Category: 4-Stars

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Book Review: Coming Home to Penvennan Cove by Linn B. Halton @LinnBHalton @Aria_Fiction

Coming Home to Penvennan Cove
by Linn B. Halton

Amazon  / B&N / GP/ Apple 

 

Can Kerra’s Cornish hometown offer the fresh start she needs?

When Kerra left the quiet Cornish town of Penvennan Cove for the bright lights of London she didn’t look back. But after the death of her mother, she’s decided it’s time to face her past and return to the place she called home. Her father needs her, and perhaps she needs him more than she’s willing to admit?

Tackling town gossip, home renovations, and a flame from her past, it’s not quite smooth sailing for Kerra. Ross is the bad boy she was meant to forget, not a man who still sets her heart aflutter. As he helps bring her dream home to life, they begin to break down the barriers that have been holding them back, and in the process learn things about themselves they never thought possible.

As friends old and new come together, the future in Penvennan looks bright.

Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson, Phillipa Ashley, and Julie Houston.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

You never get over the first one, do you? All those fantasy ‘what if?’ daydreams, although in my case it was more if only… I was way too shy, in those days, to let my feelings be known.

 

That’s another thing about village life. There are circles. And some you don’t want to join. Others, well, you need an invite. Me, I’m going to create my own little circle because I’ve suddenly remembered one of the reasons why I left in the first place. Square peg, round hole.

 

It’s funny how life can begin to feel more like a treadmill than a path, and we don’t even notice it happening.

 

Love is the thing that grows over time, lust is the thing that tempts you to hang around long enough to find out if it has a chance of going anywhere.’

 

I want a cat’s life, I decide. Sleep, eat, have people fawn over you, put the world to rights in cat talk and pretend you can’t understand when anyone talks back. Sounds like heaven to me.

My Review:

 

This was an enjoyable, gentle, and slowly evolving character-driven story with real-life issues and concerns. I took pleasure in the author’s relaxed pace, easy to follow, and tender and warm style. The story was written in the first person POV of Kerra, a successful and intelligent young businesswoman who had more than achieved her business dreams at age twenty-nine and felt at loose ends, exhausted, and disengaged. Returning to her small village in Cornwall to assist her recently widowed father became Kerra’s new agenda.

As the story unfolded, I noticed all the characters primary and secondary appeared to be experiencing upheaval and significant transitions. I enjoyed Kerra’s inner narratives, personal epiphanies, and insightful observations of her neighbors, adopted cat, friends, family, and small village life. The storylines flowed at a leisurely pace and were filled with a large cast of knowable and engaging characters to care for and about.  

About the Author

Twitter

Facebook

From interior designer to author, when Linn B. Halton’s not writing or spending time with the family, she’s either upcycling furniture or working in the garden. Linn won the 2013 UK Festival of Romance: Innovation in Romantic Fiction award; her novels have been shortlisted in the UK’s Festival of Romance and the eFestival of Words Book Awards. Living in Coed Duon in the Welsh Valleys with her ‘rock’, Lawrence, and gorgeous Bengal cat Ziggy, she freely admits she’s an eternal romantic. Linn is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and the Society of Authors. Linn writes feel-good, uplifting novels about life, love, and relationships.

 

 

 

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Book Review: Final Second (A Grant Fletcher Thriller #2) by John Ryder @Bookouture @JohnRyder101

 

Final Second
(A Grant Fletcher Thriller #2)
by John Ryder

 

 

Amazon  /  B&N 

Sometimes it takes a stranger to find a killer…

In a small farming town in rural Wisconsin—where generations of families have lived in peace for decades—no one expects trouble to come calling.

But then a farmer’s beautiful young wife is found brutally murdered, with a chilling calling card that suggests she’s just the first victim of a serial killer. And the FBI elect not to send one of their own. Instead, they send a stranger to town—former Royal Marine turned mercenary, Grant Fletcher. And they’re giving him no choice. Find the killer. Because we know what you’ve done.

