Category: 4.5-Stars

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Book Review: Already Gone by Kristen Proby and K.L. Grayson

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Already Gone by Kristen Proby and K.L. Grayson

Release Date: August 27, 2019

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Download your copy today!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2YXGs20

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Already Gone Landing Page: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/already-gone

 

Already Gone, an all-new standalone contemporary romance by New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby and USA Today bestselling author K.L. Grayson

Falling in love is easy…

New Hope, South Carolina is my home. It’s where I grew up, got into trouble, and fell in love for the first time. Scarlett Kincaid was more than the girl next door, she was my best friend until she decided that small-town life wasn’t for her. One minute she was here, and the next she was gone.

The girl I used to fish with down at the creek is now the biggest name in country music. She headlines world tours, has won four Grammys, and I haven’t seen her since. Until today when she sped through town in her fancy car. One look at her big brown eyes was all it took to stir up a whole slew of emotions. Emotions I’d long ago buried and sure as hell don’t have time for.

It’s the aftermath that’s hard…

There are two things in my life that matter. My music, and my dad. Twelve years ago, I packed a bag and chased my dream. Leaving New Hope and escaping the gossip mill was the easiest decision I ever made. I never planned to return, but my father needs me, and he always comes first. So, I did what I had to do. I cut my tour short and came home, despite having a sister who hates me, and a community that doesn’t trust me.

And then there’s Tucker Andrews.

When he propped an arm on the roof of my car, pulled down his sunglasses and flashed his police badge, I nearly swallowed my tongue. Gone is the lanky boy who used to throw rocks at me and pull my pigtails. Tucker is now a six-foot package of brawny, sexy man wrapped in more muscle than I have hit singles. Did I mention he’s a cop and a single dad?

My goal was to help Dad and get back to my life. But what am I supposed to do when the life that used to strangle me suddenly fits like a glove and makes me dream of things I never thought I’d have? What happens when the boy I walked away from years ago becomes one of the most important people in my life? I don’t have room for a man much less love.

Right?

Because it’s impossible to hold onto someone who’s already gone.

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My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

It took me until twenty to ditch the scrawny nerd appearance and start to look more like my dad and less like… well, my mom.

 

My Review:

 

These two clever wordsmiths tossed in all my favorite tropes with this delectably steamy small-town, second chance, friends-to-lovers romance. The storylines were engaging; the characters were endearing yet amusingly flawed; and the writing was well balanced between angst, conflict, romance, and humor. And written in my favorite dual POV. I was practically levitating with glee. Both authors have impressive backlists yet are relatively new to me – I really need to sharpen my focus and pay better attention.

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Excerpt:

New Hope, South Carolina.

Population 6,129.

I know every soul represented in that number. Not a single one of them drives the shiny red Mercedes that just went speeding by.

Seventy-five in a forty-five.

I flick on my lights and press on the gas, sending my cruiser flying past the city limit sign and the godawful billboard that sits directly behind it; the one declaring New Hope home to country music superstar, Scarlett Kincaid.

It wouldn’t be a big deal if this were actually her home. It’s not. Scarlett may have been born here, but her fancy boots haven’t landed on this soil in over a decade.

All it took was one call from a hotshot music executive to send her packing before the ink was dry on her high school diploma. Scarlett flew from this town fast enough to leave our heads spinning. Before any of us could process what had happened, little Scarlett Kincaid—the same girl who used to build forts with me in my living room while my mama made us mac ‘n’ cheese—had a hit single sitting at number one on the Billboard charts.

She went from homecoming queen and most likely to marry a rich spouse in our senior yearbook, to the queen of country music.

The country loves her. Hell, the whole world loves her.

New Hope…not so much. And it’s high time that fucking sign comes down.

But first, I have to deal with this speed demon in the sexy red car.

I sound the sirens, and the car pulls to the side of the road and waits while I walk to the driver’s side window. It’s still up, the heavy tint preventing me from seeing inside. With a hand on my holster—because you never know what you’re going to walk up on—I knock on the window.

The dark glass lowers.

My first thought: this woman is absolutely gorgeous. Long, dark hair. Pouty lips. And a tiny pink dress. Her eyes are covered by oversized aviators, but I’m sure they’re as pretty as the rest of her.

