Author: Empress DJ

Empress DJ AKA Honolulubelle is a Rabid Reader, Unabashed Reviewer, and All-Purpose Goddess
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Book Review: Carpentry and Cocktails by Nora Everly

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Carpentry and Cocktails, an all-new heartwarming small-town romance from Nora Everly, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

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Everett Monroe can’t keep his eyes off his gorgeous tenant.

He’d like to put his hands on her too, but she’s prickly, closed-off, and gives new meaning to the word disgruntled. In other words, she’s his perfect match and he’ll do anything to make her see it too.

Willa Hill has finally left her teen runaway past behind and wants a fresh start—alone. Men are nothing but trouble and she’s had enough man-trouble to last a lifetime.

Too bad her irresistibly sexy, nerdy-hot landlord doesn’t agree.

When their mutual yearning becomes a white-hot fling and passion crosses carefully drawn, albeit one-sided boundaries, Everett finds himself in love and Willa finds herself in a pickle.

Because, unfortunately, when she returned to Green Valley, her problems came too.

When the past she escaped crashes into the future she finds herself wanting more than anything, will Willa stay in Green Valley?

Or will she run away again?

‘Carpentry and Cocktails’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #5 in the Green Valley Library series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Download your copy TODAY!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Tz7hu5

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Okay, boys, this is where I take my leave. I have no interest in unloading, building, assembling, or anything other than a nice hot cup of tea and the Downton Abbey marathon tonight on the television. Kiss your mother goodbye.” I exchanged a look with Garrett. We knew she would really watch The Real Housewives of somewhere and fix herself a huge martini, but we were both too smart to mention it.

 

I braced because every southern girl knows when a middle name gets dropped, shit’s about to become serious.

 

“Sometimes the best part of building something new is tearing down what stood in its place.” I held out the sledgehammer as an offering.

 

Oh my god, Willa! Sharing a Netflix password is the new pre-engagement, everyone knows that.

 

If a man’s any kind of man at all he knows the difference between love and lust. Lust is in a hurry, but love is already there.

 

My heart was a wild thing in my chest and my eyes grew hot with emotion.

 

“We took vows in front of God, Willa. You will always be my wife.” … “We were in Las Vegas, Tommy. God had nothing to do with it. We took our vows in front of Elvis, and he’d probably agree with me that you’re an asshole,”

  

My Review:

 

This was my second exposure to the clever wordcraft of Nora Everly and I as was well entertained and pleasantly immersed in her amusing storytelling during both, I have become a devoted fangirl. Her beguiling and witty writing was well-paced, engaging, easy to follow, and conjured crisp visuals in my gray matter while her irreverent humor kept a smirk close at hand. The well-drawn characters were endearing and accessible while realistically flawed.   I adored this couple and was totally smitten with Everett as he is the perfect man: handsome, sexy, sweet, protective, thoughtful, and every inch of him well assembled. Everett had tools and knew what to do with them – in every room of the house. But he only had eyes for Willa and called her sweetness and frequently told her she was beautiful and could have or do anything she wanted – oh swoon! Of course, all that perfection could only be found on my Kindle.

 

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Excerpt

We had danced together before, the night I’d first met her. Months ago, I’d been at Genie’s with Wyatt to have a few beers and shake off the day. Instead, I’d danced all evening with the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Every time I remembered holding her close, I had to fight against getting hard. Since that night, I had been half in love with her. The physical half was all in—I was attracted to her something fierce. The mental half didn’t know enough to start the fall, even though everything I learned about her drew me in and each day made me fall a little further. She was skittish with a fiercely sharp wit; she had been hurt. I could tell she was protecting a soft spot and it made me want to discover it so I could be the one to keep her safe.

But she had kept her distance from me—well, as much as she possibly could while living in the apartment in my basement—and we hadn’t touched again, not once. Having her crash into my arms just now was heady stuff. Her scent, the feel of her body, the warm press of her against me—she made me feel intoxicated, and I had yet to order a single drink. My heart was in danger, but I couldn’t make myself stay away.

“My sister…I’m sorry—” she stammered as she started to step back.

I tugged her closer instead of letting her get away. “Don’t apologize. Dance with me?” My hands drifted around her waist as I started moving us backward toward the dance floor.

“Oh, I don’t know if we should.” Hesitation flashed briefly in her eyes, but she acquiesced and followed me across the floor as I turned to hold her hand, giving it a gentle tug of encouragement.

Leaning to the side, I whispered in her ear as we walked. “It’s just a dance, Willard.” I pulled back and grinned down at her with a wink. Her gorgeous eyes—big and light blue like the summer sky—widened as she opened her mouth to say something, but I twirled her under my arm instead of letting her speak. Country music blasted through the bar, fast and wild. It left no room for hesitation. I yanked her into my arms. “Okay?” I shouted over the music.

My mother loved to dance; she taught all us boys how. A gentleman always takes his lady dancing. And maintains a respectful distance. I took a small step back, placing my hand on Willa’s upper back as our fingers linked together. With a step forward, she closed that distance to press against me once more. My lips curled up in a grin as her hand tightened in mine and her arm slid around my neck, hand drifting through the back of my tied-back hair. She wasn’t as immune to me as she pretended to be and I wouldn’t dare test that by stepping away from her again, even if it wasn’t gentlemanly. If she wanted me close, then that’s where I’d be.

Her gorgeous eyes twinkled in the lights as she smiled up at me and her body relaxed in my arms. “Okay, Everett. I’ll dance with you,” she breathed. Her voice was much too quiet to hear over the blaring music, but my focus on her gorgeous mouth allowed me to understand her words.

