Category: 4-Stars

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Book Review: The Perfect Hideaway (Full Bloom Farm #3) by Alys Murray

 

 

The Perfect Hideaway
(Full Bloom Farm #3)
by Alys Murray

Amazon  / B&N / GP/ Apple / Kobo

Annie Martin is thrilled to have moved from the hectic buzz of L.A. to the small town of Hillsboro, Northern California, where the most happening bar only plays honky-tonk, and nowhere does a good matcha latte. But the best thing about Hillsboro? The Anderson sisters. At their noisy family dinners, Annie can almost forget the mistakes she made back in the city, trying to fit in.
Annie has repaid the sisters’ friendship with some obvious-but-effective matchmaking and now there’s only one Anderson still looking for love. But Rose is surprisingly prickly about an enforced happy-ever-after, and when a meticulously planned meet-cute ends drenched in the town fountain, Annie realizes this project calls for someone with a deeper knowledge of the Hillsboro bachelors.Local reporter and all-around grouch George Barnett has been a thorn in Annie’s side since she came to town. He knows all too well that everyone has secrets and he thinks the story of why social media darling Annie Martin swapped stilettos for sneakers might be the scoop that makes his career. Annie is sure her skeletons are under triple lock and key, so she offers him an exclusive, if he’ll help her find a match for Rose.

But the more George and Annie try to control the love lives around them, the less they’re able to sway their own hearts. As Annie’s infectious laugh begins to bring down George’s barrier of surliness, can he open his heart and let her in for real? And can Annie be brave enough to trust the man who could be her future, with the secrets of her past?

A heart-warming story of friendship and finding love in the most unlikely of places, fans of Robyn Carr, Debbie Macomber, and Carolyn Brown will adore The Perfect Hideaway.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Looking at him was like catching sight of lightning striking an electrical grid. All sparks.

 

Her nameplate was actually covered in masking tape, and upon that was written Mynette Chen— Administrative Assistant/ Professional Badass.

 

I really didn’t think it was possible to be as dumb as you look, but here you are, proving it every time we speak.

 

If I ever felt real, I don’t even think I’d recognize myself.

 

Men are like ice cream. Nice to have, but not necessary for your overall health and happiness.

 

Man, I have to edit all of your work and you’ve been sending me more spelling errors than a kindergartener trying to write Faust.

 

What a fantastically small thing—to be seen, really seen, by someone, and not have that person run screaming in the other direction. But, like most small and beautiful things in this world, it was so rare.

 My Review:

 

This was a sweet hybrid of enemies to lovers/small-town/contemporary romance/women’s fiction tale that was chaste enough for my elderly mother’s book club and still kept me entertained. I was expecting the primary focus to be placed the last Anderson sister but was surprised to see her placed in a secondary role. The main characters were at odds and distrustful of each other and wielded sharp banter and took witty and snarky bites at each other most of the way through. Although, they began to see a different side of each other after they called a truce and struck a deal to collaborate on a personal project, with humorous and amorous results that both were resisting. George was using Annie to get information for a story, and being a journalist, he did not welcome or want to acknowledge any “inconvenient feelings,” snort.

 

The writing was easy to follow, well balanced between emotive and amusing, and teased and prodded my curiosity to learn the buried secrets and private shame that was plaguing Annie.   I wasn’t on the bus for team George until the last few chapters, but he finally managed to win me over once he pulled his head from his nether regions, sometimes men deserve a little foot action to assist with the dislodging and I would have eagerly volunteered 😉 I admired and coveted Mynette Chen’s clever nameplate and am busy making plans to create a similar one for myself.

About the Author
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Alys Murray is an author who writes for the romantic in all of us. Though she graduated with a degree in Drama from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master’s in Film Studies from King’s College London, her irrepressible love of romance led her to a career as an author, and she couldn’t be happier to write these stories! Currently splitting time between her home state of Louisiana and London, she enjoys kissing books, Star Wars, and creating original pie recipes for all of her books. Tobey Maguire is her Spider-Man. 
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Book Review: The Saturday Morning Park Run by Jules Wake

The Saturday Morning Park Run
by Jules Wake

Amazon US / UK / B&N / Apple / GP

 

This is the story of two women.
One old, one young.
One looking for new adventures. One looking for a purpose.
Both needing a friend.