My second thought: what crazy excuse is she going to come up with to try and get out of this ticket? It never ceases to amaze me the things women are willing to do to keep from getting into trouble. I’ve been offered everything from a blowjob to a pay-off to marriage.

“Do you know why I pulled you over today, ma’am?”

“Tucker?” The woman smiles, then pushes her sunglasses to the top of her head. And that’s when I see the brown eyes I’ve spent more than a decade trying to forget. “Tucker Andrews, is that you?”

I step back and square my shoulders. “You can call me Officer Andrews. Do you know why I pulled you over today, ma’am?”

“Tucker.” The woman laughs and shakes her head. “It’s me, Scarlett.”

At the mention of her name, I’m met with an onslaught of flashbacks. Running hand and hand through the neighborhood with her, laughing and playing, only to have her ignore me the second we got to school. The popular crowd versus the nerds who desperately tried to fit in. She the former, me the latter, and the pain it caused every time she acted as though she didn’t know my name. For years, I pretended it didn’t bother me because I knew that when I got home, Scarlett would meet me at the fence, and the awkwardness from the day would dissipate as though it never happened.

But it did. Day after day after day. I was a glutton for punishment. There was nothing in the world I loved more than Scarlett Kincaid, and it didn’t matter how badly she hurt me, I was always willing to forgive her.

Her smile and laugh might’ve gotten to me in middle school and high school, but I refuse to let it affect me now.

“I know who you are.”

Her smile falters.

About Kristen:

Kristen was born and raised in a small resort town in her beloved Montana. In her mid-twenties, she decided to stretch her wings and move to the Pacific Northwest, where she made her home for more than a dozen years.

During that time, Kristen wrote many romance novels and joined organizations such as RWA and other small writing groups. She spent countless hours in workshops and more mornings than she can count up before the dawn so she could write before going to work. She submitted many manuscripts to agents and editors alike but was always told no. In the summer of 2012, the self-publishing scene was new and thriving, and Kristen had one goal: to publish just one book. It was something she longed to cross off of her bucket list.

Not only did she publish one book, she’s since published close to thirty titles, many of which have hit the USA Today, New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists. She continues to self publish, best known for her With Me In Seattle and Boudreaux series and is also proud to work with William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins, with the Fusion Series.

Kristen and her husband, John, make their home in her hometown of Whitefish, Montana with their two pugs and two cats.

Connect with Kristen:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BooksByKristenProby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Handbagjunkie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenproby/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kristen-proby
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kBRdpj
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BD4vfq
Pinterest: @handbagjunkie
Website: https://www.kristenprobyauthor.com/
Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/kristenproby/newsletter-sign-up

About K.L. Grayson

K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained

daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she

writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the

day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males,

brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that

order.

Connect with K.L. Grayson

Facebook: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonFB

Instagram: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonIG

Pinterest: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonPin

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonBB

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

Twitter: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonTW

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/KLGraysonGR

Website: www.klgrayson.com

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Book Review: Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle (Bluebell Castle #1) by Sarah Bennett

Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle

(Bluebell Castle #1)

by Sarah Bennett

Amazon  US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

She wasn’t looking for love…

When Lucie Kennington flees the bright lights of London for the quiet Derbyshire countryside, she’s shocked to discover that the heir to the Bluebell Castle estate is far from the wizened employer she expected.

In fact, Arthur Ludworth might just be the most handsome man Lucie’s ever laid eyes on – and a terrible distraction! So when she stumbles across a legendary painting feared lost for centuries, she can’t believe her luck – perhaps this is the hidden treasure to save Arthur and his family from ruin?

But it’s only a matter of time before Lucie’s past catches up with her and by then it’s too late, she’s falling for him…

Perfect for fans of Trisha Ashley, Rachael Lucas and Hilary Boyd.

Book 1: Spring Skies Over Bluebell Castle
Book 2: Sunshine Over Bluebell Castle
Book 3: Starlight Over Bluebell Castle

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

‘The hellbeast is on the phone for you.’ The last of Arthur’s post-dinner good mood evaporated at the mention of his uncle’s nickname for their mother.

