Category: 4-Stars

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Book Review: The One That I Want (Scorned Women’s Society #3) by Piper Sheldon @piper_sheldon

The One That I Want (Scorned Women’s Society #3) by Piper Sheldon

The One That I Want, an all-new opposites attract contemporary romance from Piper Sheldon, is available now in Kindle Unlimited!

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There is no such thing as luck.

Roxy Kincaid isn’t a biker chick anymore. She’s made herself more than Jethro Winston’s castoff, and she’s never going back to her old life with the Iron Wraiths. But one summer night, a charming stranger threatens to sweep Roxy off her feet. Ignoring fate and their instant attraction, she has to get back to her real-life in Green Valley. He couldn’t be the one that she wants when he’s exactly the thing that could ruin everything. If only she could stop thinking about him.

Luck is everything.

Sanders Olsson is going to fix his mistakes. He’s determined to show his best friend he’s a reliable business partner not the distracted flake he’s been lately. But he has to listen when the universe brings him a sign in the form of a guarded beauty he can’t keep his eyes off. Their instant connection is almost magical but she leaves without giving him even a last name. When fate gives Sanders a second chance in life and love, he sets out for Green Valley without a backward glance.

Their summer lovin’ happened so fast but what will it take to make it last?

‘The One That I Want’ is a full-length contemporary romance and can be read as a standalone. Book #3 in the Scorned Women’s Society series, Green Valley Chronicles, Penny Reid Book Universe. 

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“You’re a tough cookie, aren’t you?” I asked her and squeezed her hand. “Just ask the guy who told me to smile once,” she said. “You’ll have trouble though because his jaw is still wired shut.”

 

He was as hard to read as a French dictionary…

 

He smiled at me and I smiled back. A full smile. If it were a movie, the needle would scratch on a record and everything would go silent.

 

I finally let my smile drop because it was beginning to hurt and experience told me that it was getting that strained look that caused the elderly to scurry away.

 

It occurred to me in that this was one of the reasons why women go in pairs to the bathroom. I always thought it was just so they could discuss the deepest secrets of their mysterious sex. But they obviously had a more practical application for avoiding men who were waiting for drunk “easy targets” to break off from their friends.

 

My Review:

 

I enjoyed this book overall but I also struggled with it as the storylines were heavy with angst and conflict, which are not items on my Christmas list. Thankfully, there were also generous servings of snarky humor and sizzling sensual scenes that had me gasping. The writing was easy to follow and kept me curious despite character behaviors that had me grinding my teeth with the prickly push/pull.

Both main characters were beautiful piles of hot mess while loaded with inner turmoil and less than appealing traits. They were also emotionally scarred to the point of damage. RBF Roxy was the most difficult for me to warm up to as she was fatally insecure and on a constant boil of hostility and gave mixed messages yet was easily annoyed when others misunderstood. Roxy was unpredictable and edgy, which intrigued me, although she was also more than a bit tiresome. Sanders was her polar opposite and appeared blithely cheerful while childishly ignoring and denying his unresolved issues and personal pain. He was often reckless and irresponsible as he scurried away rather than deal with unpleasant yet necessary adulting. Yet both were driven, good people at heart, and working hard improve.

Jethro Winston has a lot to account for.

 

 
 

Start the Scorned Women’s Society Series of standalones today!

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Excerpt

“Watch it,” I mumbled as I was steadied by strong hands on my shoulders. Then I remembered to be nice and tried to scoot to the side.

The arms held me gently in place. When I looked up, glaring pointedly, he dropped them. It was Mr. Eye Contact from across the room. A little thrill tickled the back of my knees. He was damn fine this close up. Not my taste, but definitely a certain appeal. Like, if I wanted to know someone with a yacht to “summer on,” he’d be my type.

His eyes were startlingly blue. His hair was this dark shade of blond, thick waves swept back with lighter tips that looked as though it had been bleached naturally by the sun. A smile quirked his mouth and my focus moved there. He had soft crinkles around the corners of his eyes and a natural tan that spoke of time outside.

He said something with the tilt of his head and a soft smile on his lips. I blinked away, wondering if my mouth had been hanging open catching flies as I took him in.

“What?” I yelled and pointed to my ear. The band had just started back up.

His smile grew to expose that two front teeth protruded just a little. It was a disarmingly charming flaw, like a puppy with just one floppy ear. His gaze moved over the exposed skin of my neck and shoulders under my tank top, seemingly studying the tattoos.