Quick, quick, slow—our easy Texas two-step was the same as everyone else’s on the floor but with her in my arms, this felt like so much more than a simple dance. I led her across the floor, spinning her out and pulling her back. I wanted to make her laugh again, like I did during our last dance so many months ago. I wanted her to want me as much as I wanted her. We had almost shared a kiss that night but were interrupted before anything could happen. She had the prettiest lips; full and soft and always pink. If I never kissed Willa before I died, it would be one of my greatest regrets. I had faith the right moment would present itself. As the song came to an end, I took both of her hands to spin her under my arms before dipping her low over my knee. Her ponytail brushed the floor as her neck arched back. She laughed, lifted her head and my heart skipped a beat as her eyes shone into mine with unbridled delight. Her sexy laugh tickled over my skin like I wished her hands would do and I felt the fall I was so afraid of coming even closer.

“God, you’re such a good dancer. Where’d you learn to dance like this, Everett?” she asked, slightly breathless and totally adorable as she beamed up at me. It seemed that dancing with Willa was one of the keys to get her to respond to me. I filed that fact away for future contemplation as I pulled her up and into my hold once again.

My smile turned sideways as I was about to admit my nerdy momma’s-boy truth to her. “From my mother,” I shouted over the music. “She loves to dance. My father tries, but he isn’t very good at it, so she taught all us boys how. We used to take turns two-stepping with her all over the living room.”

“That’s the sweetest thing ever,” she said. Score one for the nerds!

“One more?” I didn’t want to let her go yet.

“Sure, I have time for one more before I have to get back to work.”

With its slower beat and romantic lyrics, Lady Antebellum’s “I Run to You” changed the energy between us. The rise and fall of her chest as she sighed against me filled me with need as her forehead briefly rested on my shoulder and our fingers linked. I loved it that she was so tall. At six-foot-six I towered over most women, but Willa fit me just right. My need grew urgent as I wrapped my arm around her waist and my hand met the soft swipe of her skin, bared by the tied hem of her Genie’s tank top. Smooth and warm, it tempted me into thoughts inappropriate for our location. I inhaled a sharp breath to regain control. Dipping my head low, I took in her sweet scent as my cheek rested against hers—so soft. Her curly hair tickled my chin as my senses filled with nothing but her. Having her next to me felt right and I didn’t understand why. My heart raced out of control and I wondered just what it was about her that made me react so intensely.

She reminded me of a Palomino horse; all long legs, flowing light blond hair, and pale skin kissed with adorable freckles. Willa was some kind of wild, and totally free. I shut my eyes and pictured her running across her momma’s land up in the hills above town with her gorgeous hair flying behind her like a gold cloud, her laughter trailing through the air. God, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I grit my teeth as my control started slipping away again. I was in danger of making a fool of myself. I was in danger of a lot of things, and a broken heart was at the top of that list.

“I love this song…” she whispered in my ear as she pulled away. Her head lifted from my shoulder as her hand trailed down my arm. She linked our fingers and I resumed leading her around the floor, rather than the slow sway we’d fallen into when the song started.

“Mm hmm,” I muttered as I gazed into her eyes and smiled faintly, at a loss for words.

She studied my face. “Everett, why do I always feel like when you’re looking at me, you really see me?” she murmured.

“I do see you. Sometimes you’re all I see,” I confessed, hoping it wasn’t too much, too soon.

Lowering her head, she tucked her blushing cheek into the side of my neck and sighed against my skin, leaving goosebumps in the wake of her breath. I continued leading her across the dance floor with my heart beating like crashing thunder bolts in my chest. I should be careful; I didn’t want her to end up being just another girl I fell for who didn’t want me back. Story of my life.

About Nora Everly

Nora Everly is a lifelong bookworm. She started reading the good stuff once she grew tall enough to sneak the romance novels off the top of her mother’s bookshelf and it has been non-stop ever since.

Once upon a time she was a substitute teacher and an educational assistant. Now she’s a writer and stay at home mom to two small humans and one fat cat.

Nora lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and her overactive imagination.

Find Nora Everly online

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Website: https://www.noraeverly.com/

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Book Review: This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf

 

This is How I Lied
by Heather Gudenkauf

Amazon / B&N / Apple/ GP / BAM / Harlequin 

ISBN: 9780778309703
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
Publisher: Park Row Books

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With the eccentricity of Fargo and the intensity of Sadie, THIS IS HOW I LIED by Heather Gudenkauf (Park Row Books; May 12, 2020; $17.99) is a timely and gripping thriller about careless violence we can inflict on those we love, and the lengths we will go to make it right, even 25 years later.

Tough as nails and seven months pregnant, Detective Maggie Kennedy-O’Keefe of Grotto PD, is dreading going on desk duty before having the baby her and her husband so badly want. But when new evidence is found in the 25-year-old cold case of her best friend’s murder that requires the work of a desk jockey, Maggie jumps at the opportunity to be the one who finally puts Eve Knox’s case to rest.

Maggie has her work cut out for her. Everyone close to Eve is a suspect. There’s Nola, Eve’s little sister who’s always been a little… off; Nick, Eve’s ex-boyfriend with a vicious temper; a Schwinn riding drifter who blew in and out of Grotto; even Maggie’s husband Sean, who may have known more about Eve’s last day than he’s letting on. As Maggie continues to investigate, the case comes closer and closer to home, forcing her to confront her own demons before she can find justice for Eve.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Dex Stroope is in his midsixties, big-bellied with a face that always looks like it could use a good nap.