 

My Review:

 

This light and fluffy tale was my introduction to the delightful arrangements of words created by Sarah Bennett, and lucky for me, it was an excellent starting point. I adored her likable characters, wry humor, breezy writing style, and stealthy hits of levity. Her storylines were pleasantly entertaining and her writing was easy to follow, sweet enough to give me dental issues, and vividly descriptive. She painted colorful and vibrant scenes with her well-chosen words, and they were well beyond satisfying.

About the Author

Sarah Bennett has been reading for as long as she can remember. Raised in a family of bookworms, her love affair with books of all genres has culminated in the ultimate Happy Ever After – getting to write her own stories to share with others.

Born and raised in a military family, she is happily married to her own Officer (who is sometimes even A Gentleman). Home is wherever he lays his hat, and life has taught them both that the best family is the one you create from friends as well as relatives.

When not reading or writing, Sarah is a devotee of afternoon naps and sailing the high seas, but only on vessels large enough to accommodate a casino and a choice of restaurants.

Sarah is the author of the Butterfly Cove, Lavender Bay and Bluebell Castle trilogies, published by HQ Digital UK.

Social Media Links  

Twitter https://twitter.com/Sarahlou_writes

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

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-Bennett/e/B01N6J6ZE1/

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Book Review, Giveaway: Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May

Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay 

by Nicola May

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

The cast of the runaway bestseller, The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, are back – including Rosa, Josh, Mary, Jacob, Sheila, new mum Titch and, last but by no means least, Hot, the adorable dachshund.

Newly wed, and with her inherited corner shop successfully up and running, Rosa Smith seems to have all that anyone could wish for. But the course of true love never did run smooth and Rosa’s suspicions that her husband is having an affair have dire consequences.

Reaching rock bottom before she can climb back up to the top, fragile Rosa is forced to face her fears, addiction and jealousy head-on.

With a selection of meddling locals still at large, a mystery fire and Titch’s frantic search for the real father of her sick baby, the second book in this enchanting series will take you on a further unpredictable journey of self-discovery.

 

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘… how does a blind date grab you?’ ‘You’re talking to someone who hasn’t been grabbed for years.’

Just as love isn’t an emotion, it isn’t ruled by a stopwatch either.

My Review:

 

Nicola May has a keen sense of humor and I revel in her wicked clever wit and wry levity. The storylines were engaging and relatable and cast with a small village full of odd and quirky characters. The scene-stealer and real star of the show was, of course, the precious and precocious Hot, Rosa’s rescued dachshund who was cleverly dubbed Hot Dog as he was technically stolen from an abusive owner.

Rosa keeps messing up with her new marriage to the patient and perfect Josh. She keeps messing up because she is messed up, and then her extreme and self-destructive behaviors mess everything up, big time. Apparently, Rosa doesn’t do anything by halves. Yet she has a good heart and a commitment to self-improvement; it would be extremely difficult not to appreciate her as a whole despite her self-sabotage, runaway mouth, and serious issues with wine. Hmm, come to think of it, Rosa and I could be related…

About the Author

Award-winning author Nicola May lives in Ascot in Berkshire with her rescue cat Stanley. Her hobbies include watching films that involve a lot of swooning, crabbing in South Devon, eating flapjacks and enjoying a flutter on the horses. Inspired by her favorite authors Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews, Nicola writes what she describes as chicklit with a kick.

​Follow Nicola May

Website – www.nicolamay.com

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

Twitter – https://twitter.com/nicolamay1

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/author_nicola/

Giveaway

 Win a signed copy of The Corner Shop on Cockleberry Bay (Open INT)

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

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Book Review: A Beach Wish by Shelley Noble

A Beach Wish

by Shelley Noble

Amazon  US / UK / CA / AU /

B&N/ HarperCollins

Paperback: 384 pages

 Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 25, 2019)

New York Times bestselling author Shelley Noble returns to the beach in her latest summer read about the family we create and the wishes we make that can shape us.

Zoe Bascombe has never said no to her family. When she blew her Juilliard audition, she caved to their wishes and went to business school. But when her mother dies and leaves instructions for Zoe to spread her ashes at a place called Wind Chime Beach, she defies her brothers and starts out for a New England town none of them has ever heard of and discovers a side of her garden club mother that her wildest dreams hadn’t imagined.

Zoe has another family.