And this is how, along with two little girls in need of a family, a gorgeous stranger, and a scruffy dog, they bring the whole community together every Saturday morning for love, laughter and a little bit of running…(well, power walking).

Some people come into your life when you need them the most.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

What did you say your name was again? That’s the downside to being old: butterfly brain. By the time you get to my age, it’s so full of stuff, I lose things in there.

 

‘Yes, although Frank – he was number three– wasn’t official; we never married but everyone thought we were, until his wife turned up at the funeral. Was a surprise to me too.’ Her greying eyebrows beetled up to her hairline in exaggerated horror.

 

‘I’ll wear my best tracksuit. The white one with the red gofaster stripes down the side… I save it for special occasions.’ I bit my lips trying to suppress a giggle as my mind goggled at what sort of special occasion merited an Adidas-style tracksuit.

 

‘Penny is lucky enough to live next door to me, where I bring light and sunshine into her life.’ Penny laughed and put her arm around her friend.‘ Is that what they call it? Plenty of gin, I’d say.’

 

I forced my legs to go a little faster, I was going to overtake him. I think my head must have been flooded with hallucinogenic endorphins because the Chariots of Fire music was playing in my head and every competitive bone in my body had suddenly sat up and taken notice.

My Review:

 

This was a fun and entertaining women’s fiction story with large chunks of family drama and a little bit of romance. The Saturday Morning Park Run was my second taste of Jules Wake’s clever word skills and will be back for more as she is a gifted storyteller. I found her writing style to be lively and engaging while her descriptions are vibrant and amusing while covering all the senses. The story was slowly developing and shrewdly plotted with lashings of humor and profound insights and observations. I adored it and have added her entire listing to my TBR.

I addition to providing me with pleasing and clever amusement, Ms. Wake added to my Brit Words and Phrases list with chanced his arm – which means to do something risky. I can’t wait to use it on my Brit friends.

About the Author

Jules Wake announced at the age of ten that she planned to be a writer. Along the way she was diverted by the glamorous world of PR and worked on many luxury brands and not so luxury brands. This proved fabulous training for writing novels as it provided her with the opportunity to hone her writing and creative skills penning copy on a vast range of subjects from pig farming and watches, sunglasses and skincare through to beer and stationery.

She writes best-selling warm-hearted contemporary fiction for One More Chapter as Jules Wake and under her pen name Julie Caplin, she writes the Romantic Escapes series.

Between them, the two Js have written fourteen novels, The Saturday Morning Park Run being the latest.

 

Social Media Links –

Twitter @Juleswake

https://www.facebook.com/juleswakewrites/

Instagram: juleswakeauthor

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Book Review: The Child Across the Street by Kerry Wilkinson

The Child Across the Street
by Kerry Wilkinson

Wheeling my suitcase down the familiar, hedge-lined street, I smile at the sound of children playing in the park nearby. Suddenly, there’s a screech of car brakes. I rush over to see a bent bike wheel sticking out of the ditch, and underneath, a little boy…

As I turn the rusty key in the lock of the house I grew up in, memories flood back. None of them happy. I never told anyone why I left home twenty years ago, and all I want is to sort out Dad’s funeral as quickly as possible.

Now I’m trapped here, the only witness to a terrible incident that has left an eight-year-old boy fighting for his life. But after a lifetime trying to forget my past, I don’t know if I can trust my memory, or be totally sure of what I saw today.

Sorting through Dad’s things one night – shopping lists in his curly handwriting, piles of old newspapers, dusty sports trophies – I think I hear the back door handle rattle. I tiptoe downstairs, past an open window I’m sure I locked. And a figure darts across the overgrown garden.

Someone is watching me. Someone who knows I’m the only one who saw what happened to little Ethan… or could they know the real reason why I left? Either way, I’m certain that coming back was my biggest mistake. I can’t leave, but the longer I stay, the more danger I’m in…

An utterly addictive psychological thriller that will have you glued to the pages until the early hours. Fans of The Girl on the Train and I Am Watching You won’t be able to put down the next mind-blowing read from bestselling author Kerry Wilkinson.

  

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Damien speaks in constant hushed tones, as if there’s a militant librarian on our tail.

 

He’s utterly unremarkable, neither short nor tall; fat or thin; attractive or not. If I wasn’t looking at him, I’m not sure I’d be able to describe him.

 

it’s hard to say no to anything she asks. There’s also the not small matter that, when Diane says something, it very much feels like that thing should be done immediately… If Diane was after world domination instead of daytime television ratings, she’d be dangerous.