 

I found Nola standing there looking up at me with those big glasses and green eyes like some kind of click beetle… Right away I was concerned, but by the casual look on Nola Knox’s face, you would have thought she was selling Girl Scout cookies or popcorn for her basketball team or something. But instead of asking me if I want a box of Thin Mints or Do-Si-Dos, she says, My sister is dead. She was so matter-of-fact I thought I heard her wrong.

My Review:

 

Cunningly penned from multiple POVs, this diabolical tale kept me taut with tension and my shoulders in my ears while it funneled me in so many directions the little pea in my brain was swirling with theories.   I was so sure I had it solved and was feeling rather smug, but NO, this sneaky scribe had me bamboozled as I never saw this ending coming.

My cold heart was squeezed for the character of Eve, the murder victim. Poor Eve couldn’t catch a break, even from her best friend and least of all her immature mess of a mother or younger sister, who was brilliant yet also a deeply disturbed young sociopath. Their small Iowa town appeared rife with social issues and devious characters. This was my second time reading the wily and treacherous wordcraft of Heather Gudenkauf and I am hooked. I am greedy and want all her words, ALL of them!

About the Author

Author Website

Twitter: @hgudenkauf

Instagram: @heathergudenkauf

Facebook: @HeatherGudenkaufAuthor

Goodreads

Heather Gudenkauf is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of many books, including The Weight of Silence and These Things Hidden. Heather graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages. She lives in Iowa with her husband, three children, and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Lolo. In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, and running.

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Book Review: Death of a Mermaid by Lesley Thomson

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Death of a Mermaid
by Lesley Thomson

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / 

B&N / GP / Apple

 

Freddy left her childhood home in Newhaven twenty-two years ago and swore never to return. But now her parents are dead, and she’s back in her hometown to help her brothers manage the family fishmonger. Nothing here has changed: the stink of fish coming up from the marshes; the shopping trolleys half-buried by muddy tides; the neighbors sniffing for a new piece of gossip.

It’s not what Freddy would have chosen, but at least while she’s here she’ll get to see her childhood best friends, Toni and Pauline. At school, the three of them were inseparable. The teachers called them the Mermaids for their obsession with the sea, and with each other.

Then Pauline goes missing, and Freddy must decide. Go back to her new life, or stay and find her friend?

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

A hush fell over the pews. Girls scented trouble. Fights in the convent were supposed to be out of the sight, if not from God, at least from the nuns.

 

Toni Kemp was watching her. With the twisted perception of a thwarted adolescent, Karen was convinced Toni had engineered her tragedy to worm her way into Mags’s Mermaids.

 

But the fun of the hidden wore off and hindsight had shown Freddy it was toxic. A love kept secret feels barely true.

 

My Review:

 

This was my first exposure to the devious nuanced plotting of Lesley Thomson and I am wondering why I have not noticed her work before as I’ve been missing out. Her word skills are vast with storylines that tangle, mesh, and unravel with cunning and guile. The plot was rather complex and contained several relevant and major social issues from domestic abuse, bullying on several levels, friendship, coming of age, homophobia, dysfunctional family dynamics, mean girls, religious practices and fanaticism, murder, and greed. All the characters, primary, secondary, and even those just briefly passing through, were an interesting mix with unique quirks and odd yet interestingly detailed traits that at times were unexpected and somewhat incongruent while they tickled my gray cells and taunted my curiosity. Such as the detective who had retained the agile shoplifting skills she had honed as a teen for the risky five-finger discount when it came to purchasing chocolates.

The tale was observantly written from multiple POVs with keenly perceptive and insightful glimpses into each prickly character as the story threads slowly built toward a dark and cohesive core. I was holding myself tighter and tighter and nibbling on my cuticles as the tautly written tale built to a climax. And while I had guessed whom the murderer was early on, the rest of my theories and hypothesized motives were incorrect.

In addition to assisting in solving a series of tragic murders, I also gleaned two new additions to my Brit Word List with Roundheads – who were supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War and distinguished by a close-cropped hairstyle; and cottaging – men cruising for or engaging in sexual activity in a public lavatory.

 

About the Author

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Lesley Thomson grew up in west London. Her first novel, A Kind of Vanishing, won the People’s Book Prize in 2010. Her second novel, The Detective’s Daughter, was a number 1 bestseller and sold over 500,000 copies.

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Book Review: Batter of Wits by Karla Sorensen

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“Heartfelt, hilarious, with a dash of angst…Karla Sorensen shines with the perfect feel-good read!” –Author Catherine Cowles

Batter of Wits, an all-new funny and heartwarming romance from Karla Sorensen, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

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Hate at first sight couldn’t possibly exist, right?

That’s what Grace Buchanan thought, before her useless car stranded her on the side of a deserted road just inside the Green Valley city limits.

When Tucker Haywood—tall and handsome and full of southern charm— shows up to help, her reaction to him is the strongest thing she’s ever felt in her life, and it makes no freaking sense.

It doesn’t make much sense to Tucker either. Not why she hates him, or why he finds her so intriguing. He knows well enough that Grace is moving to Green Valley for a fresh start, not to distract him when he’s got no room for something like her in his life.

The complications between them are endless, but that doesn’t stop her definitely not love-at-first-sight feelings from changing into something else entirely.

Grace and Tucker are about to learn the hard way that in Green Valley, hating someone has never tasted so sweet.

