Book Review: Shelter Me (A Frazier Falls – Book 2) by Kelly Collins

Shelter Me
(A Frazier Falls – Book 2)
by Kelly Collins

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

 

She’s a city slicker. He’s a man married to small-town living. They are totally wrong for each other … or are they?
Emily Flanagan loves everything about the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, especially her career. But when her mom suddenly takes ill, Emily has to put her life on hold and rush to Frazier Falls. The small town offers nothing she desires, and everything she loathes, especially the handsome but arrogant Eli Cooper. If she didn’t want to throttle him each time she saw him, he could be a nice distraction.When Eli Cooper first sees the beautiful stranger slip on the ice, he thinks he might have a chance to play Prince Charming to her Cinderella. But as soon as he offers assistance, he discovers she’s not the type who needs—nor wants—rescuing. Within minutes, Emily and Eli are fighting like warring nations. As far as he’s concerned, she can’t leave town soon enough.

They aren’t a perfect match, but it’s said that there’s a fine line between love and hate.
Can they have a ceasefire long enough to realize their true feelings for one another?

Kelly Collins brings her signature wit, wisdom, and warmth to yet another charming small-town series filled with hope, love, and happily ever after.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Most of the male population here are in diapers, both young and old.

 

“We all have secrets.”… “There’s a picture out there somewhere of me wearing a thong.” I laughed. “Women’s or men’s?” “Not sure. In all fairness, there was a lot of whiskey and a dare involved.”

 

Had I known taking you to a spa was all I needed to get you naked, I’d have suggested it the first time I saw you.

 

 My Review:

 

This was a quick and satisfying small-town romance between two people who had irritated and annoyed each other upon first blush. Emily was a tough cookie and more than a bit prickly so it took considerable effort to warm up to her, although I enjoyed her snarky observations and humor. She gave and received good banter with Eli, who was also blessed with the gift of snark although his heart and edges were considerably softer and he was vastly more comfortable in his own skin. I’m enjoying Ms. Collin’s quirky Frazier Falls community almost as much as her beloved Aspen Cove series, although I sense my feelings will soon equalize with more familiarity.

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.

Book Review: Time After Time (Give Me Shelter #3) by Josie Kerr 

Time After Time
(Give Me Shelter #3)
by Josie Kerr 

Amazon US / UK / CA / AU 

Christine Dearborn met her soulmate in high school. They eloped shortly before he went to boot camp, allowing her to escape from her austere, loveless childhood home. But being a military wife came with its own challenges, and Christine fought her own enemies at home even as her beloved battled adversaries overseas.

William Cashton had always been a guardian. When he was eighteen, he promised to protect his wife and his country. Fighting a foreign enemy turned out to be the easy part, and the war at home has more devastating casualties than Cash ever imagined.

Five years after she let Cash walk away, Christine gets a phone call that changes everything. Can Christine convince Cash to try to salvage their marriage, or will their emotional wounds be fatal?

My Rating:

Favorite Quote:

 

I’ve come to believe that fate has a way of introducing us to things we don’t know we need until they’re in our lives.

 

My Review:

 

Getting through the holidays isn’t easy for everyone and can stir up and/or wring out the regrets for some, which can either result in completely ruining the holidays and further embittering the combatants, or being the impetus for real change. The first half of this tale was a rather tense and angsty read that was heavy on regrets while the characters were each quietly hopeful for clearing the air. I held my breath for this stubborn middle-aged couple, as they had successfully avoided all communication for five years after each had sullenly taken to their different corners of the country and licked their wounds while living in an odd form of marital limbo. The characters of Cash and Christine were endearingly flawed and near ruined with grief and contrition, yet still accessible; they prickled my curiosity to know all their secrets. I appreciated the realistic imperfections of these characters, they were well fleshed out and knowable to me while their reasoning and insights resonated as ringing true with their gained maturity.   The writing was emotive and heart-squeezing with welcome bites of humor while the couple worked through their issues and ultimately reinforced their foundation and reestablished their commitment while scorching the sheets and singing the ceiling tiles.

 


Josie Kerr   

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Josie Kerr is a transplanted West Texan living on the edge of semi-profoundly rural Georgia, a.k.a. the southernmost edge of the northernmost county in Metro Atlanta.