I wasn’t knocking my edgy looks, but I typically didn’t attract men who could have been plucked straight from an Ivy League fraternity mixer. At least the collar of his black button-up wasn’t popped. And he wore nice sneakers and jeans, not boat shoes and pink shorts. Okay, so he wasn’t preppy per se, but squeaky? Like he’d hurt my teeth to take a bite out of. He didn’t even have a beard, for crying out loud. Not to box this guy in, but guys like this did not go for girls like me. Then again, sometimes there were the guys who liked to “slum it” with the easy small-town girls from Green Valley.

Mr. Eye Contact leaned closer. He smelled like a shower after a hard workout. It was like the cleansing smell of a spring morning after working all night at the Dragon Bar. My jaw was clenched tight, thinking about taking a bite out of him again.

“Dance?” he asked. His voice had a rich and deep timbre that sent a tiny shudder down my spine.

His confidence was sexy without being overwhelming. He tucked his hands deep into his pockets and waited patiently as I took him in, studying him head to toe. There was no pressure in his question. I suspected if I said no, he’d walk away without another word. I told myself I wanted to dance alone but suddenly I wasn’t so sure. Wouldn’t it be nice to have hands on me? Wouldn’t it be an escape to just be a woman dancing with a man to good music?

Shocking myself, I realized I was interested. So I felt a zing for this man? It didn’t mean anything. It meant that my warning system wasn’t going off. It meant that I was a person who wanted to dance. It didn’t have to mean anything.

He extended his hand. I bit my lip. I was here to celebrate my hard work. It was one night before an early flight home tomorrow.

“What the hell?” I said unheard in the club.

I slid my hand into his. His hand was not the buttery-soft warmth of an Ivy Leaguer. His hand was calloused and hot. What might it feel like to have those rough palms gripping the tender skin of my hips?

He pulled me only long enough to let me pass, then he let me lead the way to the floor. As I made my way to the other dancers, I felt his gaze on my backside like the vibration of a motorcycle. I risked a glance over my shoulder. His focus returned to mine as he licked his bottom lip.

“Lord, help me,” I mumbled to myself.

Good thing it was just one night and just one dance. This guy would be way too easy to fall for. But what could one dance with a stranger hurt?

About Piper Sheldon

Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance and Paranormal Romance. Her books are a little funny, a lotta romantic, and with just a little twist of something more. She lives with her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the desert Southwest. She finds writing bios in the third person an extreme sport of awkwardness.

Find Piper Sheldon online

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Book Review: A Cup of Compassion (A Recipe for Love #4) by Kelly Collins  @kcollinsauthor

A Cup of Compassion 
(A Recipe for Love #4)
by Kelly Collins

He needs to balance the books. She needs to stabilize her life. Can two opposites be the perfect mix for true love?

The last thing on waitress Kinsley Culpepper’s mind was  romance when she found the Recipe for Love cookbook. What she needed was a way to feed her growing son. Working at Luxe Resorts, the tips were nice but barely paid the bills. Accused of stealing, she ends up on the radar of Julian Dowling, the sexy Chief Financial Officer who’s convinced she’s the reason food costs are up. Afraid to lose her job, she uses a recipe to sweeten his disposition, but will she have the ingredients to convince him she’s not his thief?

Julian Dowling isn’t interested in people. As Luxe resorts Chief Financial Officer, all he cares about is the bottom line. With food costs out of control and his “always a profit” reputation on the line, he turns to the most likely culprit, a down on her luck waitress with a pretty smile and sticky fingers. When dessert shows up on his desk, he has to ask himself, is Kinsley bringing in homemade treats because she’s nice, or is she sugarcoating her deceit?

Will distrust scorch what they’ve whipped up together, or can they turn their distaste for each other into something sweet?

Find out in A Cup of Compassion …

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He had a heart. It was honed from granite, but he had one.

 

He needed a girlfriend like he needed a bloody nose. In his opinion, the bloody nose was less painful and less messy.

 

Julian knew the cogs were turning in his best friend’s mind. He always had that faraway look when he was thinking. Like all the power went off so his brain could work twice as hard.

 

Kinsley couldn’t hate anyone. She was the kind of woman who was deathly afraid of spiders but would spend an hour catching one to put it outside rather than smash it with the heel of her shoe.

