Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review: Love in Deed (Green Valley Library #6) by L.B. Dunbar

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Love in Deed, an all-new standalone contemporary romance from L.B. Dunbar, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

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Sometimes it takes an outsider to force us to see who we are. The real struggle is accepting what we learn. For Beverly Townsen, nothing could be closer to the truth. Virtually a shut-in, Beverly has pulled back from Green Valley’s community, preferring the isolation of her farmhouse and her daily routine of viewing home improvement television shows. When the opportunity arises for her own home improvement and a personal re-assessment, she’s not so excited about the reality of real life versus DIY programs.

Jedd Flemming understands physical pain and personal loss, but it’s never stopped him from bucking forward in life. A former military man and rodeo star, his life as a nomad comes to an end with false accusations and a family matter back in the Valley. It’s been a long journey to find his way home and once there, there’s nothing he wants more than to reclaim what he’s lost…and maybe the elusive female reclusive who holds a sliver of his past.

With an unprecedented proposition, Beverly finds a stranger living in her barn, raising horses on borrowed pastures, and plowing his way into her vacant heart. Old hurts linger, but sometimes love in deed is louder than words.

‘Love in Deed’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #6 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Download your copy TODAY! Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

This is the hashtag-me-too era, buddy… You can’t just reach out and touch someone.

 

I’d believed all kinds of things about Howard. He’d love me forever. He’d make it good for me. He’d take care of us. An iron skillet of reality upside the head had finally made me see the light and realize Howard’s true nature. He loved women—all kinds of women—just not the one labeled his wife.

 

I called her Bee as I was leaving because the name is fitting. Her tongue stings like the pesky pollinator.

 

The glare I give my daughter could melt a candle without a wick.

 

I think it’s about to get as ugly as starved cannibals finding prey…

 

“Men are all hot air.” “Howard was hot air,” Jedd retorts. “I’m just hot.” Shaking my head, I can’t help the smile growing on my lips. He’s ridiculous but not wrong.

 

Her laugh is a lyric calling to me like a siren to a sailor.

My Review:

 

More Smartypants Green Valley? Why yes, thank you – bring it on! I always cross my fingers with anticipation yet approach with trepidation when I read this author as while I have enjoyed most of her books, heavy angst is just not my jam and her writing tends to be chockablock full of interpersonal conflicts and inner turmoil. And while this book was no exception to that standard, it wasn’t as arduous to endure as the storylines and issues were highly relevant and the writing was engaging with well-crafted and enticing storylines laced with clever spikes of humor and a slow-burning attraction that occasional sizzled and seemed destined to spark into an inferno.

 

Although, I will confess that for the first half of the book I had an ongoing and valiant struggle with the bitter and waspish character of Beverly as I found her rather horrid. Beverly had been dealt a bad hand and had become ill-tempered, snappish, and was wallowing in self-pity yet made no effort for improvement and was too prickly and proud to accept assistance. She was blatantly rude, leeching off her daughter, and just patently unpleasant. Beverly annoyed me greatly and was the type of person most people, me included; go out of their way to avoid. While he also had hidden motives, the character of Jedd was a saint in comparison. Yet despite all that, I was reluctant to put my Kindle down, I seem to be terminally bewitched by all things Green Valley.

 

 

Excerpt

“Momma,” she whispers, and I turn at the soft question in her voice. Her eyes scan my face. Does she fear she’ll look like me one day? Those bright eyes will dim, and lines will form in the corners. Will they be rivers formed from tears, or will she eventually find laughter? Does she wonder if her lips will match mine, permanently curled downward? Can my girl still smile? Will her hair go gray too young as mine did? Will the stress of her life turn her into someone lonely and lost?

I blink back the tears fighting for release. I won’t cry. Nothing left to cry over. It’s all gone.

“Do you fancy him?” my daughter asks, and I choke on the question.

“What…? I…of course not. Don’t be silly. I’m sure he’d be more interested in the likes of you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hannah asks, brows rising in surprise.

“I’m sure I don’t need to explain the birds and the bees to you. Men like him only want young things and only want one thing from those young things. I don’t think he should stay here,” I sneer, recognizing the pulse at my neck and the thump of my heart. My daughter is a pretty girl, and this older man could be attracted to her for all the wrong reasons. Young girls go for older men to solve their daddy issues.

“He’s sleeping in the barn,” Hannah counters, her voice deepening in displeasure. Ticking off points on her fingers, she continues, “We don’t need to feed him. He’ll rebuild at his expense or hire what he can’t do himself. The back field will be plowed and prepped for spring planting.”

I snort in response, but my eyes return to Jedd’s movement. Into the barn. Out in the yard. My observation traces down his perspiring spine to the waist of his pants where his shirt has untucked. My fingers curl on the armrest of the rocker as my eyes outline the fine globes accentuated by those smooth pants. My mouth goes dry.