‘Batter of Wits’ is a full-length contemporary romance, can be read as a standalone, and is book #5 in the Donner Bakery series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Download your copy TODAY or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He could talk a snake into crutches, if he put his mind to it.

 

Don’t you get all high and mighty, Francine. If I had legs like hers, I’d work the pole too.

 

My brother smiled wide, and if his thick skull had a window in it, I would’ve seen the wheels spinning.

 

It was as if her brain was built with subtitles, because her facial expressions were so clear, so obvious, everything she was thinking played across that face as if someone was typing them in all-capped, bold letters.

 

This man would need a lobotomy to get over his anger with me.

 

She snatched the book from Maxine’s hand. “Ladies,” she said with a smile. “This one is mine.” The cover caught the light, a half-naked man clutching a scantily clad woman to his brawny chest. Maxine rolled her eyes. “Who do you think is fighting you over it, Ruby?” “You’d want it too if you read the last one. There was a scene in a ship that had me in hot flashes for a solid week.”… Ruby looked down at her book, and I snapped another picture, the rapturous expression on her gently wrinkled face had me grinning.

 

Shame didn’t go down easily when you tried to swallow it…

My Review:

 

Oh, happy, day! Another cleverly penned and sassy Smartypants Romance book to savor, smirk, and giggle snort over. I am a new disciple of Ms. Sorensen having only read her previous contribution to this witty series with Baking Me Crazy, and I am totally enamored with her after reading this snarky yet sweet and deliciously entertaining tale.   I adore her highly amusing and seamless style of snappy banter, indomitable biddies, quirky characters, and shrewdly irreverent insights. My burgeoning TBR now includes her entire backlist and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Excerpt

When I looked down, her hands were fisted on the countertop, shaking from the effort of keeping them still.

“I’d take a picture of that,” I told her, voice low and charged.

She tilted her chin up toward me. “Of what?”

In the low light of the apartment, her eyes glowed like melted gold.

“Your hands.” I licked my suddenly dry lips. “I feel like they’re telling me something that I can’t figure out.”

Grace peered down at the fists she was making, and her fingers relaxed, the skin no longer white around her knuckles.

“What are they telling me, Grace?” I begged.

She ducked under my arm and I exhaled heavily. Without the heat from her body against mine, I took a second to get myself under control. When I turned, she was handing me her camera.

“Go ahead,” she said.

I tilted my head. “You want me to take your picture?”

Grace studied the camera, carefully removing the lens cap and pulling it up to her eyes. She aimed it at my face, and I wondered what she saw. If I looked like I was one thread away from snapping, because that’s how I felt.

I’d never felt like I was one quick step away from freedom, but here, I was. One nudge over the edge of the cliff, and she’d have me free falling without a parachute. I’d never, ever wanted it so badly.

When I heard the click of the shutter, I rubbed the back of my neck. “Can I see?”

She ignored me, pulling the camera away so she could look at the digital image on the back. Her lips curved in a secret little smile.

“What do you see?” I asked.

Her chest expanded on an inhale. “Frustration.” Her eyes met mine. “Want.”

Words lodged in my chest, and I couldn’t tear them loose.

I held my hand out and she passed the camera to me. With a rough swallow, I squinted at the tiny viewfinder once it was at eye-level. Grace came into my eye line, holding my gaze with such directness that I fought the urge not to throw the camera across the room simply because it was between us.

It was her turn to ask. “What do you see?”

My finger pushed the slick button on top of the camera, and her mouth curled in surprise that I took a shot.

I pushed the button again as she took a step closer.

“You’re not answering me,” she said lightly.

“Because I can hardly think straight when you’re looking at me like that.” My admission was rough and hard, out before I could stop it.

She took another step, within reach now, and one of her hands slid up my forearm.

One more picture, the sound of the shutter snapping between us like a shot.

Somehow, I set it down on the counter without smashing it.

“You can’t lie to a camera,” Grace said quietly, watching her hand on my arm before the other landed on my heaving chest. “It captures things as are they are, good or bad or ugly or beautiful.”

I slid an arm around her waist and tightened my grip until she was flush against me. My other hand pushed up the back of her neck and into her hair.

“This is insane,” she breathed, dropping her forehead onto my chest.

“No, it’s not.”

Grace lifted her head and pinned me in place. “Tucker, seventy-two hours ago, I hated you. You can’t tell me this doesn’t feel a little nuts.”

I couldn’t stop my smile. “You didn’t hate me. Not really.”

One eyebrow lifted. “Wanna bet?”

About Karla Sorensen

Karla Sorensen has been an avid reader her entire life, preferring stories with a happily-ever-after over just about any other kind. And considering she has an entire line item in her budget for books, she realized it might just be cheaper to write her own stories. It doesn’t take much to keep her happy…a book, a really big glass of wine, and at least thirty minutes of complete silence every day. She still keeps her toes in the world of health care marketing, where she made her living pre-babies. Now she stays home, writing and mommy-ing full time (this translates to almost every day being a ‘pajama day’ at the Sorensen household…don’t judge). She lives in West Michigan with her husband, two exceptionally adorable sons and big, shaggy rescue dog.

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Book Review: THE SUMMER VILLA by Melissa Hill 

THE SUMMER VILLA
by Melissa Hill 

Amazon  / B&N / Harlequin / Indiebound / Target /

Walmart/ Google / Apple / Kobo

ISBN: 9780778359982

Publication Date: April 28, 2020 

Publisher: MIRA Books

When a little white lie becomes the story of your life, what if the truth comes out?