 

I’m a guy. You know how we are. We already talked about food, and now we’re on to sex.

My Review:

 

I am a late arrival to this series but that didn’t seem to matter, I enjoyed all the characters and plotlines without feeling lost or confused. Ms. Collin’s smirk-worthy humor and snarky wit are always a welcome addition to any storyline, as are her steamy love scenes. The endearing characters and the issues they faced were real-world and easily relatable, regardless of culture or status. I need to catch up on the earlier installments, as I am curious to know the stories of the previously featured characters.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

 

  Goodreads  / Website  / Amazon /

International bestselling author of over 30 novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.

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Book Review: Mr Right Across The Street by Kathryn Freeman  @KathrynFreeman1 @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

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Mr Right Across The Street
by Kathryn Freeman 

 

Mia Abbott’s move to Manchester was supposed to give her time and space from all the disastrous romantic choices she’s made in her past. But then the hot guy who lives opposite – the one who works out every day at exactly 10 a.m., not that Mia has noticed thank-you-very-much – starts leaving notes in his window…for her.

Bar owner Luke Doyle has his own issues to deal with but as he shows Mia the sites of her new city he also shows her what real romance looks like for the first time. And when he cooks up a signature cocktail in her honor, she realizes that the man behind the bar is even more enticing than any of his creations. And once she’s had a taste she knows it will never be enough!

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Men like Luke, cocky and good looking, didn’t go for geek girls, she reminded herself. She attracted the shier, solid guys, who then turned out to be flakier than a Danish pastry.

 

The Luke Doyle I grew up with had the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met… He still has, but over the years he’s tried so hard to protect it, he’s forgotten how to use it.

 

Is this the part where I pretend I’m not interested and change the subject? … I hate to disappoint you but I’m nosey, so that’s not going to happen.

My Review:

This was a fun and light read filled with amusing and wry humor, family drama, and a fledgling romance between two people in transition. Mia was a small nerdy woman with technicolored hair, and Luke was her sexy, rabbit-loving, bar owner, neighbor who had a way with women, lots and lots of women. The pair had instant chemistry and gave clever and witty banter, but his reputation as a ladies man put her off, and truthfully, it was putting him off as well. Although that didn’t keep her from perving and lusting after him every day while she watched him exercise from her window. The storylines were easy to follow, engaging, and converged slowly with the plot being more character-driven than action-packed, which was fine by me. I enjoyed these surprisingly endearing characters as they struggled with their inner musings and worked through their issues to find their way to each other.

And I picked up a new entry for my ever-expanding Brit Words and Phrases List with, threw his toys out of the pram – which Mr. Google informs me means to react with ill-temper. I really like the visual on that one.

 

About the Author

A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a sexy hero. 

With a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes come in many disguises.

Social Media Links –

Website:  http://kathrynfreeman.co.uk

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KathrynFreeman1

 

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Book Review, Giveaway: Opposites Attract (First Comes Love #1) by Camilla Isley @camillaisley @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

Opposites Attract
(First Comes Love #1)
  by Camilla Isley

Opposites Attract is available for Free!

Amazon  / B&N / Apple / GP

First law of magnetism: opposite poles attract.

Single mom Vivian has been burned by love once before, and her job as a divorce lawyer has presented enough evidence to convince her there are no good men left in New York City.

The worst offender is her new neighbor: Dr. Lucas Keller, a couple’s therapist whose piercing blue eyes and flawless dark hair are just as annoying as his bad temper.

But when Luke starts poaching Vivian’s clients by saving their marriages, she makes it her mission to force him out of the building to save her practice. But it’s Luke who gives her the perfect opportunity when he proposes an unexpected bet.

With their offices at stake, Vivian and Luke play the field of love in a fierce battle of wits that quickly turns hot and personal, especially when Vivian’s daughter gets involved. Now, taking down Luke has become more than business for Vivian. It’s become a pleasure—and soon, Vivian and Luke will realize how pointless it is to fight the laws of attraction.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Her eyes blaze with suppressed anger, and in my head her haywire locks of hair have turned to actual snakes hissing at me for how enraged she looks.

 

“I create literary art. That requires time.” “Oh, okay, what do you write about?” “It’s not so much what as it is how. The craftsmanship that goes behind sedulously assembling words to produce a harmonious symphony of text.”