 

Kirsty is silently fuming, like she accidentally shredded a winning lottery ticket.

 

There’s a somewhat childish instinct of it not being my mess to begin with –but there’s also the fact that I simply don’t want to do it. It’s one of the great underrated benefits of being an adult that, if you don’t want to do something, you can simply say no.

 

It makes me ache for those friendships of youth. The ones that feel like they’ll last forever before things like marriage, kids, houses and everything else gets in the way. As an adult, there’s nothing quite like it.

 

 

My Review:

 

This was a slowly developing, gradually unfolding, and curiously tantalizing tale laced together with heartbreaking revelations and dangerously damaged characters who were oddly compelling while largely unlikable. My inquisitive nature was prodded and poked with this new to me wily author’s maddeningly paced disclosures, and insightful yet terse observations and profound insights. While I was often impatient with the main character of Abi while assuming she was just a self-indulgent alcoholic, I later realized Mr.Wilkinson’s character development was rather elegant and clever as only after her history was revealed did I piece together and understood the cause and nature of her memory loss and mental dysfunction. I thought I had the culprit sussed early – silly me, I was so very wrong and never saw this ending coming. I could do with more of Mr. Wilkinson’s clever scheming and interesting turns of phrase in my future.

About the Author

Kerry Wilkinson has had No.1 bestsellers in the UK, Canada, South Africa, and Singapore, as well as top-five books in Australia. He has also written two top-20 thrillers in the United States.

As well as his million-selling Jessica Daniel series, Kerry has written the Silver Blackthorn trilogy – a fantasy-adventure serial for young adults – a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter, plus numerous standalone novels. He has been published around the world in more than a dozen languages.

Originally from the county of Somerset, Kerry has spent far too long living in the north of England, picking up words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’.

When he’s short of ideas, he rides his bike or bakes cakes. When he’s not, he writes it all down.

Author Social Media Links:

http://kerrywilkinson.com

http://facebook.com/KerryWilkinsonBooks

 

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Book Review: The Subway Girl by Lisa Becker 

The Subway Girl
by Lisa Becker 

 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU

A hopeless romantic.
A cynical web show producer.
An unscrupulous cameraman.
A sleazy businessman.
An aspiring actress.
A womanizing best friend.
A scheming ex-girlfriend.
A commitment-phobic roommate.
An unlucky-in-love buddy.These lives intersect when an average guy is awed by a gorgeous mystery woman on a New York subway and vows to meet her.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Three G-er?” asked Diego. “You know. Like Luke here,” Ryan said. “Get in. Get off. Get out.”

 

There’s the telephone. The telegraph. And the tell Edna.

 

I also cut the crotch out of his favorite Tom Ford suit. Figured since he couldn’t keep it in his pants, I would make sure he wouldn’t be able to keep it in his pants.

 

“Sometimes, I wonder just how well I really know you,” Ryan said. “I’m an enigma.” Luke shrugged. “That is true,” said Ryan. Diego quietly chuckled to himself. Luke scowled. “I said enigma, not enema.”

 

Okay, here’s the plan. We’re gonna spend five minutes sharing our feelings like a bunch of teenage girls, and then we’re gonna go do a bunch of manly shit like chop down a tree with a crosscut saw…

 

My parents have been married so long that Mom finishes most of Dad’s sentences. She also starts most of them and fills in the middle, too.

 

“If he ever hurts you,” she said, gesturing to her brother, “tell me, so I can kick him in the balls.” Ryan winced and shook his head. “No worry,” said Angie. Ryan sagged in relief. “I’ll cut them off well before you would ever get the chance.”

 

My Review:

 

This was smirk-worthy good fun with lots of clever humor, witty banter, amusing scenarios, vile villains, and a few side orders of sensual steam that had me breathing funny. The characters were endearing and likable although Angie’s professional choices weren’t admirable in the least. I vastly enjoyed the levity provided by banter and exchanges of Ryan, Luke, and Diego and look forward to more of their interactions in subsequent installments.

 

About the Author

Lisa Becker is an award-winning romance writer who spends her time like she spends her money – on books and margaritas. As Lisa’s grandmother used to say, “For every chair, there’s a tush.” Lisa is now happily married to a wonderful man she met online and lives in Manhattan Beach, California with him and their two daughters. So, if it happened for her, there’s hope for anyone! You can share your love stories with her at www.lisawbecker.com.