For three women, it’s a life-changing trip: one finds the man of her dreams, another discovers inspiration amidst Italian food and culture, while a chance encounter with a handsome local usher in the ultimate life change for the third. But most importantly, it’s the beginning of a deep and lasting friendship between all three.

Now years later, Kim Weston – entrepreneur and owner of internationally successful Italian food and lifestyle business, The Sweet Life – has bought and restored the tumble-down villa to its former glory — and plans to reopen Villa Dolce Vita as a wellness/cultural retreat – a fitting honor to the root of her business inspiration.

To celebrate the villa’s grand opening, she and her Italian business partners are throwing a huge three-day party; flying a group of family, business and media contacts to the Amalfi Coast to join in the celebrations. And most importantly, the (still) close friends who started the journey with her: Annie and husband Nate, whose love story began at the villa, and single mum Eva, whose son was the result of an ill-advised Italian fling.

But in the run-up to the planned weekend in Italy, it becomes clear that not everyone is happy about the party, nor are they on board with such ambitious plans for the location. And, as Villa Dolce Vita’s grand relaunch draws closer, old memories and past secrets come to light, and the three old friends are forced to question if anything that happened on that first fateful trip to the villa is at all what it seemed.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Abandoned in the toilets at Connolly train station in the center of Dublin almost thirty years ago, she’d barely been breathing when she was found by a curious Irish Rail cleaner, who heard a noise from inside the ladies. There he found an infant, scarcely a few hours old, and had called for an ambulance. Even before she had a name, Annie was making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

 

She sighed inwardly. You could get lost in the guy’s accent, never mind his arms. It was like condensed milk— thick and sweet.

 

She smiled to herself in the darkness. This was obviously what people were talking about when they joked about Italian men… She’d had no idea what she’d been missing.

My Review:

 

This book had a bit of everything – women’s fiction, romance, family drama, and several mysteries. The premise and storylines were interesting and well nuanced with plenty of red herrings and misdirections to keep me guessing.

 

The characters were international and an odd lot of personalities, rich and poor, all attempting to run away from or avoid what their lives had become. And while a few of them were too good to be true, most were guilty of being selfish, less than honorable, hiding several uncomfortable or juicy secrets, and being more than a bit annoying and unlikable – in other words – like most people I know. Except for Colette who was a sweetie pie, her only flaw was being overly gullible, a problem I was once plagued with before I knew better and blossomed into the lovely shade of jaded cynic.

 

The featured locale was one of the most lovely places on earth, the Amalfi coast of Italy, and as the only safe and screaming baby-free mode of travel currently seems to be digitally provided or on the pages of a book, I was eager to utilize my Kindle as my passport.

 

About the Author

MELISSA HILL lives in south Dublin with her husband and daughter. A USA TODAY and international #1 bestseller, she is the author of 13 novels, including The Gift of a Charm and A Gift From Tiffany’s. The Gift of a Charm was a USA TODAY bestseller. Hailed “the queen of the big plot twist,” she combines all the warmth and humor of contemporary women’s fiction with plots that keep readers guessing from page to page. Melissa also co-writes forensic thrillers with her husband, Kevin, under the pseudonym Casey Hill, featuring crime scene investigator Reilly Steel. For more information, visit www.caseyhillbooks.com.

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Book Review: Dreaming of Italy by T.A. Williams

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Dreaming of Italy
by T.A. Williams 

Amazon / B&N / Apple /GP

Up for a dream promotion, Emma won’t let anything get in her way – not even love.

 

Working for a major Hollywood film company isn’t all glitz and glam. But when Emma gets sent to tour around Italy to scout the perfect location for a new blockbuster movie, she’s not going to complain. Especially when it could make or break her career…

Historical adviser for the project Mark is a distraction that Emma does not need. As they explore the beauty of Italy, Emma starts to fall for the mysterious Mark, and soon finds herself torn between her job and her heart.

From the wild, northern mountains of Piedmont, down the vibrant coast of Cinque Terre, and through the rolling hills of Tuscany, Emma’s journey becomes one of self-discovery as she questions her priorities in life.

This heartwarming story of romance and redemption is the perfect read for fans of Tilly Tennant, Holly Martin, and Daisy James.

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

JM did have his ever-present right-hand man, conveniently named Dexter, perched on a stool at his side to fill him in if her name should escape him. With his minute stature alongside his six-foot-six employer, Dexter had always reminded Emma of one of those little fish who swim around sharks, even venturing into their mouths to remove parasites and keep the predator healthy.

 

Where do I start? He eats everything with a spoon. Doesn’t trust forks. Seriously, you should see him with steak. He drinks half a pint of black coffee for breakfast out of an old tooth mug that’s rumoured never to have been washed. He carries the mug around with him hooked to his belt wherever he goes. They say he meditates for ten minutes before and after every bowel movement. He never wears green. I forget the rest, but you’ll love him. He’s a hoot.

 

A little quirky?? You really like understatements, don’t you? Erasmus is looking at quirky in the rear-view mirror. I’ve got a poodle that’s saner than he is.

My Review:

 

This is the second time I have a perused a gentle, sweet, and satisfying read courtesy of T.A. Williams, and both stories featured Brits who were traveling through Italy, and as luck would have it, I adored them both.   The storylines were cleverly interconnecting, pleasantly enjoyable, slowly building, and easily relatable, while cast with likable characters I wanted to root for. And oh, what a drudgery, the characters were tasked with scouting locations for a romantic movie to be shot in Italy. The writing style was easy to follow, colorfully descriptive, and flowed smoothly with interesting and amusing little twists and teases to pluck at my curiosity and keep my interest primed. The only problem I encountered was the uptick in my appetite due to mouthwatering descriptions of the sumptuous meals ingested and enjoyed by the lucky characters. I may have gained a few pounds from all that delicious pasta.