My Review:

This was a fun and amusing read full of levity and humorous and unfortunate dating situations. I enjoyed the comedy although I had trouble warming up to the character of Vivian as she was a typical lawyer – rude, obnoxious, and arrogant on top of being petty and childish, hmm, in all honesty, I never actually warmed up to the Vile Vivian. I adored Luscious Lucas as he was a sweet pussycat and I pitied him being the continual recipient of Vivian’s wrath and short temper. Vivian was adept at pushing all his buttons, but I think with her easily annoyed and antagonistic personality, she would most likely try the patience of the great Mahatma Gandhi. They started off on the wrong foot and their chance interactions were consistently and regrettably unlucky, although amusing to behold.   Their explosive chemistry led to sparks with a different type of heat by the story’s end with lots of matchmaker dating mishaps, family drama, and misfires in between.

About the Author

Camilla is an engineer turned writer after she quit her job to follow her husband on an adventure abroad. She’s a cat lover, coffee addict, and shoe hoarder. Besides writing, she loves reading—duh!—cooking, watching bad TV, and going to the movies—popcorn, please. She’s a bit of a foodie, nothing too serious. A keen traveler, Camilla knows mosquitoes play a role in the ecosystem, and she doesn’t want to starve all those frog princes out there, but she could really live without them.\

Giveaway

Win 3 x e-copies of the Beach Reads box set

(Open Internationally)

*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 the dispatch or delivery of the prize.

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Book Review: Fearless Hart  (A Cross Creek Small Town Novel #2) by Kelly Collins  @kcollinsauthor

 

Fearless Hart 
(A Cross Creek Small Town Novel #2)
by Kelly Collins

 

Amazon 

Kelly Collins welcomes you back to Cross Creek where love conquers all—including the secrets that haunt you…

Miranda Thomas got under my skin, in a good way. The pretty little sheriff was one-part mystery and the rest perfection. I wanted her, and I intended to make her mine. Our future was as plain as day: husband and wife with two children and a house with a white picket fence. But she was hiding something, and I needed to know what it was. If she didn’t let me in, there would be no chance for us.

Bayden Lockhart was relentless in his pursuit of me. He was like a habitual offender, but his only crime was stealing my heart. He looked at me like I could be his forever, but I knew better. Family was the number one priority for the Lockharts, and Bayden wasn’t any different. As part of the Lockhart Brothers’ Construction Company, he was used to building from the ground up. Too bad my life was constructed on a shaky foundation. I wanted him and needed him, but I was no good for him. I had a secret that tore me apart, and if I let him in, it might destroy him as well.

Could I find the courage to tell Bayden the truth? And more importantly, if I did, would it bring us together or tear us apart?

Find out in Fearless Hart, the second book in the long-awaited Cross Creek Series.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Nothing got past the old folks in this town. They might have been deaf, but they heard everything; blind but somehow could see a trespasser from a mile away.

 

I don’t want him digging into my past for dirt because my life is a damn landfill.

 

With a glance around, he leaned in and spoke in a lower voice. “I might not seem like it, but I’m not terrible with women.” “Don’t let him lie to you,” Gypsy said from a few tables away. “He’s terrible. Clueless, really. He hasn’t even asked me out yet.” She continued to eat her garlic knots, her brows high and incredulous. “I’ll get to it when I’m ready!” He turned away from her and hunched his shoulders. “See? Can’t even keep ‘em away.”

 

“The quiet ones are always trouble.” Gypsy laughed. “They’re tougher nuts to crack, but well worth it.” “I think you’re the only nut here,” Roy said over his shoulder, “and you’ve already cracked!”

My Review:

 

This installment was quite busy and had a bit of everything; tragedy, a fledgling romance, a newly minted family, decades of toxic family drama, piles of angst, and welcome hits of humor and Ms. Collins’s unique brand of snark. The storylines were easy to follow and alternated between causing me to smirk and squeezing my heart. I adored Bayden, he was the perfect, highly supportive, and extremely patient BBF.   He was so perfect he could only exist in a book. I am enjoying this new series and already curious to see what will be coming next with brother number three.

ABOUT KELLY COLLINS   

 

  Goodreads  / Website  / Amazon /

International bestselling author of over 30 novels, Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive. Always a romantic, she blends real-life events with her vivid imagination to create characters and stories that lovers of contemporary romance, new adult, and romantic suspense will return to again and again.