With the threat of the executioner’s chair hanging over him, Fletcher finds himself in an impossible situation—and a race against time. Catch a murderer whose killings are escalating with every day that passes. Or face certain death…

Fans of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, and David Baldacci’s Amos Decker will love the Grant Fletcher series.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I’m the one who sells Mick his beer. Every night when he leaves the Tavern he’s like a puppet with the strings cut.

 

Fletcher knew it was uncharitable to understand why Walt had found comfort in the arms of another woman, but the pernicious Mrs. Renard had stripped him of his desire to see her in a positive light… he couldn’t see her as the killer. He figured that would be too quick, too painless for a woman like her. That she’d be the type who’d gladly cut her own nose off to spite someone else’s face. She’d want to make her husband suffer, to have him regret his dalliance every time she gave him a look or chastising word. She would prefer to execute him with a thousand verbal cuts than a knife to the heart or a slash to the throat.

 

Dressed as he was in a black suit with white shirt and black tie, the caller was either an FBI Special Agent, or an out-of-work actor who was about to attend an audition for a remake of Reservoir Dogs.

 

Like so many other librarians he’d met, she had a pair of reading glasses hanging against her chest on what Wendy referred to as a “granny chain.”

 

She was late forties to early fifties and had the look of someone who’d ambushed more than one bottle of wine.

 

My Review:

 

I relish Mr. Ryder’s descriptions and character development, I found myself looking forward to the introduction of each new character to delight in the witty and pithy manner in which he would describe them. His humor went a long way in easing the unrelenting tension facing the tightly coiled main protagonists.

This was a complicated and gritty tale that I would never have unraveled under my own steam. I struggled some with the number and length of the violent physical conflicts poor Fletcher had to endure. This installment would undoubtedly be more popular and exciting for bloodthirsty readers as it was heavy with pages and pages of brutal physical altercations, and combative knife fights in minute blow-by-blow detail.   And while I understand that may be thrilling to some, it grew tiresome for me. I wanted my clever hero to get back to the snarky observations and amusing and slick displays of one-upmanship.   Not that I have ever behaved in such a manner 😉

About the Author

John Ryder is a former farmworker and joiner. He’s turned his hand to many skills to put food on the table and clothes on his back. A life-long bibliophile, he eventually summoned the courage to try writing himself, and his Grant Fletcher novels have drawn inspiration from authors such as Lee Child, Tom Cain, Zoe Sharp, and Matt Hilton. When it comes to future novels, he says he has more ideas than time to write them.

When not writing, John enjoys spending time with his son, reading, and socializing with friends. A fanatic supporter of his local football team, he can often be found shouting encouragement to men much younger and fitter than he is.

 

Author Social Media Links:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRyder101

 

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Book Review: Her Final Prayer (Detective Clara Jefferies #2) by Kathryn Casey @KathrynCasey @bookouture

Her Final Prayer
(Detective Clara Jefferies #2)
by Kathryn Casey

 

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she scanned the house. Her eyes traveled over the porch where three empty chairs lazily rocked in the breeze, surrounded by scattered children’s toys. In the yard, there were mounds of earth. Graves. Only big enough for children…

When Detective Clara Jefferies is called to a family ranch just outside of Alber, Utah, she’s horrified to find two innocent young children murdered alongside their mothers. But she arrives at the scene quickly enough to rush their father, Jacob Johansson, to the hospital where he begins fighting for his life, and to save his two-month-old son Jeremy, left untouched in his crib.

As Clara begins to investigate, nothing she finds out makes sense. Though she uncovers photos of one of Jacob’s wives in his best friend’s trailer, her flower necklace underneath his bed, there are rumors that she was in love with a different man altogether. And as the close-knit community comes together to support Jacob, Clara’s own family shut her out of the investigation…

But Clara won’t give up. With the killer still at large, baby Jeremy is at risk, and every moment her family is helping Jacob they are also in danger. To earn her family’s trust, Clara finally has to face the past, but can she do it before it’s too late?

Impossible to put down, Her Final Prayer is perfect for readers of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh, and Kendra Elliot. You’ll race through the pages until the final heart-pounding twist.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I thought of those I knew who used religion to control the lives of others and the unfairness of a world where so many have no power and no voice.