Her first instinct is to run home. Instead, she is caught in the middle of her feuding new relatives. With one family fighting among themselves and the other not speaking to her, Zoe must somehow find a way to bridge her new life with her old.

For the first time in her life, Zoe must make a stand for her family—both of them. If only she can only figure out how.

Her answer lies at Wind Chime Beach where for generations people have come to add their chimes to the ones already left among the trees. And when the wind blows and the air fills with music, their secrets, dreams, and hopes are sent into the world. There’s a message for Zoe here—if she has the courage to open her heart.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Zoe took a quick last look in her rearview mirror, where her family appeared as a perfectly framed photo for a bare second before dispersing out of frame. Like an Etch A Sketch drawing turned upside down.

 

Actually I’m, uh, working remotely.” Just a little white lie. Just reshuffle the words and you had “I’m not remotely working.”

 

A feud, star-crossed lovers, an angry old rock star, and a missing hotel proprietor—it’s just like Shakespeare in the Park without the mosquitoes…

 

He whipped off his hat. His hair sprang out like a ballerina’s tutu from a totally bald head.

 

Stupid, really, that even though she was currently unemployed, she was still herding relative strangers. Ha. Relative strangers. Strange relatives. Yep. She had plenty of both.

 

My Review:

 

This multi-textured tale was filled with long-held secrets, small-town corruption, a forty-year-old feud, adorable elderly hippies, a greedy and menacingly villainous ninety-year-old matriarch, and loads of complicated and turbulent family dynamics and drama; it was a tasty summer treat that didn’t require a cooler and supplied its own sand. Upon her mother’s death, Zoe was tasked with the errand of spreading the ashes on an unfamiliar beach, which lead to a multitude of challenges and earth-shattering revelations about her mother as well as herself.   The storylines and writing were observantly insightful and engaging while laced with uncertainty and emotional tension as well as shrewdly placed snippets of wit and levity. My curiosity and interest were well engaged and I enjoyed the unusual premise as much as the peculiarity and vagaries of the diverse and large cast of compelling characters. This was my first time sampling the clever wordplay of the divine Shelly Noble yet Goodreads lists twenty books and novellas to her credit, where have I been?

I was provided with a review copy of this absorbing tale by HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours.

About the Author

Shelley Noble is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Whisper Beach and Beach Colors. Other titles include Stargazey Point, Breakwater Bay, and Forever Beach—a story of foster adoption in New Jersey—and four spin-off novellas. A former professional dancer and choreographer, she lives on the Jersey shore and loves to discover new beaches and indulge her passion for lighthouses and vintage carousels. Shelley is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

Find out more about Shelley at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Book Review: Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

 

Pieces of Her

by Karin Slaughter

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU / 

B&N / HarperCollins 

 Paperback: 496 pages
 Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (May 21, 2019)

COMING TO NETFLIX!

Mother. Hero. Liar. Killer. How can you tell when all you have is…

What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all . . . ?

Andrea Cooper knows everything about her mother Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Gullaway Island; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?

But all that changes when a Saturday afternoon trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one will ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.

Twenty-four hours later Laura is in the hospital, shot by an intruder who’s spent thirty years trying to track her down and discover what she knows. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumbs of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them. . . .

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He was charming, too. That was the problem. He would charm her. He would make her furious. Then he would charm her back again so that she did not know if he was the snake or she was the snake and he was the handler.

 

It’s only paranoia if you’re wrong.

 

He pointed to his ear. “Sorry, can’t hear you. One of my testicles is still lodged in my ear canal.”

 

She worked him like Tyson. The boxer, not the chicken.

 

My Review:

 

This is only my second time reading the compelling artistry of Karin Slaughter, and I feel compelled to amass copies of all her previous books.   This was one of the most complex tales I’ve read since the last time I delved into her work. The complicated storylines were chilling, taut with tension, distressing, maddeningly paced, ingeniously constructed, and each contrived with a dark underbelly that was heinous and horrifying. I cannot recall many books where I so thoroughly despised most of the characters; the vast majority of these were vile sociopaths who couldn’t seem to talk without lying. There were many complicated layers to this highly textured and cringe-worthy tale yet I didn’t begrudge the effort required to ferret through the quagmire and was quite awed by the end result.

I was provided with a review copy of this chilling thriller by TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins.