What is it about this man? Why am I suddenly lusting after him?

I can’t. That’s the bottom line. I can’t anything him. Under fifteen percent and tight pants and a perfect backside is still a man with empty words.

My eyes fall blindly on the reality television program. The only man a girl can count on is the fictional kind. I force my attention away from the barn, but my eyes seem to have a will of their own.

“We can’t have a stranger living in our barn,” I huff. Jedd stops, turning in his tracks with a pile of lumber on his shoulder as if he heard me, which is impossible on two counts: the panes of glass and his lack of hearing. Still, he stills, and his eyes narrow on the house as if he knows I’m watching him, I’m talking about him, and I don’t agree with this arrangement.

“Too late. He’s moving in.” Hannah definitively nods, dismissing my opinion as Jedd swings back around. She leans down to kiss my cheek and then exits my room, but I remain transfixed.

Suddenly, reality is more fascinating than television.

My eyes continue the cat and mouse game of watching Jedd disappear and then reappear. I don’t know how much time transpires, but eventually, the bed of his truck is empty. Still, I hold my breath as if the barn is a giant octopus, swallowing him whole. I fear he might disappear forever like Howard did, which is the silliest thought I’ve had in a decade. I don’t need Jedd. We don’t need Jedd. There will be no attachment to him.

But then, Jedd appears at the open barn door and gives a single wave toward the house, and I smile in spite of myself.

About L.B. Dunbar

L.B. Dunbar has an overactive imagination. To her benefit, such creativity has led to over thirty romance novels, including those offering a second chance at love over 40. Her signature works include the #sexysilverfoxes collection of mature males and feisty vixens ready for romance in their prime years. She’s also written stories of small-town romance (Heart Collection), rockstar mayhem (The Legendary Rock Stars Series), and a twist on intrigue and redemption (Redemption Island Duet). She’s had several alter egos including elda lore, a writer of romantic magical realism through mythological retellings (Modern Descendants). In another life, she wanted to be an anthropologist and journalist. Instead, she was a middle school language arts teacher. The greatest story in her life is with the one and only, and their four grown children. Learn more about L.B. Dunbar by joining her reader group on Facebook (Loving L.B.) or subscribing to her newsletter (Love Notes).

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Book Review: To Find Polaris by C. Elyana Brooke

To Find Polaris
by C. Elyana Brooke

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU 

ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL AND HEART-BREAKING LOVE STORIES PUBLISHED IN 2019.

He has sky-high cheekbones and he sounds way better than Sinatra.

British bad boy and singer, Lord Mark Hartley has been spoiled by success — too many women, too many private jets, too little love. Suffering from his dark past and perhaps an even darker future, he is looking for love without success and he has no idea how to navigate what lies ahead.

Then he meets Julianne McNally, a beautiful, serious, and centered young American trial lawyer, who has sworn off romance,
having experienced the bitterness of a broken heart.

He needs her skills, and she reluctantly takes his legal case. Despite Mark’s best efforts, falling in love with a celebrity, whose press precedes him, is simply not part of Julianne’s plan.

But Cupid may have the way of shooting the heart of even the most hardened cynic and star-gazing can be a romantic adventure…

Their sexual chemistry is combustible but their relationship almost explodes as their values conflict and emotional stakes rise. Will they find Polaris, the North Star, that stationary point of direction? Will they find their way home to each other?
This novel explores the emotional and psychological truths and challenges in forming a lasting relationship.

Set in Devonshire, England, Los Angeles, and Paris, this smart, sexy, contemporary romance is also an emotionally charged and psychologically moving love story, an atypical, unpredictable, unconventional and non-generic romance. Be prepared to experience something quite different as only can come from the pen of C. Elyana Brooke. Are you team-Mark or not? Read it and join the discussion!

This is the debut novel in The World of C. Elyana Brooke. Please click on her author name under the book title Follow her on Author Central to track her upcoming releases! Below the Brilliant Stars has just been launched on Kindle and paperback is soon to follow!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He is such a dichotomy, a sensitive artist in the clothing of an avowed wolf.

 

I have been single handedly keeping psychiatrists in Mercedes and yachts for years.

 

There are millions of people who have never known true happiness and they continue going about the business of leading their lives. I am proof positive that it’s possible and I’m still an incorrigible optimist in spite of it.

 

“It’s not easy, Mark, fulfilling dreams and quelling fears.” “No, darling, no one will ever tell you that. Dreams never come easily.”

My Review:

I fell into this oddly and undeniable compelling tale and couldn’t seem to let it go, although it was not an easy read as it hit all the feels high and low and plummeted the depths quite thoroughly. The writing was slightly hypnotic, easy to follow, lavishly descriptive, and sucked me into a vortex that was hard to pull away from, even when I wanted to throw my beloved Kindle down and walk away in furious indignation.