 

On the day my parents delivered me to him I was seventeen, and my husband was sixty-four. He could have been my grandfather.

My Review:

 

The first book in the series, The Fallen Girls, left a mark on my memory and I have been curious ever since to know more of Clara’s history. The storylines were tense and prickly, much like the main protagonist, as well as a bit gruesome and cast with adult characters I wanted to take a sharp switch to while hissing like a serpent. I know there are weird secular cults in every culture and that they are basically everywhere, but these extreme religious sects that are basically abusing children and women with the women’s consent are just horrific and inexcusable. The mystery wasn’t as unpredictable as the first installment but it was still twisted and disconcerting and kept me on edge.

About the Author

A novelist and award-winning journalist, Kathryn Casey is the author of eleven highly acclaimed true crime books and the creator of the Sarah Armstrong mystery series. Library Journal picked THE KILLING STORM as one of the best mysteries of 2010. Her latest true crime, IN PLAIN SIGHT, investigates the Kaufman County prosecutor murders, a case that made worldwide headlines. Casey has appeared on Oprah, 20/20, the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Biography Channel, Reelz, The Travel Network, Investigation Discovery, and many other venues. Ann Rule called Casey “one of the best in the true-crime genre.”
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 Book Review: Remember Me by Mario Escobar @EscobarGolderos @TLCBookTours

Remember Me
by Mario Escobar

 

Amazon  / B&N /  / GP/ Apple / Thomas Nelson

 

Hardcover: 384 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 15, 2020)

Amid the shadows of war, one family faces an impossible choice that will change their lives forever.

Madrid, 1934. Though the Spanish Civil War has not yet begun, the streets of Madrid have become dangerous for thirteen-year-old Marco Alcalde and his younger sisters, Isabel and Ana. When Marco’s parents align themselves against General Franco and his fascist regime, they have no inkling that their ideals will endanger them and everyone they love—nor do they predict the violence that is to come.

When the Mexican government promises protection to the imperiled children of Spain, the Alcaldes do what they believe is best: send their children, unaccompanied, across the ocean to the city of Morelia—a place they’ve never seen or imagined. Marco promises to look after his sisters in Mexico until their family can be reunited in Spain, but what ensues is a harrowing journey and a series of heartbreaking events. As the growing children work to care for themselves and each other, they feel their sense of home, family, and identity slipping further and further away. And as their memories of Spain fade and the news from abroad grows more grim, they begin to wonder if they will ever see their parents again or the glittering streets of the home they once loved.

Based upon the true stories of the Children of Morelia, Mario Escobar’s Remember Me—now available for the first time in English—explores the agony of war and paints a poignant portrait of one family’s sacrificial love and endurance.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

That day I understood that people can be right and still lose; that courage is not enough to defeat evil; and that the strength of weapons destroys the soul of humanity.

 

He would remain an idealist who longed for the triumph of the proletariat revolution, but something broke apart in his soul that hot July day. He could not have named the sadness any more than I could have right then, but it was without a doubt the grief of a broken heart that discovers there is no ideology on earth worth killing for.

 

I saw her get into the car and wave, I tried to lock that moment away in my brain forever. I didn’t want the memory to disappear into some corner of my heart. I was terrified. Fear is the worst feeling in the world. It rules like a tyrant, takes advantage of us, and turns us into wretched beings.

 

It’s impossible to ignore the pain of an open wound, and loneliness is one of the deepest gashes in the soul.

 

People stared at us with a mixture of compassion and relief. Humans are always happy when misfortune passes by their door and knocks at the neighbor’s house instead.

 

Feeling lonely showed us that, without our family, we were little more than cut flowers whose beauty and fragrance fades.

 

Life is like a flash of light between nostalgias.

 

My Review:

 

I struggled with this emotive and heartrending story. While it was informative and well written the emotional tone was intense and heavy with anguish and tragedy. Combine that with the described abuse, neglect, senseless brutality, and unfathomable atrocities the powerless children and citizens suffered; and it is easily understood why I frequently needed to put my Kindle down and seek out something more pleasant before my heart ruptured.