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Book Review: The Silent Victims (DCI Hanlon Book 4) by Alex Coombs @AlexHowardCrime @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

 

 

The Silent Victims
(DCI Hanlon Book 4) 
by Alex Coombs

 

Amazon  / B&N /  GP

 The Silent Victims
DCI Hanlon faces the toughest decision of her career as a string of political murders lead to a deadly confrontation.

A controversial, right-wing German politician is due to speak at the Oxford Union. Following a series of murders linked to a violent anarchist group, the city is on high alert. DCI Hanlon has been partnered with DI Huss to ensure the speech goes smoothly and that there will be no more killing.

Meanwhile, as Hanlon traces the person behind the murders, she soon realizes that the chilling truth has a terrible price. Is Hanlon willing to meet the cost?

 

The final gripping case for DCI Hanlon. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan, and Mark Dawson.

This book was previously published as An Incidental Death by Alex Howard. 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

As their eyes rested on him he felt a scrotum-tightening chill of fear descend over his body. No, not a job interview, more the professional evaluation of a couple of undertakers interested to see if he would fit the coffin.

 

It was huge, and massively muscled. It emanated a sinister, vast strength. It looked like a dog that pumped iron and ate steroids.

 

Hanlon glared at Morris Jones, her glance taking in his immaculately polished shoes, the razor-sharp creases in his suit. It suddenly occurred to her that when Jones dressed he was probably dressing for death, either his own or someone else’s.

 

Let’s see how fit you are, she thought grimly to herself… in trainers she could run a marathon in a respectable three hours… Grey Man looked like he’d have trouble on an escalator. She grinned wolfishly as she increased the pace of her stride.

My Review:

 

While well written and full of complex twists and oddly compelling characters, I struggled with this one as it had a slow start and complicated plot lines that aren’t my cup of Darjeeling.   Extremist right-wing politicians are contemptible and I feel I’ve suffered more than enough of that vile nonsense from the previous occupant for the last four years, and toss in Islamic terrorist cells, well… the little pea in my brain was growing antsy and wanting to burn rubber.

But my biggest concern was where was my beloved Hanlon? She was scarce in this tale for quite a while, and I missed my favorite kickass chick. I covertly aspire to her level of indifference and would gladly become her faithful disciple, although that is definitely a situation the rogue lone wolf Hanlon would not appreciate nor enjoy.

If I were unaware of what this crafty author was capable of I most likely would have conceded with a DNF early on. I fear I have been spoiled and most likely ruined by the richness and absorbing quality of his previous offerings and this one just hadn’t grabbed me by the throat in the same manner as the three previous installments. But luckily, the agile and wily nature of Mr. Coombs’s stellar writing kept me invested and once my revered idol joined in with significant contributions, all was right once again. Silly me, I was just too impatient. The clever Mr. Coombs continues to remain all snug and warm in a cozy spot on my favorites list.

About the Author

Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
Twitter

 

Alex Coombs studied Arabic at Oxford and Edinburgh Universities and went on to work in adult education and then retrained to be a chef. He has written four well-reviewed crime novels as Alex Howard.  Sign up for his newsletter at :

http://bit.ly/AlexCoombsNewsletter

 

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Book Review: The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley  @ZaraStoneley @rararesources  @0nemorechapter

The Dog Sitter
by Zara Stoneley

Amazon  / B&N /  GP

One dog. Two strangers. An unfurgettable romance.

Wanted: someone nice, normal, and trustworthy to housesit a beautiful cottage in the Lake District while the owner is away on a business trip. Must like dogs.

Wanting to escape from crap bosses and useless boyfriends, Becky jumps at the chance of being a dog sitter and the perfect escape – rest, relaxation, and a very cute pooch called Bella.

But looking after Bella comes with a catch, namely gorgeous, brooding, Chris Hemsworth-worthy Ash James, who claims Bella is his dog and will stop at nothing to get her back!

Becky’s not about to hand over lovely Bella to any Tom, Dick, or Ash.  She’s determined to watch every move Ash James makes…even if it gets her very hot under the collar.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

There can only be one thing that can beat a buff man in uniform, and that’s one who’s taken half of it off. Oh my giddy aunt, as Mum would say. Or just cor! Okay, call me shallow, sexist and guilty of stereotyping. I don’t care. I’m allowed. He looked like he was in the SAS, but with a better haircut.