About the Author

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her eighteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling novels Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, Karin Slaughter lives in Atlanta. Her standalone novels The Good Daughter and Cop Town are in development for film and television.

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

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Book Review: Summer Season on the Seafront by Katie Ginger

Summer Season on the Seafront

by Katie Ginger

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

The Greenley Players are back practicing their Shakespeare and, as usual, things aren’t going to plan.

Sarah Powell is fed up with her sad single status and when her estranged father walks back into her life things get even worse. Can dishy doctor Finn MacDonald mend her broken heart and help her figure things out?

TV star, Nate Hardy’s career is going from strength to strength until his performance is interrupted and he has to flee the West End to hide away in Greenley. Will he ever get his career back on track or will Sarah and the rest of Greenley’s madcap residents capture his heart forever?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Sarah sent Lottie the SOS message. For her and Lottie, SOS meant Sort of Scared. Which she was, on several fronts. Dean’s capacity for consuming Chinese food verged on the terrifying and knowing that if the date continued he may well expect a kiss at some point filled Sarah with the sort of fear she hadn’t experienced since watching Chucky as a kid.

 

Today had been hotter than Satan’s underpants.

 

Sarah hid behind her menu for a moment to regain her composure thinking about something completely un-sexy like Donald Trump… She popped her head back up and stopped picturing Trump ’s strange wig-like hair and Oompa Loompa face.

 

He had a nice mouth and she’d always imagined his kisses would be soft and gentle, and not like having a sink plunger attached to her face, which she had, unfortunately, experienced before.

 

My Review:

 

This was a fun and witty rom-com with a few heart-squeezing issues and a side order of stubbornness. I enjoyed Ms. Ginger’s crisp writing style, it was brightly entertaining and easy to follow yet pleasantly engaging and wryly amusing.   Her characters were endearingly quirky and humorously detailed. This was my first exposure to the author, who was quickly added to my new favorites list. And it has been a while since I’ve had an addition to my Brit Word List and Ms. Ginger has provided me with dustman – which is a garbage collector, and squiffy – which is slightly drunk (and oh, so, fun to say).

About The Author

KATIE GINGER lives in the South East of England, by the sea, and apart from holidays to very hot places where you can sit by a pool and drink cocktails as big your head, she wouldn’t really want to be anywhere else. Summer Season on the Seafront is Katie’s second novel. Her debut novel The Little Theatre on the Seafront was shortlisted for the Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year award. She is also the author of some cozy mystery short stories. Katie loves making her characters either fall in love, or killing them off – it depends on her mood!

When she’s not writing, Katie spends her time drinking gin, or with her husband, trying to keep alive her two children: Ellie, who believes everything in life should be done as a musical number from a West End show; and Sam, who is basically a monkey with a boy’s face. And there’s also their adorable King Charles Spaniel, Wotsit (yes, he is named after the crisps!).

For more about Katie, you can visit her website: www.keginger.com, find her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/KatieGAuthor, or follow her on Twitter: @KatieGAuthor

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Book Review: Dying to Meet You by Rich Amooi

 

Dying to Meet You

Rich Amooi

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA

 

Liz Parker doesn’t like surprises, but winning the lottery isn’t something she would complain about. Before she has time to think about how to spend her new fortune, she’s hit with an even bigger shock than unexpected wealth. She has three months to live unless she finds a one-in-a-million bone marrow donor.

While her medical team scrambles to locate her miracle, Liz throws together a bucket list, charters a private jet, and takes off to see the world. The journey of a lifetime holds even more surprises, including the hunky pilot she’s falling for at the most inconvenient time.

Will Liz die before she can realize her happily-ever-after, or will the universe come through for her one more time? Find out in this humorous tale of true love and adventure!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

… a blue-haired woman appeared on the other side of the glass. Dolly Pearson, a professional busybody and all-around snoopster. Everyone within a two-mile radius of our street called her Snoop Dolly Dog.

 

The lottery office had an armed police officer, and video cameras on the walls. Three employees worked on the other side of what appeared to be bullet-proof glass. The lottery was serious business.

 

A pen sat next to a notepad to his right. A coffee mug on top of a coaster. Lots of elbow room for working on his laptop. He was organized. He was clean. Adam was not a normal man.