Author: Starfish, Links, and Clutch

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Web

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Book Review: Wild Wedding Hookup by Jamie K. Schmidt

 

Wild Wedding Hookup
by Jamie K. Schmidt 

Amazon | B-A-M | B & N/ Apple / GP

 

A South Beach bachelor party stirs up a scorching affair in USA TODAY bestselling author Jamie K. Schmidt’s Wild Wedding Hookup!

Concierge Mikelina Presley works for a luxurious resort club in sunny South Beach, Florida. She’s thrilled to land a two-week booking for a bachelor party at one of the resort’s most expensive villas—not least because the fiery chemistry between her and best man Bastian Ainsworth is deliciously tempting.

When the groom-to-be suddenly disappears, Mikelina and Bastian team up to find him, bringing them closer together. Their irresistible desire for each other is dangerously distracting, but the stakes are high for both of them: if they don’t bring back the runaway bachelor, Bastian’s little sister will have her heartbroken. And Mikelina’s resort stands to lose out on the group’s lucrative booking—which would be devastating for her career.

As the search takes them all over South Beach’s sexiest hideaways, their racy fling becomes something much deeper and Mikelina finds herself falling for Bastian. But she hasn’t told him everything about her past, and a shameful secret weighs heavy on her mind… Can their passionate affair survive the truth?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I wish I was a delicate little flower that glistened when she perspired. Instead, I sweat like a warthog.

 

But to be honest, spontaneity gives me hives. I’d rather plan out my spontaneity.

 

Did you just quote Star Wars back at me? That’s like nerd foreplay. First Doctor Who and then this.

 

My Review:

 

Oh snap, ignore the cheesy title as clutch the pearls, this sexy sizzler was so deliciously steamy I was gasping for breath and desperately grasping for any and all liquid libations to rehydrate. I adored this lovely couple as they were well matched and had excellent chemistry, snappy banter, and superhuman stamina – especially for people who hadn’t been in any type of relationship for over a year. The storylines were fresh, interesting, and amusingly entertaining while the characters were uniquely engaging as well as alluring. This was my first exposure to the smooth and evocatively salacious word skills of Jamie K. Schmidt and she is naughty good as well as good and naughty.

 

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author, Jamie K. Schmidt, writes erotic contemporary love stories and paranormal romances. Her steamy, romantic comedy Life’s a Beach reached #65 on USA Today, #2 on Barnes & Noble and #9 on Amazon. Her Club Inferno series from Random House’s Loveswept line has hit both the Amazon and Barnes & Noble top one hundred lists and the first book in the series, Heat put her on the USA Today bestseller list. Her dragon paranormal romance series from Entangled Publishing, has been called “fun and quirky” and “endearing.” Partnered with New York Times bestselling author and former porn actress, Jenna Jameson, Jamie’s hardcover debut, SPICE, continues Jenna’s FATE trilogy.

Connect with Jamie

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Book Review: The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts (Riverside Lane, #1) by Alison Sherlock

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The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts
(Riverside Lane, #1)
by Alison Sherlock

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 
B&N  / Google Play

A feel-good story of new beginnings set in a gorgeous country village, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Milly Johnson.


After losing her job in New York, Amber Green isn’t looking forward to visiting her godmother in the sleepy village of Cranbridge. With its empty lanes and rundown shops, it’s hardly a place to mend her lonely heart.

But when Amber discovers that Cranbridge Stores, owned by her godmother Cathy and son Josh, is under threat of financial ruin, she realizes that her skills as a window dresser might just be able to help save the struggling shop.

When disaster strikes, Amber and Josh must unite to save both the shop and the village from flooding.

Can Cranbridge Stores become the heart of the village once more?

And as the village begins to come back to life, perhaps Amber will discover a reason to stay…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘Love may be blind, but it’s marriage that’s the real eye-opener,’ she told him, glancing behind her as the shouting became even louder.

 

A facelift? The shop needed a full makeover, complete with major heart surgery.

 

‘It’s going to look worse before it looks better,’ she told Grandma Tilly. ‘Then perhaps I think you’re at rock bottom now, my dear,’ said Tilly, with a wink.