 

About the Author

Amazon
Goodreads
Website

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Firstly, my name isn’t T A. It’s Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, “Dirty Minds” one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn’t possibly comment. Ask my wife…

I’ve written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories, and now I’m enjoying myself hugely writing humor and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.

I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in southwest England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.

I’ve been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she’s right.

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Book Review: Cutie and the Beast by M.E. Carter

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Welcome back to Weight Expectations, where the unexpected is likely to happen.

Cutie and the Beast, an all-new roommates-to-lovers romantic comedy from M.E. Carter, is now available in Kindle Unlimited!

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Living with her mother seemed like a good idea at the time. But Elliott Donovan’s living arrangements are not working for her anymore. Desperate to get back on her financial feet after a divorce and out from under her mother’s thumb, Elliott takes a job in the child care center at Weight Expectations, a local gym.

It has everything she needs – family-friendly hours, more pay than she expected, and a super cute trainer who just happens to have part of his house for rent.

Abel DiSoto was living the good life until his wife walked out taking half of the family income with her. The blow to his ego was bad enough, but after a fire at the gym scattered Abel’s clients, and consequently his commissions, he’s stuck figuring out how to make ends meet, too. Renting out the master suite of his house to his new co-worker seems like an easy solution. They’re both mature adults, they both have eight-year-old daughters, and their work schedules coordinate so they can lend each other a helping hand to ease the burden of single parenthood.

The only downside? Living like a blended family when you’re not actually a family can present some challenges.

Welcome back to Weight Expectations, where the unexpected is likely to happen.

‘Cutie and the Beast’ is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #3 in the Cipher Office series, Knitting in the City World, Penny Reid Book Universe.

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Download your copy TODAY or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2RnGgqQ

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My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“I’m making a hard rule—no glitter. I don’t care what projects the kids have, do not bring glitter in this room.” I laugh at her insistence, mostly because I get where she’s coming from. “Agreed. I am not vacuuming satan’s decorations off this floor.”

 

I could have probably bounced a quarter off the abs on her. I, on the other hand, have lost actual quarters in my fat roll.

 

“Cougar guidelines?” “Half your age plus seven is how young you can date without it looking weird… When you’re old, like for real old, he’ll still be young enough to cater to your every whim.” Elliott’s eyebrows shoot up, and I can tell she’s visualizing all the ways her future self could benefit from this. “I’ve always wanted to have a cabana boy fanning me and feeding me grapes.” “There ya go!” Joey exclaims. “He can even wear a speedo!” Elliott’s eyes flash over to mine and she gives me a flirty shrug. “Make sure you keep those abs in shape.”

 

I really don’t want it to be here. I love my mother, but I prefer loving her from a distance.

My Review:

 

I am enamored with M.E. Carter’s deft and agile writing style, endearingly flawed yet well-meaning and hard-working characters, and the relevant and relatable issues tucked into her well-crafted and highly engaging storylines. I have relished these cleverly amusing Smartypants Romances, each one has been a snarkalicious smirk-fest and most have been giggle-snort worthy as well. M.E. Carter’s contributions to the series have provided me with both and I had the fleeting thought of amassing an altar of sweatbands and sweets in tribute to her keen wit, snappy banter, and amusing yet insightful observations.   However, I was unable to follow-through on this scheme, as the materials seemed to mysteriously disappear as I pondered the design. I am already eagerly awaiting the arrival of her next missive on my beloved Kindle.

 

 

Excerpt

In my haste to not be late, I barrel right into a woman coming through the front door.

Grabbing her arms to steady her from falling, I apologize profusely. “I’m sorry! I didn’t see you. Are you all right?”

Smiling tightly, the blonde isn’t thrilled a random stranger practically ran her over. But she’s polite anyway. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? You aren’t hurt?” I don’t think she is, but sometimes I don’t know my own strength.

This time her smile is a little more genuine. “I’m sure. You sure are in a rush.”

Letting go of her arms, I feel like she needs an explanation other than me racing around like an idiot. “I’m the one parent who has a tendency to be late for school pickup. The lady at the front desk gives me a nasty evil glare if she has to call me.”

This woman, whose name I still haven’t bothered to ask, laughs and I’m struck by how cute she is. She’s definitely a few years older than I am, but not by much. There’s nothing about her that necessarily stands out in a crowd, but her smile is genuine. This is a woman who likes to laugh and have fun. I always gravitate toward those people, which gives me a fleeting thought: I should have noticed my ex-wife hardly ever smiled for real. Laughing was even rarer unless it was at someone else’s expense. Those should have been easy indicators she wasn’t the one for me.

“Parker Elementary?” the blonde asks.

“Yeah.” I give her a quizzical look. “How did you know?”

“Do not mess with Ms. Alexander’s routine. She will cut a bitch.”

My laugh comes easily, and I find myself hoping this woman is a new member. She’s funny. I love it when clients have a sense of humor. Offering her my hand, I introduce myself. “I’m Abel. Trainer here at Weight Expectations and father of Mabel in second grade.”

She places her cold hand in mine. “Elliott. Interviewee for the childcare position and mother of Ainsley, also in second grade.”

“Ah! Well it’s nice to meet you. Fingers crossed I’ll see you here later as a fellow employee. And if not here, at Parker Elementary as a fellow parent. Hopefully not in Ms. Alexander’s line of sight.”