I confess to being completely ignorant of this period of history as well as of the history of Spain in general.   Although I do have a keen memory of seeing a picture of the ruthless dictator Franco while dressed in his resplendent uniform in my 5th grade elementary school textbook and wondering if he was part owner of the canned pasta company that made my Spaghettios.   Apparently, history has never been my forte!

Amongst the heinous scenarios of corruption and unobstructed abuse at the hands of the religious figures and institutions set up for their care were gripping storylines that led to profoundly deep and insightful observations, inner musings, and revelations as experienced through the eyes of a young adolescent in untenable circumstances.   These passages were written with thoughtful prose that was so poignant it was almost lyrical and caused me to read them several times while stealing my breath and burning my eyes and throat.   Mario Escobar broke my heart – he has mad skills.

 

About Mario Escobar

Mario Escobar Golderos (Madrid, Spain) has a degree in History, with an advanced studies diploma in Modern History. He has written numerous books and articles about the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects. He is the directs the magazine Nueva historia para el debate, in addition to being a contributing columnist in various publications. Passionate about history and its mysteries, Escobar has delved into the depths of church history, the different sectarian groups that have struggled therein, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. He specializes in the lives of unorthodox Spaniards and Americans. Books.

Connect with Mario

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

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Book Review: What She Saw by Diane Saxon @Diane_Saxon @rararesources  @BoldwoodBooks

What She Saw
by Diane Saxon

Amazon  / B&N  Google

‘An addictive 5* read that kept me guessing. Diane Saxon’s DS Jenna Morgan series is brilliant’ – bestselling author, Ross Greenwood.
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Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter
Why does someone want the Lawrence family dead?

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The Lawrence’s were the perfect family; successful, beautiful, and happy until one night their whole world was ripped apart. 

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Detective Sergeant Jenna Morgan is called to investigate the suspected arson attack and death of the Lawrence family at the charred remains of their stunning home, Kimble Hall.

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The case takes a sinister turn as the body count fails to tally. Suspecting that someone may have survived the inferno, DS Morgan and her team need to discover whether they have a witness, or someone far more dangerous.

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Who set the fire? Who wanted this family extinguished beyond recognition?

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As the case progresses, DS Morgan realizes she has a calculating, cold-blooded killer on her hands, and the race is on to track them down before they kill again.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

If there was one thing Jenna had learnt in her career, it was don’t piss off the receptionist. They were the door-openers of life and they knew everything.

 If there was one sound that would make her freeze her arse to the spot, it was that of Blue, a highly trained police search and drugs dog. He may not be one of their attack dogs, but that didn’t mean to say he didn’t have long, sharp teeth he’d willingly sink into human flesh should the need arise, and the command be given… Jenna held still as Blue moved past her, sniffed Lamonte from the ankles, all the way up the length of his legs, and ended up with his nose in the man’s crotch. Lamonte might have attitude, but he never twitched a muscle, didn’t so much as breathe as fear whipped through his eyes. She had to admire the dog’s style. There wasn’t a man on earth who would do anything different when his tackle was quite clearly at risk.

  

My Review:

 

I enjoyed this police procedural/thriller. It had an interesting premise and strong storylines, a strong female kickass main character, hits of humor, interesting and endearing secondary characters, a sociopath for a villain, wizened and amusing octogenarians, and clever animals. I adored the elderly retired farming couple best of all as the mister was my granddad all the way to the ground, but without the accent.

The storylines were engaging and throbbed with tension and impending peril as well as family drama and police unit banter and camaraderie. The writing was easy to follow and the plot was active and eventful on all fronts.

It has been a good while since I have been able to add to my Brit Word List and I found a treasure with wassock, which can also be spelled as wazzock. The Oxford English Dictionary defined wazzock as “British slang, originating in the north, meaning a stupid or annoying person – basically an idiot.” I cannot wait to put this little nugget to good use.

