the DFW Writers Workshop in Euless, TX. We meet every Wednesday and I make it a point to read out loud every week.

Find out more about Pamela on her website, and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Book Review: It’s Raining Men by Rich Amooi  @RichAmooi  @rararesources

 

It’s Raining Men 
by Rich Amooi 

 

Amazon 

On a dare, Faith Daniels tosses a coin into the infamous “Fountain of Love” and wishes for the perfect man, laughing it off as the dumbest thing she’s ever done. Like magic, her quiet life turns upside-down when men begin to appear out of nowhere. There’s a doctor, a lawyer, a firefighter, and a swimwear model, for starters. All of them are kind, generous, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. All of them are interested in Faith. But who is Mr. Right?

A feel-good romance novel about love, friendship, and living life to the fullest!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Tracy had accused me of being like a horse with blinders on. I told her she was being ridiculous and to pass the carrots.

 

“Do you have a backup house?” Phillip sat up and lifted his chin proudly. “I have seven.” Noah thought about it. “A house for every day of the week. Kind of like me with my underwear.”

 

“Just you wait. You’re going to cause men to have whiplash, heart attacks, car crashes, and bar fights.” …   Kim sighed. “I wish men would get in bar fights over me. Hell, even a shoving match would be wonderful.

 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in possession of the perfect man must be delusional since there’s no such thing as a perfect man.

 

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just save the parts of a man that we like the most and then toss the rest into the dumpster behind the building?

 

“When was the last time you had your rear end lubricated?” Alonzo asked. Mrs. Benson grabbed the closest tire brochure and fanned herself. “Oh, dear.” … “Sorry, Mrs. Benson. He’s talking about the differential which is located near the rear end of your Corolla.”

 

If you’re going for your yearly mammogram, you won’t even have to remove your top. Everything is right there.

 

 

My Review:

 

I know he is happily married but I shamelessly adore Rich Amooi, he has never let me down and is always a good bet for an easy to follow, wittily amusing, and sweet and fluffy giggle-snort worthy read. He has never failed to put a smile on my face and is the perfect antidote for stress.   His latest missive features three good friends working as hairstylists at a salon cleverly named “Cut Me Some Slack” and a local myth involving “The Fountain of Love,” where one tosses in a coin and finds true love soon after. I enjoyed every entertaining word of this light and sweet tale as well as the sincere and highly likable cast of primary and secondary characters.

About the Author

Amazon  / Twitter
Goodreads / Facebook
Website

Rich Amooi is a former radio personality and DJ who now writes romantic comedies full-time in San Diego, California. He is happily married to a kiss monster imported from Spain. Rich believes in public displays of affection, silliness, infinite possibilities, donuts, gratitude, laughter, and happily ever after.

Rich Amooi is the Amazon #1 Bestselling author of 15 romantic comedies, including It’s Not PMS, It’s You, Dying to Meet You, There’s Something About a Cowboy, and Madam Love, Actually.

Giveaway 

Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card

(Open INT) 

*Terms and Conditions –  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organizer and used only for the fulfillment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review:  The Twins by J.S. Lark @JaneLark @rararesources 

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The Twins
by J.S. Lark

 

 

If you liked Blood Orange you will love this!

From the moment they are born, twins Susan and Sarah are inseparable.  Through good and bad, the girls will always be together…forever.

Until they meet Jonny.

Older, charming, and handsome, Jonny offers the girls the much-needed love and attention they crave.  But he can only choose one and for the first time in their lives, the girls find themselves split apart – the invisible thread that binds them severed.

Set-free from her twin, Sarah builds a new life for herself, marries, has a daughter.  But Susan’s life spirals further and further out of control.

And now Susan is back.  And she’s determined to reclaim everything she feels Sarah has taken from her. 

Her home, her husband…her life?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The head teacher told Mum we’re feral.

There’s a strange detached sensation that tingles through my nerves. I feel as if I’m sitting up high in the corner of the room watching all of us acting out a scene in a play. I’m in the audience. High above them, on the upper balcony. Like a queen on a throne orchestrating all of this.

My Review:

 

I had some issues while reading this one, but while I debated my feelings and looked at my notes, it is still a cleverly crafted 5-star read. It was not an easy tale as the plot was unique and complicated and bent back on itself several times, and was cast with a slate of complex and difficult characters. It was also deeply disturbing, smartly contrived, indubitably twisty, frequently frustrating, and intensely intriguing. The twins were delinquents before they were even juveniles – by thirteen they were hooligans, hoochie mamas, drug addicts, parents, and prostitutes. Wow.   Mind Blown! J.S. Lark is a wily wordsmith and not to be trusted.

 

About the Author

Jane is a coffee, chocolate, and red wine lover, and a late-night writer of compelling, passionate, and emotionally charged fiction.

Jane’s books may contain love, hate, violence, death, passion, a little swearing, and an ending you are never going to forget.

Social Media Links 

Website: www.janelark.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JS-Lark-2288653328057315

Twitter: @JaneLark

Instagram: @Jane.Lark

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-s-lark

Sign up for Jane’s New Letter: https://www.janelark.co.uk/contact

 

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Book Review: Painting Bananas (Cherry Dene Book 2) by Amanda Paull @Apaullfiction  @rararesources 

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Painting Bananas
(Cherry Dene Book 2)
by Amanda Paull

Painting Bananas is all about love, dreams, and taking stock.

Two happy couples, one person from each on the verge of change. But as paths cross and plans unfold, will their spouses reveal their true colors?

Alison struggles with insomnia. She also hates her job and fantasizes about throttling her irritating oaf-of-a-boss. Thankfully, her lifelong plan to return to university will soon be realized. After supporting her husband in his career for over twenty years, it’s now her turn. He’s rooting for her every step of the way. Or so she thinks.

Meanwhile, Christopher has a wake-up call with his health. Somehow, pre-diabetes has replaced his six-pack. He must take stock immediately. He realizes that the perfect solution is right under his nose. He can’t wait to share his brilliant idea with his wife. The future looks good. But does she agree?

Will the spouses show their support? Or will Alison and Christopher start to wonder whether they really know their other halves?

Painting Bananas was written and formatted with British grammar, punctuation, and humor. It is the second novel in Amanda Paull’s Cherry Dene series but can be read as a standalone story.

 

My Rating:

My Review:

 

I snorted and smirked my way through this cleverly amusing British Women’s Fiction tale. The storylines were engaging, shrewdly paced, and wryly humorous yet insightfully observant and kept my curiosity primed. There were several storylines involving two separate families that slowly began to converge through a chance meeting of Alison and Christopher. I had great empathy for both of these likable and easily accessible main characters.   Poor Alison had a lot to deal with as she was stuck in a toxic work environment as well as in-laws from hell and a misogynist flake for a husband. It took forever for her to find her voice and I wanted to fist pump and do a little dance when she finally located her spine. Christopher was also struggling with his home life, and a truly lovely man who could only exist in a book and was obviously a unicorn as no one in the banking industry has a working coronary system.

About the Author

 

Amanda Paull is a writer of humorous romantic fiction. She lives in the North East of England with her husband and works in the public sector. The inspiration for her stories comes from real life, which she tries to show the funnier side of by embellishing to the hilt.

Social Media Links 

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Apaullfiction/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/Apaullfiction