She has an M.Ed. in Secondary English Education but discovered that she hated high school more the second time than she did the first, so she decided to meld her love of technology with her education background and became an Instructional Designer. When not writing articles about how to fire someone without getting sued or why you should really not apply for jobs using your SexxyStud99@aol.com email address, she writes steamy romance novels that feature grown-up Heroes and Heroines.

 

Book Review: One Christmas Eve (Cedar Street #2) by Shannon Stacey 

One Christmas Eve

(Cedar Street #2)

by Shannon Stacey

 

Amazon US / UK AU / CA /

B&N / Apple / Kobo / Google

 

They couldn’t be more different. Or more perfect for each other.

New York Times bestselling author Shannon Stacey returns with a warm and cozy opposites-attract Christmas story.

Zoe Randall is busy living her life as she damn well pleases. She’s back in her favorite town, her divorce in her rearview mirror, and living out her childhood dream of running a bookstore with her cousin. She has no interest in the uptight nerd who opened his boring-ass business next to her shop…until he complains about one of her sexy window displays.

Then it’s game on.

Preston Wheeler knows he takes life a little too seriously. But when the saucy bookseller next door starts pushing his buttons, he can feel that changing. Beautiful, vivacious Zoe challenges him in all the best ways, and soon he’s pushing her buttons right back: teasing and flirting all the way through the holiday season.

As Preston loosens up and Zoe is treated to the man behind the suit (particularly his forearms), she realizes she’s more interested than she cares to admit. And Preston comes to see the beauty—the absolute delight—in adding Zoe’s bright splashes of color to his once very black-and-white existence.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Disapproval. Zoe knew that look. She’d divorced the man she’d thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with— a man who’d claimed to love and cherish her— because of that look, so she wasn’t about to accept it from a total stranger. Arching one eyebrow, she gave him her best bitch face.   And not the resting kind, either. Hers was a fully active bitch face.

 

“Just… be neighborly.” “Oh, should I run home and bake him a pie first?” “I’ve had your pie and I’m going to vote no.”

 

 My Review:

 

This was my first experience reading Shannon Stacey and I’m not sure what took so long for her to ping my radar, as she seems to have been quite busy with a veritable library of books listed under her name. I plan to make amends to the talented Ms. Stacey for my slacking as I enjoyed her easy-breezy writing style, snarky humor, and wily wit. I picked a nice place to start with this light, small-town, holiday romance with opposite attraction. The characters were endearingly quirky and likable while the story held my interest, was easy to follow, and developed at a good pace with tasty bites of steam, levity, and a sweet HEA for all involved.

About the Author

Amazon
Goodreads
Website

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her favorite activities are writing romance and really random tweets when she’s not riding her ATV. She loves mud, books, football & watching way too much TV.

Book Review, Giveaway: In the Heart of Windy Pines by Holly Tierney-Bedord

In the Heart of Windy Pines
by Holly Tierney-Bedord

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA

 

From the author of Kindle Unlimited All-Star winner, Sweet Hollow Women, comes a new novella featuring characters from Murder at Mistletoe Manor, Carnage at the Christmas Party, and The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club!

Klarinda Snow is the innkeeper of Mistletoe Manor in beautiful, remote, Windy Pines, Idaho, where she brings her unique brand of hospitality to the tiny mountain town.

When she finds her inn unexpectedly fully booked on a snowy Tuesday night in November, it brings back memories of a tragedy years before. Before she knows what hit her, she and her trusty team of employees (Myrtle, Pierre, and her new night manager, Josephine), have found themselves back at the task of solving another mystery at Mistletoe Manor!

While this book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novella, if you plan to read the books in the Windy Pines Mystery series or The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club, it’s highly recommended you read those first, as this book contains spoilers that could affect your ability to enjoy them.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Stop. Stop with the dad jokes, he silently begged himself as he trudged up the stairs. Like his heartburn and tension headaches, they’d become another constantly recurring infliction he couldn’t shake.

She’d been blonde and plump, only five feet tall, button-nosed and red-cheeked. The poster child for being underestimated.

She had that comfortably, happily hungover feeling that comes with spending time with someone special. When their presence still seems to be a part of you, even a day later.