About the Author

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Diane Saxon previously wrote romantic fiction for the US market but has now turned to write psychological crime. Find Her Alive was her first novel in this genre and introduced series character DS Jemma Morgan. She is married to a retired policeman and lives in Shropshire.

 

Social Media Links –

Newsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/DianeSaxonNewsletter

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

Twitter @ – https://twitter.com/Diane_Saxon

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

Website –http://dianesaxon.com/

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.co.uk/DianeSaxonAuthr/

Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diane-saxon

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7122072.Diane_Saxon

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Book Review:Dead Woman Crossing (Detective Kimberley King #1) by J.R. Adler @JRAdlerAuthor @bookouture

Dead Woman Crossing
(Detective Kimberley King #1)
by J.R. Adler

 

Amazon  / B&N / GP/ Apple / Kobo

She threw open the door, running to the crib. When she looked inside, she gasped. The world around her went silent. Inside, there was nothing but a small stuffed elephant. Where was her baby?

When young, single mother Hannah is found murdered by the banks of a twisting Oklahoma creek, her one-year-old daughter sleeping in a stroller near her body, the small town of Dead Woman Crossing reels in horror.

Detective Kimberley King, recently relocated from New York to Oklahoma, with her young daughter Jessica, can’t ignore the similarity of Hannah’s death to the case of Katie James, the woman that the town of Dead Woman Crossing is named after. Katie was murdered in front of her small daughter in 1905, on the banks of the same creek, and it seems that someone is drawing inspiration from the crime. Could this killer be a copycat?

But as she interviews suspects, Kimberley is met with blank faces and closed lips. In a small town, people won’t talk and when she pursues a promising lead, her own family turns their back on her. Kimberley isn’t afraid to ask questions, but when she receives a threatening note, she realizes that, as a single mother to a young daughter, she might be putting herself dangerously in the killer’s sights …

A gripping, atmospheric crime thriller inspired by true events, about a town on the edge of collapse and a murder that shakes the community. Dead Woman Crossing is perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan, and Jane Harper.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Kimberley looked down, noting everything she had in tow— a diaper bag, a stroller, a tote bag, a backpack and Jessica. “They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I think it takes a caravan of random products.”

In a small town like Dead Woman Crossing, gossip was like an airborne virus. Difficult to contain and easily transmitted. They were all infected.

She glanced over at Ryan who gave her a scowl mixed with a leer as if his dick and brain were crossing wires and didn’t know how to respond to her.

Henry Colton is a dickwad. His name stuck out like a mule in a dress…

There weren’t any murders after that. He went inactive, as many serial killers do, as if taking lives was their job and they needed time off.

 

My Review:

 

Oklahoma is one of those states that doesn’t really stand out to most Americans. Nothing much has sprouted from there other than crops, oil, idiot politicians, a few country and western singers, and hmm… me. Other than an old Rodgers and Hammerstein musical and being able to hum a bit of the State song, most people draw a blank at the mention. With that in mind, color me stunned and outright startled when I noticed the main character was not only leaving her job as a detective at NYPD to start a more low-key career as a Chief Deputy near the old family manse but would be working in the very same tiny inbreed rural hamlet of my youth. Oh, my! What a surprise!

The author accurately captured the disconcerting small-town flavor down to the time-warped narrow-minded bigotry and misogyny, down to the very nub of hypocritical arrogance, condoned corruption and nepotism, domestic violence, and female boredom; and also reinforced my smugness at the brilliant decision to move far, far away. While I didn’t find it an enjoyable experience to reside there, as despite the old cliche – it wasn’t even a good place to be from, the breadbasket/short-grass country provided the perfect backdrop for Ms. Adler’s active and suspenseful murder mystery.

I do loves me a kick-ass heroine and I adored Kimberly King as well as her brilliant office genie and my new favorite grandmotherly octogenarian, Barbara. Kimberly held her own and doled out her own brand of sass while doing so. The writing was easy to follow with welcome hits of wry humor mixed in with insightful observations and perceptive character descriptions and depictions. I will be eagerly watching to see what and whom Chief Deputy King stirs up next.