 

I kidded myself that Teddy and I could make a go of it, even though he was a reptilian control freak who should be cast in a weird episode of Dr Who where he will be zapped and get his just rewards.

 

I think my lady parts have become turbocharged. That hasn’t happened before either. They’ve been pulsating like strobe lights at a rave and I feel totally drained. In a very nice way.

My Review:

This was a fun and enjoyable read, but then Zara Stoneley is a sure bet for entertaining, wryly amusing, and highly engaging tales which she generally casts with realistically flawed and quirky characters. The storylines were crisply written in the first-person POV of Becky, an original and authentic character who was well-intentioned and had a good heart but she was also a bungler, a screw-up, inattentive, impulsive, and easily distracted.   She didn’t think things through and made irresponsible errors in judgment but thankfully, she was also endearingly kind and creatively gifted. While I wanted to smack her a few times as she was more than a bit heedless and exasperating, she was also totally knowable, and I adored her.

 

About the Author

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 First Date’, ‘Bridesmaids‘, ‘No One Cancels Christmas‘, ‘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‘.

Social Media Links 

Website: http://www.zarastoneley.com
Twitter: @ZaraStoneley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley

Instagram: zarastoneley (and Harry has his own! Harrys_pawprints)

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/zara-stoneley?follow=true

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B007WK307G

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Book Review: Murder in the Bell Tower (Miss Underhay Mysteries #5) by Helena Dixon  @NellDixon @Bookouture 

Murder in the Bell Tower
(Miss Underhay Mysteries #5)
by Helena Dixon  

Amazon  / B&N 

Kitty Underhay’s hymnbook is open… at murder.

Winter, 1933. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a restorative break from sleuthing on a visit to her family at Enderley Hall. The only thing marring her peace – aside from the uncomfortable sensation she has of being watched – is the obvious history between her beau, ex-army captain Matthew Bryant and another guest, the beautiful Juliet Vanderstafen. So, when the parish clerk is found dead on her front doorstep, Kitty leaps at the chance of distraction.

The police are happy to conclude that Miss Plenderleith met her unfortunate end on a patch of ice, but Kitty isn’t convinced this was a case of bad weather and worse luck. And when the Reverend Crabtree fails to show for tea the next day, she heads to the church to speak to him. But she arrives to find the clergyman hanging from the bell-rope, dead.

With Matt seemingly wrapped up with his alluring Austrian, Kitty must solve the case on her own. But as she snoops into parish affairs, she makes some less-than-saintly discoveries. Just who has broken the sixth commandment?

Meanwhile, the killer is preparing a churchyard grave for Kitty, and she’ll have to use all her wits to avoid falling in…

An addictive, absorbing, and completely unputdownable Golden Age cozy murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey, and Lee Strauss.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Hattie was insisting I get the piano in the music room retuned and having heard her practising her scales I rather think it may be Hattie who has the tuning problem.

 

I heard that Miss Merriweather a singing her head off coming up the stairs last night. She in’t no Billie Holiday. Some of them notes could fair fetch the wax out your earholes.

 

I was not hiding. I was merely ensuring that I wasn’t seen.

 

Not at all like a vicar, and there’s tales abroad of him not knowing the difference between mine and thine as me dad says.

My Review:

 

This was a light, pleasantly entertaining, and leisurely paced cozy mystery. There was a large cast of unique characters yet it was easy to keep them straight. They were an odd grouping of international guests turned suspects in the midst of a traditional English manor house Christmas which was interrupted by a few murders, oh my. I enjoyed the author’s wry humor and especially the amusing descriptions of the characters, but my favorites involved the attention-seeking antics of the sticky-fingered, hapless, tactless, and tone-deaf cousin Hattie who couldn’t pass up anything shiny and saw herself as a creative artiste seeking culture.

I sourced one new addition to my Brit Words and Phrases list with facer – a stunning surprise or obstacle.   And this tale had a few facers in the mix.

About the Author

Nell Dixon was born and continues to live in the Black Country. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, a crazy cockapoo, and a tank of tropical fish. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel, and housework. Her addictions of choice are coffee and reality TV. She was the winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 with her book Marrying Max, and the winner of Love Story of the Year 2010 with her book, Animal Instincts. She also writes historical 1930’s set cozy crime as Helena Dixon.