Mark Hartley was an English lord as well as a multi-talented and well-known actor, popular singer, beloved songwriter, successful businessman, cocky Casanova, total bastard, unrepentant cad, and possibly the most selfish and screwed up jackass on the planet. His behavior was loathsome, yet his family’s had been even worse. I empathized with and despised him in equal measure. He was deeply damaged and his attitude and infidelities were deplorable and devastating for his wife, yet he was also beguiling, compelling, multi-layered, self-indulged, intelligent, wracked with anxieties and obsessions, and twisting himself in knots.

This was a heart-wrenching tale that often had me gnashing my teeth and bristling with annoyance, yet I couldn’t put it down. I was hopelessly bewitched and lethally invested in these intriguing and complex characters as well as the twisted saga of their warped relationships. They nearly ruined me. I was stamping my little foot and wanting to give them both a good whack or ten with my Kindle, although I have to admit, they kept me deeply engrossed and out of trouble for quite some time as this book was 458 pages long with multiple storylines and a large cast of irregular and uniquely irresistible and fascinating characters. C. Elyana Brooke has mad skills and strong word voodoo.

About the Author

C. Elyanna Brooke lives with her family outside of Boston and has been writing books since “forever.” Besides writing, her interests include gardening, music, and skiing. She has a great deal of familiarity with the law and music and likes to set her books in legal and musical environments. Elyanna prides herself on her versatility as an author so be prepared to see several titles in different genres in the future, including an espionage/romance.

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Book Review: Wine Hard, Baby (OHellNo #6) by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes an Enemies-to-Lovers, Romantic Comedy.

CAUTION: CONTAINS HOT COWBOY. Do not mix with wine. Avoid watching him do shirtless labor on hot days.

SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE: Feeling of extreme temptation, excessive drooling over his abs, elevated heart rate, and loss of coherent thoughts when in his presence.

My name is Camila Clark. And that sexy cowboy right there? The one with the devilish smile, twinkling brown eyes, and tattoos on his muscular arms? He’s Jed, the guy I turned down flat back in Texas. He just showed up here in Oregon at the winery where I work.

The question is why?

Not that it really matters. I have my reasons for staying away from all that manly temptation. Reasons he can’t possibly understand but seems determined to punish me for.

But the more I fight him, the more I learn about this mysterious, hot-as-hell cowboy. I just don’t know how much longer I can keep pretending to hate him.

The problem is, I’m technically engaged to a guy I’ve never met.

BUY LINKS

AMAZON US | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA | AMAZON AU

KOBO | NOOK | APPLE BOOKS | PAPERBACK

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I know a man like him doesn’t have that kind of swagger if he’s packing a ramen noodle.

 

Just because you’re a surgeon and smart and you’re super pretty, doesn’t mean you can walk around all “I’m so perfect.” Bet she farts in bed. A lot. I once read that doctors eat more takeout than any other profession because they’re too tired or too busy to cook, and everyone knows unhealthy food gives you the toots.

 

You have to look. Doesn’t even matter if you’re into someone else, that man is a snack. Like a walking, talking piece of gooey chocolate cake. The kind that even if you just ate twelve tacos and are exploding at the seams, you still can’t help appreciating how yummy it looks when it floats by on the dessert tray.

 

The detective eyes me suspiciously. “I’d give you a citation, but poor judgment on its own isn’t against the law.” “Thank goodness for that! Because I’d be behind bars for life.” I snort.

My Review:

 

I struggled with this one, it was funny and amusing with the main character of Cami having foot in mouth disease and swore like a sailor with Tourette’s Syndrome, but she wasn’t endearing or likable to me. Cami was immature, selfish, thoughtless, chronically dishonest, prone to game playing, and flippantly judgmental, even when she claimed she wasn’t.   In many ways, she was as awful as her weirdly religious parents, and believe me, I know ALL about that!

 

About the Author

MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.

Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.

She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.

Sign up for Mimi’s mailing list for giveaways and new release news!

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Book Review: Upsy Daisy by Chelsie Edwards

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College, cookies, capers, Oh my!

Upsy Daisy, an all-new first love college romance from debut author Chelsie Edwards, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

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Daisy Payton has everything.

Exceptional grades.

Impeccable clothes.

Model family.

But perfection comes at a high cost, and Daisy is wilting. Determined to use college as her chance to bloom anew, she’s focused on only one thing, leaving the Payton name behind and forging her own path—even if she has to tell the teeniest of fibs to do it.

Trevor Boone has nothing.

Abandoned as a child.

Raised by distant relatives.

Constantly reminded he’s a burden.

Trevor’s lived at the edges of opulence for years, having all he’s ever desired dangled just out of reach. But his ambition is finally about to pay off and nothing will distract him from his goal—finishing college top of his class and starting life, on his own terms.

When Daisy and Trevor meet it’s clear from the start that they’ll tempt each other to distraction, can they learn to put their ambitions aside and fall or will they lose it all?