And, like many an old man who still thought he was young, he fancied himself to be a bit of a Liam Neeson-type of undercover badass. Even when he was just running out to the hardware store for new weedwacker strings, he liked to act as suspiciously as possible.

My Review:

 

This tale was a continuation of the Windy Pines cozy mystery series, and although I have only read one of the previous installments I had no difficulty following the story. The quirky cast of characters including the Barbershop Reindeer Sweater Oldies Quartet carried over and expanded considerably with a new group of rude and oddly behaving guests to Klarinda Snow’s inn, the Mistletoe Manor, and the site of a murder in the last installment, which couldn’t have been good for her business.   Poor Klarinda, stumbling upon a frozen corpse, yet again.

The storylines were slowly built with sudden bursts of significant activity, secrets, and revelations. Clues and clever sparks of amusing levity were randomly disbursed with a few hidden like Easter eggs. The overall tone of this tale was more leaden than the last, due to the malaise and rather dispiriting personal issues the visitors were experiencing prior to and during their stays. To my great relief, the author wisely provided a quickly devised yet satisfactory ending to conclude the story on an upbeat, as I must have my HEA lest I begin filling the air with a tirade of invectives while stamping my little foot in pique, and surely no one wants to see that. 😉

 

About the Author

Holly Tierney-Bedord lives in Madison, Wisconsin. She’s the author of over twenty books including The Woman America Loves a Latte, The Port Elspeth Jewelry Making Club, and Kindle Unlimited All-Star winner Sweet Hollow Women.
For more information or to subscribe to Holly’s newsletter, visit www.hollytierneybedord.com.

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Book Review: The Girl Who Came Home to Cornwall (Tremarnock Book 5) by Emma Burstall

The Girl Who Came Home to Cornwall

(Tremarnock Book 5)

by Emma Burstall

Amazon US / UK / AU  /   B&N / Kobo / Google Play / iBooks

Escape to the Cornish coast with a new heartwarming Tremarnock novel, perfect for fans of Jill Mansell and Philippa Ashley.

In the quaint Cornish village of Tremarnock, Chabela Penhallow arrives for a holiday and to discover more about her Cornish ancestors. But, as always with newcomers to the small seaside town, rumours start to fly about this beautiful stranger. Is there more to her than meets the eye?

Meanwhile, Rob and Liz Hart’s marriage is on the rocks, but only one of them knows the real reason. Once the secret is out, will they be able to handle the repercussions or will it destroy their life together?

For the residents of Tremarnock, the revelations will either bond or break them – forever.

‘A charming, warm-hearted read … Pure escapism’ ALICE PETERSON.

‘The literary equivalent of a gin and tonic on a hot summer’s day … A delicious, delightful and decadent tale’ BOOKISH JOTTINGS.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

His plate was balanced on his lap and when she caught his eye, he looked away quickly, lifted his scone with both hands and nervously nibbled the edge, like a squirrel with a nut.

 

Chabela herself was woefully untidy. Her main filing system consisted of a large folder emblazoned with the words ‘VERY IMPORTANT STUFF’.

 

‘The buggers saw me coming and prepared to attack, I know they did.’ Just as he spoke, another bird, high above, let out a squawk and a gooey splat landed on the toe of his boot, followed by a second, a few feet from Liz’s shoe. ‘Right, that’s it!’ Robert was incandescent. ‘This is war!’

 

Señorita Penhallow, You’re more to me than life itself. I would do anything for you – climb mountains, fight sharks, even sit on cactuses.

 

My Review:

 

Ms. Burnstall provided me with thoughtful entertainment by creating an amusing and interesting village full of unique inhabitants, with a few tipping well over into the category of eccentric. Her latest tale was a pleasant escape and much-needed diversion to help me endure the torturous and disheartening monotony of Jury Duty. I much preferred spending my time with her odd collection of individuals while they squabbled, gossiped, celebrated, and rubbed along with difficulties and issues that were not uncommon yet vexing none the less.   The storylines were slowly developed yet easy to follow and held my attention while they spanned the globe from Cornwall to Mexico and back again. And while the emotional tone was not always breezy, clever observations, amusing descriptions, and comical situations were scattered throughout.   I particularly enjoyed the levity provided by the ongoing battle of the birds.