 

This has been amazing with a capital A and a zing!

 

I’m President of the Frozen Buns Club… I think it should be illegal to be outside when the temperature is lower than your age.

 

My Review:

 

Rich Amooi is a recent discovery for me, this is only my third time reading his work and all three have been a delight. His stories are a pleasure to read, easy to follow, and thoughtfully detailed with cleverly amusing observations, relevant issues, and likable and endearing yet imperfect characters. Dying to Meet You was a light yet observant and perceptively written tale with a quirky and interesting cast of players.

 

Liz was a recognizable character to most of us, she was a career teacher, honest, prideful and stubborn, and rigidly set in her routines – she had been eating the same salad for eight years. She made plans and stuck to them, as she didn’t like surprises. Then she hit the motherload with an astronomical mind-blowing lottery win but soon after learns she may have only months to live without a difficult to find bone marrow match. Advised by her doctor to make a bucket list and do some good with her remaining time, she promptly sets off to do just that. I enjoyed her travel adventure; her bucket list was similar to my own.   I confess to coveting her first class accommodations and personal jet, as well as the hunky sweet pilot and fun first officer. I adored this story and was stoked that Liz generously used her winnings to assist others along the way in the most meaningful and sincere manner she could.

About the Author

Fun, Quirky Romantic Comedies from a Guy’s Perspective. Rich Amooi is a former radio personality who now writes romantic comedies full-time. He is happily married to a kiss monster imported from Spain. Rich believes in public displays of affection, silliness, infinite possibilities, donuts, gratitude, laughter, and happily ever after.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.richamooi

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichAmooi

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

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Darcy Comes First (for a change): Love is a Beach by Lilliana Anderson

Darcy Comes First

(for a change):

Love is a Beach

by Lilliana Anderson

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

Darcy is expecting a celebration. Or at least a nice piece of cake. Instead, she’s served with divorce papers. Oh, and she’s broke.

With her twenty-year union over and two children to support, she moves in with her eccentric grandmother, hoping to find peace and quiet in the seaside town of Bayside.

What she isn’t expecting to find is a set of saggy old man balls upon arrival.

Needing to bleach her eyes, calm her screaming teen daughter and stop her eight-year-old son from filming the chaos to upload, Darcy is already reconsidering the sanity in her decision. Turns out, Nana is quite the player in the retirement circle.

She also fancies herself a bit of a matchmaker.

Deciding local football legend, Leo Murphy will provide the ultimate distraction for Darcy, Nana enlists the help of her trouble-loving great-grandson with somewhat disastrous results. Leo doesn’t know what hit him. Literally.

With a great smile and a body to die for, it isn’t hard to convince Darcy to give Leo a chance. It also helps that he has a lot of patience for one particularly rambunctious young boy and can’t run too fast on his busted knee—a captive audience is easily swayed, after all.

But with a teenager in the midst of a meltdown, a heart cracked and bruised, and a son who keeps her on her toes, even a chance could prove too much for Darcy. Luckily Leo isn’t the kind of man who gives up easily.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“I didn’t even know you could milk rice,” Archer says, his face scrunched up in thought while he mixes the fruit and porridge. “Do they even have titties?”

 

“I hope I never meet her.” “Oh, you will. Just keep an eye out for the flying monkeys, they’ll herald her arrival.”

 

I’m straight-up regular past-my-prime kinda pretty.

 

“Betsy is making espresso martinis as a test for our next craft club.” “Haven’t you two had enough to drink today?” “We’re so old, we need the alcohol to preserve our organs.”

 

I try not to spend too much time on one man, dear. They get too comfortable and next thing you know, you’re washing their underwear and vacuuming under their feet.

 

“We could go riding together. Start a gang.” She grins, her eyes dancing as she meets mine. The visual has me smiling. “And what would your gang be called?” She thinks for a moment, her lips working together as her eyes narrow. “The Bayside Biddies. We could get T-shirts.”

 

My Review:

 

This book had a bit of everything, humor, tons of family drama, angst, betrayal, vile villains, diabolical exes, feisty senior citizens, obnoxious teens, and a steamy romance with a delicious and swoon-worthy sex god. This was a well-balanced read between heavy and relevant family issues and humorous situations, with several active and eventful storylines and a large cast of unique and intriguing characters.