‘Upsy Daisy’ is a full-length romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in the Higher Learning series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Download your copy TODAY!

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Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2RyfwUJ

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

They moved like a pair of homonyms—the same kind of fine, sounding two different ways, and it was patently unfair to every female in observation distance.

 

“I’d ask about you, Mr. Marshall, but I’m sure that tale would be short.” She looked down at his groin pointedly. “And unsatisfying.”

 

I noted from my place on the floor how utterly unfair it was that she looked like a magazine cover model even when she had just woken up. I was sure I looked like feral rats had performed a mating ritual in my hair as I slept.

 

We had this talk, Daisy, Mommy covered the birds and the bees, and I covered the teeth and the tongue… No sister of mine is going out into the world unprepared. Mommy just gave you the basics, I’m going to give you notes on the advanced study, including the DIY version.

 

Daisy, yours might be the first relationship to ever died because Cupid just gave up and decided to shoot himself in the face with an arrow.

 

Dolly was not known for her magnanimity, she was president, CEO, and lead talent recruiter for Grudge Holders, Inc.

 

My sister once told me that forgiving people is choosing the relationship you want over the relationship you have.

 

 

My Review:

 

I was stunned and rather awestruck to notice after reading this well-crafted missive, that this was the author’s debut publication. She has struck gold with the first swing, as a well-seasoned author could not have done better. I had three pages of marked notes, which were rather painful to pare down. I adored the premise as well as the engaging and emotive storylines, insightful and perceptive observations and inner musings, intriguing and enticing characters, every perfectly chosen and well-honed word, and the conundrum of Daisy and Trevor.

Oh, Daisy – you foolish girl – I have been you! Of course, also having entered college the same year as Daisy may have biased my opinion, but I doubt it. The lavish praise and kudos Ms. Edwards has and will amass from this cleverly penned tale are well deserved. I reveled in her excellent item choices to elicit the nostalgia and flavor of the mid-’70s including hot pants; cassettes; 8-tracks; The Temptations, and The Stylistics; and even I had an afro in my blonde hair, although mine came from a bottle as I’m such a pale white girl I’m practically albino. Sigh, another amazing new author to add to my watch list, I’m eager to see what she does next but it will be hard to top this one.

 

 

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Excerpt

My room was small with pale yellow walls, one window on the far wall, two closets, two raised beds, and a single dresser. I’d beaten my roommate there and claimed the bed closest to the window. We’d made quick work of the cleaning and had gotten a good way through the decorating and hanging my clothes before Dolly flopped on the bed and called me to sit next to her.

I knew what was coming next. It was one of my favorite Dolly speeches. It was the “Today You Become a Woman” speech. My conservative guess was I’d become a woman twenty-three times in the last few years. It’d happened when I’d gotten my driver’s license, when I’d gotten asked to the junior prom, when I’d gone to the senior prom, graduation day … you get the drift. Dolly was good with marking milestones with big speeches.

She’d begin gently but I knew it wouldn’t stay gentle for very long, she would poke and pry and try to get me to cry and suddenly I was tired and ready for her to go.

“Do you like your room?” she asked innocuously.

I nodded, because I knew she hated when I nodded. Instead of reacting she simply stared and stared until I said, “Yes, it’s nice, a bit small for two people but I’m sure my roommate will be nice and we will make do,” I said it more hoping than knowing.

Dolly smiled, and then after a moment said, “Don’t be angry with your father …”

I stared at her confused, waiting for her to go on. She seemed to be struggling for words and so I patted her leg reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’ll write him a letter. Or better yet, I think I saw a pay phone at the end of the hall, I’ll call him and tell him I’m not angry he couldn’t make the trip.”

She sighed. “No, Daisy, I know you’re not angry over that.”

There was another pause and she took a deep breath. “Daddy wanted to surprise you. He thought you might be more comfortable in your own room here since you have your own room at home.”

I continued to stare at her. “He called in a favor with one of his friends at the Alumni Association and they made special accommodations for you … someone will be by to collect the extra bed—”

“No,” I said more forcefully than I intended. I wasn’t angry with Dolly.

Although she had kept this from me until now, so maybe I should’ve been. In fact I definitely should’ve been.

“Dolly, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I knew it would make you upset. There is no use trying to change what’s done.”

“No use? Would make me upset? I am way past upset. I don’t want special accommodations. I don’t want my own room. I don’t want to be treated differently,” I hollered.

“Daisy, calm down. This isn’t the end of the world.”

How could I explain that it wasn’t the end of the world, it was a continuation of the same world.

And that was the problem.

I wanted to be Daisy Payton here, not Daisy Payton.