Elliott holds up her gloved hands and crosses her fingers around each other. “Wish me luck. Now run fast.”

About M.E. Carter

My name is M.E. Carter and I have no idea how I ended up writing books. I’m more of a storyteller (the more exaggerated the better) and I happen to know people who helped me get those stories on paper. I love reading (read almost 200 books last year), hate working out (but I do it anyway because my trainer makes me), love food (but hate what it does to my butt) and love traveling to non-touristy places most people never see. I live in Houston with my four kids, Mary, Elizabeth, Carter and Bug, who was just a twinkle in my eye when I came up with my pen name. Yeah, I’ll probably have to pay for his therapy someday for being left out.

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Find M.E. Carter online

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Website: https://www.authormecarter.com/

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Book Review: Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles

Simon the Fiddler
by Paulette Jiles

Amazon / B&N / HarperCollins

 Publisher: William Morrow (April 14, 2020)

The critically acclaimed, bestselling author of News of the World and Enemy Women returns to Texas in this atmospheric story, set at the end of the Civil War, about an itinerant fiddle player, a ragtag band of musicians with whom he travels trying to make a living, and the charming young Irish lass who steals his heart.

In March 1865, the long and bitter War between the States is winding down. Till now, twenty-three-year-old Simon Boudlin has evaded military duty thanks to his slight stature, youthful appearance, and utter lack of compunction about bending the truth. But following a barroom brawl in Victoria, Texas, Simon finds himself conscripted, however belatedly, into the Confederate Army. Luckily his talent with a fiddle gets him a comparatively easy position in a regimental band.

Weeks later, on the eve of the Confederate surrender, Simon and his bandmates are called to play for officers and their families from both sides of the conflict. There the quick-thinking, audacious fiddler can’t help but notice the lovely Doris Mary Dillon, an indentured girl from Ireland, who is governess to a Union colonel’s daughter.

After the surrender, Simon and Doris go their separate ways. He will travel around Texas seeking fame and fortune as a musician. She must accompany the colonel’s family to finish her three years of service. But Simon cannot forget the fair Irish maiden and vows that someday he will find her again.

Incandescent in its beauty, told in Paulette Jiles’s trademark spare yet lilting style, Simon the Fiddler is a captivating, bittersweet tale of the chances a devoted man will take, and the lengths he will go to fulfill his heart’s yearning.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I am faithful to my friends and you can go to hell and shovel ashes.

 

She must take great care. Trust in God, her mother said, but never dance in a small boat.

 

Damon watched amazed as the man touched his hat and stood aside, but then this was the way of it when somebody carried a musical instrument, who knows why but they treat you like a woman carrying a baby. That plus a threatening glare would clear the way. Soldiers and others watched them pass with interested looks because they carried instruments and there is not a human being on earth who does not have a favorite song, lacking only somebody to play it.

 

He knew that he did not play music so much as walk into it, as if into a palace of great riches, with rooms opening into other rooms, which opened into still other rooms, and in these rooms were courtyards and fountains with passageways to yet more mysterious spaces of melody, peculiar intervals, unheard notes.

 

Pressley was a fat, pale man with slow movements and protruding eyes. He had a very deep voice that seemed to issue from him as if it had first been cast into him from somewhere else.

My Review:

 

I’m still contemplating and ruminating over the unusual style and approach of this book. It took me twice as long to finish as it normally would for a book of the same length. The writing style was oddly captivating, yet arduous to get through as it was laden with a staggering amount of well-researched language and items of the time, as well as intricate details of the tiniest of minutia, much of which was unfamiliar and surprisingly interesting but at other times quite tedious and laborious to wade through, and significantly slowed the storylines which progressed in accelerated bursts and slow easy starts.   Yet I remained oddly intrigued and curious as to their fate throughout this slowly unfolding story.

 

The emotional tone was taut with tension and fraught with angst, frustration, contained rage, imminent peril, fear, thirst and hunger, yearning, intense poverty, lack of social or legal recourse, and unrelenting exhaustion. Although, slivers of clever humor sparkled among the gloom and doom of the aftermath of war and the mistreatment and abuse of power exercised over the citizens and defeated soldiers by the arrogant victors.   I greatly enjoyed the pearls of wisdom and uncanny literary quotes and observations from the secondary character of Damon. What a dreadful period in history to have lived through. I am far too spoiled by my creature comforts. I require indoor plumbing, electrical current, ready transportation, and unrestricted access to the all-important major food groups – like grapes and chocolate.

I was provided with a review copy of this oddly compelling book by TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins.

About the Author

Paulette Jiles is a novelist, poet, and memoirist. She is the author of Cousins, a memoir, and the novels Enemy Women, Stormy Weather, The Color of Lightning, Lighthouse Island, and News of the World, which was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award. She lives on a ranch near San Antonio, Texas.

Find out more about Paulette at her website.

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Book Review: Willow’s Wedding Vows by Debbie Viggiano 

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Willow’s Wedding Vows
by Debbie Viggiano 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA  

Wedding vows have never been this personal…

Willow has been living with marriage-shy Charlie for more years than she cares to remember and is old-fashioned enough to want a wedding band and a loads-of-sex honeymoon before stretchmarks and nipple shields.

So when the once-wary Charlie surprisingly goes down on one knee, Willow doesn’t question why her boyfriend is suddenly so keen to rush her into saying “I do”.