 

Most of all, I adored the sweet heart of the not so simple Simon and was intrigued by his quirks, twitches, and peculiar traits.   Simon’s wardrobe seemed to be coordinated with the color of mulch and his rigid routines and very brown nature seemed to be the antithesis of the lovely and lively Chabela, the new visitor from Mexico whose presence seemed to be curiously shaking up the village.   Culture clashes, bigotry, and stereotyping led to unfortunate misunderstandings but luckily the character of Chabela was more tolerant and forgiving of their pettiness than I would have been. Given the large slate of village characters, I am curious to explore the previous books in this series.

About the Author

Emma Burstall was a newspaper journalist in Devon and Cornwall before becoming a full-time author. Tremarnock, the first novel in her series set in a delightful Cornish village, was published in 2015 and became a top-10 bestseller.

Follow Emma:

Twitter: @EmmaBurstall

Facebook: EmmaBurstallAuthor

Website: emmaburstall.com

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Book Review: Coming Home to Merriment Bay – Part Four – Starry Skies by Emily Harvale

 

 Coming Home to Merriment Bay 

Part Four – Starry Skies

by Emily Harvale

 

Amazon US / UK / AU CA 

 

Part Four of this heartwarming four-part serial about finding the strength to put the past behind you and to reach out for a future filled with happiness and love.

Cat is reeling from the unexpected events of Christmas and as Merriment Bay prepares to toast in the New Year, she’s facing choices she never thought she’d have to make. Her head and her heart are pulling her in very different directions.

Bailey is sitting by Viola’s bedside, regaling everyone with tales from the past but is there any chance he’ll get to see a smile on the lips of the woman he still loves?

Having realized she has made mistakes, will Mary finally tell Cat what she really wants to know?

And what will the New Year bring for Kyra? Will she fulfill the plans she made before she came to Merriment Bay?

When distressing events end more than one person’s dream, can Cat find the strength to fight for the love she deserves? Sometimes it takes a crisis to make someone realize what they truly want. And Cat has decided what – and who – that really is. But is she too late?

 

My Rating:

My Review:

 

I finally know the secret, that clever tease Emily Harvale had enticed, baited, and taunted me with her intriguing and classified paternity issues and cliffhangers. Not only had she tickled my curiosity and continued to taunt, tantalize, and nettle me for three more installments; she also had me completely fooled as my theory was in error, thank goodness as it would have been a bit icky.   I sighed contentedly after concluding this satisfying HEA with a vexing itch mercifully scratched.

 

About the Author

Emily writes novels, novellas and short stories about friendship, family and falling in love. She loves a happy ending but knows that life doesn’t always go to plan. Her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily loves to connect with her readers and has a readers’ group in which many have become good friends. To catch up with Emily, find out about the group, or connect with her on social media, go to her website at www.emilyharvale.com.

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her home town of Hastings where she now writes full-time. She’s a member of the SoA and the RWA, an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. When not writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies – and will do anything to avoid both. Emily has two mischievous rescue cats that like to sprawl across her keyboard, regardless of whether Emily is typing on it, or not.

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/emilyharvalewriter

https://www.twitter.com/emilyharvale

https://www.instagram.com/emilyharvale

 

Book Review: THE LAST AFFAIR by Margot Hunt

THE LAST AFFAIR

by Margot Hunt

 

 

Amazon  US / UK / AU / CA / 

B&N / Kobo / Google / 

Walmart / Target / Apple

 

ISBN: 9780778309222

Publication Date: November 26, 2019

Publisher: MIRA BOOKS

Gwen Landon—poster woman for perfect wife, mother, and suburban bliss—is found brutally bludgeoned to death behind her Floridian McMansion. Beautiful and beloved by her community, Gwen makes an unlikely victim. But just a scratch below the surface of her perfectly curated world reveals one far more sinister. When looking back over the six months leading up to her death, the question of, “who would do this?” quickly shifts to, “who wouldn’t?”

Commercially successful food blogger and mother of three, Nora Holliday never imagined she would have the nerve, let alone time, to get involved in an affair. Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she does whatever it takes to keep it all together. But when Nora runs into Gwen Landon’s husband at a hotel in Orlando, his easy kindness and warmth prove too tempting to resist. As their affair spirals dangerously out of control, it seems things can’t get more complicated—until Gwen turns up dead.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

It was the very picture of suburban domestic bliss. It could have been the set for a commercial advertising anything from laundry detergent to allergy medicine… except for the dead body.