Because Daisy Payton played a mean game of spades, and knew how to cornrow in every direction. She had a natural head for figures, and could even do three digit multiplication in her head. She loved the Temptations and could cut a rug on the dance floor with the best of them. She could bake better than your eighty-five-year-old granny. She studied geography for fun. She got a four-point-oh during the worst year of her life. She was good with potted plants but terrible in the garden; weeds were foes she could not defeat. She’d been kissed twice. Once was awful and once was amazing, so amazing that she did it again, and then again—so really four times, but three of the kisses happened in one session. And she wanted opportunities to roll that fifty-fifty dice again to find out how the next kiss would be.

But Daisy Payton?

Daisy Payton had a powerful father. (That poor man.)

Daisy Payton was a rich girl. (She’s not but it doesn’t matter if people think you are.)

She had a dead brother, who got murdered in Vietnam. (What a useless war.)

Daisy Payton had a mother who was there and then *poof* was gone from breast cancer. (Poor Daisy.)

Daisy Payton went from rich girl to poor girl. Poor little rich girl that everyone looked at with pity.

And she hated it.

She hated that everyone, everyone thought they knew her.

She hated the assumption that if they hurt with her, or worse, for her, then it made the pain better, as if that made it the entire community’s pain; when it absolutely didn’t.

She hated that she still read and reread the letters from her brother. Some of the pages had wrinkles from being crumpled in fits of anger because oh, she was so angry when he left. And then she felt guilty and stupid and horrified that she’d almost destroyed his letters when they were all that was left. Some were starting to show signs of age, yellow in some spots and the ink fading in others, and she hated that too because how could so much time have passed without him?

And she hated that her mother had been helping her shop for homecoming dresses and was buried before Thanksgiving. It had spread so fast.

No junior prom dress shopping. No junior prom.

She barely remembered her senior year.

She hated that her friends and family and perfect strangers spoke to her in hushed tones and assumed she was broken.

She hated that they were right.

Because the ache inside her was relentless. It constantly missed her brother. It constantly missed her mother. It would not abate. It could not be moved. She was thoroughly, horribly, broken and all that brokenness was put up for examination by an entire town. That just couldn’t happen here.

For the whole of her life, the whole of Green Valley had treated her differently, and she absolutely hated it.

But she wasn’t in Green Valley now. And Daisy Payton had a plan.

About Chelsie Edwards

Chelsie Edwards’ mother declared her a smarty-pants at 4 years old; now she gets to be one professionally. She manages project timelines by day and book timelines by night. She resides in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and has no dogs, fish, or birds, but her neighbors cat “Buddy” keeps her company by sunbathing on her porch. Her debut novella is scheduled to be released Spring 2020 on Smartypants Romance and will chronicle Daisy and Trevor’s journey.

TF

Find Chelsie Edwards online

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Book Review: JoJo’s French Escape by Lorraine Wilson

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JoJo’s French Escape
by Lorraine Wilson

 

Amazon US / UK /  B&N / GP / Apple

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‘She had me at Bonjour! Warm, funny, deliciously French…this lovely story filled my heart with sunshine’ Jane Linfoot

Imagine yourself in beautiful France with the sun warm on your face and a glass of wine in your hand…Jojo’s French Escape is the perfect summer read!

Trapped in paradise…

For twelve months JoJo Grant has been hiding from a secret too shameful to share.  And whilst her sanctuary might be the beautiful French countryside, JoJo has a horrible feeling that her peace is about to be shattered…because bursting into her life is the hottest celebrity chef around – Callum O’Connor.

Callum knows all about JoJo’s past, her time as a reality star, the scandal that has dogged her, but he isn’t sure why she’s still hiding?  After spending time with Jojo, it’s obvious to him that she has nothing to be ashamed of – she just needs to be a little braver…
But as much as JoJo likes Callum, he thrives on the glare of the outside world.  Can JoJo let go of her past…with Callum by her side?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

The only love Aiden knows involves the use of a mirror or a TV camera.

 

“You know if anyone ever gives you any grief we’ll set the dogs on them, celebrity chef or not.” I look down at the two tiny chihuahuas, one miniature Yorkie and the blind ex-hunting dog who happens to be a total softy. My mouth quirks involuntarily into a smile at the idea of them defending me, though I’m sure they’d all give it a good go. The chihuahuas in particular are utterly fearless.

 

Who was it said that a life without passion is a slow way to freeze to death?

 

She blinks, her false eyelashes make her look like she’s being attacked by spiders.

 

I really am trying to wish them well but mostly I’m just wishing them well away from me.

My Review:

Holy smokes, this was not what I was expecting but an engaging and relatable tale nonetheless. The premise had a British reality TV star escaping unwanted notoriety to the south of France after she was “officially disgraced” when her then-boyfriend, a publicity, and fame-obsessed reprobate and scum bucket, leaked a sex tape she was unaware he had created. Oh, and he was also cheating on her with her best friend, ouch. It was no wonder she wanted nothing to do with social media or men in general, much less a well-known TV chef who happened to have escaped to the same French locale. Yet their chemistry overcame their misgivings and – gasp – their connections were so erotic I was gasping like a fish out of water.