 

‘I don’t know what’s in it,’ Molly told them, making a face. ‘It’s pretty disgusting, but after a couple of glasses you lose all feeling in your tongue so you don’t care!’ … ‘That punch could strip paint off the walls. Although the wallpaper in here appears to be doing that all by itself.’

 

I didn’t even have time for a nightcap last night. I think my body’s gone into toxic shock.

My Review:

 

This was a wryly amusing, sweet, and insightfully written story filled with a full complement of likable, hard-working, and well-meaning characters who were struggling with lives that didn’t turn out as planned while residing in a small rural village that had seen better days.   The writing and storylines were easy to follow, engaging, and held my interest with humorous banter, family issues, and a slow-burn romance that did not progress beyond igniting the pilot light until the very last chapter. I admired the characters’ creativity, initiative, and innovations in attempting to save their business and community.

About the Author

Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling Willow Tree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early age and gave up office life to follow her dream. Her new series for Boldwood is set in a fictional Cotswold Village and the first title will be published in July 2020.

Social Media Links –

Twitter https://twitter.com/AlisonSherlock

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/alison.sherlock.73

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alison-sherlock

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Book Review: She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway

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You can’t put a filter on reality.

Bree Bozeman isn’t exactly pursuing the life of her dreams. Then again, she isn’t too sure what those dreams are. After dropping out of college, she’s living a pretty chill life in the surf community of Pacific Beach, San Diego…if “chill” means delivering food as a GrubGetter, and if it means “uneventful”.

But when Bree starts a new Instagram account — @breebythesea — one of her posts gets a signal boost from none other than wildly popular self-help guru Demi DiPalma, owner of a lifestyle brand empire. Suddenly, Bree just might be a rising star in the world of Instagram influencing. Is this the direction her life has been lacking? It’s not a career choice she’d ever seriously considered, but maybe it’s a sign from the universe. After all, Demi’s the real deal… right?

Everything is lining up for Bree: life goals, career, and even a blossoming romance with the chiseled guy next door, surf star Trey Cantu. But things are about to go sideways fast, and even the perfect filter’s not gonna fix it. Instagram might be free, but when your life looks flawless on camera, what’s the cost?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I could almost hear the squeak and clank of wheels turning in her head as she tried to piece together the solution to this problem.

 

Everyone always talked about finding your passion as if it was this evasive creature you had to smoke out of a burrow. They also seemed to operate under the assumption that everyone had a passion to find. But I had long since accepted the sad reality that I was born passionless.

 

“Did you Google me?” He looked horrified, as if I’d admitted to hacking his email or rifling through his underwear drawer.

My Review:

 

The main character in this story was a hot mess.   Bree was barely eking by and subsisting on ramen and protein bars while living in a hovel at the intersection of denial and procrastination and begrudgingly relied on her older sister Natasha to constantly bail her out. Bree annoyed me and in no small measure, and while Natasha was her exact opposite, she annoyed me even more, yet their tale and antics kept me smirking in my exasperation. I was more than a bit fraught and a cauldron of conflicted energy until in the middle of a ridiculous desert retreat with a successful charlatan, Bree smartened up that faking it wasn’t making it. As par for the course with this wily author, her writing was wryly amusing, insightfully observant, colorfully detailed, and slyly entertaining.

About the Author

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Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker with an insatiable case of wanderlust. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of software. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, and planning her next big vacation.
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SOCIAL LINKS:

http://kristinrockaway.com/

 Facebook: /KristinRockaway

Twitter: @KristinRockaway

Instagram: @KristinRockway

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Book Review: Flying Solo by Zoe May

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Flying Solo
by Zoe May

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / 

 

Rachel Watson has it all worked out. By 30, she’s ticked off most of the goals on her Life List. She’s a homeowner, a partner at her law firm, she has a gorgeous boyfriend, lots of hobbies and loads of good friends. The only thing that’s missing is a ring on her finger.

According to her Life List, Rachel should be getting hitched around now, so when her boyfriend, Paul, plans a romantic date, Rachel’s pretty confident he’s going to propose. Except Paul has other ideas. He’s jetting off to India to find himself.

Distraught, Rachel doesn’t know what to do. Not one to easily admit defeat, she embarks on a mission to win him back.