 

Darcy thought learning her husband was in remission would be a happy day for them, until he informed he was over being married and a father before they even left the parking lot.   She was all the d’s – dumbfounded, devastated, decimated, and unknowingly debt-ridden; as he was long gone before evidence surfaced of his defaulted loans and their cleaned out bank accounts, which left her holding the bag for a massive amount of debt and no home, assets, or means to pay them or meaningful skills to support her children.

 

Yikes! An abandoned, betrayed, and broke forty-year-old housewife doesn’t sound like the basis for a humorous novel, but fear not, this entertaining tale contained a considerable amount of highly amusing and provocative levity; which was primarily provided by Darcy’s disarmingly endearing and vibrant grandmother and her little gang of cocktail swigging octogenarians and their drunken craft gatherings/coven meetings/tarot readings/and busybody meddling. Nana and the Biddies were a source of constant amusement, and I enjoyed each and every one of their contributions.

 

I gleaned a few unfamiliar gems for my Aussie Word List with spruiker – which was defined by Mr. Google as “someone who tries to persuade people to buy something, use a service, etc often in a dishonest or exaggerated way” which is what I would call a huckster; ropable- angry; and gumnuts – the hard woody fruit of Eucalyptus trees, which in the story a little boy was using in his slingshot.

About the Author

Website- Blog –

 FanPage –  Facebook –

Goodreads – Twitter – Newsletter

Bestselling Author of the Beautiful Series, Drawn and 47 Things, Lilliana has always loved to read and write, considering it the best form of escapism that the world has to offer.
Australian born and bred, she writes New Adult Romance revolving around her authentically Aussie characters with all the quirks you’d expect from those born Down Under.

Lilliana feels that the world should see Australia for more than just it’s outback and tries to show characters in a city and suburban setting.

When she isn’t writing, she wears the hat of ‘wife and mother’ to her husband and five children.

Before Lilliana turned to writing, she worked in a variety of industries and studied humanities and communications before transferring to commerce/law at university.

Originally from Sydney’s Western suburbs, she currently lives a fairly quiet life in suburban Melbourne.
Posted on

Book Review: Trust Me (Lies and Misdirection #4) by K. J. McGillick

 Trust Me

(Lies and Misdirection #4)

by K. J. McGillick

 


Amazon US / UK / AU / CA  

 

Sex. Power. Murder.

Dr. Gabriel Blackwell and his wife Sandra Blake have it all. He’s a brilliant thoracic surgeon. She’s a high-powered attorney with family money. Their lives are as loving as they are glamorous.

Or are they?

When a nurse Dr. Blackwell works with is brutally murdered, the questions fly. Who would want to kill this woman and why? When an autopsy reveals the woman was pregnant, all signs point to Dr. Blackwell. Just what was her relationship with him?

Whispers about a scandalous sex club surface. How many other lovers are there? Are any of them safe? How far would he go to protect his reputation?

Tragedy strikes again as Sandra Blake is found dead floating in their pool. Dr. Blackwell now finds himself on trial for two murders. Facing life in prison, Dr. Blackwell will grasp at any straw to preserve his freedom.

Any straw.

Is anyone innocent? Is anyone safe?

 

My Rating:



Favorite Quotes:

 

The practice of law came down to which lawyer was a better actor, whose clients lied with more finesse, and who could put out the fires the quickest when your case exploded in real time. At some point, I would have to ask Mary if I could look inside her bottomless bag. And maybe even set up a duplicate one for me. Weapons and candy, every girl’s dream. These are times I wish I could get the hang of meditation or maybe comfortable enough to keep a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in my drawer. I’m always disappointed when a liar’s pants didn’t catch on fire.

 

 My Review:

 

I am shocked to realize I had started feeling sorry for these surprisingly likable lawyers. I will admit to considering their general ilk a necessary evil in navigating the justice system (emphasis on the evil), and rate close to loan sharks in my level of esteem. However, this boutique law firm of feisty ladies set out to be of a different sort as they actually claimed to have principles as well as standards about whom they chose to represent. Although determining a client’s guilt or culpability can be a difficult judgment call, one made even more complicated when unknowingly dealing with sociopaths. And unfortunately, they seem to have landed in a nest of vipers with bizarre happenings quickly mushrooming from bad to worse.