About the Author

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Originally from Wisconsin, J.R. Adler currently lives in Ithaca, New York with her husband, Drew, and her English Bulldog, Winston. When not writing, you can find her reading, playing board games, traveling, and binge-watching The Office for the umpteenth time.
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Book Review: The Mistress by Jill Childs, @author_jill

The Mistress
by Jill Childs

It wasn’t until that night that I found out he had been cheating. I never would have guessed it of Ralph – I was still head over heels in love with him then. I would have done anything for my husband… that is, until I found out what he was really hiding.

The night it happened, I was late home from a parent-teacher conference. Things hadn’t been the same between us recently and I was hoping we could start over – make things right over a bottle of wine and an early night like the old days. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

I sometimes think I never really knew Ralph at all. Because I never thought he’d be capable of doing what he did. It wasn’t only dangerous, it was very, very wrong. And I’m not talking about the affair with Laura.

As I said, I came home that night hoping to finally fix things with the man I love. The very last thing I expected was to find my husband murdered.

No marriage is ever what it seems from the outside. A compulsively unputdownable domestic thriller from a USA Today bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and The Silent Wife.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

She seemed to have collapsed into herself, as if she’d borrowed energy to take control in the way she had, to do what she thought needed to be done, and was now in debt.

 

I always knew he was a charmer, of course I did. I just thought the charm was reserved for me.

 

My Review:

 

I was steady on absorbed in this tale, even when it got a bit out there but I also struggled as I didn’t like these people, not a one of them. The writing style and storylines were intriguing and tickled and teased my curiosity with unexpected twists and odd turns, some of which squeezed my heart while exasperating me at the same time. But underneath it all, these were just horrid, selfish, and deceitful human beings. I felt sorry for what had ultimately happened to the final mistress, as she was easy prey being unstable, lonely, vulnerable, and apparently a complete sucker, but she was also beyond annoying in her neediness. I had no respect at all for the unrepentant womanizer or his enabler of a wife who just ignored his blatant and numerous infidelities. I just don’t get that. But I champion the Lorena Bobbitt philosophy on such matters.

About the Author

Jill always loved writing – real and imaginary – and spent thirty years traveling the world as a journalist, living overseas, and reporting wherever the news took her. She’s now made her home in south-west London with her husband and twin girls who love stories as much as she does. Although she’s covered everything from earthquakes and floods, wars and riots, she’s decided some of the most extraordinary stories are right here at home – in the secrets and lies she imagines behind closed doors on ordinary streets just like yours.

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Book Review: A Wish in Irish Falls (Wishing Tree, #2) by Jen Gilroy, @JenGilroy1

 

A Wish in Irish Falls
(Wishing Tree, #2)
by Jen Gilroy 

 

When you wish on a wishing tree, you don’t always get what you want. If you’re very lucky, you get something even better . . .

When Tara Lynch’s husband was killed on military duty, her happily ever after died too. Although she still wishes on her hometown wishing tree, she’s no longer certain it makes dreams come true. All Tara wants is to somehow move forward without the love and family of her own she’d counted on.

Walker Cavanagh’s the new veterinarian in town. After his fiancée’s death in a car accident, he’s sure was his fault, he won’t get close to another woman to get hurt, or hurt her. As for wishes, they won’t bring back his lost love.

Yet, as Tara and Walker work together on a fundraising event to train service dogs for veterans, they find they have more in common than they think—and are soon more than a little hot and bothered.

With some wishing tree magic, can Tara and Walker face their biggest fears and open their hearts to each other . . . and find a new beginning in Irish Falls?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Scoop up your poop, take responsibility for your actions, and control yourself.” Rowan glanced at Tara and her lips twitched. “Good advice for pet ownership as well as life.”

 

Spring’s the season of new beginnings, after all. Besides, we all survived an Adirondack winter and fifty-seven snow days. I want to celebrate any chance to get my clothes off.

 

Patty has mellowed over the years, but she’s a bit like medicine, better in small doses.

 

Like my sainted grandmother used to say, you can’t sew buttons on your neighbor’s mouth, although, in Patty’s case, I wish I could.