Flying solo to India is definitely not on Rachel’s Life List, but could her trip teach her some unexpected lessons about love, life, and herself? Could she realize that perhaps her Life List wasn’t exactly what she wanted, after all?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

‘No make-up? … But I look like a sick Victorian child without make-up,’ … ‘India’s hot. Even if you do want to wear make-up, it’s only going to melt off your face within seconds!’ ‘Hmmm…’ I mumble, wondering whether false eyelashes can melt off your face too. That’s something to Google while I’m waiting for my flight. The last thing I need is spidery lashes crawling down my cheeks while I’m trying to get my boyfriend to fall for me again.

 

Go with the flow, I tell myself, trying to breathe evenly. If you smile at India, India smiles back. I remind myself of Priya’s words as my driver continues to cut through the traffic like a five-year-old playing Grand Theft Auto after too many sweets.

My Review:

 

I enjoyed this light-hearted and cleverly amusing tale, but I always enjoy Zoe May’s wry sense of humor and quirky characters and Flying Solo was well within her forte. Ms. May’s lively storylines were unique and engaging and put a smile on my face while her main characters were often ridiculous yet still believable, as who among us has not been ridiculous at times, or in my case, often still is?  😉

About the Author

Zoe May is an author of romantic comedies. Zoe has dreamt of being a novelist since she was a teenager. She worked in journalism and copywriting in London before writing her debut novel, Perfect Match. Having experienced the London dating scene first hand, Zoe could not resist writing a novel about dating, since it seems to supply endless amounts of weird and wonderful material!

Perfect Match was one of Apple’s top-selling books of 2018. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Joan Hessayon Award, with judges describing it as ‘a laugh out loud look at love and self-discovery – fresh and very funny’.

As well as writing, Zoe enjoys walking her dog, painting, and, of course, reading! She adores animals and if she’s not taking a photo of a vegan meal, she’s probably tweeting about the dairy industry. She is half Greek and half Irish and can make a mean baklava. Zoe has a thing for horror films, India, swimming, hip hop, and Radiohead. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of handbags having spent several years working in fashion copywriting and could probably win Mastermind if this was her specialist subject!

Zoe loves to hear from readers, you can contact her on Twitter and Instagram at: @zoe_writes. Zoe’s Facebook page is: www.facebook.com/zoemayauthor/

She posts updates and blogs on her website, www.zoemayauthor.co.uk

Social Media Links –

https://www.twitter.com/zoe_writes

https://www.instagram.com/zoe_writes

https://www.facebook.com/zoemayauthor/

 

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Book Review: A Dog’s Chance by Casey Wilson

 

  A Dog’s Chance
by Casey Wilson

 

Amazon / B&N 

 

Sometimes the dogs we rescue… also rescue us.

A heart-wrenching and beautiful story perfect for dog lovers everywhere. Fans of A Dog’s Purpose, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and Marley and Me will be utterly entranced by this gorgeous page-turner.

Madison knows her fourteen-year-old daughter Abbie is struggling. She wishes she could give Abbie stability, the promise of a forever home in Millbury, but she is scared to stay in one town for too long, and every day Abbie seems more anxious. Until a chance encounter with a beautiful, boisterous golden retriever puppy called Duke changes everything…

Duke bounces into the community center where Madison is working and when Abbie meets him she stops pacing the room. Duke is tugging his owner, seventy-five-year-old Arthur, along for the ride, and instantly Madison sees a way she and Arthur can help each other. She offers to train Duke so that Abbie gets to see him, and from that moment the four of them become a family.

Madison finally feels like she has a second chance at life and a reason to stay in town, but when her past catches up with her they are all at risk. Duke may have united this family, but will he be able to keep them together?

A reminder of the unbelievable bonds we form with the dogs in our lives. No matter how broken you are, the unconditional love of a dog can piece you back together.

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

That’s the beautiful thing about sharing the love in your heart— it doesn’t mean you have less of it. Love is the only thing that grows the more you give away.

 

My Review:

I relished this tender and sweet story.   Duke’s tale squeezed my heart, stung my eyes, and caused my lips to quiver, and more than a few times. This lovely story included a rescued puppy’s point of view and Duke’s observations were my favorites. The characters were endearing and highly likable, realistically flawed, and each struggling with significant personal challenges.   However, they found their burdens were easing once their paths had crossed – which was all due to the exuberant introduction and interventions of Duke. The writing style and storylines were easy to follow, emotive, relevant, and quite moving. I am an animal lover and adore stories featuring clever animals almost as much as the precious animals themselves.

 

About the Author

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Casey Wilson is the author of A Dog’s Hope and A Dog’s Chance, published with Bookouture.