 

Even though Josh didn’t touch her or make a single inappropriate comment, there was an energy between them. It shimmered there, almost like a separate entity, a third party sitting at the table with them.

 

They’re very sporty. In fact, they own one of those CrossFit places where people go and torture themselves flipping tractor tires and whatnot, and the women all end up looking like linebackers.

 

She’s as deep as a puddle and about as interesting. She’s not the kind of person you ruin your life over.

 

Nora is the kind of person who always does the right thing. It’s deeply important to her. It’s like she wants to live in a world of straight lines and squared corners.

 

I thought his crippling shyness was adorable, and evidence that he was so in love with me, it rendered him speechless. It was only later I realized that he simply didn’t have anything to say.

 

My Review:

 

This marks my third time enjoying the nimbly written works of Margot Hunt, who appears to possess quite a clever and impressive toolkit of words and perceptive observational skills, as well as a big honking brain. The story begins with a dead body, and we aren’t informed of the culprit of the deadly deed until the last few pages. I had spun and discarded various theories while I made my way through this slowly building and deftly penned tale of betrayal, family tension, addiction, personality disorders, and spiteful vengeance; with characters that became incrementally darker and increasingly twisted as the storylines and threads unfurled in all directions. Despite my best efforts, I did not foresee this ending in my calculations and I found the last few pages to be the most chilling of all. Margot Hunt has more than earned my undying respect for her wordcraft, as well as a bit of fear.

About the Author

TWITTER: @HuntAuthor

FB: @AuthorMargotHunt

Insta:@margot_hunt

Goodreads

 Margot Hunt is a critically acclaimed author of psychological suspense. Her work has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist and Kirkus Reviews.

Book Review: Coming Home to Merriment Bay -Part Three – Christmas by Emily Harvale

Coming Home to Merriment Bay

Part Three – Christmas

by Emily Harvale

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

 

Part Three of this heartwarming four-part serial about finding the strength to put the past behind you and to reach out for a future filled with happiness and love.

Cat and Kyra have finally traced the man in the photo they found in Viola’s trunk – thanks to Amias. But Bailey Mitchell lives thousands of miles away and is almost ninety-eight, so meeting him in person is never going to happen. Which is just as well. Exchanging Christmas cards and chatting on social media leads to revelations Cat had not expected.

At least Christmas is looking promising. It may be freezing outside but things have definitely thawed between Cat and her mum, Mary. They’re actually getting on, especially now that Mary is dating Jeremy Stone, the builder working on Viola’s house.

Cat’s also hopeful that Viola’s situation may improve. And when a surprise visitor brings more than just well wishes, Cat’s Christmas takes a delightful turn.

With the festivities in full swing, and snow falling on Merriment Bay, the future’s looking bright. Christmas is a time for miracles and Cat believes she may get one of her own this year if she’s prepared to put the past behind her and open her heart to Love once more.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

He’s stolen my dreams and made them his. But he hasn’t included me. And somehow, that’s the worst betrayal of all.

 

Just nice? Didn’t you feel your heart beat faster, or get tingles up and down your spine? Or hear a choir of angels, or even Santa’s elves playing violins, or something?

 My Review:

 

Gah! This was an eventful installment but I’m getting whiplash from these indecisive and wishy-washy characters. I am indignant and tetchy with impatience for an actual conversation between the two as they take a tiny step forward and three steps back. The secrets remain untold but I have several theories percolating in the tiny pea that resides in my skull. Manipulative and magniloquent Mary deserves to be drawn and quartered several times over for her contemptible and selfish behaviors over the years.

Cliffhangers are the handiwork of Satan himself and have left me itchy to pinch and maybe even give a good smack to the bedeviling minx Emily Harvale with my beloved Kindle for vexing me so! One more installment to go and two long weeks to wait for gratification. I fear I am just not equipped to read serials. I beseech you; please write quickly, Ms. Harvale.

About the Author

 

Emily writes novels, novellas and short stories about friendship, family and falling in love. She loves a happy ending but knows that life doesn’t always go to plan. Her stories are sure to bring a smile to your face and a warmth to your heart.