The writing was easy to follow and predominately the inner musings and observations of JoJo as she navigated her transition from disgraced to empowered with the support of her new friends and heartthrob. I was quite taken with the cleverly chosen quotes used to start each chapter and also the timely and insightful inclusion of The Power of Now, which I confess requiring Googling to accurately recall.

About the Author

Lorraine Wilson writes flirty, feel-good fiction for One More Chapter – a Harper Collins imprint – and is unashamedly fond of happy endings. She loves hearing from readers and feels incredibly grateful to be doing the job she always dreamt of.

She splits her time between the South of France and Cambridgeshire and is usually either writing or reading while being sat on, walked over or barked at by one of her growing band of rescue dogs.

Social Media Links 

Amazon author page: http://bit.ly/lorrainewilsonamazon

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Romanceminx

 

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Book Review: Fight For Me (Arrowood Brothers #2) by Corinne Michaels

Fight For Me (Arrowood Brothers #2) by Corinne Michaels

New York Times Bestselling author, Corinne Michaels, brings a new breathtaking and emotional love story to life in the second STANDALONE in the Arrowood Brothers series. 

Fight for Me is LIVE!

I fell in love with Sydney Hastings when I was ten years old.

At sixteen, we whispered promises of forever.

When I was twenty-two I broke them all. I left her and promised never to return.

After my father’s death, I’m forced to go home to Sugarloaf for six months. She’ll be everywhere, no longer just in my memories and regrets.

When we’re together, it’s as though time never stopped. She’s still the one I want, but I don’t deserve her. Instead of apologizing, I take that beautiful, broken woman in my arms. But after that, it’s her turn to leave me.

 Now I have to fight. For her. For us. For the life we both want …

Download today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SHBKoW

Amazon Worldwide: mybook.to/FightForMeCM

Apple Books: https://apple.co/32b8YA0

Nook: http://bit.ly/3284ZEw

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2HC0Pvl

Google Play: http://bit.ly/3bR4YcI

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2uYc6Dn

 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

Yeah, I’m a walking episode of Jerry Springer.

My Review:

  This tale was laden with blindly stubborn characters in conflict with each other and angst, oh, the angst. Despite a heavy dose of my least favorite things, Ms. Michaels still managed to hold my attention with an enticing and interesting premise, complex and alluring characters, and heart-squeezing and sizzling plot lines. I’m already primed for the next brother’s installment.

 

 

Meet Corinne: 

Corinne Michaels is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller author. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife.

After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love.

Connect with Corinne:

Facebook: https://bit.ly/1iwLh6y

Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jcp29z

Instagram: https://bit.ly/2L1Vzo6

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2N1H2Gb

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1NVZmhv

Pinterest: https://bit.ly/2m7MkEL

Bookbub: https://bit.ly/2yc6rss

Stay up to date with Corinne and sign up for her mailing list:

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*US only due to carrier restrictions*

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Book Review: Sing Me A Secret by Julie Houston

 

Sing Me A Secret
by Julie Houston

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA /

B&N / Kobo / Apple / GP

 

The four Sutherland sisters have all had very different paths in life, but one secret and a slightly tense production of Jesus Christ Superstar are about to bring them all back together again…

When the news that pop-superstar Lexia Sutherland is returning to Westenbury, not everyone is thrilled by the news – including Lexia. There are too many memories she doesn’t need to face – or need re-surfacing. Meanwhile, Juno Sutherland just wants a little peace and quiet.

As the local village doctor, she’s got her priorities in order; kids, job, husband, tenacious pony, a role in the village musical… So when the sexy new locum turns up – and steals her office – the last thing she needed was to be hit with rising temperatures and an over-active imagination.

Will these sisters be able to uncover the past, deal with the future and put on the performance of a lifetime?

Return to Westenbury this spring and find out.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘I’m claustrophobic,’ she lied. ‘Put me in that coffin of a storeroom and I’ll end up hyperventilating just as I’m ordering some innocent man out of his undercrackers. I’ll be breathing heavily like some dirty old man in a raincoat and then the whole surgery will be on the front page of the News of the World…’

 

The bloody gerbil was always going AWOL, reappearing when she least expected it. She’d been lying half-asleep in the bath the other day when the damned thing had run along its edge, stopped and eyeballed her and she’d had to grab the flannel to cover herself, feeling strangely embarrassed and at a disadvantage under Lady Gaga’s haughty, critical stare.

 

Patrick, the flamboyant, adored, but often absent father of their childhood was – here, Juno frowned at the memory – too busy shagging his students and being made to leave his lecturing positions – lechering positions, Ariadne had renamed them – to be remotely interested in his daughters’ musical ambitions.

 

‘What’s Rosemary Braithwaite got that I haven’t? Well, I’ll tell you: haemorrhoids, that’s what.’ ‘Isn’t that breaking the Hippocratic oath, Izzy?’ Ariadne ventured. ‘Yes, sorry, you didn’t hear that from me. As far as I’m aware, Mary Magdalene doesn’t have, and never has had, bum grapes.’ She paused. ‘Honest.’