Born and raised in the United States in Nevada, she is the owner of a gorgeous golden retriever, who may or may not have inspired the dogs in her novels.

 

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Book Review: Tell That To My Heart (Heartshaped Series #1) by Eliza J. Scott

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Tell That To My Heart
(Heartshaped Series #1)
by Eliza J. Scott

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

Jemima Dewberry wears her heart on her sleeve. Her weakness for bad boys, coupled with her track record for making bad decisions has led to endless heartbreak. The only trouble is, she can’t seem to kick the habit.

On top of that, her “dream” job at Yorkshire Portions magazine hasn’t turned out to be what she’d hoped, and she seems to have developed the knack of annoying her boss without even trying. It doesn’t help that the new girl seems to have taken an instant dislike to her. All that’s keeping her there are her best friends Anna-Lisa and Aidey, who have picked up the pieces of her shattered heart more times than they care to remember.

When Jemima’s latest boyfriend turns out to be no better than the rest, the hurt and humiliation are almost unbearable. She declares she’s finally through with love and swears off men for life. But when charismatic Caspar De Verre walks into the office with his dangerous good looks and mesmerizing smile, she’s utterly captivated, and her promises to Anna-Lisa and Aidey not to let her heart rule her head are soon forgotten.

But is Caspar all he seems? Anna-Lisa and Aidey have their doubts. And Herbert, the happy-go-lucky black Labrador Jemima’s looking after, doesn’t seem to like him either.

As Jemima falls for Caspar’s charms she finds herself being forced to confront the struggle between her head and her heart. But which one will prove the most powerful?

And will Jemima get the happy-ever-after she so desperately craves?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Mim gazed after him, her libido raging into life; the effect Caspar De Verre was having on her, anyone would think he bathed in concentrated pheromones.

 

Well, it actually had everything to do with her dubious choice of boyfriends. Just when she thought she’d found “the one”, and she was in a relationship that might actually be going somewhere, she’d discover that the said boyfriend had other ideas and, more often than not, other girlfriends.

 

… kind of like Dracula in that handsome, irresistible sort of way; you know he’s bad but the temptation’s too great to resist, kind of thing.

 

Mim resisted the temptation to make eye contact with her; she had a suspicion Honey’s black looks had the power to turn people to stone.

My Review:

 

This was a slowly developing and somewhat circular story featuring the self-effacing and timorous Mim and her best friends/co-workers. The three enjoyed their work but were struggling with a hostile work environment that was becoming increasingly toxic on an exponential level. When it came to her sexy new co-worker, Mim’s dog knew at first whiff, but Mim chose to wear blinders when it came to men and as was her pattern as well as that of her mother before her, she made yet another disastrous choice. I wanted to give her a few pinches and/or whacks to the back of her head to knock some sense loose, but Mim had horrible taste in men and purposely ignored and denied her own niggles as well as the concerns of her friends. I enjoyed the characters, the friends’ relationships, the humor, the lovable Labrador Herbert, and the office intrigue, but I smirked with glee at the shenanigans they played on the local busybody and curtain-twitching gossip to catch her out on her rumor spreading.

 

About the Author

Eliza is proud to be a member of the RNA. She lives in a 17th-century cottage in a village in the North Yorkshire Moors with her husband, their two daughters and two mischievous black Labradors. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in a book/glued to her Kindle or working in her garden, fighting a losing battle against the weeds.

When she’s not reading or gardening, Eliza also enjoys bracing walks in the countryside, rounded off by a visit to a teashop where she can indulge in another two of her favorite things: tea and cake.

Her biggest weakness is ginger biscuits dunked in tea.

Eliza is inspired by her beautiful surroundings and loves to write heartwarming romance stories with relatable female characters. She enjoys exploring the dynamics of female friendship, with a key feature of her books being how women pull together and support one another when things get tough.

Eliza’s novels will always have happy endings.

Social Media Links –

Twitter: Eliza J Scott – @ElizaJScott1

Instagram: Eliza J Scott – @elizajscott

Facebook: Eliza J Scott – @elizajscottauthor

Blog: www.elizajscott.com

Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/eliza-j-scott

Amazon Author Page: UK: www.amazon.co.uk/Eliza-J-Scott/e/B07DMQWPMH

US: www.amazon.com/Eliza-J-Scott/e/B07DMQWPMH