 

My Review:

 

This was a gentle, slowly evolving, and sweet story with generous servings of humor, personal angst, family drama, small-town life, and attempts at a new romance while widowed and living that small-town life – which certainly isn’t easy. I markedly enjoyed the characters as they each brought something uniquely appealing and different to the story. Ms. Gilroy’s writing style was easy to follow and pleasantly engaging and lazily pulled me in bit by bit as I grew familiar with these likable and hard-working characters and their individual traits. I covet their communal wishing tree as well as the exceptional treasure of knowing Mrs. Kathleen Byrne and look forward to a return trip for the remaining sister’s tale. I also learned a new term, as I needed to consult Mr. Google for a full explanation of the widowhood effect.

About the Author

Amazon

Goodreads

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Growing up under the big sky of western Canada and spending summers in a little Ontario town, books were my passport to other worlds. Pioneering Laura Ingalls, Jo March and her sisters, the English girls in Noel Streatfeild’s books and L.M. Montgomery’s independent, nature-loving heroines all became friends.

I started writing poems and stories in elementary school and, as a teenager, reached the semi-finals in a local short story contest. Even after all these years, I still remember the thrill of the judge encouraging me to keep writing.

I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, setting fiction writing aside to teach at universities, write and publish academic research and work in marketing communications and international business development.

Along the way, I read romances, escaping into a world where a happy ending was guaranteed. One day, though, I realized that by losing my creative writing, I’d also lost part of what makes me who I am.

Now I write the kind of stories I like to read–heartwarming romances about finding home, family and community–where ordinary women overcome sometimes extraordinary challenges to earn their happy ever after.

I’m an RWA® Golden Heart® finalist 2015 in Contemporary Romance, and that manuscript sold to Hachette Book Group USA, Grand Central Publishing, Forever. It releases on January 31, 2017 as THE COTTAGE AT FIREFLY LAKE.

I’m a member of RWA® and the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA). And despite a few detours along the way, I’m doing what I’ve wanted to do since childhood.

After many years in England with my husband, a tech guy who’s still a small-town boy at heart, and our tween daughter, an English rose, who teaches me to cherish the blessings in the everyday, I’ve come home to my roots and live in a small town in Ontario’s Rideau Valley.

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Book Review: Her Aussie Holiday (Patterson’s Bluff #2) by Stefanie London @entangledpublishing @stefanielondon

Her Aussie Holiday
(Patterson’s Bluff #2)
by Stefanie London 

Amazon / B&N /  GP/ Apple 

Mass Market Paperback: 330 Pages

Publisher: Entangled: Amara (August 25, 2020)

The Holiday meets Property Brothers in this head over heels romantic comedy full of humor and heart, with a charming Aussie setting.

Cora Cabot’s life is falling apart. So when her Australian friend announces she’s secured an internship in the States, Cora has a brilliant idea: house swap! Small-town Australia sounds like the perfect getaway. Only, when she gets there, the house isn’t empty. Turns out her friend’s hot Australian brother is staying there, too—and he doesn’t look happy to see her.

The last thing Trent Walters needs is a roommate for the summer. Especially an American who immediately floods the house and single-handedly destroys the family project his sister created for their parents’ anniversary. Now, not only does Cora insist on helping fix the house, he needs her help re-creating the family scrapbook. And glitter is not his forte.

But between late nights cooking, pints at the local pub, and competitive matches of cricket on the beach, Cora starts to break through Trent’s defenses. Too bad Cora made a promise to return to working with her father at the end of the summer—a promise she can’t break—because this holiday is starting to feel like one she never wants to end.

Each book in the Patterson’s Bluff series is STANDALONE:
* The Aussie Next Door
* Her Aussie Holiday

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Cora’s childhood could be best summed up as: may result in therapy.

 

Seriously? Did you hop into the DeLorean and travel back to high school?

 

I am the least creative person in my family. Seriously, my Christmas decorations were so bad as a kid, I caught my mum hiding them around the back of the tree whenever we had guests over… I can’t blame her. My ‘Christmas rocket’ really did look like a sparkly dick.