My Review:

 

This was my first Julie Houston experience and I was an instant convert and quickly became a rabid fan. I adored her wry wit and clever levity and wore a near-constant smirk throughout my perusal of this deftly crafted and amusing tale of high achieving members of a dysfunctional family, one that would give new meaning to the term.   The writing was engaging, observant, and easy to fall into and inhabited by oddly enticing characters who entertained even when they were annoying, and that takes mad skills. I relished each page and added every book on her listing to my TBR.

 

In addition to a cleverly amusing read Ms. Houston provided me with 3 new additions to my Brit Words and Phrases List with swinging a leg – being idle or avoiding work; locum – a person who temporarily takes the place for someone else of the same profession; and fit as a butcher’s dog – extremely healthy.

About the author

Website

Twitter

Facebook

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Julie Houston is the author of THE ONE SAVING GRACE, GOODNESS, GRACE AND ME and LOOKING FOR LUCY, a Kindle top 100 general bestseller and a Kindle #1 bestseller. She is married, with two teenage children and a mad cockerpoo and, like her heroine, lives in a West Yorkshire village. She is also a teacher and a magistrate.

Follow Aria

Website: www.ariafiction.com

Twitter: @aria_fiction

Facebook: @ariafiction

Instagram: @ariafiction

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Book Review: A Wedding in the Olive Garden by Leah Fleming

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A Wedding in the Olive Garden
by Leah Fleming

Amazon / GP / Kobo / B&N

 

Can an island in the sun provide the second chance Sara needs?

A warm and uplifting novel about love, friendship and new beginnings on the beautiful Greek island of Santaniki.

Sara Loveday flees home and crisis to the beautiful island of Santaniki. Here, amid olive groves and whitewashed stone villas, where dark cypress trees step down to a cobalt blue sea, Sara vows to change her life. Spotting a gap in the local tourist market, she sets up a wedding planner business, specializing in ‘second time around’ couples.

For her first big wedding, she borrows the olive garden of a local artists’ retreat, but almost at once, things begin to go wrong. To make matters worse, a stranger from Sara’s past arrives on the island, spreading vicious lies. Can her business survive? And what will happen with the gorgeous new man who she’s begun to love?

This is a gorgeous, warm-hearted, and uplifting novel conjuring the local color, traditions, and close bonds of island life.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

“I thought it was the man who did the proposing, you brazen hussy,’ he laughed… ‘Then you’d better get down on your knee and ask me proper. My knees aren’t up to it. If I get down I’ll not get up again. I suppose I’ll have to fork out for a wedding ring then,’ he laughed.

My Review:

 

I’ve never been to Greece but I feel like I’ve just returned as Ms. Fleming’s writing was so descriptive I felt like I was inhabiting the small Greek village right along with the characters, and I enjoyed getting to know their customs and foods without ever having to set foot in the airport – oh happy day. This was an active but slowly developing plot with multiple intersecting storylines while populated with a large international cast of uniquely quirky and fractious characters. Being an animal lover I particularly appreciated the message of responsibility and rescue and rehoming of strays. I also picked up a new phrase for my Brit Word List with spoilt for choice – which means having lots of options.

About the Author

After careers in teaching, catering, running a market stall, stress management courses in the NHS as well as being a mother of four, Leah Fleming found her true calling as a storyteller. She lives in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales but spends part of the year marinating her next tale from an olive grove on her favorite island of Crete.

Follow Leah:

Twitter: @LeahleFleming

Website: leahfleming.co.uk

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Twitter: @HoZ_Books

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Book Review: The Ingredients of You and Me by Nina Bocci

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The Ingredients of You and Me
by Nina Bocci

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / 

B&N / GP / Apple / BAM

Paperback: 320 pages

 Gallery Books (April 28, 2020)

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of the “heartwarming and refreshingly sweet” (Lauren Layne, New York Times bestselling author) On the Corner of Love and Hate comes a story about a baker who takes her chances on a new town…and an old love.

After selling her famous bakery back in New York, Parker Adams visits Hope Lake, Pennsylvania, to figure out her next steps. And soon she’s wondering why she ever loved city life in the first place. Between the Golden Girls—the senior women who hold court—and Nick Arthur, her equally infuriating and charming former flame, Parker finds a community eager to help her get her mojo back.

But even though Hope Lake gives her the fresh start she’s been looking for, Parker discovers that it’s not so easy to start over again with Nick. Their chemistry is undeniable, but since Nick is a freshly taken man, Parker is determined to keep things platonic. With a recipe for disaster looming, Parker must cook up a new scheme, figuring out how to keep everything she’s come to love before she loses it all.