The storylines were complex yet interesting, twisty, and intriguing. As with her previous books in the series, Ms. McGillick shrewdly tucks and folds levity and ironic wit in amongst the tension and suspense to balance out the strain of uncertainty and distressing revelations. My favorite cunning and spry octogenarian, Mary, was back with her infamous handbag, stylized weapons, and wry wit. New members were added to the legal team who were required to hit the ground running with the sudden unexpected influx of complicated cases.   The new attorneys couldn’t have been more dissimilar; I enjoyed them both but was totally enamored with the rigid and robotic Mr. Martin’s computer-like brain and cataloging of obscure information, he was a well-dressed and well-seasoned Sheldon Cooper. The most compelling characters were the various nightmarish clients and their questionable lifestyles, as well as their victims. I am gleefully looking forward to the next book in the series as Ms. McGillick promised to provide more of the oddly peculiar Mr. Martin.

 

About the Author

K. J. McGillick was born in New York and once she started to walk she never stopped running. But that’s what New Yorker’s do. Right? A Registered Nurse, a lawyer now author.

As she evolved so did her career choices. After completing her graduate degree in nursing, she spent many years in the university setting sharing the dreams of the enthusiastic nursing students she taught. After twenty rewarding years in the medical field, she attended law school and has spent the last twenty-four years as an attorney helping people navigate the turbulent waters of the legal system. Not an easy feat. And now? Now she is sharing the characters she loves with readers hoping they are intrigued by her twisting and turning plots and entertained by her writing.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/KJMcGillickauthor/ 

Kathleen McGillick

@KJMcGillickAuth

 http://www.kjmcgillick.com/

https://twitter.com/KJMcGillickAuth

 

Posted on

Book Review, Giveaway: The Irresistible Spark by Abby Tyler

 

The Irresistible Spark 

by Abby Tyler

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N /  iBooks/ Kobo / GPlay

 

She started the blaze. The firefighter fanned the flame.

Abby Tyler welcomes you to the witty, well-meaning busybodies of Applebottom, Missouri, where the community takes its pies — and its matchmaking — very seriously.

Lorelei Spencer is over that loser who wasted the last few years of her life, and she’s going to prove it.

After she’s had enough mourning and midnight rage-crying, Lorelei dumps all the clothes, stuffed animals, notes, and mementos from the relationship on her front lawn. Then, she sets the pile ablaze.

It feels great.

Until it catches the grass on fire, too.

Volunteer firefighter Micah Livingston arrives on the scene and handily douses the blaze. But the fire he puts out sparks a new one in his heart when he realizes this feisty woman with a zeal for life might be exactly what he’s been looking for.

.

My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

This was the sort of terrible, stupid thing that she’d been known for doing in high school. She would have thought that she’d have gained some common sense in the past six years. But no, when she got upset, it was as though all her brain cells flew out her ears.

 

“Gertrude here found out her blood pressure was a little high, and now she’s sure she’s going to have a stroke any minute.” “Don’t make fun of the dying,” Gertrude snapped.

 

Come on in out of the cold. And I don’t mean the weather. The frost coming off Gertrude could freeze a bull.

 

My Review:

 

Abby Tyler’s special brand of clever levity has provided another fun and entertaining read from the Applebottom series.   I don’t think I could ever tire of this uniquely peculiar community of meddlesome and feisty seniors who can throw shade like it’s an Olympic event. Having spent my formative years in a tiny inbred rural community, I know that it is vastly more enjoyable to read Abby Tyler’s highly amusing small-town tales, which she has expertly cast with variable tones of quirky and eccentric small-town characters, than it is to actually live among the close scrutiny of the crabby and petty old battle-axes who wag their tongues far more than their well-upholstered tails. I strongly suspect this only makes her humorous and sweetly written stories even more fun to indulge in.

About the Author

Abby Tyler loves puppy dogs, pie, and small towns (she grew up in one!) Her Applebottom Matchmaker Society books combine the sweet and wholesome style of romance she loves with the funny, sometimes a-little-too-truthful characters she remembers from growing up in a place where everyone knew everybody’s business.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway

 

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The Abby Gift Box!
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