 

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Book Review:  The Little Swiss Ski Chalet (Romantic Escapes #7) by Julie Caplin @JulieCaplin @rararesources 

The Little Swiss Ski Chalet
(Romantic Escapes #7)
by Julie Caplin

Amazon  / B&N /  GP

It’s time to pack your bags and head to the breathtaking, snow-covered peaks of the Swiss Alps for velvety hot chocolates, delicious cheeses, and a gorgeous love story…

Food technician Minna has always believed that chocolate will solve everything – and it’s just what she needs when her latest relationship mishap goes viral!

So with her bags packed and a new determination to sort her life out, Minna decides to drown her sorrows with the best hot chocolate in the world at her godmother’s cozy Swiss chalet.

Chocolate: yes. Romance: no. Until she has a run-in on an Alpine train with a mysterious but oh-so-gorgeous stranger…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

No one would have described the woman as softly-spoken; her words boomed out like a foghorn with the volume turned to max.

 

There was a coach tour of Japanese people ahead of them, who were buying chocolate like it was going out of style, with huge smiles on their faces, and they weren’t alone: everyone seemed to have shopping baskets piled high. It was like a horde of locusts whipping through, as if this was the last chocolate on the planet, but the thing that struck Mina was that everyone was smiling… It was the simplest equation. Chocolate = happiness. The whole shop was filled with joy.

 

‘… if you don’t want me to kiss you…’ His eyes flashing with sincerity moved over her face with a desperate urgency. ‘Speak now or forever hold your peace.’ ‘Who needs peace?’

My Review:

 

All aboard the cheese and chocolate train!

This book should come with a warning label as it has done irreparable harm to my diet with constant mention of the most delectable coronary causing meals heavily laden with heart-stopping and calorie-rich ingredients such as cheese, and deathly delicious chocolate. The characters had a shared passion and ungodly talent for food and cooking. I lost track of how many trips I made to the snack cabinet hoping to find a few lost Hershey’s kisses or some other wayward remnant of forbidden holiday treats. The slowly evolving storylines were relatable and entertaining with amusing observations, a Swiss travelogue, and unique character personalities written with an international flair. My personal favorite was Amelie, I simply adored her.

About the Author

Julie Caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen, and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for her Romantic Escapes series which have been translated into fifteen different languages.

The first book in the seven-strong series, The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Social Media Links –

@JulieCaplin Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor/

Instagram @juliecaplinauthor

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Book Review:  Deadly Whispers in Lower Dimblebrook by Julie Butterfield @juliebeewriter@rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

Deadly Whispers in Lower Dimblebrook
by Julie Butterfield

 

Amazon  / B&N / Kobo / GP/

When Isabelle Darby moves to the delightfully cozy village of Lower Dimblebrook, she’s searching for peace and quiet as well as a chance to escape from heartbreak. After making friends with Fiona Lambourne, another newcomer to the village, Issie is left reeling when tragedy strikes and Fiona is murdered, the second wife Anthony Lambourne has lost in unfortunate circumstances. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the local gossips insist that Fiona had been embroiled in an affair before her death, something which Issie knows not to be the case. Determined to clear her friend’s reputation and solve the mystery of the rumors, Issie takes on both the gossips and the handsome but stern DI Wainwright, making both friends and enemies along the way!

 

My Rating:

My Review:

 

This was an engaging, fun, light, and slowly evolving tale that took a winding path with several twists and false leads. Being the first of a new series we were introduced to a quaint little village full of uniquely quirky characters that were humorously and entertainingly depicted in an instantly knowable manner while in the midst of a murder investigation that appeared to be going nowhere. The new detective assigned to the area was confounded by the village ways and the lightning-fast and oddly powerful gossip mill, which somehow always the author’s writing style, wry wit, and leisurely and meandering pace, it was just what I needed.

 

About the Author

Julie Butterfield belongs to the rather large group of ‘always wanted to write’ authors who finally found the time to sit down and put pen to paper – or rather fingers to keyboard.

She wrote her first book purely for pleasure and was very surprised to discover that so many people enjoyed the story and wanted more, so she decided to carry on writing.
It has to be pointed out that her first novel, ‘Did I Mention I Won The Lottery’ is a complete work of fiction and she did not, in fact, receive millions in her bank account and forget to mention it to her husband – even though he still asks her every day if she has anything to tell him!

Social Media Links –

@juliebeewriter

www.Juliebutterfield.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/juliebeewriter