 

“I’ve heard about this.” Cora wrinkled her nose as the traffic-sign-yellow label on the jar of mysterious dark brown stuff. “Tell me, do Aussies really eat this or is it a mean prank you play on tourists?” Nick gasped and pressed a hand to his chest… “Excuse me,” he said, “but Vegemite is a national delicacy.”

 

My Review:

 

I’m enjoying this amusing yet thoughtfully written series with the second installment being just as entertaining and engaging as the first. The books are standalone yet involve the same family members and continue on from the previous publication. The storylines were relatable and held my interest with family drama, a sizzling new romance, Aussie assimilation, and amusing humor. The characters were uniquely flawed yet endearing, admirably hardworking, and highly likable human beings.   As this brother turned out to be the opposite of what I was expecting, I am looking forward to seeing what this clever author does with the next family member.

About the Author

About Stefanie London

Stefanie London is a multi-award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romances and romantic comedies.

Stefanie’s books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and “Elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT magazine. Her stories have won multiple industry awards, including the HOLT Medallion and OKRWA National Reader’s Choice Award, and she has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA award.

Originally from Australia, Stefanie now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels, and anything zombie-related.

Connect with Stefanie

Website | Facebook | Instagram 

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Book Review: The Aussie Next Door (Patterson’s Bluff #1) by Stefanie London  @entangledpublishing @stefanielondon

The Aussie Next Door
(Patterson’s Bluff #1)
by Stefanie London 

Amazon / B&N  / GP/ Apple  

American Angie Donovan has never wanted much. When you grow up getting bounced from foster home to foster home, you learn not to become attached to anything, anyone, or any place. But it only took her two days to fall in love with Australia. With her visa clock ticking, surely she can fall in love with an Australian—and get hitched—in two months. Especially if he’s as hot and funny as her next-door neighbor…

Jace Walters has never wanted much––except a bathroom he didn’t have to share. The last cookie all to himself. And solitude. But when you grow up in a family of seven, you can kiss those things goodbye. He’s finally living alone and working on his syndicated comic strip in privacy. Sure, his American neighbor is distractingly sexy and annoyingly nosy, but she’ll be gone in a few months…

Except now she’s determined to find her perfect match by checking out every eligible male in the town, and her choices are even more distracting. He doesn’t want to, but he’s going to have to intervene and help her if he ever hopes to get back to his quiet life.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Jace’s -brother was the kind of guy who seemed immune to worrying too much about his relationships— which had less staying power than the latest viral cat video. Along with his famous charm, Trent had the attention span of a goldfish, hence why their eldest brother, Adam, called him the One-Month Wonder.

 His elderly neighbor, Mrs. Marsh, had stood on his doorstep, still wearing her nightgown and slippers, her hair wrapped in a silk scarf and Truffle on a leash… Mrs. Marsh said she’d found Truffle humping her beloved beagle, Archer. Or, in her words, bringing “the devil” into her home.

Please never have children, Nick. We’ll find them lined +up in the backyard getting their nightly hose-down instead of having a shower.

 “I had to make sure you weren’t an ax murderer.” “As opposed to some other type of murderer? Would it be less of an issue if I didn’t use an ax?”

My Review:

 

This was an enjoyable and amusing story with an interesting premise but also deftly handled some perplexing real-life issues with sensitivity and thoughtful insights in an entertaining and agile manner. Both main characters were endearing and likable while riddled with idiosyncrasies and unique personal challenges that required accommodation and understanding.   I adored and admired them both well before reaching that well deserved HEA.

About the Author

Stefanie London is a multi-award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romances and romantic comedies.

Stefanie’s books have been called “genuinely entertaining and memorable” by Booklist, and “Elegant, descriptive and delectable” by RT magazine. Her stories have won multiple industry awards, including the HOLT Medallion and OKRWA National Reader’s Choice Award, and she has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA award.

Originally from Australia, Stefanie now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is currently in the process of doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges in her passions for good coffee, lipstick, romance novels, and anything zombie-related.