Emily loves to connect with her readers and has a readers’ group in which many have become good friends. To catch up with Emily, find out about the group, or connect with her on social media, go to her website at www.emilyharvale.com.

Having lived and worked in London for several years, Emily returned to her home town of Hastings where she now writes full-time. She’s a member of the SoA and the RWA, an Amazon bestseller and a Kindle All Star. When not writing, she can be found enjoying the stunning East Sussex coast and countryside, or in a wine bar with friends, discussing life, love and the latest TV shows. Chocolate cake is often eaten. She dislikes housework almost as much as she dislikes anchovies – and will do anything to avoid both. Emily has two mischievous rescue cats that like to sprawl across her keyboard, regardless of whether Emily is typing on it, or not.

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/emilyharvalewriter

https://www.twitter.com/emilyharvale

https://www.instagram.com/emilyharvale

Book Review: A Forgiven Friend (Friends #3) by Sue Featherstone

 A Forgiven Friend

(Friends #3)

by Sue Featherstone

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA / B&N

A Forgiven Friend: Lies, Loss, and Love, But Always Friendship

Friendship will always come first.

There’s only one way out from rock bottom and that’s up, and Teri Meyer is finally crawling out from the worst time of her life – no thanks to her best friend Lee. But no matter, she’s finally found love – real love with a real man, a successful man, a man who accepts all her flaws. Teri’s never felt like this before, and yet it’s changing her in ways she doesn’t understand.

And there’s only one person who can help, one person who truly understands Teri.

It seems that no matter how hard Lee Harper tries, there’s a battle awaiting her at every turn these days, and she’s tired. And as if she needs the extra stress, Teri continues to create constant and unnecessary drama. But Lee’s the only one who really knows what’s going on under Teri’s hard, convoluted exterior, and that’s why she’s always been there for her.

But the question is: will Teri be there when Lee needs her most?

The brilliant and entertaining final book in the unique FRIENDS trilogy dishes out another dose of rib-tickling mayhem for our favorite thirty-something professional women.

 

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

Good Lord! Where were the toilets? Ms Kostanechi had gestured towards the shrubbery at the bottom of the garden. ‘We have the very latest in sustainable lavatory technology.’ What did that mean? A hole in the ground and a handful of moss, in place of a roll of aloe vera toilet paper?

 

She’d been as co-operative as a chattering of four-year-olds with earthworms in their knickers.

 

‘You’ve done what?’ Dogs three streets away howled in anguish, Connie-behind-the-Portly & Groops-counter dropped the tray of coffee cups she was carrying, and a toddler, who’d been struggling to climb out of his highchair, slid back into his seat and buried his face in his hands. Teri blinked… ‘Why? Why?’ I’d lowered my voice, largely because the huge lump in my throat was making it difficult to speak.

 

I’m not really into food where the steak is so lightly cooked there’s a good chance it’ll leap off the plate and start chewing the cud.

 

… those flirtingly sparkly blue eyes and heart-shaped ruby lips belie one of nature’s meanest gossips. She works on the basis that if a rumour has even a smidgen of truth in it, it’s worth spreading around the whole university on the basis that it’s bound to come true by the time it’s finished its travels… ‘Well, don’t you think it’s exciting?’ she chirruped, leaning in slightly and glancing into the back of my car in the hope there might be something incriminating there – like a naked man whose wrists were tied perhaps.

 

‘But, what about the age gap?’ She waved an elegantly painted finger. ‘Oh, age is just a number.’ ‘But aren’t there rather a lot of numbers between you?’

 

My Review:

 

While almost all of the characters in this book were personalities I would avoid on pain of death and would definitely not enjoy personally sharing air with as they were deeply flawed and rather abhorrent, I smirked and barked my way through this witty and snarky tale. So much so, that I plan to read the two earlier books in the series. The writing was stellar and packed with highly amusing observations and rib-tickling descriptions that pulled sharp visuals to mind. I cringed and groaned at some of the awful things that Teri said and did, but I also couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

 

The character of Teri was the most loathsome to me as she was a thoughtless loose cannon and an obnoxious, red Louboutin shod drama-queen. She was basically a self-involved diva who couldn’t see or concern herself with anything beyond her own nose. She was selfish, impetuous, demanding, petty, lazy, gorgeous, insecure, and a honey trap for men. I couldn’t imagine why the stodgy academician, Lee, remained her friend. Teri thoughtlessly blundered on creating huge scenes and life-altering messes and Lee would seethe and grind her teeth, but eventually, she would sigh and forgive her. I must confess to never being that kind or patient towards anyone – friend or family.   When someone screws me over – I make sure they aren’t able to do it more than once, and the earth beneath them is usually scorched!