Perfect for fans of Amy E. Reichert and Jenny Colgan, The Ingredients of You and Me is a scrumptious romantic comedy that lets you have your cake and eat it too.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Mancini, you’re the only person I know who answers a question without giving a lot of answers.” She shrugged. “It’s a gift.”

I’m not even sure the wildlife outside my lake house would eat the stuff I’ve been baking lately… you wouldn’t want it even if you were starving. I tried tossing a couple scones that I had made this morning out to the squirrels. I think I might have concussed one of them.

What, is there some sort of sophisticated spy network around town that reports through a switchboard? My God, you guys are quick on the gossip…

“I mean, I’m a bit old for the YouTubes, right? I’m almost seventy.” I leveled her with a disbelievingly look. “Okay, seventy plus twelve,” she sighed.

You did something stupid. We don’t give up on people for doing that. We wouldn’t have anyone left if it was a one-strike system.

 

 

My Review:

 

This was my third time indulging myself in the clever levity of Nina Bocci and I am enamored with her sharp wit and uniquely quirky and dynamic characters with my pet being the indomitable Mrs. Mancini, my favorite octogenarian. I want to be Mrs. Mancini when I grow up. The storylines were entertaining yet realistic and relatable, the characters were infuriating at times yet likable and well-meaning, and the writing was crisp, witty, and divinely amusing. Creating a snarky message delivery system through baked goods and naming the bakery Delicious and Vicious was nothing short of ingenious. I declare myself one of Nina Bocci’s most devoted acolytes.

About the Author

Nina Bocci is a USA TODAY bestselling novelist who loves reading and writing about swoony, relatable heroes and smart, witty heroines. If it’s set in a small town, even better. You can always find her chatting on social media about her massive, crazy Italian family, and her favorite person in the world, her son.

 

Connect with Nina

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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Book Review: Family For Beginners by Sarah Morgan

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Family For Beginners
by Sarah Morgan

Amazon  / B&N / Indiebound / Books-A-Million / Google / iBooks / Kobo

ISBN: 9781335014931

Publication Date: 5/5/2020

Publisher: HQN Books

 

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan returns with a life-affirming exploration of love, loss, and how families come in all shapes and sizes…

New York florist Flora Donovan is living the dream, but her bubbly optimism hides a secret. She’s lonely. Orphaned as a child, she’s never felt like she’s belonged anywhere…until she meets Jack Parker. He’s the first man to ever really see her, and it’s life changing.

Teenager Izzy Parker is holding it together by her fingertips. Since her mother passed away a year ago, looking after her dad and little sister is the only thing that makes Izzy feel safe. Discovering her father has a new girlfriend is her worst nightmare—she is not in the market for a replacement mom. Then her father invites Flora on their summer vacation…

Flora’s heart aches for Izzy, but she badly wants her relationship with Jack to work. As the summer unfolds, Flora must push her own boundaries to discover parts of herself she never knew existed—and to find the family she’s always wanted.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Clare was so far out of her comfort zone she couldn’t have found her way back with a compass or SatNav.

 

Her mother had always emphasized that life was what you made of it, but Flora couldn’t help thinking that what you made depended on the raw ingredients you were given. Even the best chef couldn’t do much with moldy vegetables.

 

A teenager is a unique and unpredictable animal. They adapt to their surroundings… Which, now that I think about it, is probably the definition of a virus, too. Go figure. Even after they leave home you feel the aftereffects.

 

“We’ve kissed. And it is always amazing, and stop looking at me like that because frankly kissing him was better than any sex I ever had.” “You must have had terrible sex.”

 

Life is too short to fill it with friends who don’t care about you or bring you joy… But bad friends are like the old clothes in your closet. They’re the stained shirt, the sweater with the hole in it, the dress that no longer fits. They have no place and should be cleared out.”

 

 

My Review:

 

I’ve read several of her books now and have decided that Sarah Morgan is one of my favorite authors of all time. I simply adore her. She writes with astounding agility from multiple POVs and covers relevant and relatable issues with a lively and uncanny level of skill yet her tales are well-balanced with humor, angst, tragedy, perceptive awareness, and observant insights on all sides. Family For Beginners was a slowly evolving and well-nuanced tale that was heavy on family drama while a new romance was blossoming for a widower with children and a timid yet sensitive and eager to please florist. The storylines were multifaceted with complex yet endearing characters who were struggling to find their place and establish their own roles within their newly formed dynamic.

About the Author

 

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @SarahMorgan_

Facebook: @AuthorSarahMorgan

Instagram: @SarahMorganWrites

Author Bio: USA Today bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes lively, sexy contemporary stories for Harlequin.

Romantic Times has described her as ‘a magician with words’ and nominated her books for their Reviewer’s Choice Awards and their ‘Top Pick’ slot. In 2012 Sarah received the prestigious RITA® Award from the Romance Writers of America. She lives near London with her family. Find out more at www.sararahmorgan.com.