The first clue comes as Willow is zipped into her Cinderella dress, the second as she bobs into the wedding car, and the third as the Roller swings towards its fairy-tale destination… leaving a shell-shocked Willow desperately trying to figure out what to do next.

A bride can do anything she wants on her wedding day, but nobody expected her to do this…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Kev had more faults than the cracks in Earth’s crusts and could be feistier than a racehorse waiting for the off at the Grand National.

 

Jean was now turning to face Willow, her face looking like a walrus who’d anticipated a fish supper but been given tofu.

 

She told me I have all the passion of a pensioner at a rave.

 

Karen, pursing her lips. ‘Don’t do that… That thing with your mouth. Makes it look like a cat’s bum.’

My Review:

 

This was a fun and delightfully comical tale full of saucy humor, conflicted characters, and a few selfish, contemptible, sleazy, and vile lying cheats. At first, I was restless and alarmed at the rocketing infidelity and breezy disregard Charlie exhibited toward Willow, as well as her lack of observational skills, complete gullibility, and inability to consider warnings. Willow was a sap, quite slow on the uptake, and more than a bit ditzy, but that “sneery little voice in her head” knew better. I have one of those too, although mine generally makes naughty observations and floods my mind with useless bits of information when I’m trying to recall something important like how many calories are in ice cream or my true age.

Ms. Viggiano’s storylines were crisp and amusingly entertaining, the banter was snappy, her characters were enticing yet fatally flawed and humorously detailed, and her analogies were absurdly creative and called up sharply focused and ironic visuals.   I smirked, cringed, and giggle-snorted while I read and although I had solved the mystery of the identities of the guilty parties, I still enjoyed the bumpy ride all the way to disembarking the vehicle. This was my first exposure to the comedic stylings of Debbie Viggiano and I adored her clever humor and wry wit so much I have added her entire Goodreads listing to my TBR.

Ms. Viggiano has also provided me with two new additions to my Brit Words and Phrases list with gave it some welly – to use force, and ear-wigging – to eavesdrop.

About the Author

 

Amazon
Goodreads
Website

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.Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued puppy from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her children return home from uni bringing her much joy…apart from their gifts of dirty laundry.

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Book Review: The First Date by Zara Stoneley

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The First Date
by Zara Stoneley

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N / GP / Apple

Right place.
Right time.
Wrong guy …

After breaking up with her childhood sweetheart, clueless dater Rosie has found herself in a boyfriend-drought. So when she finally swipes right on a guy who seems interested, she can’t wait to meet up IRL.

Until she’s left standing alone. In a bar. Ghosted.

Enter Noah. Confident, funny … and a serial first dater. Offering to give Rosie a crash course in seduction, this could be just what she needs. Until her matchmaker turns out to be the best date she’s ever had – and Rosie wonders if she wants the fake dates to be the real ones after all …

A hilarious, heartwarming romantic comedy about what happens when the wrong guy turns up at the right time, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Debbie Johnson.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I go out looking for men, but I just find wankers and bell-ends.

 

He has missed birthdays, holidays and even Christmas on one memorable occasion – memorable because I have never heard my mum scream so loud or threaten to cut off his goolies and hang them from the highest branches of the tree. Quite honestly, at eight years old this held a morbid fascination and I did wonder what colour string she’d use and if she’d drape tinsel round them.

 

He chuckles, and it’s a rich, chocolatey sound that makes me squeeze my hands together, hunch my shoulders and want to rush round in circles laughing like an excited cartoon princess.

 

This could be like agreeing to enter a shark cage just because you want to look at the pretty penguins that they’re about to eat.

 

I really could have grabbed Noah and kissed him. As in totally snogged his face off. Tonsils, tongues and tits as my mate at school used to say when we were young and hormonally challenged.

 

…come on get a move on we’ve only got two hours and three minutes to get you defuzzed and looking completely au-naturel. And we all know that takes bloody ages! Can’t you just go for tarty and high-maintenance? I can achieve that in half an hour flat.

My Review:

 

I always enjoy losing myself to Zara Stoneley’s giggle-snort and smirk-worthy levity, wry wit, and endearingly awkward and quirky characters who tend to be more than a bit chipped, frayed, or fully cracked. This cleverly penned, maddeningly paced, slowly evolving, and highly amusing tale appeared to be a hybrid of women’s fiction, romantic/comedy, family drama, and slow-burn romance. I adore Ms. Stoneley’s comedically descriptive, multi-faceted, and well-nuanced writing style; she entertains while requiring me to expend a bit of effort to get there, which flavors that HEA all the sweeter.

And I picked up a naughty little entry for my Brit Word List with bell-end – which appears to be vulgar British slang for the end of the penis as well as a contemptible or foolish person. Like Rosie’s friend Bea, I’ve swum in that dating pool as well 😉

About the Author

Amazon
Goodreads
Website

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Zara Stoneley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Date.

Born in a small village in the UK, she wanted to be a female James Herriot, a spy, or an author when she grew up. After many (many) years and many different jobs, her dream of writing a bestseller came true.

She writes about friendship, dreams, love, and happy ever afters, and hopes that her tales make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and occasionally say ‘ahhh’.

Zara now lives in a Cheshire village with her family, a lively cockapoo called Harry, and a very bossy (and slightly evil) cat called Saffron.

Zara’s bestselling novels include ‘The Wedding Date’, ‘The Holiday Swap’, ‘Summer with the Country Village Vet’, ‘Blackberry Picking at Jasmine Cottage‘ and the popular Tippermere series – ‘Stable Mates’, ‘Country Affairs’ and ‘Country Rivals’.