 

I gained a treasure trove of new additions for my Brit Words and Phrases List with make a decent fist – make a worthy effort; lolloped – moving in an ungainly or awkward manner; and the multi-tasker of pipped which has several meanings such as – shoot with a gun, drunk, insult, molest, or defeat by a narrow margin; and twonk – which is Victorian slang for a stupid or foolish person, and although it may no longer be in use today, it is still fun to say.

 

About the Authors

Sue Featherstone and Susan Pape

Sue Featherstone and Susan Pape are both former newspaper journalists with extensive experience of working for national and regional papers and magazines, and in public relations.

More recently they have worked in higher education, teaching journalism – Sue at Sheffield Hallam and Susan at Leeds Trinity University.

The pair, who have been friends for almost 30 years, wrote two successful journalism textbooks together – Newspaper Journalism: A Practical Introduction and Feature Writing: A Practical Introduction (both published by Sage), before deciding to turn their hands to fiction.

The first novel in their Friends series, A Falling Friend, was released in 2016. A Forsaken Friend followed two years later, and the final book in the trilogy, A Forgiven Friend, published on November 19.

Sue, who is married with two grown-up daughters, and the most ‘gorgeous granddaughter in the whole world’, loves reading, writing and Nordic walking in the beautiful countryside near her Yorkshire home.

Susan is married and lives in a village near Leeds, and, when not writing, loves walking and cycling in the Yorkshire Dales. She is also a member of a local ukulele orchestra.

They blog about books at https://bookloversbooklist.com/

Follow them on Twitter: @SueF_Writer and @wordfocus

 

Book Review: Your Christmas Love by Layla Hagen

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Your Christmas Love

by Layla Hagen

 

Amazon US / UK / AU / CA 

B&N / GP / Kobo / Apple

A sizzling, full-length romance from USA TODAY BESTSELLING author Layla Hagen

Sienna Hensley loves everything about the Christmas season, from hanging decorations to the cozy get-togethers with her family. Despite being part of the well-known Bennett family, Sienna is determined to first gather experience before joining their business. Her job at Statham department store is perfect for that. But her new boss, Winston, is going to be a slight problem. He is broody, dictatorial, and sexy as all get out.

For Winston Statham, Christmas is just a reminder of the deadline looming ahead this year. Saving the store his parents build is his top priority. At least until he finds his branding manager singing and dancing to carols while hanging twinkling lights in his favorite meeting room.

He can’t get the sexy sway of her hips out of his mind…or her determination to make him smile. When he asks her to stay overtime, work isn’t the only thing on his mind. Before long, he’s willing to do anything for one more kiss, one more night together. Winston falls so hard for Sienna, that he can’t imagine ever letting her go.

But with his future up in the air, can he promise her anything more than an unforgettable Christmas season?

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

 

I don’t want to keep you on your toes. I just want to keep you.

 

I’d always thought that knowing you’ve found the one was going to take time… But this felt so perfect that I was close to bursting with happiness. I didn’t even know it was possible to feel so much joy. It was like a physical force, like a pressure from the inside out.

 

My Review:

 

Written in my favorite dual POV, this sweet and sexy book was a refreshing angst-free delight.   What a relief to read upbeat and pleasurable storylines rather than constant conflict and yo-yo push/pull on and off relationship drama. This sexy couple brought out the best in each other in the boardroom, bedroom, and every environment in between. The storylines were engaging, delectably steamy, and easy to follow while populated with characters who were thoughtful, smart, hardworking, and highly likable.   Sigh, I adore Layla Hagen.

About Layla Hagen   

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Layla Hagen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She fell in love with books when she was nine years old, and her love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.

She writes steamy and romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.

She is represented by fabulous Louise Fury (The Bent Agency)